Monthly Archives: March 2020

2020-03-31: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-31). Chemical brothers: Monsanto & BASF knew for years their products destroy US farms, documents reveal. rt.com US agro-chemical firm Monsanto and Germany's BASF were aware for a long time that their plan to introduce a new agricultural seed and chemical system would probably lead to damage on many US farms. | According to internal documents seen by the The documents (some of them date back more than a decade) have been uncovered during…

DLI (2020-03-31). Peace is the New Priority for Planet Earth after CoVid19 Crisis. indybay.org For decades Peace activists have been clamoring that the misplaced US priority on Militarism (wasting Trillions of dollars and narrowly focusing on imagined foreign enemies and/or real terrorists spawned by US policies) will decisively harm the health of citizens and the Planet itself. Sadly, 60 years after President Eisenhower warned of the danger of the Military Industrial Complex overshadowing the health and welfare of our society, the Peace agenda is still being sidelined to near extinction, both by the political ruling elite of Pentagon-Wall Street hucksters, and the compliant mainstream media outlets.

Patrick Cockburn (2020-03-31). Trump's Chernobyl Moment: the US May Lose Its Status as World Superpower and Not Recover. counterpunch.org The US may be reaching its "Chernobyl moment" as it fails to lead in combating the coronavirus epidemic. As with the nuclear accident in the Soviet Union in 1986, a cataclysm is exposing systemic failings that have already weakened US hegemony in the world. Whatever the outcome of the pandemic, nobody is today looking to

William Astore (2020-03-31). It's Time to Stop Our Wasteful Military Spending. thenation.com It's Time to Stop Our Wasteful Military Spending…

Media Lens (2020-03-31). "Can I Keep You Safe? Your Future Is Uncertain": Climate And The Fate Of Humanity. dissidentvoice.org In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the most immediate objective is to slow its spread, minimise the death toll and help people through the crisis. But, despite government promises to support citizens who are now losing their jobs and income, the underlying establishment concern will be as it always has been: to preserve the …

The Commonwealth Club (2020-03-31). Livestream: COVID-19 and Climate Implications for Public Health. indybay.org Onlin via livestream…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-03-31). 'A Shameful New Low': Amid COVID-19 Crisis, Alberta Govt. Ponies Up $1 Billion for Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline. commondreams.org "We need billions of public dollars invested directly in vulnerable communities dying from COVID-19, not spent propping up massive oil companies and unneeded projects that would trample Indigenous rights and exacerbate the climate crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/alberta-kxl.jpg

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-03-30). Trump to Kneecap Obama-Era Fuel Efficiency Standards, Hurtling Nation 'Toward a More Dangerous Climate'. commondreams.org "Of all the bad things President Trump has done to the environment, this is the worst." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/car-standards.png

Staff (2020-03-29). Coronavirus Shows Us What Our Future Could Look Like During Climate Crisis. truthout.org The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly been absorbed into our collective consciousness, remaking the fabric of our lives. Suddenly, millions are sheltering in place, strangers have started wishing each other well when exiting grocery stores, people have stopped touching their faces and shelves that are normally stocked with bleach and hand sanitizer are barren. | For many, the looming sense of dread is a new sensation. | "A few times a day, I get distracted enough to forget that everything has chang…

The Lancet (2020-03-28). [Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out. thelancet.com Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.

Steve Topple (2020-03-28). Coronavirus brings out the worst in criminals as they target families on free school meals. thecanary.co Not to let a global pandemic go to waste, criminals have been Coronavirus: criminals making the most of it: | In an email seen by The Canary, one south London school sent this message to families on free school meals: The DfE [Department for Education] have warned that fraudsters are targeting parents of children eligible for f…

RT (2020-03-27). Coronavirus-inspired terrorists are planning attacks, says DoJ report — but in a fear-charged climate, which is the real threat? rt.com The US Justice Department has warned — with scant evidence — that coronavirus is encouraging terrorists to attack. But Covid-19 is actually deadlier than terrorism, and experts warn against criminalizing its transmission. | The pandemic is accelerating the dastardly plots of terrorists, according to John Demers, the assistant attorney general for national security at the Justice Department, who shared his fears — and he has a lot of them — with Politico on Friday. Demers warned that terrorists would "take advantage of" certain "windows of opportunities," though he acknowledged that there…

Staff (2020-03-26). "Chaotic Situation": India Begins Lockdown of 1.3 Billion Residents as Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads. democracynow.org As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, we look at India, which is now under the largest lockdown in human history, with 1.3 billion people ordered to shelter in place. As the country's economy and daily life come to an abrupt halt, hundreds of millions of Indians who live hand to mouth have been left without the means to support their families. We speak with Amitav Ghosh, whose books include "Gun Island" and "The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable."

Kathy Fairfax (2020-03-25). Climate change is a feminist issue. greenleft.org.au

Evgenia Ostroumova, Joachim Schàºz, Ausrele Kesminiene (2020-03-18). [Correspondence] Future of Chernobyl research: the urgency for consolidated action. thelancet.com The Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986, continues to create fears and myths about its health consequences, as shown by the large response to a top-rated HBO miniseries devoted to the tragic event. Risk assessments range from recognising an increase in thyroid cancer incidence in exposed children and adolescents (becoming one of the single most established long-term health effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the general population), to claims of hundreds of thousands of deaths due to the accident.

Nisreen A Alwan, Raj Bhopal, Rochelle A Burgess, Tim Colburn, Luis E Cuevas, George Davey Smith, Matthias Egger, Sandra Eldridge, Valentina Gallo, Mark S Gilthorpe, Trish Greenhalgh, Christopher Griffiths, Paul R Hunter, Shabbar Jaffar, Ruth Jepson, Nicola Low, Adrian Martineau, David McCoy, Miriam Orcutt, Bharat Pankhania, Hynek Pikhart, Allyson Pollock, Gabriel Scally, James Smith, Devi Sridhar, Stephanie Taylor, Peter W G Tennant, Yrene Themistocleous, Anne Wilson, on behalf of 36 signatories (2020-03-17). [Correspondence] Evidence informing the UK's COVID-19 public health response must be transparent. thelancet.com The UK Government asserts that its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is based on evidence and expert modelling. However, different scientists can reach different conclusions based on the same evidence, and small differences in assumptions can lead to large differences in model predictions.

Lawrence Wittner (2020-03-02). Could the climate crisis be "The Good News of Damnation"? zcomm.org There really is no other solution to the onrushing climate catastrophe than for people and nations to forget their tribal animosities and start behaving as part of a world society…

CounterSpin (2020-02-21). Paul Paz y Miño, Saqib Bhatti & Beverly Bell on Environmental Justice & Cross-National Solidarity. fair.org There will only be an increasing number of frontline struggles between extractive, climate-disrupting industry and those willing to stand up to it. Corporate media's inadequate attention, and unwillingness to truly call out the moneyed interests causing present and future harms, make them more often part of the problem than the solution.

Elizabeth Greig, Barth A. Green, Henri R. Ford, Didi Bertrand Farmer, Krista Marie Nottage, Zelde Espinel, James M. Shultz (2020-02-06). [Commentary] Extreme population exposure: Hurricane Dorian medical response in Great Abaco, Bahamas. thelancet.com Hurricane Dorian's ensemble of extreme winds, wave action, and pelting rains laid waste to exquisitely vulnerable human settlements throughout the Abaco islands in northwest Bahamas. Dorian, the strongest hurricane ever to impact the Bahamas, pulled a towering storm surge onshore. Combined with 20 inches of rain, vast expanses of Abaco islands were submerged. The system's forward movement slowed to near standstill, creating one of the longest-duration population exposures to a hurricane in history [1].

2020-03-31: Social Media Postees

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

Peace is the New Priority for Planet Earth after CoVid19 Crisis
DLI | indybay.org | 2020-03-31
For decades Peace activists have been clamoring that the misplaced US priority on Militarism (wasting Trillions of dollars and narrowly focusing on imagined foreign enemies and/or real terrorists spawned by US policies) will decisively harm the health of citizens and the Planet itself. Sadly, 60 years after President Eisenhower warned of the danger of the Military Industrial Complex overshadowing the health and welfare of our society, the Peace agenda is still being sidelined to near extinction, both by the political ruling elite of Pentagon-Wall Street hucksters, and the compliant mainstream media outlets.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/29/18831925.php

Trump's Chernobyl Moment: the US May Lose Its Status as World Superpower and Not Recover
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-31
The US may be reaching its "Chernobyl moment" as it fails to lead in combating the coronavirus epidemic. As with the nuclear accident in the Soviet Union in 1986, a cataclysm is exposing systemic failings that have already weakened US hegemony in the world. Whatever the outcome of the pandemic, nobody is today looking to…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/31/trumps-chernobyl-moment-the-us-may-lose-its-status-as-world-superpower-and-not-recover/

It's Time to Stop Our Wasteful Military Spending
William Astore | thenation.com | 2020-03-31
It's Time to Stop Our Wasteful Military Spending…
thenation.com/article/world/coronavirus-military-spending/

Chemical brothers: Monsanto & BASF knew for years their products destroy US farms, documents reveal
rt.com | 2020-03-31
US agro-chemical firm Monsanto and Germany's BASF were aware for a long time that their plan to introduce a new agricultural seed and chemical system would probably lead to damage on many US farms. | According to internal documents seen by the Guardian, the firms disregarded the risks even while they planned on how to profit off farmers who would buy Monsanto's new seeds just to avoid damage. | The documents (some of them date back more than a decade) have been uncovered during…
rt.com/business/484581-monsanto-profit-farmer-losses/

Livestream: COVID-19 and Climate Implications for Public Health
The Commonwealth Club | indybay.org | 2020-03-31
Onlin via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/30/18831954.php

"Can I Keep You Safe? Your Future Is Uncertain": Climate And The Fate Of Humanity
Media Lens | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-31
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the most immediate objective is to slow its spread, minimise the death toll and help people through the crisis. But, despite government promises to support citizens who are now losing their jobs and income, the underlying establishment concern will be as it always has been: to preserve the …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/can-i-keep-you-safe-your-future-is-uncertain-climate-and-the-fate-of-humanity/

'A Shameful New Low': Amid COVID-19 Crisis, Alberta Govt. Ponies Up $1 Billion for Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-31
"We need billions of public dollars invested directly in vulnerable communities dying from COVID-19, not spent propping up massive oil companies and unneeded projects that would trample Indigenous rights and exacerbate the climate crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/alberta-kxl.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/31/shameful-new-low-amid-covid-19-crisis-alberta-govt-ponies-1-billion-keystone-xl-tar?cd-origin=rss

Peace is the New Priority for Planet Earth after CoVid19 Crisis
DLI | indybay.org | 2020-03-30
For decades Peace activists have been clamoring that the misplaced US priority on Militarism (wasting Trillions of dollars and narrowly focusing on imagined foreign enemies and/or real terrorists spawned by US policies) will decisively harm the health of citizens and the Planet itself. Sadly, 60 years after President Eisenhower warned of the danger of the Military Industrial Complex overshadowing the health and welfare of our society, the Peace agenda is still being sidelined to near extinction, both by the political ruling elite of Pentagon-Wall Street hucksters, and the compliant mainstream media outlets.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/29/18831925.php

Peace is the New Priority for Planet Earth after CoVid19 Crisis
DLI | indybay.org | 2020-03-30
For decades Peace activists have been clamoring that the misplaced US priority on Militarism(wasting Trillions of dollars and narrowly focusing on imagined foreign enemies and/or real terrorists spawned by US policies)will decisively harm the health of citizens and the Planet itself. Sadly, 60 years after President Eisenhower warned of the danger of the Military Industrial Complex overshadowing the health and welfare of our society, the Peace agenda is still being sidelined to near extinction, both by the political ruling elite of Pentagon-Wall Street hucksters, and the compliant mainstream media outlets.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/29/18831925.php

Livestream: COVID-19 and Climate Implications for Public Health
The Commonwealth Club | indybay.org | 2020-03-30
Onlin via livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/30/18831954.php

Trump to Kneecap Obama-Era Fuel Efficiency Standards, Hurtling Nation 'Toward a More Dangerous Climate'
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-30
"Of all the bad things President Trump has done to the environment, this is the worst." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/car-standards.png
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/30/trump-kneecap-obama-era-fuel-efficiency-standards-hurtling-nation-toward-more?cd-origin=rss

Coronavirus Shows Us What Our Future Could Look Like During Climate Crisis
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-29
The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly been absorbed into our collective consciousness, remaking the fabric of our lives. Suddenly, millions are sheltering in place, strangers have started wishing each other well when exiting grocery stores, people have stopped touching their faces and shelves that are normally stocked with bleach and hand sanitizer are barren. | For many, the looming sense of dread is a new sensation. | "A few times a day, I get distracted enough to forget that everything has chang…
truthout.org/articles/coronavirus-shows-us-what-our-future-could-look-like-during-climate-crisis/

[Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-03-28
Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30687-5/fulltext?rss=yes

Coronavirus brings out the worst in criminals as they target families on free school meals
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-03-28
Not to let a global pandemic go to waste, criminals have been targeting families on free school meals. They're doing it amid the chaos caused by coronavirus (Covid-19). And they're trying to get people's bank details. | Coronavirus: criminals making the most of it: | In an email seen by The Canary, one south London school sent this message to families on free school meals: The DfE [Department for Education] have warned that fraudsters are targeting parents of children eligible for f…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/03/28/coronavirus-brings-out-the-worst-in-criminals-as-they-target-families-on-free-school-meals/

"Chaotic Situation": India Begins Lockdown of 1.3 Billion Residents as Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-26
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the world, we look at India, which is now under the largest lockdown in human history, with 1.3 billion people ordered to shelter in place. As the country's economy and daily life come to an abrupt halt, hundreds of millions of Indians who live hand to mouth have been left without the means to support their families. We speak with Amitav Ghosh, whose books include "Gun Island" and "The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable."
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/26/amitav_ghosh_india_coronavirus_lockdown

Climate strike online
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-26
Climate crisis Zebedee ParkesIssue 1258 Australia COVID-19 Fridays for the FutureMarch 27, 2020Around the world climate activists are continuing to hold weekly Friday strikes for climate action [mdas…
greenleft.org.au/content/climate-strike-online

Climate change is a feminist issue
Kathy Fairfax | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-25
Climate crisis Feminism Zita HendersonIssue 1258 Australia International Women's Day GeelongMarch 25, 2020Unquestiona…
greenleft.org.au/content/climate-change-feminist-issue

[Correspondence] Future of Chernobyl research: the urgency for consolidated action
Evgenia Ostroumova, Joachim Schàºz, Ausrele Kesminiene | thelancet.com | 2020-03-18
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster on April 26, 1986, continues to create fears and myths about its health consequences, as shown by the large response to a top-rated HBO miniseries devoted to the tragic event. Risk assessments range from recognising an increase in thyroid cancer incidence in exposed children and adolescents (becoming one of the single most established long-term health effects of the Chernobyl disaster on the general population), to claims of hundreds of thousands of deaths due to the accident.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30675-9/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] Evidence informing the UK's COVID-19 public health response must be transparent
Nisreen A Alwan, Raj Bhopal, Rochelle A Burgess, Tim Colburn, Luis E Cuevas, George Davey Smith, Matthias Egger, Sandra Eldridge, Valentina Gallo, Mark S Gilthorpe, Trish Greenhalgh, Christopher Griffiths, Paul R Hunter, Shabbar Jaffar, Ruth Jepson, Nicola Low, Adrian Martineau, David McCoy, Miriam Orcutt, Bharat Pankhania, Hynek Pikhart, Allyson Pollock, Gabriel Scally, James Smith, Devi Sridhar, Stephanie Taylor, Peter W G Tennant, Yrene Themistocleous, Anne Wilson, on behalf of 36 signatories | thelancet.com | 2020-03-17
The UK Government asserts that its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is based on evidence and expert modelling. However, different scientists can reach different conclusions based on the same evidence, and small differences in assumptions can lead to large differences in model predictions.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30667-X/fulltext?rss=yes