2019-11-19: News Headlines

Sam Pizzigati (2019-11-19). Inequality and the iron law of decaying public services. peoplesworld.org Fires are raging everywhere in California these days, and firefighters are having enormous trouble keeping up. Chronically understaffed local fire departments simply don't have the resources to handle Act #1 of what climate change has in store for us. California's wealthy aren't particularly worrying about that lack of resources — because they have more than enough …

Staff (2019-11-19). Activists Occupy Pelosi's Office, Launch Global Hunger Strike for Climate Action. truthout.org The global grassroots movement Extinction Rebellion is targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hunger strike and demanding that the Democratic leader embrace bold climate action as have progressive lawmakers around the country. | The group told Pelosi a week ago that members would begin a hunger strike Monday unless the California Democrat agreed to a one-hour, on-camera meeting to discuss Extinction Rebellion's demands for concrete climate action. | On Twitter, the group announced that…

Staff (2019-11-19). Big Oil Needs to Pay for the Damage It Caused. truthout.org This month in a Manhattan courthouse, New York State's attorney general Letitia James argued that ExxonMobil should be held accountable for layers of lies about climate change. It's a landmark moment — one of the first times that Big Oil is having to answer for its actions — and James deserves great credit for bringing it to trial. But it comes with a deep irony: Under the relevant New York statutes, the only people that New York can legally identify as victims are investors in the company's stock. | It is true…

The Canary (2019-11-19). McDonnell: Companies could be delisted for failing to tackle climate change. thecanary.co Labour has set out plans for companies that fail to tackle climate change to be delisted from the London Stock Exchange. | In a speech to business leaders in Westminster, shadow chancellor John McDonnell outlined proposals to move away from a shareholder economy towards a stakeholder model, as well as reforming corporate governance, accountability and regulation. | Delisting occurs when a stock is removed from a stock exchange and is usually prompted by a company failing to meet the requirements of the exchange. | Companies already have to meet rules set by the London Stock Exchange and Financial Conduct Authorit…

Frances Madeson (2019-11-19). What the Frack? New Mexico Wants to Recycle Radioactive Wastewater. progressive.org The state's famous green chiles may be hot for a whole new reason.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-11-19). Climate Groups Applaud Newsom's Temporary Fracking Ban in California, But Say Other 'Critical Next Steps' Still Needed. commondreams.org Anti-fracking advocates were cautiously optimistic Tuesday after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a moratorium on fracking in the state and new steps to mitigate the disastrous public health effects that extractive industries have on communities. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-4869567031.jpg

The Canary (2019-11-19). The Green Party manifesto at a glance. thecanary.co The Green Party has revealed the details of its general election manifesto. | Titled If Not Now, When?, the manifesto announces 10 new laws that would be ready to be implemented if co-leaders Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley won an against-the-odds majority on 12 December. | I very much hope that our manifesto gives Labour some pause for thought, before their manifesto is published, especially on: the climate crisisfreedom of movementdrug reform | Have…

Eds. (2019-11-19). Global climate treaty is not working. mronline.org Three out of four nations have yet to start to honour the global climate treaty. The world waits, the seas go on rising — and greenhouse gases too. | Source

Nicholas Mulder (2019-11-18). Can 'Climate Sanctions' Save the Planet? thenation.com Can 'Climate Sanctions' Save the Planet?

Tracy Keeling (2019-11-18). Ex-adviser to the Foreign Office drops a deadly truth bomb about the Tory government. thecanary.co Two ex-advisers have slammed the Conservative government over its environmental record. The criticisms from one of them, an ex-adviser to the Foreign Office, cut particularly deep. That's partly because the climate crisis is one of the most important issues in this election. But it's also because he identified a…

Bill Hatch (2019-11-18). A New Silence. counterpunch.org On a recent weekend there were worldwide, youth-led strikes involving millions of people, against climate change. Some residents of the San Joaquin Valley, the worst air-quality zone in the nation, were discussing it around the kitchen table of Lydia Miller, president of the San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center, who began speaking of the obvious loss More

Michael T. Klare (2019-11-18). The Pentagon Is Not Ready to Face Our Biggest National Security Threat. thenation.com The Pentagon Is Not Ready to Face Our Biggest National Security Threat…

Lawrence Wittner (2019-11-17). Which Would You Prefer: Nuclear War or Climate Catastrophe? dissidentvoice.org To: The people of the world From: The Joint Public Relations Department of the Great Powers The world owes an enormous debt of gratitude to Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Boris Johnson, and other heroic rulers of our glorious nations. Not only are they hard at work making their respective countries great …

Fred_F (2019-11-16). The climate canary in the coal mine. greenleft.org.au Climate Zane AlcornIssue 1245 AustraliaNovember 16, 2019If you thought extreme weather and climate events would eventually force politicians to wake up — that notion should now be definitely put to bed. | Not only did the Coalition fail to acknowledge climate change makes it more likely that extreme weather events will be more frequent…

Staff (2019-11-15). Sen. Cory Booker on Environmental Justice, Nuclear Power & "Savage Racial Disparities" in the U.S. democracynow.org The first-ever Presidential Forum on Environmental Justice, co-moderated by Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and former EPA official Mustafa Santiago Ali, was held last Friday at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey was one of six Democratic candidates to share his plans to confront environmental injustices and the climate crisis. Booker spoke about racial disparities in the U.S., the creation of renewable energy jobs and the water contamination crises in cities across the country, including his hometown of Newark. "My community is not alone," Booker said. "Lead service…

Fred_F (2019-11-15). WA climate rebels pledge to blockade fossil fuels conference. greenleft.org.au environment Sam WainwrightIssue 1245 Australia PerthNovember 15, 2019Climate activists are gearing up for the Resources Technology Showcase (RTS), a mining and fossil fuel industry conference to be held at the Perth Convention Centre over November 27-28. | A newly formed c…

Fred_F (2019-11-15). Climate crisis, food production and the rising risk of pandemics. greenleft.org.au Agriculture Climate Pat BrewerIssue 1245 AustraliaNovember 15, 2019Australia is already feeling the effects of the climate crisis through rising temperatures, drought and major bushfires. | Meanwhile, governments are loosening environmental laws and agribusiness farming is dam…

Staff (2019-11-14). Headlines for November 14, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Diplomats Testify Trump Pressured Ukraine to Dig Up Political Dirt on Bidens, Trump Claims He Was "Too Busy" to Watch Impeachment Inquiry, Trump Hosts President Erdogan at White House Amid Turkish Attacks in Syria, 34 Palestinians Killed in Two Days as Israel Bombs Gaza Strip, Exiled Bolivian President Evo Morales Calls for "National Dialogue", Protests Rage as Bolivia's Self-Proclaimed Interim President Swears In Cabinet, Lebanese Soldiers Shoot and Kill Man as Protests Enter Fifth Week, Zimbabwe: Millions at Risk of Starving Amid Climate Change-Fueled Drought, Hundreds of Elephants Die as Drought Grips Sou…

Duncan Roden (2019-11-14). Fires driven by climate change are the 'new normal'. greenleft.org.au Climate change Jim McIlroyIssue 1245 Australia bushfiresNovember 14, 2019Harry Creamer, a leading environment activist from Port Macquarie on the NSW central-north coast and longstanding member of Climate Change Hastings, acted for most most of us on November 10 when he ga…

Stuart Munckton (2019-11-12). Six new books for ecosocialists. greenleft.org.au ecosocialism. books Ian AngusIssue 1247 AustraliaNovember 12, 2019Climate and Capitalism editor Ian Angus takes a look at six books that belong on the bookshelf of ecosocialists. | *** | The Thinking Person's Guide To Climate Change
| University…

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …