Daily Archives: July 10, 2019

2019-07-10: News Headlines

Bill McKibben (2019-07-10). The Climate Movement: What's Next? commondreams.org We realized that, to be successful, we needed to systematically confront the instruments used to sustain the dominance of fossil fuels. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/climate-emergency-nyc-955px.jpeg

Staff (2019-07-10). Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Unveil Climate Emergency Declaration. truthdig.com After Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday introduced a resolution declaring the climate crisis a national emergency, grassroots environmental groups pressured members of Congress to back the declaration and heed its call for transformative action. | "Instead of remaining complicit in worsening the effects of climate change, members of Congress in both the House and Senate must respond to this resolution with the urgency and sup…

Mallika Khanna (2019-07-10). Climate change is a working-class and poor people's issue. peoplesworld.org If you've read anything about climate change over the past year, you've probably heard about the IPCC report that gives a 12-year deadline for limiting climate change catastrophe. But for many parts of the world, climate change already is a catastrophe. Recently in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India, more than 40 people were killed by a severe heat …

Staff (2019-07-10). How the Climate Crisis Is Pushing Central Americans Out of Their Homes Toward the U.S. democracynow.org As the U.S. continues to crack down on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, we look at one of the underreported driving factors leading people to flee their home countries: the climate crisis. John Carlos Frey, author of "Sand and Blood: America's Stealth War on the Mexico Border," spent time with Central American climate refugees traveling in a caravan toward the United States. He says, "If this drought continues, we're looking at all-out famine from Central America. …That's one of the major reasons why they're coming. … The government doesn't even acknowledge the fact that there is a climate c…

Robert J. Burrowes (2019-07-10). The Limited Mind: Why Fear is Driving Humanity to Extinction. dissidentvoice.org I have previously written many articles describing one or more aspects of the dysfunctional nature of the typical human mind, together with an explanation of how this came about and what we can do about it. I have also explained that it is this dysfunctional psychological foundation that generated the behaviors, as well as the …

Amanda Mills (2019-07-10). Trump reverses water bottle ban in national parks. nationofchange.org The 2011 "Water Bottle Ban" gave national parks the allowance to prohibit the sale of plastic water bottles, which helped reduce park waste and carbon emissions. 23 national parks had adopted this policy and were seeing positive benefits. While it was not an outright ban, parks were encouraged to make this eco-friendly move. The beverage …

Ruth Milka (2019-07-10). Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders introduce resolution declaring the climate crisis a national emergency. nationofchange.org "Today we stand in solidarity with tens of millions of people from around the world in calling for a mass mobilization of our social and economic resources."

Staff (2019-07-10). Current Investigation of ExxonMobil Could Spur Broader Climate Action. truthout.org On January 7, 2019, after two years of struggle in the lower courts, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey received some good news: The U.S. Supreme Court had cleared the way for her to investigate one of the largest fossil fuel corporations in the world — ExxonMobil — regarding what it knew, and when, about climate change. | The rapid heating of our planet poses an existential threat to all of us. Over the next decade, we must make significant…

Staff (2019-07-10). Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Blumenauer Demand Climate Emergency Declaration. truthout.org "Expressing the sense of Congress that there is a climate emergency which demands a massive-scale mobilization to halt, reverse, and address its consequences and causes," reads the title of a concurrent resolution sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon). | The resolution stands as a partner piece with the Green New Deal (GND) legislation spons…

Mallika Khanna (2019-07-10). Climate Change Is a Poor People's Issue. commondreams.org A cemetery in Taft, Louisiana, in the shadow of a petrochemical plant. The area is known as "Cancer Alley." (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/clouds.jpeg

Benjamin Neimark, Oliver Belcher, and Patrick Bigger (2019-07-10). Why we can't ignore U.S. military emissions. nationofchange.org The U.S. military's carbon bootprint is enormous. Like corporate supply chains, it relies upon an extensive global network of container ships, trucks, and cargo planes to supply its operations with everything from bombs to humanitarian aid and hydrocarbon fuels. Our new study calculated the contribution of this vast infrastructure to climate change. Greenhouse gas emission accounting …

Jeffrey D. Sachs (2019-07-10). Let Us Be Clear: Trump's Environmental Record Is a Crime Against Humanity. commondreams.org Bruce Hrobak, owner of Billy Bones Bait & Tackle in Port St. Lucie, Florida, speaks as President Donald Trump looks on during an White House event on the environment July 7, 2019 in which Trump and others tried to claim the president has an environmental record the administration can be proud of. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_environment_climate.jpg

The Canary (2019-07-10). Government has 'Dad's Army' approach to coping with climate impacts. thecanary.co The Government has a "ramshackle, Dad's Army" approach to making sure England can cope with the impacts of rising temperatures, its climate advisers warn. | And UK action to slash the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change is lagging far behind what is needed, even before the Government set a tougher new target to cut pollution to zero overall by 2050. | In its annual progress report to Parliament, the advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said the Government had to show it was serious about tackling the problem in the next 12 to 18 months. | And it warned that action to prepare homes, businesses an…

Kenneth Surin (2019-07-10). London's Burning: Brexit and Climate Change. counterpunch.org The Brexit farce continues, this time compounded by the pantomime that is the Tory-party leadership election. Both candidates are from the monied elite (of course), and will be disastrous as prime minister. The choice between them will be made by the largely male, white, and geriatric Tory party membership– it is a standing joke in social media that the meeting of the Young Conservatives at their annual conference has an average age of over 40. More

Dan Bacher (2019-07-10). Closer to Extinction: Spring Delta smelt surveys reveal record low numbers of fish. indybay.org "The outlook for the Delta smelt population remains grim after these lows. Despite good conditions in spring 2018 and 2019, the severely depressed number of adult spawners indicates a continuing weak potential for recovery," said independent fisheries biologist Tom Cannon in his California Fisheries Blog on the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) website.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-07-10). 7,000+ Colleges and Universities Declare Climate Emergency and Unveil Three-Point Plan to Combat It. commondreams.org More than 7,000 colleges and universities across the globe declared a climate emergency on Wednesday and unveiled a three-point plan to collectively commit the addressing the crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1146138602.jpg

WSWS (2019-07-10). Chicago water meter program halted after testing reveals lead contamination. wsws.org Officials have known for many years that the city has a serious issue related to lead in its drinking water.

teleSUR (2019-07-09). France To Impose Green Tax on Plane Tickets. telesurenglish.net The French government is to impose a tax of up to 18 euros (US$20) on plane tickets for all flights from airports in France to fund less-polluting transportation projects, a minister said Tuesday. | RELATED: | French Police Under Fire for Teargassing Climate Activists | The move, which will take effect from 2020, will see a tax of 1.5 euros imposed on economy-class tickets on internal flights and those within Europe, with the highest tariff applied to business-class travelers flying outside the b…

Bernard Marszalek (2019-07-09). When Nature's Feedback Loops Fail. counterpunch.org Civilization Critical: Energy, Food, Nature and the Future by Darrin Qualman (Fernwood Publishing. Halifax, Winnipeg 2019) The title of Darrin Qualman's book, Civilization Critical, can easily be mistaken for an apocalyptic climate change tract. Given the weekly deluge of this grim genre in our bookstores, it is understandable. Regrettably, I believe, publishers in an effort More

teleSUR (2019-07-09). Indonesia Ships 210 Tons of Trash Back to Australia. telesurenglish.net Southeast Asian countries are refusing to be the dumping grounds for rich nations, and Indonesia is the latest country to announce it will send back waste to a 'developed' nation, refusing some 210 tons of waste shipped to the archipelago nation. | RELATED: | 7.1 Magnitude Quake Hits Indonesia, Tsunami Warning Issued | Eight vessels were found to contain various types of waste, including household rubbish, electronic waste, plastic bottles, and diapers, as they were inspected in the capit…

The Canary (2019-07-09). David Attenborough warns of 'major problems' and 'great social unrest' as climate breakdown continues. thecanary.co Sir David Attenborough has told MPs that the planet's climate breakdown will bring 'major problems' and 'great changes'. | The veteran broadcaster was giving evidence to parliament's Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee as part of its inquiry into clean growth and international climate targets. | Witnessing climate breakdown: | Attenborough said the most vivid example he had witnessed of the changing climate was revisiting the Great Barrier Reef and seeing how it had been bleached because of rising temperatures. | Visiting the Australian landmark in the 1950s, he said he had "the extraordina…

teleSURMS (2019-07-09). US Democratic Lawmakers Declare Climate Emergency. telesurenglish.net Democratic lawmakers, including six presidential candidates, on Tuesday unveiled a Congressional resolution declaring a climate change emergency to spur "sweeping reforms" to stem a dangerous rise in global temperatures. | RELATED: | France To Impose Green Tax on Plane Tickets | The non-binding resolution, introduced by Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Earl Blumenauer and Senator Bernie Sanders, "demands a national, social, industria…

Staff (2019-07-09). Alberta Government Declares War On Environmentalists. therealnews.com Environmentalist Tzeporah Berman says Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is a "climate change denier"

Staff (2019-07-07). Future Resource Wars. therealnews.com The fantasy of the USA becoming the first global empire in history quickly dissolved in the wake of the Iraq war. Pepe Escobar and Eddie Conway discuss the coming nexus of global competition and climate change…

Staff (2019-07-07). As Activists Push Democratic Climate Debate, DNC Donors Profit from Oil, Gas. therealnews.com For Democrats, the presidential primaries will end in Milwaukee at its convention in July 2020. It will be heavily funded by fossil fuel investors, Wes Edens and Marc Lasry, who also own the Milwaukee Bucks.

Eds. (2019-07-06). Policing in the Anthropocene. mronline.org How will the police respond to environmental direct action groups like Extinction Rebellion as climate breakdown reaches critical mass? | Source

Alexander Zaitchik (2019-07-06). On the Front Lines of Bolsonaro's War on the Amazon, Brazil's Forest Communities Fight Against Climate Catastrophe. theintercept.com Without action, the loss of another fifth of Brazil's rainforest will trigger a cascading system collapse called "dieback" and release a carbon bomb.

Staff (2019-07-05). An Hour with Noam Chomsky on Fascism, Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change, Julian Assange & More. democracynow.org In April, hundreds of people packed into the Old South Church in Boston to hear the world-renowned dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky speak. In this hour-long special, we air an excerpt of Chomsky's speech and his on-stage interview with Amy Goodman.

Kate Aronoff (2019-07-05). The PowerPoint That Got a Climate Scientist Disinvited From a Shell Conference. theintercept.com The first three slides of climate scientist Peter Kalmus's plenary speech to Shell's Powering Progress Together conference were intended to gauge audience reactions. First, he would have asked attendees if they are "concerned about climate breakdown." Then, to raise their hands if they are "EXTREMELY CONCERNED" about it. In the third slide, Kalmus would have asked panel-goers to raise their hands if they agreed with a simple statement: "Fossil fuel causes harm." | He never got the chance. Last Wednesday, the day before he was scheduled to appear, Kalmus was disinvited from what the oil giant billed as "an action-…

pip.hinman (2019-07-04). City of Sydney joins 600 others declaring a climate emergency. greenleft.org.au On June 24, Lord Mayor Clover Moore called on the City of Sydney council to declare a climate emergency. The motion passed unanimously, and Sydney joined a snowballing list of councils globally that have made similar declarations. | But as the dust of the federal election settles and a sleepy giant begins to stir in the Galilee Basin, what will be the significance of Sydney council's words? | The language surrounding climate has changed over the last year or so. "Emergency", "crisis" and "breakdown" are now being used by activists, politicians and even the media. While it might seem like the "emergency" has came…

PSL Albuquerque (2019-07-03). Eco-Socialism Conference to be held in Albuquerque: For the Earth to Live, Capitalism Must End! liberationnews.org Climate change and ecological devastation must be reversed as a matter of survival.

United Nations (2019-07-03). With Caribbean island life under threat, UN chief pushes to face 'headwinds together'. un.org To counter global challenges that are a particular threat to vulnerable island nations like those in the Caribbean, it's vital to "face the headwinds together", especially in the face of the destruction being wrought by climate change, the UN chief told the annual Caribbean Community (CARICOM) conference in Saint Lucia on Wednesday.

Harrison Malkin (2019-07-02). NBC News Whitewashes Colombia's Right-Wing President. fair.org Colombian President Iván Duque gave a talk on June 21 at the "Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity" on his book Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity. Duque wasn't alone—Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, singer John Legend and former NBA star Dwyane Wade also made appearances at the French Riviera event. | Claire Atkinson, the senior media editor at NBC News ( 6/27/19), i…

unitedEditor (2019-07-01). G20, Democratic debates, a pause in the trade war. uwidata.com G20 The two-day G20 summit ended in Osaka, Japan. Leaders of major powers discussed security, climate, trade, etc. The summit was marked by the United States' disagreement with other countries on a number of issues. For example, on the Paris climate agreement, on the China trade-war issue (despite the fact that a small "reconciliation" between …

Fred_F (2019-06-28). Walk to save south-west WA forests. greenleft.org.au Various ongoing threats, such as climate change and the timber industry, continue to plague the unique ecosystems of south-west Western Australia. Various species are coming under pressure and time may be running out for people to experience the serenity and cacophony of these forests in all their splendour. | To help raise awareness about this, a 1000-kilometre Walk For Forests is taking place this year. | Beginning on September 29 in Albany, in southern WA, and ending in Perth on December 13, the walk will pass through the forests of south-west WA, allowing participants to witness the current state of the natur…

Fred_F (2019-06-28). Join the climate rebellion. greenleft.org.au I first delved into climate change 12 years ago, when my boy was born and I had freak-out #1. What had I done bringing a child into the world only for him to inherit a dying planet? | I got depressed and scared, but I managed to find hope. | I learned about the Transition Town movement and sustainability. I helped establish a thriving community garden. I participated in Earth Hour and earnestly made my pledge for the climate. | I grew veggies. My family rarely flew. We installed solar panels. I rode my new, fabulous electric cargo bike like I was Ms Sustainability in a parade. | But while I was busy with all…

Fred_F (2019-06-28). WA joins the climate rebellion. greenleft.org.au The day after the May 18 federal election, as people were reeling from the unexpected result and taking time to regroup, the initiators of Extinction Rebellion WA hosted a picnic at the Hilton Harvest Community Gardens near Fremantle. | One hundred and fifty people attended and, while there was some licking of post-election wounds, what dominated was a sense of hope and determination. | The sentiment expressed at the meeting was that neither of the major parties had really grasped the nettle on climate change, and that it would take a people's campaign to force the government to declare a climate emergency…

2019-07-10: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

The Limited Mind: Why Fear is Driving Humanity to Extinction
Robert J. Burrowes | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-10
I have previously written many articles describing one or more aspects of the dysfunctional nature of the typical human mind, together with an explanation of how this came about and what we can do about it. I have also explained that it is this dysfunctional psychological foundation that generated the behaviors, as well as the …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/the-limited-mind-why-fear-is-driving-humanity-to-extinction/

Trump reverses water bottle ban in national parks
Amanda Mills | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-10
The 2011 "Water Bottle Ban" gave national parks the allowance to prohibit the sale of plastic water bottles, which helped reduce park waste and carbon emissions. 23 national parks had adopted this policy and were seeing positive benefits. While it was not an outright ban, parks were encouraged to make this eco-friendly move. The beverage …
nationofchange.org/2019/07/10/trump-reverses-water-bottle-ban-in-national-parks/

Climate Change Is a Poor People's Issue
Mallika Khanna | commondreams.org | 2019-07-10
A cemetery in Taft, Louisiana, in the shadow of a petrochemical plant. The area is known as "Cancer Alley." (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/clouds.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/10/climate-change-poor-peoples-issue?cd-origin=rss

Let Us Be Clear: Trump's Environmental Record Is a Crime Against Humanity
Jeffrey D. Sachs | commondreams.org | 2019-07-10
Bruce Hrobak, owner of Billy Bones Bait & Tackle in Port St. Lucie, Florida, speaks as President Donald Trump looks on during an White House event on the environment July 7, 2019 in which Trump and others tried to claim the president has an environmental record the administration can be proud of. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_environment_climate.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/10/let-us-be-clear-trumps-environmental-record-crime-against-humanity?cd-origin=rss

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Unveil Climate Emergency Declaration
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-07-10
After Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday introduced a resolution declaring the climate crisis a national emergency, grassroots environmental groups pressured members of Congress to back the declaration and heed its call for transformative action. | "Instead of remaining complicit in worsening the effects of climate change, members of Congress in both the House and Senate must respond to this resolution with the urgency and sup…
truthdig.com/articles/sanders-and-ocasio-cortez-unveil-climate-emergency-declaration/

Current Investigation of ExxonMobil Could Spur Broader Climate Action
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-07-10
On January 7, 2019, after two years of struggle in the lower courts, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey received some good news: The U.S. Supreme Court had cleared the way for her to investigate one of the largest fossil fuel corporations in the world — ExxonMobil — regarding what it knew, and when, about climate change. | The rapid heating of our planet poses an existential threat to all of us. Over the next decade, we must make significant…
truthout.org/articles/current-investigation-of-exxonmobil-could-spur-broader-climate-action/

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Blumenauer Demand Climate Emergency Declaration
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-07-10
"Expressing the sense of Congress that there is a climate emergency which demands a massive-scale mobilization to halt, reverse, and address its consequences and causes," reads the title of a concurrent resolution sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon). | The resolution stands as a partner piece with the Green New Deal (GND) legislation spons…
truthout.org/articles/sanders-ocasio-cortez-and-blumenauer-demand-climate-emergency-declaration/

Why we can't ignore U.S. military emissions
Benjamin Neimark, Oliver Belcher, and Patrick Bigger | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-10
The U.S. military's carbon bootprint is enormous. Like corporate supply chains, it relies upon an extensive global network of container ships, trucks, and cargo planes to supply its operations with everything from bombs to humanitarian aid and hydrocarbon fuels. Our new study calculated the contribution of this vast infrastructure to climate change. Greenhouse gas emission accounting …
nationofchange.org/2019/07/10/why-we-cant-ignore-u-s-military-emissions/

Climate change is a working-class and poor people's issue
Mallika Khanna | peoplesworld.org | 2019-07-10
If you've read anything about climate change over the past year, you've probably heard about the IPCC report that gives a 12-year deadline for limiting climate change catastrophe. But for many parts of the world, climate change already is a catastrophe. Recently in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India, more than 40 people were killed by a severe heat …
peoplesworld.org/article/climate-change-is-a-working-class-and-poor-peoples-issue/

How the Climate Crisis Is Pushing Central Americans Out of Their Homes Toward the U.S
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-10
As the U.S. continues to crack down on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, we look at one of the underreported driving factors leading people to flee their home countries: the climate crisis. John Carlos Frey, author of "Sand and Blood: America's Stealth War on the Mexico Border," spent time with Central American climate refugees traveling in a caravan toward the United States. He says, "If this drought continues, we're looking at all-out famine from Central America. …That's one of the major reasons why they're coming. … The government doesn't even acknowledge the fact that there is a climate c…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/10/john_carlos_frey_immigration_us_mexico

Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders introduce resolution declaring the climate crisis a national emergency
Ruth Milka | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-10
"Today we stand in solidarity with tens of millions of people from around the world in calling for a mass mobilization of our social and economic resources."
nationofchange.org/2019/07/10/ocasio-cortez-and-sanders-introduce-resolution-declaring-the-climate-crisis-a-national-emergency/

The Climate Movement: What's Next?
Bill McKibben | commondreams.org | 2019-07-10
We realized that, to be successful, we needed to systematically confront the instruments used to sustain the dominance of fossil fuels. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/climate-emergency-nyc-955px.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/10/climate-movement-whats-next?cd-origin=rss

Government has 'Dad's Army' approach to coping with climate impacts
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-10
The Government has a "ramshackle, Dad's Army" approach to making sure England can cope with the impacts of rising temperatures, its climate advisers warn. | And UK action to slash the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change is lagging far behind what is needed, even before the Government set a tougher new target to cut pollution to zero overall by 2050. | In its annual progress report to Parliament, the advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said the Government had to show it was serious about tackling the problem in the next 12 to 18 months. | And it warned that action to prepare homes, businesses an…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/07/10/government-has-dads-army-approach-to-coping-with-climate-impacts/

Closer to Extinction: Spring Delta smelt surveys reveal record low numbers of fish
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2019-07-10
"The outlook for the Delta smelt population remains grim after these lows. Despite good conditions in spring 2018 and 2019, the severely depressed number of adult spawners indicates a continuing weak potential for recovery," said independent fisheries biologist Tom Cannon in his California Fisheries Blog on the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) website.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/07/18824513.php

7,000+ Colleges and Universities Declare Climate Emergency and Unveil Three-Point Plan to Combat It
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-07-10
More than 7,000 colleges and universities across the globe declared a climate emergency on Wednesday and unveiled a three-point plan to collectively commit the addressing the crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1146138602.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/07/10/7000-colleges-and-universities-declare-climate-emergency-and-unveil-three-point-plan?cd-origin=rss

London's Burning: Brexit and Climate Change
Kenneth Surin | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-10
The Brexit farce continues, this time compounded by the pantomime that is the Tory-party leadership election. Both candidates are from the monied elite (of course), and will be disastrous as prime minister. The choice between them will be made by the largely male, white, and geriatric Tory party membership– it is a standing joke in social media that the meeting of the Young Conservatives at their annual conference has an average age of over 40.
counterpunch.org/2019/07/10/londons-burning-brexit-and-climate-change/

Chicago water meter program halted after testing reveals lead contamination
wsws.org | 2019-07-10
Officials have known for many years that the city has a serious issue related to lead in its drinking water.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/10/lead-j10.html

France To Impose Green Tax on Plane Tickets
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-09
The French government is to impose a tax of up to 18 euros (US$20) on plane tickets for all flights from airports in France to fund less-polluting transportation projects, a minister said Tuesday. | RELATED: | French Police Under Fire for Teargassing Climate Activists | The move, which will take effect from 2020, will see a tax of 1.5 euros imposed on economy-class tickets on internal flights and those within Europe, with the highest tariff applied to business-class travelers flying outside the b…
telesurenglish.net/news/France-To-Impose-Green-Tax-on-Plane-Tickets-20190709-0022.html

Indonesia Ships 210 Tons of Trash Back to Australia
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-09
Southeast Asian countries are refusing to be the dumping grounds for rich nations, and Indonesia is the latest country to announce it will send back waste to a 'developed' nation, refusing some 210 tons of waste shipped to the archipelago nation. | RELATED: | 7.1 Magnitude Quake Hits Indonesia, Tsunami Warning Issued | Eight vessels were found to contain various types of waste, including household rubbish, electronic waste, plastic bottles, and diapers, as they were inspected in the capit…
telesurenglish.net/news/Indonesia-Ships-210-Tons-of-Trash-Back-to-Australia-20190709-0028.html

David Attenborough warns of 'major problems' and 'great social unrest' as climate breakdown continues
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-09
Sir David Attenborough has told MPs that the planet's climate breakdown will bring 'major problems' and 'great changes'. | The veteran broadcaster was giving evidence to parliament's Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee as part of its inquiry into clean growth and international climate targets. | Witnessing climate breakdown: | Attenborough said the most vivid example he had witnessed of the changing climate was revisiting the Great Barrier Reef and seeing how it had been bleached because of rising temperatures. | Visiting the Australian landmark in the 1950s, he said he had "the extraordina…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/07/09/david-attenborough-warns-of-major-problems-and-great-social-unrest-as-climate-breakdown-continues/

US Democratic Lawmakers Declare Climate Emergency
teleSURMS | telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-09
Democratic lawmakers, including six presidential candidates, on Tuesday unveiled a Congressional resolution declaring a climate change emergency to spur "sweeping reforms" to stem a dangerous rise in global temperatures. | RELATED: | France To Impose Green Tax on Plane Tickets | The non-binding resolution, introduced by Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Earl Blumenauer and Senator Bernie Sanders, "demands a national, social, industria…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Democratic-Lawmakers-Declare-Climate-Emergency-20190709-0030.html

When Nature's Feedback Loops Fail
Bernard Marszalek | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-09
Civilization Critical: Energy, Food, Nature and the Future by Darrin Qualman (Fernwood Publishing. Halifax, Winnipeg 2019) The title of Darrin Qualman's book, Civilization Critical, can easily be mistaken for an apocalyptic climate change tract. Given the weekly deluge of this grim genre in our bookstores, it is understandable. Regrettably, I believe, publishers in an effort…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/09/when-natures-feedback-loops-fail/

Alberta Government Declares War On Environmentalists
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-09
Environmentalist Tzeporah Berman says Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is a "climate change denier"
therealnews.com/stories/alberta-government-declares-war-on-environmentalists

Future Resource Wars
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-07
The fantasy of the USA becoming the first global empire in history quickly dissolved in the wake of the Iraq war. Pepe Escobar and Eddie Conway discuss the coming nexus of global competition and climate change…
therealnews.com/stories/future-resource-wars

As Activists Push Democratic Climate Debate, DNC Donors Profit from Oil, Gas
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-07
For Democrats, the presidential primaries will end in Milwaukee at its convention in July 2020. It will be heavily funded by fossil fuel investors, Wes Edens and Marc Lasry, who also own the Milwaukee Bucks.
therealnews.com/columns/as-activists-push-democratic-climate-debate-dnc-donors-profit-from-oil-gas

Policing in the Anthropocene
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-07-06
How will the police respond to environmental direct action groups like Extinction Rebellion as climate breakdown reaches critical mass? | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/06/policing-in-the-anthropocene/

On the Front Lines of Bolsonaro's War on the Amazon, Brazil's Forest Communities Fight Against Climate Catastrophe
Alexander Zaitchik | theintercept.com | 2019-07-06
Without action, the loss of another fifth of Brazil's rainforest will trigger a cascading system collapse called "dieback" and release a carbon bomb.
theintercept.com/2019/07/06/brazil-amazon-rainforest-indigenous-conservation-agribusiness-ranching/

An Hour with Noam Chomsky on Fascism, Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change, Julian Assange & More
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-05
In April, hundreds of people packed into the Old South Church in Boston to hear the world-renowned dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky speak. In this hour-long special, we air an excerpt of Chomsky's speech and his on-stage interview with Amy Goodman.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/5/an_hour_with_noam_chomsky_on

The PowerPoint That Got a Climate Scientist Disinvited From a Shell Conference
Kate Aronoff | theintercept.com | 2019-07-05
The first three slides of climate scientist Peter Kalmus's plenary speech to Shell's Powering Progress Together conference were intended to gauge audience reactions. First, he would have asked attendees if they are "concerned about climate breakdown." Then, to raise their hands if they are "EXTREMELY CONCERNED" about it. In the third slide, Kalmus would have asked panel-goers to raise their hands if they agreed with a simple statement: "Fossil fuel causes harm." | He never got the chance. Last Wednesday, the day before he was scheduled to appear, Kalmus was disinvited from what the oil giant billed as "an action-…
theintercept.com/2019/07/05/shell-conference-climate-change/

City of Sydney joins 600 others declaring a climate emergency
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-04
On June 24, Lord Mayor Clover Moore called on the City of Sydney council to declare a climate emergency. The motion passed unanimously, and Sydney joined a snowballing list of councils globally that have made similar declarations. | But as the dust of the federal election settles and a sleepy giant begins to stir in the Galilee Basin, what will be the significance of Sydney council's words? | The language surrounding climate has changed over the last year or so. "Emergency", "crisis" and "breakdown" are now being used by activists, politicians and even the media. While it might seem like the "emergency" has came…
greenleft.org.au/content/city-sydney-joins-600-others-declaring-climate-emergency

Eco-Socialism Conference to be held in Albuquerque: For the Earth to Live, Capitalism Must End!
PSL Albuquerque | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-03
Climate change and ecological devastation must be reversed as a matter of survival.
liberationnews.org/eco-socialism-conference-to-be-held-in-albuquerque-for-the-earth-to-live-capitalism-must-end/

With Caribbean island life under threat, UN chief pushes to face 'headwinds together'
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-03
To counter global challenges that are a particular threat to vulnerable island nations like those in the Caribbean, it's vital to "face the headwinds together", especially in the face of the destruction being wrought by climate change, the UN chief told the annual Caribbean Community (CARICOM) conference in Saint Lucia on Wednesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1041842

G20, Democratic debates, a pause in the trade war
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-01
G20 The two-day G20 summit ended in Osaka, Japan. Leaders of major powers discussed security, climate, trade, etc. The summit was marked by the United States' disagreement with other countries on a number of issues. For example, on the Paris climate agreement, on the China trade-war issue (despite the fact that a small "reconciliation" between …
uwidata.com/4109-g20-democratic-debates-a-pause-in-the-trade-war/

Join the climate rebellion
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-06-28
I first delved into climate change 12 years ago, when my boy was born and I had freak-out #1. What had I done bringing a child into the world only for him to inherit a dying planet? | I got depressed and scared, but I managed to find hope. | I learned about the Transition Town movement and sustainability. I helped establish a thriving community garden. I participated in Earth Hour and earnestly made my pledge for the climate. | I grew veggies. My family rarely flew. We installed solar panels. I rode my new, fabulous electric cargo bike like I was Ms Sustainability in a parade. | But while I was busy with all…
greenleft.org.au/content/why-i-joined-rebellion

Walk to save south-west WA forests
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-06-28
Various ongoing threats, such as climate change and the timber industry, continue to plague the unique ecosystems of south-west Western Australia. Various species are coming under pressure and time may be running out for people to experience the serenity and cacophony of these forests in all their splendour. | To help raise awareness about this, a 1000-kilometre Walk For Forests is taking place this year. | Beginning on September 29 in Albany, in southern WA, and ending in Perth on December 13, the walk will pass through the forests of south-west WA, allowing participants to witness the current state of the natur…
greenleft.org.au/content/walk-save-south-west-wa-forests

WA joins the climate rebellion
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-06-28
The day after the May 18 federal election, as people were reeling from the unexpected result and taking time to regroup, the initiators of Extinction Rebellion WA hosted a picnic at the Hilton Harvest Community Gardens near Fremantle. | One hundred and fifty people attended and, while there was some licking of post-election wounds, what dominated was a sense of hope and determination. | The sentiment expressed at the meeting was that neither of the major parties had really grasped the nettle on climate change, and that it would take a people's campaign to force the government to declare a climate emergency…
greenleft.org.au/content/western-australia-joins-extinction-rebellion

Climate protesters force BP oil rig to make second U-turn amid ongoing direct action
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-06-17
An oil rig at the centre of a protest by environmental campaigners has been forced to make a second 'U-turn' on its way to a North Sea field. | The Transocean PBLJ rig was heading to the Vorlich oil field after being occupied by activists in the Cromarty Firth, north of Inverne…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/06/17/climate-protesters-force-bp-oil-rig-to-make-second-u-turn-amid-ongoing-direct-action/

Letter to Wolf Demands Fracking Permit Pause, Investigation of Cancer Cases
commondreams.org | 2019-06-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/06/17/letter-wolf-demands-fracking-permit-pause-investigation-cancer-cases?cd-origin=rss

Navy Contaminates Local Groundwater and Sewer System in Maryland
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-06-17
The U.S. Navy has contaminated the groundwater at Maryland's Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS) with 1,137.8 parts per trillion (ppt) of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a report published last July by the engineering firm CH2M Hill. PFAS have been associated with a variety of cancers and are known to jeopardize human reproductive health. The contamination was not reported on the…
truthout.org/articles/navy-contaminates-local-groundwater-and-sewer-system-in-maryland/

Oregon Tackles Climate Change With Cap-and-Trade Proposal
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-06-17
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon is on the precipice of becoming the second state after California to adopt a cap-and-trade program, a market-based approach to lowering the greenhouse gas emissions behind global warming. | Supporters call it the United States' most progressive climate policy, saying it not only cuts emissions but invests in transitioning the state economy and infrastructure to better prepare for more intense weather events as climate change worsens. | "We have an opportunity to invest a substantial amount into low-income communities off the backs of the 100 or so major polluters that caused this proble…
truthdig.com/articles/oregon-tackles-climate-change-with-cap-and-trade-proposal/

Climate talks held as Arctic ice melts, concerns grow
Frank Jordans | peoplesworld.org | 2019-06-17
BERLIN (AP) — Diplomats and climate experts gathered Monday in Germany for U.N.-hosted talks on climate change amid growing public pressure for governments to act faster against global warming. Officials meeting in the western city of Bonn for the June 17-27 talks are focusing on resolving issues that couldn't be agreed upon at last December's …
peoplesworld.org/article/climate-talks-held-as-arc/

Zero Waste: The Global Plastics Crisis
Graham Peebles | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-06-17
Plastic pollution is everywhere. It litters beaches, clogs up oceans, chokes marine life, is ingested by seabirds that then starve to death, and has even been discovered embedded in Arctic ice. It's in the air we breathe, the water we drink (bottled and tap), and last year plastic was found in human stools for the …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/06/zero-waste-the-global-plastics-crisis/

Climate crisis and the 2020 elections
John Scales Avery | nationofchange.org | 2019-06-17
Trump and his party must be defeated | : | There are so many things wrong with Donald Trump that one hardly knows where to begin. He is a racist, habitual liar, tax evader, cruel cager of infants, misogynist, narcissist, bully, violator of numerous laws, both national and international, a friend of rich oligarchs and enemy of the poor, to mention only a few of his faults. He has made the United States resemble Germany, Italy or Spain in the 1930's, when fascism was on the rise. | However, most importantly for the future of human civilization and the biosphere, Trump has denied the reality of the climat…
nationofchange.org/2019/06/17/climate-crisis-and-the-2020-elections/

UN oceans treaty 'essential' to combat 'unprecedented pressure' on the world's seas — UN chief
United Nations | un.org | 2019-06-17
The oceans are not only under "unprecedented pressure" due to climate change, but "half of all living coral has been lost in the past 150 years", United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, addressing the latest gathering of nations which are party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/06/1040641

Paying farmers fairly could curb climate change and hunger
Eric Holt-Giménez and Heidi Kleiner | nationofchange.org | 2019-06-17
During a recent campaign stump through the Midwest, Bernie Sanders | walked the fields in Iowa, posed on a tractor, and galvanized the rural | crowd with a word not spoken by a presidential candidate in many | decades: parity. | Though foreign to most of the voting public, parity is at the core of | agriculture's potential to address the farm, food, and climate crises. | Parity is the notion that family farmers should be paid a fair price | for their product–one that covers their costs and provides them with a | decent livelihood. According to the National Agricultural Statistics | Service, "The idea of…
nationofchange.org/2019/06/17/paying-farmers-fairly-could-curb-climate-change-and-hunger/

How Unions and Climate Organizers Learned to Work Together in New York
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-06-17
Several years before Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) elevated the climate, jobs and justice framework to the national level, a coalition of labor, environmental and community groups joined together to push for a pioneering climate bill in New York. | The idea for the legislation came in the immediate aftermath of the 2014 People's Climate March, when organizers decided to build on the momentum of the historic demonstration. In 2016 the Climate and Community Protection Act (CCPA) was born, an expansive bill that would require New York to…
truthout.org/articles/how-unions-and-climate-organizers-learned-to-work-together-in-new-york/

Dallas storm leaves 350,000 without power, exposes system unprepared to deal with the consequences of climate change
Marissa Rodriguez | liberationnews.org | 2019-06-17
Due to a natural disaster, over 350,000 Dallas residents lost electricity on June 9. A powerful storm blew in around 1: 30 PM, downing power lines, uprooting trees and causing accidents. The storm itself only lasted 15 minutes with wind gusts initially clocked at over 71 miles per hour (later investigation may increase that estimate.) As …
liberationnews.org/dallas-storm-leaves-350000-without-power-exposes-system-unprepared-to-deal-with-the-consequences-of-climate-change/

Global Inequality in a Time of Climate Emergency
Tom Athanasiou | commondreams.org | 2019-06-17
Extreme economic inequality turns out to be a social poison that makes it almost impossible for us to mobilize to save ourselves and our civilization. (Photo: STAN HONDA/AFP/GettyImages) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-152211297.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/06/17/global-inequality-time-climate-emergency?cd-origin=rss

German police threaten climate change protesters
wsws.org | 2019-06-17
Police are treating youth concerned about climate change like criminals.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/06/17/aach-j17.html

Because 'This Is a Public Health Crisis,' Pennsylvania Gov. Urged to Investigate Link Between Fracking and Childhood Cancers
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-06-17
"Fracking presents clear threats to our drinking water, our air quality, and to the health and safety of residents in these sacrifice zones." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/fracking_13.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/06/17/because-public-health-crisis-pennsylvania-gov-urged-investigate-link-between?cd-origin=rss