Daily Archives: August 27, 2019

2019-08-27: News Headlines

Rachel M. Cohen (2019-08-27). 8 Unions Have a Plan for Climate Action—But It Doesn't Mention Fighting the Fossil Fuel Industry. commondreams.org Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) union workers with SEIU Local 1021 hold signs as they picket in front of the Lake Merritt station on July 2, 2013 in Oakland, California. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/seiu.jpeg

Staff (2019-08-27). DNC Kills Climate Debate Compromise. therealnews.com Days after rejecting the proposal to sanction debate focused on the climate crisis, the DNC voted 222-137 against allowing candidates to participate in even a non-sanctioned one…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2019-08-27). What Will It Take To Declare A Climate Emergency? dissidentvoice.org Students march in Melbourne, Australia. Source AAP. The Embassy Protectors Defense Committee is calling on the US State Department to drop the federal charges against us. On May 16, federal forces invaded the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC in violation of the Vienna Convention and arrested four Embassy Protectors even though we were there with …

Staff (2019-08-27). David Koch Is Dead, But His Legacy of Climate Denial Lives On. therealnews.com Seminal climate scientist Michael Mann, who was the target of a Koch-funded smear, explains how the Koch Brothers "almost single-handedly stymied climate action for decades."

Ruth Milka (2019-08-27). UK's only fracking site stops work after two earthquakes in less than a week. nationofchange.org Update: Another record-breaking termor hit the site on Monday morning, with a recorded magnitude of 2.9 on the Richter scale. Nearby residents reportedly heard a "guttural roar" | The UK's only fracking site was forced to stop work for another 18 hours after experiencing its second earthquake in a week. | Last week the fracking site at Preston New Road in Lancashire experienced a magnitude 1.55 earthquake, the largest ever recorded at the site. Then on Friday evening a magnitude 1.05, lasting for less than one second, occurred. This was follawed by a smaller 0.53 magnitude tremor on Saturday morning. | Accordi…

NBOP Petaluma (2019-08-27). Climate Equity, Hope & Action Forum: Climate Action Commission (Petaluma). indybay.org Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr, Petaluma 94952…

Speak Out Now (2019-08-27). The Climate Emergency: The Future Is In Our Hands. indybay.org South Berkeley Senior Center | 2939 Ellis St., Berkeley…

Climate Justice SF (2019-08-27). Strike for Climate Justice! indybay.org Montgomery & Market in downtown San Francisco.

Staff (2019-08-27). How David Koch's Empire Helped Shape US Politics and Thwart Climate Action. truthout.org | | Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-…

Daniel Ross (2019-08-27). Can we reach 100 percent renewable energy in time to avert climate catastrophe? nationofchange.org Ten years ago, two climate scientists, Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi, published a groundbreaking article in Scientific American outlining a road map for becoming 100 percent reliant on energy generated by water, wind and sun by 2030. This was something that needed to be done "if the world has any hope of slowing climate change," the researchers warned at the time. | The article proved incendiary. "First of all, nobody believed it when we put out that paper in 2009," Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, told…

Dan Bacher (2019-08-27). California regulators continue to allow oil field wastewater injection into aquifers. indybay.org The continued injection of oil wastewater into aquifers is no surprise to environmental justice advocates, since the capture of California regulators by the Western States Petroleum Association and oil and gas companies continues under the Gavin Newsom administration.

Staff (2019-08-27). "Kochland": How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action. democracynow.org Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Indu…

Olivia Rosane (2019-08-27). DNC shuts down climate debate compromise. nationofchange.org "It's truly a disappointment that the DNC denied our party the opportunity to show America that a strong agenda that reverses climate change means high paying manufacturing jobs for American union workers and solid profits for American farmers."

JOCDC (2019-08-26). No Coal, No Gas: Climate activists remove coal from Merrimack generating station. liberationnews.org "…it is now a necessity to take matters into our own hands…"

United Nations (2019-08-26). Monday's Daily Brief: UN chief talks climate action at G7, WFP official visits camp in Central African Republic, Deadly violence at Lesvos migrant centre, Security Council meets on AU-UN Darfur mission. un.org A recap of Monday's stories: UN chief urges more action from G7 leaders to tackle 'climate emergency'; WFP official visits camp for displaced in Central African Republic, UN refugee agency calls on Greece to keep young migrants safe after deadly incident at Lesvos reception centre; and Security Council considers work of AU-UN Mission in Sudan's Darfur region.

United Nations (2019-08-26). UN chief appeals to G7 leaders for 'strong commitment' and political will to tackle climate emergency. un.org People all over the world are calling for a shift towards a greener, cleaner future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, stressing that "we have the tools to address the climate emergency, but we need more political will."

Mel Gurtov (2019-08-26). Trump and the Climate Crisis—a Crime Against Humanity. counterpunch.org The President of the United States is a criminal. I'm not referring to the twenty-odd investigations of him currently underway for violations of the Constitution, obstruction of justice, and collaboration with the Russian election attack, among other misdeeds. No, I'm referring to his and his administration's intentional and reckless pursuit of national policies that condemn More

Lee Fang (2019-08-26). David Koch's Most Significant Legacy Is the Election of Donald Trump. theintercept.com David Koch, the fossil fuel industry billionaire who passed away on August 23 at the age of 79, spent the second half of his life building a political power structure alongside his brother Charles that radically reshaped society and set the conditions for the rise of President Donald Trump. | Many obituaries published in recent days examine Koch's history of polluting the environment and political system, how the donor network he helped lead mobilized opposition to addressing climate change, transformed our election laws to allow unlimited secret spending by the very rich, and systematically fought any regulation…

United Nations (2019-08-26). FROM THE FIELD: Malawi farmers diversify to fight climate change. un.org Farmers in Malawi are diversifying their crops and adopting sustainable technologies as they look at ways to adapt to a changing climate.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-08-26). 'If A Kid Says Help, You Help': Climate Action Advocates Call On Adults to Join Young Activists in September's Global Climate Strike. commondreams.org As climate activist Greta Thunberg neared the United States on a boat which set sail from Britain on August 14, the global climate action movement ramped up efforts to call people of all ages to join in the climate strike which the 16-year-old Swedish student helped to inspire. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11458233852.jpg

Staff (2019-08-26). Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl. democracynow.org Following a mysterious nuclear accident in Russia that left seven dead, we look back at the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. It sent a cloud of radioactive fallout into Russia, Belarus and over a large portion of Europe, but the death toll from Chernobyl remains unknown. Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history, but Kate Brown, an MIT professor of science, technology and society, says much of what we understand about the disaster is inaccurate. Her new book, "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future," chronicles the devastating and underreported impact of radiation on tens of t…

Staff (2019-08-26). Mysterious Russian Nuclear Missile Accident Sparks Fears of Cover-Up & "Chernobyl Redux" democracynow.org Questions are swirling over a mysterious nuclear accident in northern Russia on August 8. Seven people, including five nuclear scientists, died in an explosion, which caused a radiation spike in the surrounding area — and possibly as far as Scandinavia. U.S. experts suspect the explosion was caused during a test of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia initially denied a radiation leak, but earlier today its state weather agency confirmed radioactive isotopes have been found in test samples in the city of Severodvinsk near the military test range. Norway's nuclear test ban monitor now believes two explos…

Staff (2019-08-26). Headlines for August 26, 2019. democracynow.org World Leaders Pledge Amazon Help as Trump Sends Mixed Signals About China at G7 Summit, Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Makes Surprise Appearance at G7 to Hold Talks with European Officials, Protesters Call Out G7 Leaders over Corporate Ties, Climate Inaction and Inequality, Wildfires Continue to Consume Amazon as Public Outrage Grows, Police Deploy Water Cannons, Fire a Live Warning Shot at Hong Kong Protesters, Attacks in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq Add to Mounting Tensions in Middle East, EU Countries Say They Will Relocate Migrants Stranded on Ship After 2-Week Standoff, 200,000 Rohingya Refugees March for "Genocid…

Eds. (2019-08-26). Bernie Sander's climate plan is more radical than his opponents' — and more likely to succeed. mronline.org IF YOU TRIED to design a program with the aim of offending the top brass of the world's most powerful corporations and the politicians whose careers they bankroll, you'd get something like what Bernie Sanders unveiled today in his $16.3 trillion Green New Deal platform. | Source

susan_p (2019-08-25). La Via Campesina: Burning the Amazon is a crime against humanity. greenleft.org.au Amazon rainforest La Via CampesinaIssue 1235 Brazil climate emergencyAugust 26, 2019La Via Campesina is a global social movement that unites 148 groups representing small farmers, peasants, rural workers and indigenous communities around the world. | It fights for…

The Canary (2019-08-24). Tremor measuring 2.23 on Richter scale recorded at UK fracking site. thecanary.co A tremor measuring 2.23 on the Richter scale has been recorded at the UK's only active fracking site. | Energy firm Cuadrilla said the "micro seismic event" at their site near Blackpool was detected at 11.01pm on Saturday. | The movement was stronger than what was described as the largest-ever tremor at their Preston New Road facility on 21 August, when a 1.55-ma…

Aída Chávez (2019-08-24). National Democrats Endorse John Hickenlooper, a Proponent of Fracking, in Competitive Colorado Primary. theintercept.com In Colorado, nearly a dozen Democrats are vying for the opportunity to take on Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2020 — a race widely seen as the party's most promising pick-up in the Senate. One of the leading contenders, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, is running on a platform that includes Medicare for All and an aggressive plan to combat the climate crisis — and his campaign has already topped $1 million in fundraising. | But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has thrown its weight behind former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a pro-fracking moderate. After months of rejecting calls…

Howie Hawkins (2019-08-24). On Day One, the Next President Should Declare A Climate Emergency. dissidentvoice.org The next president should declare a Climate Emergency, which will give the president powers to act rapidly and decisively to confront the climate crisis. The president should also create a cabinet-level Office of Climate Mobilization for the coordination of all federal agencies in mobilizing the nation's resources to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and 100% …

Mathew Maavak (2019-08-24). "Child Actorvism" and the Extinction Agenda of Neoliberal Racists. dissidentvoice.org There is no shortage of social justice causes trumpeted by the West‚Ä with a revolving medley of "child actorvists" at the forefront. The logical observer may question whether these endless multi-billion dollar campaigns have had any tangible effect at all, except in serving as a stalking horse for mass-mediated interferences in the affairs of other …

Ed Sykes (2019-08-24). The proof that climate chaos and imperialism are inseparable. thecanary.co A recent study revealed that the US military is a major culprit in the climate crisis. But as devastating fires burn across the Amazon rainforest, a brief look at Washington's allies and 'enemies' in Latin Americ…

Madeline Ostrander (2019-08-23). In 2020, Millennials and Generation Z Could Force Politicians to Deal With Climate Change. thenation.com In 2020, Millennials and Generation Z Could Force Politicians to Deal With Climate Change…

Staff (2019-08-23). "Our House Is On Fire": Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest. democracynow.org The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…

Staff (2019-08-23). Headlines for August 23, 2019. democracynow.org U.N. Calls for Protection of the Amazon as Rainforest Burns at Record Pace, Indigenous Communities Say Brazil's President Is Encouraging Destruction of Forests, Bernie Sanders Unveils Ambitious Green New Deal to Avert Climate Catastrophe, Democratic Leaders Reject Resolution Calling for Candidate Climate Debate, French Authorities to Crack Down on Protest as 13,000 Police Mobilize for G7 Summit, Syrian Forces Encircle Last Major Rebel-Held Stronghold in Hama Province, U.N.: Burmese Troops Had "Genocidal Intent" in Targeting Rohingya for Sexual Violence, Indonesia Deploys Troops to Quell Independence Protests in W…

pip.hinman (2019-08-23). Climate rebellion continues. greenleft.org.au climate emergency Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion Moreland City CouncilAugust 23, 2019Extinction Rebellion activists continue to hold disruptive actions ar…

pip.hinman (2019-08-23). Break the hold of the fossil fuel media mafia. greenleft.org.au climate emergency Sam WainwrightIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion fossil fuel mafia The West Australian

Janine Jackson (2019-08-23). GateHouse's Takeover of Gannett: Bad News for Journalism and the Planet. fair.org USA Today's "Just the FAQs" video ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires—which promises to explain, "How does this affect our planet?"—manages to avoid ever using the words "climate" or "global warming." (There is one reference to "carbon and greenhouse gases," not further explained.) | | USA Today ran a piece ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires in which "anthropogenic climate…

Kate Aronoff (2019-08-22). Bernie Sanders's Climate Plan Is More Radical Than His Opponents' — And More Likely to Succeed. theintercept.com The $16.3 trillion plan would not only transition American society away from fossil fuels but renegotiate decades-old nostrums about the government's role in the economy.

Staff (2019-08-22). DNC Rejects Call for a Climate Debate. therealnews.com Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials reversed the previous ban on candidates participating in non-sanctioned climate forums, but Carmen Bouquin of the Sunrise Movement says that's not enough…

United Nations (2019-08-22). Relentless sequence of disasters in Asia-Pacific 'sign of things to come', cautions UN regional body. un.org Changing patterns and worsening impacts of natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific, coupled with environmental degradation and climate change, are not only making efforts to predict such catastrophes more difficult, but are also a "sign of things to come", the United Nations development arm in the region has warned.

Staff (2019-08-22). Headlines for August 22, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration Proposes Jailing Migrant Families Indefinitely, Federal Budget Deficit to Top $1 Trillion in 2020, Satellite Data Show Brazilian Amazon Burning at Record Pace, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Blames Environmentalists for Amazon Fires, Wildfires Rage in Alaska, Canary Islands, Siberia and Greenland, Gov. Jay Inslee, Champion of Climate Fight, Drops 2020 Presidential Bid, Activists Disrupt Event Honoring House Speaker Pelosi to Demand Trump's Impeachment, Abdalla Hamdok Sworn In as Sudan's Prime Minister, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Mark Anniversary of Subway Attack, Mexico's Zapatistas Exp…

pip.hinman (2019-08-22). Tales from the Extinction Rebellion Chill Zone. greenleft.org.au climate emergency Amy WarneIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion arrests Declaration DayAugust 22, 2019Community activist A…

pip.hinman (2019-08-22). Bruce Shillingsworth: 'We are the last generation who can fix climate change'. greenleft.org.au river crisis Peter BoyleIssue 1234 Australia drought Murray Darling River systemAugust 22, 2019″I believe the numbers will change the game," said First Nations activist and artist Uncle Bruce…

pip.hinman (2019-08-22). Rivers in crisis: Killing rivers for mines and irrigators. greenleft.org.au climate emergency Elena GarciaIssue 1234 Australia Menindee Lakes Broken Hill water pipeline Rivers in crisisAugu…

Naomi Klein (2019-08-21). Why the Democratic National Committee Must Change the Rules and Hold a Climate Debate. theintercept.com A girl holds a sign that reads "pull the emergency brake" at a ceremony to commemorate the Okjà∂kull glacier in Iceland, on Aug. 18, 2019. | recorded in human history. You are meeting on the same week that smoke from a record number of wildfires in the Amazon rainforest turned day into night in the Brazilian megapolis of Sà£o Paulo. And you are meeting just days after Iceland's prime minister led her country in its first Staff (2019-08-20). Pope Francis Confronts the "Idolatry of Money" — RAI with Matthew Fox (7/8). therealnews.com With his criticism of excessive capitalism and of climate change, Pope Francis has become the target of the far-right, and especially of the secretive Opus Dei sect within the Catholic Church, explains former priest Matthew Fox…

Janine Jackson (2019-08-20). 'Monsanto Has Worked Very Hard to Discredit Me and My Work' – CounterSpin interview with Carey Gillam on Monsanto's attack on journalism. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed US Right to Know's Carey Gillam for the August 16, 2019, episode of CounterSpin, about being targeted by Monsanto. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Janine Jackson (2019-08-19). On Gun Violence, 'We Need the Federal Government to Take Bold Steps' – CounterSpin interview with Ernest Coverson on guns & human rights. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Amnesty International USA's Ernest Coverson about guns and human rights for the August 16, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

CounterSpin (2019-08-16). Ernest Coverson on Guns & Human Rights, Carey Gillam Under Attack From Monsanto. fair.org Media…

Ryan Driskell Tate (2019-08-12). How Climate Activists Can Benefit from Solidarity with Kentucky Coal Miners. progressive.org As fossil-fuel workers lose their jobs today, the urgency of what climate activists call the "just transition" becomes all the more apparent.

CounterSpin (2019-08-02). Sriram Madhusoodanan on Fossil Fuel Investigations, Amin Husain on Decolonizing Museums. fair.org Media…

2019-08-27: Social Media Postees

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

What Will It Take To Declare A Climate Emergency?
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-27
Students march in Melbourne, Australia. Source AAP. The Embassy Protectors Defense Committee is calling on the US State Department to drop the federal charges against us. On May 16, federal forces invaded the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC in violation of the Vienna Convention and arrested four Embassy Protectors even though we were there with …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/what-will-it-take-to-declare-a-climate-emergency/

UK's only fracking site stops work after two earthquakes in less than a week
Ruth Milka | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-27
Update: Another record-breaking termor hit the site on Monday morning, with a recorded magnitude of 2.9 on the Richter scale. Nearby residents reportedly heard a "guttural roar" | The UK's only fracking site was forced to stop work for another 18 hours after experiencing its second earthquake in a week. | Last week the fracking site at Preston New Road in Lancashire experienced a magnitude 1.55 earthquake, the largest ever recorded at the site. Then on Friday evening a magnitude 1.05, lasting for less than one second, occurred. This was follawed by a smaller 0.53 magnitude tremor on Saturday morning. | Accordi…
nationofchange.org/2019/08/27/uks-only-fracking-site-stops-work-after-two-earthquakes-in-less-than-a-week/

Climate Equity, Hope & Action Forum: Climate Action Commission (Petaluma)
NBOP Petaluma | indybay.org | 2019-08-27
Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr, Petaluma 94952…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/24/18825664.php

David Koch Is Dead, But His Legacy of Climate Denial Lives On
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-27
Seminal climate scientist Michael Mann, who was the target of a Koch-funded smear, explains how the Koch Brothers "almost single-handedly stymied climate action for decades."
therealnews.com/stories/david-koch-is-dead-but-his-legacy-of-climate-denial-lives-on

DNC shuts down climate debate compromise
Olivia Rosane | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-27
"It's truly a disappointment that the DNC denied our party the opportunity to show America that a strong agenda that reverses climate change means high paying manufacturing jobs for American union workers and solid profits for American farmers."
nationofchange.org/2019/08/27/dnc-shuts-down-climate-debate-compromise/

DNC Kills Climate Debate Compromise
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-27
Days after rejecting the proposal to sanction debate focused on the climate crisis, the DNC voted 222-137 against allowing candidates to participate in even a non-sanctioned one…
therealnews.com/stories/dnc-kills-climate-debate-compromise

8 Unions Have a Plan for Climate Action—But It Doesn't Mention Fighting the Fossil Fuel Industry
Rachel M. Cohen | commondreams.org | 2019-08-27
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) union workers with SEIU Local 1021 hold signs as they picket in front of the Lake Merritt station on July 2, 2013 in Oakland, California. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/seiu.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/27/8-unions-have-plan-climate-action-it-doesnt-mention-fighting-fossil-fuel-industry?cd-origin=rss

The Climate Emergency: The Future Is In Our Hands
Speak Out Now | indybay.org | 2019-08-27
South Berkeley Senior Center | 2939 Ellis St., Berkeley…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/26/18825733.php

How David Koch's Empire Helped Shape US Politics and Thwart Climate Action
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-27
| Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-…
truthout.org/video/how-david-kochs-empire-helped-shape-u-s-politics-and-thwart-climate-action/

Can we reach 100 percent renewable energy in time to avert climate catastrophe?
Daniel Ross | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-27
Ten years ago, two climate scientists, Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi, published a groundbreaking article in Scientific American outlining a road map for becoming 100 percent reliant on energy generated by water, wind and sun by 2030. This was something that needed to be done "if the world has any hope of slowing climate change," the researchers warned at the time. | The article proved incendiary. "First of all, nobody believed it when we put out that paper in 2009," Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, told…
nationofchange.org/2019/08/27/can-we-reach-100-percent-renewable-energy-in-time-to-avert-climate-catastrophe/

Strike for Climate Justice!
Climate Justice SF | indybay.org | 2019-08-27
Montgomery & Market in downtown San Francisco.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/24/18825667.php

California regulators continue to allow oil field wastewater injection into aquifers
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2019-08-27
The continued injection of oil wastewater into aquifers is no surprise to environmental justice advocates, since the capture of California regulators by the Western States Petroleum Association and oil and gas companies continues under the Gavin Newsom administration.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/26/18825718.php

"Kochland": How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-27
Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Indu…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/27/christopher_leonard_kochland_koch_brothers

Monday's Daily Brief: UN chief talks climate action at G7, WFP official visits camp in Central African Republic, Deadly violence at Lesvos migrant centre, Security Council meets on AU-UN Darfur mission
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-26
A recap of Monday's stories: UN chief urges more action from G7 leaders to tackle 'climate emergency'; WFP official visits camp for displaced in Central African Republic, UN refugee agency calls on Greece to keep young migrants safe after deadly incident at Lesvos reception centre; and Security Council considers work of AU-UN Mission in Sudan's Darfur region.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1044971

No Coal, No Gas: Climate activists remove coal from Merrimack generating station
JOCDC | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-26
"…it is now a necessity to take matters into our own hands…"
liberationnews.org/no-coal-no-gas-climate-activists-remove-coal-from-merrimack-generating-station/

David Koch's Most Significant Legacy Is the Election of Donald Trump
Lee Fang | theintercept.com | 2019-08-26
David Koch, the fossil fuel industry billionaire who passed away on August 23 at the age of 79, spent the second half of his life building a political power structure alongside his brother Charles that radically reshaped society and set the conditions for the rise of President Donald Trump. | Many obituaries published in recent days examine Koch's history of polluting the environment and political system, how the donor network he helped lead mobilized opposition to addressing climate change, transformed our election laws to allow unlimited secret spending by the very rich, and systematically fought any regulation…
theintercept.com/2019/08/26/david-koch-donald-trump/

Trump and the Climate Crisis–a Crime Against Humanity
Mel Gurtov | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-26
The President of the United States is a criminal. I'm not referring to the twenty-odd investigations of him currently underway for violations of the Constitution, obstruction of justice, and collaboration with the Russian election attack, among other misdeeds. No, I'm referring to his and his administration's intentional and reckless pursuit of national policies that condemn…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/26/trump-and-the-climate-crisis-a-crime-against-humanity/

Bernie Sander's climate plan is more radical than his opponents' — and more likely to succeed
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-26
IF YOU TRIED to design a program with the aim of offending the top brass of the world's most powerful corporations and the politicians whose careers they bankroll, you'd get something like what Bernie Sanders unveiled today in his $16.3 trillion Green New Deal platform. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/26/bernie-sanders-climate-plan-is-more-radical-than-his-opponents-and-more-likely-to-succeed/

UN chief appeals to G7 leaders for 'strong commitment' and political will to tackle climate emergency
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-26
People all over the world are calling for a shift towards a greener, cleaner future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, stressing that…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1044921

FROM THE FIELD: Malawi farmers diversify to fight climate change
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-26
Farmers in Malawi are diversifying their crops and adopting sustainable technologies as they look at ways to adapt to a changing climate.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1044941

'If A Kid Says Help, You Help': Climate Action Advocates Call On Adults to Join Young Activists in September's Global Climate Strike
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-26
As climate activist Greta Thunberg neared the United States on a boat which set sail from Britain on August 14, the global climate action movement ramped up efforts to call people of all ages to join in the climate strike which the 16-year-old Swedish student helped to inspire. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11458233852.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/27/if-kid-says-help-you-help-climate-action-advocates-call-adults-join-young-activists?cd-origin=rss

Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
Following a mysterious nuclear accident in Russia that left seven dead, we look back at the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. It sent a cloud of radioactive fallout into Russia, Belarus and over a large portion of Europe, but the death toll from Chernobyl remains unknown. Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history, but Kate Brown, an MIT professor of science, technology and society, says much of what we understand about the disaster is inaccurate. Her new book, "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future," chronicles the devastating and underreported impact of radiation on tens of t…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/kate_brown_chernobyl_manual_for_survival

Mysterious Russian Nuclear Missile Accident Sparks Fears of Cover-Up & "Chernobyl Redux"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
Questions are swirling over a mysterious nuclear accident in northern Russia on August 8. Seven people, including five nuclear scientists, died in an explosion, which caused a radiation spike in the surrounding area — and possibly as far as Scandinavia. U.S. experts suspect the explosion was caused during a test of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia initially denied a radiation leak, but earlier today its state weather agency confirmed radioactive isotopes have been found in test samples in the city of Severodvinsk near the military test range. Norway's nuclear test ban monitor now believes two explos…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/aug_8_russia_nuclear_accident

La Via Campesina: Burning the Amazon is a crime against humanity
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-25
Amazon rainforest La Via CampesinaIssue 1235 Brazil climate emergencyAugust 26, 2019La Via Campesina is a global social movement that unites 148 groups representing small farmers, peasants, rural workers and indigenous communities around the world. | It fights for…
greenleft.org.au/content/la-via-campesina-burning-amazon-crime-against-humanity

Tremor measuring 2.23 on Richter scale recorded at UK fracking site
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-24
A tremor measuring 2.23 on the Richter scale has been recorded at the UK's only active fracking site. | Energy firm Cuadrilla said the "micro seismic event" at their site near Blackpool was detected at 11.01pm on Saturday. | The movement was stronger than what was described as the largest-ever tremor at their Preston New Road facility on 21 August, when a 1.55-ma…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/08/25/tremor-measuring-2-23-on-richter-scale-recorded-at-uk-fracking-site/

National Democrats Endorse John Hickenlooper, a Proponent of Fracking, in Competitive Colorado Primary
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-08-24
In Colorado, nearly a dozen Democrats are vying for the opportunity to take on Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2020 — a race widely seen as the party's most promising pick-up in the Senate. One of the leading contenders, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, is running on a platform that includes Medicare for All and an aggressive plan to combat the climate crisis — and his campaign has already topped $1 million in fundraising. | But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has thrown its weight behind former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a pro-fracking moderate. After months of rejecting calls…
theintercept.com/2019/08/24/dscc-john-hickenlooper-andrew-romanoff-colorado-senate/

On Day One, the Next President Should Declare A Climate Emergency
Howie Hawkins | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-24
The next president should declare a Climate Emergency, which will give the president powers to act rapidly and decisively to confront the climate crisis. The president should also create a cabinet-level Office of Climate Mobilization for the coordination of all federal agencies in mobilizing the nation's resources to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and 100% …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/on-day-one-the-next-president-should-declare-a-climate-emergency/

The proof that climate chaos and imperialism are inseparable
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2019-08-24
A recent study revealed that the US military is a major culprit in the climate crisis. But as devastating fires burn across the Amazon rainforest, a brief look at Washington's allies and 'enemies' in Latin Americ…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2019/08/24/the-proof-that-climate-chaos-and-imperialism-are-inseparable/

"Child Actorvism" and the Extinction Agenda of Neoliberal Racists
Mathew Maavak | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-24
There is no shortage of social justice causes trumpeted by the West‚Ä with a revolving medley of "child actorvists" at the forefront. The logical observer may question whether these endless multi-billion dollar campaigns have had any tangible effect at all, except in serving as a stalking horse for mass-mediated interferences in the affairs of other …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/child-actorvism-and-the-extinction-agenda-of-neoliberal-racists/

GateHouse's Takeover of Gannett: Bad News for Journalism and the Planet
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-08-23
USA Today's "Just the FAQs" video ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires–which promises to explain, "How does this affect our planet?"–manages to avoid ever using the words "climate" or "global warming." (There is one reference to "carbon and greenhouse gases," not further explained.) | | USA Today ran a piece ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires in which "anthropogenic climate…
fair.org/home/gatehouses-takeover-of-gannett-bad-news-for-journalism-and-the-planet/

In 2020, Millennials and Generation Z Could Force Politicians to Deal With Climate Change
Madeline Ostrander | thenation.com | 2019-08-23
In 2020, Millennials and Generation Z Could Force Politicians to Deal With Climate Change…
thenation.com/article/climate-change-youth-public-opinion-election-2020/

"Our House Is On Fire": Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/jeff_merkley_us_nuclear_policy_green

Climate rebellion continues
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-23
climate emergency Zebedee ParkesIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion Moreland City CouncilAugust 23, 2019Extinction Rebellion activists continue to hold disruptive actions ar…
greenleft.org.au/content/climate-rebellion-continues

Break the hold of the fossil fuel media mafia
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-23
climate emergency Sam WainwrightIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion fossil fuel mafia The West Australian…
greenleft.org.au/content/break-hold-fossil-fuel-media-mafia

Bernie Sanders's Climate Plan Is More Radical Than His Opponents' — And More Likely to Succeed
Kate Aronoff | theintercept.com | 2019-08-22
The $16.3 trillion plan would not only transition American society away from fossil fuels but renegotiate decades-old nostrums about the government's role in the economy.
theintercept.com/2019/08/22/bernie-sanders-climate-policy/

Relentless sequence of disasters in Asia-Pacific 'sign of things to come', cautions UN regional body
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-22
Changing patterns and worsening impacts of natural disasters in Asia and the Pacific, coupled with environmental degradation and climate change, are not only making efforts to predict such catastrophes more difficult, but are also a "sign of things to come", the United Nations development arm in the region has warned.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1044721

DNC Rejects Call for a Climate Debate
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-22
Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials reversed the previous ban on candidates participating in non-sanctioned climate forums, but Carmen Bouquin of the Sunrise Movement says that's not enough…
therealnews.com/stories/dnc-rejects-call-for-a-climate-debate

Bruce Shillingsworth: 'We are the last generation who can fix climate change'
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-22
river crisis Peter BoyleIssue 1234 Australia drought Murray Darling River systemAugust 22, 2019″I believe the numbers will change the game," said First Nations activist and artist Uncle Bruce…
greenleft.org.au/content/bruce-shillingsworth-we-are-last-generation-who-can-fix-climate-change

Tales from the Extinction Rebellion Chill Zone
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-22
climate emergency Amy WarneIssue 1234 Australia Extinction Rebellion arrests Declaration DayAugust 22, 2019Community activist A…
greenleft.org.au/content/tales-extinction-rebellion-chill-zone

Rivers in crisis: Killing rivers for mines and irrigators
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-22
climate emergency Elena GarciaIssue 1234 Australia Menindee Lakes Broken Hill water pipeline Rivers in crisisAugu…
greenleft.org.au/content/rivers-crisis-killing-rivers-mines-and-irrigators

Pope Francis Confronts the "Idolatry of Money" — RAI with Matthew Fox (7/8)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-20
With his criticism of excessive capitalism and of climate change, Pope Francis has become the target of the far-right, and especially of the secretive Opus Dei sect within the Catholic Church, explains former priest Matthew Fox…
therealnews.com/stories/pope-francis-confronts-the-idolatry-of-money-rai-with-matthew-fox-7-8

'Monsanto Has Worked Very Hard to Discredit Me and My Work' – CounterSpin interview with Carey Gillam on Monsanto's attack on journalism
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-08-20
Janine Jackson interviewed US Right to Know's Carey Gillam for the August 16, 2019, episode of CounterSpin, about being targeted by Monsanto. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/monsanto-has-worked-very-hard-to-discredit-me-and-my-work/

Ernest Coverson on Guns & Human Rights, Carey Gillam Under Attack From Monsanto
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2019-08-16
Media…
fair.org/home/ernest-coverson-on-guns-human-rights-carey-gillam-under-attack-from-monsanto/

How Climate Activists Can Benefit from Solidarity with Kentucky Coal Miners
Ryan Driskell Tate | progressive.org | 2019-08-12
As fossil-fuel workers lose their jobs today, the urgency of what climate activists call the "just transition" becomes all the more apparent.
progressive.org/dispatches/climate-activists-benefit-from-solidarity-with-coal-miners-tate-190812/