(2019-01-07). Senator Warren's Push for Climate Risk Disclosure. commondreams.org While most of the focus on climate risk disclosure has been on the fossil fuel industry, few sectors face as much risk as food and agriculture—in particular, companies with long supply chains increasingly vulnerable to disruption.(Photo: shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/dirt_0.jpg…
(2019-01-07). US Policy Is Causing the Next Mass Extinction. thenation.com US Policy Is Causing the Next Mass Extinction…
(2019-01-07). CIEL Response to US Supreme Court's Rejection of ExxonMobil's Appeal to Block MA Attorney General Consumer Protection Probe. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-07). Sunrise Movement: Pelosi's Actions on Climate Fall Woefully & Inexcusably Short of What We Need. democracynow.org 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing criticism from some climate activists for failing to back a Green New Deal. Last week Pelosi announced the formation of a new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, headed by long-standing Florida Congressmember Kathy Castor. But the committee is far weaker than what backers of a Green New Deal had envisioned. The committee will not have subpoena power or the power to draft legislation. We speak with Varshini Prakash, founder of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group that has occupied and lobbied at congressional offices, risking arrest to demand adoption of the Gree…
(2019-01-07). The Miraculous Hope of Climate Realists. commondreams.org Scientists in the Arctic observe the Aurora Borealis. (Photo: US Department of Defense) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/lights_0.jpg…
(2019-01-07). Scientists Are Stumped by This Climate Puzzle. truthdig.com Two new studies have highlighted yet more unexpected findings in the epic story of the Earth's carbon stores: how the world's waters and soils accumulate and discharge them. | One team of researchers has found, to their surprise, that the meltwaters of Greenland are washing measurable quantities of carbon into the atmosphere in the form of the potent greenhouse gas methane. | And another has looked more closely at the way carbon is stored in the world's soils, and come to the conclusion that even the minerals in the bedrock play a rol…
(2019-01-07). Make 2019 the year of action on climate change. greenleft.org.au 
Australia is sweltering through another summer heatwave, with disastrous consequences for many vulnerable people. Walgett, in north-west NSW, ran out of water and catastrophic fires are threatening communities in Victoria and Tasmania. | As we make a plan for a new year of activism, we can take some heart from the growing student movement for real climate action. They are responding to the science and showing an awareness of the scale of the pending climate catastrophe. They know what needs to be done and are demonstrating that leadership comes from those who act. | Students 4 Climate Action have already agreed t…
(2019-01-07). Compulsory earthquake warnings are racist, Portland NAACP says. rt.com 
Protesters in Portland, Oregon have rallied against a city policy demanding that owners of brick houses post warnings of potential collapse in case of an earthquake. Civil rights activists say the order targets black people.
(2019-01-07). With Nationwide Tour Targeting Untapped Youth Power, Sunrise Movement Aims to 'Make Green New Deal an Inevitability'. commondreams.org The millennial-led Sunrise Movement has succeeded in convincing 45 House Democrats and several senators to support the Green New Deal, and now the grassroots group is planning to focus on young voters across the country to gather as much support as possible for the bold climate action and jobs proposal. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-01-07_at_9.48.01_am.jpg…
(2019-01-07). Supreme Court Blocks ExxonMobil's Effort to Conceal Decades of Documents in Probe of Oil Giant's Climate Deception. commondreams.org In a win for climate campaigners and Massachusetts' Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected ExxonMobil's attempt to block Healey's demand for documents related to her state's ongoing investigation into allegations that one of the world's largest oil and gas corporations deceived the public and investors for decades about how fossil fuels drive global warming. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-643780060_0_0.jpg…
(2019-01-07). Standing Rock's Surprising Legacy: A Push for Public Banks. truthout.org In February 2017, Seattle became the first city to pass legislation to divest from a financial institution because of its role in funding the Dakota Access pipeline. | Months of rallies, public testimony at city council meetings, and protests at Wells Fargo branches across Seattle led to the unanimous vote to divest billions from the bank. Los Angeles and Philadelphia would follow. But when the time came to withdraw its money from the bank at the end of 2018, Seattle instead renewed its contract with Wells Fargo. The political decision to divest city money from one of the biggest banks funding DAPL was reverse…
(2019-01-07). Pelosi's Actions on Climate Fall Woefully and Inexcusably Short of What We Need. truthout.org House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing criticism from some climate activists for failing to back a Green New Deal. Last week Pelosi announced the formation of a new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, headed by long-standing Florida Congressmember Kathy Castor. But the committee is far weaker than what backers of a Green New Deal had envisioned. The committee will not have subpoena power or the power to draft legislation. We speak with Varshini Prakash, founder of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group that has occupied and lobbied at congressional offices, risking arrest to demand adoption of the G…
(2019-01-07). Protecting Undocumented Victims of Abuse: Does Hope Lie in Legislative History? truthout.org This is no requiem, no eulogy for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) — especially as it relates to the undocumented, who are among the most marginalized people it is meant to protect. The current government shutdown triggered the expiration of this statute that makes lawful immigration status a reality for undocumented people who have been victims of domestic abuse by US citizens or lawful permanent resident spouses. VAWA also provides protections for victims with lawful immigration status, including shelter space, counseling or legal assist…
(2019-01-07). Group submits petitions with 1 million signatures urging Brown to phase out fossil fuels. indybay.org In spite of receiving 1,000,000 signed petitions on November 1 and being confronted with 30,000 people marching in a climate protest in San Francisco in September, Governor Jerry Brown did not change any of his positions on fossil fuel extraction, carbon trading, the Delta Tunnels and other questionable environmental policies.
(2019-01-07). Canadian Government Of Trudeau And Its Murder Of Animals, Destruction Of Environment. indybay.org Seal clubbing, trophy hunting profiteering, cattle ranching, dairy product marketing, collateral damage of war, dearth of animal protection laws for lab animals or animals factory farmed or in cattle ranches etc by Canada…
(2019-01-07). Fed Gov Shutdown & SF Hunters Point Treasure Island Whistleblowers Face Cover-up/Corruption. indybay.org KPFA WorkWeek radio covers the government shutdown and threats to our public services and health and safety in the air transportation system. Next it looks at the growing scandal and cover-up of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and Treasure Island cleanup. Over $1 billion has been spent to supposedly remediate the sites but there continue to be dangerous radioactive contamination and Tetra Tech and Test American fired OSHA and health and safety whistleblowers. The program looks at the failure of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and California State Department of Public Health that will now be run by…
(2019-01-06). With Self-Inflicted Pay-Go Rule, Democratic Victory in 2020 Just Got Harder. commondreams.org "It will take money and fiscal tools and policies to create the kind of investments in renewable energy infrastructure that would allow us to preserve a livable climate," writes Atcheson. "Pay-go makes that kind of investment more difficult." (Photo: House Dems / flickr / cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/house_democrats_0.jpg…
(2019-01-05). 3135. Opportunities and challenges posed by the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) protests and the Sunrise movement. mronline.org 
In this essay, I will argue that the leadership of the climate justice movement and the movement for radical social change, which in my opinion is essential for tackling the eco-social world crisis, have fallen short to meet the opportunities and challenges that the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) protests in France (Greeman, December 3, 2018; […] | Source
(2019-01-04). Headlines for January 4, 2019. democracynow.org 116th Congress Sworn In as Nancy Pelosi Elected House Speaker, House Democrats Adopt PAYGO Austerity Spending Rule, House Democrats Approve New Ethics Rules, Form Climate Committee, Trump Repeats Border Wall Demands as Gov't Shutdown Enters 14th Day, Trump Admin Wants to Send More Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border, Brazil: President's Assault on Indigenous Rights Threatens Amazon, Mexico: Mayor Assassinated Hours After Taking Office, Trump Administration Threatens Iran over Its Space Program, Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Faces Criminal Inquiry, Google Uses "Double Irish Dutch Sandwich" Scheme to Avoid Taxes, P…
(2019-01-04). Our Top Stories of 2018. counterpunch.org What Brett Kanavaugh Really Learned in High School by JoAnn Wypijewski Ghosts in the Propaganda Machine by Jeffrey St. Clair & Joshua Frank Capitalism as an Obstacle to Equality and Democracy by Richard D. Wolff The Mind-Benders: How to Harvest Facebook Data, Brainwash Voters, and Swing Elections by Roberto Gonzales Trump's Travesty of Protectionism by More
(2019-01-04). As Most Diverse Congress in History Takes Office, Dems Push to End Shutdown Without Funding for Wall. democracynow.org 
The 116th Congress made history Thursday, swearing in the most diverse group of lawmakers ever and more than 100 women in the House, including the first two Native American women, the first two Latina women from Texas and the first two Muslim women. The first-ever African-American women congressmembers from Connecticut and Massachusetts were sworn in, as was Colorado's first-ever African-American member of Congress. The first-ever and now second female House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and House Democrats sought to end the government shutdown as their first order of business, passing a package of spending bills that w…
(2019-01-04). On Pocahontas: Democrats, Press Must Stop Playing Into the Master Manipulator's Hands. counterpunch.org The day after Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced that she was launching an exploratory committee for the 2020 presidential race, National Public Radio reported that President Donald Trump had responded to the news by again referring to the Massachusetts senator as "Pocahontas" and ridiculing her recent attempt to prove her Native American ancestry via a DNA More
(2019-01-03). When "green" doesn't "grow" mronline.org 
The onslaught of extreme weather and the increasingly stark scientific assessment leave no doubt that we face an ecological and civilizational emergency. But in the year since COP23 in Bonn, Germany, a constant stream of headlines and reports have confirmed that governments are not on track to meet their climate commitments. | Source
(2019-01-03). Headlines for January 3, 2019. democracynow.org Democrats Take Back House with Historic Firsts, Dems to Vote on Contested PAYGO Rule, Which Restricts Gov't Spending, Dems to Vote on Plan That Funds Gov't Without Border Wall Funding, Shutdown Takes Toll on on Native American Communities, Trump Takes Aim at Mattis, Praises Kim Jong-un in Cabinet Meeting, Trump Takes Takes Credit for Markets, China Trade Relations, India: 2 Women Enter Hindu Temple After Centuries of Denied Access for Women, Mali: Gunmen Kill 37 Civilians Amid Mounting Ethnic Tensions, Russia: U.S. Citizen Detained on Espionage Charges, Chinese Probe Lands on Far Side of Moon in Historic First, N…
(2019-01-03). If You Pave It, They Will Come – As climate teeters, Washington Post pushes for more highway. fair.org 
As world leaders gathered in Poland for the UN climate conference, the Washington Post threw its support behind a $9 billion plan to add over 100 miles of toll lanes to Maryland highways in the traffic-choked DC region. The Post offered its hearty initial support, despite the fact that studies show adding more lanes …
(2019-01-02). As the 115th Congress Ends, Here Are the Important Civil Rights Battles We've Won. aclu.org During the last two years of Trump, ACLU activists have won fights ranging from advancing criminal justice reforms to stopping border wall funding. | The past two years have been challenging times, as we have witnessed attacks on our shared values and civil rights from the Trump White House and a Republican-dominated Congress. It can sometimes feel difficult to make change happen, but even in this hostile climate, ACLU activists helped drive key legislative victories to advance civil liberties during the 115th Congress, which ends on Thursday. As the new Congress is sworn in on Thursday, these victories should re…
(2019-01-02). Proposed Florida law would stop local governments from removing racist Confederate monuments. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – Pensacola State Representative Mike Hill has introduced a bill in the state legislature, House Bill 97, titled the Soldiers' and Heroes' Monuments and Memorials Protection Act, that would stop local authorities from removing racist confederate monuments. Hill is an African American Republican. Hill acknowledges his lack of support in the Black community. | Todd Wells, an African American member of Take Em Down Jax, a group devoted to removing these monuments to the cause of white supremacy, stated, "The struggle for the removal of Confederate statues has been ongoing since they were e…
(2018-12-30). Climate Crisis Is "Existential Threat," House Democrats Say — but Protecting Turf Comes First. theintercept.com Rep. Nancy Pelosi in her statement deemed the climate crisis an "existential threat," but her new committee will not have the power to issue subpoenas.
(2018-12-30). How an Undercover Oil Industry Mercenary Tricked Pipeline Opponents Into Believing He Was One of Them. theintercept.com 
A former Marine working for the private security firm TigerSwan infiltrated an array of anti-Dakota Access pipeline groups at Standing Rock and beyond.
(2018-12-24). A "Massive Outlaw" zcomm.org Interview on Single Payer, Climate Devastation, Impeachment…
(2018-12-20). ANC Deputy Julio Escalona: 'The People are Angry Because They Consider that We Aren't Doing Our Job'. venezuelanalysis.com The revolutionary's criticisms came during the passing of 2019's budget, 75% of which is destined for "social protection."
(2018-12-10). Climate movement attracts new generation of activists. greenleft.org.au 
The latter part of 2018 will be remembered for the re-emergence of climate action on the national agenda. | Independent Kerryn Phelps' win in the Wentworth byelection promising "meaningful environmental action" and Labor's subsequent adoption of a 50% renewable energy policy by 2030 has come in the midst of researcher Rebecca Huntley's findings that "climate and environmental concerns" have increasingly become "a test of leadership" for voters. | These centrist platforms, however, have been rightly superseded by the newest base of the climate movement: high school students. | Tired of the "dinosaurs in parliament…
(2018-12-08). Reviving the Nuclear Disarmament Movement: A Practical Proposal. zcomm.org In late November 2018, Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned public intellectual, remarked that "humanity faces two imminent existential threats: environmental catastrophe and nuclear war." Curiously, although a widespread environmental movement has developed to save the planet from accelerating climate change, no counterpart has emerged to take on the rising danger of nuclear disaster. Indeed, this danger‚Äïexemplified Read more…
(2018-12-06). The fightback against Adani and Aurizon steps up. greenleft.org.au 
Adani CEO Lucas Dow's November 29 declaration that work on a scaled-down coalmine in Queensland's Galilee Basin would begin before Christmas was met with one of the most powerful nationwide protests against it so far as primary and high school students walking out of class the next day for the Student Strike 4 Climate Action. | A reported 20,000 students, many of them with their parents and grandparents in tow, took to the streets with a powerful message to Adani and policymakers: ignore us at your peril. | This was followed by a sit-in at Parliament House in Canberra on December 5. | Another round of #StopA…
(2018-12-04). Sorry To Bother You offers rich lessons in seeking radical social change. greenleft.org.au 
Sorry to Bother You
| Written & directed by Boots Riley
| In cinemas now | This review includes mild spoilers. | As an Australian living abroad, incidents of Australians being racist and/or misogynistisic that attract attention from international media outlets are frequently forwarded to me in anticipation of a seething refrain. | My response is typically motivated by a mix of rage and embarrassment, as well as a deep concern for how racial capitalism has been almost completely normalised. I am deeply concerned by the fact that not only is our social and political climate ill-equipped to address racism, i…
(2018-12-03). NSW law will 'lead to a new stolen generation'. greenleft.org.au 
Another stolen generation appears certain to be created in NSW, after the Coalition government passed a new adoption law making it easier for a child to be adopted by a foster family without parental consent. | The new adoption law, Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Amendment Bill, passed on November 22 despite fierce opposition, imposes a two-year limit on fostering a child. The Children's Court now has the power to decide whether a birth parent should be rei…
(2018-12-01). Eight new books for ecosocialists. greenleft.org.au 
Climate and Capitalism editor Ian Angus offers up eight new books as recommended reading for ecosocialists. Inclusion does not imply agreement with a book's contents. | ***
1. The Biofuels Deception: Going Hungry on the Green Carbon Diet
| By Okbazghi Yohannes
| Monthly Review Press, 2018 | Eliminating fossil fuels is essential, but biofuels have far more to do with sating profit-hungry corporations than saving the Earth. Combining meticulous scientific narrative with devastating economic analy…
(2018-10-18). Nuclear Power & Climate. zcomm.org The great environmental challenge of our time is to understand that the many sources of biodestruction are interconnected and must be confronted simultaneously, rather than disparaging one danger to focus on another…