2020-09-25: News Headlines

George Wuerthner (2020-09-25). Climate Change is Responsible for Devastating Wildfires. counterpunch.org With large fires still raging around the West, we can all feel empathy for those who lost their homes and even entire communities, as well as all of us suffering from the smoke. Still, there is a tremendous amount of smoke and mirrors about the blazes and their cause. The timber industry, Forest Service, and

Mike Garrity (2020-09-25). The Forest Service Not Only Loses Money Logging, It Makes Fires Worse. counterpunch.org In the middle of yet another big wildfire seasons, some reporters finally listened to fire scientists when they quoted people like Dr. Higuera, an associate professor of fire ecology at the University of Montana, stating that climate change is resulting in making big wildfire seasons the new normal. For 30 years economists have been also telling

Leanna First-Arai (2020-09-25). Trump Is Losing Farmer Support in Climate Crisis. Will They Swing the Election? zcomm.org In a push to capture the rural vote, 62 percent of which went to Trump in 2016, both the Trump and Biden campaigns are ramping up efforts to appeal to farmers and ranchers.

Jeff Cohen (2020-09-25). Earth to Presidential Debate Moderators: "I'm Burning Up" zcomm.org With the horrific fires on the West Coast and hurricanes and storms pounding the Caribbean and Gulf Coast, in a healthy democracy, one would expect presidential candidates to be pressed hard about climate chaos. I'm not holding my breath.

Manuel Garcia, Jr (2020-09-25). Global Warming Burps, Bubbles, Simmers and Sours On. zcomm.org There are no actual physical barriers to the human and societal behaviors necessary to make this happen…

Andrew McCormick (2020-09-25). Kentucky's Climate Is Suffering. Can the State Slip the Industry Ties That Prevent Change? thenation.com Kentucky's Climate Is Suffering. Can the State Slip the Industry Ties That Prevent Change?

Zoà´ Carpenter (2020-09-25). Climate Disasters Are Leaving Families With Nowhere to Go. thenation.com Climate Disasters Are Leaving Families With Nowhere to Go…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-09-24). Toothless Climate Pledges That Permit Fossil Fuel Extraction Are Like 'Declaring a Global Pandemic Without a Plan for Social Distancing': Scientists. commondreams.org "Solving the Covid-19 pandemic requires stopping the spread of the virus. Solving the ozone hole crisis required ending the production of ODSs. And solving the climate crisis requires leaving the fossil carbon in the ground." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/covid-ozone-climate.jpg

Staff (2020-09-24). Headlines for September 24, 2020. democracynow.org Officer Who Shot into Breonna Taylor's Apartment Charged, But Not for Her Killing, Donald Trump Won't Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power If He Loses Election, Dr. Deborah Birx Reportedly "Distressed" by Direction of WH Coronavirus Response, Dr. Anthony Fauci Warns of Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Survivors, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Who Opposes Mask Mandates, Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Warns of Second Wave of Coronavirus Infections, Antarctic Ice Melt May Bring 8 Feet of Sea Level Rise Even If Paris Climate Goals Are Met, Climate Crisis Drives Record Fires in Brazil, Western…

Staff (2020-09-24). No Such Thing as Endless Growth on a Finite Planet. therealnews.com Stir Crazy! Episode 90: Today we are joined by TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, TRNN climate reporter Steve Horn, Principal Research Fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute at the University of Melbourne Anitra Nelson, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice and Development in Kenya Griffins Ochieng, and Kentucky State Rep. Attica Scott.

Tracy Keeling (2020-09-24). With a 'game-changing' pledge, China makes Donald Trump the pariah of the planet. thecanary.co Humiliating Donald Trump. Offering a rare piece of hopeful news for our ailing planet. What's not to like about China's "game-changing" announcement on climate action? | New aspirations: | China's president Xi Jinping

news.un (2020-09-24). LIVE: UN Climate Change Roundtable – a 'just transition' through climate action is key says Guterres. news.un.org Live coverage of the High-Level UN Climate Change Roundtable, featuring UN chief António Guterres, designed to rally momentum for more ambitious action to limit global warming and ensure sustainable post-pandemic recovery plans. | Highlights | UN chief warns that 'the world has a fever and is burning up' | Watch the roundtable live on UN Web TV | UK and UN to co-host December climate event.

news.un (2020-09-24). FROM THE FIELD: Protecting the post-pandemic planet. news.un.org An emphasis on sustainable development and fighting climate change will benefit countries around the world as they recover from the unprecedented economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, says the UN Development Programme, (UNDP).

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-09-24). 2020's first presidential debate does not have climate as discussion topic. nationofchange.org "It is critical that every debate includes questions that ask the candidates what they would do to address climate change and environmental injustice."

news.un (2020-09-24). Pandemic shocks world, reinforces need for multilateralism, says Estonian President. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic gave the world "a thorough shock" and taught several lessons on the realities of climate change, the President of Estonia said to the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

Fight Back (2020-09-24). Minnesotans demand climate justice now! fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – On September 22, activists from the newly formed Climate Justice Committee (CJC) hung banners over the side of the Snelling Avenue bridge and the pedestrian bridge that spans Interstate-94 connecting downtown Minneapolis with downtown Saint Paul. The banners read, "Capitalism kills the planet," "The U.S. military: The #1 polluter," "Push Biden left on climate change" and "2050 is too late, climate justice now." The last slogan references Democratic nominee Joe Biden's climate plan, which positions its goal as 100% clean energy by 2050. | Alongside Biden's climate plan, in August, a section of the D…

news.un (2020-09-24). LIVE: UN Climate Change Roundtable. news.un.org Live coverage of the High-Level UN Climate Change Roundtable, featuring UN chief António Guterres, designed to rally momentum for more ambitious action to limit global warking and ensure sustainable post-pandemic recovery plans. | Highlights | UN chief warns that 'the world has a fever and is burning up' | Watch roundtable live on UN Web TV | UK and UN to co-host December climate event.

CJ Polychroniou (2020-09-24). Why Trump's Racist And Neo-Fascist Campaign Resonates In 21st Century US. zcomm.org The major task for progressives is to search for creative ways that will alter public consciousness in the United States about the devastating effects of a political culture engulfed in the flames of racial strife, violence, militarism, and climate change denialism…

350 Marin & others (2020-09-24). Saturday 9/26: Climate Strike: #BayAreaShoeStrike Climate Emergency Protest Online & In-person North Bay. indybay.org In-person: Novato City Hall, 901 Sherman Ave, Novato, CA 94945 | Online via social media & YouTube…

Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force (2020-09-24). Friday 9/25: Climate Emergency Mobilization Summit Bay Area. indybay.org Online…

Youth Solidarity Project (2020-09-24). Friday 9/25: Climate Strike: March 4 Our Future Against Chevron Corporation in Richmond. indybay.org Starting point: Judge George D Carroll Park, cross streets area of South Gardland Ave & E. Richmond Ave. & West Cutting Blvd, Richmond, CA 94801…

Staff (2020-09-24). Greenwashing Capitalism Won't Heal the Planet. truthout.org This story is part of As the world moves deeper into the climate crisis, too many of the official solutions to slow global warming and transition to a decarbonized society stop short of stating the obvious: our economic system is broken and must be replac…

Staff (2020-09-24). These Races Will Shape What the US Elections Mean for Climate Progress. truthout.org This story originally appeared in What follows are not candidate endorsements. Rather, this nonpartisan guide aims to inform voters' choices, help journalists decide what races to follow, and explore what the 2020 elections could portend for climate actio…

Staff (2020-09-24). Youth Action Gives Me Hope Amid Climate Crisis and Trump's Totalitarian Threat. truthout.org This story is part of The sun peeked over the rim of the trees here in my little corner of New Hampshire last week like a dusky gold coin, no shine, no glare, easy enough to look straight at. My daughter in the back seat r…

Hannah Murphy (2020-09-24). Will We Be Able to Reverse Trump's Climate Damage? commondreams.org The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters on March 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-09-24_at_9.48.39_am.png

Margaret Sullivan (2020-09-24). Rewrite That List of Debate Topics, Chris Wallace. And Put the Climate Crisis at No. 1. commondreams.org Which is why it's flat-out wrong that Fox News's Chris Wallace—and those who advised him—didn't see fit to put climate change on his topic list for Tuesday's first presidential debate. (Photo: Screenshot of Wallace) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/wallace.jpg

news.un (2020-09-24). UN chief and UK premier announce December climate summit. news.un.org With the COVID-19 pandemic having disrupted plans to hold the annual international UN climate meeting – known as the COP – this year, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom have announced that they will instead co-host a "landmark global event" on 12 December, the fifth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Alan Macleod (2020-09-23). New Report Links Mass Extinction of Animals To Human Activity. mintpressnews.com A new report by the WWF shows that humans are overusing earth's biocapacity by over 50%, rendering over 68% of all the world's animal life extinct.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-09-23). Ban Fracking in Calif. Now—Not 2024, Say Climate Groups Following Newsom Order to Phase Out Gas-Powered Cars. commondreams.org "Setting a timeline to eliminate petroleum vehicles is a big step, but Newsom's announcement provided rhetoric rather than real action on the other critical half of the climate problem—California's dirty oil production." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/newsom-phaseout-gas-cars.jpg

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-09-23). 'Nowhere Near What We Need It to Be': In Face of Climate Calamity, 100+ Groups Say Democrats' Proposal Woefully Insufficient. commondreams.org "We cannot perpetuate false solutions to the climate crisis that keep our reliance on fossil fuels—as this legislation proposes to do—and have any hope of ending the climate or environmental justice crises brought about by dirty energy." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/100-groups-hr-4447-oppose.jpg

Nadda Osman (2020-09-23). Debris from Beirut explosion adds to Lebanon's rubbish crisis. middleeasteye.net Debris from Beirut explosion adds to Lebanon's rubbish crisis | The port blast has damaged many waste management facilities, leaving rubbish to pile up again | Wed, 09/23/2020 – 12: 20 | Rubbish has started piling up in streets as the country struggles to deal with the aftermath of the explosion (AFP) | Last month's port blast in Beirut has put further stress on Lebanon's waste management infrastructure,…

Mike Hastie (2020-09-23). When Truth Exposes the Unspeakable. counterpunch.org I photographed this billboard on September 19, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. Three days prior to this, Portland, Oregon had the worst air quality in the world, as a result of raging killer Climate Fires throughout the state. President Donald Trump believes thatGlobal Warming is a hoax. Millions of Americans are directly influenced by his opinions. As you look at

RT (2020-09-23). China blames US for 'obstructing' global fight against emissions, vows to go carbon neutral by 2060. rt.com Beijing has accused the US of "obstructing" the global fight against greenhouse gases, a day after President Xi Jinping said China aims to have "CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060." | China said on Wednesday it considers this plan a "powerful rebuke to the US' unfounded accusations" that were made against it at the UN General Assembly. | The US, which is the world's second-largest polluter, pulled out of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation, blaming China for the stalled momentum on tackling global emissions. | "This seriously obstructs the progress of red…

RT (2020-09-23). Seattle lawmakers successfully override mayor's veto on $3 million police budget cut & 100 officer layoffs. rt.com Seattle City Council has voted to overturn Mayor Jenny Durkan's veto on legislation that would slash millions of dollars from the local police budget, a move cheered by activist groups and reviled by some residents. | The council overturned Durkan's veto by a vote of 7-2, securing exactly the number of votes needed to put the legislation into effect. | "In the wake of a racial reckoning, a $300 million budget shortfall, a pandemic, a climate crisis, a homelessness crisis… and a lack of federal leadership, our fundamental duty remains: to balance the city's budget and meet the needs of Seattle's most vulnerab…

Noam Chomsky (2020-09-23). Internationalism or Extinction. zcomm.org PI Council Member Noam Chomsky's keynote speech at the Progressive International's inaugural summit.

Rob Okun (2020-09-23). The End of "Climate Change" counterpunch.org "Climate change" is over. No, not the relentless, catastrophic environmental crisis that's spreading like, well, wildfire around the world. That is definitely real and definitely far from over. What I'm talking about is the anemic, wishy-washy term "climate change," which does such a poor job of communicating the existential threat to the planet. Let's face

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-09-23). Democrats Mock the GOP for Denying Climate Science, But They are Still Addicted to Fossil Fuel Funders. counterpunch.org The recent chorus of Democratic Party leaders lining up to denounce President Donald Trump's climate science denial is deafening. As the West Coast of the United States burns relentlessly, taking lives and land, spewing ash and smoke, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Bidendenounced Trump's refusal to acknowledge climate science, saying in a speech, "If you give

Ashley Curtin (2020-09-23). Morgan Stanley announces new climate commitment, first American bank to set target. nationofchange.org The financial institute is the first major American bank to commit to "providing financing, expertise and thought leadership to support the transition to a low-carbon world."

Rachel Zhang (2020-09-23). Youth Must Focus This Election on Climate Change — and Push Dems to Confront It. zcomm.org Together, we can transform a burnt, drained, and inequitable world into a green, replenished, and just one for generations to come…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-09-23). Dems Mock GOP for Denying Climate Science, But Are Still Addicted to Fossil Fuel Funders. zcomm.org The liberal party offers strong rhetoric on climate change but in practice promotes continued fossil fuel production. In the face of our unfolding climate catastrophe, this needs to end now…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-09-23). Arrest at Extinction Rebellion Protest. indybay.org "We Want to Live!" "SOUND THE ALARM" | "California Is On Fire!!"

Climate Reality Project & Commonwealth Club (2020-09-23). Thursday 10/1: Climate Justice in San Francisco: Racism, Radioactive & Toxic Waste, and Rising Oceans. indybay.org Online (FREE)…

Staff (2020-09-23). Voters Want to Use Climate Change Policies to Rebuild the Economy After COVID. truthout.org A majority of U.S. voters want to see corrective climate change policies and the creation of jobs in the clean energy sector as a way to recover from the mismanagement and economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll. | The poll, conducted by VICE Media Group and several partners, found that 54% of Americans disapprove of President Trump's handling of the pandemic, while 78% of Americans want to see Congress take a more aggressive stance in stamping out the coronavir…

Steve Topple (2020-09-23). PMQs was a waste of 12 minutes, until the SNP stepped in. thecanary.co If you wanted to waste 12 minutes of your life, you could have watched Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday 23 September. That was until the SNP got involved. | A prime shambles: | Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer were both muddled, to say the least. Although the Labour leader did seem more robust than he has on previous occasions. Probably something to do with Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband's But Starmer still failed to land a…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-09-23). Arsonists 'Pledging to Light a Few Less Fires': Analysis Exposes Failure of Big Oil Climate Pledges. commondreams.org "BP, Shell, and Total are still drilling us into a deeper climate emergency, and that has to stop before they can claim any credibility." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/shell_1_0.jpg

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-09-23). Markey Leads 36 Senators in Demanding Questions on Climate in Debate. commondreams.org "It is critical that every debate includes questions that ask the candidates what they would do to address climate change and environmental injustice." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-markey.jpg

commondreams (2020-09-23). Governor's Executive Order Takes a Step Toward Climate Action in Transportation Sector. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-09-23). Gov. Newsom's Climate Initiative Omits Key Actions on Oil Drilling, Fracking. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Mark Hertsgaard, Kyle Pope (2020-09-23). The Media's Climate Coverage Is Improving, but Time Is Very Short. thenation.com The Media's Climate Coverage Is Improving, but Time Is Very Short…

Tom Engelhardt (2020-09-23). A Vote for Trump Is a Vote for Climate Apocalypse. thenation.com A Vote for Trump Is a Vote for Climate Apocalypse…