Category: Environment
Kelly, Manchin join GOP in passing motion to bar Biden from declaring climate emergency
“Our political leadership is out to kill most of us,” lamented one climate justice advocate. by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams May 5, 2022 Two right-wing Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mark Kelly of…
Russians flee Chernobyl with radiation sickness
“The convoy kicked up a big column of dust,” Chernobyl workers said of the Russian military. “Many radiation safety sensors showed exceeded levels.” by Julia Conley, Common Dreams March 31, 2022 The International Atomic Energy Agency…
Nuclear plant on fire after Russian shelling
Ukraine Officials: “Fire has already broke out,” said Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister. “If it blows up, it will be 10 times larger than Chornobyl.” by Common Dreams Staff Thursday, March 3, 2022 This is a developing…
Nuclear disaster in Ukraine could make swaths of Europe ‘uninhabitable for decades’
Russia’s assault on Ukraine risks nuclear devastation “far worse even than the Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe of 2011,” Greenpeace warns. by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams March 2, 2022 The international environmental group Greenpeace warned Wednesday that Russia’s…
What is the ‘social cost of carbon’?
2 energy experts explain after court ruling blocks Biden’s changes by Jim Krane, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and Mark Finley, Rice University When an electric company runs a coal- or natural gas-fired power…
Ruling on rooftop solar, clean energy ‘game-changer’
“For the first time a federal court has said utilities can be liable under antitrust laws if they attack rooftop solar,” said one advocate. “The future for renewable energy just got a lot brighter.” by Kenny…
Federal Action sought after endangered wolf Anubis killed in Arizona
“It’s tragic that Anubis was killed and many of us are grieving his loss, but despite this heinous crime, it is also profound confirmation that northern Arizona should be part of the wolf recovery effort.” by…
Groups call on CFTC to shut down water futures market
“In this time of global-warming-induced drought in California, the last thing we need is to gamble on our precious water resources.” by Julia Conley, Common Dreams December 21, 2021 Warning Wall Street against commodifying what has…
Could direct action stop climate change?
by Wade Rathke December 20, 2021 Little Rock Sometimes you stumble over something so obvious, you shake your head wondering why your thinking was so patterned that it was in danger of becoming more habitual…
Global climate disasters – This is not the new normal
Spotlight on Climate by Stefan Sommer Saturday, December 18, 2021 2021 was yet again one of the hottest years on record. This past summer was the hottest summer on record for North America. Is this the…
Why the second-driest state rejects water conservation
Utah has some of the highest per-capita water use and is the fastest-growing state. Yet a powerful group that steers Utah’s water policy keeps pushing for costly infrastructure over meaningful conservation efforts. by Thursday, December 16,…
Tribe urges Sen. Kelly to support bill to protect sacred Oak Flat
By Brenda Rivas, Cronkite News Story Correction: A Dec. 2 Cronkite News story about a demonstration urging Sen. Mark Kelly to support legislation protecting Oak Flat misrepresented outreach to Kelly’s office for comment. The story…
2021 Arctic Report Card reveals a (human) story of cascading disruptions, extreme events and global connections
The report describes, rapid and pronounced human-caused warming continues to drive most of the changes, and ultimately is paving the way for disruptions that affect ecosystems and communities far and wide. Community members from Utqiagvik, Alaska,…
‘Victory of global significance’: Modi to repeal laws that sparked year-long farmers’ revolt
“After a year of strikes—and having faced brutal repression that claimed some 700 lives—India’s farmers are victorious in their struggle.” by Kenny Stancil, Common Dreams Saturday, November 20, 2021 Workers’ rights activists around the globe rejoiced…
The celebrity-backed green “Fintech” company that isn’t as green as it seems
Aspiration is among a group of companies that provide banking and financial services, and promise to help the environment. But so far its marketing is greener than its reality. by Carson Kessler November 17, 2021 You…
Indigenous leaders hail Biden’s proposed Chaco Canyon drilling ban as ‘Important first step’
“We are most hopeful that this action is a turning point where the United States natural resource management planning philosophy focuses on the protection of all living beings.” by Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams November 16, 2021…
Manchin leads charge against Biden’s electric vehicle tax credit
“Manchin thinks being pro-labor is un-American.” by Julia Colney, Common Dreams Monday, November 15, 2021 Advocates for both workers’ rights and climate policy are condemning Sen. Joe Manchin’s latest statements opposing provisions in the Build Back…
A quick guide to climate change jargon – what experts mean by mitigation, carbon neutral and 6 other key terms
by Wändi Bruine de Bruin, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences October 26, 2021 As a major U.N. climate conference gets underway on Oct. 31, 2021, you’ll be hearing a lot of technical terms…
WMO says atmospheric carbon at level unseen in 3 million years
The new report has “a stark, scientific message for climate change negotiators at COP 26,” said the head of the World Meteorological Organization. by Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams Monday, October 25, 2021 Carbon dioxide concentrations reached…
Sinema pushing $100 billion in climate cuts from reconciliation bill
A Sunrise Movement leader said the Arizona Democrat’s reported proposal for the Build Back Better package is “not surprising since she’s been meeting nonstop with corporate executives.” by Jessica Corbet, Common Dreams October 8, 2021 Already…
Monsoons make deserts bloom in the US Southwest, but climate change is making these summer rainfalls more extreme and erratic
Lightning during a monsoon storm in southern Arizona, Saguaro National Park. (Photo: Pete Gregoire, NOAA) by Diana Zamora-Reyes, University of Arizona and Christopher L. Castro, University of Arizona October 5, 2021 If you’ve never lived in…
Environmental money scams
by Wade Rathke September 27, 2021 Pearl River No question. Climate change is a big deal. For every hurricane alert, storm warning, and sudden street flooding, environmental consciousness is rising as quickly as the wind…
PG&E Charged With Manslaughter
11 Felony Counts— 2020 Zogg Fire “PG&E has a history with a repeated pattern of causing wildfires that is not getting better,” said Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett. “It’s only getting worse.” by Brett Wilkens, Common…
40 million people rely on the Colorado River. It’s drying up fast.
One of the country’s most important sources of fresh water is in peril, the latest victim of the accelerating climate crisis. by Abrahm Lustgarten Friday, August 27, 2021 The Water Crisis in the West On…