From this week’s news on: the climate crisis, environmental issues, and nuclear threats [Note: Content Warning - links to distressing reports on this topic. Reader discretion is advised]

[Note: Content Warning - links to reports on bigotry/hate, violence/abuse/war. Reader discretion is advised]  

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. READER CAUTION IS RECOMMENDED! For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]), or perhaps try https://www.befrienders.org/. 

Note: in my “from the news” posts, quotes are shown italicised and blue, my comments are in a different shade of blue, and “good” items are shown in green. I have loosely grouped the posts where such seemed reasonable, but that is subjective (i.e., my opinion - others are free to disagree), and challenging, as some posts belong in multiple “groups”.

From this week’s news on the climate crisis, environmental issues, and nuclear threats (note: I may continue to add links for a few days, possibly up to a week, after these are published), noting that at least some issues will not have made it into the news that I see: 

• “Catastrophic change looms as Earth nears climate ‘tipping points’, report says”   https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03849-y   

• “10 Reasons Why Societies Fail to Respond to Their Greatest Threats”   https://www.okdoomer.io/you-arent-the-one-panicking-they-are/   These reasons are real, and important to know so they can be countered   
  

• “Chris Bowen backs ‘a big step forward’ on phasing out fossil fuels at Cop28”   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/08/chris-bowen-backs-a-big-step-forward-on-phasing-out-fossil-fuels-at-cop28   “OPEC rails against fossil fuel phase-out at Cop28 in leaked letters”   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/08/opec-rails-against-fossil-fuel-phase-out-at-cop28-in-leaked-letters    and   “Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest in scathing attack on oil and gas industry”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/07/mining-billionaire-andrew-forrest-in-scathing-attack-on-oil-and-gas-industry    Andrew Forrest has done a few good things over the years: in fact, it was some of his comments on signs of human trafficking/slavery that enabled me to avoid a dangerous situation associated with a work trip - and there is the work on renewables mentioned in the article. This latest action is, in my opinion, entirely true to character (note: as with all human beings, he has flaws - for instance, I disagree with his opposition to the Minerals Resource Rent Tax, and to the Cashless  Welfare Card and a few other controversies)  
  

• “Cop28 officials fail to clarify if protesters are safe to protest in Dubai”   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/cop28-officials-fail-to-clarify-whether-protesters-will-be-safe-in-dubai   “Thousands of activists attending climate conference in UAE, which has a poor record for demonstrations”   and   a The Guardian and the Centre for Climate Reporting exclusive reports:   “Cop28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels”   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/back-into-caves-cop28-president-dismisses-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels   This is exactly why so many people were concerned about the location of the conference - and confirms the damage, possibly irreparable, that has been done to the standing of the UN and all others involved in these conferences - despite the promising start last week    

• “Global climate summit draws a clean, green ring around 2030”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/science/environment/2023/12/03/climate-pledge-cop28   “Governments of 118 countries, including Australia, have pledged to triple the world’s renewable energy capacity by 2030 at the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit.”   And how does tripling compare with what is needed? I couldn’t find that in the article. The article also reports on the need to end fossil fuels, and equitably fund achievement of this goal. Concerningly, nuclear has been included in this   

 

• “Crimes against the Climate: Violence and Deforestation in the Amazon”   https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/brazil-colombia/crimes-against-climate-violence-and-deforestation-amazon   “Organised crime has infiltrated the Amazon basin, seeking land for growing coca, rivers for drug trafficking and veins of gold underground. These groups are endangering the rainforest and the safety of those attempting to defend it. It is imperative that regional governments take protective measures”    

• “Combat corporate greenwashing with better science”   https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03815-8  
  

• “Harnessing the oceans to ‘bury’ carbon has huge potential – and risk – so NZ needs to move with caution”   https://theconversation.com/harnessing-the-oceans-to-bury-carbon-has-huge-potential-and-risk-so-nz-needs-to-move-with-caution-217553   Hmmmmm ...  
  

• “Helping the Pacific financially is a great start – but Australia must act on the root cause of the climate crisis”   https://theconversation.com/helping-the-pacific-financially-is-a-great-start-but-australia-must-act-on-the-root-cause-of-the-climate-crisis-219399  
  

• “Australia ends finance for fossil fuel expansion overseas – now focus turns to local subsidies”   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/06/cop28-australia-clean-energy-transition-partnership-ends-funding-fossil-fuel-expansion-overseas-offshore   and   “Can the government’s new market mechanism help save nature? Yes – if we get the devil out of the detail”   https://theconversation.com/can-the-governments-new-market-mechanism-help-save-nature-yes-if-we-get-the-devil-out-of-the-detail-218713   but   “Alan Kohler: After COP28, Australia will need a viable post-fossil fuels export plan”   https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2023/12/07/alan-kohler-fossil-fuel-australia   &   “Offshore oil regulator ‘avoiding scrutiny’ over approval for Woodside blasting and drilling”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/07/offshore-oil-regulator-avoiding-scrutiny-over-approval-for-woodside-blasting-and-drilling  
  

 

My links for activism post may aid any activism  you may decide to do on any/all of these.

 

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

If they are of any use of interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post. 

 

If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below.

Remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing, and all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk.