Thursday, January 30, 2014

WUSTL ALUM DOING GOOD THINGS; SEND US AN UPDATE DAN


Let's Take It Downtown: Challenging Energy Extraction Companies at their Headquarters

This statement, written by MORE member Dan Cohn, was written last week on the day of his court date. It is cross posted from Hands Off Appalachia: http://handsoffappalachia.com/2014/01/13/lets-take-it-downtown

http://www.organizemo.org/let_s_take_it_downtown_challenging_energy_extraction_companies_at_their_headquarters


FRACKING: How to take control of judges, laws, and rights

The Guardian -  Suzanne Goldberg

The anti-fracking activist barred from 312.5 sq miles of Pennsylvania

Court injunction brought in by oil and gas company makes even supermarkets off-limits for Vera Scroggins

Friday, January 24, 2014

IT'S GLOBAL WARMING STUPID (2): BIG BUSINESS SLOWLY GETS A CLUE

despite the ongoing efforts of the coal lobby to derail even modest ideas like a carbon tax, some capitalists AND ECONOMISTS coming to a realization....

NEW YORK TIMES

Industry Awakens to Threat of Climate Change


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

DIVEST FROM FOSSIL FUELS: SMART KIDS AT STANFORD PUSHING FOR DIVESTMENT


Making a Financial Statement

Student-led divestment campaign targets fossil fuels.
(Stanford Alumni Magazine)

http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=67423

"Members of Fossil Free Stanford acknowledge these are significant obstacles to overcome. But they also say it is a prime opportunity for Stanford to make a significant statement on fossil fuels that goes beyond hard numbers and financial documents. "Even a symbolic gesture is a huge way to drive change," says Erica Knox, '16, an outreach leader for the group. "As an educational institution, Stanford is an incubator of what the future is going to be, what kind of world we are going to build, and [fossil fuel] divestment speaks directly to that. It's a chance for Stanford to be a leader and a role model for other universities."


Friday, January 17, 2014

COAL-RELATED CHEMICAL SPILL IN W.VA: CHRISTIANS WEIGH IN ON THE (IM)MORALITY OF KING COAL

And if there's a hell, and there's a place in hell, maybe there's a place there for...  ??


West Virginia: Where Energy Rules, Subjects Suffer


http://sojo.net/blogs/2014/01/17/west-virginia-where-energy-rules-subjects-suffer




Tuesday, December 3, 2013

WASH U GRAD WINS BROWER AWARD FOR STRUGGLE AGAINST PEABODY: RECEPTION AT WASH U, DEC 11

(by way of MORE):

We have some exciting news! This autumn, MORE community organizer Arielle Klagsbrun was awarded the Brower Youth Award, the premier North American award honoring bold young environmental leaders. Arielle was honored for her work challenging Peabody Energy using a combination of direct action and direct democracy in the form of the Take Back St. Louis ballot initiative. Only six people are awarded the Brower Youth Award every year, and this was the first time work in St. Louis was recognized. We're extremely excited to see Midwestern activism highlighted in national circles!
On Wednesday, December 11 we will be honoring Arielle and everyone who has contributed to challenging Peabody in St. Louis with a reception hosted by Washington University's Social Justice Center. Please join us to hear about our plans to diminish the power of Big Coal and transform our local economy.  There will also be the local premier of a short film highlighting the Take Back St. Louis ballot initiative. For all of us, this is a great chance to celebrate our collective work this year and begin to think about what 2014 may hold!
What: A reception and short film premier honoring Brower Youth Award Winner Arielle Klagsbrun and everyone who has contributed to fighting Peabody in St. Louis, hosted by Washington University's Social Justice Center

When: Wednesday, December 11, 5:30pm 

Where: The Women's Formal Lounge, Washington University (click here for a map) 
Dress code: Casual
RSVP: Here!
We hope to see you on December 11th!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

SLOW-MOTION APOCALYPSE -- WHY THE DIVESTMENT MOVEMENT MATTERS

How to Reverse a Slow-Motion Apocalypse 
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175775/

GLOBAL WARMING: FIND YOUR FAVORITE COMPANY ON THIS GREAT GRAPHIC

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/interactive/2013/nov/20/which-fossil-fuel-companies-responsible-climate-change-interactive


Monday, November 11, 2013

"It's time to stop this madness" - Philippines plea at UN climate talks

"It's time to stop this madness" - Philippines plea at UN climate talks


Up to this hour, I agonize while waiting for word as to the fate of my very own relatives. What gives me renewed strength and great relief was when my brother succeeded in communicating with us that he has survived the onslaught. In the last two days, he has been gathering bodies of the dead with his own two hands. He is hungry and weary as food supplies find it difficult to arrive in the hardest hit areas.
We call on this COP to pursue work until the most meaningful outcome is in sight. Until concrete pledges have been made to ensure mobilization of resources for the Green Climate Fund. Until the promise of the establishment of a loss and damage mechanism has been fulfilled; until there is assurance on finance for adaptation; until concrete pathways for reaching the committed 100 billion dollars have been made; until we see real ambition on stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. We must put the money where our mouths are.
This process under the UNFCCC has been called many names. It has been called a farce. It has been called an annual carbon-intensive gathering of useless frequent flyers. It has been called many names. But it has also been called the Project to save the planet. It has been called “saving tomorrow today”. We can fix this. We can stop this madness. Right now. Right here, in the middle of this football field.
I call on you to lead us. And let Poland be forever known as the place we truly cared to stop this madness. Can humanity rise to the occasion? I still believe we can.
- See more at: http://www.rtcc.org/2013/11/11/its-time-to-stop-this-madness-philippines-plea-at-un-climate-talks/#sthash.pzF6S5yr.dpuf

Friday, November 1, 2013

SCIENCE AND RESISTANCE: Systems theory suggests direct action key to stopping global warming


Naomi Klein: How science is telling us all to revolt
the data – and they are coming to some incendiary conclusions

Is our relentless quest for economic growth killing the planet? Climate scientists have seen 

The New Statesman

Monday, October 28, 2013

US COAL: Upper Big Branch and the "Miners' Revenge" Haunted House

King's Dominion Controversy - West Virginia's Eyewitness News

On our conversation about the Upper Big Branch explosion, and in regard to the strange, if not cruel twists and turns of American corporate cultural production.. turn miners' tragedy and industrial homicide into a Halloween "freak show".


Sunday, October 27, 2013

NIGERIA: HUMOR AND GETTING BY (re: our guest lecturer's argument remade in the NYT)


Life with Boko Haram – Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
NYT October 23, 2013

"The ability to laugh and remain optimistic amid the most dire circumstances remains one of the enduring characteristics of Nigerians."

FOSSIL FUEL RELATED POLITICS IN THE NEWS: CHINA, SAUDI ARABIA, CLEAN AIR CURMUDGEON


Saudi Women Rise Up, Quietly, and Slide Into the Driver’s Seat Ben Hubbard, NYT, October 26, 2013













China: Argument for a higher carbon tax to address emission concerns



















US: Coal and Emissions:  Shut down the coal industry, pension all with 50K/year, save us a lot of pollution and external costs.  A good idea from a Nobel Laureate in Physics.  Note: I also argued that carbon capture and sequestration is a pipe dream - he also thinks it doomed to fail.  Not saying I deserve the Nobel Prize.



Proposed regulations are irrelevant because of cheap natural gas.
Burton Richter - NYT October 23, 2013

Monday, October 21, 2013

US COAL: MSHA: Three mining deaths 'extremely troubling'  - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -

Chance or systematic infractions?  As we turn to discuss institutionalized cultures of noncompliance in the coal industry, recent mining deaths in coal country -- 

MSHA: Three mining deaths 'extremely troubling'  - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -

US COAL: MSHA: Three mining deaths 'extremely troubling'  - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -

Chance or systematic infractions?  As we turn to discuss institutionalized cultures of noncompliance in the coal industry, recent mining deaths in coal country -- 

MSHA: Three mining deaths 'extremely troubling'  - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -

MSHA: Three mining deaths 'extremely troubling'  - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -

Chance or systematic infractions?  As we turn to discuss institutionalized cultures of noncompliance in the coal industry, recent mining deaths in coal country -- 

MSHA: Three mining deaths 'extremely troubling'  - News - The Charleston Gazette - West Virginia News and Sports -

US COAL: For consideration, as we read Removing Mountains

For Central Appalachian coal, bad news continues


US: NPR on the 73 embargo and America's resistance to change


'It Takes A Crisis': How '73 Embargo Fueled Change In U.S.

This piece sounded like corporate propaganda from the American Petroleum Institute. Scott Horsley served up too many blatant talking points for this to maintain the illusion of real journalism. It would be interesting to see how this sausage got made: where did this story idea come from and how did it get green-lighted? We need less insidious domestic propaganda from NPR, and more context. A lot of these commenters sound like they come from the knee-jerk right wing, head-in-the-sand crowd. Wanna chant USA, USA! and show your patriotism? Support nationalization of the US oil industry...

Thursday, October 17, 2013

NIGERIA: 'ILLEGAL' OIL, BY WHOSE DEFINITIONS?

As poor people try to help themselves, the military and goverment are also complicit in reaping big bucks off of 'illegal' oil; Shell is complicit because it continues to operate as a partner of the military government. Whose oil is 'legal oil'?

NIGERIA: OIL SPILLS (SHELL & MILITARY COMPLICIT?)

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

FRACKING & NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE: CANADA


Protectors vs destroyers — Canadians unite to stop fracking in New Brunswick


Tuesday, October 15, 2013