Daily Archives: September 24, 2020

2020-09-24: News Headlines

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…

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

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…

Manuel García, Jr. (2020-09-24). Global Warming Burps, Bubbles, Simmers and Sours On. counterpunch.org The Northern Hemisphere saw a record high temperature increase, to +1.38 ∞C above the global average temperature during 1881-1920, during this COVID-19 pandemic summer of 2020. [1] The Arctic sea ice has been melting at an increasing rate, not just from above because of the now Global Warming-enhanced elevated air temperature during the Arctic summer, but

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.

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). 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).

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…

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

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…

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). 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

Mark Hertsgaard (2020-09-24). These Races Will Shape What the US Elections Mean for Climate Progress. thenation.com These Races Will Shape What the US Elections Mean for Climate Progress…

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). '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

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

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,…

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…

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…

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."

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…

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…

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…

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

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

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

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…

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…

Staff (2020-09-22). 18-Year-Old Indigenous Climate Activist Fights to Save Arctic Wildlife Refuge. truthout.org This story originally appeared in Teen Vogue and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | In March, Ph.D. candidate and climate justice organizer Maia Wikler traveled to Alaska to continue reporting on the ongoing human rights and climate crisis in the Arctic. She is directing a short documentary film, with support from The North Face, featuring the Gwich'in women who are leading the fight to protect…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-09-22). "What's Your Voting Plan?" Organizers Urge Americans to Get #VoteReady on National Voter Registration Day. commondreams.org As the U.S. marked the eighth annual National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, advocacy groups focused on issues ranging from reproductive rights and the climate crisis to immigrant and voting rights urged the public to ensure they are registered to vote in the November 3 general election. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-09-22_at_4.31.53_pm.jpg

Staff (2020-09-22). Use every tool, says AOC to Democrats. therealnews.com The stakes for the upcoming Supreme Court battle couldn't be higher as Roe v. Wade, workers, healthcare access, unions, LGBTQ communities and climate change legislation hang in the balance.

John Scales Avery (2020-09-22). Climate and the U.S. election. nationofchange.org The U.S. election in November is critical, not just because of Donald Trump's neo-fascisinm, but primarily because if the climate-change-denying and fossil-fuel supporting Republican Party retains power.

news.un (2020-09-22). As UN turns 75, multilateral milestones show successes and 'how much remains to be done' — Kagame. news.un.org In a virtual address to the UN General Assembly's annual general debate, the President of Rwanda on Tuesday noted that while milestones on gender, climate and development have demonstrated the achievements of multilateral action, they also serve to remind "how much remains to be done".

news.un (2020-09-22). 'Enhance solidarity' to fight COVID-19, Chinese President urges, also pledges carbon neutrality by 2060. news.un.org The Chinese President Xi Jinping called for enhanced international solidarity to fight the coronavirus on Tuesday during his UN General Assembly address, declaring that his country would aim to become carbon neutral, in the wider battle against climate change, by 2060.

Staff (2020-09-22). Climate Anxiety Is Rising in the US — But Not Among Republicans. truthout.org Polling shows that people in the United States are taking climate change more seriously today than they were five years ago, but views on climate change remain sharply divided along partisan lines as the November elections loom. Concern about climate change remains higher in dozens of other countries, particularly in nations such as Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam, where people are more likely to feel personally affected by climate change than those living in the U.S. — despite record temperatures, widespr…

commondreams (2020-09-22). Climate Affects Every Topic for First Presidential Debate. It Cannot Be Ignored on Tuesday. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Bill McKibben (2020-09-22). Vote as if the Climate and the Future of Humanity Depend on It—Because They Do. commondreams.org A firefighter uses a drip torch to set a backfire to protect houses in Adobe Canyon during the Nuns Fire on October 15, 2017 near Santa Rosa, California. (Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/fire_this_time_california_0.jpg

Derrick Z. Jackson (2020-09-22). Election Day Is Nearing, But There's No End in Sight to Trump's Attacks on Science. commondreams.org Will the American electorate end up asking for an encore performance of this full-throated rejection of scientific evidence? (Photo: Grist / U.S. Forest Service) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/climate-denier.jpg

Bill McKibben (2020-09-22). Vote as if the Climate and the Future of Humanity Depend on It—Because They Do. thenation.com Vote as if the Climate and the Future of Humanity Depend on It—Because They Do…