Nadia Prupis at CommonDreams writes—'Heed This Call': At COP22, Hundreds of Groups Demand End to Fossil Fuels:
Nearly 400 civil society groups and individuals from over 60 countries on Monday delivered a letter to world leaders at climate talks in Marrakesh, Morocco, urging them to end fossil fuel development to stave off "economic upheaval and climate chaos."
The groups, from 350.org and Greenpeace to the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), urged the COP22 attendees to work toward a "just transition to renewable energy with a managed decline of the fossil fuel industry." [...]
"Since rich countries have a greater historic responsibility to act, they should provide support to poorer countries to help expand non-carbon energy and drive economic development as part of their fair share of global action, with a focus on meeting the urgent priority of providing universal access to energy," the letter states. "The world can either start now in pursuing a managed decline of the fossil fuel industry and a just transition to renewable energy, or it can delay action and bring about economic upheaval and climate chaos. The choice is clear." [...]
Oil Change International, another signatory to the letter, recently released an analysis that found the world has about 17 years to get off fossil fuels entirely, or the hope of keeping global warming below the 2°C threshold would be all but lost.
"The only way to avoid either dangerous climate change, or an abrupt loss of jobs and investment, is to begin a managed decline of fossil fuel production and a just transition to clean energy," Greg Muttitt, who authored the analysis, said Monday. "This letter shows the massive global movement that has woken up to this reality. World leaders would be wise to heed this call."
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At Daily Kos on this date in 2002—Independent commission passed by House:
So it will happen. Due in large part because of pressure from Lieberman and McCain, the House passed a bill creating an independent 9-11 probe. The commission will have 10 members, half Republicans and half Democrats. The chair will be a Republican.
Here's the key: subpoenas can only be issued by concurrence of the chair or six of the 10 members of the commission, which would indicate that Republicans could stymie any real investigation. (There's no way the commission's Democrats could force a subpoena without Republican support, while the opposite is not the case.)
BUT, the deal requires at least one of the commissioners be essentially selected by John McCain, which many hope would give the Democrats on the commission a swing vote in case of partisan deadlocks.
"If it wasn't for this provision we would not support this proposal," said Steve Push of The Families of Sept. 11. "[McCain] is independent minded and we're confident if he makes one of the Republican picks we can count on that person."
The Senate will now take up the provision, which Bush has apparently promised to sign.
On today’s Kagro in the Morning show, Greg Dworkin ponders the future of Obamacare. Fakebook, and what a huge problem it is. Armando sounds a new watchword: emoluments. Host David Waldman reminds you that Trump World and the so-called “alt-right” are just penis cults.
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