President of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer holds a press conference in Brussels, Belgium on Jan. 30, 2020. Dursun Aydemir / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
By Jon Queally
Noted author and 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben was among the first to celebrate word that the president of the European Investment Bank on Wednesday openly declared, "To put it mildly, gas is over" — an admission that squares with what climate experts and economists have been saying for years if not decades.
<p>Dr. Werner Hoyer, president of the EIB — the investment bank publicly owned by the European Union's member states — made the comments while presenting a review of the institution's 2020 operations at a press conference in Luxembourg.</p><p>Calling a future break with fracked gas "a serious departure from the past," Hoer added that "without the end to the use of unabated fossil fuels, we will not be able to reach the climate targets" to which the EU states — and therefore the bank — have committed.</p><p>McKibben and others responded to the comments as the most recent promising signal that the financial world is catching up with the climate science that demands a rapid and profound shift away from fossil fuels.</p>
<div id="3e832" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4fe43fadc02a3bc19b3bb0387627f5a0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1352242766621904896" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Head of the European Investment Bank: "Gas is over."
I'd say the message is starting to sink in.
https://t.co/BYKCJO0EVS</div> — Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben)<a href="https://twitter.com/billmckibben/statuses/1352242766621904896">1611234773.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"President of the EIB, Werner Hoyer, clearly knows what's up," <a href="https://twitter.com/PriceofOil/status/1352226504432885760" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tweeted</a> Oil Change International. "We agree. Time to #StopFundingFossils."</p><p>Greenpeace EU also heralded the news and stated: "There's nothing clean about gas — it's not a 'transition fuel' or a 'bridge fuel,' it's a dirty fossil fuel just like coal and oil. It's time to stop bankrolling the #ClimateEmergency and stop public money back gas projects."</p>
<div id="9a0df" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="794b3b0f2b24a61966878250dd90138a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1351871509334253574" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">European Investment Bank says GAS IS OVER! 🥂👋
Now we need to make sure it doesn't fund gas before its 2022 deadlin… https://t.co/I5G8zvPOUE</div> — Gastivists Network (@Gastivists Network)<a href="https://twitter.com/gastivists/statuses/1351871509334253574">1611146259.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/gas-is-over-eu-bank-chief-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According</a> to EurActiv:</p><blockquote>The EU aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and is expected to adopt a new carbon reduction target of -55% for 2030. However, gas has remained a grey area, with the European Commission <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/natural-gas-is-a-caveat-in-energy-transition-eu-admits/" target="_blank">saying it will still be needed to help coal-reliant EU member states transition away from fossil fuels</a>.<br>Under their <a href="https://www.eib.org/attachments/thematic/eib_group_climate_bank_roadmap_en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate bank roadmap published in 2020</a>, the EIB plans to use 50% of its activity to support climate and environmental sustainability, unlocking €1 trillion for green funding by 2030. It will also ensure that all activity is aligned with the Paris Agreement.</blockquote><p>Others emphasized what a historic shift the comment represents from even just a few years ago:</p>
<div id="c61d5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1023ac797ce2060c2237eb53aebdf9e2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1352166077980143618" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">June 2011, IEA: "Are We Entering A Golden Age of gas"
Jan 2021, EIB: "Gas is over"
https://t.co/DXdDBOhiLG</div> — Michael Liebreich (@Michael Liebreich)<a href="https://twitter.com/MLiebreich/statuses/1352166077980143618">1611216489.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>While many European climate groups and financial watchdogs have criticized the EU member states and the EIB itself for not moving forward fast enough with proposed reforms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Hoyer said Wednesday that the shift away from fossil fuels is paramount and that even the Covid-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the continent must not act as a roadblock.</p><p>"We have achieved unprecedented impact on climate, preparing the ground for much more," Hoyer said in his remarks. "But the risk of a recovery that neglects climate and the environment remains."</p><p>"The fight against climate change cannot wait until the pandemic is over," he added. "The [Covid-19] crisis is not a reason to stop tackling the climate and environmental challenges facing humanity."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/21/reality-starting-sink-says-mckibben-after-european-investment-bank-chief-admits-gas" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A Fridays for Future activist on Oct. 9, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Stefano Guidi / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
Fed up with "empty promises" from world leaders, a dozen youth activists on Wednesday demanded newly sworn-in President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris take swift and bold climate action — even more far-reaching than promised on the campaign trail — stating that their "present and future depend on the actions your government takes within the next four years."
<p>"Are you going to do what science is asking you to do to fight the climate crisis?" the youth, including Disha A. Ravi of Fridays for Future India and Sofía Gutiérrez of Fridays for Future Colombia, asked in <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20210120104010-143ir" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an open letter</a>.</p>
<div id="3ae41" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cf5e7a8d2c8c286fc9788a79a4103e04"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1351879237255499777" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Dear @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris,
The time for actions to speak louder than words is now.
Are you going to listen t… https://t.co/icrDqUFjAg</div> — Nakabuye Hilda F. (@Nakabuye Hilda F.)<a href="https://twitter.com/NakabuyeHildaF/statuses/1351879237255499777">1611148101.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The letter from the global activists was released on Biden's <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/democracys-day-joe-biden-sworn-46th-president-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inauguration day</a> as he <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/after-incredible-first-steps-kxl-and-paris-biden-urged-go-further-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">won praise</a> from climate organizations for a number of expected climate-related, "day one" executive actions including <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/18/indigenous-led-movement-credited-huge-victory-biden-plans-rescind-keystone-xl-permit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">revoking</a> the presidential permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/04/us-officially-quits-paris-accord-amid-election-uncertainty-progressives-say-make" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rejoining</a> the Paris agreement.</p><p>Referencing the accord's goal for a global temperature increase threshold, the youth wrote: "The next four years will decide whether we can limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. Your place in history makes you the last administration able to act in time."</p><p>Urgent action is especially important in light of the past four years, during which former President Donald Trump's deregulatory agenda and <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">war on science</a> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/01/15/impeached-twice-trumps-presidency-was-climate-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fanned</a> the flames of the climate and <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/esa_attacks/trumptable.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ecological</a> crises. Merely going above that low bar is insufficient, according to the youth.</p><p>"Being better than Trump isn't enough," they wrote. "But also simply continuing where the Obama administration ended is far from sufficient."</p>
<p>According to the young activists, Biden's stated <a href="https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/" target="_blank">goal</a> of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is simply too late. "Be braver," they wrote.</p><p>The letter also singled out fracking for criticism, decrying the practice's impacts on Indigenous and ecosystems. "The world cannot afford for the United States to begin any more of these dangerous drilling and fracking projects."</p><p>Impacts of the climate crisis — which is "racist, sexist, and elitist" — are already being felt, the letter stressed. "Current levels of warming of 1.2°C are already hell for millions of people."</p><p>"People are burning, drowning, and dying. Enough," the youth wrote.</p>
<p>In order to live up to his promise of being a climate champion, the letter said Biden must lead an administration "unlike any of the previous administrations that have done nothing but spew out empty promises."</p><p>"Will you challenge the systems that started the climate crisis?" the youth asked.</p><p>"Our eyes are on you," they said. "The time for lies is over."</p><p>The group concluded their message with the hashtag #NoMoreEmptyPromises — a phrase Fridays for Future used in <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/13/demanding-immediate-action-over-empty-promises-youth-climate-movement-announces-next" target="_blank">announcing</a> the global climate strike <a href="https://fridaysforfuture.org/march19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">set</a> for March 19, 2021.</p><p>"If we don't act now, we won't even have the chance to deliver on those 2030, 2050 targets that world leaders keep on talking about," Mitzi Jonelle Tan of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines and one of the new letter's signatories said in a statement earlier this month.</p><p>"What we need now are not empty promises," she said, "but annual binding carbon targets and immediate cuts in emissions in all sectors of our economy."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/last-administration-able-act-time-youth-climate-leaders-say-global-future-depends" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Water Protectors Arrested in Minnesota After Chaining Themselves Inside Enbridge Line 3 Pipe
15 January
Energy
Environmental activist Winona LaDuke (C) and water protectors stand in front of the construction site for the Line 3 oil pipeline near Palisade, Minnesota, on Jan. 9, 2021. Kerem Yucel / AFP via Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Water protectors were arrested Thursday after halting construction at a Minnesota worksite for Enbridge's Line 3 project by locking themselves together inside a pipe segment.
<p>"After moving to Minnesota to attend college and study environmental science, I was excited to be in a place where people valued protecting the Earth and finding a viable future. What I found, however, was a state that had formed 'ambitious' climate goals yet endorsed one of the dirtiest fossil fuels, tar sands oil," water protector Abby Hornberger said in a statement. "I realized that Indigenous ways of knowing and practicing harmony with the environment are continuously ignored."</p><p>KFGO <a href="https://kfgo.com/2021/01/14/2-arrested-during-latest-line-3-protest/" target="_blank">reports</a> that Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch said two protesters who were taken into custody on Thursday now face charges of trespassing and obstructing.</p>
<p>Hornberger explained that "the Line 3 pipeline far outweighs all clean energy initiatives and progress being made in renewable energies. Line 3 will destroy Minnesota's essential clean water resources for future generations and will ultimately drive us into climate doom. Education and spreading awareness is no longer enough to create meaningful change for me."</p><p>"Enbridge's last-ditch effort to build fossil fuel infrastructure is killing people and the planet. I refuse to be complicit in settler colonialist practices, and feel that I have to put my body on the line to protect Indigenous communities' sovereignty and all of our futures," Hornberger added. "This is not just an issue relevant to some, it affects each of us on a deeper level that goes beyond our daily lives. It determines if we will have a livable future."</p>
<div id="5204b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4238296ced019235c5ebedb5c4188673"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349769464896745473" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Water Protectors Lock Down Inside Line 3 Pipeline to #StopLine3
(Backus, MN) Thursday morn… https://t.co/NWH4lBcyJY</div> — giniw collective (@giniw collective)<a href="https://twitter.com/GiniwCollective/statuses/1349769464896745473">1610645092.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Indigenous and environmental activists have long opposed the Canadian company's efforts to <a href="https://www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/public-awareness/minnesota-projects/line-3-replacement-project" target="_blank">replace</a> an aging oil pipeline with a larger one running from Alberta, through North Dakota and Minnesota, to Wisconsin — noting Enbridge's <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/resources" target="_blank">track record on spills</a> and that cultural maps <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/14/water-protectors-lock-down-inside-line-3-pipeline?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">indicate</a> "numerous sacred and significant sites lie in the path of the Line 3 project."</p><p>Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/12/nightmarish-indigenous-and-climate-leaders-outraged-over-minnesota-permits-line-3" target="_blank">has come under fire</a> from Indigenous and climate leaders in recent months as the state has approved key permits that Enbridge needs to complete the new Line 3, especially given the Democratic governor <a href="https://twitter.com/govtimwalz/status/1095374006071504896?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said publicly</a> in February of 2019 that projects like this one "don't just need a building permit to go forward, they also need a social permit."</p><p>As some water protectors on Thursday protested inside a pipe segment a few miles from a man camp in Backus, "dozens more held space," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/14/water-protectors-lock-down-inside-line-3-pipeline?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to</a> the Giniw Collective. The group also pointed out that "Enbridge is working 24 hours per day at several worksites, as a pending injunction to halt work while tribally led lawsuits are heard has yet to be decided."</p>
<p>Water protector Andrew Lee said that he participated in the action against Line 3 on Thursday "to protect the treaties that my ancestors failed to uphold."</p><p>"I've learned over the course of this year that Tim Walz isn't going to protect us, the government of Minnesota isn't going to protect us, and the federal government isn't going to protect us," Lee continued. "I believe it is my duty, as a colonizer and as a person with the privilege, to do so, to put my body on the line to stop the Enbridge Corporation from building this pipeline."</p><p>"It breaks my heart and enrages me to see how these people are desecrating the Earth and the lengths they will go to leech every last dollar they can from its surface," they said. "But for as much as I'm here in anger and fear, I'm also here in love."</p>
<p>Thursday's action came after eight people were arrested on Saturday, when <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/news/january092021" target="_blank">scores</a> of water protectors and Anishinaabe jingle dress dancers gathered at the Mississippi River, then walked onto a Line 3 worksite. <a href="https://www.stopline3.org/news/january092021" target="_blank">According to</a> a statement from organizers:</p><blockquote>After praying and sharing a healing jingle dance, water protectors went to Haypoint, Minnesota, where Enbridge is actively boring under Highway 169 on its way to the Willow and Mississippi Rivers.<br>Construction stopped as water protectors held space and documented <a href="https://fb.watch/2YA1x0szE0/" target="_blank">irregularities</a> in the pipe being put into the ground. Nearly 30 police squad cars from multiple counties and the Department of Natural Resources were onsite.</blockquote>
<p>The statement, which confirmed the eight arrests, also said that "one arresting officer in a Cass County uniform without a badge refused to put on a face mask and grinned at the crowd as he held a zip-tied water protector. Enbridge's worksites and man camps have quickly become hotspots for Covid-19 in Aitkin County."</p><p>While critics of Line 3 and similar projects have long raised health and safety concerns — including about the <a href="https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/native-american-and-women-s-organizations-request-un-help-on-sexual-violence-_srxHIWjqEmyrmz9OPMmZw" target="_blank">well-documented connection</a> between man camps and the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women — the pandemic, which has hit Indigenous communities hard, has further fueled opposition.</p><p>"We saw Minnesota's police officers protecting a Canadian tar sands pipeline being built by mostly out-of-state workers, for sale on foreign market," said Tara Houska, founder of Giniw Collective. "We need good-paying jobs up north that don't require us to destroy our environment. Where is the investment in the north land? Where is the upholding of treaty rights? Where is the Walz administration on this pandemic pipeline?"</p>
<div id="94ce5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="384e44bc9a6701e11c25627380232d6f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1347984613700984833" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We are here to protect the water. Hundreds of us today at the Rally for the Rivers and more every day. We will… https://t.co/ww5HOuF6ZI</div> — MN350 (@MN350)<a href="https://twitter.com/MN_350/statuses/1347984613700984833">1610219550.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Activists are <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/15/biden-urged-stand-against-line-3-water-protectors-battle-dirty-tar-sands-pipeline" target="_blank">calling on</a> President-elect Joe Biden to stand up for those "on the frontlines of fossil fuel racism and the climate crisis" by stopping Line 3. On Thursday, more than 75 Indigenous women leaders <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/14/over-75-indigenous-women-urge-biden-stop-climate-wrecking-pipelines-and-respect" target="_blank">wrote</a> to the next president, urging him to block Line 3 and two other projects that "pose grave threats to Indigenous rights, cultural survival, sacred water and land, the global climate, and the public health crises within our communities, which have been greatly exacerbated by Covid-19."</p><p>As Houska, Couchiching First Nation Anishinaabe and a signatory to the letter, put it: "The Biden administration can uphold their climate justice claims by acting to stop Line 3, stop Keystone XL, and stop Dakota Access Pipeline, now."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/14/arrests-minnesota-after-water-protectors-chain-themselves-inside-pipe-section-halt" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Youth Climate Movement Demands Immediate Action After 'Empty Promises,' Announces Next Global Strike
14 January
Climate
A participates in a Fridays for Future climate strike on Oct. 9, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Stefano Guidi / Getty Images
By Jon Queally
Fridays for Future, the youth-led global group inspired by Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, announced Wednesday that its next international day of climate strikes will occur on March 19 of this year with a demand for "immediate, concrete, and ambitious action" directed at world leaders who have in recent years talked seriously about the urgent need to address the planetary emergency but stalled dangerously by failing to make those words a reality.
<p>"No more empty promises," said the group in its <a href="https://fridaysforfuture.org/march19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announcement</a> for global strikes that will take place on every continent, led by students and their allies who believe that the rapidly heating world is an existential threat to life as humanity has come to know it and the insufficient and voluntary emission reduction targets like the ones at the center of the Paris agreement — which nations are not even on track to meet — are worthless unless here-and-now policies are put into action immediately to bring carbon and other greenhouse gas pollution under control.</p><p>"If we don't act now, we won't even have the chance to deliver on those 2030, 2050 targets that world leaders keep on talking about," said Mitzi Jonelle Tan from the Philippines, one of the group's organizers. "What we need now are not empty promises, but annual binding carbon targets and immediate cuts in emissions in all sectors of our economy."</p>
<div id="9d143" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e21eff594da0e231773abd4706d8d944"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1348921010859470848" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">In 2010 our leaders signed "ambitious goals to protect wildlife and ecosystems”. By 2021 they'd failed on every sin… https://t.co/yaxJYELfib</div> — Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg)<a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/statuses/1348921010859470848">1610442805.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>As part of the organizing effort, the group has posted a <a href="https://fridaysforfuture.org/action-map/map/" target="_blank">worldwide map of planned actions</a> and a <a href="https://fridaysforfuture.org/action-map/register-report-strikes/" target="_blank">sign-up form</a> for those wishing to register or create an event.</p>
<div id="2ac11" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0fe5ea2986d40834d0acd1e7b0ac16b9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349310129716383746" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">📣📣New year starts with a new strike!
Join us in the fight for climate justice this March 19. Coming back more uni… https://t.co/kCrOjWEAd8</div> — Fridays For Future (@Fridays For Future)<a href="https://twitter.com/Fridays4future/statuses/1349310129716383746">1610535578.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>As part of the organizing effort, the group has posted a <a href="https://fridaysforfuture.org/action-map/map/" target="_blank">worldwide map of planned actions</a> and a <a href="https://fridaysforfuture.org/action-map/register-report-strikes/" target="_blank">sign-up form</a> for those wishing to register or create an event.</p><p>João Duccini, an organizer from Brazil, said that the climate crisis — with <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/08/climate-emergency-persists-2020-ties-earths-hottest-year-record" target="_blank">2020 tying the record for the hottest year on record</a> — "is not a far-off catastrophe" but something people in his country and around the world are already experiencing. "Heat waves, droughts, floods, hurricanes, landslides, deforestation, fires, loss of housing and spread of diseases," he said, "this is what the most affected people and areas are dealing with more and more frequency today. Our lives depend on immediate action."</p><p>According to the group's announcement for the strike:</p><blockquote>Those in power continue to only deliver vague and empty promises for far off dates that are much too late. What we need are not meaningless goals for 2050 or net-zero targets full of loopholes, but concrete and immediate action in-line with science. Our carbon budget is running out. The climate crisis is already here and will only get worse, so if we are to avoid the worst case scenarios, annual, short-term climate binding targets that factor in justice and equity have to be prioritized by the people in charge.</blockquote><p>"When your house is on fire," said Thunberg on Wednesday, "you don't wait for 10, 20 years before you call the fire department; you act as soon and as much as you possibly can."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/13/demanding-immediate-action-over-empty-promises-youth-climate-movement-announces-next">Common Dreams</a>.</em><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/13/demanding-immediate-action-over-empty-promises-youth-climate-movement-announces-next"></a><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Scientists Warn Humanity in Denial of Looming 'Collapse of Civilization as We Know It'
13 January
Climate
bennymarty / iStock / Getty Images Plus
By Jessica Corbett
In an example to the rest of the scientific community and an effort to wake up people — particularly policymakers — worldwide, 17 scientists penned a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the planet and what the future could hold due to biodiversity loss, climate disruption, human consumption and population growth.
<p>"Ours is not a call to surrender — we aim to provide leaders with a realistic 'cold shower' of the state of the planet that is essential for planning to avoid a ghastly future," according to the perspective paper, co-authored by experts across Australia, Mexico, and the United States, and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419/abstract" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">published</a> in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science.</p>
<p>Co-author Paul R. Ehrlich of Stanford University's Center for Conservation Biology — who has raised alarm about overpopulation for <a href="https://climateone.org/audio/population-bomb-50-years-later-conversation-paul-ehrlich" target="_blank">decades</a> — told Common Dreams his colleagues "are all scared" about what's to come.</p><p>"Scientists have to learn to be communicators," said Ehrlich, citing James Hansen's warning about the consequences of "<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0703220" target="_blank">scientific reticence.</a>" Hansen, a professor at Columbia University's Earth Institute and former director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/23/30th-anniversary-famous-climate-testimony-james-hansen-called-paul-revere-we" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">testified</a> to Congress about the climate crisis in 1988.</p><p>Ehrlich was straightforward about how "extremely dangerous things are" now and the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/04/existential-risk-climate-crisis-could-lead-civilizational-collapse-2050-warns-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">necessity</a> of a "World War II-type mobilization" to prevent predictions detailed in the paper: "a ghastly future of mass extinction, declining health, and climate-disruption upheavals (including looming massive migrations), and resource conflicts."</p><p>"What we are saying might not be popular, and indeed is frightening. But we need to be candid, accurate, and honest if humanity is to understand the enormity of the challenges we face in creating a sustainable future," said co-author Daniel T. Blumstein of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a statement about the paper.</p><p>"By scientists' telling it like it is, we hope to empower politicians to work to represent their citizen, not corporate, constituents," he said in an email to Common Dreams.</p><p>The paper, Ehrlich and Blumstein pointed out, comes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic — which, <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according to</a> Johns Hopkins University, has killed nearly two million people. Over the past year, the Co-19 crisis has <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/03/jane-goodall-warns-humanity-will-be-finished-after-covid-19-without-ending-absolute" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">provoked</a> calls for humanity to end its destruction of the natural world to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/29/seismic-shift-worlds-approach-land-use-wildlife-and-climate-action-needed-avoid-new" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">prevent</a> future public health catastrophes.</p><p>"We're all seeing the shocks to our global systems now from Covid and the rise of authoritarian leaders," Blumstein said. "Because our current ways of life are ecologically unsustainable (we're living in an ecological Ponzi scheme), we fully anticipate more — and more deadly — pandemics in the future. We expect civil unrest, wars, and famines. We are all shaken by the likelihood of the collapse of civilization as we know it."</p>
<div id="25da8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bf8a63f9cc8cc4813996d6e1fbd213fa"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349181889240854540" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">From extreme hurricanes to droughts to wildfires, the climate crisis killed 262 people and cost $95 billion last ye… https://t.co/RwowWVlBZ9</div> — Friends of the Earth (Action) (@Friends of the Earth (Action))<a href="https://twitter.com/foe_us/statuses/1349181889240854540">1610505003.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The new warning from scientists, Blumstein noted, cites over 150 other papers "documenting the diverse and shocking decline in biodiversity and planetary 'health' and their consequences." Among the cited sources is a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) report that in September <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/10/nature-unraveling-new-wwf-report-reveals-alarming-68-plummet-wildlife-populations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">revealed</a> an "average 68% decrease in population sizes of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish between 1970 and 2016."</p><p>"In the midst of a global pandemic, it is now more important than ever to take unprecedented and coordinated global action to halt and start to reverse the loss of biodiversity and wildlife populations across the globe by the end of the decade, and protect our future health and livelihoods," WWF International director general Marco Lambertini said at the time.</p><p>The co-authors — including William J. Ripple of Oregon State University, who last year led thousands of scientists in <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/05/warning-untold-human-suffering-over-11000-scientists-around-world-declare-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">declaring</a> a climate emergency and earlier this month led a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/07/one-year-after-declaring-climate-emergency-scientists-say-massive-scale-mobilization" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">call</a> for "a massive-scale mobilization to address the climate crisis" — echoed Lambertini's message while also underscoring the importance of increasing awareness about what's actually needed.</p><p>"Humanity is causing a rapid loss of biodiversity and, with it, Earth's ability to support complex life. But the mainstream is having difficulty grasping the magnitude of this loss, despite the steady erosion of the fabric of human civilization," the paper says.</p>
<div id="c7dd4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="309107b64c42fab5e69a1c0bace9d47b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1347817383919022080" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Biodiversity is the thread of life on Earth.
🦠️🦩🐜🍄🌱🦧🌽🍂🥦🐦🌺🐇🐝🌴🦒🌿🐋🌏
Learn more about what #biodiversity is and why… https://t.co/I5kht3RYnj</div> — UN Biodiversity (@UN Biodiversity)<a href="https://twitter.com/UNBiodiversity/statuses/1347817383919022080">1610179680.0</a></blockquote></div><p>"In fact, the scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its lifeforms is so great that it is difficult to grasp for even well-informed experts," said lead author Corey Bradshaw of Australia's Flinders University in a statement. "The problem is compounded by ignorance and short-term self-interest, with the pursuit of wealth and political interests stymieing the action that is crucial for survival."</p><p>The paper explains that "while suggested solutions abound, the current scale of their implementation does not match the relentless progression of biodiversity loss and other existential threats tied to the continuous expansion of the human enterprise." According to its authors, "That we are already on the path of a sixth major extinction is now scientifically undeniable."</p><p>"With such a rapid, catastrophic loss of biodiversity, the ecosystem services it provides have also declined," the paper explains. Consequences include "reduced carbon sequestration, reduced pollination, soil degradation, poorer water and air quality, more frequent and intense flooding and fires, and compromised human health."</p><p>Highlighting estimates that the human population will near 10 billion by 2050, the scientists lay out how "large population size and continued growth are implicated in many societal problems," from food insecurity, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and an increased chance of pandemics, to crowding, joblessness, deteriorating infrastructure, and bad governance.</p><p>The paper also details the planetary impacts of dirty energy and carbon-intensive food production, and says that "while climate change demands a full exit from fossil fuel use well before 2050, pressures on the biosphere are likely to mount prior to decarbonization as humanity brings energy alternatives online."</p><p>A section on failed international goals declares that "stopping biodiversity loss is nowhere close to the top of any country's priorities, trailing far behind other concerns such as employment, healthcare, economic growth, or currency stability."</p><p>"The dangerous effects of climate change are much more evident to people than those of biodiversity loss, but society is still finding it difficult to deal with them effectively," the scientists note, while decrying "utterly inadequate" efforts by governments to even try to meet the targets of the landmark Paris climate agreement.</p><p>They further decry the recent rise of right-wing, anti-environment agendas in countries including Australia, Brazil, and the United States — which recently denied President Donald Trump a second term. Ehrlich expressed hope that President-elect Joe Biden will work to <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/08/no-more-excuses-senate-majority-reclaimed-progressives-demand-bold-agenda-biden" target="_blank">deliver</a> on the climate promises he made as a candidate.</p><p>Biden's vow to rejoin the Paris agreement "is positive news," but "it is a minuscule gesture given the scale of the challenge," Ehrlich said in a statement.</p><p>The president-elect "is moving in the right direction," Ehrlich told Common Dreams, pointing to the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/23/alarming-red-flag-something-we-can-work-campaigners-respond-kerry-biden-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="">selection</a> of former Secretary of State John Kerry as his climate envoy. However, "the Paris goals are increasingly looking inadequate," and "Biden's political opportunities to do anything major may be greatly constrained," he added.</p>
<div id="0ea0e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eb14cb1c288cecbbf85ec2be96b17c28"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1349123864245239811" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">What can Joe Biden do on climate change once he takes office?
@DashaBurns looks into what he can accomplish with e… https://t.co/wBn29Ms1UX</div> — NBC News NOW (@NBC News NOW)<a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNewsNow/statuses/1349123864245239811">1610491169.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Blumstein stressed that "recycling, using less plastic, eating less meat, taking public transportation, and flying less, while all important, will simply not create the rapid change we need now to save much of the Earth's biodiversity and our lives."</p><p>According to Blumstein, "We need rapid political change."</p><p>He urged voters to elect leaders who will end fossil fuel use as well as "eliminate perpetual economic growth and properly price externalities so that the environmental costs are built into the price of a product." He also emphasized the importance of access to education and reproductive control, and the need to rein in corporate lobbying and enact campaign finance reform so politicians serve citizens' needs.</p><p>"Ultimately," Blumstein added, "we must focus on making equity and well-being society's goals — not the constant accumulation of more junk."</p><p>In their paper, the UCLA scientist and his 16 co-authors "contend that only a realistic appreciation of the colossal challenges facing the international community might allow it to chart a less-ravaged future."</p><p>It is "incumbent on experts in any discipline that deals with the future of the biosphere and human well-being to eschew reticence, avoid sugar-coating the overwhelming challenges, ahead and 'tell it like it is,'" they conclude. "Anything else is misleading at best, or negligent and potentially lethal for the human enterprise at worst."</p><p><span></span><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/13/dire-assessment-scientists-warn-humanity-denial-looming-collapse-civilization-we" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Many insect populations are dropping about one to two percent a year. Raung Binaia / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A collection of new scientific papers authored by 56 experts from around the world reiterates rising concerns about bug declines and urges people and governments to take urgent action to address a biodiversity crisis dubbed the "insect apocalypse."
<p>"The Global Decline of Insects in the Anthropocene Special Feature," which includes an introduction and 11 papers, was <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2" target="_blank">published</a> Monday in <em>Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences </em>alongside a related <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2018499117?cct=1971&utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term=&utm_content=d49b5d78-dfea-425d-8d99-f95f495689b0&utm_campaign=General" target="_blank">news article</a>. "Nature is under siege," the scientists warn. "Insects are suffering from 'death by a thousand cuts.'"</p><p>The set of studies—resulting from a symposium in St. Louis—comes as the body of <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/10/31/scientists-demand-paradigm-shift-after-study-shows-frightening-decline-insects-and" target="_blank">research</a> on insect declines has grown in recent years, leading to major assessments published in <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/11/scientists-warn-crashing-insect-population-puts-planets-ecosystems-and-survival" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">February 2019</a> and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/24/silent-spring-already-here-global-study-shows-nearly-25-drop-insect-population-over" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">April 2020</a>, as well as a roadmap released last January by 73 scientists detailing how to battle the "<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/16/one-most-disturbing-articles-i-have-ever-read-scientist-says-study-detailing-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bugpocalypse</a>."</p><p>As the new package and below graphic explain, human stressors that experts have tied to bug declines include agricultural practices; chemical, light, and sound pollution; invasive species; land-use changes; nitrification; pesticides; and urbanization.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQ0Nzg4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MjU4Mzc1M30.SfW19m8NIPrOnLJMrfeow-Dc0Gg5HCtOJomKNKQTcus/img.jpg?width=980" id="9d15c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="79a38f28357675d0e52174af52405a53" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1024" data-height="1200" />
<p>Emphasizing the consequences of such declines, University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner, the package's lead author, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-insects-light-pollution-invasive-species-99f9dc72a8d805b971ec6d8119b61191" target="_blank">told</a> the<em> Associated Press</em> that insects "are absolutely the fabric by which Mother Nature and the tree of life are built."</p><p>According to Wagner, many insect populations are dropping about 1-2% per year. As he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/11/insect-populations-suffering-death-1000-cuts-scientists" target="_blank">put it</a> to <em>The Guardian</em>: "You're losing 10-20% of your animals over a single decade and that is just absolutely frightening. You're tearing apart the tapestry of life."</p><p>While most causes of declines are well known, "there's one really big unknown and that's climate change—that's the one that really scares me the most," he said, warning the crisis could be causing "extinctions at a rate that we haven't seen before."</p>
<div id="67670" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2add96a1182c6b83fbefa0277f400e7a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1348728501617242113" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Insect populations suffering death by 1,000 cuts, say scientists
- ‘Frightening’ global decline is ‘tearing apar… https://t.co/iyKLoyUz4i</div> — Damian Carrington (@Damian Carrington)<a href="https://twitter.com/dpcarrington/statuses/1348728501617242113">1610396907.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Roel van Klink of the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research told <em>The Guardian</em> that "the most important thing we learn [from these new studies] is the complexity behind insect declines. No single quick fix is going to solve this problem."</p><p>"There are certainly places where insect abundances are dropping strongly, but not everywhere," he said. "This is a reason for hope, because it can help us understand what we can do to help them. They can bounce back really fast when the conditions improve."</p><p>The package's introduction points out that while much recent research and resulting news coverage focused on drops in bug populations, "four papers in this special issue note instances of insect lineages that have not changed or have increased in abundance."</p><p>"Many moth species in Great Britain have demonstrably expanded in range or population size," the paper notes. "Numerous temperate insects, presumably limited by winter temperatures, have increased in abundance and range, in response to warmer global temperatures."</p><p>Pollinators such as the western honey bee in North America, "may well thrive due to their associations with humans," the introduction adds. "Increasing abundances of freshwater insects have been attributed to clean water legislation, in both Europe and North America."</p>
<div id="ae8c1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bd3851a49d82d28477ad5b58cb639d29"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1348963720907681792" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">As @dharnanoor points out in this article, too many bugs (thanks to #climatechange) can be a problem too--natural s… https://t.co/5ZNDwWhX80</div> — erin sikorsky (@erin sikorsky)<a href="https://twitter.com/ErinSikorsky/statuses/1348963720907681792">1610452988.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In addition to the introduction, titled "<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2023989118#sec-1" target="_blank">Insect decline in the Anthropocene: Death by a thousand cuts</a>," the package includes seven perspectives:</p><ul><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002548117" target="_blank">Agricultural intensification and climate change are rapidly decreasing insect biodiversity</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002546117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">To us insectometers, it is clear that insect decline in our Costa Rican tropics is real, so let's be kind to the survivors</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002543117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insects and recent climate change</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002551117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The decline of butterflies in Europe: Problems, significance, and possible solutions</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002549117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A window to the world of global insect declines: Moth biodiversity trends are complex and heterogeneous</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002545117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deep learning and computer vision will transform entomology</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002552117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">No buzz for bees: Media coverage of pollinator decline</a>"</li></ul><p>The body of work also includes three separate research articles:</p><ul><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002556117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arthropods are not declining but are responsive to disturbance in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002554117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Insect biomass decline scaled to species diversity: General patterns derived from a hoverfly community</a>"</li><li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002557117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nonlinear trends in abundance and diversity and complex responses to climate change in Arctic arthropods</a>"</li></ul>
<p>The final piece is an opinion laying out "<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002547117" target="_blank">eight simple actions that individuals can take to save insects from global declines</a>," which features five actions to create "more and better insect-friendly habitats, the loss of which is likely a leading cause of insect declines," and three that aim to adjust public attitudes.</p><p>As Dharna Noor <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/12-new-studies-show-how-close-insects-are-to-extinction-1846035863" target="_blank">wrote</a> in her coverage for <em>Earther</em>: "I do not like bugs. Creepy, many-legged things make my skin crawl. But as unpleasant as they are, insects are absolutely crucial for our world's ecosystems to function, and sadly, new research shows that the creatures populations are on the verge of collapse."</p><p>To boost awareness and appreciation of insects, the scientists suggest countering negative perceptions, pushing for conservation efforts, and getting involved in local political advocacy. On the habitat improvement front, they recommend converting lawns into diverse natural habitats, growing native plants, cutting pesticide use, limiting light pollution, and lessening soap runoff from washing vehicles and building exteriors as well as the use of driveway sealants and de-icing salts.</p><p>"Avoiding some behaviors or adopting others will contribute both directly and indirectly to insect conservation," the scientists note. "Further, taking actions that address issues such as climate change can synergistically promote insect diversity. Climate change is increasingly recognized as a primary factor driving local and regional plant and animal extinctions."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/12/nature-under-siege-scientists-sound-alarm-about-insect-apocalypse" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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One Year After Declaring Climate Emergency, Scientists Push for 'Massive-Scale Mobilization'
08 January
Climate
A man stands in front of what is left of his home following Hurricane Iota in Honduras on November 20, 2020. Wendell Escoto / AFP / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
One year after over 11,000 scientists from 153 countries came together to declare a climate emergency and urge ambitious action, the Oregon State University researchers who launched that effort said on Wednesday that an urgent massive-scale mobilization is necessary to address the human-caused global crisis.
<p>Scientists' renewed call for bold climate policies came just days after a new <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-00955-x" target="_blank">study </a>in the journal <em>Nature Climate Change</em> <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/climate-targets-1.5861537" target="_blank">warned</a> existing carbon pollution will cause global temperatures to rise about 2.3 degrees Celsius or 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels—with <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/08/un-experts-warn-climate-catastrophe-2040-without-rapid-and-unprecedented-global" target="_blank">devastating</a> consequences worldwide.</p><p>As <em>Common Dreams</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/05/warning-untold-human-suffering-over-11000-scientists-around-world-declare-climate" target="_blank">reported</a> last year, William Ripple, distinguished professor of ecology in OSU's College of Forestry, and postdoctoral scholar Christopher Wolf co-authored a<a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> paper</a> in <em>BioScience</em>. Backed by thousands of scientists, they wrote that greenhouse gas missions "are still rapidly rising, with increasingly damaging effects on the Earth's climate" and "an immense increase of scale in endeavors to conserve our biosphere is needed to avoid untold suffering due to the climate crisis."</p><p>Ripple and Wolf—along with William R. Moomaw of Tufts University, Thomas M. Newsome of the University of Sydney, and Phoebe Barnard of the University of Cape Town—reiterated those messages in <em>The Climate Emergency: 2020 in Review</em>, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-climate-emergency-2020-in-review/?utm_source=media&utm_medium=email%20social&utm_campaign=SA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">published</a> Wednesday in <em>Scientific American</em>. As they put it:</p><blockquote>The climate emergency has arrived and is accelerating more rapidly than most scientists anticipated, and many of them are deeply concerned. The adverse effects of climate change are much more severe than expected, and now threaten both the biosphere and humanity. There is mounting evidence <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/mapped-how-climate-change-affects-extreme-weather-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">linking increases </a>in extreme weather frequency and intensity to climate change...<br><br>Every effort must be made to reduce emissions and increase removals of atmospheric carbon in order to restore the melting Arctic and end the deadly cycle of damage that the current climate is delivering.<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/33/8252" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Scientists now find </a>that catastrophic climate change could render a significant portion of the Earth uninhabitable consequent to continued high emissions, self-reinforcing climate feedback loops and looming tipping points.<br></blockquote>
<p>"As we move into 2021 and beyond, we need a massive-scale mobilization to address the climate crisis, including much more progress on the six steps of climate change mitigation," the five experts argued, detailing various priorities for energy, short-lived pollutants, nature, food, economy, and population.</p><p>Echoing messages from the new review, Ripple said in a statement Wednesday that "young people in more than 3,500 locations around the world have organized to push for urgent action... And the Black Lives Matter movement has elevated social injustice and equality to the top of our consciousness."</p><p>"Rapid progress in each of the climate action steps we outline is possible if framed from the outset in the context of climate justice—climate change is a deeply moral issue," added Ripple, director of the <a href="https://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank">Alliance of World Scientists</a>. "We desperately need those who face the most severe climate risks to help shape the response."</p><p>Alongside the written review, the scientists put out a video about their "six steps":</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="869fb1205574785b304487e6f5ba40b5"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sEHot7F_dnI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Ripple noted that "the year 2020, one of the<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/2020-will-rival-2016-for-hottest-year-on-record/" target="_blank"> hottest years on record</a>, also saw extraordinary fire activity in<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Western_United_States_wildfire_season" target="_blank"> the western United States</a> and<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_Australian_bushfire_season" target="_blank"> Australia</a>, a <a href="https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/siberian-heatwave-of-2020-almost-impossible-without-climate-change/" target="_blank">Siberian heatwave</a> with record high temperatures exceeding 100 degrees within the Arctic circle, an Atlantic hurricane season resulting in<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank"> more than $46 billion in damages</a>, and<a href="https://www.oxfam.org/en/5-natural-disasters-beg-climate-action" target="_blank"> deadly floods and landslides in South Asia</a> that displaced more than 12 million people."</p><p>Last year also featured the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which as of Thursday morning has <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">killed</a> nearly 1.9 million people worldwide. As the pandemic has raged on, experts around the globe have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/17/top-global-experts-say-humanity-must-heal-our-broken-relationship-nature-prevent" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">warned</a> that humanity must heal its broken relationship with nature to prevent similar public health crises in the future.</p><p>"Lockdowns associated with the pandemic resulted in a <a href="https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/12/3269/2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">decrease in CO2 emissions of 7%</a> in 2020 but this reduction is probably not going to be long-lived because there has been no major concurrent shift in the way we produce energy," Ripple pointed out. "This drop in emissions is a tiny blip compared to the overall buildup of greenhouse gases, which has resulted in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32290-X/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">all five of the hottest years on record</a> occurring since 2015."</p>
<div id="d0ed9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3f716997474031590190896bcd081bcd"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346866292096167937" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Group of scientists in 2020: "We are in a climate emergency." Same scientists in 2021: "We are concerned that no ma… https://t.co/LN63a2wH92</div> — Andrew Freedman (@Andrew Freedman)<a href="https://twitter.com/afreedma/statuses/1346866292096167937">1609952922.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Faced with concurrent crises, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/30/front-lines-californias-fires-yolo-county-joins-1750-communities-declaring-climate" target="_blank">communities and governments of various sizes </a>around the world have made climate emergency declarations—often as a first step to start taking whatever action they can to limit future emissions and deal with the pollution that's already driving up temperatures.</p><p>"People are frightened—an illustration of that is the more than 1,800 climate emergency declarations issued around the world, by jurisdictions encompassing more than 820 million people," said Wolf. "We're at the point of needing a massive-scale mobilization to address the climate crisis."</p><p>"A year ago, we were worried about poor progress on mitigating climate change. Now we are alarmed by the failure of sufficient progress in 2020," he added. "But aggressive, transformative change, framed against the backdrop of social justice, can ignite an enormous deployment that will let us avert the worst of the climate emergency."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/07/one-year-after-declaring-climate-emergency-scientists-say-massive-scale-mobilization" target="_blank">Common Dreams.</a></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Biden Is Urged to Ban ANWR Drilling After Court Approves Auction of Fossil Fuel Leases
07 January
Climate
Polar bears are seen in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge near Kaktovik, Alaska. Sylvain Cordier / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
President-elect Joe Biden is facing renewed pressure to deliver on his promise of a bold climate agenda after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with a Wednesday auction of fossil fuel drilling leases for federally protected lands in Alaska.
<p>After decades of national debate over oil and gas development in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Republicans in Congress opened up the region to drilling with a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/12/08/gop-tax-scam-attacks-renewables-while-nurturing-nuclear-and-fossil-fuel-industries" target="_blank">provision</a> in the so-called "<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/12/22/corporations-are-literally-going-wild-says-trump-he-signs-tax-bill-most-americans" target="_blank">tax scam</a>" that President Donald Trump signed in 2017.</p><p>Late Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage <a href="https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20441489-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-order-on-preliminary-injunction" target="_blank">declined</a> to issue a preliminary injunction to block the auction. The request came from environmental groups and Indigenous people who are opposed to drilling in ANWR, which is home to <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic/wildlife_habitat.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 280 species</a>.</p><p>In a statement Wednesday, Mitch Jones, policy director at the advocacy group Food & Water Watch, urged Biden to prevent fossil fuel development in the refuge—and beyond—when he takes office in two weeks. The president-elect has previously <a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/2020/12/05/with-oil-drilling-in-anwr-advancing-and-a-possible-end-to-pebble-mine-what-could-change-for-alaska-under-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> he "totally" opposes drilling in the ecologically sensitive region.</p><p>"Trump rushing through these lease sales as a final handout to his cronies in the oil and gas industry is outrageous, if not surprising," Jones declared. "Trump's consistent, willful ignorance of the realities of climate change has pushed our planet towards decades of increasing climate chaos."</p>
<p>"President-elect Biden can reverse these disastrous oil and gas industry plans by keeping his promise to ban fossil fuel extraction—including fracking—on our public lands and waters," he added. "This is a step he can, and must, take upon taking office."</p><p>Jones' call for Biden to intervene to protect ANWR's coastal plain came after environmental and Indigenous leaders expressed disappointment with Gleason's decision not to block the auction while also emphasizing that her ruling doesn't mark the end of their fight against drilling rights in the refuge.</p><p>Four lawsuits have been filed since August challenging the lease plans, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-alaska-lawsuit/u-s-judge-denies-effort-to-stop-drilling-auction-in-arctic-refuge-idUSKBN29B071" target="_blank">according to</a> <em>Reuters</em>. The National Audubon Society and other groups had argued that the auction shouldn't go forward until the broader challenge to the drilling is resolved.</p><p>The <em>Anchorage Daily News</em> <a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/2020/12/05/with-oil-drilling-in-anwr-advancing-and-a-possible-end-to-pebble-mine-what-could-change-for-alaska-under-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reports</a> that Erik Grafe, an Earthjustice attorney representing the Audubon Society, said the case "is by no means over."</p><p>"The court concluded only that for now there is no harm that justifies an injunction. It also recognized that such an action could come very soon with issuance of seismic permits," he said. "We will continue to press our case that the agency approved the program unlawfully and that its decision should be overturned."</p>
<div id="4b52a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2fc64a53f75e68a880e2293893243cb"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346838449593212928" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We #StandWiththeGwichin in our collective fight to #ProtectTheArctic.
Trump's last-ditch effort to extract fossil… https://t.co/uhaPPWiL6T</div> — 350 dot org (@350 dot org)<a href="https://twitter.com/350/statuses/1346838449593212928">1609946284.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, which represents some of the area's Indigenous people, similarly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-alaska-lawsuit/u-s-judge-denies-effort-to-stop-drilling-auction-in-arctic-refuge-idUSKBN29B071" target="_blank">said</a> Tuesday that "today's ruling is disappointing but does nothing to change the strength of our lawsuit or our resolve."</p><p>Demientieff's people have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/24/coalition-files-suit-stop-trumps-slapdash-and-tragic-plan-drill-arctic-national" target="_blank">relied </a>on the region's Porcupine Caribou Herd for thousands of years. The Gwich'in <a href="https://ourarcticrefuge.org/about-the-refuge/the-coastal-plain-the-sacred-place-where-life-begins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">call</a> the coastal plain, which the caribou use as their calving grounds, "Iizhik Gwats'an Gwandaii Goodlit" or "The Sacred Place Where Life Begins."</p><p>As <em>The Guardian</em> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/05/trump-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-lease-sales?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&utm_content=20210106&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20Daily" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> ahead of the ruling Tuesday:</p><blockquote>Oil from drilling west of the refuge, at Prudhoe Bay, has fueled the economic development the state has depended on to fill its coffers and write annual revenue checks to residents. That extraction also led to the most damaging oil spill in history, when the Exxon Valdez tanker spewed millions of barrels off Alaska's southern coast in 1989.<br><br>Prudhoe Bay "was the largest oil field ever discovered in North America. Since then we have had more than 1,500 square miles of oil and gas development in the Alaskan Arctic… but [ANWR] has been off limits," said Adam Kolton, executive director of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alaska</a> Wilderness League.<br><br>"For us, it symbolizes just what's at stake here. If you can't draw a line at the tundra and keep this one area of the Arctic off limits, then the question is, where can you draw the line and what protected part or wildlife refuge in the United States will remain off limits?"<br></blockquote><p>For the <a href="https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2021/01/05/heres-what-to-know-ahead-of-the-anwr-oil-lease-sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first-ever ANWR auction</a>, the Bureau of Land Management "plans open bids from companies seeking 10-year leases," according to the <em>Daily News.</em> "Up for grabs to the highest bidder are 22 tracts on the refuge's coastal plain, most of them about 50,000 acres. Together, the tracts represent about 5% of the 19-million-acre refuge."</p>
<div id="ef02c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="21eddea470b1f924a3e56108665ca656"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346821784440606720" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">With the denial of the injunction lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will go forward today. The ind… https://t.co/B07NKdKD9w</div> — Ctr4BioDiv Ocean (@Ctr4BioDiv Ocean)<a href="https://twitter.com/EndangeredOcean/statuses/1346821784440606720">1609942310.0</a></blockquote></div><p>It remains unclear if any fossil fuel companies will even bid on the leases—especially given that major U.S. banks, under pressure from environmental and Indigenous groups, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/lame-duck-trump-pushes-arctic-pillage-bank-america-latest-bank-rule-out-drilling" target="_blank">have adopted policies</a> of refusing to finance drilling in the Arctic, including ANWR, which was designated by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/06/after-court-oks-trump-arctic-refuge-auction-biden-urged-immediately-ban-drilling" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will no longer penalize or prosecute companies when their actions cause the inadvertent death of birds. Jeff R Clow / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
Just over two weeks before President Donald Trump is set to leave the White House, his U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday finalized a rollback of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—a law that's been in place since 1918 and which conservation groups credit with holding corporate polluters accountable for harming bird species.
<p>In what the Western Values Project called a "parting gift to Big Oil by corrupt former oil lobbyist Interior Secretary David Bernhardt," the USFWS <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/climate/trump-migratory-bird-protections.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced </a>a new rule under which the federal government will no longer penalize or prosecute companies when their actions cause the inadvertent death of birds. </p><p>In the case of oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed more than one million birds in 2010; electrocutions by power lines; ducks and other species<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2009/03/31/syncrude-triples-number-dead-ducks-oil-sands" target="_blank"> stuck in fossil fuel tailings ponds;</a> and illegal actions like the spraying of banned pesticides, companies will no longer be held to account as long as they don't intentionally kill birds.</p>
<div id="f0f81" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e84637ab4594c5bbe67da8bb21bc0c57"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346517062726930433" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Antithetical to its purpose, US Fish and Wildlife Service finalized a rule rolling back protections for migratory b… https://t.co/sC7gB0SX7R</div> — Aric Caplan (@Aric Caplan)<a href="https://twitter.com/CaplanComms/statuses/1346517062726930433">1609869659.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>When it was passed into law more than 100 years ago, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) made it illegal to hunt, take, capture, or kill birds from endangered species "by any means or in any manner."</p><p>Bernhardt said Tuesday the new rule "reaffirms the original meaning and intent of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act," while the Center for Western Priorities called it a "radical interpretation of the law."</p><p>"The Trump administration wants to make sure extractive industries can continue to kill birds after they leave office," said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the group. "Secretary Bernhardt's former oil industry clients have explicitly asked for this policy change, and now he is delivering, just days before returning to the private sector. By finalizing this proposal, the Trump administration is signing the death warrants of millions of birds across the country."</p><p>Conservation groups pointed to data showing that three billion birds have been lost in North America since 1970, while six million fewer birds were counted by the Audubon Society in 2019 than previous tallies showed.</p><p>As <em>Common Dreams</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/16/ecological-disaster-massive-scale-hundreds-thousands-dead-migratory-birds-southwest" target="_blank">reported</a> in September, the wildfires that overwhelmed the West Coast last year were thought to be behind the deaths of thousands of migratory birds in the southwest.</p>
<p>"This brutal blow hits America's birds when many populations are already plummeting, so it's really the last thing they need," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Trump officials are giving oil companies and other polluters a license to kill birds. Vast numbers of birds will be electrocuted by power lines, drowned in oil waste pits and killed in other easily preventable ways."<br></p><p>Advocates say the MBTA has worked in recent years to show the oil and gas industry that it will be held accountable if its activities kills birds. The federal government <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/climate/trump-migratory-bird-protections.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">reached </a>a $100 million settlement with BP after the Deepwater Horizon disaster.</p><p>Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), who was named as President-elect Biden's nominee for Interior Secretary last month, is expected to repeal the USFWS's rule, but that process could take time. Meanwhile, Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) introduced the Migratory Bird Protection Act last year as the administration was considering the rollback, with the aim of reaffirming the original law's intent of protecting vulnerable birds—not corporations.</p><p>Advocates also expressed hope that the federal courts will strike down what Greenwald called the Trump administration's "reckless attack on one of America's oldest and most important conservation laws," as Judge Valerie Caproni of the Southern District of New York <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/major-victory-court-tosses-out-trump-interiors-gutting-century-old-protections" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">did in August.</a></p><p>"There is nothing in the text of the MBTA that suggests that in order to fall within its prohibition, activity must be directed specifically at birds," Caproni <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/major-victory-court-tosses-out-trump-interiors-gutting-century-old-protections" target="_blank">said</a> in her ruling at the time. "Nor does the statute prohibit only intentionally killing migratory birds." </p>
<div id="b6b56" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="95790fd24d47e8369de4bd6a06d03868"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346503503238205442" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Trump administration is kicking off the new year and its remaining weeks—and, to add insult to injury,… https://t.co/uydTahSeao</div> — Audubon Society (@Audubon Society)<a href="https://twitter.com/audubonsociety/statuses/1346503503238205442">1609866426.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Jamie Rappoport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife said the group would call on the Biden administration "to restore protections for birds immediately and affirm that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits incidental take."</p><p>"Even though a federal court already ruled that the Trump administration cannot eliminate protections for migratory birds, the administration continues its relentless campaign to undermine environmental protections and harm wildlife," said Clark. </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/05/brutal-blow-wildlife-and-gift-big-oil-trump-finalizes-rollback-migratory-bird-treaty" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Trending
A polar bar in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Sylvain CORDIER / Gamma-Rapho / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
"The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge faces its biggest threat yet."
That's the warning issued by the National Audubon Society on Tuesday — a day before the Trump administration is set to sell oil and gas leasing rights in the refuge's coastal plain, a biodiversity hotspot of critical importance to the Gwich'in people and dubbed America's Serengeti.
<p>Bids were submitted by the end of 2020. It's not clear, however, which oil or gas companies, <a href="https://qz.com/1951224/trumps-final-push-for-arctic-oil-drilling-might-have-no-takers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">if any</a>, sought leases.</p><p>The Bureau of Land Management has "received interest" in leases, the Anchorage Daily News <a href="https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2021/01/04/bids-have-been-placed-in-anwr-oil-lease-sale-federal-agency-confirms-as-a-judge-hears-case-to-prevent-drilling/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reported</a>. That interest may have come solely from the state-owned Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, which <a href="https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/12/24/alaskas-state-development-corporation-can-now-spend-up-to-20m-on-anwr-lease-sale/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">voted</a> unanimously last month to spend as much as $20 million on the leases. "It's a way for the state to make sure the land is set aside for oil development in case no one else bids on the leases," as Alaska Public <a href="https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/12/24/alaskas-state-development-corporation-can-now-spend-up-to-20m-on-anwr-lease-sale/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">put it</a>. </p>
<p>Wednesday's virtual lease sale, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/01/951090723/after-decades-long-push-its-not-clear-who-will-bid-in-arctic-refuge-oil-lease-sa" target="_blank">according to</a> NPR, represents:</p><blockquote>a major moment in a 40-year fight over whether to develop the northernmost slice of the refuge's coastal plain, home to migrating caribou, birds, and polar bears.<br><br>[President-elect Joe] Biden, as well as his pick for Interior Secretary—Rep. Deb Haaland—oppose drilling in the refuge. The hand-off of drilling rights to the highest bidders could make it more difficult to reverse course.</blockquote><p>That makes a pending decision from a federal judge in Alaska, which could come Tuesday, even more crucial to foil the lease sales and seismic activity related to fossil fuel plans.</p>
<div id="26aa8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f43b0301a6523c95374d668cccd33811"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1346234457091694592" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">A lease sale on Wednesday will mark the culmination of pro-development politicians' decades-long campaign for oil d… https://t.co/RSBNZ3ioWC</div> — Audubon Society (@Audubon Society)<a href="https://twitter.com/audubonsociety/statuses/1346234457091694592">1609802281.0</a></blockquote></div><p>U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage on Monday heard oral arguments in the <a href="https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/audubon_et_al_complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">case</a>, brought forth by Audubon and other conservation groups, as ADN <a href="https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2021/01/04/bids-have-been-placed-in-anwr-oil-lease-sale-federal-agency-confirms-as-a-judge-hears-case-to-prevent-drilling/%20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>. According to the outlet, "Gleason said she'd try to issue a decision by 'close of business' on Tuesday, on the eve of the live-streamed lease sale, set for 10 a.m. Wednesday."</p><p>Andy McGlashen, associate editor of Audubon Magazine, put this week's events in the broader context of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>. In a Monday post, he <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/the-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-faces-its-biggest-threat-yet-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a>: </p><blockquote>While the Arctic Refuge has faced development pressure throughout its 40-year existence, it hasn't confronted a more intensely perilous week than this one. "It's like the second-to-last episode of a miniseries, where all the action has built up and there are multiple things happening, and yet there's no resolution at this point," says Natalie Dawson, executive director of Audubon Alaska. "We're waiting on a court decision. We're watching to see if anyone bids on the leases. We're waiting to see what the new administration will do. And all three of those things are kind of rotating around each other at this point." [...]<br><br>The coastal plain between the Brooks Range and the Beaufort Sea is a wild expanse of tundra that each year hosts millions of migratory birds from six continents. It's where the Porcupine caribou herd, one of the continent's largest, migrates each spring to birth calves. Polar bears den in the snow and ice along the coast and river edges, while muskoxen, wolves, and other wildlife roam the rolling plain.<br><br>It's also, like the rest of the Arctic, a region changing fast as the planet warms due to fossil-fuel combustion. "We shouldn't be exploring drilling anywhere," says Martha Raynolds, an arctic plant ecologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). "And the last place on Earth that the U.S. should be exploring drilling is the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge."</blockquote><p>In a statement last when the groups asked the court to put the lease sales on hold, Erik Grafe, an attorney with Earthjustice which is representing the conservation groups in the case, sounded a similar alarm.</p><p>"Climate change is the greatest threat of our time," he <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/conservation-groups-ask-court-to-stop-imminent-oil-activities-in-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge" target="_blank">said</a>, "and the consequences will be severe and irreversible if we allow oil drilling to proceed in the cherished Arctic Refuge."</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/05/biggest-threat-yet-arctic-refuge-trump-readies-last-minute-lease-sale" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em> </p>
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Trump Admin Removes Gray Wolves From Endangered Species List Despite 'Meager Numbers'
05 January
Politics
A family of gray wolves tends to their pups. After 45 years, gray wolves were delisted from the Endangered Species Act by the Trump administration on Jan. 4, 2021. Chad Horwedel / Flickr
By Brett Wilkins
Wildlife advocates on Monday accused the Trump administration of "willful ignorance" after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act after 45 years of protection, even though experts say the animals are far from out of the proverbial woods.
<p>USFWS <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/29/we-will-see-them-court-howls-protest-and-lawsuit-promised-trump-takes-wolves" target="_blank">announced</a> the rule change — one of <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/29/report-urges-biden-reverse-trump-environmental-rollbacks-and-set-us-path-cleaner" target="_blank">over 100 regulatory rollbacks</a> recently pushed through by the Trump administration — in October. The move will allow state authorities to treat the canines as predators and kill or protect them according to their laws.</p><p>In South Dakota, for example, hunters, trappers, landowners, and livestock producers are <a href="https://kfgo.com/2021/01/04/south-dakota-news-gray-wolf-removed-from-federal-endangered-species-list/" target="_blank">now permitted</a> to kill gray wolves after obtaining the necessary paperwork, which includes a predator/varmint, furbearer, or hunting license. Landowners on their own property and minors under the age of 16 are exempt from licensing requirements.</p>
<p>In neighboring Minnesota, gray wolves will <a href="https://www.wdio.com/outdoors/mn-dnr-wolf-plan-endangered-species-status-expires/5968378/?cat=10335" target="_blank">retain</a> a higher level of protection in the northern part of the state — owners of livestock and other animals can kill wolves that pose an "immediate threat" — while in the southern two-thirds of the state people can shoot wolves that they believe pose any threat to livestock, as long as they surrender the carcass.</p><p>In Oregon, on the other hand, "wolves remain protected throughout the state," <a href="https://kval.com/news/local/with-federal-delisting-management-of-all-wolves-in-oregon-are-know-states-responsibility" target="_blank">according to</a> the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Hunting and trapping of wolves remains prohibited statewide."</p>
<p>Last September, Common Dreams <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/11/reckless-violent-massacre-570-wolves-and-wolf-pups-idaho-bolsters-alarm-over-trump" target="_blank">reported</a> that an analysis of deregulation in some Western states revealed that a record-breaking 570 wolves, including dozens of pups, were brutally killed in Idaho over a recent one-year period.</p><p>"Tragically, we know how this will play out when states 'manage' wolves, as we have seen in the northern Rocky Mountain region in which they were previously delisted," Samantha Bruegger, wildlife coexistence campaigner for WildEarth Guardians, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/04/gray-wolves-lose-federal-endangered-species-act-protections?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">said</a> in reaction to Monday's delisting.</p>
<p>Bruegger cited the Idaho killings, as well as the situation in Washington, where last year "the state <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/08/washington-state-wolf-killing-controversy/" target="_blank">slaughtered</a> an entire pack of wolves due to supposed conflicts with ranching interests," as proof that "without federal protections, wolves are vulnerable to the whims and politics of state management."</p><p>Monday's delisting comes despite the enduring precarity of wolf populations throughout much of the country. <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2020/10/29/gray-wolves-endangered-species-act-trump-administration/" target="_blank">According to</a> the most recent USFWS data, there are only 108 wolves in Washington state, 158 in Oregon, and 15 in California, while wolves are "functionally extinct" in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.</p>
<p>"These meager numbers lay the groundwork for a <a href="https://wildearthguardians.org/press-releases/guardians-launches-challenge-to-federal-wolf-delisting/" target="_blank">legal challenge </a>planned by WildEarth Guardians with a coalition of conservation groups to be filed later this month," said Bruegger.</p><p>Lindsay Larris, wildlife program director at WildEarth Guardians, <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/04/gray-wolves-lose-federal-endangered-species-act-protections?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement that "the delisting of gray wolves is the latest causality of the Trump administration's willful ignorance of the biodiversity crisis and scientific facts."</p><p>"Even with [President Donald] Trump's days in office dwindling, the long-term impact of illegitimate decisions like the wolf delisting will take years to correct," Larris added. "Guardians is committed to challenging this decision in court, while working across political channels to ensure wolves receive as much protection as possible at the state level in the interim."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/04/despite-meager-numbers-trump-administration-removes-gray-wolves-endangered-species?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez pose at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India on January 21, 2020. Pawan Sharma / AFP / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
Bloomberg's year-end report on the wealth of the world's billionaires shows that the richest 500 people on the planet added $1.8 trillion to their combined wealth in 2020, accumulating a total net worth of $7.6 trillion.
<p><span style="background-color: initial;"><br/></span></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/" target="_blank">Bloomberg Billionaires Index </a>recorded its largest annual gain in the list's history last year, with a 31% increase in the wealth of the richest people.</p><p>The historic hoarding of wealth came as the world confronted the coronavirus pandemic and its corresponding economic crisis, which the United Nations last month warned is a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/03/pandemic-tipping-point-un-warns-1-billion-more-people-headed-extreme-poverty-2030" target="_blank">"tipping point"</a> set to send more than 207 million additional people into extreme poverty in the next decade—bringing the number of people living in extreme poverty to one billion by 2030. </p><p>Even in the richest country in the world, the United States, the rapidly widening gap between the richest and poorest people grew especially stark in 2020.</p><p>As Dan Price, an entrepreneur and advocate for fair wages, tweeted, the 500 richest people in the world amassed as much wealth in 2020 as "the poorest 165 million Americans have earned in their entire lives."</p>
<div id="17792" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4e47c2660765d2c5c246640b499d0387"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1345183419341410312" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This is all U.S. wealth. If you squint, you can see a blue line showing every dollar half of Americans have.
Riche… https://t.co/pFNxiGkZqO</div> — Dan Price (@Dan Price)<a href="https://twitter.com/DanPriceSeattle/statuses/1345183419341410312">1609551694.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Nine of the top 10 richest people in the world live in the United States and own more than $1.5 trillion. Meanwhile, with more than half of U.S. adults living in households that lost income due to the pandemic, nearly 26 million Americans reported having insufficient food and other groceries in November—<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/10/pass-damn-covid-relief-bill-shoplifting-essentials-rise-millions-struggle-feed" target="_blank">contributing</a> to a rise in shop-lifting of essential goods including diapers and baby formula. About 12 million renters were <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/07/millions-tenants-headed-absolute-disaster-after-new-year-owing-average-nearly-6000" target="_blank">expected to owe </a>nearly $6,000 in back rent after the new year.</p><p>Tesla CEO Elon Musk enjoyed an historic growth in wealth last year, becoming the second richest person in the world and knocking Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates down to third place. Musk's total net worth grew by $142 billion in 2020, to $170 billion—the fastest creation of personal wealth in history, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-31/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-smash-records-as-world-s-richest-people-add-1-8-trillion" target="_blank">according to </a><em>Bloomberg. </em></p><p>Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is at the top of the list, with a net worth of $190 billion. Bezos added more than $75 billion to his wealth in 2020, as the public grew dependent on online shopping due to Covid-19 restrictions and concern for public health.</p>
<p>While Bezos and a select few others in the U.S. have amassed historic gains in personal wealth in the last year, the federal government has yet to extend much in the way of meaningful assistance to struggling Americans. The Republican-led Senate on Friday<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/01/81-senators-vote-override-trump-veto-ndaa-gop-continues-block-2000-relief-checks" target="_blank"> continued to stonewall </a>a vote on legislation that would send $2,000 checks to many American households.</p><p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) denounced the proposal as "socialism for rich people" even though the plan includes a phaseout structure and individuals making only up to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/12/30/stimulus-checks-2000-dollars/" target="_blank">$115,000 per year</a>—not those in the <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-brackets.aspx#:~:text=The%20tax%20code%20has%20seven,highest%20earners%20pay%2037%20percent." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">highest tax brackets</a>—would receive checks.</p><p>"Surging billionaire wealth hits a painful nerve for the millions of people who have lost loved ones and experienced declines in their health, wealth, and livelihoods," Chuck Collins, director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies,<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-31/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-smash-records-as-world-s-richest-people-add-1-8-trillion" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> told</a> <em>Bloomberg</em> this week. "Worse, it undermines any sense that we are 'in this together'—the solidarity required to weather the difficult months ahead." </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/02/amid-warnings-surging-worldwide-poverty-planets-500-richest-people-added-18-trillion" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p><span></span><a href="https://commons.commondreams.org/t/amid-warnings-of-surging-worldwide-poverty-planets-500-richest-people-added-1-8-trillion-to-combined-wealth-in-2020/85597" target="_blank"></a>From Your Site Articles
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