Daily Archives: July 17, 2019

2019-07-17: News Headlines

Manuel García, Jr. (2019-07-17). Ye Cannot Swerve Me: Moby-Dick and Climate Change. counterpunch.org Will climate change drive humanity to extinction? If so, how much time have we got?, and how will it happen? These questions are on the minds of many people today. In this essay, I will follow paleontologists deep into the geological past to see if it can offer any analogs to the evolving climatic conditions of today, and in that way give us a window into our future. More

Andy Higginbottom (2019-07-17). Global Britain's real climate changers: big oil must be taken down. mronline.org There is no global social unity in the face of climate disaster. We risk a 'climate apartheid' scenario where the wealthy pay to escape overheating, hunger, and conflict while the rest of the world is left to suffer. | Source

The Canary (2019-07-17). Council dump charges likely to lead to fly-tipping, environmental campaigners warn. thecanary.co Charging householders to dump their rubbish legally could trigger a rise in the illegal practice of fly-tipping, environmental campaigners have warned. | The Government has announced a review of current rules at waste recycling centres after some councils began rolling out fees. | The charges include £3.30 per car tyre at Cornwall Council, £2 for a bag of loose material at North Tyneside Council, and £20 per boiler at Buckinghamshire County Council. | But Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said it was better to encourage people to dispose of their w…

Staff (2019-07-17). Why A 20-Year Old Climate Activist is Suing the Federal Government. therealnews.com At Netroots Nation 2019, Vic Barrett, a young defendant in Juliana vs US, talks to Dharna Noor about why he's suing the federal government for its role in the climate crisis…

Center for Biological Diversity (2019-07-17). Appeal Upheld in Challenge to Oil Drilling in California's Carrizo Plain National Monument. indybay.org BAKERSFIELD, Calif.― The California Bureau of Land Management has agreed with conservation groups that plans for a new oil well and pipeline in Carrizo Plain National Monument failed to comply with federal environmental laws. The July 12 decision, announced today, said the local BLM office must consider potential harm to California condors, other imperiled wildlife and the climate.

Eric Freedman (2019-07-16). Environmental reporting can help protect citizens in emerging democracies. nationofchange.org What happens when an illegally logged tree falls or poachers kill endangered brown bears in the forest, but there's no journalist to report it? | That's the situation in the Republic of Georgia, which faces challenges that include poaching, deteriorating air quality, habitat disruption from new hydropower dams, illegal logging and climate change. The effects cross national borders and affect economic and political relationships in the Caucasus and beyond. | I resea…

Robert J. Burrowes (2019-07-16). The limited mind: Why fear is driving humanity to extinction. nationofchange.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. See, for example, many of the articles republished in 'Key Articles' and the source documents 'Why Violence?' and 'Fearless …

Jon Queally, staff writer (2019-07-16). 'A Hotter Future That's Hard to Imagine': Super-Charged by Climate Crisis, New Study Warns of 'Killer Heat' Set to Overtake US. commondreams.org "If we wish to spare people in the United States and around the world the mortal dangers of extreme and relentless heat, there is little time to do so and little room for half measures." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/killer_heat_extreme_heat_climate.jpg

RT (2019-07-16). Bikini Atoll has 1,000x radiation of Chernobyl decades after nuclear testing — study. rt.com Radiation levels in the Marshall Islands, where the US government tested its nuclear arsenal during the Cold War, are even higher than those found in Fukushima and Chernobyl, according to a newly released peer-reviewed study.

Jake Johnson (2019-07-16). 'Act now. Our lives are in your hands': Demanding climate action, Extinction Rebellion shuts down traffic in five UK cities. nationofchange.org "We've all read the science, we know the story, the whole phase of denial is over, and if it takes civil disobedience to make a difference, then so be it."

Staff (2019-07-15). "Fossil Fuel Stooges" Pence & Trump Deny Climate Crisis as Deadly Rains Slam Louisiana & South Asia. democracynow.org Ongoing heavy rain has killed at least 67 people in Nepal, 25 in India and 14 in Bangladesh as flooding from monsoons has displaced 1 million people in South Asia. This year's flooding in the region has been worse than ever before and is likely fueled by rising global temperatures, which have led to more extreme weather. Scientists warn that the risk of deadly floods is not over. In the United States, New Orleans residents managed to avoid the worst of Tropical Storm Barry, but 11 million people continued to be on flash flood warning as the storm slowly made its way through Louisiana over the weekend. President T…

The Canary (2019-07-15). In Pictures: Extinction Rebellion protesters launch summer uprising. thecanary.co Environmental protesters unveiled large coloured boats across five UK cities as they called on the government to halt wildlife losses and cut greenhouse gases to net zero by 2025. Extinction Rebellion launched a "summer uprising" in Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and London.The boats are each named after an environmental activist, with the message 'Act Now' on them (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)Protesters targeted Leeds' financial district to draw attention to the links between banking and the climate and ecological emergency (Dan…

Litsa Chatzivasileiou (2019-07-15). Indigenous Resistance as Re-occupation of Land at the Forefront of Climate Justice. dissidentvoice.org I write as a settler on this land. I am not speaking on behalf of Aboriginal people but rather as an unconditional ally to their struggles. I will specifically address Indigenous resistance in the form of re-occupation of Turtle Island and in particular of so-called Canada. Re-occupation of the land is a kind of resistance …

Staff (2019-07-15). Would Jay Inslee Take on the Military to Fight Climate Change? therealnews.com At Netroots Nation 2019, we asked Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee, focused on climate change, if he'd take on the largest institutional emitter of fossil fuels: the Pentagon…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2019-07-14). As Cost of Climate Crisis Grows, Climate Movement Escalates. dissidentvoice.org Activists run towards the Garzweiler open-cast mine (David Young/picture alliance via Getty Images) The warnings of climate chaos are coming so fast they are difficult to keep up with. Storms, heatwaves and climate-related weather disasters are increasing at a rapid pace. The leadership of the two corporate-dominated political parties are trying to keep the climate …

United Nations (2019-07-12). Developing countries should not be liable for emissions 'accumulated throughout history', key UN development forum hears. un.org Citing climate change as being caused by "emissions accumulated throughout history", the head of China's Xiamen Airlines told the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York on Friday that heavy carbon dioxide emitters should "take on greater responsibility" to ameliorate the problem.

pip.hinman (2019-07-12). Bring down the global fences. greenleft.org.au As the Titanic sank in 1912, the wealthy were given safety on lifeboats while the poor were left to die, locked in the sinking ship. | Today, the countries of the Global North are taking a similar approach to the climate crisis. | Going full steam ahead, countries such as Australia continue to burn fossil fuels, ignore the warnings of scientists and, when crises hit, turn people away from safety. | There were more than 70 million displaced people around the world last year according to conservative United Nations figures — the highest this figure has ever been. | Many were displaced as a direct or indirec…

susan_p (2019-07-11). Mexico: The devious ways one water company is profiting from the poor. greenleft.org.au Water is becoming a coveted currency. As a basic need that is increasingly scarce in some regions due to climate disruption and abusive industrial and agricultural practices, it is the new gold that the wealthy want to get their hands on. | Companies like Nestlé and even drug gangs in Mexico are harnessing the profit and power potential of water, with trails of violence and corruption left in their wake. | In Puebla, two hours to the south of Mexico City, a private water company has plans to break up the streets…

pip.hinman (2019-07-11). We need everyone to strike on September 20. greenleft.org.au School Strike 4 Climate released the following statement on July 3. | * * * | On Friday September 20, three days before world leaders meet in New York for the United Nations Emergency Climate Summit, school strikers, together with our friends, communities and families, are holding our biggest Global Climate Strike yet. | Everyone is invited and everyone is needed as we build the biggest social movement the world has ever seen to tackle the climate crisis. | We often get asked by adults if it's OK f…

susan_p (2019-07-11). Five new books for ecosocialists. greenleft.org.au Climate and Capitalism editor Ian Angus looks at five new books of interest to ecosocialists. | Vanishing Fish: Shifting Baselines & the Future of Global Fisheries | By Daniel Pauly
| Greystone Books, 2019 | Award-winning biologist Daniel Pauly examines the parlous state of today's global fisheries. Starting with the rapid expansion that followed World War II, he traces the arc of the fishing industry's ensuing demise, offering insights into how and why it has failed. His practical recommendations for a way forward incorporate a vision of a vib…

pip.hinman (2019-07-11). Maritime union backs student-led climate strike. greenleft.org.au The following motion was passed unanimously at the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Sydney Branch monthly member's meeting on June 25. | * * * | The MUA Sydney Branch welcomes the call from the School Strike 4 Climate movement for workers to join their next global strike. We will build for the widest possible stoppage of work to join demonstrations on September 20. We call on our national union to support this action and campaign for stoppages across the global union movement. | We note with anger that the climate crisis is already affecting millions in Australia and around the world. We reaffirm MUA policy that…

pip.hinman (2019-07-11). We're invited to support student strikers. greenleft.org.au The Socialist Alliance National Council voted on June 30 to encourage its members and supporters to support of the September 20 climate strike and put motions along the following lines to their trade unions and other community-based organisations. | * * * | The School Strike 4 Climate has asked adults worldwide to come out onto the streets alongside them and make our voices heard. | To do that we too must strike for climate action. We must break with business as usual, leave our workplaces and rally with the students. | Yes, we will then cross a line. The rules do not let us strike when we want, for what we need…

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…

2019-07-17: Social Media Postees

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

Ye Cannot Swerve Me: Moby-Dick and Climate Change
Manuel García, Jr. | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
Will climate change drive humanity to extinction? If so, how much time have we got?, and how will it happen? These questions are on the minds of many people today. In this essay, I will follow paleontologists deep into the geological past to see if it can offer any analogs to the evolving climatic conditions of today, and in that way give us a window into our future.
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/ye-cannot-swerve-me-moby-dick-and-climate-change/

Global Britain's real climate changers: big oil must be taken down
Andy Higginbottom | mronline.org | 2019-07-17
There is no global social unity in the face of climate disaster. We risk a 'climate apartheid' scenario where the wealthy pay to escape overheating, hunger, and conflict while the rest of the world is left to suffer. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/17/global-britains-real-climate-changers-big-oil-must-be-taken-down/

Council dump charges likely to lead to fly-tipping, environmental campaigners warn
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-17
Charging householders to dump their rubbish legally could trigger a rise in the illegal practice of fly-tipping, environmental campaigners have warned. | The Government has announced a review of current rules at waste recycling centres after some councils began rolling out fees. | The charges include £3.30 per car tyre at Cornwall Council, £2 for a bag of loose material at North Tyneside Council, and £20 per boiler at Buckinghamshire County Council. | But Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said it was better to encourage people to dispose of their w…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/07/17/council-dump-charges-likely-to-lead-to-fly-tipping-environmental-campaigners-warn/

Appeal Upheld in Challenge to Oil Drilling in California's Carrizo Plain National Monument
Center for Biological Diversity | indybay.org | 2019-07-17
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.― The California Bureau of Land Management has agreed with conservation groups that plans for a new oil well and pipeline in Carrizo Plain National Monument failed to comply with federal environmental laws. The July 12 decision, announced today, said the local BLM office must consider potential harm to California condors, other imperiled wildlife and the climate.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/16/18824799.php

Why A 20-Year Old Climate Activist is Suing the Federal Government
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-17
At Netroots Nation 2019, Vic Barrett, a young defendant in Juliana vs US, talks to Dharna Noor about why he's suing the federal government for its role in the climate crisis…
therealnews.com/stories/why-a-20-year-old-climate-activist-is-suing-the-federal-government

The limited mind: Why fear is driving humanity to extinction
Robert J. Burrowes | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-16
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. See, for example, many of the articles republished in 'Key Articles' and the source documents 'Why Violence?' and 'Fearless …
nationofchange.org/2019/07/16/the-limited-mind-why-fear-is-driving-humanity-to-extinction/

'Act now. Our lives are in your hands': Demanding climate action, Extinction Rebellion shuts down traffic in five UK cities
Jake Johnson | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-16
"We've all read the science, we know the story, the whole phase of denial is over, and if it takes civil disobedience to make a difference, then so be it."
nationofchange.org/2019/07/16/act-now-our-lives-are-in-your-hands-demanding-climate-action-extinction-rebellion-shuts-down-traffic-in-five-uk-cities/

Environmental reporting can help protect citizens in emerging democracies
Eric Freedman | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-16
What happens when an illegally logged tree falls or poachers kill endangered brown bears in the forest, but there's no journalist to report it? | That's the situation in the Republic of Georgia, which faces challenges that include poaching, deteriorating air quality, habitat disruption from new hydropower dams, illegal logging and climate change. The effects cross national borders and affect economic and political relationships in the Caucasus and beyond. | I resea…
nationofchange.org/2019/07/16/environmental-reporting-can-help-protect-citizens-in-emerging-democracies/

'A Hotter Future That's Hard to Imagine': Super-Charged by Climate Crisis, New Study Warns of 'Killer Heat' Set to Overtake US
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-07-16
"If we wish to spare people in the United States and around the world the mortal dangers of extreme and relentless heat, there is little time to do so and little room for half measures." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/killer_heat_extreme_heat_climate.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/07/16/hotter-future-thats-hard-imagine-super-charged-climate-crisis-new-study-warns-killer?cd-origin=rss

Bikini Atoll has 1,000x radiation of Chernobyl decades after nuclear testing — study
rt.com | 2019-07-16
Radiation levels in the Marshall Islands, where the US government tested its nuclear arsenal during the Cold War, are even higher than those found in Fukushima and Chernobyl, according to a newly released peer-reviewed study. | …
rt.com/usa/464336-marshall-islands-radiation-testing-study/

In Pictures: Extinction Rebellion protesters launch summer uprising
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-15
Environmental protesters unveiled large coloured boats across five UK cities as they called on the government to halt wildlife losses and cut greenhouse gases to net zero by 2025. Extinction Rebellion launched a "summer uprising" in Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and London.The boats are each named after an environmental activist, with the message 'Act Now' on them (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)Protesters targeted Leeds' financial district to draw attention to the links between banking and the climate and ecological emergency (Dan…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/07/15/in-pictures-extinction-rebellion-protesters-launch-summer-uprising/

Indigenous Resistance as Re-occupation of Land at the Forefront of Climate Justice
Litsa Chatzivasileiou | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-15
I write as a settler on this land. I am not speaking on behalf of Aboriginal people but rather as an unconditional ally to their struggles. I will specifically address Indigenous resistance in the form of re-occupation of Turtle Island and in particular of so-called Canada. Re-occupation of the land is a kind of resistance …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/indigenous-resistance-as-re-occupation-of-land-at-the-forefront-of-climate-justice/

"Fossil Fuel Stooges" Pence & Trump Deny Climate Crisis as Deadly Rains Slam Louisiana & South Asia
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-15
Ongoing heavy rain has killed at least 67 people in Nepal, 25 in India and 14 in Bangladesh as flooding from monsoons has displaced 1 million people in South Asia. This year's flooding in the region has been worse than ever before and is likely fueled by rising global temperatures, which have led to more extreme weather. Scientists warn that the risk of deadly floods is not over. In the United States, New Orleans residents managed to avoid the worst of Tropical Storm Barry, but 11 million people continued to be on flash flood warning as the storm slowly made its way through Louisiana over the weekend. President T…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/15/nepal_india_bangladesh_flooding_climate_crisis

Would Jay Inslee Take on the Military to Fight Climate Change?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-15
At Netroots Nation 2019, we asked Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee, focused on climate change, if he'd take on the largest institutional emitter of fossil fuels: the Pentagon…
therealnews.com/stories/would-jay-inslee-take-on-the-military-to-fight-climate-change

As Cost of Climate Crisis Grows, Climate Movement Escalates
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-14
Activists run towards the Garzweiler open-cast mine (David Young/picture alliance via Getty Images) The warnings of climate chaos are coming so fast they are difficult to keep up with. Storms, heatwaves and climate-related weather disasters are increasing at a rapid pace. The leadership of the two corporate-dominated political parties are trying to keep the climate …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/as-cost-of-climate-crisis-grows-climate-movement-escalates/

Developing countries should not be liable for emissions 'accumulated throughout history', key UN development forum hears
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-12
Citing climate change as being caused by "emissions accumulated throughout history", the head of China's Xiamen Airlines told the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York on Friday that heavy carbon dioxide emitters should "take on greater responsibility" to ameliorate the problem.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042351

Bring down the global fences
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-12
As the Titanic sank in 1912, the wealthy were given safety on lifeboats while the poor were left to die, locked in the sinking ship. | Today, the countries of the Global North are taking a similar approach to the climate crisis. | Going full steam ahead, countries such as Australia continue to burn fossil fuels, ignore the warnings of scientists and, when crises hit, turn people away from safety. | There were more than 70 million displaced people around the world last year according to conservative United Nations figures — the highest this figure has ever been. | Many were displaced as a direct or indirec…
greenleft.org.au/content/refugees-first-victims-climate-change

Five new books for ecosocialists
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-11
Climate and Capitalism editor Ian Angus looks at five new books of interest to ecosocialists. | Vanishing Fish: Shifting Baselines & the Future of Global Fisheries | By Daniel Pauly | Greystone Books, 2019 | Award-winning biologist Daniel Pauly examines the parlous state of today's global fisheries. Starting with the rapid expansion that followed World War II, he traces the arc of the fishing industry's ensuing demise, offering insights into how and why it has failed. His practical recommendations for a way forward incorporate a vision of a vib…
greenleft.org.au/content/five-new-books-ecosocialists-6

Mexico: The devious ways one water company is profiting from the poor
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-11
Water is becoming a coveted currency. As a basic need that is increasingly scarce in some regions due to climate disruption and abusive industrial and agricultural practices, it is the new gold that the wealthy want to get their hands on. | Companies like Nestlé and even drug gangs in Mexico are harnessing the profit and power potential of water, with trails of violence and corruption left in their wake. | In Puebla, two hours to the south of Mexico City, a private water company has plans to break up the streets…
greenleft.org.au/content/mexico-devious-ways-one-water-company-profiting-poor

Maritime union backs student-led climate strike
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-11
The following motion was passed unanimously at the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Sydney Branch monthly member's meeting on June 25. | * * * | The MUA Sydney Branch welcomes the call from the School Strike 4 Climate movement for workers to join their next global strike. We will build for the widest possible stoppage of work to join demonstrations on September 20. We call on our national union to support this action and campaign for stoppages across the global union movement. | We note with anger that the climate crisis is already affecting millions in Australia and around the world. We reaffirm MUA policy that…
greenleft.org.au/content/maritime-union-backs-student-led-climate-strike

We're invited to support student strikers
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-11
The Socialist Alliance National Council voted on June 30 to encourage its members and supporters to support of the September 20 climate strike and put motions along the following lines to their trade unions and other community-based organisations. | * * * | The School Strike 4 Climate has asked adults worldwide to come out onto the streets alongside them and make our voices heard. | To do that we too must strike for climate action. We must break with business as usual, leave our workplaces and rally with the students. | Yes, we will then cross a line. The rules do not let us strike when we want, for what we need…
greenleft.org.au/content/were-invited-support-student-strikers

We need everyone to strike on September 20
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-11
School Strike 4 Climate released the following statement on July 3. | * * * | On Friday September 20, three days before world leaders meet in New York for the United Nations Emergency Climate Summit, school strikers, together with our friends, communities and families, are holding our biggest Global Climate Strike yet. | Everyone is invited and everyone is needed as we build the biggest social movement the world has ever seen to tackle the climate crisis. | We often get asked by adults if it's OK f…
greenleft.org.au/content/we-need-everyone-strike-september-20

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