Monthly Archives: August 2021

2021-08-27: News Headlines

Carla Stea (2021-08-27). Code Red to Apocalypse: U.N Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Presents Drastic Ultimatum: Change Immediately, Or Humanity Will Perish. globalresearch.ca Global Research …

_____ (2021-08-27). California Kids To Teachers' Pension Fund: Divest From Oil. popularresistance.org The kids are mad as hell—and so are teachers who want their California teacher pension fund, CalSTRS, to join 1,000 other institutions collectively divesting $14.5 trillion from the fossil fuel industry that threatens climate catastrophe. The retirement fund divestment fight, led by retired teachers in Fossil Free CA and students from Youth vs Apocalypse and Earth Guardians, estimates CalSTRS' portfolio investments in fossil fuels at $16 billion, mostly in oil and gas delivery systems, but $6 billion in direct investments in oil behemoths, with $400 million in Exxon-Mobil, $350 million in Chevron, $250 mill…

WSWS (2021-08-27). Floods which devastated Waverly, Tennessee driven by same processes as other extreme weather events fueled by man-made climate change. wsws.org Rural Humphreys County and its county seat of Waverly, just over an hour west of Nashville, Tennessee, were soaked late last week by 17 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, far surpassing a decadesold state record.

Vijay Prashad (2021-08-27). I Awakened Here When the Earth Was New. dissidentvoice.org Alisa Singer (USA), Changing, 2021. Source: IPCC. In late March 2021, 120 traditional owners from 40 different First People's groups spent five days at the National First People's Gathering on Climate Change in Cairns (Australia). Speaking on the impact of the climate crisis on First People, Gavin Singleton from the Yirrganydji traditional owners explained that …

Judith Deutsch (2021-08-27). All must change utterly: We need a 'People's Green New Deal'. canadiandimension.com Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, Columbia Gorge, Wasco, Oregon. Photo by Dan Meyers/ Max Ajl has written an exceedingly important and powerful book, a uniquely comprehensive report about climate change, its politics and injustices. The book,

Vijay Prashad (2021-08-27). I awakened here when the Earth was new: The Thirty-Fourth Newsletter (2021). mronline.org Speaking on the impact of the climate crisis on First People, Gavin Singleton from the Yirrganydji traditional owners explained that 'From changing weather patterns to shifts in natural ecosystems, climate change is a clear and present threat to our people and our culture'.

Reynard Loki (2021-08-27). Climate Crisis Putting a Billion Children at 'Extremely High Risk'. counterpunch.org "Adults keep saying we owe it to the young people to give them hope. But I don't want your hope," said Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in 2019. "I don't want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day." Now the famed young eco-warrior and

Michael T. Klare (2021-08-27). China, 2049: a Climate Disaster Zone, Not a Military Superpower. counterpunch.org In recent months, Washington has had a lot to say about China's ever-expanding air, naval, and missile power. But when Pentagon officials address the topic, they generally speak less about that country's current capabilities, which remain vastly inferior to those of the U.S., than the world they foresee in the 2030s and 2040s, when Beijing

Robert Hunziker (2021-08-27). Drought Clobbers the World. counterpunch.org According to SPEI Global Drought Monitor, no continent is spared the ravages of severe drought, except for Antarctica. This is happening at a global temperature of 1.2 ∞C above baseline, not 1.5 ∞C above baseline which climate scientists agree is locked in. This article explores the countrywide impact of 1.2 ∞C above baseline for the most vulnerable as

Editor (2021-08-27). We leaked the upcoming IPCC report! mronline.org The report explicitly states that incremental change is not a viable option. It states that individual behavioural changes alone are insignificant. It states that justice, equity and redistribution are essential to climate policy.

Barry Sheppard (2021-08-27). Avoiding climate catastrophe means challenging the capitalist system. greenleft.org.au We cannot trust capitalism to do what is necessary to avoid runaway climate change, argues Barry Sheppard.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-08-26). Casualties reported after bombing and gunfire outside Kabul airport and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org In today's episode of the Daily Round-up, we take a look at the explosions outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan; the legislative intervention by Denmark's government to end a 2 month long strike by nurses; the condition of Rohingya refugees 4 years after their violent exodus from Myanmar; #StopLine3 protests against the Enbridge pipeline in the US; and the ongoing wildfires in different parts of the world and the urgent need for a climate change response.

_____ (2021-08-26). What Does IPCC's Latest Climate Report Tell Us? popularresistance.org The UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released its latest comprehensive report on the state of the earth's climate. The much-anticipated report dominated the headlines for a few days in early August, then quickly disappeared amidst the latest news from Afghanistan, the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections in the US, and all the latest political rumblings. The report is vast and comprehensive in its scope, and is worthy of more focused attention outside of specialist scientific circles than it has received thus far. | The report affirms much of what we already knew about the stat…

Pratap Chatterjee (2021-08-26). Meet the Former US Generals Making Bank Off Afghan War Bloodshed. commondreams.org The nation's second largest pension fund invests in the climate crisis.

Chauncey K. Robinson (2021-08-26). 'Reminiscence': A forgettable film about memory and climate change. peoplesworld.org The new science fiction mystery film Reminiscence could have been a fresh way to provide commentary on current world issues with riveting storytelling. Instead, it merely uses bigger, more relevant topics, in vague spurts, in order to push a plot that is neither compelling nor worth its nearly two-hour run time. Hugh Jackman (The Greatest …

Rebekah Entralgo (2021-08-26). Advocates Call on Congress to #SealTheDeal for Care, Climate, and Justice. counterpunch.org With members of Congress back home for the summer recess, hundreds of activists took to the streets in communities across the country for a #SealTheDeal day of action. Their demand? That Congress fights for every dollar in the $3.5 trillion recovery package and protects investments in climate solutions, care, jobs, and justice. Disheartened by the

Richard Rhames (2021-08-26). Ruralist Lament: More Fire, Less Ice. counterpunch.org "It's just guaranteed to get worse…..Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide." — Linda Means, co-author IPCC report What if an existential crisis came knocking and nobody cared? August 9th the local daily reported (inside the paper, but above the fold) that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had issued its most recent and most

_____ (2021-08-26). It's Not Human Stupidity That Is Blocking Climate Action, It's Big Oil. commondreams.org "More oil and gas leasing is insane policy in light of the climate crisis," said one critic.

_____ (2021-08-26). Why We Urgently Need a Civilian Climate Corps. commondreams.org "We're not seeing a failed withdrawal. We're seeing the inevitable consequences of intervention."

Moderator (2021-08-26). A Hell of America's Own Making. scheerpost.com [ "All Hell Breaking Loose" by Michael Klare. Buy your copy "All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon's Perspective on Climate Change" by Michael Klare | Reviewed by H Patricia Hynes | Encasing the Earth with its empire of military bases, weapons, personnel, and pollution, the U.S. military is the single largest institutional contributor to the climate crisis, using an estimated 5% of all…

Adam Barnett (2021-08-26). UK banks defend climate record despite billions lent to fossil fuel industry this year. nationofchange.org DeSmog research has found that over 86 percent (13 out of 15) of HSBC's board of directors have current or past ties to polluting companies and industries.

Jennifer Schwartz (2021-08-26). Federal Court Signals Hope for the Climate Threatened Joshua Tree. counterpunch.org When the very icons and namesakes that define America's national parks can no longer survive, we have a problem that should alarm everyone After gearing up for the culmination of WildEarth Guardians' nearly two-year long court battle to secure federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the imperiled Joshua tree—an August 2 hearing before Judge Otis D.

_____ (2021-08-26). In First for Australia, Court Orders Government Agency to Take Climate Action. commondreams.org The Minnesota Democrat argued that the information Hale leaked "has shone a vital light on the legal and moral problems of the drone program."

_____ (2021-08-26). Hotels Don't Waste A Crisis. popularresistance.org Javier Gonzalez used to send money every two weeks to his 85- and 90-year-old parents in his home country. He had to stop because his employer, Boston Marriott Copley Place, terminated Gonzalez and 230 of his co-workers last September, after temporarily laying them off at the start of the pandemic. They made up more than half the hotel's workforce. | Gonzalez is one of 500,000 hotel workers in the U.S. and tens of thousands in Canada who have lost their jobs since Covid hit. Pre-pandemic, there were roughly 1.7 million hotel and motel workers in the United States and 156,000 in Canada. | Gonzalez worked as a lead…

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2021-08-26: News Headlines

_____ (2021-08-26). What Does IPCC's Latest Climate Report Tell Us? popularresistance.org The UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released its latest comprehensive report on the state of the earth's climate. The much-anticipated report dominated the headlines for a few days in early August, then quickly disappeared amidst the latest news from Afghanistan, the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections in the US, and all the latest political rumblings. The report is vast and comprehensive in its scope, and is worthy of more focused attention outside of specialist scientific circles than it has received thus far. | The report affirms much of what we already knew about the stat…

Rebekah Entralgo (2021-08-26). Advocates Call on Congress to #SealTheDeal for Care, Climate, and Justice. counterpunch.org With members of Congress back home for the summer recess, hundreds of activists took to the streets in communities across the country for a #SealTheDeal day of action. Their demand? That Congress fights for every dollar in the $3.5 trillion recovery package and protects investments in climate solutions, care, jobs, and justice. Disheartened by the

Richard Rhames (2021-08-26). Ruralist Lament: More Fire, Less Ice. counterpunch.org "It's just guaranteed to get worse…..Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide." — Linda Means, co-author IPCC report What if an existential crisis came knocking and nobody cared? August 9th the local daily reported (inside the paper, but above the fold) that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had issued its most recent and most

Jennifer Schwartz (2021-08-26). Federal Court Signals Hope for the Climate Threatened Joshua Tree. counterpunch.org When the very icons and namesakes that define America's national parks can no longer survive, we have a problem that should alarm everyone After gearing up for the culmination of WildEarth Guardians' nearly two-year long court battle to secure federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the imperiled Joshua tree—an August 2 hearing before Judge Otis D.

Moderator (2021-08-26). A Hell of America's Own Making. scheerpost.com [ "All Hell Breaking Loose" by Michael Klare. Buy your copy "All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon's Perspective on Climate Change" by Michael Klare | Reviewed by H Patricia Hynes | Encasing the Earth with its empire of military bases, weapons, personnel, and pollution, the U.S. military is the single largest institutional contributor to the climate crisis, using an estimated 5% of all…

| Namexubin Zeng, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Director of the Climate Dynamics, Hydrometeorolgy Center, University of Arizona (2021-08-26). Is climate change to blame for extreme weather events? Attribution science says yes, for some — here's how it works. Xubin Zeng, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Director of the Climate Dynamics and Hydrometeorolgy Center, University of Arizona

| Nameselin Malkoc, Associate Professor of Marketing, the Ohio State University (2021-08-26). I studied people who think leisure is a waste of time — here's what I found. Selin Malkoc, Associate Professor of Marketing, The Ohio State University

_____ (2021-08-26). Hotels Don't Waste A Crisis. popularresistance.org Javier Gonzalez used to send money every two weeks to his 85- and 90-year-old parents in his home country. He had to stop because his employer, Boston Marriott Copley Place, terminated Gonzalez and 230 of his co-workers last September, after temporarily laying them off at the start of the pandemic. They made up more than half the hotel's workforce. | Gonzalez is one of 500,000 hotel workers in the U.S. and tens of thousands in Canada who have lost their jobs since Covid hit. Pre-pandemic, there were roughly 1.7 million hotel and motel workers in the United States and 156,000 in Canada. | Gonzalez worked as a lead…

_____ (2021-08-25). How Central Banks Are Fueling The Climate Crisis. popularresistance.org Central banks could play a critical role in catalyzing the rapid shift of financial flows away from oil, fossil gas, and coal. However, to date, central banks have instead tinkered at the edges. With a few isolated exceptions — such as decisions by the French and Swiss central banks to partially exclude coal from their asset portfolios — central bank activity on carbon pollution and the climate crisis has been limited primarily to measures to increase financial market transparency.

Kalden Dhatsenpa (2021-08-25). 'The Green Knight,' apocalyptic anxiety and the new avatars of climate change. canadiandimension.com Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain in David Lowery's medieval fantasy film The Green Knight. Still image courtesy A24. | | The Green Knight: | David Lowery | A24, 2021 | As climate breakdown and the Anthropocene progress into increasingly dire territory, more and more artists and filmmakers are endeavouring to capture the anxiety driven by a warming world. Caught up in this anticipatory energy is a notable rise in pagan practices and pagan-inflected art that could be connected to these growing concerns, reflecting a culture terrified by the biblical climate events of the near-future. This collective m…

_____ (2021-08-25). Supreme Court Ruling on Asylum Policy Denounced as 'Nothing Short of Cruel'. commondreams.org "These people have done nothing to contribute to climate change," said one U.N. official. "They don't burn fossil fuels… and yet they are bearing the brunt of climate change."

Reynard Loki (2021-08-25). Climate crisis putting a billion children at 'extremely high risk,' warns new UN report. nationofchange.org Almost half of the world's children are seriously threatened by the rapidly deteriorating global climate.

Editor (2021-08-25). Worst air in the world? Salt Lake City, Utah. mronline.org Salt Lake City has ranked first for worst air quality in the world twice in the past two weeks. While poor air quality is not a new problem for Utah, the climate crisis is exacerbating the problem due to the devastating increase in wildfires caused in large part by climate change-fueled severe droughts throughout the region in the warmer months.

_____ (2021-08-25). 'Unprecedented': Madagascar on Verge of World's First Climate-Fueled Famine. commondreams.org "Monopoly is a threat to representative democracy—and that protecting our democracy requires effective antitrust."

_____ (2021-08-25). 'Democracy for Sale': Analysis Ties Corporate Consolidation to Increased Lobbying. commondreams.org A major report on climate says both greenhouse gas concentrations and global sea levels hit record highs in 2020.

William rivers Pitt (2021-08-25). The Biggest Gamble of Nancy Pelosi's Life. zcomm.org "The American people expect us to deliver on child care, paid leave, housing, healthcare, climate action, and more — and we must."

Staff (2021-08-25). Regardless of Media Spin, Yesterday's Budget Vote Was a Progressive Victory. truthout.org The corporate news media certainly do love their deftly twisted story lines. Yesterday's House voting binge on a variety of hugely important pieces of legislation got the treatment. Why? Because apparently they need the "Dems in Disarray" trope fully in the mix the way hummingbirds need nectar. | For example, the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint — which includes crucial climate measures and social programs — passed on a straight party line vote on Tuesday. This was a large victory for…

Steven Krichbaum (2021-08-25). Protect Life Itself and Make Proforestation the Driving Policy on Public Lands. counterpunch.org The new landmark report released in August by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change painted a dismal and nightmarish scenario for the Earth1. But we must remember that all is not lost. In response to the report, as usual the mainstream media focused on the need to reduce emissions. But there is another factor

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