Interview with a Non-Scientist

 

Interview with a Non-Scientist

by C. A. Matthews

With the recent March to End Fossil Fuels in New York and the deadly floods in Libya and elsewhere, environmental crises and activism have been talked about in the both mainstream media and podcast outlets alike. Climate scientists like Peter Kalmus have preached the warning far and wide that burning fossil fuels has heated our atmosphere causing detrimental climate change and, more than likely, irreparable damage to our planet. Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West has elevated the climate emergency by actually speaking about it on the campaign trail, unlike others running for the same office who somehow think expanding oil drilling on federal lands is a good idea.

Sane persons ask, “What will it take for Big Oil to shut down forever and allow green energy to take over? Why won’t our elected officials listen to the concerned climate scientists instead of their obscenely wealthy corporate donors? Why does the mainstream media tolerate #ClimateHoax people at the expense of #ClimateEmergency people?”

Why indeed.

I decided to track down a climate crisis denier and ask them for their perspective on recent happenings in the weather. Perhaps their insights can answer these questions and clear up some of the confusion. To that end, I put out a call and received a response from one Freddie Flattearther. Here is the transcript of that interview:

 

The Revolution Continues: Welcome to the The Revolution Continues blog, Freddie. Thanks for taking some of your valuable time to talk with us.

Freddie Flattearther: Thanks for this opportunity. It isn’t usual that a communist organization is interested in hearing anything from the sane side of this climate change argument, so I must admit I was quite happy to oblige.

TRC: You’re welcome. We’re not exactly a “communist organization,” but we do pride ourselves on keeping an open mind and being one with the workers. So, let’s start by you telling us a little about yourself and why you feel you’re qualified to speak about the so-called “Climate Hoax” you claim is currently happening.

FF: You could say that I’m a proud non-scientist who knows tons more about the climate changing than any of these so called “climate scientists” out there. You wonder what they’re teaching in those colleges nowadays, but, whatever it is, it’s not commonsense.

TRC: It’s not commonsense? Please elaborate on why being a “non-scientist” makes you an expert in an area that others study for many years at a high level of academia?

FF: I call it the “They-can’t-see-the-forest-for-the-trees Syndrome.” Those eggheads can’t even look at their calendars and see the main reason why the climate is changing. You need an ordinary person like me whose mind hasn’t been contaminated with too much knowledge to explain it.

TRC: Please do.

FF: (Lowering his voice.) It’s so simple that even a child can understand it. The climate changes all the time. It’s called "the four seasons"—and I don’t mean the pop group with Frankie Valli from the 1960s or the big, fancy hotel chain, either.

TRC: So the massive floods, the unprecedented number of strong hurricanes so far this year, the unusual heat waves and droughts worldwide are all due to a simple change of the seasons? Is that correct?

FF: Well, not exactly. The seasons are changing, but they’re also getting both longer and shorter. Summer is about a month longer than normal I’ve observed over the last couple of years. Hence, we had a very intense hot spell in what used to be a month normally associated with spring. There’s also a big chance they’ll be a larger than average number of hurricanes occurring because summer is longer, so there’s more room on the calendar to squish them in. I call this the “Rubber Band Effect.” Eventually we’ll snap out of it.

TRC: How will we “snap out of it”?

FF: The giant rubber band wound around the core of the planet will eventually break, bringing things back to normal.

TRC: There’s a giant rubber band wrapped around the core of the planet? I wasn’t sure you believed in a round Earth with a core, what with your last name and all, Mr. Flattearther.

FF: My family used to believe in a flat Earth, but I’ve grown a little in my outlook over the decades. A flat Earth makes it hard to explain a lot of planetary events. However, the rubber band core explains earthquakes and the climate changing dramatically quite well.

TRC: This rubber band core explains the devastating earthquake in Morocco recently?

FF: Yes, that was the rubber band core being bounced hard by the giant who lives on the dark side of the moon.

TRC: (Clearing throat.) There’s a giant on the moon who bounces the earth’s core now and then?

FF: Yes, and he bounces it mostly when he’s bored. He’s grown very bored these past fifty years because we haven’t sent up any more spaceships to the moon for him to slingshot them around. It’s one of the biggest reasons why it’s been growing hotter lately.

TRC: (Nodding slowly.) Uh-huh. Explain how that works. And does this giant have a name?

FF: Those intense heat blasts come out of the giant’s mouth. He’s full of hot air, so I’ve given him the name of “Mr. Gassy.” And he is a stinker! His burping and farting explains why our air smells rather rank like rotten eggs sometimes, especially when the wind is blowing from the side of town where the oil refinery is located.

TRC: You don’t believe the obnoxious smells are coming from local manufacturing and/or the oil refinery itself?

FF: Nah, they couldn’t be. I know for a fact that our factories and our oil refinery only emit the purest of air.

TRC: (Raising an eyebrow.) Really? How do you know this to be true? Most people would say that the bad smells are indicative of the pollutants being spewed out of the smoke stacks.

FF: Of course it’s true! Why would Exxon or Chevron lie to us? They take care of little ducklings and goslings whenever they’re in need of a bath. There’s a TV commercial that shows this to be true.

TRC: You mean the dish soap commercial showing people washing oil off of wild birds’ feathers after they were got caught in an oil slick? Okay, I see where now you’re possibly getting your ideas. Do you always believe whatever you see or hear on television?

FF: For the most part, yes. There’s no reason for the big corporations to lie to us. They live on the same planet with us. Why would they pollute their own air and water, for instance? (Laughing.) I bet you don’t have a good answer to that!

TRC: No, I don’t. There is no good reason why anyone or any corporation would pollute their own air and water, but they do. As they say, “It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest.”

FF: See? I told you there’s no real reason to worry about a “climate emergency.” (Miming quote marks.) The corporations are looking after us like they look after those sick birds. We can trust them because they’re smart, unlike our politicians. They’re all a bunch of morons.

TRC: On that point, we’re agreed. Politicians are, for the most part, unethical morons, but how can we be so sure we’re not being duped by Big Oil, for instance?

FF: I’m sure they’re not lying to us, because if I ever found out they had lied about the quality of their product, gasoline, I’d stop buying so much of it for my Cadillac Escalade and buy one of those plug-in electric cars instead. I’d be downright angry if I ever found out how their products caused the earth to become hotter or dryer in the summer months or caused deadly flooding and storms where normally there aren’t any. Lots of people like me would stop buying gasoline, and that would put the oil companies out of business. They’re not stupid. They rely on people like me to stay in business.

TRC: They certainly do. So, you’re not angry about Mr. Gassy the giant bouncing the earth or batting it about?

FF: No, not really. It’s just the way he is. I just hope the US can nuke China soon so we can prevent the Chinese from sending any more space probes to the dark side of the moon. It annoys him.

TRC: Uh, yeah. Do you feel that nuclear war is winnable?

FF: All wars are winnable—if you have Mr. Gassy on your side.

TRC: Yeah, I thought you might say that. It’s been quite an experience chatting with you, Freddie Flattearther. Everyone, be careful out there and try not to get on the giant’s bad side. It seems the future of everyone on Earth is counting on it.

Related Articles and Other Interesting Links: 

 

Peter Kalmus speaking at the End Fossil Fuels march in NYC

https://youtu.be/1rJHlFME480?si=H4t1ymTZIsP3zyUx

Civil Society Reactions To United Nations Climate Ambition Summit https://popularresistance.org/civil-society-reactions-to-united-nations-climate-ambition-summit/

Climate Defenders Arrested While Blocking Entry To NY Federal Reserve  https://popularresistance.org/climate-defenders-arrested-while-blocking-entry-to-ny-federal-reserve/

The Climate March, Joe Biden, and AOC’s Dubious Endorsement
https://scheerpost.com/2023/09/19/the-climate-march-joe-biden-and-aocs-dubious-endorsement/

Mining the Sacred: Indigenous nations fight lithium gold rush at Thacker Pass https://youtu.be/uLO7ClVtlBA?si=UoZtSbEN-vY8Vs-I

A Guide To Six Greenwashing Terms Big Ag Is Bringing To COP28https://popularresistance.org/a-guide-to-six-greenwashing-terms-big-ag-is-bringing-to-cop28/

Chinese balloon was not spying, US gov't admits months after manufactured crisis  https://geopoliticaleconomy.substack.com/p/chinese-balloon-not-spying-us-media

This War Wasn't Just Provoked — It Was Provoked Deliberately
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/this-war-wasnt-just-provoked-it-was

War Profiteers Are A Sign Of A Profoundly Sick Society
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/war-profiteers-are-a-sign-of-a-profoundly

We're Being Prepared For The Ukraine War To Last Into The 2030s
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/were-being-prepared-for-the-ukraine

 

Ukraine Follows Imperial Japan's Example in the Attrition of its Military https://ohiobarbarian.substack.com/p/ukraine-follows-imperial-japans-example

Australian Politicians Coming To US To Free Julian Assange
https://popularresistance.org/australian-politicians-coming-to-us-to-free-julian-assange/

US Sees Highest Ever Increase in Poverty https://consortiumnews.com/2023/09/22/us-sees-highest-ever-increase-in-poverty/

If The Facts Come Out, It Could Spell The End For Joe Biden
https://popularresistance.org/if-the-facts-come-out-it-could-spell-the-end-for-joe-biden/

'Silent Coup'—How corporations rule the world w/Matt Kennard | The Chris Hedges Report https://youtu.be/1xRrk-cYU-E?si=0o252v-vU6MR3E_D

Biden orders deployment of 800 soldiers to US-Mexico border https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/09/23/xsta-s23.html

Beyond the Border: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Presence at Racial Justice Protests in Summer of 2020
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/FOIA/cbp-presence-racial-justice-protests-summer-2020

Citizen Groups Sue EPA for Using Black Neighborhoods as “Sacrifice Zones” https://truthout.org/articles/citizen-groups-sue-epa-for-using-black-neighborhoods-as-sacrifice-zones/

Striking Autoworkers at Stellantis Are Up Against a Yacht-Sailing Billionaire  https://truthout.org/articles/striking-autoworkers-at-stellantis-are-up-against-a-yacht-sailing-billionaire/

Boston March October 7 To Demand: Indigenous Peoples Day Now! https://popularresistance.org/boston-march-october-7-to-demand-indigenous-peoples-day-now/

Coming soon, the first book from The Revolution Continues blog:  The Little Red Book of Revolution

How can you get your e-copy? The easiest way is to subscribe to The Revolution Continues on Substack as a paying subscriber. Choose what level you'd like to subscribe online at: https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com

If you'd like to help out in the meantime, buy me a coffee!  https://ko-fi.com/therevolutioncontinues

More details to come. Power to the people!

 

The Children Shall Lead

"The future is not something we enter.

The future is something we create." 

Leonard Sweet

The Children Shall Lead

by C.A. Matthews

It's the time of year where children take the lead on social activities. There are holiday parties, Christmas pageants, end-of-the-year award ceremonies, and of course, lots and lots of gift shopping. We as a society don't have any problems with putting the needs, wants, and desires of our children first during this particular season. 

This begs the question then: How come we don't put our children first the remainder of the year?

When people say, "Our children are our future," do they really mean it? If you state you prioritize your offsprings' health and happiness, then why protest when someone reveals how you aren't actually doing anything to protect the environment and curb greenhouse gases? Why does your twisted desire to make profits through ravishing Mother Nature--and possibly annihilating the human species--come first over your kids' very survival?

And when a child (that is, a young person) stands up to this hypocrisy, why do you act surprised and insulted? Surely you realize the consequences of your harsh actions against the environment, so there's no use in pretending to be astonished when Greta Thunberg lays out the scientific evidence demonstrating the foolhardiness of your activities. The Trumps of the world have nobody to blame for feeling uncomfortable about their poor choices except themselves.

Choosing Greta as Time magazine's "Person of the Year" really was a no-brainer. It is not kings or princes or presidents or popes or bishops who have taken the point on this all-encompassing issue of the Climate Emergency. It is a child, a commoner, a person without status or title. What better way to usurp the power pyramid and instigate the necessary worldwide revolution to save Planet Earth than by subverting it starting at the bottom? 

It is We of the 99% who will suffer--and currently are suffering--the cataclysmic destruction of our environment through wildfire, windstorms, and flooding. The revolution to stop this travesty must begin with those who have firsthand knowledge of it. It must start with us and not our so-called political leaders. 

Greta intuitively understands this and acts upon it. After all, it is her generation with the most to lose. Therefore, she is the perfect leader to rally the troops to fight the battle to save our precious home.

In this season where many pause to reflect upon the birth of a low-born child and the revolution of brotherly love he began among the ranks of the poor and oppressed, let us consider how fortunate we are to have such a child as Greta to lead her generation--indeed all of us--into a better and brighter future.

The children shall lead us. It's up to us old-timers to put aside our petty differences for the sake of humanity and follow.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
    the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
    and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11:6 (NRSV)

https://youtu.be/Ml3f0KeZnsY

Time Magazine said this about Greta:

That Thunberg is the youngest individual ever named TIME’s Person of the Year says as much about the moment as it does about her. The 92-year-old franchise is rooted in the so-called Great Man theory of history, the notion that powerful individuals shape the world. Historically that has meant people who worked their way up the ladders of major organizations and were at home in the corridors of power. But in this moment when so many traditional institutions seem to be failing us, amid staggering inequality and social upheaval and political paralysis, we are seeing new kinds of influence take hold. It is wielded by people like Thunberg, leaders with a cause and a phone who don’t fit the old rubrics but who connect with us in ways that institutions can’t and perhaps never could.

Related articles:

Dear Youth, Keep Challenging the Systems of Power – No Matter Who Tells You to "Chill".  https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/12/dear-youth-keep-challenging-systems-power-no-matter-tells-chill/

Don't Mock Greta Thunberg. Listen to Her (She's Right About the Science)
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-12-12/greta-thunberg-deserves-time-s-person-of-the-year-honor

Greta Thunberg Time Person of the Year https://www.businessinsider.com/greta-thunberg-time-person-of-the-year-environmental-activism-2019-12

Scientists Want to Make Harming the Environment a War Crime
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/harming-environment-war-crime

Greta Thunberg: Climate Crisis "Not Just About Environment," But Also "Colonial, Racist and Patriarchal Systems of Oppression"
https://disrn.com/news/greta-thunberg-climate-crisis-not-just-about-environment-but-also-colonial-racist-patriarchal-systems-of-oppression

***

Photo credit: Patrick McElhenney

BREAKING: Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials in paramilitary gear ARRESTED doctors attempting to offer flu vaccines to jailed children in San Diego. Tell CBP: stop denying medical care to jailed children.

16-year-old Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez had a fever of 103. Rather than send him to the hospital -- the CBP locked him into an isolation cell.
With proper care, the flu can be treatable. 

But Carlos was denied medical care and left to die alone in a detention center in Texas, laying in a pool of his own vomit on a cold concrete slab next to a toilet.
Immigration authorities did NOTHING as their security camera recorded Carlos's last moments. 

SIGN THE MOVEON PETITION: No child should die from the flu.
 
On Monday, Families Belong Together marched with Doctors for Camp Closure to the Chula Vista border station in San Ysidro, California, with 120 flu vaccines in hand. The doctors -- including the physician in charge of the California Medical Association -- volunteered their time and were ready to treat the children -- but the Trump Administration's Department of Homeland Security barred them from entering. 

For six hours, we stood in the driveway of the camp with the vaccines, but the metal gates remained closed. The CBP sent four police cars and five armed officers to keep watch on us as we peacefully stood vigil for the children who died. 

So, on Tuesday, we headed to the CBP headquarters in San Diego to demand they let the doctors in -- only for armed officers in full paramilitary gear to arrest six of us.

Photo credit: Patrick McElhenney

Children in detention are nine times more likely to die from the flu than the general pediatric population. But as flu season ramps up, the Trump administration has ignored demands from medical professionals and the Centers for Disease Control to vaccinate children in their immigration jails. 

Carlos was the third child to die of flu-related illnesses in immigration detention in the last year. His death was preventable.
 
Tell the Trump Administration: Withholding medical care from children and families in custody is appalling and inhumane.
 
We've got to stop throwing children in jails, we've got to undo the damage of the Trump administration's cruel immigration policies. But right now, we've also just got to give these kids urgent medical care.
 
We're keeping up on the pressure on the Trump administration and are doing everything we can to prevent more deaths in custody. 
 
Add your name: Demand flu vaccines for children and families in detention.
 
Thanks for all you do,
Paola Luisi
Families Belong Together Communications Director 

***

We're excited to announce the publication of World BEYOND War's new 3-part series of fact sheets on the impact of sanctions in Iraq, Cuba, and North Korea. You can view and download the fact sheets for free from our website.

The fact sheets are designed as printable handouts that can be used for tabling events, lobby meetings, and much more. Each reference is meticulously footnoted, so you can cross-check every fact and go to the original source for more details.


Simply put, sanctions can kill. Time and again, sanctions are utilized as a brutal tool of war and repression, destroying innocent communities. Some eye-opening statistics stand out from our research:

• According to UNICEF, sanctions on Iraq killed half a million children under the age of 5, due to restricted access to adequate food and clean water, which caused widespread malnutrition and disease. Likewise, 60,000 malnourished children are facing starvation in North Korea due to sanctions.
• The embargo on Cuba has cost the country over $130 billion in losses.
• A ban on employing North Korean construction workers in Russia, China, and other countries has eliminated tens of thousands of jobs.

The fact sheets document these statistics and much more, illustrating the widespread negative impacts of sanctions in Iraq, Cuba, and North Korea. View and download the full fact sheet series from our website.

A shout-out to volunteers Ben, Gayle, Gar, Joanne, Emily, Eleanor, and Alice for their assistance with detailed research, writing, editing, and graphic design for this fact sheet series!

Please utilize these fact sheets as an educational tool in your community and share them far & wide!

For questions or more information about our peace education programs and volunteer opportunities, email Greta at greta@worldbeyondwar.org.

For a world beyond war,

Greta Zarro
Organizing Director
World BEYOND War
greta@worldbeyondwar.org

***
From Friends of the Earth:

Bees are dying! You know it. I know it. And supermarket giant Kroger knows it. But Kroger is still selling food grown with bee-killing pesticides. And rather than addressing its role in bee declines, it’s rolling out a new slogan: “Fresh for Everyone!”

The truth is, Kroger’s policy is more like “pesticides for everyone.” Kroger’s new ad campaign is pure “bee-washing” -- featuring happy bees and happy families. Meanwhile, our 2018 research found toxic pesticides like glyphosate -- the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup® -- and bee-killing neonics in Kroger store brand foods.

Kroger can’t hide behind its fancy new branding. It must stop selling food grown with toxic pesticides. But we need your help pushing the supermarket giant to act. Can we count on your support?

Help save the bees: Tell Kroger to stop selling food grown with bee-killing pesticides NOW!

Beekeepers lost nearly half their hives this past year. 40 percent of wild pollinators are at risk of extinction. 75% of songbird species are in decline. And driving this crisis are toxic pesticides like bee-killing neonics, butterfly-harming Roundup®, and chlorpyrifos -- the second-most toxic pesticide to bees.

But these pesticides aren’t just hurting birds and insects, they’re also harming our health and putting kids at risk. Right now, Bayer-Monsanto is facing lawsuits from more than 40,000 people because they believe their exposure to RoundUp® caused their cancer.

But, thanks in part to Kroger, this pesticide is still ending up on our plates. Recent independent lab testing found that Kroger’s store-brand foods including apple sauce, spinach, cereal and beans contain toxic pesticides like neonicotinoids, glyphosate and organophosphates.

Even in trace amounts, these pesticides have been linked to reduced IQ, attention deficit disorders, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer. They have no place in the food on Kroger’s shelves.

Protect our children’s health and our environment: Tell Kroger to stop selling food grown with cancer-causing RoundUp®!

Scientists are warning that we’re in the middle of an “insect apocalypse.” Pesticides and habitat loss are hurting everything from bees and butterflies to the birds and other wildlife that rely on insects for food. We must get toxic pesticides like neonics and RoundUp® out of our environment and our food system.

Food retailers play a key role in turning this crisis around. Building on policies released by Costco and Aldi, Rite Aid just released the strongest retailer pollinator policy yet, encouraging its suppliers to phase out the use of glyphosate, neonicotinoids and organophosphates, including chlorpyrifos and expanding offerings of bee-friendly organic food. But while other companies are leading the way, Kroger is spending money on new ad campaigns with “happy bees” while real bees are suffering.

As the largest traditional grocery store in the U.S., Kroger has the power to change our toxic food system. It must go beyond a new branding campaign if it wants to make a difference for bees and kids. It must lead the way and phase out bee-killing pesticides. Otherwise, “Fresh for Everyone” will only mean toxic pesticides for everyone.

Help send 30,000 signatures: Demand Kroger make a firm commitment to stop selling food grown with toxic pesticides!

Standing with you,
Jason Davidson,
Food and agriculture campaigner,
Friends of the Earth

It's No Treat To Be Tricked By Climate Change Deniers

 It's No Treat To Be Tricked 
By Climate Change Deniers 
(and Other Horror Stories 
Concerning Our Environment)

collected by C.A. Matthews

 

Happy Halloween! This week we present to you some genuinely "scary" memes and stories regarding our precious planet. We hope they don't give you nightmares, but no guarantees.

Our first meme and story demonstrates the attitude that Big Agriculture and the current administration promotes. What's in our food? It's none of our business--particularly if it contains anything harmful in it.

GMOs are killing the world--not helping feed the hungry:
https://www.newsbud.com/2017/10/26/newsbud-exclusive-gmos-kill-not-save-the-hungry-of-the-world/

But on the positive side, perhaps one cancer-causing chemical, glyphosate, will be kept out of our food supply in the future--if we don't allow the zombies of Monsanto to eat the brains of the EU commissioners first.  
EU delays vote on glyphosate (RoundUp):
https://youtu.be/UN-EzWyDtg4
 

What's in our water? Who knows? Who cares! Just think of all those "minerals" folks in Flint, Michigan get for free in their water supply. You'd think they'd be grateful! Think of how many other cities in America have similar problems with toxic levels of lead in their water supply... This is the stuff of a true tale of terror.

The following article tells more about "free substances" we're all getting in our food, air and water via fracking and what it's doing to the most vulnerable in our society, our children: 

Fracking chemicals harm kids' brains:
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/46494-study-fracking-chemicals-harm-kids-brains

A  new study from the Center for Environmental Health adds to the growing body of evidence that unconventional oil and gas (UOG), which includes fracking, is harmful to human health and especially hazardous to vulnerable populations, including newborns and children.

During the fracking process, a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is directed at high pressures into shale beds to release petroleum resources. This slurry involves the use of nearly 700 chemicals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found.

The new research, published Wednesday in Reviews on Environmental Health, examined five particular air and water pollutants that are widely used in or byproducts of UOG development and operations—heavy metals, particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrobcarbons, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes), and endocrine disrupting compounds.

"Every stage of the UOG lifecycle, from well construction to extraction, operations, transportation and distribution can lead to air and water contamination," the paper notes.

Dauntingly, the researchers found that early life exposure to these substances has been linked to potentially permanent learning and neuropsychological deficits, neurodevelopmental disorders and neurological birth defects.

"Given the profound sensitivity of the developing brain and central nervous system, it is reasonable to conclude that young children who experience frequent exposure to these pollutants are at particularly high risk for chronic neurological diseases."

Why are we suffering from the horrors of sky-rocketing rates of asthma and other chronic lung conditions? "Eh, whatever!" say the 1%. "The air is fine at our secluded mansions. So what if it's two degrees warmer and your home on the coast is going under or burning up in a wildfire? Learn how to swim or breathe smoke!"

The climate deniers are having their day in the Trump Administration, from Scott Pruitt, the man who is single-handedly dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency, to our very own Secretary of Oil, uh, State, Former Exxon CEO Tillerson, who sees the world as one vast oil field fit for fracking.

The good news is they're not invulnerable. Trump's administrators' lackluster responses to climate change-fueled disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria (and the western wildfires) make it clear we can't afford to sit on the sidelines when it comes to climate change response. We have to act now. Suffering hurricane or wildfire losses (or knowing friends and family members who have suffered) is making Americans aware of how climate change deniers like Pruitt and company are doing us all more harm than good. More and more are waking up from this nightmare.

But we can't become complacent. The following is a horror story that possibly tops all others--climate change may trigger 60,000 premature deaths yearly by 2030: https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=205739

If nothing is done to address climate change, tens of thousands more early deaths may occur worldwide from exposure to air pollution in the coming decades, a new study contends.

Increases in air pollution caused by rising temperatures will trigger an additional 60,000 premature deaths each year around the globe by 2030, and as many as 260,000 more premature deaths annually by 2100, according to the results of several different climate models.

Another frightening scenario is how some of our beautiful national parks and monuments are being shrunk by the Trump administration to encourage drilling and mining: https://www.nationofchange.org/2017/10/30/trump-shrink-utah-national-monuments-allow-drilling-mining/

One bright ray of hope is in recovering Puerto Rico where Tesla restored power to San Juan children's hospital by installing free solar panels:
https://thinkprogress.org/tesla-restores-power-to-san-juan-childrens-hospital-c4d1d79f4db1/ 

After Puerto Rico is up and running again on clean, green energy sources, it should bring about more positive attention to solar and wind power in the mainstream media and lessen the need to gut our national parks for their fossil fuel wealth. (We can only hope green energy receives better and fairer coverage, but Big Oil greases a lot of palms...)  We might have to hammer a stake into Energy Secretary Rick Perry's heart first to see any real results.

Videos, articles and podcasts on the topic of climate change and environmental degradation help spread the message, so please share them widely and discuss them with others. If Caroline's photos of the ocean polluted by plastics (in the video below) don't make your acquaintances cringe and shriek in horror and want to take action, then honestly what will? 

We can't just close our eyes and wish these horrific images of what we've done to ourselves and our planet away. We gotta stop being tricked by the climate change deniers and the anti-environmentalists and start working on the solutions. Only then will we be "treated" to a better world for everyone.

 

Here's the link to the ocean full of plastics solution:  https://www.theoceancleanup.com/    Sign the Congress Act On Climate Change Petition: https://go.ourrevolution.com/page/s/act-on-climate?source=ads_fb_171010_climate
More ways to take actions against the climate deniers:  
In his short tenure, Trump’s EPA head Scott Pruitt has earned a reputation for too-close ties with fossil fuel industries he’s supposed to regulate, shady behavior, and an unbelievable hostility to the mission of his own agency.
He’s been dismantling the EPA piece by piece since he got the job. Now, he’s even actively blocking scientists from speaking out about climate change. Yesterday, the EPA barred three agency scientists from giving a climate change talk at a conference in Rhode Island. 

I've been a climate scientist for decades, and this is the textbook definition of scientific censorship. For anyone who respects the mission of the EPA, this has to be the last straw -- Scott Pruitt must go! 

Add your name to 314 Action’s public demand that Pruitt be removed as head of the EPA.

FIRE SCOTT PRUITT

This latest deliberate attempt to censor science is part of a pattern of outright disdain for the work of professional EPA researchers and climate scientists.
Last week, we found out that parts of the EPA website were scrubbed of the words “climate change.” Many of the agency’s scientific advisors have been replaced by industry lobbyists. Pruitt has refused to speak to most reporters, and is even reportedly building a $25,000 soundproof booth in his office (where we can be relatively sure nothing good will happen). 

The way this plays out in actual policy is unsurprising. Pruitt helped push Trump into pulling out of the Paris agreement. He’s trying to repeal President Obama’s landmark Clean Power Plan, which is already creating jobs and preventing carbon pollution. And he’s rolled back regulations that keep dangerous chemicals out of drinking water -- all because they're inconvenient for his friends in the oil and gas industry. 

And remember when Tom Price was forced to resign for sticking taxpayers with the cost of flying in private planes? That’s right -- Scott Pruitt is doing that, too. 

Scott Pruitt is already the worst EPA administrator in the agency’s history, because he’s actively trying to be. He’s far from the only anti-science official in the Trump administration, but we can’t afford to let him to keep running this life-saving agency into the ground. 

We’ve seen what happens when public pressure is strong and focused. Speak out today -- join our call for Scott Pruitt’s removal.
 
There’s more to come in this campaign -- stay tuned!
Dr. Michael Mann

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Donald Trump’s administration already broke faith with 194 other countries by pulling the United States out of its commitment to the Paris climate agreement. But senior Trump officials continue to obstruct progress for the rest of the world at meetings on the agreement with other international leaders.

Backed by fossil-fuel billionaires, Trump officials keep going to the meetings to represent the interests of big polluters. Since Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement, it's only fair that the U.S. also stop trying to sabotage international meetings about implementation.

Climate Hawks Vote and allies, together, are calling on Trump and Exxon CEO-turned Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to stop sabotaging international efforts to act on climate change.

Sign the joint petition now to send a message to the Trump administration, Sec. Rex Tillerson, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

Sign our petition

As people concerned about our future and the future of the planet, we demand the U.S. government: Stand down: Stay out of all negotiations concerning the Paris Agreement and its implementation. Stop representing the interests of Big Polluters in international climate negotiations. Pay its fair share to address the global climate crisis.

Your fellow climate hawk,

RL Miller

Also from Climate Hawks Vote:

#StopBridenstine: Tell your senators to oppose climate denier Jim Bridenstine’s confirmation for NASA Administrator.

The Senate Commerce Committee just announced that climate denier Jim Bridenstine’s confirmation hearing to become Trump’s NASA Administrator will take place on Wednesday, November 1.

Bridenstine is an enemy of all elements of NASA’s mission “to understand and protect our home planet, to explore the universe, and to inspire the next generation of explorers.” In 2013, Bridenstine lied on the House floor, saying global temperatures “stopped rising 10 years ago.” He went on to demand that President Obama apologize for spending NASA’s budget on climate research. He has even introduced legislation to privatize NASA’s space programs.

Fortunately, there’s growing opposition in the Senate to Trump’s unqualified nominee to head up NASA—Senator Patty Murray of Washington just announced her opposition.

Bridenstine will be appearing before the Senate on November 1. It’s imperative that we urge every single Senate Democrat and Republican to strongly oppose Jim Bridenstine’s confirmation before the vote happens. 

We’ve joined Daily Kos, Demand Progress, and Common Defense in calling on Senators to resist this dangerous anti-science ideologue. Sign the petition below, then write a letter to your Senators on the next page:

Take action »

I will be personally delivering your signatures to the U.S. Senate before the hearing. Add your name now.

Your fellow climate hawk,

Brad Johnson