(2021-02-05). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. counterpunch.org Since 2015, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled the Senate with an iron hand, describing himself as "the Guardian of Gridlock." He was Senator "NO," except for confirming over 200 mostly corporatist federal judges. Now comes a new challenge for Mitch McConnell as he leads 49 other Republican Senators, twenty of whom are up
(2021-02-05). It's Now or Never — We Stare Into the Abyss. counterpunch.org This column is hopeful. I promise. The northern white rhinoceros is now functionally extinct. Sudan — the last male of his kind — passed away recently. There are two females remaining but obviously they can produce no more of their species without a male — and mating with nearby giraffes is not something in which they seem
(2021-02-05). Greta Thunberg effect: people familiar with young climate activist may be more likely to act. juancole.com 
By Anandita Sabherwal and Sander van der Linden | — She was declared Time magazine's person of the year in the same month that Donald Trump told her to "work on her anger management issues". Greta Thunberg has attracted international attention since her lone demonstration outside the Swedish Parliament in August 2018. Her "school strike …
(2021-02-05). China's Sea of Conflict. counterpunch.org 
Biden 's administration faces a host of difficult problems, but in foreign policy its thornist will be its relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). How it handles issues of trade, security and human rights will either allow both countries to hammer out a working relationship or pull the US into an expensive–and unwinnable–cold war that will shelve existential threats like climate change and nuclear war.
(2021-02-05). 'America is back!' Biden talks 'tough' on Russia and China, vows to reclaim 'moral leadership & defend democracy'. rt.com 
In his first major foreign policy address, President Joe Biden vowed to confront the enemies of 'democracy' globally, while seeking to reclaim America's 'moral credibility' and leadership in LGBT and climate change issues. | Speaking at the State Department headquarters in the nation's capital on Thursday, Biden outlined his foreign policy vision in a 20-minute address, laying out a sprawling list of priorities for his administration, among them countering supposed US "adversaries." | "American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival…
(2021-02-05). Climate targets require plans, which is why Morrison doesn't want them. greenleft.org.au Pressure from the Biden administration's pledges on swift climate change action seems to have pushed Scott Morrison to mention he indeed has a plan to reduce emissions, writes Pip Hinman.
(2021-02-05). Thursday 2/11: Regenerative Agriculture: Reversing Over Farming to Grow Climate & Food Supply Resiliency. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-02-05). California's Bulldozer 'Restoration': From the Ballona Wetlands to the Delta. indybay.org "Our Governor's cabinet members just announced a series of initiatives that support 'Nature Based Solutions' to counter climate change. So, how does Governor Newsom justify a project to bulldoze and excavate more than 2.5 million cubic yards of soil, paving the way for a new fossil fuel infrastructure for the aging gas storage field under this ecological reserve?" asked attorney Bryan Pease.
(2021-02-04). Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal: The Political Economy of Saving the Planet (Book). nationofchange.org The issues inherent in the climate crisis as well as the solutions are complex, but Noam Chomsky and Robert Pollin do an excellent job of presenting a clear and actionable analysis of both. If you are looking for a solution based, well thought out approach to the biggest existential threat to humanity today, this book …
(2021-02-04). Covid, climate, and 'dual metabolic rupture'. mronline.org 
We thought climate catastrophe the main danger. Now we know there is another. A double-whammy ecological crisis threatens collapse into dystopian chaos.
(2021-02-04). Great.com Interviews CEPR about Climate Change, Social Security, and a Global Response to COVID. cepr.net Spirit Rosenberg from Great.com interviewed CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot as part of their "Great.com Talks With…" podcast. This series seeks to provide an antidote to negative news stories and aims to shed light on organizations and experts whose work is making a positive impact on the world. The interview examines the question of how research …
(2021-02-04). The Resilience Doctrine: Mutual Aid in the Pandemic and Beyond. counterpunch.org 
Part 4 of a 4-part Primer on Disaster Collectivism in the Climate and Pandemic Crises At The Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Washington, our winter-quarter class on "Catastrophe: Community Resilience in the Face of Disaster" began in early January 2020, so our students had early warning of coronavirus as it began to spread around the
(2021-02-04). Ukraine appeals to Belarus for emergency electricity, as Lithuania admits it still imports energy from embargoed nuclear reactor. rt.com 
A Belarusian power station, once dubbed 'Chernobyl II' due to reported safety concerns, is set to do a roaring trade on the European energy market as neighboring countries increasingly find themselves in need of cheap energy. | Lithuania's minister for energy, Dainius Kreivys, told local media on Thursday that, despite efforts to cut the controversial plant out of its grid, the country was still importing significant amounts of its energy. | According to the politician, around 77 million kWh of electricity has been flowing into the Baltic nation at a cost of €4 million ($4.8 million) since the plant began…
(2021-02-04). New Bill From Blumenauer, Ocasio-Cortez, and Sanders Demands Biden Declare a National Climate Emergency. commondreams.org The Sunrise Movement's executive director called it "a good sign that our leaders are finally understanding what young people and climate activists have been shouting from the rooftops for years." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1228419561_0.png …
(2021-02-04). 'As fake as her tweets'? Police open conspiracy PROBE into Greta Thunberg's 'protest toolkit,' accuse creators of 'WAR ON INDIA'. rt.com 
Police in New Delhi have opened a conspiracy investigation into the creators of a "toolkit" with instructions on how to amplify the farmers' protests in India — a document that has been shared by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. | Thunberg took to Twitter on Wednesday to share a lengthy document outlining ways for activists to contribute to India's ongoing pro-farmer protests, including stock messages and hashtags to disseminate on social media, as well as advice on organizing rallies. Within hours, the "toolkit" was taken offline by its creators and replaced with a much shorter version, with Thunberg no…
(2021-02-04). With new bill, Sanders and AOC press Biden to declare a 'climate emergency'. peoplesworld.org 
In his first 15 days in office, President Joe Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, pledged to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies from the federal government, and started the process of unwinding Trump's disastrous environmental legacy. And now a trio of Democratic lawmakers wants President Biden to declare a "climate emergency" as soon as possible. Representative Earl Blumenauer of …
(2021-02-04). Climate expert warns prime minister over 'contemptuous' coal mine plans. thecanary.co Boris Johnson risks "humiliation" over approved plans to open a new coal mine in Cumbria, a leading climate scientist has warned. | "Contemptuous disregard": | James Hansen said that failure to stop the mine from going ahead at Whitehaven would be in "contemptuous disregard" for the future of young people and nature. The new facility, which will be used to extract coking coal for steel production, has been granted planning permission by Cumbria County Council. | Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Stefan Rousseau/PA) | The government said in January that it would not call in the plans for an inquiry, despite th…
(2021-02-04). How climate sceptics ran Australia's climate policy. greenleft.org.au Alex Salmon reviews a new book on how Australia's climate policy has been held hostage to sceptics and fossil fuel interests for decades.
(2021-02-04). Congressional Bill Urges Biden to Declare Climate Emergency. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-04). It's a New Day in the Climate Battle, Now We Must Act With Agency. commondreams.org We must push forward aggressively now that the wind is finally at our backs, to rescue our planet while there is still time. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/planetb.jpg …
(2021-02-04). Opposition To Line 3 Mounts. popularresistance.org Saint Paul, MN — Around 600 people gathered in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 29, calling on President Biden to revoke permits for the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline project. The protest billed as 'Protect the Water, Revoke the Permits' started at Kellogg Park and marched into downtown to the local Army Corps of Engineers' office to demand federal water crossing permits be rescinded. Direct actions halting construction of the new pipeline continue to take place as opposition Line 3 grows. Friday morning in Northern Minnesota, two water protectors locked down to each other between three concrete barrels bloc…
(2021-02-04). It's Now Or Never — We Stare Into The Abyss. popularresistance.org This column is hopeful. I promise. | The northern white rhinoceros is now functionally extinct. Sudan — the last male of his kind — passed away recently. There are two females remaining but obviously they can produce no more of their species without a male — and mating with nearby giraffes is not something in which they seem interested. | This is not the end but the beginning. | This is still the beginning of a great extinction, the sixth great extinction in earth's history and the first one caused by humans. The others were caused by things like massive asteroid impacts creating damage equivale…
(2021-02-04). Brazil: Vale Pays $7 Billion Fine Over Brumadinho Dam Collapse. telesurenglish.net Brazilian mining company Vale will pay the equivalent of about $7 billion for "social and environmental" damages caused by the rupture, in January 2019, of a mining waste dam in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, which left 270 dead. | The agreement between the parties contemplates the value "in socio-economic and socio-environmental reparation projects." According to the government of Minas Gerais, the "largest reparation agreement signed so far in Latin America." | The clauses stipulate, among other points, that Vale, one of the largest iron ore producers in the world, must disburse these amounts in direct aid to tho…
(2021-02-04). Tuesday 2/9: Protest Berkeley's Inaction on Climate Change and Animal Cruelty. indybay.org Ohlone Park, Berkeley, CA…
(2021-02-04). Wednesday 2/10: Changing Climate: The Role of Environmental Justice. indybay.org Free online event. Register here: | ucsc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o7ezK23iR3q0E80jgIrhvg…
(2021-02-04). China's National Carbon Market has Just Launched: How it Could be a Climate Game Changer. juancole.com By Huw Slater, Wang Shu and Dimitri De Boer | — ( China Dialogue) — With the new market having opened on 1 February, experts offer a take on how it may impact China's industries and emissions trajectory China's national carbon market started operating on 1 February, as mandated by a key regulatory document. Although …
(2021-02-04). Wednesday 2/10: Plant-Based Meals: Good for Climate, Health & Your Budget. indybay.org Online event…
(2021-02-04). Federal Court Rejects Montana Coal Mine Expansion on Climate, Clean Air Grounds. counterpunch.org Billings, Montana A federal court late yesterday ruled against a massive Montana coal mine expansion, finding the federal government inappropriately ignored the climate, environmental, and health consequences of more mining. In a rebuke of the U.S. Office of Surface Mining, Judge Susan Watters found the agency illegally failed to disclose and account for the full impacts of
(2021-02-03). The Resilience Doctrine: Indigenous Nations Understand Disaster Resilience. counterpunch.org 
Part 3 of a 4-part Primer on Disaster Collectivism in the Climate and Pandemic Crises. From the perspectives of Indigenous nations, the crises of 2020 have not been something entirely new, or even a significant historical departure from "normal." Having previously experienced the ravages of violent colonialism, pandemics, environmental catastrophe, and forced assimilation, the current
(2021-02-03). NASA Taps Top Climate Researcher for New Advisory Role on the Climate Crisis. truthout.org 
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Wednesday that it has created a new position: senior climate adviser. The role will be filled in an acting capacity by Gavin Schmidt, who currently heads the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York. | The agency's new senior climate adviser will work to communicate the agency's climate findings with the rest of the scientific community and help to align different parts of NASA with climate goals. Schmidt will b…
(2021-02-03). What does Pete Buttigieg's transportation secretary role mean for climate? peoplesworld.org 
The Senate confirmed Pete Buttigieg Tuesday as the next Transportation Secretary, inspiring hope among environmentalists that a clean and equitable transportation sector may be possible. Passing with a 86-13 vote, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, now has the authority to make decisions on how the country moves, builds, and travels, directing the department's 55,000 employees and a …
(2021-02-03). Biden-Kerry international climate politricks. mronline.org 
Is U.S. President Joe Biden's January 27 Executive Order to address 'climate crisis' as good as many activists claim, enough to reverse earlier scepticism?>
(2021-02-03). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. commondreams.org Allowing the Trumpian half of his brain to overpower his judgment and vote to acquit Dangerous Donald would spell disaster for the Republican Party (assuming the Democratic Party doesn't go to sleep as it did after Obama's win in 2008). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcconnell_biden_0.jpg …
(2021-02-03). Activists Push to Ban Fracking. zcomm.org "We do not know what our future holds right now. But we do know that any further fossil fuel extraction will only further perpetuate this"
(2021-02-03). Chevron Fails Shareholders with its Climate Lobbying Report, Needs to Go Back to Drawing Board. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-03). First Person: Digging for victory in the Philippines. news.un.org Some farming techniques can have a devastating and negative effect on the environment, as farmers seek to harvest the maximum amount of produce from their land, but the efforts of a Filipino chef and activist are demonstrating that, with the right approach, agriculture can help to regenerate land, offer protection from the effects of climate change and extreme weather, and improve livelihoods.
(2021-02-03). Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction; Still no Federal or State Protection in Sight. indybay.org Population that winters along the California coast hit a low of less than 2,000 butterflies—a 99.9% decline since the 1980s. We must take action now to save the western monarch migration.
(2021-02-03). Individual Action and Climate Change. progressive.org Until the system changes, individuals will be forced to live unsustainably.
(2021-02-02). 'Waste of taxes!' Sussex police arrest man for serving free soup in local park (VIDEO). rt.com 
Police in East Sussex have arrested a local man for handing out free soup in a park, insisting the charitable act violated pandemic policy by gathering more than two people outdoors. Meanwhile, real crime in the UK still climbs. | Nick Smith was arrested last Tuesday in an East Sussex park, allegedly for violating Covid-19 regulations while distributing free soup. Smith has distributed soup in the park on a weekly basis, and plans to continue his work "every Monday through lockdown." | Police reportedly invited Smith to the scene on Tuesday based on an anonymous report on Monday of a "regular gathering wher…
(2021-02-02). The Resilience Doctrine: How Disasters Can Encourage Social Change. counterpunch.org 
Part 2 of a 4-part Primer on Disaster Collectivism in the Climate and Pandemic Crises. Disasters sometimes have a way of focusing public attention on basic human needs and long-term ecological survival. According to the Shareable network, survival is not even possible without a "sharing transformation," or "a movement of movements emerging from the grassroots up
(2021-02-02). Bill Gates Has a New $1bn Yacht That Shows He Is Morally Superior to You Because It's Hydrogen-Powered. anti-empire.com 
Editor's note: A $1bn yacht might be the ultimate symbol of excess, conspicuous consumption, and waste. But make it "hydrogen-powered" and suddenly it's a symbol of virtue, or so the bottom-feeding press would have you believe (see an exhibit below if you can stomach it). | And at all that Gates did not even earn his fortune (that he is now using to help keep you in lockdown), but is a tax parasite owing all his ill-begotten wealth to a state-granted monopoly patent. These were rightfully abolished centuries ago, but for some reason when it comes to the bogus concept of "intellectual property" a "patent" can stil…
(2021-02-02). Biden's Green Energy Plans are just Market Wisdom: Norway's Investment Fund just Dumped $6 Bn. in Oil Stocks. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Some have questioned how realistic Biden's plans are to move the US rapidly off fossil fuels. In fact, it is the fossil fuels that are unrealistic. Burning petroleum and coal are bad for everyone's health and destined to make earth swelteringly hot, with lots of climate catastrophes and extreme weather. …
(2021-02-02). Biden's Executive Order on Climate Crisis Exposes Need for Constitutional Change. commondreams.org Demands to abolish the Electoral College and restructure the U.S. Supreme Court can be pegged to substantive constitutional change. It's the role of movements to demand and make changes to the "applicable law," and its interpretation. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_drilling_fossil_fuels.jpg …
(2021-02-02). On Inauguration Day, Police Nationwide Went After Left-Wing Protesters. truthout.org 
The storming of the U.S. Capitol by armed far right activists shifted the political climate for much of the U.S., despite the fact that anti-fascist activists and researchers had been warning for years that this type of response was imminent. While the tone and behavior of the far right had escalated since the election — a result of Donald Trump's failure to win a second term and his explosive conspiracy theories — the events on January 6 showed that the risks were not just street-level…
(2021-02-02). Over 50 Water Protectors in Minnesota March Onto Line 3 Pipeline Easement to Stop Construction. commondreams.org "We are endangering future generations," said Charles King, who locked himself to construction equipment, "and that's got to stop." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/standing_water_protectors1.png …
(2021-02-02). Over 50 Water Protectors Walk Onto Line 3 Pipeline Easement, Two Lock Themselves to an Excavator Laying Pipe. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-02). 'Kids Deserve a World Without Diesel Emissions': Report Offers Roadmap for Electric School Bus Transition. commondreams.org "Only by working together can we tackle the existential threat of climate change and accelerate the process towards a zero-emission future." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12281963671.jpg …
(2021-02-02). Reducing Administrative Waste in the US Health Care System. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint reviews the history and sources of administrative waste in the US health care system and proposes concrete ways the federal government can use its regulatory authority to reduce it based on the ACA and more recent legislative precedents.