Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) usually appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Today’s is the 455th spotlight in the series. Here is the most recent previous Green Spotlight. More than 25,500 environmentally oriented stories have been rescued to appear in this series since 2006. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
The Climate Mobilization writes—Spend a Year Fighting for All Years: Movement Program Launched for WWII-Scale Climate Mobilization: “Climate change threatens to trigger the collapse of human civilization as we know it within this century — within the lifetimes of many who are alive today. Right now, our political leaders have no plans to stop this disaster scenario from unfolding. That is why The Climate Mobilization (TCM), a nonprofit advocating for a massive response to the climate crisis, is asking Americans to drop what they’re doing and spend a year building a mass movement powerful enough to commence a WWII-scale climate mobilization in the United States by July 4, 2017. ‘We have an almost impossibly short window of time left in which to act and still be able to restore a safe climate for humanity,’ says TCM director Margaret Klein Salamon. ‘We are pursuing this goal and this timeline not because it will be easy or politically expedient, but because this is what the science requires.’ The newly launched Climate Year volunteer program looks to enlist highly skilled individuals from all backgrounds and regions of the U.S, who are willing to devote a minimum of 30 hours a week for a year to the mobilization effort.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Besame writes—Red wolves can repopulate North Carolina! USFWS just announced their plan: “After two years of intensive independent study, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services announced today they will begin a series of actions to secure both captive and wild populations of red wolves. Protected by the Endangered Species Act for four decades, wild populations in North Carolina were part of a 28 year reintroduction program that halted last year to allow biologists to study the program’s feasibility. In 1980, the last 17 red wolves were brought into captivity and declared extinct in the wild. In 1987, four male/female pairs bred from these captive wolves were released into North Carolina’s Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Now, red wolves roam over 1.7 million acres, more than half of it private land. Once these wolves lived throughout the southeastern U.S. as far north as Pennsylvania.”
ban nock writes—Feds To End Red Wolf Program: “The US Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to end a waste of money, the Red Wolf Program. Jamie Clark former Director head of the controversial Defenders of (certain kinds) of Wildlife was quoted in the Hill as saying, ‘This is a devastating blow to the world's most endangered wolf. ‘Never before has the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service so directly turned its back on an endangered species recovery effort,’ she said. ‘The agency is essentially giving up on the red wolves in the wild today, with vague promises of reintroduction efforts elsewhere, sometime in the future.’ Actually it has been found that the supposed red wolf is simply a hybrid of the gray wolf and the coyote, but that’s getting technical.”
owktree writes—Daily Bucket: Woods and Stream III: ”This is a diary recording a walk across my brother’s property in Rush, NY. I have a few earlier diaries on this tract covering a general time period including some autumn pictures, and also a diary from this spring that has details on the layout: First Diary - Woods and Stream. Second Diary: Woods and Stream II. A few of the pictures roughly match the viewpoint from photos in the earlier diaries. It’s been a fairly hot and dry summer in this stretch of western New York state. Lower than normal water levels, and therefore smaller streams and ponds have completely dried up. Our walk route was to go up the edge of the lower fields, cross the tree line into the upper field, cross the upper field into the woodlot, cut east up into the wetland area, and then cut back along the edge of the property and back down through the two fields to the car.”
Lenny Flank writes—Study Indicates Dolphins Have Language Structure.
Lenny Flank writes—Bees Can Forage Effectively Even When Sick, Study Shows: “Honeybees are hardwired to efficiently search the landscape enabling them to continue working for the greater good of their hives even when they are sick, according to new research co-authored by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Radar technology has been used to show for the first time that bees remain nimble and able to search and respond to their environment even when they have infections or viruses.”
fll7612 writes—Daily Bucket: An Unusual Visitor: “Saratoga Springs, NY. One late afternoon during the first week of August I decided to take my point and shoot camera and see if I could get a shot of a butterfly or some of the huge, beautiful black dragonflies flying around. No luck with either as they were way too fast for my old, decrepit camera. I decided instead to watch the tree in which the kingfisher occasionally hangs out. All of a sudden I realized that in the midst of the foliage was the juvenile GBH. It’s likely that the intended quarry was the kingfisher as he was motionless and staring intently. No idea how long he’d been there either. Heron’s seem to have unlimited patience. After watching him for a few minutes, I started scanning the pond and realized that there was a double crested cormorant hanging around. I have never seen one on this pond before, although a friend had mentioned seeing a pair once two years ago.”
6412093 writes—The Daily Bucket--They Roam: “Scores of tadpoles fulfilled their destiny and grew into chorus frogs this summer, at my backyard pond, for the second year in a row. Near the pond, we’d landscaped a 300 square foot area with ground-cover plants and mosses, where the bumble-sized chorus frogs could hide and eat flies. But many frogs had their own ideas about where to live. I wasn’t too surprised when frogs appeared in the elevated vegetable beds near the pond. But now they showed up at the farthest reaches of our yard. What sort of wanderlust would move a frog? Were the good places taken, so they had to move on? Can they see a desirable destination 50 feet away?”
matching mole writes—Dawn Chorus: Open Thread.
Jen Hayden writes—Hundreds of birds shot at Sen. Jim Inhofe event, dozens of wounded birds rescued days later: “It costs a lot of money to maintain a seat in the United States Senate and Senator Jim Inhofe returned to Oklahoma to attend his annual pigeon shoot fundraiser. In short, pigeons are taken from cages and thrown in the air for attendees to gun them down. It’s not hunting and hard to see what is ‘sporting’ about it. The fundraiser has angered some Oklahoma residents because dozens of wounded and maimed pigeons were left to die on the ground, nearly 30 were rescued three full days later: Advocates managed to load up about 28 birds and bring them to Wildcare, a place that takes in wild animals, cares for them and then releases them back into the wild. ‘If you were shot three days earlier, of course you'd be suffering,” Large said. “They were dehydrated. Infection has been setting in on some of these guys because they have open wounds. Gunshot wounds for three days out there without any sort of care. That's totally inhumane.’ Unfortunately, there isn’t anything illegal about the whole disgusting affair.”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: Table Mountain Laughs in Flowers: “Millions of years ago basalt lava flowed south through the ancient Sierras and settled into an even older riverbed. As it cooled, sediments were trapped below and the lava in the riverbed formed a basalt ridge above them. As time passed, the riverbed’s side slopes eroded away leaving the ridge perched at the eastern edge of California’s Central Valley. This created Table Mountain.
Somber steep basalt cliffs rise up suddenly from the lively orchards and grasslands of the valley. Crevices collect sediment and channel moisture, often enough to keep oak trees alive. Table Mountain is one of the largest remnants of the Lovejoy basalt that flowed here from 70 miles further northeast in the Diamond Mountains (near Susanville). While the exact age of the Lovejoy basalt flow hasn’t been determined, it is definitely mid-Miocene and at least 15 million years old. The pre-existing riverbed the basalt flowed into was Ione Formation from the Eocene 55 to 34 million years ago. It still runs under the mountain and where the 75 to 100 meters thick basalt has eroded we can see the Ione’s sands and gravels.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
DarkSyde writes—Representative Lamar Smith weighs in on Exxon-Mobil investigation: “Conservatives talk a lot about the importance of small government and the sanctity of state’s rights. But actions speak louder than words, and when it comes to actions, the usual suspects will break their purported sacred principles in a heartbeat when properly motivated: [Lamar] Smith, a noted climate change denier, has made repeated demands that the attorneys general and several environmental groups turn over their communications about Exxon, accusing them of embarking on an ‘unprecedented effort against those who have questioned the causes, magnitude, or best ways to address climate change.’ The attorneys general, as well as the activist groups, have refused to comply with the committee's requests, setting up a battle over subpoena power. The question under investigation by those attorneys is if Exxon and/or other energy interests engaged in a planned effort to misinform the public on the environmental cost of fossil fuels, similar to the way big tobacco stalled health concerns over cigarettes for many years. If such a link could be shown, then Exxon and others might be liable for current and future billions incurred by taxpayers to address climate change and other consequences of their activities.”
lowt writes—XKCD explains Climate change: “Randall Munroe of XKCD has a response to climate change deniers. Monroe has a knack for distilling massive quantities of information into a cartoon that even Edward Tufte might find compelling. In the past he has explained the Saturn V Rocket and even partisan congress. In this case the graphic clearly shows that for the past 10,000 years the average temperature of the Earth has been within a degree celsius and the changes of temperature before that were due to, for example, physical changes in the orientation of the Earth and Sun. The 2°C we are going to see over the next hundred years is not due natural changes, but to human impact on the environment.”
Meteor Blades writes—Extent of Arctic sea ice reached its low point of the year Sunday, the second lowest ever: “On Sunday, the [National Snow and Ice Data Center] charted the year’s low point for the extent of summer Arctic sea ice—1.597 million square miles. That means the sea ice minimum this year is the second lowest on record, with 2012 being the lowest. [...] But while the minimum this year wasn’t lower than the record in 2012, the averageextent of sea ice for the past 12 months was the lowest ever, as [the] chart by Grant Foster (aka Tamino) shows. [...] Today we still have deniers spewing their lies. We still have delayers telling us we musn’t move too fast or it will wreck the economy, even though unfettered climate change will wreck it a lot faster and more thoroughly than transforming our energy, transportation and agriculture systems. We now have despairers who tell us, yeah, climate change is bad news but it’s too late to do anything about it.They’re all wrong. And we need to work diligently—with our allies in industry and government—to show those who listen to these deniers, delayers and despairers just how wrong they are.”
Jen Hayden writes—This must-see climate change illustration is so perfect even the most skeptical can no longer deny: “Popular science blog xkcd released an illustration of climate change so easy to understand even climate deniers will understand it. The timeline starts in 20000 B.C. and goes all the way to today, with estimates of where we’ll be in the not-too-distant future, whether we act or not. By the end of the illustration (and it is worth scrolling all the way to the end), even the most skeptical should be convinced we simply have to act NOW. Jump below the fold and check out xkcd's excellent timeline of the earth's average temperature.” elsaf and CwV also took note of the Timeline.
johnabbe writes—Be There Live as the 'Biggest Case on the Planet' is heard #KidsvGov #ActOnClimate: “Right now, in a courtroom in Eugene, a judge is hearing what could be the biggest case on the planet in regard to climate change. Twenty-one kids are suing the federal government to take more action on climate change. @RogueClimate is live-tweeting from the courtroom.”
Meteor Blades writes—Three presidential candidates give their climate crisis answers. From Trump, well, whadidja expect? “The questions covered a wide range of topics, from research, food and water to public health, education and energy. Climate change was on the list, too. As expected Clinton and Stein gave lengthy responses, laying out action-oriented plans for dealing with what is probably the greatest planetary crisis since modern humans emerged from Africa 10 millenniums or so ago. [...] As you can see, [from Trump] it’s another small pile of the usual mushy generalist ramble, punctuated with four ‘perhaps’ and strong hints throughout—starting with the first sentence—that he remains a stubborn and profoundly disinformed climate-change denier. He’s clearly determined to avoid—as we shall no doubt see in the debates—offering even the teensiest specific. Because he has none.”
Crashing Vor writes—LA-Sen: "I'm Not a Scientist." Yeah, Well, You Ain't Gonna Be a Senator, Either: “The entrance of Caroline Fayard into the Louisiana senate race seemed at first a potentially positive development. Firm stances on equal pay and minimum wage. Fresh face, possible moderate appeal. All good. Following the candidates’ positions over the months, I’ve been drawn more and more to Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell’s campaign. His knowledge of energy issues and commitment to renewables is a plus, and he leads the candidates in his advocacy for coastal restoration. Still, I’ve kept an eye on Fayard in hopes of seeing a real left-side challenge to the rather conventional machinist Campbell. Well, there’s one decision made. The New Orleans Advocate asked 8 senate candidates their positions on anthropogenic global warming and got back seven standard GOP responses, including one from ostensible Democrat Fayard. While acknowledging the phenomenon is real and that it represents ‘a challenge of our time,’ Fayard stoops to the favorite ‘Pub dodge when asked to identify the root cause of this “challenge.’ ‘I’m not a scientist.’”
poopdogcomedy writes—NV, PA, NC & OH-Sen: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D. RI) Pushes For A Climate Hawk Senate Majority: “Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D. RI): This year is on track to be the hottest on record, burning through heat records month after month. Our warming atmosphere is driving down ocean oxygen levels and threatening marine ecosystems. And decades of research confirm what we can see in the world around us: Climate change is an urgent crisis. [...] In a time like this, we need leaders who will take an active stand against climate change deniers and who won’t cower before the massive wealth of Big Oil. That’s why I’m writing today: to make sure we send Hillary Clinton to the White House and turn the Senate blue by electing Catherine Cortez Masto, Katie McGinty, Deborah Ross and Ted Strickland. All five leaders are ready to fight the impacts of climate change – and with only eight weeks until Election Day, all five need our support to win.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Why Are There So Many Deniers Named Steve? Or: All About Steves: ”The deniersphere is a small world, and it’s only going to get smaller. Yet somehow, there seems to be a disproportionate number of Steves. There’s Steve Milloy, the former tobacco booster turned climate denier. Then there’s Steven McIntyre, the Canadian who has for years failed to debunk Dr. Mann’s hockey stick graph. Steve Hayward is a Koch darling and treasurer of the dark money group Donors Capital, and Steve Doocy covers the airwaves as the Fox and Friends denier. There are two denier Steves in the House of Representatives, King (Iowa) and Scalasie (Louisiana). And even Tony Heller chose Steve as his pen name when creating his blog, where he spins wild conspiracy theories as Steve Goddard.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Stop Trying to Make “Global Greening” Happen: “Everyone knows that rising carbon dioxide emissions are good for the planet. And by everyone we mean the tiny fraction of the scientific community and academics who live in coal- and oil-funded Deniotopia. Including the fossil-fueled creators of this video who predict giant plants at 1,270 ppm (yes you read that right) and insist atmospheric CO2 is ‘NOT a pollutant.’ The rest of the world, however, knows that’s as fantastical as a certain beloved and beautifully illustrated work of Dinofiction. Now there is the longest running field test on a million plants to prove it. Among the hills of Northern California, scientists simulated the conditions of a post-2050 world where greenhouse gas emissions continued unabated. As a result, the landscape did not bloom into a thousand smiling, flourishing, carbon-trapping plants like the ‘CO2 Fertilization’ devotees would have you believe. Instead, the growth of the plants declined with rising temperatures. When subjected to high levels of heat, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, they did not grow better nor did they remain effective carbon sinks.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Dan Bacher writes—Metropolitan Water District, key Delta Tunnels proponent, will be in Stockton Sept. 15: “Delta residents will have a great opportunity to ask the major Delta Tunnels proponent and Delta islands purchaser, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, some tough questions, in Stockton on September 15. Restore the Delta (RTD) encourages you to attend ”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS & OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
markdd writes—Yellowstone 2016: Halfway There? “Let’s start with a little background. I’ve done plenty of camping before, I was a Boy Scout leader for nine years. I’m just new to the whole RV trailer thing. Since my grandson started quarter midget racing, we’ve found that traveling out of town one or two weekends a month, staying in a hotel and eating out for several meals. So we picked up a used trailer and a used pick up to haul it to the tracks. Before this trip I’ve hauled it from Seattle to Portland, Yakima, and British Columbia. So when I found campsite reservations at Yellowstone, it seemed like the thing to do.”
BYPRODUCTS, TRASH, TOXIC & RADIOACTIVE WASTE
EARTHWORKS writes—Global Conservation Body Votes to Ban Marine Mine Waste Dumping: “Mining companies move staggering amounts of earth to extract small quantities of minerals like gold and copper. Much of this waste is contaminated with heavy metals and chemicals used to extract metals from ore. Dealing with the resulting waste is a constant problem — for the industry, environment and nearby communities. This week, thousands of activists, academics and policymakers from around the world are gathering in Hawaii to attend the IUCN World Conservation Congress to discuss the state of global natural resource conservation, including the issues of marine mine waste disposal.In select places around the world, notably Indonesia, Papua New Guinea — and now, Norway — mining companies handle this problem by simply dumping their waste into rivers, lakes and oceans. In fact, mining companies are dumping more than 180 million tonnes of hazardous mine waste each year into the world’s rivers, lakes and oceans.”
ENERGY
Pipelines & Other Oil and Gas Transport
wandering in samsara writes—More pipeline dirty tricks? ”How important is public input during a pipeline approval process? Important enough to motivate a man dead for 18 years to rouse himself to send a letter of support, apparently. The following information was taken from this article by Michael Sangiacomo, which also appeared in the print version of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Sept. 11 under the headline, “Pipeline controversy: Some deny writing to support project.’ The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is in the process of determining whether Nexus Gas Transmission Co. and parent company Spectra Energy can build a 255-mile pipeline from eastern Ohio to Ontario, Canada. Among the letters received by FERC, both pro and con, are 340 nearly identical ones expressing support for the pipeline. The problem? Many of the people whose names appear on the letters did not send them. One of the letters was “signed” by someone who’s been dead since 1998.”
Steve Horn writes—Security Firm Guarding Dakota Access Pipeline Also Used PSYOPs Tactics for BP: “G4S, a company hiring security staff to guard the hotly contested Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL), also works to guard oil and gas industry assets in war-torn Iraq, and has come under fire by the United Nations for human rights abuses allegedly committed while overseeing a BP pipeline in Colombia and elsewhere while on other assignments. [...] Lewman-Garcia also stated that G4S was not on the scenes at the now-infamous Labor Day weekend incident in which private security forces used pepper spray against and allowed their dogs to bite Dakota Access pipeline protesters, adding that the company had not deployed its K9 units and that those involved worked for a different company. [...] ‘G4S and other companies like it have one motive only: profit. Its work for governments and energy corporations — particularly at the pipeline this week — shows it has no respect for ordinary people or human rights,’ [Tim] Shorrock told DeSmog. ‘Whoever hires them should be investigated for malfeasance, because their shoddy record in security is a mile long.’”
e2247 writes—Camp of the Sacred Stone— reports IIYC delegation on way to D.C to see Senate Committees: “Sacred Stone Camp shared Dr0ne2bwild Photography & Video's video: ‘We will always remember the year 2016, the year we natives came together to stand up for all of earths water supply. History in the making. This video is how this all transpired from a few water protectors to now a world wide phenomenon of earth, water, and the fossil fuel industry.’”
e2247 writes—National Day of Action against Dakota Access Pipeline on Tuesday, September 13! Find event near U: “National Day of Action against the Dakota Access Pipeline on Tuesday, September 13! Find an event near you, or sign up to host an action in solidarity with the indigenous communities and local farmers and landowners fighting on the front lines. #NoDAPL Day of Action – Tuesday Sep. 13 Map Here.[...] I have unbelievable sadness that ND Governor Jack Dalrymple announced a state of emergency, ‘…making additional state resources available to manage public safety risks associated with the ongoing protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline,’ going beyond his authority to violate civil and human rights to water.”
ZenTrainer writes—Update on Standing Rock. Native America vote may turnout in record numbers. Good news for Hillary! ”It was Chief Red Cloud who signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 which ended the Red Cloud War. In each culture, such formal decisions are sanctified in different ways. For the Lakota, it involves the smoking of a pipe together. This last weekend, the pipe Red Cloud smoked at that historic 1868 Peace Treaty meeting was brought out to the Sacred Stone Camp at Standing Rock by Wendell Yellow Bull Jr., the ninth Keeper of Mahpiya Luta's pipe in a procession that was led by Henry Red Cloud, who also brought it into the Council Tipi where high level discussions went on among the assembled Lakota headsmen. Following the ceremony and discussions, Henry spoke on behalf of Mahpiya Luta to the many hundreds of people who had gathered near the Council Tipi. He spoke about the need for unity to protect Mother Earth, but also the necessity of always acting in a peaceful non-violent manner. He also talked about the need to take political action, which includes voting in the upcoming election.”
parango writes—First Amendment Suspended in North Dakota – Democracy Now! Videos of Dog Attacks Lead to Charges: “An arrest warrant has been issued by Morton County, North Dakota, charging reporter Amy Goodman with criminal trespass after she released the videos of dogs used by private security forces to prevent peaceful demonstration at the site of the Dakota Access pipeline. Goodman is not alone in facing arrest; Green Party candidate Jill Stein and her Vice Presidential running mate, Ajamu Baraka, have both been charged with misdemeanor trespass and criminal mischief for their part in the protest, including the spray painting of bulldozers at the site. The AP reports that Stein spray painted the words, ‘I approve this message’ in red paint, while Baraka painted the word ‘decolonization’ on a piece of bulldozing equipment. Stein said in a statement before charges were filed against her that she hopes authorities ‘press charges against the real vandalism taking place at the Standing Rock Sioux reservation: the bulldozing of sacred burial sites and the unleashing of vicious attack dogs.’”
Lefty Coaster writes—Protesters win a reprieve as President Obama halts construction on Access Pipeline in North Dakota: “This is very welcome news just when the confrontations between protesters and the forces guarding the Access Pipeline project were set to escalate. The Obama administration said it would not authorize construction on a critical stretch of the Dakota Access pipeline, handing a significant victory to the Indian tribe fighting the project the same day the group lost a court battle. The administration said construction would halt until it can do more environmental assessments.The Department of Justice, the Army and the Interior Department jointly announced that construction would pause on the pipeline near North Dakota's Lake Oahe, a major water source on the Missouri River for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.”
navajo writes—Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s request to stop Dakota Access Pipeline denied, Dept. of Justice steps in: “At today's hearing, Judge Boasberg decided only one issue: whether the tribes were entitled to a preliminary injunction that prevents the construction from continuing while the lawsuit proceeds. He was not deciding who will ultimately win the case, but only whether the construction will be stopped for now. If the preliminary injunction were to issue, then construction would stop, but the U.S. and Dakota Access might ultimately win the case. If the preliminary injunction were denied, then the tribes could ultimately win the case, but the construction would not be halted today. One of the key factors the court considers in ruling on a motion for a preliminary injunction is whether there ‘is a high likelihood that the plaintiff will prevail’ when the case ultimately goes to trial. At the preliminary injunction hearing today, Judge Boasberg denied the tribes' motion for a preliminary injunction finding that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had ‘likely complied’ with its duty to consult with the tribe over potential damage to sacred sites.”
navajo writes—The Dakota Access Pipeline guards unleash attack dogs on our American Indian water protectors: “Big oil is relentless. Our tribes’ battle with the KXL pipeline was not long ago and now we’re dealing with another attempt to transport dirty oil through our nations. For those of you needing a primer, CNN reports on ‘5 things to Know about the Dakota Access Pipeline.’ The five questions answered are: 1. What is the pipeline project? 2. Why is the pipeline being constructed? 3. Who is protesting? 4. Who's on which side? And 5. What's next? The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has sued the federal government, saying the Native American tribe was not properly consulted over the project to construct a 1,168-mile crude oil pipeline that extends over four states. While proponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline tout its economic boost, opponents question its environmental impact. The US Army Corps of Engineers approved the project, granting final permits in July, to the dismay of environmentalists and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The local tribes started gathering at the construction site in July at a site called Sacred Stone Camp, named for the natural whirlwind-swirling waters once there that formed perfectly round sandstones.”
navajo writes—North Dakota activates National Guard to protect the pipeline instead of our tribes: ”North Dakota’s Gov. Jack Dalrymple held a press conference today activating the National Guard. In this press conference, below, please note that there are no American Indian journalists except for Chase Iron Eyes who expresses concern about escalating violence as a result of the governor’s decision. The rest of the press corps ask questions that, in my opinion, carry water for the Dakota Access Pipeline. This is a one-sided presentation to the media and our tribes will continue to press our message of why this pipeline needs to be stopped.”
navajo writes—North Dakota Water Protectors update: This is a momentary victory, it's not a win—still on guard: “Morton County, North Dakota, issued an arrest warrant for Amy Goodman. The charge: criminal trespass, a misdemeanor offense. The case, State of North Dakota v. Amy Goodman, stems from Democracy Now!’s coverage in North Dakota over the Labor Day weekend of the Native American-led protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. On Saturday, September 3, Democracy Now! filmed security guards working for the Dakota Access pipeline company using dogs and pepper spray to attack protesters. Please arrest Goodman. It would massively multiply national attention to the Standing Rock Tribe’s ongoing struggle.”
navajo writes—North Dakota police in riot gear arrest Water Protectors locked to pipeline construction equipment: “This morning some Water Protectors chained themselves to construction equipment at the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota. Police arrived in riot gear with automatic weapons and arrested people on the construction site. Media was asked not to cross a certain line. In the video link below, a Unicorn Riot journalist, is complying with the demand. It appears he was arrested anyway.From Red Warrior Camp’s Facebook page: BREAKING: Around 20 people have just been arrested at the site of the#NoDAPL lockdown, including medics and two Unicorn Riot journalists. Police have shut down all road access to the site and are carrying assault rifles and less-lethal weapons.”
johnabbe writes—Dakota Access Solidarity Actions Everywhere! Next Tuesday Bernie joins Native speakers @ White House: “If you thought we had won, I suggest Erased By False Victory: Obama Hasn’t Stopped DAPL. Conversely, Bernie has offered an amendment that would force the Corps to do an Environmental Impact Assessment along the entire 1000+ mile length of the pipeline, a much stronger response than Obama's on Friday. Stein is facing charges for her civil disobedience protecting the water, Clinton has refused comment so far, and I don’t know if anyone has even bothered asking Trump. But much more importantly (since as we are all seeing again, change happens from the bottom up!), this movement strengthens daily, around the country and the planet.”
Pakalolo writes—North Dakota issues arrest warrant for Amy Goodman of Democracy Now for trespassing at DAPL protest: “A total of 38 arrests have been made in connection with the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Morton County court documents reflect that Amy Goodman, is now facing criminal trespassing charges, Class B misdemeanor, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest. Amy Goodman is the Democracy Now! host and executive produce. She recently filmed the widely circulated video of corporate goons gassing and unleashing vicious dogs on Native American men, women and children at the site of the North Dakota oil pipeline construction site. The video also documented bite injuries and footage of dogs with human blood on their mouth and nose. In a statement Amy Goodman said ‘This is an unacceptable violation of freedom of the press, I was doing my job by covering pipeline guards unleashing dogs and pepper spray on Native American protesters.’”
nancyjones writes—Guess what happens when you report on dogs and pepper spray released on pipeline protesters: “Can’t guess? Okay, I’ll tell you. North Dakota issues a warrant for your arrest. Yep, that’s right. An arrest warrant has been issued in North Dakota for Democracy Now! host and executive producer Amy Goodman.”
ZenTrainer writes—Pipelines, Pipe bombs and Protests. Standing Rock, ND. Help for Hillary? ”On Saturday, security for the Dakota Access pipeline used mace and dogs to attack peaceful Native American protesters from Standing Rock Reservation. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is fighting on many fronts to stop this pipeline from coming so near their land. Through legal means they are seeking an injunction, through media they are seeking support for advocacy. They are marching in the streets and making their voices heard. It's a complicated and convoluted story that I can barely begin to comprehend so let me just lay out the little that I do understand. The application that Energy Transfers Partners submitted to build this pipeline is 800 pages long. I doubt anyone read the whole thing.”
jpmassar writes—SMH. Amy Goodman Charged With Criminal Trespass in North Dakota. Update: “(Amy Goodman, of course, is a host of Democracy Now) ...Knowing he/she is not license or privileged to do so, the individual enters or remains in any place to which notice against trespass is given to the actor by the individual in charge of the premises or other authorized individual or by posting in a manner reasonably likely to come to the attention of intruders...” I suppose nothing should surprise us, coming as this did from a bunch of people who thought it was a good idea to “release the dogs” on a group of peaceful protesters. I suppose that soon they’ll be trying to break sacred treaties they made with the people who have lived on the land before the idiots took over. Oh, wait…”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
Lael Goodman at the Union of Concerned Scientists writes—America’s Top Brands, Cattle, and Deforestation: ”Beef production is the largest driver of tropical deforestation globally, and this destruction is concentrated in South America. In fact, beef production is responsible for more than twice as much deforestation as the other three top drivers—soy, palm oil, and wood products—combined. Cattle in South America are largely raised on pasture, and that pasture is often located on previously forested lands. South America, and Brazil in particular, exports beef and other cattle products all around the world. Beef produced in South America can be found in pet food, canned beef products, and in American-based fast food restaurants in South America. We took a look at 13 global fast food, retail, and food manufacturing companies that buy beef from South America. After scrutinizing their written policies, communicating with the companies and asking questions, we found that all 13 companies have a long way to go before they can be confident that none of the beef they are buying is linked to deforestation.”
bcrazee writes—What I would like my non-vegan/vegetarian friends to know...yes FRIENDS! ”I read a lot of the emails from DK and enjoy them almost as much as I love/hate reading the comments. (Full disclosure: I do so with a very right leaning website as well but do not respect it enough to ever post or even give it name recognition in this diary. I guess I am a gluton for punishment.) The last email I recieved from DK had a note after the links that read “Are you a vegetarian or vegan? What are three things you wished non-vegetarians understood?” I was excited at the prospect of entertaining the question on a large forum rather than the one to one engagements where I normally share what I would like to share with anyone willing to read this. So here we go…”
CASynder writes—#emailprompt My food choices aren't a criticism of yours: “When people first learn I’m vegetarian there is often a moment of hesitancy and discomfort, as they assume that vegetarians are out to make converts, or make judgements about others’ food choices, neither of which is true in my case. I have lots of good reasons for my food choices that benefit me and the planet, and if people are curious, I’ll answer any question they ask, but I’ve no need to evangelize, nor any interest in criticizing others’ choices. I’ve learned that change only happens when people are already seeking answers and a different path of their own accord; there is no point in pushing a viewpoint that isn’t welcomed. So hopefully you can tolerate and make space for my life choices, weird as they seem to you, but in any case you needn’t fear that I’m going to push you to abandon your mainstream life choices from the dominant culture. There are so many values I share with nearly everyone that are far more important, like protecting democracy, our land, water, and air, and the next generations as well as our elders and other vulnerable people, that I’m not going to make an issue about how grown adults choose to feed themselves.”
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brooklynpaul writes The Climate Puzzle: 2 ways to play! “The world is heating up as fast as the election is, and not enough attention is being paid to the problem, although people are dealing with the effects — droughts, floods, hurricanes, and rising sea levels. Vote blue.”