Daily Archives: April 20, 2021

2021-04-20: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2021-04-20). Despite Hawks Seeking new Cold War, the US and China can only Confront Climate Emergency by Cooperating. juancole.com ( China Dialogue ) — They say don't mess with Texas, but Mother Nature didn't get the memo. A surprise winter storm killed at least 111 people in March, when rolling blackouts left several million Texans without power for several freezing days. Their misery came just a few years after Hurricane Harvey put a US$125 …

Robert Hunziker (2021-04-20). The Doomsday Glacier Lives up to its Billing. counterpunch.org The 21st century serves as an inflection point of acceleration of climate instability caused by human-generated greenhouse gases, as CO2 emissions increase well beyond the rate of the prior century. It's also a defining timeline of an astonishing ice mass loss rate of 500% more than the last decade of the previous century. Throughout human

RT (2021-04-20). AOC's Green New Deal reintroduced as she claims 'trampling of indigenous rights' & 'racial justice' are causes of climate change. rt.com Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) has left critics scratching their heads after citing the "trampling of indigenous rights" and "racial justice" as causes of climate change. | Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) reintroduced the Green New Deal on Tuesday, a redux of the same resolution introduced in 2019 that was quickly used by Republicans to paint Democrats like Ocasio-Cortez as extremist and socialist in their views. | The Green New Deal calls for the decarbonization of the US economy, as well as free higher education for every American, among many other proposals. The reint…

Claudia Webbe (2021-04-20). Polluter elite: Lifestyles of the rich are incompatible with climate justice. peoplesworld.org With the highest-ever temperatures recorded in the Arctic Circle, and with just 3% of the world's ecosystems remaining intact, we cannot delay in taking action to save our planet and future generations. Yet sadly it is not true that we are all in this crisis together—or that we are all equally culpable when it comes …

Whitney Webb (2021-04-20). Military Bases Housing Migrant Children Plagued by Serial Sexual Abuse Claims. orinocotribune.com By Whitney Webb — Apr 16, 2021 | The Biden administration is now housing unaccompanied migrant children on military bases in Texas and California. Some of these bases have been plagued for years by record sexual abuse claims, one with the highest in the nation. All of them suffer from dangerous environmental contamination. | Over the first few months of 2021, the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border has exploded. Due to the policies of the Obama, Trump and now Biden administrations, many of those migrants, particularly unaccompanied minors, remain housed in increasingly controversial "overflow facilities."

Staff (2021-04-20). Headlines for April 20, 2021. democracynow.org Jury Begins Deliberations in Derek Chauvin Murder Trial, Thousands Protest in Minnesota as Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Wraps Up, U.N. Warns Planet Is "On the Verge of the Abyss" from Relentless Climate Change, Hundreds of Climate Scientists Warn Against Criminalizing Peaceful Protests, White House Holds Virtual Climate Summit as U.S. and China Pledge Cuts to Emissions, Migrant Workers Flee India's Capital Ahead of Lockdown as Coronavirus Cases Soar, Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Joins Fight for Vaccine Equity, President Biden Urges All U.S. Residents 16 and Over to Get Vaccinated, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Can…

Talanna (2021-04-20). Climate Crisis, Freighter Stuck in Suez Canal, & Species Wounding. indybay.org How Climate Crisis is overlooked when it's an important part of headline stories like a Stuck Freighter in Suez Canal & Covid-19 Virus news.

Ingrid Lobet (2021-04-20). Despite Climate Commitments, Health Concerns, States Approve Giant Fuel Tanks. zcomm.org In the Los Angeles area alone, 11 new tank projects are underway, mainly in communities of color…

Andrew McCormick (2021-04-20). Crises Collide: Homeless in America When Climate Disaster Strikes. thenation.com Crises Collide: Homeless in America When Climate Disaster Strikes…

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2021-04-20). Humanity Faces a Climate Emergency—Shouldn't That Be News? thenation.com Humanity Faces a Climate Emergency—Shouldn't That Be News?

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Climate action 'a must' to ensure sustainable living: Boao Forum chairman. ecns.cn Climate action and carbon neutral initiatives "are no longer an option but a must" for the world to ensure sustainable living as we enjoy today, Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), said Tuesday.

JILL (2021-04-20). Billionaires Cut: Autopilot to Extinction. indybay.org "A few ultra-wealthy individuals are making decisions about the future of the planet with little accountability or transparency," according to Matthew Nisbet, a professor of communication and public policy at Northeastern University in Boston.

Extinction Rebellion SF Bay Area (2021-04-20). Saturday 4/24: Earth Week Gathering Oakland. indybay.org Snow Park & Lake Merritt Amphitheater, Oakland…

Extinction Rebellion SF Bay Area (2021-04-20). Sunday 4/25: Earth Day Celebration & Mural Unveiling In Clarion Alley. indybay.org Clarion Alley, between Mission and Valencia Streets and 17th and 18th Streets in San Francisco.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). ROK says to join IAEA monitoring team for Fukushima wastewater release. ecns.cn South Korea will make sure to participate in an international monitoring team led by the UN nuclear watchdog for Japan's planned release of nuclear polluted water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, Yonhap reported, citing the country's foreign ministry.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Japan's decision to dump nuclear wastewater 'extremely irresponsible': experts. ecns.cn Chinese experts have condemned Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea, calling it "extremely irresponsible."

_____ (2021-04-20). All We Have Now Is The People Versus The Pipelines. popularresistance.org The northern portion of the Keystone XL Pipeline is stopped for now, but there is another pipeline, Enbridge's Line 3, that will also carry tar sands from Canada under construction. Resistance to the pipeline is widespread and escalating with direct actions to shut down construction and solidarity actions. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dawn Goodwin, co-founder of the RISE Coalition, about the history of the pipeline, the harm it will cause, and how people can take action to stop it.

John Bachtell (2021-04-19). Cancel it: Biden pressured to eliminate $50,000 student debt per borrower. peoplesworld.org President Joe Biden is under mounting pressure to address the rapidly growing student debt crisis by canceling up to $50,000 in crushing individual student loans. A growing chorus of elected officials and advocates say Biden can cancel the debt through executive action. Also, 415 community, civil rights, climate, health, consumer, labor, food and farm, and …

Eds. (2021-04-19). What Bill Gates has wrong about "advanced" nuclear reactors. mronline.org If nuclear power needs to be part of the climate solution, why not continue to use what we have? I understand the reactors that we have are aging out. But why not either shore those up or use the same design that we currently have where we wouldn't have to go through the lengthy and […] | April 19, 2021 | Newswire…

Johanna Kichton (2021-04-19). Alongside Reps. Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, People's Action Launches Local Green New Deal Campaign. peoplesaction.org Campaign Aims to Unleash Local Power by Winning $1T for Budget-Strapped Local Governments to Organize Environment Projects Contact: Johanna Kichton, press@peoplesaction.org, 240.206.1145 WASHINGTON, D.C.—People's Action today launched a new climate justice campaign, Local Green New Deal, with a joint petition, video, and new Green New Deal federal legislation alongside U.S. Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo. and …

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-04-19). 'This Whole Thing Is About Saving Lives': Bush, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Green New Deal for Cities. commondreams.org "The urgency of this climate crisis and environmental racism demands that we equip our cities and our local governments with this funding." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/st._louis_1300x681.jpg

news.un (2021-04-19). COVID-19: Greta Thunberg contributes 100,000 Euros to vaccine equity initiative. news.un.org The teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has donated 100,000 Euros to boost global efforts to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to anyone, anywhere, who needs them, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday.

Juan Cole (2021-04-19). We Could Have Greened Half the US Electrical Grid With $2.26 Wasted on Afghan War. commondreams.org Much of the money spent in Afghanistan was wasted and disappeared into a fog of corruption. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/afghan_4_0.jpg

South Asia Monitor (2021-04-19). Russia Holds The Key To India's Eurasian Policy — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Lt Gen (Dr) Yash Malhotra (retd)* | A recent op-ed piece in the Washington Post (13 March 2021), written jointly by the Quad leaders, President Joe Biden of the US, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi, Scott Morrison and Yashihide Suga of India, Australia and Japan respectively, morphs the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD or the Quad) to a "Quad Framework" hailed by Modi as a "force for global good". | It inter alia includes climate change, critical and new technologies, and handling of Covid-19 pandemic, while remaining committed to: "…. a shared vision for an Indo-Pacific Region that is free, open, resili…

news.un (2021-04-19). World on the verge of climate 'abyss', as temperature rise continues: UN chief. news.un.org The Earth's temperature continues to rise unabated, with 2020 being one of the three warmest years on record, as extreme weather events combine with the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting millions.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2021-04-19). UN Chief Warns World on 'Verge of the Abyss' as WMO Releases Climate Report. commondreams.org The warning came alongside the release of the World Meteorological Organization's State of the Global Climate in 2020, which said it was one of the three warmest years on record. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/verge-abyss-wmo-state-climate-2020.jpg

Fight Back (2021-04-19). Climate justice rally marks Earth Day at MN State Capitol. fightbacknews.org St. Paul, MN – Over 200 people gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol grounds, April 17, to demand climate justice from the Walz and Biden governments. The event was organized by the Climate Justice Committee of Minnesota. | The native dance group Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue opened the rally with a performance punctuated by a brief address from member Susana De León, expressing gratitude for us all being able to experience "a day with sun, a day with wind, a day with fire, a day with water," all essential elements of life, she remarked, that future generations may not live to enjoy if we don't care and fight t…

Shabbir H. Kazmi (2021-04-19). Is US Opposition To Rampal Coal Plant Due To Love For Sundarbans Or To Keep India Away? — OpEd. eurasiareview.com During his six-hour trip to Dhaka on April 9, 2021, US President Joe Biden's special envoy for climate change, John Kerry, bluntly raised the Rampal coal based plant issue during his official talks with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen. | However, Kerry didn't raise this issue in his talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He did say in a general way that coal-fired power plants are one of the main causes of environmental damage. He drew attention to the US opposition to coal-fired power plants. | John Kerry raised the Rampal issue again towards the end of the talks. "Can I ask an outrageous question? Can you…

Eurasia Review (2021-04-19). Northern Red Sea Corals Live Close To Threshold Of Resistance To Cold Temperatures. eurasiareview.com Coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. In the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba corals also have exceptionally high tolerance to increasing seawater temperatures, now occurring as a consequence of global warming. This characteristic led coral reef scientists to designate this region as a potential coral reef refuge in the face of climate change – a reef where corals may survive longer than others that are being lost at an alarming rate due to human pressures. | However, global climate change will also result in more variable weather patterns, including extreme cold periods.

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-04-19). Climate Movement Applauds Coal Miners' Demand for Just Transition, Green Jobs. commondreams.org "As we confront a next wave of energy transition, we must take steps now to ensure that things do not get worse for coal miners, their families, and communities, but in fact get better." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/west_virginia_renewables.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2021-04-19). 'Do What the Science Demands': Biden White House to Be Given 'Climate Clock' Ahead of Global Summit. commondreams.org "We're not only sending a message that we're running out of time, but that there is still time to act and save our planet!" said climate leader Alexandria Villeseñor. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/climate_clock_0.jpg

commondreams (2021-04-19). At NYC "Climate Clock" Youth and Climate Activists Send Global Message to Biden in Advance of Earth Day: #Actintime! commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-04-19). Progressives Strongly Oppose John E. Morton As Climate Czar. commondreams.org ______________________________…

ecns.cn (2021-04-19). China, U.S. issue joint statement on climate change. ecns.cn China and the United States have issued a joint statement on coping with climate change after talks in Shanghai.

ecns.cn (2021-04-19). NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter set for first flight. ecns.cn The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.

ecns.cn (2021-04-19). Rare ibises spotted in south China. ecns.cn A pair of glossy ibises, rare birds once thought extinct in China, have recently been spotted on the shores of south China's Fujian Province.

Center for Bio Diversity & Thoreau Society (2021-04-19). Thursday 4/22: Resistance and Extinction: Earth Day Conversation about Naturalist Thoreau, Loss and Hope. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

VINS (2021-04-19). Fracking Continues in California. projectcensored.org A joint investigation by ProPublica and The Desert Sun shows that California state regulators have allowed over two dozen inland oil spills—"surface expressions" caused by fracking—to occur despite a ban on the practice in 2019. Despite being fined by regulators, oil companies continue to profit from oil that is refined, sold, and shipped around the country, while toxic fumes, deadly temperatures, and wastewater make sites dangerous for workers and local habitats. Janet Wilson and Lylla Younes report that some slower-seeping spills, exempted by state regulators, have spilled "a combined 20 million gal…

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