(2019-12-15). The Humane Obligation of Conscience. Capitalist Orchestrated Horror. Desperate Protests Across the Globe. globalresearch.ca The world war of Democracy against its people is now official. | On Oct 20, 2019, Chilean president Sebastian Pinera publicly admitted the singular capitalist threat implicitly and silently embraced by virtually all politicians across our embattled Earth: Pinera formally declared …
(2019-12-15). Intentionally or Not, Progressives Are Coaxing Us Back Into a Corporate Party. truthout.org There's a fundamental problem with the Democratic presidential debates. It's not the number of candidates, the little talk of climate change or the debates' "divisiveness." It goes deeper than that. These debates operate on a flawed premise that runs right through the whole primary process: that what…
(2019-12-15). Progress made at COP25, despite lack of agreement to increase climate ambition. news.un.org Negotiations at the COP25 UN climate conference in Madrid finally ended on Sunday, wrapping up an event which saw much progress made by the private sector, and by national, regional and local governments. However, there was widespread disappointment that no overall consensus was reached on increased climate ambition.
(2019-12-15). Energy Loss on Electric Grid Is Overlooked Source of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. truthout.org When it comes to strategies for slowing the effects of climate change, the idea of reducing wasted energy rarely gets a mention. But our recent Nature Climate Change article makes the case that reducing wastage in the power sector, focusing specifically on the grid, can be a critical lever in lowering national emissions. | Inefficient global power transmission and distribution infrastructure requires additional electricity generation to…
(2019-12-15). Marathon Climate Talks in Madrid Fizzle to End With Slim Deal. truthdig.com MADRID — Marathon U.N. climate talks ended Sunday with a slim compromise that sparked widespread disappointment, after major polluters resisted calls for ramping up efforts to keep global warming at bay and negotiators postponed debate about rules for international carbon markets for another year. | Organizers kept delegates from almost 200 nations in Madrid far beyond Friday's scheduled close of the two-week talks. In the end, negotiators endorsed a general call for greater efforts to tackle climate change and several measures to help poor countries respond and adapt to its impacts. | U.N. Secretary-Genera…
(2019-12-15). Greta Thunberg spars with German train company in Twitter spat nobody saw coming. rt.com 
An overcrowded train ride through Germany shared by climate activist Greta Thunberg was taken by many as a swipe at Deutsche Bahn's service, but the railway company soon shot back, reminding Greta about her seat in first-class. | Returning home from a tour of protests, marches and speeches, the Swedish climate activist traveled as she always does: on public transport and in emissions-free vehicles. However, public transport occasionally brings with it delays and overcrowding, even in uber-efficient Germany, as Thunberg discovered on Saturday. | Tweeting a picture of herself sitting in a passageway beside a mou…
(2019-12-15). US Denounced as 'Threat to Humanity' as COP25 Ends Without Deal on Big Polluters' Responsibility to Frontline Nations. commondreams.org Delegates from developing countries and island nations, climate scientists, and climate action advocates who had spent two weeks demanding strong commitments from the COP 25 climate summit emerged from the conference Sunday stunned and angry over its conclusion, which was deemed a "lost opportunity" by the United Nations secretary-general. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1186865638_1.jpg …
(2019-12-14). U.N. Climate Talks in Limbo as Chair Chile Bids for Compromise. truthdig.com 
Rules for carbon markets and a system to help poor countries cope with the economic impact of climate change are key unresolved issues.
(2019-12-14). Water waste must stop. nationofchange.org The whole wastewater system is contributing to climate change.
(2019-12-14). In Final Hours, COP 25 Denounced as 'Utter Failure' as Deal Is Stripped of Ambition and US Refuses to Accept Liability for Climate Crisis. commondreams.org After the COP 25 climate talks on the Paris climate agreement went into overtime Friday night amid a stalled agreement on wealthy countries' contributions to greatly reducing their climate-warming carbon emissions, civil society groups and climate scientists were shocked by the weak language that emerged from the late-night talks on Saturday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1188350031_1.jpg …
(2019-12-13). Limits of the Green New Deal. mronline.org 
The Green New Deal is an exciting social program generating a great deal of interest on the left. Like its predecessor, the New Deal of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the GND holds out the promise of preventing the worst effects of anthropogenic climate change, and guaranteeing a better standard of living for its participants. | Source
(2019-12-13). U.S. House Committee Approves Charges For Trump Impeachment. telesurenglish.net Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives took Republican President Donald Trump to the brink of impeachment by approving two charges against him over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden. | RELATED: | "Chill Greta!" Trump Attacks Teen Swedish Climate Activist | The result was 23-17 votes in a divided House Judiciary Committee along party lines to approve articles of impeachment charging Trump with both abusing the power of his of…
(2019-12-13). Deteriorating Climates: Home and Abroad. counterpunch.org Here in the United States, the socio-political climate has never been pristine. Normally, it amounts to maintaining an environment wherein the rich stay rich and all others stay hopeful—except for the segregated and downtrodden. Therefore, it is notable that between the 1960s and early 2000s, the social environment did improve: it got more equalitarian—the social More
(2019-12-13). Exxon Won a Major Climate Change Lawsuit—but More Are Coming. thenation.com Exxon Won a Major Climate Change Lawsuit—but More Are Coming…
(2019-12-13). As COP25 goes into the night, Guterres calls for more climate ambition. news.un.org With national delegations thrashing out an outcome agreement at the UN COP25 climate change conference in Madrid, the UN chief has called on countries to be more ambitious, side strongly with science, and commit to stronger action.
(2019-12-13). Hungry for a Livable Planet: Why I Went On Hunger Strike and Occupied Pelosi's Office. counterpunch.org I occupied Nancy Pelosi's office and went on hunger strike for 13 days. Still she wouldn't meet us. Instead she flew off to attend the UN Climate Conference in Spain. That's not enough. I went 13 days without food. I lost 22.8 pounds, 10.6% of my weight. I had to stand up slowly because otherwise More
(2019-12-13). Beyond Changing Light Bulbs: 21 Ways You Can Stop the Climate Crisis. counterpunch.org Here's the good news: The debate is over. 75% of US citizens believe climate change is human-caused; more than half say we have to do something and fast. Here's even better news: A new report shows that more than 200 cities and counties, and 12 states have committed to or already achieved 100 percent clean electricity. This means that More
(2019-12-13). If Time Magazine Celebrates Greta Thunberg, Why Should We? counterpunch.org In just over 6,500 words, Time Magazine makes the case for Greta Thunberg being 2019's Person of the Year. For much of the left, this confirms that she is a corporate tool. Founded in 1923 by Henry Luce, Time was the flagship of the Luce empire. Print newsmagazines have gone into a steep decline with More
(2019-12-13). COP25: Developing Countries Charge Ahead with Bold Climate Plans as Rich Countries Drag Their Feet. democracynow.org 
As this year's United Nations climate summit wraps up in Madrid, Spain, many activists, scientists, indigenous and grassroots climate leaders say that rich countries most responsible for the climate emergency have spent the talks dialing back ambition and blocking progress. This comes as deadly droughts, flooding, cyclones and wildfires rage around the world. This week, more than 70 developing countries have announced they will accelerate their climate plans, and 72 countries have signed onto goals to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. But major emitters Australia, China, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia have…
(2019-12-13). Climate Refugees: Climate-Fueled Drought, Sea Level Rise, Storms & Fires Displace Millions Worldwide. democracynow.org 
A new report reveals how long-term disasters, including sea level rise and desertification, and short-term disasters, such as storms and fires, are especially threatening to people living in the Global South and island nations. We speak with the co-author of a new study that finds the climate crisis is already leading to a massive increase in the number of refugees being displaced around the world. Hossein Ayazi is a policy analyst with the Global Justice Program at the Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. We're also joined at the U.N. Climate Summit in Madrid by Saleemul Huq,…
(2019-12-13). 'We Are Furious': As COP 25 Draws to Close, Green Campaigners Fume as Rich Nations Move to Gut Paris Agreement. commondreams.org "Just as we thought the slow pace and weak ambition shown at the climate talks couldn't get worse, along comes COP 25." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/we-are-furious-cop25-nears-end-carbon.jpg …
(2019-12-12). 'Embrace the transformation' to a carbon-neutral world by 2050, UN chief tells COP25. news.un.org With millions of workers increasingly affected by the climate crisis the route to securing livelihoods in the future lies in a wholesale transformation of how we power the planet and manage our resources, the UN chief said on Thursday, at a COP25 climate action event focused on greener jobs.
(2019-12-12). "We Want People Power Solutions": Activists Ousted from COP25 for Protesting Corporations at Summit. democracynow.org 
Inside the halls of the U.N. climate summit, hundreds of activists gathered Wednesday to demand rich countries step up their efforts to finance climate action. The protest began just as Democracy Now! was finishing our live broadcast, and we spoke to some of the people there from around the world, including Rita Iyke-Uwaka of Friends of the Earth Nigeria; Angela Valenzuela of Fridays for Future in Santiago, Chile; Sandra Tukup of CONFENIAE (Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon); Amalen Sathananthar of Artivist Network; Brandon Wu of ActionAid USA; and Nina Gualinga, an indigenous lea…
(2019-12-12). Greta Thunberg Slams COP25, Says Response to Climate Crisis Is "Clever Accounting and Creative PR" democracynow.org 
At the U.N. climate summit in Madrid, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addressed world leaders Wednesday, hours after she was named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thunberg came to the talks after a trip to meet with climate leaders across North America in anticipation of the scheduled climate conference in Santiago, Chile, before the talks were abruptly moved to the Spanish capital. In her address, Thunberg warned that the planet's carbon budget is down to just eight years, and urged bold action. "I still believe that the biggest danger is not inaction. The real danger is when politicians…
(2019-12-12). Uganda's First Fridays for Future Climate Striker, Vanessa Nakate, Joins COP25 Protests in Madrid. democracynow.org 
As we broadcast from the U.N. climate summit in Madrid, Spain, we speak with climate activist Vanessa Nakate, who was Uganda's first Fridays for Future climate striker. "I wanted to do something that would cause change to the lives of the people in my community and my country," she says. "My country heavily depends on agriculture, therefore most of the people depend on agriculture. If our farms are destroyed by floods, if the farms are destroyed by droughts and crop production is less, that means that the price of food is going to go high. So it will only be the most privileged who will be able to buy food."
(2019-12-12). Marshall Islands Climate Activist Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner Shares a Poem for Survival as Sea Levels Rise. democracynow.org 
Located in the central Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the Philippines, the Marshall Islands are one of the world's lowest-lying island nations and declared a national climate crisis emergency in October. "We're looking at changing the entire physical landscape of our island so we can stay above water," says Marshall Islands poet and climate activist Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner. She joins us to describe the impact on her country and read her newest poem.
(2019-12-12). 'Chill Greta, Chill!' Trump blasts Thunberg on Twitter after she's named TIME Person of the Year. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump suggested that famed 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has anger issues and advised her to chill out after TIME magazine named her Person of the Year. | "So ridiculous," Trump tweeted on Thursday while commenting on a tweet by actress and producer Roma Downey, in which she congratulated Thunberg on topping the TIME list of most influential people for 2019. | "Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" | So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashion…
(2019-12-11). COP25: Support business efforts to tackle climate change, urges Guterres. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General has called on business and civil society leaders to press Governments into articulating policies that support private sector efforts to address climate change.
(2019-12-11). COP25: Italy and Mexico pave the way on climate education. news.un.org A commitment by Italy and Mexico to ramp up climate and environmental education has been welcomed by the UN office which supports global efforts to respond to climate change.
(2019-12-11). "Shame!" Indigenous Leaders & Delegates from Global South Stage Dramatic Protest at COP25 in Madrid. democracynow.org 
Democracy Now! was broadcasting live from the United Nations climate summit in Madrid, Spain, when hundreds of climate advocates and people's movements at the U.N. climate action summit staged a protest inside the conference venue. As the demonstration unfolds, we speak with Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network; Karin Nansen, chair of Friends of the Earth International; Nigerian climate activist Nnimmo Bassey with Health of Mother Earth Foundation; and indigenous climate activist Daiara Tukano from Brazil.
(2019-12-11). Billionaire Presidential Hopeful Mike Bloomberg Addresses Press at COP25 But Won't Take Questions. democracynow.org 
Former New York mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg spoke at the U.N. climate summit Tuesday, saying he came to the climate talks because "no one from the White House" was there. The event was billed as a media opportunity, but Bloomberg refused to answer questions from the press. Bloomberg entered the presidential race in November and has since spent tens of millions of dollars of his own money on the race. Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman followed Bloomberg through the conference venue, asking how he would address issues of inequality and whether his strategy to win the presidency was to outs…
(2019-12-11). "The Most Extreme Fires We've Ever Seen": Record Climate-Fueled Wildfires Engulf Australia in Smoke. democracynow.org 
As world leaders gather to address the climate crisis in Madrid, massive wildfires have engulfed Australia in flames and smoke. More than 100 climate-fueled blazes have killed at least six people and pushed air quality levels in Sydney to 12 times hazardous levels. Thousands braved extreme air pollution Wednesday to protest the government's climate inaction outside Sydney Town Hall. As Democracy Now! broadcasts live from inside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, we speak with Australian environmental scientist Bill Hare, director of Climate Analytics and a coordinator of the Climate Ac…
(2019-12-10). Deliver 'significant results now', UN General Assembly President tells COP25 climate conference. news.un.org It is "imperative" that the COP25 climate conference underway in Spain delivers "significant results now", Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the UN General Assembly (PGA), said on Tuesday.
(2019-12-10). Milwaukee: People's Climate Coalition marches on Wells Fargo, Chase Bank. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI — Several hundred people gathered on the morning of December 6 in downtown Milwaukee at Zeidler Park to demand that the big banks like Wells Fargo, Chase and other corporations divest from the fossil fuel industry. | Several classrooms worth of children from local public schools attended the event in support of a safe and livable planet for their futures. The People's Climate Coalition, consisting of local climate justice groups, put out the call and organized the event. | All representatives from the coalition and its allies were given an opportunity to speak. Each highlighted in different wa…
(2019-12-10). The U.S. Has Almost No Official Presence at COP25 But Is Still "Obstructing Any Progress" democracynow.org 
This week, Democracy Now! is broadcasting from inside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, where representatives from almost 200 countries have gathered to negotiate solutions to the climate crisis. Known as COP25 for "conference of parties," the summit offers a rare opportunity for all countries, especially those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, to have an equal say in negotiations. It comes four years after the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to "well below 2 degrees Celsius," or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. But as the summit heads into its final days, represen…
(2019-12-10). Asad Rehman on the U.K.'s "Climate Election" & Explosive Afghanistan Papers Revelations. democracynow.org 
We get response from London-based Asad Rehman, executive director of War on Want, on two major news developments: The United Kingdom — which will head the COP next year — is set to vote Thursday in what some are calling "the climate election," and the Washington Post has published a confidential trove of documents that reveal how senior U.S. officials have lied throughout the 18-year war in Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history, while hiding evidence the war had become unwinnable.
(2019-12-10). "Listen to Mother Earth": Indigenous Youth Leaders at COP25 in Madrid Protest Fossil Fuel Extraction. democracynow.org 
"Our movements must be bigger than recycling and braver than holding signs," said Rose Whipple, a member of the Santee Dakota and Ho-Chunk, and youth delegate with SustainUS, who joined a panel of youth climate activists at the United Nations climate summit in Madrid, Spain. Indigenous peoples from Canada and the United States are at the summit, speaking out against extraction, new pipeline projects and the environmental devastation of their territories, and calling for movements to center the rights of indigenous peoples.
(2019-12-10). Headlines for December 10, 2019. democracynow.org House Democrats to Unveil Articles of Impeachment Today, WaPo: Secret Afghanistan Papers Reveal How U.S. Officials Lied About War, Sanders & Khanna Urge Lawmakers to Vote Against National Defense Authorization Act, Russia and Ukraine Agree to Ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine, India's Lower House Passes "Anti-Muslim" Citizenship Bill, Protests Continue in Madrid, Spain, Amid COP25, Denmark Passes Climate Act to Reduce Emissions by 70% by 2030, More Than 100 Blazes Rage Across Australia Amid Worst Fire Season in History, Iraq: One Journalist Killed and a Second Disappeared After Covering Protests, Aung San Suu Kyi Arri…
(2019-12-10). Real climate action requires cutting coal exports. greenleft.org.au 
climate emergency Zane AlcornIssue 1248 Australia coal exports Adani Carmichael coal mineDecember 10, 2019On December 9, Labor leader Anthony Albanese reaffirmed his party's support f…
(2019-12-09). Arizona educators, progressives confront ALEC summit and Betsy DeVos. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – On December 4, a coalition of union educators, immigrant rights, police crimes, and climate change activists confronted the agenda of corporations like UPS and energy industry giants and billionaires like Charles Koch and Sheldon Achelson. At its height the crowd numbered around 200 with signs reading: "ALEC: Oligarchy in progress" and "Privatization, criminalization, incarceration, climate change, imperialism: #ALECisBehindIt." | The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious organization of hardcore conservatives, was holding its States and Nation Policy Summit in Arizona. ALEC hoste…
(2019-12-09). Greta Thunberg, Rose Whipple & Eriel Deranger on Listening to Indigenous People Amid Climate Crisis. democracynow.org 
At the end of Friday's major climate rally in Madrid, a group of indigenous activists took the stage to sing and give speeches, but after some speeches their microphone was cut and the lights on stage were shut off as they spoke. Democracy Now! spoke to Eriel Deranger of Indigenous Climate Action and later asked Greta Thunberg and Rose Whipple about the importance of listening to indigenous voices.
(2019-12-09). Spanish Actor Javier Bardem: We Need Urgency, Ambition & Reduction to Confront Climate Crisis. democracynow.org 
Speakers at Friday's massive climate march in Madrid included the actor Javier Bardem. In 2007, he became the first Spanish actor to win an Academy Award for acting for his supporting role in "No Country for Old Men." He addressed the crowd in Spanish.
(2019-12-09). Police Halt Activist-Led "Toxic Tour" of Spain's "Dirtiest" Corporate Polluters Sponsoring COP25. democracynow.org 
In Spain, the country's biggest fossil fuel polluters are also some of the most generous sponsors for this year's U.N. climate talks. On Saturday, we joined activists on a "toxic tour" of Madrid from the Madrid stock exchange to Santander Bank. Activists explained that when Spanish President Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain would host COP25, he went to IBEX 35 — the 35 biggest listed companies in the Spanish stock exchange — offering them a 90% tax break on a $2 million sponsorship. Advocates say that these same companies "have deep and dirty links to the fossil fuel industry." But midway through, t…
(2019-12-09). Greta Thunberg at Madrid March: Hope in the Streets, Not the U.N. Climate Summit. democracynow.org 
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg also addressed Friday's climate march in Madrid. "The hope is not within the walls of COP25; the hope is out here with you," said Thunberg, who inspired the global youth strike movement.
(2019-12-09). Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron & BP Could Be Legally & Morally Liable for Climate Crisis in Philippines. democracynow.org 
The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has just determined that 47 major companies, including Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and Total, could be found legally and morally liable for human rights harms to Filipinos resulting from climate change. The commission found the companies could be held accountable under civil and criminal laws. Climate activists have hailed the decision as a landmark victory for climate justice. According to Greenpeace, this marks the first time big polluting companies have been found responsible for human rights harms resulting from the climate crisis. We speak to Yeb Saño, exe…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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, …