Monthly Archives: October 2020

2020-10-25: News Headlines

John Davis (2020-10-25). Climate Change and Hurricanes. counterpunch.org Do you remember this summer's gang-of-five? Known individually as Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia and Maria, a strangely mellifluous invocation of the deluge (or a diluvian mantra), the climatological spawn of cyclogenesis (the spin cycle in the South Atlantic) they collectively represented the most powerful group of hurricanes in over a hundred years. They were part

_____ (2020-10-25). Boat Blockade At Ineos Oil Refinery. popularresistance.org Scotland – Climate activists have blocked the gates of the Ineos refinery at Grangemouth with boats in a protest against pollution. | Extinction Rebellion Scotland claims Ineos is Scotland's biggest climate polluter and is staging the blockade as part of a programme of action. | Small groups of no more than six people have locked themselves together at the gates and aim to remain there all day. | Two boats are being used to block the entrances to the refinery and the headquarters.

Staff (2020-10-25). Fracking Isn't Just Bad for the Climate. It's Bad for Mental Health Too. truthout.org Hydraulic fracturing has boomed in the U.S. over the past decade, but unless you live near it, you may not realize just how close fracking wells can be to homes and schools. In Colorado, the wellbore — the hole drilled to extract oil or gas — can be 500 feet from someone's house under current state rules. In some states, like For people living in these areas, that me…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2020-10-25). 70+ Climate Journalists Pen Open Letter Condemning Barrett for Enabling the 'Ecological Crisis of Our Times'. commondreams.org "At the moment when the facts of the case were presented to her, this arbiter of justice freely chose to side with mistruths. Judge Coney Barrett's responses are factually inaccurate, scientifically unsound, and dangerous." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/amy_coney_barrett_climate.jpg

teleSUR Desk (2020-10-24). Six million displaced people have returned home. mronline.org The authorities reported that they have repaired more than 19.000 houses while supporting waste recycling projects that aim at securing an 18.000 job position.

_____ (2020-10-24). Israel Lobby Spreads More Lies About Palestine Groups At NYU. popularresistance.org New York University has agreed to settle with the US Department of Education over allegations that the university had not appropriately responded to claims of anti-Semitism. | Two attorneys filed the complaint last year on behalf of a student who alleged that she faced "two years of extreme anti-Semitism on the NYU campus which has created an intolerable and unlawful hostile atmosphere for Jewish students." | Echoing previous attempts by Israel advocates to silence Palestinian rights activists on campuses, the complaint accused Students for Justice in Palestine of creating the "hostile" climate due to the group's…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-23). Greenpeace Warns 'Potential Damage to Human DNA' at Risk With Japan's Plan to Dump Fukushima Water Into Ocean. commondreams.org "The policy of the Japanese government to dump nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean is not based on scientific or environmental protection principles and has no justification." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/grenpeace-carbon-14-fukushima.jpg

Juan Cole (2020-10-23). A clear Choice on Climate. zcomm.org Trump wants to Wreck the Planet; Biden has taken strides toward a Green Vision…

Staff (2020-10-23). Is the US presidential election a make or break moment for the climate crisis? therealnews.com America's departure from the Paris Agreement is widely seen as a set back to global efforts to stem the menacing effects of climate change.

The Canary (2020-10-23). Scottish activists block gates at oil refinery in pollution protest. thecanary.co Climate activists have blocked the gates of the Ineos oil refinery at Grangemouth with boats in a protest against pollution.Extinction Rebellion Scotland claims Ineos is Scotland's biggest climate polluter. And the group is staging the blockade as part of a programme of action.Small groups of no more than six people have locked themselves together at the gates. They aim to remain there all day on 23 October.Two boats are being used to block the entrances to the refinery and the headquarters.Activists plan to remain at the scene all day (Extinction Rebellion Scotland/PA)"We are running out of time": Annie L…

RT (2020-10-23). Biden claims he never said he'd ban fracking, despite video, admits he wants to 'transition' away from oil industry. rt.com Joe Biden said he wants to "transition" away from oil and have all industries at "net zero emissions" by 2035. He also claimed he's never said he would ban fracking, despite video evidence of him saying just that. | "Would he close down the oil industry?" President Donald Trump asked of Biden at Thursday's presidential debate. "Would you close down the oil industry?" | "I would transition from the oil industry, yes," Biden admitted, a statement Trump called "big" and critics latched onto on social media, taking it as an admission he would destroy an industry vitally important to the economies of many states.

RT (2020-10-23). 'Do we want the Earth to become like Venus?': Putin calls for swift & practical action on the 'huge challenge' of climate change. rt.com Vladimir Putin has called on the people of the world to come together and "tend to our planet" for future generations. The Russian President also warned that "unrestrained and unlimited consumption" will have to be abandoned. | Putin was speaking on Thursday to the Valdai Club, a Russian discussion forum attended by influential politicians, academics and business leaders, and visited yearly by the president. In recent years, the annual meeting has been held in Sochi, but this year it took place online. | "Tensions have reached a critical point. We can see this in climate change," the Russian president said. "T…

Derek Royden (2020-10-23). The dangerous calls for 'herd immunity'. nationofchange.org As we've seen over decades with climate change, we are sure to begin to see actual experts like epidemiologists debating highly paid public speaking shills about herd immunity on cable news in the months ahead.

Amanda Mills (2020-10-23). Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act introduced in Senate. nationofchange.org "This is the bill we have been waiting for. It draws on the latest science to tap the treasure-trove of ocean solutions to accelerate progress on climate change. The outcome? People win, the economy wins, nature wins."

_____ (2020-10-23). Victory: East Pittsburgh Community Stops Fracking Well. popularresistance.org The East Pittsburgh Zoning and Hearing Board announced this evening that it was rejecting a permit appeal from Merrion Oil & Gas, the company seeking to drill a fracking well at the US Steel plant. | The decision (a 3-2 vote) likely marks the final word on a well project that drew intense community opposition, led by groups like North Braddock Residents For Our Future. The well has long been championed by Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman. | "Communities that have been hard hit by fossil fuel pollution in our state have been raising hell to stop projects like this fracking well…

Ramona du Houx (2020-10-23). Justice Ginsburg's example helped mitigate bad outcomes for women globally. indybay.org Climate change exasperates violence against women worldwide — Justice Ginsburg's example helped mitigate bad outcomes. Elected officials say if Barrett is confirmed systemic injustices, women's rights and climate issues will get worse.

_____ (2020-10-23). VIDEO: UN Is Sure an Uninhabitable Hell Can Be Averted by Taxation. strategic-culture.org

Lee van der Voo (2020-10-23). Remember This the Next Time Someone Says a Green Economy Would Be Too Expensive. commondreams.org If not for moral reasons—for the sake of future generations and the environment—the nation should spend to fight climate change now to secure its economic well-being. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-11531063401.jpg

commondreams (2020-10-23). Vote Climate U.S. PAC Announces U.S. Senate Priority Candidates Hottest Races in the Country are Climate Race. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Katharine Early (2020-10-22). Transforming Our Food Systems is the Only Way to Nourish the World. counterpunch.org The way we produce our food is under pressure like never before. And with the climate crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic now posing the greatest challenges to nourishing the expanding global population, our precious and fragile food system is fast reaching breaking point. So do we intensify the current system of farming or is there

Philip Giraldi (2020-10-22). American Militarism Marches On: No Discussion or Media Coverage of Washington's War Against the World. globalresearch.ca Nearly everyone has heard the comment attributed for former Clinton consigliere Rahm Emanuel that one should never let a good crisis go to waste. The implication of the comment is that if there is a major crisis going on the …

commondreams (2020-10-22). America Can't Afford Another Climate Denier on the Supreme Court, Barrett Backers Will Pay a Price with Voters. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Elliott Negin (2020-10-22). ExxonMobil claims shift on climate but continues to fund climate science deniers. nationofchange.org The company's professed support for a carbon tax is a disingenuous public relations ploy to delay government action.

Common Dreams staff (2020-10-22). WATCH: Joe Biden and Donald Trump Face Off in Final Presidential Debate Before Election Day. commondreams.org The candidates are expected to address Covid-19, climate change, and national security, among other topics. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-122922049611.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-22). The Elders Call for Surge in Global Cooperation to Combat 'Current Disarray' Set Off by Covid-19, Climate Crisis. commondreams.org The global group of independent world leaders and justice advocates known as the Elders on Thursday issued a rebuke of the current failure by world leaders to employ a multilateral approach to confronting multiple existential crises facing the world population. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1220687626_1.jpg

Jennifer Zhang (2020-10-21). The Case for Giving Everyone a Job. progressive.org We need a federal jobs program to build sweeping public infrastructure, save workers and fight the climate crisis.

Jens Marquardt (2020-10-21). How the youth climate movement is influencing the green recovery from COVID-19. nationofchange.org The vibrant protests that catapulted climate change to the political fore are actually needed now more than ever.

news.un (2020-10-21). FROM THE FIELD: Women guardians of the environment. news.un.org Women from around the world are being given a more prominent role in the fight against climate change, thanks to the efforts of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Susan Price (2020-10-21). Whatever happens … it's the end of the world as we know it. greenleft.org.au If carbon continues to be pumped into the atmosphere, we may see the end of complex societies and the extinction of most species, writes Shawn Hattingh. But, we can still avoid climate catastrophe and build a radically democratic, egalitarian and caring society.

Mark Hertsgaard (2020-10-21). What Amy Coney Barrett Means For the Climate. thenation.com What Amy Coney Barrett Means For the Climate…

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Danielle Deiseroth (2020-10-21). Earth to Biden: Stop Talking About Fracking. thenation.com Earth to Biden: Stop Talking About Fracking…

2020-10-24: News Headlines

teleSUR Desk (2020-10-24). Six million displaced people have returned home. mronline.org The authorities reported that they have repaired more than 19.000 houses while supporting waste recycling projects that aim at securing an 18.000 job position.

_____ (2020-10-24). Israel Lobby Spreads More Lies About Palestine Groups At NYU. popularresistance.org New York University has agreed to settle with the US Department of Education over allegations that the university had not appropriately responded to claims of anti-Semitism. | Two attorneys filed the complaint last year on behalf of a student who alleged that she faced "two years of extreme anti-Semitism on the NYU campus which has created an intolerable and unlawful hostile atmosphere for Jewish students." | Echoing previous attempts by Israel advocates to silence Palestinian rights activists on campuses, the complaint accused Students for Justice in Palestine of creating the "hostile" climate due to the group's…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-23). Greenpeace Warns 'Potential Damage to Human DNA' at Risk With Japan's Plan to Dump Fukushima Water Into Ocean. commondreams.org "The policy of the Japanese government to dump nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean is not based on scientific or environmental protection principles and has no justification." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/grenpeace-carbon-14-fukushima.jpg

Juan Cole (2020-10-23). A clear Choice on Climate. zcomm.org Trump wants to Wreck the Planet; Biden has taken strides toward a Green Vision…

CounterSpin (2020-10-23). Mitch Jones on Fracking's Hazards, Matt Sutton on Drug War's Victims. fair.org Media…

Staff (2020-10-23). Is the US presidential election a make or break moment for the climate crisis? therealnews.com America's departure from the Paris Agreement is widely seen as a set back to global efforts to stem the menacing effects of climate change.

The Canary (2020-10-23). Scottish activists block gates at oil refinery in pollution protest. thecanary.co Climate activists have blocked the gates of the Ineos oil refinery at Grangemouth with boats in a protest against pollution.Extinction Rebellion Scotland claims Ineos is Scotland's biggest climate polluter. And the group is staging the blockade as part of a programme of action.Small groups of no more than six people have locked themselves together at the gates. They aim to remain there all day on 23 October.Two boats are being used to block the entrances to the refinery and the headquarters.Activists plan to remain at the scene all day (Extinction Rebellion Scotland/PA)"We are running out of time": Annie L…

RT (2020-10-23). Biden claims he never said he'd ban fracking, despite video, admits he wants to 'transition' away from oil industry. rt.com Joe Biden said he wants to "transition" away from oil and have all industries at "net zero emissions" by 2035. He also claimed he's never said he would ban fracking, despite video evidence of him saying just that. | "Would he close down the oil industry?" President Donald Trump asked of Biden at Thursday's presidential debate. "Would you close down the oil industry?" | "I would transition from the oil industry, yes," Biden admitted, a statement Trump called "big" and critics latched onto on social media, taking it as an admission he would destroy an industry vitally important to the economies of many states.

RT (2020-10-23). 'Do we want the Earth to become like Venus?': Putin calls for swift & practical action on the 'huge challenge' of climate change. rt.com Vladimir Putin has called on the people of the world to come together and "tend to our planet" for future generations. The Russian President also warned that "unrestrained and unlimited consumption" will have to be abandoned. | Putin was speaking on Thursday to the Valdai Club, a Russian discussion forum attended by influential politicians, academics and business leaders, and visited yearly by the president. In recent years, the annual meeting has been held in Sochi, but this year it took place online. | "Tensions have reached a critical point. We can see this in climate change," the Russian president said. "T…

Derek Royden (2020-10-23). The dangerous calls for 'herd immunity'. nationofchange.org As we've seen over decades with climate change, we are sure to begin to see actual experts like epidemiologists debating highly paid public speaking shills about herd immunity on cable news in the months ahead.

Amanda Mills (2020-10-23). Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act introduced in Senate. nationofchange.org "This is the bill we have been waiting for. It draws on the latest science to tap the treasure-trove of ocean solutions to accelerate progress on climate change. The outcome? People win, the economy wins, nature wins."

_____ (2020-10-23). Victory: East Pittsburgh Community Stops Fracking Well. popularresistance.org The East Pittsburgh Zoning and Hearing Board announced this evening that it was rejecting a permit appeal from Merrion Oil & Gas, the company seeking to drill a fracking well at the US Steel plant. | The decision (a 3-2 vote) likely marks the final word on a well project that drew intense community opposition, led by groups like North Braddock Residents For Our Future. The well has long been championed by Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman. | "Communities that have been hard hit by fossil fuel pollution in our state have been raising hell to stop projects like this fracking well…

Ramona du Houx (2020-10-23). Justice Ginsburg's example helped mitigate bad outcomes for women globally. indybay.org Climate change exasperates violence against women worldwide — Justice Ginsburg's example helped mitigate bad outcomes. Elected officials say if Barrett is confirmed systemic injustices, women's rights and climate issues will get worse.

_____ (2020-10-23). VIDEO: UN Is Sure an Uninhabitable Hell Can Be Averted by Taxation. strategic-culture.org

commondreams (2020-10-23). Vote Climate U.S. PAC Announces U.S. Senate Priority Candidates Hottest Races in the Country are Climate Race. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Lee van der Voo (2020-10-23). Remember This the Next Time Someone Says a Green Economy Would Be Too Expensive. commondreams.org If not for moral reasons—for the sake of future generations and the environment—the nation should spend to fight climate change now to secure its economic well-being. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-11531063401.jpg

Katharine Early (2020-10-22). Transforming Our Food Systems is the Only Way to Nourish the World. counterpunch.org The way we produce our food is under pressure like never before. And with the climate crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic now posing the greatest challenges to nourishing the expanding global population, our precious and fragile food system is fast reaching breaking point. So do we intensify the current system of farming or is there

Philip Giraldi (2020-10-22). American Militarism Marches On: No Discussion or Media Coverage of Washington's War Against the World. globalresearch.ca Nearly everyone has heard the comment attributed for former Clinton consigliere Rahm Emanuel that one should never let a good crisis go to waste. The implication of the comment is that if there is a major crisis going on the …

commondreams (2020-10-22). America Can't Afford Another Climate Denier on the Supreme Court, Barrett Backers Will Pay a Price with Voters. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Elliott Negin (2020-10-22). ExxonMobil claims shift on climate but continues to fund climate science deniers. nationofchange.org The company's professed support for a carbon tax is a disingenuous public relations ploy to delay government action.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-22). The Elders Call for Surge in Global Cooperation to Combat 'Current Disarray' Set Off by Covid-19, Climate Crisis. commondreams.org The global group of independent world leaders and justice advocates known as the Elders on Thursday issued a rebuke of the current failure by world leaders to employ a multilateral approach to confronting multiple existential crises facing the world population. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1220687626_1.jpg

Common Dreams staff (2020-10-22). WATCH: Joe Biden and Donald Trump Face Off in Final Presidential Debate Before Election Day. commondreams.org The candidates are expected to address Covid-19, climate change, and national security, among other topics. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-122922049611.jpg

The Canary (2020-10-21). Business leaders describe a 'pointless' call with Boris Johnson and Michael Gove over Brexit. thecanary.co Business leaders on a call with the prime minister Boris Johnson and cabinet minister Michael Gove on Brexit have described the meeting as "pointless".The virtual meeting was scheduled on the morning of 20 October for 3pm the same day. It was organised to discuss how the government aims to support businesses after the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December"A wasted 23 minutes of my life": According to the government, 250 businesses were on the call. Although it had been scheduled for an hour, it only lasted 23 minutes, with Johnson and Gove discussing their levelling up agenda.One leader told t…

Jennifer Zhang (2020-10-21). The Case for Giving Everyone a Job. progressive.org We need a federal jobs program to build sweeping public infrastructure, save workers and fight the climate crisis.

Jens Marquardt (2020-10-21). How the youth climate movement is influencing the green recovery from COVID-19. nationofchange.org The vibrant protests that catapulted climate change to the political fore are actually needed now more than ever.

news.un (2020-10-21). FROM THE FIELD: Women guardians of the environment. news.un.org Women from around the world are being given a more prominent role in the fight against climate change, thanks to the efforts of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Extinction Rebellion Silicon Valley (2020-10-21). Saturday 10/24: XR Welcome Call. indybay.org us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvcO2hrzIsG929DFzaRfh5kVSbSuwhqJGy

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-21). 'Stop Financing Climate-Wrecking Companies': Campaigners Light Earth on Fire Outside European Central Bank HQ. commondreams.org Critics call out the bank for "purchasing bonds from some of the world's worst climate criminals through its trillion-euro Covid recovery package." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ecb-2.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-21). Merkley Unveils Pioneering Bills to Make Financial Institutions 'Stop Bankrolling Climate Catastrophe'. commondreams.org "This is how we stop the money pipeline between Wall Street and the fossil fuel industry." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12001733481.jpg

Susan Price (2020-10-21). Whatever happens … it's the end of the world as we know it. greenleft.org.au If carbon continues to be pumped into the atmosphere, we may see the end of complex societies and the extinction of most species, writes Shawn Hattingh. But, we can still avoid climate catastrophe and build a radically democratic, egalitarian and caring society.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Danielle Deiseroth (2020-10-21). Earth to Biden: Stop Talking About Fracking. thenation.com Earth to Biden: Stop Talking About Fracking…

Mark Hertsgaard (2020-10-21). Amy Coney Barrett Gets That Covid Is Infectious—but Not That Climate Change Is Real. thenation.com Amy Coney Barrett Gets That Covid Is Infectious—but Not That Climate Change Is Real…

Mark Hertsgaard (2020-10-21). What Amy Coney Barrett Means For the Climate. thenation.com What Amy Coney Barrett Means For the Climate…