2021-04-23: News Headlines

Gateway House (2021-04-24). India At The Arctic Council — OpEd. eurasiareview.com India has had big successes during its first stint as an observer in the Arctic Council. Since then, the country has made substantial progress in its climate action pledges and developed comprehensive strategies to mitigate climate change. With its re-election, India can now offer much more to the global organisation's role in promoting environmental stability in the polar region.: | By Chaitanya Giri* | In 2019, India was re-elected as an Observer to the Arctic Council,, a multilateral organisation consisting of eight littoral Arctic nations that works towards promoting cooperation, coordination and i…

a guest author (2021-04-23). Imperialism in the name of 'water preservation'. workers.org By Jason Cohen (City College of New York student) Vice President Kamala Harris, while appearing with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, made a stunning remark that illuminated the perilous future ahead due to climate change. Discussing the need for policies to bolster the crumbling infrastructure that is needed to provide adequate . . . |

Staff (2021-04-23). "Shelter from the Storm": Climate Change Is a Driving Force in Central American Migration. democracynow.org We look at the link between migration and the climate emergency, which studies have estimated could displace over 200 million people by 2050, including many in Central American countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Last year, two hurricanes, Iota and Eta, devastated the region and forced thousands to flee north. A new report finds that the climate crisis is already a driver in migration from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which reiterates the necessity of planning "ahead for the major migration flows," says Camila Bustos, human rights associate at the University Network for Human Rights. "W…

Staff (2021-04-23). African Activists: The Earth Is in Peril If Wealthy Nations Don't Slash Emissions & Pay Climate Debt. democracynow.org As President Biden convenes a major climate summit, we speak with two leading climate activists from Africa about the "climate debt" rich countries owe the Global South and the major emissions cuts still needed in order to avert the worst effects of the planetary emergency. "Given the scale of the crisis right now, the only thing that is going to get us out of it is not going to be baby steps in the right direction," says Kumi Naidoo, special adviser for the Green Economy Coalition's Social Contract Initiative, as well as the former head of Greenpeace International. "It's going to be big, bold, courageous, struct…

Staff (2021-04-23). Biden Vows to Cut Emissions, But U.S. Continues to Subsidize Fossil Fuels Amid Climate Crisis. democracynow.org The White House convened a virtual summit on the climate crisis this week, with 40 leaders representing the world's major economies pledging cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would cut its emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade — nearly double the target set by the Obama administration six years ago. Biden's pledge fulfills "a basic requirement of the U.S. being in the Paris Climate Agreement," says New Republic staff writer Kate Aronoff, but still does not go far enough. "This is well, well below what the United States really owes the rest of…

Staff (2021-04-23). Biden Vows to Cut Emissions While US Continues to Subsidize Fossil Fuels. truthout.org The White House convened a virtual summit on the climate crisis this week, with 40 leaders representing the world's major economies pledging cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would cut its emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade — nearly double the target set by the Obama administration six years ago. Biden's pledge fulfills "a basic requirement of the U.S. being in the Paris Climate Agreement," says New Republic staff writer Kate…

Staff (2021-04-23). Headlines for April 23, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Pledges to Halve U.S. Emissions Compared to 2005 Levels as Virtual Climate Summit Opens, House Committee Hears Testimony on Role of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Preventing Climate Action, New York City Sues Big Oil over Decades of False Advertising About Climate Crisis, India Posts World Record Coronavirus Case Count for Second Consecutive Day, South Africa Resumes Use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine, Study Confirms Elevated Risk of COVID-19 for Expectant Mothers and Babies, House Votes to Make "Washington, Douglass Commonwealth" the 51st State, Senate Passes Bill Targeting Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, Pro-Tru…

Anonymous103 (2021-04-23). Virtual Bunny Hugging: Boasting About Climate Change Goals. southfront.org Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General participating in the Leaders Climate Summit. Source: www.nato.int | Written by Dr. Binoy Kampmark. | He seemed frustrated. While Scott Morrison's international colleagues at the

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2021-04-23). Virtual Bunny Hugging: Boasting About Climate Change Goals. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | He seemed frustrated. While Scott Morrison's international colleagues at the

The Conversation (2021-04-23). New US climate pledge: Cut emissions 50% this decade, but can Biden make it happen? juancole.com By Morgan Bazilian and David Victor | — President Joe Biden announced an ambitious new national climate target at a livestreamed summit of world leaders on April 22, 2021. He pledged to cut U.S. carbon emissions in half by the end of this decade and aim for net zero emissions by 2050. The new goal …

John Wojcik (2021-04-23). GOP infrastructure maneuvering can kill plans to mitigate climate change. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—As world leaders came together at the invitation of President Joe Biden for an Earth Day summit to commit to saving a planet imperiled by global warming, a group of Senate Republicans engaged in political maneuvering which, if successful, could dash the hopes of ever addressing climate change in a meaningful way. Trying to sound …

Eurasia Review (2021-04-23). Climate 'Tipping Points' Need Not Be End Of World. eurasiareview.com The disastrous consequences of climate "tipping points" could be averted if global warming was reversed quickly enough, new research suggests. | Once triggered, tipping points may lead to abrupt changes such as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest or melting of major ice sheets. | Until now, crossing these thresholds has been assumed to be a point of no return, but the new study – published in the journal Nature – concludes that thresholds could be "temporarily exceeded" without prompting permanent shifts. | The research team, from the University of Exeter and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), s…

sputniknews (2021-04-23). 'We Didn't Feel Anything Right Away — These Weren't Bullets': True Stories of Chernobyl Liquidators. sputniknews.com Monday will mark the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster — one of the worst technogenic accidents in human history. The disaster sparked renewed public interest due to HBO's Chernobyl miniseries in 2019. However, the show, while being highly stylized and dramatic, was also filled with half-truths and even outright lies.

Michael Welch (2021-04-23). Earth Day 2021: Hope Illusions and Daunting Realities. globalresearch.ca "We're here at this summit to discuss how each of us, each country, can set higher climate ambitions that will in turn, create good paying jobs, advance innovative technologies, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts. We have to …

EMMA (2021-04-23). The People's Podcast: Climate Emergency, DAPL, & Biden's Plan. peoplesparty.org Join us for the second episode of The People's Podcast, our new live show dedicated to making the case for a major new party free of corporate money. New episodes every other week. | Sadie Thompson, co-chair of Power Shift Network, joins Nick Brana and Eynelys García to discuss the climate emergency, DAPL, and Biden's plan.

WSWS (2021-04-23). Biden climate summit offers empty spectacle. wsws.org The two-day event that began Thursday underscored the reality that there is no solution to global warming and climate change within the framework of capitalism.

DoD News (2021-04-23). US Defense Secretary Austin Calls Climate Change An Existential Threat. eurasiareview.com By David Vergun | Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke Thursday at the Leaders Summit on Climate. | "Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis. We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential. The climate crisis does," he said, adding that "climate change is making the world more unsafe and we need to act." | The climate crisis is a profoundly destabilizing force for the world, Austin said. As the Arctic ice melts, competition for resources and influence in the region increases. Closer to the equator, risi…

Geopolitical Monitor (2021-04-23). Biden Can Learn from Indonesia's Infrastructure Experience — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Ronny P. Sasmita | US President Joe Biden unveiled a roughly $2 trillion jobs proposal focused on infrastructure and the climate crisis in a speech in Pittsburgh last Wednesday, stressing his support for labor unions and his hope that such investments would lift the middle class. The president's next major legislative push, the American Jobs Plan, would heavily invest in rebuilding the nation's crumbling infrastructure and shift to greener energy sources over the next eight years. Biden plans to pay for his proposal by raising corporate taxes and eliminating tax breaks on fossil fuels, which was one of his…

ecns.cn (2021-04-23). Developed countries urged to honor commitment on climate change assistance. ecns.cn Developed countries were urged to honor their pledge to deliver financial and technological assistance to developing countries to address climate change at the Leaders Summit on Climate held via video link on Thursday.

ecns.cn (2021-04-23). Xi calls for international effort to address climate challenges. ecns.cn President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for "unprecedented ambition and action" from the international community to build a community of life for mankind and nature in order to jointly cope with the challenges from climate change.

ecns.cn (2021-04-23). Right to healthy environment helps achieve ecological civilization: UN expert. ecns.cn The right to a healthy environment will help achieve an ecological civilization, which can be a catalyst for more ambitious climate action and also a powerful tool for holding governments accountable for their commitments, a senior UN human rights and environment expert said.

ecns.cn (2021-04-23). China's commitments on climate 'hugely significant', says expert. ecns.cn China's pledge to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 are hugely significant commitments and deserve to be commended, a renowned U.S. expert said.

ecns.cn (2021-04-23). EU leaders seek to lead climate action in carbon trading. ecns.cn Leaders of the European Union (EU) on Thursday voiced their ambition to lead the global climate action especially in regards to the establishment of a well-functioning carbon trading system.

Mark Hertsgaard (2021-04-23). On Earth Day, US Power Brokers Acknowledge the Scale and Urgency of the Climate Crisis. thenation.com On Earth Day, US Power Brokers Acknowledge the Scale and Urgency of the Climate Crisis…

Susan Price (2021-04-23). Morrison mute on targets at Biden climate summit. greenleft.org.au Prime Minister Scott Morrison had nothing to announce at the US-initiated World Leaders Climate Summit, reports Pip Hinman.

_____ (2021-04-23). Lobbying Politicians Is Holding Back The Climate Movement. popularresistance.org In early January, Labour leader Keir Starmer tweeted about his commitment to tackling the climate emergency, sharing an image of him meeting with several climate groups. The screenshot revealed all the Zoom meeting attendees: the Queen's Council and several other Shadow Cabinet members, alongside figures from all the major wildlife and environmental charities, from Greenpeace to the WWF. The tweet showed a motley crew — a collection of old and pale smiling faces, confident in their ability to tackle the climate crisis. | The tweet was quickly ridiculed. Many from the UK Student Climate Network, the group co…

Zach Conti (2021-04-23). Biden Vows Cut to US Emissions as Yellen Commits Full Power of Treasury to Address Climate. indybay.org Financial decisions play a critical role in solving climate change, advocated Treasury Secretary Yellen during a US-hosted climate summit.

Robert Hunziker (2021-04-23). If Fukushima's Water is Safe, Then Drink it! counterpunch.org By now, the world knows all about the decision by Japan to dump tritium-laced radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. According to Japan's Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, the treated and diluted water will be "safe to drink." Furthermore, he claims the country should have started releasing it into the ocean earlier. (Source: China to

ecns.cn (2021-04-23). UN expert says Japan's discharge of contaminated water brings great uncertainty to global environment. ecns.cn Marcos Orellana, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, has said that the disposal of contaminated Fukushima waters into the Pacific Ocean will bring enormous uncertainty regarding the move's potential impact on the global environment.

Staff (2021-04-22). Nearly 100 House Democrats Send Letter to Schumer Demanding End to Filibuster. truthout.org Representatives Cori Bush (D-Missouri) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) are leading an effort with nearly 100 of their fellow House members to end the Senate filibuster. The lawmakers join "In today's hyper-partisan climate, there is simply no avenue for bold legislation that meets the needs of everyday Americans witho…

Staff (2021-04-22). Biden Opens Climate Summit With Pledge to Cut US Emissions in Half by 2030. truthout.org President Joe Biden on Thursday has pledged to cut carbon emissions from the U.S. to half of what they were in 2005 by the end of this decade. His announcement came on the first day of a virtual climate summit hosted by Biden. | "I've talked to the experts and I see the potential for a more prosperous and equitable future,"

Staff (2021-04-22). California's Wildfire Season Looms. Regenerative Agriculture Could Offer Hope. truthout.org This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | When Alexis Koefoed's farm burned for the first time in 2008, she and her husband, who made a living raising pasture-grazing chickens at the time, lost 1,000 baby chicks and a brand-new barn. "I thought there could never be anything worse than this experience, until it happened three more times," she said. | That first time, an arsonist was to blame. But parts of the farm, in Vaca…

Staff (2021-04-22). A Grim Season Looms — But Regenerative Agriculture Could Offer Hope. truthout.org This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | When Alexis Koefoed's farm burned for the first time in 2008, she and her husband, who made a living raising pasture-grazing chickens at the time, lost 1,000 baby chicks and a brand-new barn. "I thought there could never be anything worse than this experience, until it happened three more times," she said. | That first time, an arsonist was to blame. But parts of the farm, in Vaca…

Staff (2021-04-22). 72-Year-Old Fisher Hunger Strikes to Press Biden to Revive Crude Oil Export Ban. truthout.org This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | Seventy-two-year-old, fourth-generation retired shrimper Diane Wilson has been without food for 16 days. Her 1995 red Chevy, nicknamed "Rosie," has become a mobile campsite, and each morning she posts up on a causeway at the waterfront of Texas's Lavaca Bay, expending just enough energy to switch out a sign displaying the number of days she's been on hunger strike an…

The Canary (2021-04-22). Don't know your net zero from your NDCs? This climate jargon buster could help. thecanary.co World leaders are under pressure to take action on climate change — but what exactly is it they are talking about? Here are some of the commonly used climate terms and what they mean. | — Greenhouse gases | These are gases that trap some of the heat from the sun in the atmosphere and keep the the planet warm enough for life to thrive. | Concentrations of these gases, which include carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, have increased at a rapid rate in recent years. | — Greenhouse gas or carbon emissions | This is the release of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, into the atmosph…

The Canary (2021-04-22). Extinction Rebellion activists smash windows of HSBC's London headquarters. thecanary.co Climate change activists said they smashed the windows of HSBC's London headquarters over its links to the fossil fuel industry. | Nine women from Extinction Rebellion (XR) and the political party Burning Pink targeted the Canary Wharf building on Thursday morning, using hammers and chisels to break the glass. | They then placed stickers on the windows reading " £80 billion into fossil fuels in the last 5 years" and waited for police to arrive, XR said. | The Metropolitan Police said its officers were called to Canada Square shortly after 7am to reports of protesters causing "criminal damage to a building".

Staff (2021-04-22). Noam Chomsky and Robert Pollin: Green New Deal Is Essential for Human Survival. truthout.org This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. | Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970, an era which marks the beginning of the modern environmental movement, with concerns built primarily around air and water pollution. Of course, the state of the environment has shifted dramatically since then, and while environmental policy has changed a lot in the United States over the past 50 years, biodiversity is in great…

Juan Cole (2021-04-22). A big Effing Deal: On Eve of Climate Summit, news that Biden will cut US C02 Emissions 50% by 2030. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — ( Matthew Daly at the Associated Press reports that President Biden will announce at Thursday's virtual international Climate Summit that the US will commit to reducing its annual carbon dioxide emissions by half of the 2005 peak by 2030. Joe Biden famously used an expletive to describe the passage of …

Juan Cole (2021-04-22). On Eve of Climate Summit, Biden will cut US C02 Emissions 50% by 2030. zcomm.org With the Biden plan, we'll be putting on significantly less "weight" every year, and the carbon sink of the oceans will then allow us to "lose" a lot of carbon weight…

Staff (2021-04-22). Decolonization or Extinction: Indigenous Red Deal Lays Out Plan to Save the Earth. democracynow.org On Earth Day, we speak with two of the more than two dozen Indigenous authors of a new book that looks at the history of resistance against colonialism and capitalism and lays out a vision for the future to address the climate crisis. "The Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth" details the centuries of Indigenous resistance that created the movement at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access pipeline and what movements centering justice for Indigenous people must look like. The book offers a "people's program to prevent extinction," says Melanie Yazzie, assistant professor of Native American studies and A…

Tina Landis (2021-04-22). We can solve the climate crisis! liberationnews.org Climate change is unfolding at an increasingly rapid rate with more severe droughts, storms, wildfires and floods impacting the globe. Yet, the capitalists continue to plunder the planet.

John Bachtell (2021-04-22). Ambitious Earth Day target: Biden announces 50% emissions cut. peoplesworld.org President Joe Biden announced an ambitious goal to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in response to the looming climate crisis on Thursday morning. With the goal, GHG emissions are to be reduced by 50% of the 2005 level by the year 2030. Getting to the goal would entail a fundamental transformation in U.S. society …

Shimbun Akahata (2021-04-22). Japanese Communists denounce plan to dump radiation-tainted water into ocean. peoplesworld.org TOKYO—In defiance of strong opposition from local fishermen and the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations (JF Zengyoren), the government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on April 13 decided to release radiation-tainted water into the ocean from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Regarding this decision, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira in …

Simone Lovera (2021-04-22). How Earth Day Is Being Co-Opted. progressive.org We must resist the corporate takeover of the UN's food, biodiversity, and climate agenda.

DoD News (2021-04-22). Commander Says Africa Too Important For US To Ignore. eurasiareview.com By Jim Garamone | Africa is a fascinating continent of tremendous possibilities but also tremendous dangers, and the U.S. ignores the nations of Africa at its own peril, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command said during an interview. | "China and Russia don't ignore Africa, and that alone should say something," Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend said. | Africa has 13 of the 25 fastest growing economies in the world, Townsend said. In a time of climate change, Afri…

Dominic Kailash Nath Waughray* (2021-04-22). Earth Day 2021: A Turning Point For Climate Action — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Earth Day 2021 marks a historic moment for action on climate change. Today, at President Biden's unprecedented Leaders Summit on Climate, he put forward an ambitious national commitment from the US to help the world tackle the climate crisis — to halve greenhouse gas emissions from the country by 2030 compared to 2005. | Combined with existing commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 from the EU, the UK and other major G20 economies including Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as a commitment from President Xi to peak China's carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon-neutral growth by 20…

MISES (2021-04-22). Polarization In Washington Is Forcing Politicians To Decentralize — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By José Niño* | Can political polarization be used for good? | The average political commentator often argues that unity is the highest virtue for any polity. Polarization is constantly lamented and is perceived as a sign of a deteriorating political environment. In fairness, a polarized political climate is not exactly hospitable toward productive political discourse. Against the backdrop of a divided culture, politics tends to to devolve into performance art and cheap renditions of political theater. | At the same time, polarization is not the end of the world. As a matter of fact, polarization in Washington…

Kristalina Georgieva* (2021-04-22). IMF Managing Director's Intervention At Leaders Summit On Climate: Investing In Climate Solutions — Speech. eurasiareview.com Mr. President, | Special Envoy Kerry, | Secretary Yellen, | At the IMF we look at climate change as central in our work on macroeconomic and financial stability, growth and employment. It presents huge risks to the functioning of our economies and offers incredible opportunities for transformative investments and green jobs. | Let me focus on three areas where the right policies can make a significant difference in accelerating the transition to the new climate economy. | First, a robust price on carbon: it provides a critical market signal to producers and consumers in all sectors of the economy. It has prove…

Pip Hinman (2021-04-22). Beware of king tides — the result of human induced climate change. greenleft.org.au King tides and climate change have become survival issues for the world's coastal cities, writes Rob Pyne.

US President Joe Biden (2021-04-22). President Biden At The Virtual Leaders Summit On Climate Opening Session — Transcript. eurasiareview.com Thank you, Madam Vice President. | Good morning to all of our colleagues around the world — the world leaders who are taking part in this summit. I thank you. You know, your leadership on this issue is a statement to the people of your nation and to the people of every nation, especially our young people, that we're ready to meet this moment. And meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet; it's also about providing a better future for all of us. | That's why, when people talk about climate, I think jobs. Within our climate response lies an extraordinary engine of job creation and econom…

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