Monthly Archives: June 2020

2020-06-24: News Headlines

_____ (2020-06-25). USA: 'Qualified Immunity' Is How the Police State Stays in Power. truepublica.org.uk By Constitutional attorney John W Whitehead — Charlottesville, Virginia: The system is rigged, the government is corrupt, and "we the people" continue to waste our strength by fighting each other rather than standing against the tyrant in our midst. Because the system is rigged, because the government is corrupt, and because "we the people" remain polarized and divided, the police …

Eds. (2020-06-24). 'Act with necessary force': Greta Thunberg says BLM protests & 'corona crisis' give blueprint for climate change fight. mronline.org The Black Lives Matter protests across the world show the 'necessary force' people need to use when fighting global warming, teen activist turned climate change icon Greta Thunberg believes.

Zero Hedge (2020-06-24). Bayer Pays $10 Billion to Settle Thousands of Monsanto Glyphosate Lawsuits. globalresearch.ca After decades of widespread use as company scientists played down research showing a definitive link between the product and growing rates of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Monsanto parent company Bayer has agreed to pay up to $10 billion to settle claims that …

Media Lens (2020-06-24). "Six Months To Avert Climate Crisis": Climate Breakdown And The Corporate Media. dissidentvoice.org In his classic science fiction novel, Foundation, Isaac Asimov posited a future in which 'psychohistorians' could predict outcomes based on past history and the large-scale behaviour of human populations by combining psychology and the mathematics of probability. Using 'psychohistory', the protagonist Hari Seldon discovers that the 12,000-year-old Galactic Empire will collapse in 500 years. He …

Steve Topple (2020-06-24). Here are the private companies with £million contracts for the failed NHSX tracing app. thecanary.co A storm has erupted over the failed government track and trace app for coronavirus (Covid-19). Because it's emerged that it wasted millions of pounds on the unsuccessful tech. So, people are wondering where this money has gone. But we already know part of that answer. | Corona chaos: | The Guardian

yenisafak (2020-06-24). Norway plans big expansion of Arctic oil exploration. yenisafak.com Norway is planning a major expansion of oil exploration in the Arctic, despite commitments to tackling global warming and opposition from environmental groups.Minister of petroleum and energy Tina Bru said on Wednesday the expansion was needed to protect jobs and generate wealth.The government will auction up to 136 new oil exploration blocks in a major licensing round, with 125 of those in the Arctic Barents Sea, a relatively unspoiled corner of the planet."We need new discoveries to uphold employment and value creation," Bru said in a statement.Norway is western Europe's biggest oil producer and has built the w…

sputniknews (2020-06-24). First COVID-19 Case Registered at Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. sputniknews.com In mid-March, Ukraine introduced a nationwide quarantine for a month and subsequently extended it several times. The Ukrainian government decided to relax coronavirus-related restrictions starting 11 May.

The Canary (2020-06-24). German Cabinet agrees to ban sale of single-use plastic items. thecanary.co Germany is banning the sale of single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers, bringing it in line with a European Union directive intended to reduce the amount of plastic waste that pollutes the environment. | The cabinet agreed on Wednesday to end the sale of plastics including single-use cutlery, plates, stirring sticks and balloon holders, as well as polystyrene cups and boxes by 3 July 2021. | Environment minister Svenja Schulze said the move was part of an effort to move away from "throw-away culture". | Up to 20% of rubbish collected in parks and other public places consists of single-use plast…

Marshall Auerback (2020-06-23). Let's Make Sure We Get the Green New Deal Right. counterpunch.org Advocates of the Green New Deal (GND) are looking to change the way we handle a range of problems facing society, especially in the wake of environmental challenges occasioned by climate change. In response, policymakers have suggested a variety of programs designed to deal with these challenges. Should any of these be reconsidered in the

Staff (2020-06-23). Stir Crazy! Episode #58: It's Just Getting Started. therealnews.com On today's show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar and TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com

The Canary (2020-06-23). UK citizens' climate assembly backs green pandemic recovery and lifestyle shift. thecanary.co The UK's first national citizens' assembly on climate breakdown has backed changes to the economy and lifestyles that will drive down emissions in the wake of coronavirus.A report shows "striking" agreement within the citizens' assembly that steps taken by the government to help the economy recover should also cut greenhouse gases and that green changes to lifestyles should be encouraged.Climate Assembly UK was commissioned by six parliamentary select committees and asked to examine how the country meets its legal target to cut greenhouse gases to zero overall by mid-century.More than 100 people, who are represen…

Derrick Broze (2020-06-23). Another New Study Points to the Dangers of Geoengineering the Climate. thelastamericanvagabond.com A recently published study from MIT casts doubt on the safety of the science of geoengineering and outlines potential dangers of the controversial field. A new study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology is adding to the growing list of concerns around the controversial science of geoengineering. Researchers have found that geoengineering techniques could significantly change …

Steve Horn (2020-06-22). California Governor Hands Out Fracking Permits on Behalf of Big Oil. globalresearch.ca On June 1, in the midst of the turmoil created by the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration quietly issued

_____ (2020-06-22). Gavin Newsom Hands Out Fracking Permits To Connected Driller. popularresistance.org On June 1, in the midst of the turmoil created by the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration quietly issued 12 fracking permits to Aera Energy, a joint venture owned by ExxonMobil and Shell. The fracking permits are the latest example of California's oil industry benefiting from regulatory or deregulatory action during the COVID-19 pandemic and came just months after the Newsom administration said it supported taking actions to "manage the decline of oil production and consumption in the state." Aera, which also received 24 permits from the…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-22). Agricultural products of Tarom, Zanjan province. en.mehrnews.com Zanjan, Jun. 23 (MNA) — Tarom is one of the towns in Zanjan province with different agricultural products. The town is called 'Iran's India' due to its untouched nature and good climate.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-06-22). Greta Thunberg Says Covid-19 Should Be Global Wake-Up Call to 'Act With Necessary Force' to Tackle Climate Emergency. commondreams.org In a new radio program, the Swedish teenager details and reflects on her travels around the world the past year as a youth climate leader.

Lavinia Steinfort (2020-06-21). Democratizing Energy to Counter the Climate Catastrophe. zcomm.org The economic recovery as well as a Green New Deal will only be meaningful if we take our country-wide energy systems out of the market and into democratic public ownership…

Arundhati Roy (2020-06-21). Indian Muslims facing 'genocidal climate' amid pandemic. zcomm.org Interview on the government's "disastrous" response…

Shefali Sharma (2020-06-21). Time to Hold Agribusiness Accountable for Its Climate Footprint. commondreams.org IATP's new study draws a direct line between policies (or lack thereof) that have aided and abetted global dairy corporations to get big and powerful to those that have disempowered dairy farmers and the rural communities where they reside. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/big-dairy.jpg

_____ (2020-06-21). Black New Orleans Waste Workers Build Power Against A Crisis. popularresistance.org Sanitation workers in New Orleans have been out on strike for over a month now. On May 5, a group of sanitation workers, also known as "hoppers" (because they hop on and off the trucks to empty trash cans), walked off the job after frustrations around low pay and lack of safety equipment boiled over. They have held firm to their demands and to their brothers on the strike lines for over a month now. "All we're trying to do is to get what we're asking for, and then get back to work. We just want fair treatment," Jonathan Edward, who's been a hopper for over a decade, said. They are not alone—workers around t…

Norbert Trenkle (2020-06-20). Climate crisis and social transformation in the age of Corona. indybay.org Material wealth in the form of useful things and utilities is only a means subordinated to the objective of capital accumulation and is sacrificed when that objective can no longer be achieved… Without the state, capitalist society would fly apart immediately. The state, however, is an essential precondition for abstract wealth production and dependent on it.

2020-06-23: News Headlines

The Canary (2020-06-23). UK citizens' climate assembly backs green pandemic recovery and lifestyle shift. thecanary.co The UK's first national citizens' assembly on climate breakdown has backed changes to the economy and lifestyles that will drive down emissions in the wake of coronavirus.A report shows "striking" agreement within the citizens' assembly that steps taken by the government to help the economy recover should also cut greenhouse gases and that green changes to lifestyles should be encouraged.Climate Assembly UK was commissioned by six parliamentary select committees and asked to examine how the country meets its legal target to cut greenhouse gases to zero overall by mid-century.More than 100 people, who are represen…

Marshall Auerback (2020-06-23). Let's Make Sure We Get the Green New Deal Right. counterpunch.org Advocates of the Green New Deal (GND) are looking to change the way we handle a range of problems facing society, especially in the wake of environmental challenges occasioned by climate change. In response, policymakers have suggested a variety of programs designed to deal with these challenges. Should any of these be reconsidered in the

Steve Horn (2020-06-22). California Governor Hands Out Fracking Permits on Behalf of Big Oil. globalresearch.ca On June 1, in the midst of the turmoil created by the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration quietly issued

_____ (2020-06-22). Gavin Newsom Hands Out Fracking Permits To Connected Driller. popularresistance.org On June 1, in the midst of the turmoil created by the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration quietly issued 12 fracking permits to Aera Energy, a joint venture owned by ExxonMobil and Shell. The fracking permits are the latest example of California's oil industry benefiting from regulatory or deregulatory action during the COVID-19 pandemic and came just months after the Newsom administration said it supported taking actions to "manage the decline of oil production and consumption in the state." Aera, which also received 24 permits from the…

en.mehrnews (2020-06-22). Agricultural products of Tarom, Zanjan province. en.mehrnews.com Zanjan, Jun. 23 (MNA) — Tarom is one of the towns in Zanjan province with different agricultural products. The town is called 'Iran's India' due to its untouched nature and good climate.

Lavinia Steinfort (2020-06-21). Democratizing Energy to Counter the Climate Catastrophe. zcomm.org The economic recovery as well as a Green New Deal will only be meaningful if we take our country-wide energy systems out of the market and into democratic public ownership…

Shefali Sharma (2020-06-21). Time to Hold Agribusiness Accountable for Its Climate Footprint. commondreams.org IATP's new study draws a direct line between policies (or lack thereof) that have aided and abetted global dairy corporations to get big and powerful to those that have disempowered dairy farmers and the rural communities where they reside. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/big-dairy.jpg

Arundhati Roy (2020-06-21). Indian Muslims facing 'genocidal climate' amid pandemic. zcomm.org Interview on the government's "disastrous" response…

_____ (2020-06-21). Black New Orleans Waste Workers Build Power Against A Crisis. popularresistance.org Sanitation workers in New Orleans have been out on strike for over a month now. On May 5, a group of sanitation workers, also known as "hoppers" (because they hop on and off the trucks to empty trash cans), walked off the job after frustrations around low pay and lack of safety equipment boiled over. They have held firm to their demands and to their brothers on the strike lines for over a month now. "All we're trying to do is to get what we're asking for, and then get back to work. We just want fair treatment," Jonathan Edward, who's been a hopper for over a decade, said. They are not alone—workers around t…

Norbert Trenkle (2020-06-20). Climate crisis and social transformation in the age of Corona. indybay.org Material wealth in the form of useful things and utilities is only a means subordinated to the objective of capital accumulation and is sacrificed when that objective can no longer be achieved… Without the state, capitalist society would fly apart immediately. The state, however, is an essential precondition for abstract wealth production and dependent on it.

Staff (2020-06-19). Climate Crisis: Keystone XL Supreme, Cap and Trade Takes Hit and California Geoengineering. therealnews.com The Trump administration tries to push Keystone XL to the US Supreme Court, California's appellate court rules on cap and trade, and California's governor backs away—but not really—from solar radiation geoengineering.