Daily Archives: April 24, 2021

2021-04-24: News Headlines

Eurasia Review (2021-04-25). Response Options Should Be At Center Of Climate Risk Assessment And Management. eurasiareview.com A team of researchers from the Africa Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) led a global team of 21 climate risk scholars to better understand and inform decision making around climate change risks in Africa and globally by examining how the drivers of risk interact. | Their work extends on existing risk frameworks with the hope that this research could help decision makers, managers and researchers understand the inherent complexity of climate change. | "Understanding the interactions among risks holds potential to change the way we respond to the risks. This is important because policy makers may worry a…

Eurasia Review (2021-04-25). A Lesson From Arctic Sea-Ice Prediction In 2020: Accurate Subseasonal-To-Seasonal Prediction Remains A Grand Challenge. eurasiareview.com As an indicator and "amplifier" of global climate change, the Arctic's health and stability is the cornerstone of the stability of our climate system. It has far-reaching impacts on ecosystems, coastal resilience, and human settlements in the middle and high latitudes. | The Arctic has experienced amplified warming and extensive sea-ice retreat in recent decades. On 15 September 2020, the Arctic sea-ice extent (SIE) reached its annual minimum, which, based on data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, was about 3.74 million km2 (1.44 million square miles). This value was about 40% less than the climate a…

World Nuclear News (2021-04-25). Politics Should Not Detract From Climate Policy, Says Blinken. eurasiareview.com US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on heads of state to put their political differences to one side and make a collective effort to tackle global warming. Blinken moderated the first session of the Leaders Summit on Climate, which included Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Opening the session, which was titled Raising Our Climate Ambition, Blinken underlined the USA's new pledge, announced moments earlier by President Joe Biden, to halve its CO2 emissions from 2005 levels by the end of this decade. This is up from its original goal of 26% by 2025. | Nations under the…

Eurasia Review (2021-04-25). Climate Has Shifted The Axis Of The Earth. eurasiareview.com Glacial melting due to global warming is likely the cause of a shift in the movement of the poles that occurred in the 1990s. | The locations of the North and South poles aren't static, unchanging spots on our planet. The axis Earth spins around–or more specifically the surface that invisible line emerges from–is always moving due to processes scientists don't completely understand. The way water is distributed on Earth's surface is one factor that drives the drift. | Melting glaciers redistributed enough water to cause the direction of polar wander to turn and accelerate eastward during the mid-1990s, accor…

ecns.cn (2021-04-24). China vows to achieve green goals. ecns.cn Despite severe time constraints, China will make extremely arduous efforts to go carbon neutral before 2060 amid expanding energy demand, a senior climate official said on Thursday.

Anand Naidoo (2021-04-24). The Heat: Can world leaders deliver on climate change? america.cgtn.com World leaders made big promises to fight climate change, the question now is: can they deliver?>

Staff (2021-04-24). Climate Change Is a Driving Force in Central American Migration. truthout.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…

sputniknews (2021-04-24). Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Reportedly Takes Jab at UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. sputniknews.com This is not the first time that the Swedish climate activist has poked fun at national leaders. Thunberg has repeatedly trolled former US President Donald Trump as well as former US secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, after the two criticised her protest campaign.

Kaya Axelsson, Kate Cullen, Stephen Lezak (2021-04-24). Achieving net-zero climate targets will depend on public lands. nationofchange.org Aligning ambition with action will require a new era of federal leadership.

Binoy Kampmark (2021-04-24). Virtual Bunny Hugging: Boasting About Climate Change Goals. dissidentvoice.org He seemed frustrated. While Scott Morrison's international colleagues at the Leaders Summit on Climate were boastful in what their countries would do in decarbonising the global economy, Australia's feeble contribution was put on offer. Unable to meet his own vaccination targets, the Australian prime minister has decided to confine the word "target" in other areas …

Staff (2021-04-24). Vaccines Sent by the United States to Mexico are from Contaminated Plant. orinocotribune.com Batches of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccines shipped from the United States to Mexico were manufactured in a plant where production was suspended due to contamination of millions of doses, Mexican newspaper El Universal reported on Friday. | The newspaper reported that in the plant in question, two different COVID-19 vaccines got mixed up during fabrication, contaminating millions of doses, but AstraZeneca has assured that the batches supplied to Mexico were verified under the required standards. | The AstraZeneca vaccines that Mexico received were manufactured at an Emergent BioSolutions plant in Baltimore, Maryla…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-24). Ibero-American Summit in Andorra concluded with call for equitable access to anti-COVID-19 vaccines and cooperation for sustainable development. peoplesdispatch.org The 27th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government was focused on formulating common responses to the economic, social and health issues generated by the pandemic as well as solutions to global problems such as climate change…

The Conversation (2021-04-24). How climate insecurity could trigger more conflict in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. juancole.com By Andrew E. Yaw Tchie | — Climate change effects such as droughts, flash floods, erratic rainfall, disruption to the monsoon seasons, strong winds, cyclones, sandstorms, dust storms and increased temperature are being experienced across Somalia. These effects are affecting livelihoods, and contributing to local grievances and community tensions. Some of these insights and conclusions …

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-04-24). Bolivia ratifies its commitment to protecting the rights of Mother Earth and the environment. peoplesdispatch.org On the International Mother Earth Day, Bolivian President Luis Arce announced the reactivation of the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth to promote climate change adaptation and mitigation programs as well as the generation of clean energies through photovoltaic, wind and renewable diesel projects, among other measures…

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…

Zach Conti (2021-04-24). 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.

ecns.cn (2021-04-24). 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.

Kate Aronoff (2021-04-24). U.S. Continues to Subsidize Fossil Fuels Amid Climate Crisis. zcomm.org "This is well, well below what the United States really owes the rest of the world, based on its historical responsibility for causing the climate crisis"

Robert Hunziker (2021-04-24). If Fukushima's Water is Safe, Then Drink it! dissidentvoice.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. 1 In response to …

ecns.cn (2021-04-24). 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.

Elias Marat (2021-04-24). Japan Says Dumping Fukushima Radioactive Water in Pacific Ocean Is Now "Unavoidable" 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). | *** | While Japan last month marked the 10th anniversary of the devastating …

_____ (2021-04-24). Water Protectors Block Line 3 Construction In Honor Of Earth Day. popularresistance.org Hill City, MN – Early Friday morning, five water protectors locked themselves into concrete barrels at the entrance of Swatara oil pump station, halting construction of the Line 3 Replacement project. This action was taken with Camp Migizi in recognition of Earth Day, coming a day ahead of "Stop Line 3 x Earth Day", a march that will be taking place in Duluth, Minnesota. Two of the protestors sat behind a hand painted banner reading "Earth Day Every Day", while other banners in front of the pump station gate read "No Pipelines on Stolen Land," "Land Back," and "Protect the Water." | Construction faces active and…

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 …

Jordan Woll (2021-04-23). Is Biden's big climate pledge real? liberationnews.org Joe Biden chose Earth Day (April 22) to convoke world leaders to a virtual climate summit and pledged to cut U.S. carbon emissions in half by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. This has understandably left some breathing easier after four years of crude environmental revanchism by the Trump administration. But do these meetings and the …

Betsey Piette (2021-04-23). Piney Point reservoir — a disaster waiting to happen. workers.org For decades, capitalist industries have produced wastewater by-products without serious plans for how to dispose of them. Their contents are usually toxic, often radioactive and generally hazardous to surrounding communities where they are stored and to the larger environment should they be released — accidentally or otherwise. While there are . . . |

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 . . . |

Anand Naidoo (2021-04-23). The Heat: U.S. Climate Change Summit. america.cgtn.com A dire warning from the UN chief, amid a gathering of world leaders calling for tougher action on climate change.

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…

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 …

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…

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). 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

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 …

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…

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…

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). 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.

commondreams (2021-04-23). Twitter Commits to Set Science-Based Climate Target. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2021-04-23). If Biden Serious About Green Jobs, Sunrise Movement Urges Embrace of AOC-Markey Civilian Climate Corps. commondreams.org With a "historic" bill introduced just this week in Congress, campaigners say the president has a chance to pass "the very opportunity he is hopeful for." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sunrise_jobs.jpg

commondreams (2021-04-23). Jubilee USA Statement on President Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2021-04-23). Sunrise Responds to Biden's Job Creation Climate Argument: If You're Serious, Pass Markey's Civilian Climate Corps Bill. commondreams.org ______________________________…

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