2020-03-17: News Headlines

Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold (2020-03-17). To Help Stem Coronavirus, Lift Sanctions on Iran. counterpunch.org The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is far from the first proof of how intertwined we are as a global community. The climate crisis and the refugee crisis have long been glaring examples that the wars or CO2 emissions on one continent risk the lives and well-being of people on another continent. What coronavirus is providing, however,

Juan Cole (2020-03-17). The Beginning of the End of Methane-Producing Fracking? zcomm.org This steep decline in stock prices and oil prices comes on top of a 5-year run in which the market has destroyed 90% of the value of US investor stocks in oil services…

repost (2020-03-17). We Need The Community & Longshore Workers ILWU10 Trent Willlis. indybay.org Trent Willis, ILWU Local 10 president reported from the docks next to the Grand Princess about the attempted dangerous removal of contaminated waste from the Grand Princess on the docks and through Oakland and the East Bay Community…

Labor Video Project (2020-03-17). ILWU10 & 34 Victory Halting Grand Princess Waste Removal Contaminating Workers/Community. indybay.org ILWU Local 10 & 34 joined with community & labor groups. to. demand a halt to the unloading contaminated COVID-19 waste from the Grand Princess onto the port. Their action stopped the company.

sputniknews (2020-03-17). Scientists Create Sensor to Protect Crops from Chemical Contamination. sputniknews.com Scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU), together with their Czech colleagues, have created a device that will help farmers to quickly analyze the chemical content of soil.

Staff (2020-03-16). "Something Is Wrong in America": Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor & Michael Eric Dyson Debate Sanders v Biden. democracynow.org Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders faced off in their first one-on-one debate Sunday night in the midst of an unprecedented national crisis, with 3,600 reported COVID-19 cases, 61 deaths so far, 33 states closing schools and mass shutdowns in major cities. The rivals clashed on how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, Medicare for All, the climate crisis, Joe Biden's record and whether or not the U.S. needs a revolution. We play highlights from the debate and get responses from scholars Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Michael Eric Dyson. Taylor is assistant professor of African-America…

Tracy Keeling (2020-03-16). While everyone was panic-buying toilet roll, the Tories quietly dropped some outrageous news. thecanary.co UK citizens are preoccupied by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic right now. As such, it's a good time for the government to sneak out bad news. Because few will notice it. | So the Conservative government has done exactly that. News broke on 16 March that it has decided to withhold information from its citizens about a project — the Garden Bridge — that it wasted

Staff (2020-03-16). Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and Michael Eric Dyson Debate Sanders vs. Biden. truthout.org Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders faced off in their first one-on-one debate Sunday night in the midst of an unprecedented national crisis, with 3,600 reported COVID-19 cases, 61 deaths so far, 33 states closing schools and mass shutdowns in major cities. The rivals clashed on how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, Medicare for All, the climate crisis, Joe Biden's record and whether or not the U.S. needs a revolution. We play highlights from the debate and get respon…

Juan Cole (2020-03-16). Why Burning Fossil Fuels is to Today's Pandemics as Fleas were to the Black Death. truthdig.com There is an exact analogy between Trump's treatment of Covid-19 and his treatment of the climate emergency.

Colin Todhunter (2020-03-16). Dependency, Distress and No Durable Agronomic Benefits: The Story of Bt Cotton in India. counterpunch.org In the early 2000s, genetically modified (GM) Bt insecticidal cotton was being heavily promoted in India on the basis that it would cut pesticide use dramatically, boost yields and contribute to the financial well-being of farmers. Private sector Bt cotton hybrids now cover over 90% of the area under cotton. Supporters of Bt cotton have wasted

Staff (2020-03-12). Bernie Sanders: We Are Winning "Ideological" & "Generational" Debate, Now Need to Win "Electability" democracynow.org After a disappointing showing in Tuesday night's Democratic presidential primaries, Senator Bernie Sanders said Wednesday he will stay in the race. In his address from Burlington, Vermont, Sanders challenged his rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, to address key issues like economic inequality, healthcare access and the climate crisis. Sanders is set to debate Biden this Sunday in Arizona. "It is not just the ideological debate that our progressive movement is winning. We are winning the generational debate," Sanders said. "While Joe Biden continues to do very well with older Americans, especially those peopl…

news.un (2020-03-11). Climate change: educating students to fight the crisis. news.un.org With the latest UN climate report containing worrying evidence that climate change is having a major effect on all aspects of the environment, how can teachers help children and adults to sort through the growing mass of information, avoid being overwhelmed, and come to an understanding of the challenges, and potential solutions, to what the UN Secretary-General has called "an existential crisis"?>

Lawrence Wittner (2020-03-02). Could the climate crisis be "The Good News of Damnation"? zcomm.org There really is no other solution to the onrushing climate catastrophe than for people and nations to forget their tribal animosities and start behaving as part of a world society…

CounterSpin (2020-02-21). Paul Paz y Miño, Saqib Bhatti & Beverly Bell on Environmental Justice & Cross-National Solidarity. fair.org There will only be an increasing number of frontline struggles between extractive, climate-disrupting industry and those willing to stand up to it. Corporate media's inadequate attention, and unwillingness to truly call out the moneyed interests causing present and future harms, make them more often part of the problem than the solution.

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …