The Messiahs of Hope Assure Us Everything Will Be OK in the End. But It Won't
Chris Hedges | commondreams.org | 2019-09-02
"Most of the climate activists and operatives of democracy see themselves, like the wider consumer culture, as being in the business of selling hope," writes Hedges. "Without hope, they argue, people would succumb to despair. People would not resist the looming catastrophe. Of course, the opposite is true." (Image: Mr. Fish/TruthDig) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/hope_false_promise.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/02/messiahs-hope-assure-us-everything-will-be-ok-end-it-wont?cd-origin=rss

On the Malicious and Scientifically Illiterate Bullies Afraid of Greta Thunberg
Andrew Mitrovica | commondreams.org | 2019-09-02
The Swedish teenage climate activist, Greta Thunberg (in pink) joins a protest by climate activist near UN headquarters on August 30, 2019, in New York. (Photo: Selcuk Acar/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/greta_thunberg.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/02/malicious-and-scientifically-illiterate-bullies-afraid-greta-thunberg?cd-origin=rss

Climate Emergency "Die-In" Protest at San Jose City Hall
David Theil | indybay.org | 2019-09-02
The front courtyard at the San Jose City Hall | 200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose 95113…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/01/18825892.php

Climate Emergency "Die-In" Protest at San Jose City Hall (tentative)
David Theil | indybay.org | 2019-09-02
The front courtyard at the San Jose City Hall | 200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose 95113…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/01/18825894.php

Why Does Teen Vogue Need a Labor Column?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-02
Kim Kelly talks about writing about labor for glossy magazines, reporting on direct action, how unions should respond to the climate crisis, and why Labor Day is a scam…
therealnews.com/stories/why-does-teen-vogue-need-a-labor-column

Climate Strike: Santa Cruz & Watsonville
Santa Cruz Climate Action Network | indybay.org | 2019-09-02
Santa Cruz: Youth March to Louden Nelson Community Center | 301 Center St, Santa Cruz 95060 | Watsonville: Youth Climate Rally @ City Plaza Park, 358 Main St, Watsonville 95076…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/31/18825868.php

The fight against climate change can bring us together
Michael T. Hertz | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-02
For the last week or so, I have been pondering about what is the most important issue in the 2020 election. My thought has been that if we can agree on the most important issue, and if we can agree on what is needed to resolve it, we may not only resolve that issue but bring America back towards learning once again how to agree on things. | I thought first about Medicare for All. All of the Democratic candidates seemed to agree at their first debate in July that this was a very important issue. But since the crisis of the Arctic and the Amazon fires, Climate Change has become clearly the leading issue. And it…
nationofchange.org/2019/09/02/the-fight-against-climate-change-can-bring-us-together/

Trump administration to reverse methane rules for energy industry
wsws.org | 2019-09-02
EPA's climate sabotage continues with plans to drop methane leakage rules.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/02/meth-s02.html

Austerity-Obsessed Europe Could Combat Climate Change Without Raising Taxes
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-09-02
| In the United States, there has been much attention given to the various proposals for a Green New Deal. While there have been legitimate questions about paying for a large push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many accept the need for such measures for the survival of the planet. | However, there has been less attention paid to the failure of European countries to act in this area, in spite of the fact that a substantial program would be virtually costless for Europe. There has been…
truthout.org/articles/austerity-obsessed-europe-could-combat-climate-change-without-raising-taxes/

Our Vanishing World: Glaciers
Robert J. Burrowes | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-02
Something is causing the world's glaciers and mountain ice fields to melt. And, despite your first thought, it is not the ongoing climate catastrophe. It does not matter where on Earth the glaciers and mountain ice fields are located, they are all melting. Moreover, the projected time frame for some of them to disappear altogether …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/our-vanishing-world-glaciers/

Attacks on Greta Thunberg, Say Allies, Show Just How 'Terrified' Reactionary Forces Have Become of Global Climate Movement
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-02
"The bile thrown at Greta Thunberg is motivated by one thing alone: this incredibly intelligent, eloquent and compassionate 16 year old has terrified some of the most hateful and reactionary so-called 'grown ups' on earth," said British political columnist activist Owen Jones. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/greta_0.png …
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/02/attacks-greta-thunberg-say-allies-show-just-how-terrified-reactionary-forces-have?cd-origin=rss

As Category 5 Dorian Devastates, Pope Francis Urges World to Act Fast on Climate Emergency
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-02
"Now is the time to abandon our dependence on fossil fuels." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pope-climate-dorian.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/02/category-5-dorian-devastates-pope-francis-urges-world-act-fast-climate-emergency?cd-origin=rss

'Historic, Catastrophic' Category 5 Hurricane Dorian Hits Bahamas, Still Threatens Southeast US Coast
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-01
The "historic, catastrophic" category 5 Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas Sunday—eliciting a slew of urgent public safety warnings, concerns about what's in store for the Southeastern coast of the United States next week, and impassioned demands for ambitious government action to combat the global climate emergency. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dorian_over_bahamas_nhc_1_sept_19.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/01/historic-catastrophic-category-5-hurricane-dorian-hits-bahamas-still-threatens?cd-origin=rss

A month ahead of Global Climate Strike, thousands pledge to attend rallies across planet to 'turn up the political heat' and demand action
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-31
"Time is running out. This decade is our last chance to stop the destruction of our people and our planet… This is why we strike." | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/30/a-month-ahead-of-global-climate-strike-thousands-pledge-to-attend-rallies-across-planet-to-turn-up-the-political-heat-and-demand-action/

Activist Greta Thunberg gets preview of UNHQ ahead of climate summit
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-30
Two days after disembarking from her carbon-free yacht in New York, teen climate activist Greta Thunberg paid a visit to UN Headquarters on Friday, after joining participants of her global climate strike movement, Fridays for Future, at the Organization's gates.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045332

DNC Kills Climate Debate Compromise
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-30
counterpunch.org/2019/08/30/dnc-kills-climate-debate-compromise/

How Larry Fink, Joe Biden's Wall Street Ally, Profits From Amazon Cattle Ranching, a Force Behind Deforestation
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-08-30
The giant investment firm BlackRock has contributed to the climate crisis by investing in a Brazilian meatpacker, JBS, linked to Amazon deforestation.
theintercept.com/2019/08/30/amazon-rainforest-fire-blackrock-jbs/

The Amazon Inferno
Evaggelos Vallianatos | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-30
One of the lasting highlights of my teaching at the University of New Orleans in 1991-1992 was my travel to Brazil in January 1992 for a conference on climate change. This was a rehearsal for the June 1992 Earth Summit on Climate Change in Rio. My conference took place in Fortaleza, a beautiful town in…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/30/the-amazon-inferno/

Save the Amazon
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-30
climate emergency Zebedee ParkesIssue 1235 Australia Amazon forest firesAugust 30, 2019Environmental activists rallied in Melbourne and Sydney on August 25 in response to fires destroying the Amazon rainforest. | They demanded an end to the deforestation po…
greenleft.org.au/content/save-amazon-0

Climate activists set to blockade mining conference
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-30
IMARC 2019 blockade Jack StickneyIssue 1235 Australia climate emergency MelbourneAugust 30, 2019Climate justice activists are organising a mass blockade of a major mining conference in Melb…
greenleft.org.au/content/climate-activists-set-blockade-mining-conference

Britain: Extinction Rebellion protesters convicted
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-30
protestIssue 1235 Britain Extinction Rebellion climate crisisAugust 30, 2019Three activists from climate change direct action group Extinction Rebellion (XR) have been convicted after being arrested at protests earlier this year. | They are the first activists to stand trial…
greenleft.org.au/content/britain-extinction-rebellion-protesters-convicted

Decades of progress 'can be wiped out overnight,' UN chief laments at climate session in Yokohama
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-29
"Little undermines development like disaster," UN Secretary-General António Guterres told attendees at a thematic session on Africa and climate change, on day two of the Tokyo international Conference on African Development (TICAD), now in its seventh year.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045211

Report Back from #ShutDownDC Kickoff Meeting
patrick | strikedc.org | 2019-08-29
Wow! That was an incredible meeting last night. 125 people in the room and 11 solid affinity groups at the #ShutDownDC kick off meeting! We're so inspired to see so many amazing people stepping up to the challenge. The Climate Strike week of action is less than a month away and we have a long … | Continue reading "Report Back from #ShutDownDC Kickoff Meeting"
strikedc.org/index.php/2019/08/29/report-back-from-shutdowndc-kickoff-meeting/

Headlines for August 29, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-29
EPA to Roll Back Methane Regulations in Blow to Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Trump Moves to Allow Logging in World's Largest Intact Temperate Rainforest, Hurricane Dorian Gains Strength, Threatens Bahamas & Florida, Swedish Youth Climate Justice Activist Greta Thunberg Arrives in NYC After 15-Day Boat Trip, Gillibrand Drops Out of 2020 Race as Just 10 Dems Qualify for Sept. Debate, Thousands Protest "Coup" in U.K. as Boris Johnson Suspends Parliament Ahead of Brexit, New Coalition Government May Be Formed in Italy, Italian Humanitarian Ship Rescues 100 Migrants Off Coast of Libya, Separatists & Government-B…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/headlines

21 ideas for a just transition to a coal-free future (and how to pay for it)
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-29
climate emergency Zane AlcornIssue 1235 Australia Divest from fossil fuels just transitions coalAugust 29, 2019Australia's polit…
greenleft.org.au/content/21-steps-coal-free-future-and-how-pay-it

Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Arrives in NYC to Fight "Biggest Crisis Humanity Has Ever Faced"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-29
Following weeks of anticipation, Swedish climate justice activist Greta Thunberg arrived on the shores of Lower Manhattan Wednesday afternoon after a 15-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in an emissions-free yacht. She was welcomed on land by hundreds of supporters at the North Cove Marina. As Thunberg's yacht sailed over the horizon and past the Statue of Liberty, youth climate activists chanted "The sea levels are rising, and so are we!" and "We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!" The 16-year-old climate activist is kickstarting a months-long tour of the Americas. For her first action, she will be j…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/greta_thunberg_nyc_climate_activists

Wednesday's Daily Brief: Guterres talks technology for Africa's development, 'extinction crisis' prompts stronger wildlife protection, Greta Thunberg reaches New York, funding shortfalls in Iraq, a positive step for Indigenous women
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-28
A recap of Wednesday's stories: Secretary-General António Guterres says 'winds of hope are blowing ever stronger' for Africa's development; Swedish climate youth activist Greta Thunberg reaches New York by boat; Chief of UN Mission for Iraq warns on funding shortfalls; and in Canada, a new bill recognizes the rights of indigenous women.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045131

Teen activist Greta Thunberg arrives in New York by boat, putting 'climate crisis' in spotlight
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-28
After a two-week sail across the Atlantic, youth climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived in the Big Apple on Wednesday to take part in two major climate summits to be held at UN Headquarters next month.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045161

Fidel Castro's prescient warning on climate change
Fidel Castro Ruz | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-28
Fidel Castro Ruz, historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, warned almost 30 years ago that collective and urgent action was needed to combat the destruction of the Earth's environment.
liberationnews.org/fidel-castros-prescient-warning-on-climate-change/

Partnerships with civil society and youth 'essential' for a future that leaves no one behind: General Assembly President
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-28
Partnerships with civil society and youth are essential to achieving the goals of key UN-backed international agreements, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement on climate change, María Fernanda Espinosa, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, told delegates at the UN Civil Society Conference on Wednesday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045171

'Extinction crisis' pushes countries to agree stronger protection for global wildlife
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-28
At-risk wildlife that is facing a "growing extinction crisis" received a boost on Wednesday, as countries wrapped up a marathon meeting in Geneva, by agreeing to increased protection measures and more sustainable trade in animals and plants across the globe.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045121

How Bolsonaro's Climate Change Denial & Anti-Indigenous Policies Led to Massive Fires in the Amazon
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-28
In Brazil, fires continue to rage in the Amazon, and new drone footage shows the smoke and flames gathering strength. A vast plume of smoke has spread across South America and the Atlantic Ocean and is visible from space. The fires are also destroying large swaths of land in Bolivia. The fires are unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. So far this year, there have been nearly 73,000 fires in Brazil, with over half of them in the Amazon region — an 83% increase from the same period last year. Far-right Brazil…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/28/brazil_jair_bolsonaro_unprecedented_amazon_fires

"Kochland": How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-27
Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Indu…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/27/christopher_leonard_kochland_koch_brothers

No Coal, No Gas: Climate activists remove coal from Merrimack generating station
JOCDC | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-26
"…it is now a necessity to take matters into our own hands…"
liberationnews.org/no-coal-no-gas-climate-activists-remove-coal-from-merrimack-generating-station/

David Koch's Most Significant Legacy Is the Election of Donald Trump
Lee Fang | theintercept.com | 2019-08-26
David Koch, the fossil fuel industry billionaire who passed away on August 23 at the age of 79, spent the second half of his life building a political power structure alongside his brother Charles that radically reshaped society and set the conditions for the rise of President Donald Trump. | Many obituaries published in recent days examine Koch's history of polluting the environment and political system, how the donor network he helped lead mobilized opposition to addressing climate change, transformed our election laws to allow unlimited secret spending by the very rich, and systematically fought any regulation…
theintercept.com/2019/08/26/david-koch-donald-trump/

Headlines for August 26, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
World Leaders Pledge Amazon Help as Trump Sends Mixed Signals About China at G7 Summit, Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Makes Surprise Appearance at G7 to Hold Talks with European Officials, Protesters Call Out G7 Leaders over Corporate Ties, Climate Inaction and Inequality, Wildfires Continue to Consume Amazon as Public Outrage Grows, Police Deploy Water Cannons, Fire a Live Warning Shot at Hong Kong Protesters, Attacks in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq Add to Mounting Tensions in Middle East, EU Countries Say They Will Relocate Migrants Stranded on Ship After 2-Week Standoff, 200,000 Rohingya Refugees March for "Genocid…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/headlines

Mysterious Russian Nuclear Missile Accident Sparks Fears of Cover-Up & "Chernobyl Redux"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
Questions are swirling over a mysterious nuclear accident in northern Russia on August 8. Seven people, including five nuclear scientists, died in an explosion, which caused a radiation spike in the surrounding area — and possibly as far as Scandinavia. U.S. experts suspect the explosion was caused during a test of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia initially denied a radiation leak, but earlier today its state weather agency confirmed radioactive isotopes have been found in test samples in the city of Severodvinsk near the military test range. Norway's nuclear test ban monitor now believes two explos…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/aug_8_russia_nuclear_accident

Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
Following a mysterious nuclear accident in Russia that left seven dead, we look back at the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. It sent a cloud of radioactive fallout into Russia, Belarus and over a large portion of Europe, but the death toll from Chernobyl remains unknown. Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history, but Kate Brown, an MIT professor of science, technology and society, says much of what we understand about the disaster is inaccurate. Her new book, "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future," chronicles the devastating and underreported impact of radiation on tens of t…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/kate_brown_chernobyl_manual_for_survival

Climate Strike Support Ideas for Labor Unions and Union Members
patrick | strikedc.org | 2019-08-25
The vast majority of union contracts include "no strike" clauses where unions promise not to strike until their contract expires (usually 2-4 year terms). Almost all union workers risk getting fired for striking for climate and almost all unions risk legal repercussions if they try to organize such a strike. But there are many ways … | Continue reading "Climate Strike Support Ideas for Labor Unions and Union Members"
strikedc.org/index.php/2019/08/25/climate-strike-support-ideas-for-labor-unions-and-union-members/

National Democrats Endorse John Hickenlooper, a Proponent of Fracking, in Competitive Colorado Primary
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-08-24
In Colorado, nearly a dozen Democrats are vying for the opportunity to take on Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2020 — a race widely seen as the party's most promising pick-up in the Senate. One of the leading contenders, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, is running on a platform that includes Medicare for All and an aggressive plan to combat the climate crisis — and his campaign has already topped $1 million in fundraising. | But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has thrown its weight behind former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a pro-fracking moderate. After months of rejecting calls…
theintercept.com/2019/08/24/dscc-john-hickenlooper-andrew-romanoff-colorado-senate/

GateHouse's Takeover of Gannett: Bad News for Journalism and the Planet
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-08-23
USA Today's "Just the FAQs" video ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires–which promises to explain, "How does this affect our planet?"–manages to avoid ever using the words "climate" or "global warming." (There is one reference to "carbon and greenhouse gases," not further explained.) | | USA Today ran a piece ( 8/20/19) on the Amazon fires in which "anthropogenic climate…
fair.org/home/gatehouses-takeover-of-gannett-bad-news-for-journalism-and-the-planet/

Headlines for August 23, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
U.N. Calls for Protection of the Amazon as Rainforest Burns at Record Pace, Indigenous Communities Say Brazil's President Is Encouraging Destruction of Forests, Bernie Sanders Unveils Ambitious Green New Deal to Avert Climate Catastrophe, Democratic Leaders Reject Resolution Calling for Candidate Climate Debate, French Authorities to Crack Down on Protest as 13,000 Police Mobilize for G7 Summit, Syrian Forces Encircle Last Major Rebel-Held Stronghold in Hama Province, U.N.: Burmese Troops Had "Genocidal Intent" in Targeting Rohingya for Sexual Violence, Indonesia Deploys Troops to Quell Independence Protests in W…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/headlines

"Our House Is On Fire": Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/jeff_merkley_us_nuclear_policy_green

#ShutItDown: Organizing to Strike for Climate Justice
patrick | strikedc.org | 2019-08-20
Throughout the 2018–2019 school year, young people around organized massive school climate strikes to demand that the world's leaders take immediate action to address climate change. The strikes started first in Sweden, then spread throughout the European Union and around the world. By March, 15 tens of thousands of students in more than 100 countries … | Continue reading "#ShutItDown: Organizing to Strike for Climate Justice"
strikedc.org/index.php/2019/08/20/shutitdown-organizing-to-strike-for-climate-justice/

Ernest Coverson on Guns & Human Rights, Carey Gillam Under Attack From Monsanto
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2019-08-16
Media…
fair.org/home/ernest-coverson-on-guns-human-rights-carey-gillam-under-attack-from-monsanto/