Daily Archives: December 4, 2019

2019-12-04: News Headlines

John Nichols (2019-12-04). Ukraine? Yes. But Trump Must Also Be Impeached for Obstruction. commondreams.org If a president can get away with obstructing an inquiry, he can avoid accountability. If that prospect exists for a president, any president, then the system of checks and balances collapses. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/impeach_trump_climate_0.jpeg

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2019-12-04). Failed Action on the Climate Crisis Makes Resistance Imperative. dissidentvoice.org On December 2, the 25th two-week long United Nations climate conference begins in Madrid, Spain. The stated task of the conference, referred to as COP 25 (Conference Of Parties), is to make sure there are plans to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The goals of that agreement, which are nonbinding, are: Reduce …

Vijay Prashad (2019-12-04). Wealthy Countries' Approach to Climate Change Condemns Hundreds of Millions of People to Suffer. counterpunch.org In Madrid, Spain, the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference—known as COP25—began on December 2. Representatives of the world's countries gathered to discuss what is decidedly a serious problem for the planet; no one, except dangerous political forces in the neofascist right, denies the reality of climate change. More

Fight Back (2019-12-04). Activists decry Minnesota investments in border militarization, climate destruction. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) held its quarterly meeting at the State Capitol December 2 and got sharp criticism from immigrant rights and anti-war activists, as new documents revealed a nearly $1 million increase in investment in a controversial military technology company. Youth climate strikers also highlighted the SBI's inaction over state ties to environmental destruction. Both groups were met with vacillation and excuses from the board which is tasked with the responsible investment of public pensions and related funds. | At issue was Elbit Systems, an Israel-based manufacture…

F. William Engdahl (2019-12-04). Climate and the Money Trail. globalresearch.ca The very mega-billionaires behind the globalization of the world economy who have wreaked so much damage to our environment are the leading backers of the "grassroots" climate movement. Is it pangs of guilty conscience, or could it be a deeper agenda of the financialization of the very air we breathe and more?

United Nations (2019-12-04). Greener tourism: Greater collaboration needed to tackle rising emissions. news.un.org The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is calling for enhanced cooperation between the transport and tourism sectors to combat climate change.

XR South Bay (2019-12-04). Meditation & Prayer for Climate. indybay.org near the Circle of Palms, Downtown San Jose (beside Christmas in the Park) – just look for our signs…

William Astore (2019-12-04). Want to Stop Climate Change? Start With the US Military. thenation.com Want to Stop Climate Change? Start With the US Military…

Staff (2019-12-04). Iceland Fights Climate Change the Same Way It Beat the Banking Crisis. truthdig.com The small nation island knows exactly what to do to avoid total collapse. Just look at how it handled the 2008 banking crisis.

teleSUR (2019-12-04). Venezuelan FM Condemns New Sanctions Imposed by TIAR Nations. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan Foreign MinisterJorge Arreaza condemned on Tuesday the activation of measures on sanctions against officials of the Venezuelan government during the meeting of the Inter – American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance ( Rio Treaty ), which was held in Bogotá, Colombia on December 3. | RELATED: | With Climate Change the Victims Are Always the Poorest: Venezuelan Gov't | Arreaza said that some of the allied regional governments of the United States seek to push for war again…

Gwyneth Bernier (2019-12-04). The New Stateless Peoples: Confronting US Culpability in the Climate Refugee Crisis. commondreams.org A group of Syrian refugees arrives on the island of Lesbos after traveling in an inflatable raft from Turkey near Skala Sikaminias, Greece on July 15, 2015. (Photo: UNHCR/Andrew McConnell) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/refugeeswarming_0.jpg

Staff (2019-12-04). "Alternative Nobel Prize:" Right Livelihood Award Celebrates 40 Years Honoring Grassroots Activists. democracynow.org The Right Livelihood Award is marking its 40th anniversary. The award was established in 1980 to honor and support those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us." It has since become known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Over the past four decades, the award has been given to activists and grassroots leaders around the globe. A number of them have gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This year's winners are: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar, who has challenged the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara for decades; Chi…

Staff (2019-12-04). Headlines for December 4, 2019. democracynow.org House Impeachment Report Accuses Trump of Soliciting Foreign Interference in 2020 Election, Report: Europe Could Face Annual Extreme Heat Waves Due to Climate Change, Kamala Harris Ends Her 2020 Presidential Campaign, ProPublica: McKinsey Helped Trump Speed Up Mass Deportation Program, Detained Asylum Seekers Protest in Winnfield, Louisiana, House Votes for Bill to Punish China over Mass Imprisonment of Muslims, ICC Begins Hearing over Alleged U.S. Military Torture in Afghanistan, Rikers Island Officers Stood By as Teenager Attempted to Hang Himself, Today Marks 50th Anniversary of Assassination of Fred Hampton…

RT (2019-12-04). Geminids meteor shower to light up the December skies in spectacular farewell to 2019. rt.com The Geminids meteor shower takes place every year as the Earth passes through the debris field of 'extinct comet' 3200 Phaethon and is often the highlight of every stargazer's year, thanks to its bright, multi-colored fireballs. | Asteroid 3200 Phaethon was first discovered in 1983 and is the third-largest potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid (NEO) we know of, with a diameter of 5km, or roughly half the size of the space rock which helped drive the dinosaurs to extinction 65 million years ago. | The Geminids will begin on the evening of December 4 and peak between December 14 and 15, with an expected peak…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-12-04). Big Polluters Must Be 'Held Liable' for Destruction of Climate, Campaigners Say at COP 25. commondreams.org "For decades, big polluters have gone to any lengths to block, weaken, and delay policy. That time is over." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/emissions_0_0.jpeg

The Canary (2019-12-03). Conservatives' complaint over Channel 4 ice sculpture stunt rejected by Ofcom. thecanary.co Channel 4 has been cleared over its use of an ice sculpture to stand in for Boris Johnson during a debate on climate change, regulator Ofcom has said.The watchdog's election committee said the prop "was not a representation of the Prime Minister personally", and that "little editorial focus was given to it, either visually or in references made by the presenter or debate participants".The Conservatives complained that the broadcaster failed to allow the former environment secretary Michael Gove to be its representative for the debate, which saw party leaders face questions over how they would tackle climate chang…

teleSUR (2019-12-03). 'Not Halting Climate Change Means Punishing Millions' XR Says. telesurenglish.net Environmental activists from around the world on Tuesday remain gathered and protesting in Madrid to demand that the 2019 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) take concrete and effective actions to halt global climate change. | RELATED: | There Can Be No Climate Justice Without Social Justice: Maduro | "We're a global movement trying to raise the climate emergency through direct action. We have to get people to pause and understand, especially our leader…

United Nations (2019-12-03). Tuesday's Daily Brief: climate crisis reports, renewal in Iraq, Zimbabwe's hunger crisis, Disabilities Day. news.un.org A recap of Tuesday's stories: New climate change reports on human health and global warming; Zimbabwe's 'worst hunger crisis in a decade'; protests and civil unrest show 'renewed sense of patriotism' in Iraq; UN 'determined to lead by example' on disability rights.

teleSUR (2019-12-03). With Climate Change Victims Are the Poorest: Venezuela Gov't. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent a letter Tuesday to the leaders of more than 196 countries gathered for two weeks at the Climate Summit (COP 25) in Madrid, Spain denouncing the effects of climate change on the global south. | RELATED: | There Can Be No Climate Justice Without Social Justice: Maduro | In his letter was read by Venezuelan Minister…

United Nations (2019-12-03). Only one in five countries has a healthcare strategy to deal with climate change. news.un.org Protecting people's health from climate change dangers such as heat stress, storms and tsunamis has never been more important, yet most countries are doing too little about it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

United Nations (2019-12-03). Decade ending 2019 likely to be hottest on record. news.un.org Exceptional global heat driven by greenhouse gas emissions mean this decade will most likely go down as the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which released its provisional statement on the State of the Global Climate on Tuesday.

Staff (2019-12-03). My Generation Needs to Say "Enough": A Swedish Climate Striker Speaks Out About Fridays For Future. democracynow.org From Stockholm, Sweden, we're covering the 40th Anniversary of the Right Livelihood Awards, widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." This year's recipients include 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, whose school strike for climate started in Stockholm when she began standing outside the Parliament building every school day to demand bold climate action more than a year ago. Her act of resistance soon became a global movement, with millions of youth around the world leaving school and taking to the streets to demand swift action to halt the climate crisis. Greta has just arrived in Lisbon,…

Staff (2019-12-03). "We Are Facing a Global Emergency": Greta Thunberg Arrives Back in Europe to Attend Climate Talks. democracynow.org From Stockholm, Sweden, we're covering the 40th Anniversary of the Right Livelihood Awards, widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." This year's recipients include 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who arrived Tuesday in Lisbon, Portugal, after traveling for three weeks across the Atlantic in the 48-foot catamaran La Vagabonde, refusing to fly because of the high carbon footprint of air travel. Thunberg was on her way to attend COP25 in Santiago, Chile, when the conference was abruptly relocated due to mass demonstrations against a proposed subway fare hike. She sounded a rallying cry to…

Medea Benjamin (2019-12-02). Medea Benjamin: Donald Trump Was Right, NATO Should Be Obsolete. mintpressnews.com In an age where people around the world want to avoid war and to focus instead on the climate chaos that threatens future life on earth, NATO is an anachronism. It now accounts for about three-quarters of military spending and weapons dealing around the globe.

United Nations (2019-12-02). Green economy 'not to be feared, but an opportunity to be embraced' says UN chief as COP25 gets underway. news.un.org A green economy is "not one to be feared but an opportunity to be embraced", UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, in a keynote speech to delegates at the opening of the COP25 UN climate conference in Madrid on Monday.

United Nations (2019-12-02). FROM THE FIELD: India's plastic waste revolution. news.un.org The recycling of plastic waste in India is boosting the incomes of impoverished women and helping build roads and fire cement furnaces, thanks to support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Staff (2019-12-02). Headlines for December 2, 2019. democracynow.org COP25 Opens in Madrid Amid Dire Warnings About Climate Change, House Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing in Impeachment Inquiry, 3 Women Accuse Ambassador Sondland of Sexual Misconduct, Iraqi Prime Minister Resigns Amid Anti-Government Protests, Malta Prime Minister Resigns amid Probe of Journalist's Murder, Three More Egyptian Journalists Arrested, Attack on London Bridge Kills 2 Cambridge Graduates, Trump Visits Afghanistan in Surprise Thanksgiving Trip, Supreme Court to Hear First Major Gun Case in Nearly a Decade, Twitter Suspends Account of Ilhan Omar's Challenger, Sestak and Bullock Drop Out of 2020 Preside…

United Nations (2019-12-01). COP25: 'Signals of hope' multiplying in face of global climate crisis, insists UN's Guterres. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General has outlined the "increased ambition and commitment" that the world needs from governments during the coming days of the COP25 UN climate change conference which opens in Madrid on Monday, calling for "accountability, responsibility and leadership" to end the global climate crisis.

United Nations (2019-11-29). Friday's Daily Brief: violence in DR Congo, protester deaths in Iraq, human rights in Colombia, climate change conference, 'high human cost' of Ecuador unrest. news.un.org A recap of Friday's stories in brief: attacks on communities in an Ebola outbreak hotspot in eastern DRC sparks a humanitarian crisis; Guterres expresses concerns at continued protester deaths in Iraq; UN-appointed panel raises concerns about violence against indigenous rights defenders in Colombia; 5 things you need to know about COP25; UN rights chief urges dialogue to ease Ecuador unrest.

United Nations (2019-11-29). COP25: UN climate change conference, 5 things you need to know. news.un.org Climate change is happening—the world is already 1.1 ∞C warmer than it was at the onset of the industrial revolution, and it is already having a significant impact on the world, and on people's lives. And if current trends persist, then global temperatures can be expected to rise by 3.2 to 3.9 ∞C this century, which would bring wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts.

Staff (2019-11-29). David Byrne on His Broadway Show "American Utopia," Talking Heads, Reasons to Be Cheerful & More. democracynow.org An hour with David Byrne, the celebrated musician, artist, writer, cycling enthusiast, filmmaker and now Broadway star. He has a new hit Broadway show called "American Utopia." The show grew out of Byrne's recent world tour, which the British music publication NME said "may just be the best live show of all time." Byrne talks about the production, his time in the groundbreaking band Talking Heads, his website Reasons to Be Cheerful, Greta Thunberg and more.

Fred_F (2019-11-29). School climate strikers sit down outside Liberal HQ. greenleft.org.au Climate Zebedee ParkesIssue 1247 Australia School Strike 4 Climate SydneyNovember 29, 2019School climate strikers sat down in front of the Liberal Party's Sydney headquarters on November 29, as par…

Fred_F (2019-11-29). The answer to the climate crisis is obvious: ban climate protests. greenleft.org.au environment Carlo SandsIssue 1247 Australia Carlo's CornerNovember 29, 2019As Australia burns amid record-breaking temperatures and ongoing drought, and report a…

Susan Price (2019-11-28). China's contribution to climate change. greenleft.org.au Climate change Chris SleeIssue 1247 China greenhouse gas emissionsNovember 28, 2019China is the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2). It surpassed the Un…

Julie Hollar (2019-11-27). We're Still Waiting for 'Early and Often' Climate Debate Questions. fair.org As the Democratic Party prepared for its first presidential primary debates in June, climate activists pushed the DNC to schedule a single-issue debate on the climate crisis, given the urgency of the problem and the lack of attention given to it in previous debates. DNC chair Tom Perez refused, saying he had "the utmost confidence" that climate disruption would be discussed in the debates "early and often" (FAIR.org, 6/18/19). | Now that seven nights of debates have passed, and multiple…

Fred_F (2019-11-27). School Strike 4 Climate WA: 'We are heading for a cliff and fossil fuel companies want to put their foot on the gas'. greenleft.org.au Climate School Strike 4 Climate WAIssue 1247 Australia School Strike 4 Climate PerthNovember 27, 2019School Strike 4 Climate WA sent the following letter to Western Australia Premier Mar…

Staff (2019-11-26). Headlines for November 26, 2019. democracynow.org Judge Rules Trump Can't Stop Officials from Testifying in Impeachment Inquiry, Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Disclosure of Trump's Financial Records, U.S. Troops Resume Combat Mission Against ISIS, U.N.: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Surged to Record-High Levels in 2018, 56 Killed in Landslides in Kenya, Leaked Documents Reveal China's "Brainwashing" of Uyghur Muslims, Duque Calls for "National Dialogue" as Protests Continue to Rock Colombia, Global Protests Mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Argentine Catholic Priests Sentenced to Prison for Raping Students, Water Protectors Block…

David Cole (2019-11-26). We're Grateful for the Constitution. aclu.org Thanksgiving is here: that time of year when we pause to take stock of all we're grateful for. At the ACLU, we're saying thanks for all the crucial wins from our legal teams — and for the Constitution. | In just the last few months, we've racked up many essential victories in the ongoing battle to protect civil liberties and civil rights. The scope of these victories is breathtaking: they span criminal justice, privacy, religious freedom, reproductive rights, due process for immigrants, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and the right to protest the Keystone pipeline, among others. We've won crucial victories…

Fred_F (2019-11-26). Firefighters union leader: 'There are no climate sceptics on the end of a fire hose'. greenleft.org.au Climate Greg McConvilleIssue 1247 Australia bushfires United Firefighters Union (UFU) CanberraNovember 26, 2019United Firef…

patrick (2019-11-20). Palestine is a climate justice issue – Israeli apartheid is not "green" bdsmovement.net Palestine is a climate justice issue – Israeli apartheid is not "green": Update Click to download and print this Fact Sheet.November 21, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)

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

2019-12-04: Social Media Postees

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

Failed Action on the Climate Crisis Makes Resistance Imperative
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-04
On December 2, the 25th two-week long United Nations climate conference begins in Madrid, Spain. The stated task of the conference, referred to as COP 25 (Conference Of Parties), is to make sure there are plans to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The goals of that agreement, which are nonbinding, are: Reduce …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/failed-action-on-the-climate-crisis-makes-resistance-imperative/

Wealthy Countries' Approach to Climate Change Condemns Hundreds of Millions of People to Suffer
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-04
In Madrid, Spain, the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference–known as COP25–began on December 2. Representatives of the world's countries gathered to discuss what is decidedly a serious problem for the planet; no one, except dangerous political forces in the neofascist right, denies the reality of climate change.
counterpunch.org/2019/12/04/wealthy-countries-approach-to-climate-change-condemns-hundreds-of-millions-of-people-to-suffer/

Activists decry Minnesota investments in border militarization, climate destruction
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-12-04
St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) held its quarterly meeting at the State Capitol December 2 and got sharp criticism from immigrant rights and anti-war activists, as new documents revealed a nearly $1 million increase in investment in a controversial military technology company. Youth climate strikers also highlighted the SBI's inaction over state ties to environmental destruction. Both groups were met with vacillation and excuses from the board which is tasked with the responsible investment of public pensions and related funds. | At issue was Elbit Systems, an Israel-based manufacture…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/12/3/activists-decry-minnesota-investments-border-militarization-climate-destruction

Climate and the Money Trail
F. William Engdahl | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-04
The very mega-billionaires behind the globalization of the world economy who have wreaked so much damage to our environment are the leading backers of the "grassroots" climate movement. Is it pangs of guilty conscience, or could it be a deeper agenda of the financialization of the very air we breathe and…
globalresearch.ca/climate-money-trail/5690209

Greener tourism: Greater collaboration needed to tackle rising emissions
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-12-04
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is calling for enhanced cooperation between the transport and tourism sectors to combat climate change.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1052791

The New Stateless Peoples: Confronting US Culpability in the Climate Refugee Crisis
Gwyneth Bernier | commondreams.org | 2019-12-04
A group of Syrian refugees arrives on the island of Lesbos after traveling in an inflatable raft from Turkey near Skala Sikaminias, Greece on July 15, 2015. (Photo: UNHCR/Andrew McConnell) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/refugeeswarming_0.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/04/new-stateless-peoples-confronting-us-culpability-climate-refugee-crisis?cd-origin=rss

Ukraine? Yes. But Trump Must Also Be Impeached for Obstruction
John Nichols | commondreams.org | 2019-12-04
If a president can get away with obstructing an inquiry, he can avoid accountability. If that prospect exists for a president, any president, then the system of checks and balances collapses. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/impeach_trump_climate_0.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/04/ukraine-yes-trump-must-also-be-impeached-obstruction?cd-origin=rss

Iceland Fights Climate Change the Same Way It Beat the Banking Crisis
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-04
The small nation island knows exactly what to do to avoid total collapse. Just look at how it handled the 2008 banking crisis.
truthdig.com/articles/iceland-is-fighting-climate-change-the-same-way-it-beat-the-financial-crisis/

Meditation & Prayer for Climate
XR South Bay | indybay.org | 2019-12-04
near the Circle of Palms, Downtown San Jose (beside Christmas in the Park) – just look for our signs…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/03/18828572.php

Venezuelan FM Condemns New Sanctions Imposed by TIAR Nations
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-04
Venezuelan Foreign MinisterJorge Arreaza condemned on Tuesday the activation of measures on sanctions against officials of the Venezuelan government during the meeting of the Inter – American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance ( Rio Treaty ), which was held in Bogotá, Colombia on December 3. | RELATED: | With Climate Change the Victims Are Always the Poorest: Venezuelan Gov't | Arreaza said that some of the allied regional governments of the United States seek to push for war again…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuelan-FM-Condemns-New-Sanctions-Imposed-by-TIAR-Nations-20191204-0001.html

Want to Stop Climate Change? Start With the US Military
William Astore | thenation.com | 2019-12-04
Want to Stop Climate Change? Start With the US Military…
thenation.com/article/climate-change-us-military/

"Alternative Nobel Prize:" Right Livelihood Award Celebrates 40 Years Honoring Grassroots Activists
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-04
The Right Livelihood Award is marking its 40th anniversary. The award was established in 1980 to honor and support those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us." It has since become known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." Over the past four decades, the award has been given to activists and grassroots leaders around the globe. A number of them have gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This year's winners are: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; Sahrawi human rights leader Aminatou Haidar, who has challenged the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara for decades; Chi…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/4/right_livelihood_award_fortieth_anniversary

Geminids meteor shower to light up the December skies in spectacular farewell to 2019
rt.com | 2019-12-04
The Geminids meteor shower takes place every year as the Earth passes through the debris field of 'extinct comet' 3200 Phaethon and is often the highlight of every stargazer's year, thanks to its bright, multi-colored fireballs. | Asteroid 3200 Phaethon was first discovered in 1983 and is the third-largest potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid (NEO) we know of, with a diameter of 5km, or roughly half the size of the space rock which helped drive the dinosaurs to extinction 65 million years ago. | The Geminids will begin on the evening of December 4 and peak between December 14 and 15, with an expected peak…
rt.com/news/475021-geminids-meteor-shower-december/

Big Polluters Must Be 'Held Liable' for Destruction of Climate, Campaigners Say at COP 25
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-04
"For decades, big polluters have gone to any lengths to block, weaken, and delay policy. That time is over." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/emissions_0_0.jpeg
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/04/big-polluters-must-be-held-liable-destruction-climate-campaigners-say-cop-25?cd-origin=rss

'Not Halting Climate Change Means Punishing Millions' XR Says
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-03
Environmental activists from around the world on Tuesday remain gathered and protesting in Madrid to demand that the 2019 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) take concrete and effective actions to halt global climate change. | RELATED: | There Can Be No Climate Justice Without Social Justice: Maduro | "We're a global movement trying to raise the climate emergency through direct action. We have to get people to pause and understand, especially our leader…
telesurenglish.net/news/Not-Halting-Climate-Change-Means-Punishing-Millions-XR-Says-20191203-0003.html

Tuesday's Daily Brief: climate crisis reports, renewal in Iraq, Zimbabwe's hunger crisis, Disabilities Day
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-12-03
A recap of Tuesday's stories: New climate change reports on human health and global warming; Zimbabwe's 'worst hunger crisis in a decade'; protests and civil unrest show 'renewed sense of patriotism' in Iraq; UN 'determined to lead by example' on disability rights.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1052681

With Climate Change Victims Are the Poorest: Venezuela Gov't
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-03
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent a letter Tuesday to the leaders of more than 196 countries gathered for two weeks at the Climate Summit (COP 25) in Madrid, Spain denouncing the effects of climate change on the global south. | RELATED: | There Can Be No Climate Justice Without Social Justice: Maduro | In his letter was read by Venezuelan Minister…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-Term-Climate-Change-Is-an-Understatement-Venezuelan-Govt–20191203-0015.html

Conservatives' complaint over Channel 4 ice sculpture stunt rejected by Ofcom
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-03
Channel 4 has been cleared over its use of an ice sculpture to stand in for Boris Johnson during a debate on climate change, regulator Ofcom has said.The watchdog's election committee said the prop "was not a representation of the Prime Minister personally", and that "little editorial focus was given to it, either visually or in references made by the presenter or debate participants".The Conservatives complained that the broadcaster failed to allow the former environment secretary Michael Gove to be its representative for the debate, which saw party leaders face questions over how they would tackle climate chang…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/03/conservatives-complaint-over-channel-4-ice-sculpture-stunt-rejected-by-ofcom/

Decade ending 2019 likely to be hottest on record
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-12-03
Exceptional global heat driven by greenhouse gas emissions mean this decade will most likely go down as the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which released its provisional statement on the State of the Global Climate on Tuesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1052661

Only one in five countries has a healthcare strategy to deal with climate change
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-12-03
Protecting people's health from climate change dangers such as heat stress, storms and tsunamis has never been more important, yet most countries are doing too little about it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1052631

"We Are Facing a Global Emergency": Greta Thunberg Arrives Back in Europe to Attend Climate Talks
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-03
From Stockholm, Sweden, we're covering the 40th Anniversary of the Right Livelihood Awards, widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." This year's recipients include 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who arrived Tuesday in Lisbon, Portugal, after traveling for three weeks across the Atlantic in the 48-foot catamaran La Vagabonde, refusing to fly because of the high carbon footprint of air travel. Thunberg was on her way to attend COP25 in Santiago, Chile, when the conference was abruptly relocated due to mass demonstrations against a proposed subway fare hike. She sounded a rallying cry to…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/3/greta

My Generation Needs to Say "Enough": A Swedish Climate Striker Speaks Out About Fridays For Future
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-03
From Stockholm, Sweden, we're covering the 40th Anniversary of the Right Livelihood Awards, widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize." This year's recipients include 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, whose school strike for climate started in Stockholm when she began standing outside the Parliament building every school day to demand bold climate action more than a year ago. Her act of resistance soon became a global movement, with millions of youth around the world leaving school and taking to the streets to demand swift action to halt the climate crisis. Greta has just arrived in Lisbon,…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/3/fridays_for_future

Medea Benjamin: Donald Trump Was Right, NATO Should Be Obsolete
Medea Benjamin | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-02
In an age where people around the world want to avoid war and to focus instead on the climate chaos that threatens future life on earth, NATO is an anachronism. It now accounts for about three-quarters of military spending and weapons dealing around the globe.
mintpressnews.com/medea-benjamin-donald-trump-nato-obsolete/263116/

Green economy 'not to be feared, but an opportunity to be embraced' says UN chief as COP25 gets underway
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-12-02
A green economy is "not one to be feared but an opportunity to be embraced", UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, in a keynote speech to delegates at the opening of the COP25 UN climate conference in Madrid on Monday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1052511

FROM THE FIELD: India's plastic waste revolution
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-12-02
The recycling of plastic waste in India is boosting the incomes of impoverished women and helping build roads and fire cement furnaces, thanks to support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1052551

COP25: 'Signals of hope' multiplying in face of global climate crisis, insists UN's Guterres
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-12-01
The UN Secretary-General has outlined the "increased ambition and commitment" that the world needs from governments during the coming days of the COP25 UN climate change conference which opens in Madrid on Monday, calling for "accountability, responsibility and leadership" to end the global climate crisis.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1052491

Friday's Daily Brief: violence in DR Congo, protester deaths in Iraq, human rights in Colombia, climate change conference, 'high human cost' of Ecuador unrest
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-11-29
A recap of Friday's stories in brief: attacks on communities in an Ebola outbreak hotspot in eastern DRC sparks a humanitarian crisis; Guterres expresses concerns at continued protester deaths in Iraq; UN-appointed panel raises concerns about violence against indigenous rights defenders in Colombia; 5 things you need to know about COP25; UN rights chief urges dialogue to ease Ecuador unrest.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/11/1052471

COP25: UN climate change conference, 5 things you need to know
United Nations | news.un.org | 2019-11-29
Climate change is happening–the world is already 1.1 ∞C warmer than it was at the onset of the industrial revolution, and it is already having a significant impact on the world, and on people's lives. And if current trends persist, then global temperatures can be expected to rise by 3.2 to 3.9 ∞C this century, which would bring wide-ranging and destructive climate impacts.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/11/1052251

David Byrne on His Broadway Show "American Utopia," Talking Heads, Reasons to Be Cheerful & More
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-11-29
An hour with David Byrne, the celebrated musician, artist, writer, cycling enthusiast, filmmaker and now Broadway star. He has a new hit Broadway show called "American Utopia." The show grew out of Byrne's recent world tour, which the British music publication NME said "may just be the best live show of all time." Byrne talks about the production, his time in the groundbreaking band Talking Heads, his website Reasons to Be Cheerful, Greta Thunberg and…
www.democracynow.org/2019/11/29/david_byrne_on_his_broadway_show

The answer to the climate crisis is obvious: ban climate protests
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-11-29
environment Carlo SandsIssue 1247 Australia Carlo's CornerNovember 29, 2019As Australia burns amid record-breaking temperatures and ongoing drought, and report a…
greenleft.org.au/content/answer-climate-crisis-obvious-ban-climate-protests

School climate strikers sit down outside Liberal HQ
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-11-29
Climate Zebedee ParkesIssue 1247 Australia School Strike 4 Climate SydneyNovember 29, 2019School climate strikers sat down in front of the Liberal Party's Sydney headquarters on November 29, as par…
greenleft.org.au/content/school-climate-strikers-sit-down-outside-liberal-hq

China's contribution to climate change
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2019-11-28
Climate change Chris SleeIssue 1247 China greenhouse gas emissionsNovember 28, 2019China is the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2). It surpassed the Un…
greenleft.org.au/content/china-road-climate-change

We're Still Waiting for 'Early and Often' Climate Debate Questions
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2019-11-27
As the Democratic Party prepared for its first presidential primary debates in June, climate activists pushed the DNC to schedule a single-issue debate on the climate crisis, given the urgency of the problem and the lack of attention given to it in previous debates. DNC chair Tom Perez refused, saying he had "the utmost confidence" that climate disruption would be discussed in the debates "early and often" (FAIR.org, 6/18/19). | Now that seven nights of debates have passed, and multiple…
fair.org/home/were-still-waiting-for-early-and-often-climate-debate-questions/

School Strike 4 Climate WA: 'We are heading for a cliff and fossil fuel companies want to put their foot on the gas'
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-11-27
Climate School Strike 4 Climate WAIssue 1247 Australia School Strike 4 Climate PerthNovember 27, 2019School Strike 4 Climate WA sent the following letter to Western Australia Premier Mar…
greenleft.org.au/content/school-strike-4-climate-wa-we-are-heading-cliff-and-fossil-fuel-companies-want-put-their

Headlines for November 26, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-11-26
Judge Rules Trump Can't Stop Officials from Testifying in Impeachment Inquiry, Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Disclosure of Trump's Financial Records, U.S. Troops Resume Combat Mission Against ISIS, U.N.: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Surged to Record-High Levels in 2018, 56 Killed in Landslides in Kenya, Leaked Documents Reveal China's "Brainwashing" of Uyghur Muslims, Duque Calls for "National Dialogue" as Protests Continue to Rock Colombia, Global Protests Mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Argentine Catholic Priests Sentenced to Prison for Raping Students, Water Protectors Block…
www.democracynow.org/2019/11/26/headlines

We're Grateful for the Constitution
David Cole | aclu.org | 2019-11-26
Thanksgiving is here: that time of year when we pause to take stock of all we're grateful for. At the ACLU, we're saying thanks for all the crucial wins from our legal teams — and for the Constitution. | In just the last few months, we've racked up many essential victories in the ongoing battle to protect civil liberties and civil rights. The scope of these victories is breathtaking: they span criminal justice, privacy, religious freedom, reproductive rights, due process for immigrants, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and the right to protest the Keystone pipeline, among others. We've won crucial victories…
aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/were-grateful-for-the-constitution

Firefighters union leader: 'There are no climate sceptics on the end of a fire hose'
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2019-11-26
Climate Greg McConvilleIssue 1247 Australia bushfires United Firefighters Union (UFU) CanberraNovember 26, 2019United Firef…
greenleft.org.au/content/firefighters-union-leader-there-are-no-climate-sceptics-end-fire-hose

Palestine is a climate justice issue – Israeli apartheid is not "green"
patrick | bdsmovement.net | 2019-11-20
Palestine is a climate justice issue – Israeli apartheid is not "green": Update Click to download and print this Fact Sheet.November 21, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) …
bdsmovement.net/news/palestine-climate-justice-issue-israeli-apartheid-not-green

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