2020-09-14: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2020-09-14). Climate Emergency Overdrive. zcomm.org Our Age of Compound Disasters as 10% of Oregon is Evacuated, California Burns and Louisiana Sinks…

WSWS (2020-09-14). The California wildfires, climate change and capitalism. wsws.org The wildfires ripping through California and Oregon have exposed yet again the dangers posed by climate change and the inability of capitalist governments to deal with it.

Adrian Bardon (2020-09-14). Faith and politics mix to drive evangelical Christians' climate change denial. zcomm.org Fundamentalist religious traditions are defined by their fixed doctrines. Political conservatives by definition favor the preservation of the traditional social and economic order…

Prof. Juan Cole (2020-09-13). Climate Emergency Overdrive: Our Age of Compound Disasters as 10% of Oregon Is Evacuated, California Burns and Louisiana Sinks. globalresearch.ca It is astonishing to me that we still have 287 million gasoline vehicles on our roads and that 20 percent of our electricity comes from burning dirty coal. We just go on blithely pumping over 5 billion metric tons of …

_____ (2020-09-13). Multinational Companies Account For Nearly A Fifth Of Global CO2 Emissions. popularresistance.org Rome – The global supply chains of multinational companies such as BP, Coca-Cola and Walmart are responsible for nearly a fifth of climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new study. | But the businesses outsource many of these emissions to poorer parts of the world by investing in production in developing countries, said researchers from University College London and China's Tianjin University. | Dabo Guan, the study's co-author, called the work the "first quantitative evidence" on the investment flows and carbon footprints of multinational enterprises (MNEs).

Basav Sen (2020-09-13). This Is a Climate Emergency. We Need More Than Half-Measures from Democrats. zcomm.org How to get the Democrats' climate policy from "better than the Republicans" to "sufficient to save the planet."

yenisafak (2020-09-13). Greek PM welcomes return of Turkish vessel to base, calls it 'positive first step'. yenisafak.com Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday the return of Turkish survey vessel Oruc Reis back to its southern province of Atntalya was a positive first step to ease tensions with Turkey over offshore natural resources."The return of Oruc Reis is a positive first step, I hope there will be continuity. We want to talk with Turkey but in a climate without provocations," Mitsotakis told reporters in Thessaloniki.He said dialogue is the only way to tackle the sole problem between the two countries – the delimitation of maritime zones."The first step (by Turkey) will be the prologue of an improving situati…

Peter Frumhoff (2020-09-13). Is BP Finally Committing to Ambitious Climate Action—or About to Fool Us Twice? Five Things to Look For in Its Climate Strategy. commondreams.org "The climate cannot afford further corporate PR, deception, and delay," writes Frumhoff. (Photo: Mike Mozart/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bp_0.jpg

The Lancet (2020-09-12). [Editorial] Global collaboration for health: rhetoric versus reality. thelancet.com The 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) opens on Sept 15, 2020. Being held remotely for the first time, the meeting will inevitably be dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but other issues on the agenda that have resonance for global health include the climate crisis, peace, disarmament, and humanitarian assistance. Underpinning this year's agenda is the UN theme of multilateralism, under the banner "The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism".

Juan Cole (2020-09-12). Climate Emergency Overdrive: Our Age of Compound Disasters as 10% of Oregon Is Evacuated, California Burns, and Louisiana Sinks. commondreams.org California Gov. Gavin Newsom tours area destroyed by North Complex fire on Friday, September 11, 2020. (Photo: ABC7 News/Screengrab) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/newsom.jpg

Eds. (2020-09-12). Gov't silent as climate change unfolds. mronline.org From megafires, extreme heat waves, summer snow storms and hurricanes, millions across the United States are witnessing the effects of climate change first hand.

Freedom Socialist Party (2020-09-12). Sunday 9/20: Devastating Climate Change—Socialist Feminist Solutions to Save Mother Earth. indybay.org Online via Zoom. | Please register in advance: http: //bit.ly/Ecosocialist_Solutions…

Staff (2020-09-12). Hurricane Laura Signaled the Arrival of Climate-Intensified Toxic Disasters. truthout.org The weather system that would become history-making Hurricane Laura spun out of a tropical wave that moved into the Atlantic Ocean off the West African coast on Aug. 16. Five days later the system

WSWS (2020-09-12). UK Tories use Extinction Rebellion protests to argue for savage political repression. wsws.org Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked officials to take a "fresh look" at the legal status of Extinction Rebellion and see if it can be classified as an "organised crime group."

Tiara R. Na'puti (2020-09-12). Pandemic in the Pacific: US Military Bases Are Hot Spots for More Than Just Covid-19—They Also Make Island Territories Targets for Climate Disasters. commondreams.org Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt are checked for body temperature amid the coronavirus pandemic at Naval Base Guam, United States on April 07, 2020. (Photo: U.S. Navy/MC1 Julio Rivera /Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/guam_coronavirus.jpg

Staff (2020-09-11). California is burning because we have changed the climate. therealnews.com Climate change is making wildfires stronger while global warming makes heat waves more frequent, intense and longer-lasting. | As multiple wildfires rage across western states, including California, Oregon, and Washington, scientists warn that climate change is delaying the onset of winter rains in California, which will result in a prolonged wildfire season along the coast. | Making matters worse is the early start of the strong, extremely dry windy conditions known as the Santa Ana winds, along with back-to-back heatwaves, before California's wildfire season arrives. | According to the California Department of…

RT (2020-09-11). Pelosi ridiculed from left and right after saying 'angry Mother Earth' caused California wildfires. rt.com Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi was bombarded with online mockery after saying that massive ongoing wildfires raging in California were the result of "Mother Earth" and her displeasure with humans. | The house speaker addressed the blazing wildfires that have engulfed her home state on Friday in an interview with MSNBC. "Mother Earth is angry," Pelosi said. "She's telling us … with hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, fires in the west, whatever it is … the climate crisis is real and has an impact." | "Mother Earth is angry," Speaker Pelosi says, discussing wildfires burning in California. "She's telling us with hur…

_____ (2020-09-11). 'Reducing Troops Not The Same As Ending Wars'. popularresistance.org The U.S. military's announcement Wednesday that thousands of troops will soon withdraw from Iraq was met with skepticism by peace activists, who were quick to note that a reduction in troop strength is not the same thing as ending the war. | U.S. Central Command (CETCOM) commander Gen. Frank McKenzie said Wednesday that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will be reduced from 5,200 to 3,000 during the month of September, but critics said this should not be seen as President Donald Trump fulfilling his campaign promise in 2016 to end the nation's wasteful overseas wars.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-11). Did the end of green Sahara lead to the collapse of civilisations? peoplesdispatch.org We discuss the possible relationship between the desertification of the Green Sahara and consequent climate shifts that may have led civilisations across Asia and Africa to collapse.

Staff (2020-09-11). Trump Is Conveniently Ignoring the Climate-Fueled Fires Raging in the West. truthout.org On Thursday morning, as deadly wildfires fueled by drought and climate change caused power outages and forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes across three Western states, President Trump was tweeting about anything else. | New Mexico would not be "GREAT" unless President Trump is reelected, the president warned, and, he claimed, "America's suburbs" will be "OVERRUN" with protesters and low-income housing projects. Trump attacked political rivals, including President Obam…

Andy Rowell (2020-09-11). Climate Emergency: Records Tumble as 2 Million Acres of California Burn. globalresearch.ca The signs are ominous as yet another climate record is broken. California is once again burning. From near the southern Mexico border, to San Diego and the forests of the Sierra Nevada, over two million acres of the Golden state …

_____ (2020-09-11). Australia: Youth Sue To Stop Coal Mine Expansion. popularresistance.org A class action launched on behalf of young people everywhere seeks an injunction to stop the Australian Government approving an extension to Whitehaven's Vickery coal mine, arguing it will harm young people by exacerbating climate change. | The injunction, filed in the Federal Court on Tuesday, is a first for Australia. | An expert says it could break new legal ground with widespread ramifications, causing problems for any new coal mine in Australia — and possibly any fossil fuel project — if it is successful.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-11). As Fires Engulf West, Democrats Not Running on Trump Climate Failures Accused of 'Political Malpractice'. commondreams.org "People are dying and losing their homes and jobs. But politicians in D.C. are sitting on their hands, and the president of the United States is telling people that the solution is to clean up their yards." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12284454271.jpg

Staff (2020-09-10). "This Is Climate Change": West Coast Fires Scorch Millions of Acres & Blot Out the Sun. democracynow.org The skies of the Bay Area and Northern California turned a dark orange as 90 major fires burn in the western United States, from San Diego to the Canadian border. At least seven people have died as a result of the fires, which have already burned 2.5 million acres in California alone. Despite heavy coverage in the mainstream media, however, few outlets are highlighting the link between the blazes and the accelerating climate crisis. "The fact is that TV news is completely abdicating its responsibility when it comes to telling the truth of what the West is dealing with right now," says Leah Stokes, assistant profe…

Staff (2020-09-10). Smoke from climate change-fueled wildfires blocks out California sun. therealnews.com Gov. Gavin Newsom called the fires "climate-induced," and said he had "no patience for climate-deniers," but has approved dozens of new fracking permits this year.

Eds. (2020-09-10). Nobel prize-winning economics of climate change is misleading and dangerous — here's why. mronline.org While climate scientists warn that climate change could be catastrophic, economists such as 2018 Nobel prize winner William Nordhaus assert that it will be nowhere near as damaging.

pip.hinman (2020-09-10). Extinction Rebellion targets News Corp's bull with shit. greenleft.org.au

news.un (2020-09-10). Belarus: Ensure 'full respect' for workers' rights during protests, ILO urges President Lukashenko. news.un.org Voicing deep concern over detention and arrests of trade unionists in Belarus, the head of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) called on President Alexander Lukashenko to ensure a climate free from violence and intimidation against peacefully protesting workers.

_____ (2020-09-10). 'Green' Billionaires Behind Suppression Of 'Planet Of The Humans'. popularresistance.org It is hard to think of an American film that provoked a greater backlash in 2020 than "Planet of the Humans." Focused on the theme of planetary extinction and fanciful proposals to ward it off, the documentary was released for free on YouTube on April 21. The date was significant not only because it was the eve of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but because a global pandemic was tearing through America's social fabric and exposing the human toll of the country's globalized, growth-obsessed economic model.

Ashley Curtin (2020-09-10). A sea of pollution: New widespread contamination in oceans amid coronavirus pandemic. nationofchange.org "If only one percent of the masks were to be disposed of incorrectly and dispersed in nature, this would result in up to 10 million masks per month polluting the environment."

Mattha Busby (2020-09-10). 'Freeing the truth' — Extinction Rebellion activists on their week of action. zcomm.org From blockading printers to meditating outside Barclays, the climate crisis campaign has drawn a variety of participants…

Staff (2020-09-10). We Must Tell the Truth About California Fires — This Is Climate Change. truthout.org The skies of the Bay Area and Northern California turned a dark orange as 90 major fires burn in the western United States, from San Diego to the Canadian border. At least seven people have died as a result of the fires, which have already burned 2.5 million acres in California alone. Despite heavy coverage in the mainstream media, however, few outlets are highlighting the link between the blazes and the accelerating climate crisis. "The fact is that TV news is completely abdicating its responsibility w…

commondreams (2020-09-10). New UCS Web Feature Visualizes Ways Climate Change is Driving Wildfires, Experts Also Available. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-10). The American West Is Burning But Trump Hasn't Mentioned Historic Wildfires in 'Any Way, Shape, or Form' for Nearly 3 Weeks. commondreams.org "President Trump's silence and complete disregard for the millions of people at risk is horrifying," said one climate advocate. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/fire_this_time_california.jpg

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-09-10). 'Mandatory for Anyone With an Ounce of Awareness': Climate Coalition Calls on New York State to Divest From Fossil Fuels. commondreams.org "We believe we must speak up in the face of the planetary emergency precipitated by the climate crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-ny-divest-climate.jpg

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-09-10). Stark New Visualizations Show How Climate Change Is Fueling Worsening Western Wildfires. commondreams.org "We're seeing more wildfires, more acres burned, and longer, more intense fire seasons," says the Union of Concerned Scientists. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/inferno.jpg

Andrew McCormick (2020-09-10). These Big City Mayors Want Green Stimulus Spending to Counter Covid-19. commondreams.org Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion attend a protest against the expansion of Stansted Airport on 29 August 2020 in Bishop's Stortford, United Kingdom. (Photo: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/buildbackbetter.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-10). Faced With Rising Seas and Other Consequences of Climate Crisis, Low-Lying Delaware Sues 31 Fossil Fuel Companies. commondreams.org The state attorney general's move came just a day after Charleston, South Carolina became the first southern U.S. city to file a climate liability lawsuit. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/delaware_1.jpg

commondreams (2020-09-10). THRIVE Agenda Creates Millions of New Jobs While Addressing Intersecting Crises of Climate Change, Racial Injustice, and Economic Inequity. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-09-10). Young Washington Plaintiffs Argue Appeal in Constitutional Climate Change Case. commondreams.org ______________________________…