Monthly Archives: August 2020

2020-08-31: News Headlines

Staff (2020-08-31). European banks profiteering from environmental crimes in the Amazon. therealnews.com Top European banks are providing cash, liquidity and technical knowledge to international oil companies for extracting oil from the Amazon leaving trail of death and destruction in the wake of profiteering…

Staff (2020-08-31). From Amazon to the Auto Industry, Kenosha, WI Exemplifies Climate Justice Denied. therealnews.com In this week's Climate Crisis News Roundup, historical climate injustice serves as the backdrop of the Jacob Blake police shooting. And Hurricane Laura slams Louisiana and Texas as the RNC ignores climate altogether.

Joseph Scalia III (2020-08-31). Yellowstone, Environmental Collapse, and Compromised Thinking. counterpunch.org In this era in which climate change and global warming occupy ever more of the public discourse and awareness, it is striking that its brethren environmental concerns, all of no less consequence, remain starkly and fatefully off the public radar screen. These threats could be enumerated to include, among others, deforestation, ocean acidification, grasslands and

Orson Aguilar (2020-08-31). Latinos Want Action on Climate Change. progressive.org We look forward to the day when all climate advocates recognize the power of the Latino community.

_____ (2020-08-31). Ten Days Of Climate Extremes. popularresistance.org Pick almost any slice of time in the recent past and you can find clues to how climate change is jacking up dangerous weather extremes. In the 10 days after the potential global heat record in Death Valley, an unusual lightning storm blasted California with more than 11,000 lightning strikes that sparked hundreds of fires; more heat records were set in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; unprecedented flooding in Asia washed away villages and threatened China's Three Gorges Dam; and twin hurricanes threatened the Gulf of Mexico, with Hurricane Laura generating a storm surge as high as 11 feet that pushed far i…

Sandipan Talukdar (2020-08-30). Half of the world's oceans are already affected by human-induced climate change. peoplesdispatch.org A recent study of ocean depths shows that 20-55% of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans have shown an emergent human-induced signal and it is likely to increase to 40-65% and up to 80% by 2080…

_____ (2020-08-30). Senate Democrats' New Climate Report Disappoints. popularresistance.org Senate Democrats released a climate action report earlier this week leaving green groups, environmental activists, and progressive campaigners disappointed. | Critics of the report are saying there is not nearly enough action involved to fight the threat of global heating that is caused by human activity. "The report fails to address the vital need to end the extraction, processing, and burning of fossil fuels, and instead sees a future for fossil fuels tied to the false promise of carbon capture."

_____ (2020-08-29). CIA's Addiction to Afghanistan War. strategic-culture.org It is America's longest overseas war and shows no clear sign of ending despite a shaky peace deal underway between the Trump administration and Taliban militants. A phased withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan over the next year could yet be derailed, resulting in continued American military operations in the South Asian country — nearly two decades after President GW Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001. | US involvement in Afghanistan is the archetypal quagmire. Hundreds of thousands killed or maimed, trillions of dollars wasted, a failed state — despite American pretension…

Michael Welch (2020-08-29). Guy McPherson: Climate Change and the Debate on Near Term Extinction of Humans and all Life on Earth. globalresearch.ca "To put it simply, our fate as a species is sealed. We're headed for extinction in the very near term despite warnings dating more than 150 years. It's a tragic tale. And, as foretold by evolutionary biologist George C. Williams, …

J Nwando Olayiwola, Esther Choo (2020-08-29). [Perspectives] Seven more things organisations should be doing to combat racism. thelancet.com The previous The Penumbra column outlined seven steps that organisations can take to address racism. In this month's column, we offer additional actions likely to be helpful in creating an anti-racist climate. With these suggestions, we highlight actions that fill obvious gaps in thinking and practice in our health-care environments.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-28). Normal Has Failed. Be As Weird As You Like. thealtworld.com Consumerism is unsustainable. Competition is unsustainable. Imperialism is unsustainable. | Our species is standing on the brink of an extinction-level event due to ecosystemic collapse or nuclear war, and it is because of the way that we have lived on this planet up until this point. If we keep moving in this direction we will go the way of the dinosaur in the not-too distant future and take most terrestrial life with us. Maybe even all of it. | The imperfect and immature nature of our newly evolved capacity for language and abstract thought, combined with our social nature as primates, has caused our species to…

Staff (2020-08-28). Hurricane Laura Devastates Gulf Coast, Laying Bare Climate Crisis, Environmental Racism. democracynow.org Hurricane Laura has slammed ashore as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, bringing sustained winds of 150 miles per hour to the Gulf Coast. The strongest storm to hit Louisiana in over a century, Laura made landfall near the border of Louisiana and Texas. At least six people have been killed. Residents near Lake Charles were told to stay indoors with windows and doors shut when a chemical fire broke out at a Biolab plant. Hilton Kelley, the executive director of the Community In Power and Development Association, says local communities are dealing with multiple crises amid the devastation of the hurricane. "

Jacqueline Skalski-Fouts (2020-08-28). Planting Trees Can Reduce Poverty and Slow Climate Change. globalresearch.ca Humanitarian crises have recently been declared in

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-08-28). Senate Dems share new climate report disappointing green groups and climate activists. nationofchange.org "The report fails to address the vital need to end the extraction, processing, and burning of fossil fuels, and instead sees a future for fossil fuels tied to the false promise of carbon capture."

news.un (2020-08-28). India urged to lead global push for clean energy, climate action. news.un.org India has a crucial role to play in promoting clean energy and climate action as the world looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-08-28). Q&A: Christmas Lecturer talks geoscience, climate change, and diversity. imperial.ac.uk Professor Chris Jackson discusses the Christmas Lecture 'Planet Earth: A User's Guide', and the importance of role models in diversifying science.

Staff (2020-08-28). Trump Proposes Expanded Drilling and Fracking in California Amid Wildfires. truthout.org Especially given the climate-fueled wildfires ravaging the region, conservationists sounded alarm Thursday in response to a Trump administration proposal for an oil and gas lease sale in California, which would be the state's first such federal auction in eight years. | At issue are over 4,300 acres of public land in Kern County, an area recently

Hank Edson (2020-08-28). "Business as Usual! Business as Usual!" Chants the Oligarchy as the World Burns. commondreams.org A home burns as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 9, 2018 in Magalia, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 70,000 acres and has destroyed numerous homes and businesses in a matter of hours. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/campfire-climate-crisis.jpg

Dayton Martindale (2020-08-28). The Strategic Case for Animal Liberation. commondreams.org "It's not just domestic animals that are a point of contention within the climate movement," writes Martindale. (Photo: Michael Setboun/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cropgettyimages-84533638.jpg

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-08-27). Poverty and Petrochemicals Converge as Hurricane Laura's Devastation Exposes Entire Gulf Coast as 'Sacrificial Zone'. commondreams.org "The devastation wrought by Hurricane Laura is staggering. Climate denial is not a victimless crime, and it's time for the fossil fuel industry to be held accountable." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hurricane_laura_0.jpg

2020-08-30: News Headlines

Sandipan Talukdar (2020-08-30). Half of the world's oceans are already affected by human-induced climate change. peoplesdispatch.org A recent study of ocean depths shows that 20-55% of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans have shown an emergent human-induced signal and it is likely to increase to 40-65% and up to 80% by 2080…

_____ (2020-08-30). The Two Parties Have Failed Us, But The People Can Succeed. popularresistance.org The Republican and Democratic Party conventions showed that both major parties are failing to control the pandemic and protect people, address the climate crisis and clean up the environment, support families and businesses during the economic collapse, prevent police violence or deal with any of the other major problems we face. | These were two substance-less conventions. The Democrats focused on criticizing Trump without putting forward an agenda while the Republicans claimed Biden was a front for socialism when he is a deeply embedded corporate Democrat.

_____ (2020-08-30). Senate Democrats' New Climate Report Disappoints. popularresistance.org Senate Democrats released a climate action report earlier this week leaving green groups, environmental activists, and progressive campaigners disappointed. | Critics of the report are saying there is not nearly enough action involved to fight the threat of global heating that is caused by human activity. "The report fails to address the vital need to end the extraction, processing, and burning of fossil fuels, and instead sees a future for fossil fuels tied to the false promise of carbon capture."

_____ (2020-08-29). CIA's Addiction to Afghanistan War. strategic-culture.org It is America's longest overseas war and shows no clear sign of ending despite a shaky peace deal underway between the Trump administration and Taliban militants. A phased withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan over the next year could yet be derailed, resulting in continued American military operations in the South Asian country — nearly two decades after President GW Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001. | US involvement in Afghanistan is the archetypal quagmire. Hundreds of thousands killed or maimed, trillions of dollars wasted, a failed state — despite American pretension…

Michael Welch (2020-08-29). Guy McPherson: Climate Change and the Debate on Near Term Extinction of Humans and all Life on Earth. globalresearch.ca "To put it simply, our fate as a species is sealed. We're headed for extinction in the very near term despite warnings dating more than 150 years. It's a tragic tale. And, as foretold by evolutionary biologist George C. Williams, …

J Nwando Olayiwola, Esther Choo (2020-08-29). [Perspectives] Seven more things organisations should be doing to combat racism. thelancet.com The previous The Penumbra column outlined seven steps that organisations can take to address racism. In this month's column, we offer additional actions likely to be helpful in creating an anti-racist climate. With these suggestions, we highlight actions that fill obvious gaps in thinking and practice in our health-care environments.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-08-28). Normal Has Failed. Be As Weird As You Like. thealtworld.com Consumerism is unsustainable. Competition is unsustainable. Imperialism is unsustainable. | Our species is standing on the brink of an extinction-level event due to ecosystemic collapse or nuclear war, and it is because of the way that we have lived on this planet up until this point. If we keep moving in this direction we will go the way of the dinosaur in the not-too distant future and take most terrestrial life with us. Maybe even all of it. | The imperfect and immature nature of our newly evolved capacity for language and abstract thought, combined with our social nature as primates, has caused our species to…

Jacqueline Skalski-Fouts (2020-08-28). Planting Trees Can Reduce Poverty and Slow Climate Change. globalresearch.ca Humanitarian crises have recently been declared in

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-08-28). Senate Dems share new climate report disappointing green groups and climate activists. nationofchange.org "The report fails to address the vital need to end the extraction, processing, and burning of fossil fuels, and instead sees a future for fossil fuels tied to the false promise of carbon capture."

news.un (2020-08-28). India urged to lead global push for clean energy, climate action. news.un.org India has a crucial role to play in promoting clean energy and climate action as the world looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-08-28). Q&A: Christmas Lecturer talks geoscience, climate change, and diversity. imperial.ac.uk Professor Chris Jackson discusses the Christmas Lecture 'Planet Earth: A User's Guide', and the importance of role models in diversifying science.

Staff (2020-08-28). Trump Proposes Expanded Drilling and Fracking in California Amid Wildfires. truthout.org Especially given the climate-fueled wildfires ravaging the region, conservationists sounded alarm Thursday in response to a Trump administration proposal for an oil and gas lease sale in California, which would be the state's first such federal auction in eight years. | At issue are over 4,300 acres of public land in Kern County, an area recently

Dayton Martindale (2020-08-28). The Strategic Case for Animal Liberation. commondreams.org "It's not just domestic animals that are a point of contention within the climate movement," writes Martindale. (Photo: Michael Setboun/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cropgettyimages-84533638.jpg

Hank Edson (2020-08-28). "Business as Usual! Business as Usual!" Chants the Oligarchy as the World Burns. commondreams.org A home burns as the Camp Fire moves through the area on November 9, 2018 in Magalia, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 70,000 acres and has destroyed numerous homes and businesses in a matter of hours. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/campfire-climate-crisis.jpg

Carly Nicole Sanchez (2020-08-27). Ranch 2 fire sweeps Azusa Canyon in California. liberationnews.org Leaving vulnerable populations without protection from the man-made crisis of global warming would be avoided with a new socialist system that centers the struggles of the people.

pip.hinman (2020-08-27). The climate action we need today. greenleft.org.au

editors (2020-08-27). "Don't let them take democracy away from you" indybay.org "United we can and will overcome the time of darkness in America," he said. After four years of Trump's presidency, the Biden-Harris team wants to reunite the country, overcome the Corona crisis and boost the economy with millions of new jobs. In addition, the challengers want to provide an answer to "racial injustice" and take decisive action against the climate crisis [1].

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2020-08-27). Friday 8/28: Online Socialism Forum – Climate Change or System Change! indybay.org Register at bit.ly/planet-not-profits…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-08-27). Poverty and Petrochemicals Converge as Hurricane Laura's Devastation Exposes Entire Gulf Coast as 'Sacrificial Zone'. commondreams.org "The devastation wrought by Hurricane Laura is staggering. Climate denial is not a victimless crime, and it's time for the fossil fuel industry to be held accountable." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hurricane_laura_0.jpg

commondreams (2020-08-27). 'Climate Denial Is Not a Victimless Crime' – Greenpeace Response to Hurricane Laura. commondreams.org ______________________________…

_____ (2020-08-26). Overfunding The Military Drives Climate Crisis And White Supremacist Culture. popularresistance.org As the U.S. now approaches the third month since protests erupted following the police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless Black Americans calls to defund and abolish the police are resonating throughout public consciousness. While the Black Lives Matter movement rightfully pushes for the defunding and abolition of a white supremacist institution, it must be recognized that another institution — U.S. militarism — is also an overfunded structure responsible for violence, oppression, and white supremacy.

_____ (2020-08-26). Exxon Booted From Dow As Oil And Gas Falls. popularresistance.org Spending 92 years doing anything is an accomplishment, so let's cheers to Exxon Mobil Corp., which spent more than nine decades as a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, pillaging the planet, lying about climate change, and making rich people even richer. | Now, those days have come to an end. One of the biggest oil companies on Earth has hemorrhaged money this year, and now it's been booted from the Dow Jones because it just isn't the superpower it once was. I almost feel bad for Big Oil these days. Almost. | The news of Exxon's removal from the Dow Jones comes amid a pandemic that has absolutely crushed…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-08-26). 'Sudden Collapse': Study Suggests 60% of Antarctic Ice Shelves Face Fracture Risk. commondreams.org Massive southern shelves split by climate-induced hydofracturing can collapse in hours—or even minutes—fueling dangerous sea level rise and coastal flooding. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ice_6.jpg