The attendees of COP, which stands for “Conference of the Parties”, as in, members of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are a wide mix, ranging from climate scientists to NGO delegates, to government bureaucrats, to heads of state. Some take an active role in negotiations while others are just observers. Like at the U.N. more broadly, countries of all types are represented at COP conferences, but it is an open secret that the U.S., Canada and the EU members are the ones who really run the show – and the problems manifested by this unfair arrangement are what took center stage at COP29, especially around the issue of “climate finance.”

When you boil it down, the recurring problem of the COP conferences are as follows:

First, the dominance of North America and Europe in climate negotiations is at odds with the fact that these are the nations who are most responsible for climate change.

Second, the effects of climate change are projected to be most severe in the Global South – not just as an accident of geography, but because those countries have been subject to systematic plundering and deliberate maldevelopment by the so-called “First World,” and now have the least resources to invest in green development or even damage control.

And third, these wealthy nations that have spent centuries rigging the world economy in their favor, and who are increasingly divided amongst themselves, have the least interest in implementing any changes that could further jeopardize their slipping foothold.

The struggle over climate finance

The big subject at COP29 was around the issue of climate finance, meaning, how the world is going to pay for one, the shift towards sustainable economies, and two, fixing the destruction we’re already starting to see from climate change, both in terms of building preventative infrastructure and financing “loss and damage funds” to replace things destroyed by wildfires, floods, and so on.

Throughout the conference, delegates from developing countries – particularly from those in Africa and South America – insisted that the scale of the crisis is going to require investment by wealthier nations on a massive scale, something in the order of $3-plus trillion per year. North America and Europe on the other hand, complained that there was simply no budget for this, that these numbers put forward by other countries were based on bad data, and that more of the burden should fall on the private sector rather than government money.

By the end of the nearly two-week conference, the goal was set that by 2035 the world would be allocating just $300 billion annually, with a sizable portion of that coming from private banks. Panama's climate envoy Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez captured the mood felt by many representatives as they prepared to head home: “I’m so mad. It's ridiculous. Just ridiculous,” adding, “It feels that the developed world wants the planet to burn.”

The specter of Trump

Just days before COP29 began, Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. In the past, Trump has called climate change a “hoax.” He used his powers during his first term to cut back environmental regulations and enforcement and has campaigned on doing more of the same. According to several reports, there was a general atmosphere of anxiety at COP29 that many of these negotiations wouldn’t even matter in a few months, since Trump is even less likely than Harris would’ve been to honor U.S. commitments pledged at the conference.

The other side of this, though, is that the election of Donald Trump signals to many countries that they can no longer expect any good to come from hitching themselves to the United States’ wagon, and that forging new alliances outside of U.S. dominion, such as with the BRICS nations, is going to be a major part of the road ahead when it comes to fighting climate change.

The need for a new system

As outlined above, the COP conferences lay bare a core problem with the world as it currently exists. Everyday people in every part of the world are starting to see the effects of climate change already; scientists in every part of the world agree that our current trajectory is towards catastrophe; but government officials in wealthy Western nations are bound by the intractable laws of monopoly capitalism -“increase profits forever, or die” – and thus are unable to right the ship.

There are few issues like climate change that expose this contradiction so plainly, where right in front of our eyes we see nothing but excuses, half measures, and false promises from the people who, in theory, should have the power to avert this global catastrophe. They instead use their resources to perpetrate genocide in Palestine, wage a proxy war in Ukraine, and prepare for all-out war on China and possibly Iran.

China, on the other hand, whose economy is not bound by the dog-eat-dog logic of the “free market” and aimless capital accumulation, is leading the world in the development and export of green technology. It is poised to become the main player in the world that nations can turn to for development aid. More importantly, that nation's economy is materially governed by a party of the working class, and thus is run in service of the working class, and that means popular policies like fighting pollution and climate change can be pursued for their own sake, not just as secondary measures when it’s politically convenient.

For the sake of our planetary future, those who care about the environment should look to countries like China as a model of what we ought to be fighting for – not just a seat at the table in failing institutions like COP29, but for an entirely different society where power is in the hands of the people, whose interests lie in actually stopping climate change at the source.

Charlie Berg is a member of the Climate Justice Committee – Minneapolis, MN

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #ClimateChange #COP #UN

Tampa, FL – El miércoles 10 de octubre, alrededor de las 8:30 p.m., Milton impactó aproximadamente 40 millas al sur de la Bahía de Tampa como un huracán de categoría tres. Ni siquiera han pasado dos semanas desde el huracán Helene, y los daños causados por Milton han sido devastadores.

Antes de que el huracán Milton impactara, la demanda de gasolina en Tampa ya había vaciado muchas estaciones de servicio. Días después, la gasolina es difícil de conseguir, con el 77% de las estaciones sin combustible el viernes. Las pocas estaciones con suministro tienen filas de una hora, vigiladas por policías estatales.

“La fila era tan larga que literalmente daba la vuelta a la calle un par de cuadras. La gente estaba peleando por la gasolina, daba miedo”, dijo Valentina Beron, una residente de Tampa que esperó en la fila para obtener gasolina.

La noche del miércoles también comenzaron los cortes de electricidad en la zona de la Bahía. En su punto máximo, 2,5 millones de hogares perdieron electricidad. Desde el viernes, más de 200.000 casas han recuperado el servicio, pero se desconoce cuánto tiempo más tendrán que esperar millones más.

El huracán Milton también afectará el mercado de seguros en Florida. En 1992, el huracán Andrew provocó una serie de altibajos que expulsaron a muchas aseguradoras del estado. Una de las pocas que quedan es Citizens Property Insurance, que cubre 1,2 millones de pólizas. El 20% de estas pólizas están en los condados de la Bahía.

Aunque Citizens afirma tener suficientes fondos para pagar todas las reclamaciones, la pregunta es cuántos de sus propietarios tendrán sus reclamaciones aprobadas y por qué monto. Durante el huracán Ian en 2022, investigaciones independientes encontraron que casi la mitad de todas las reclamaciones de seguros fueron rechazadas. Incluso las reclamaciones aprobadas podrían ser ajustadas a un pago menor del que fue solicitado.

Si empresas como Citizens rechazan una reclamación, un propietario en Florida tiene pocas opciones, gracias al gobernador Ron DeSantis. La única opción es demandar, pero en 2022, DeSantis redujo el tiempo para presentar una reclamación y estableció que los titulares de pólizas tendrían que demandar de su propio bolsillo, sin importar el resultado del caso. Coincidentemente, el comité político de DeSantis aceptó millones en donaciones de profesionales de la industria de seguros.

Las reacciones al huracán Milton pintan un panorama alarmante sobre el futuro de Florida. Necesidades como la gasolina, la electricidad y los hogares pueden volverse fácilmente inalcanzables.

#TampaFL #FL #Environment #PeoplesStruggles #NaturalDisasters #ClimateChange

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, October 9, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane that devastated the state. Five days later, Tampa Bay residents are still experiencing power outages, gas shortages and widespread damage to their homes.

According to PowerOutage.us, 400,000 customers in Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties still do not have power. The largest number of outages are in Hillsborough County, where over 150,000 Tampa Electric (TECO) customers remain without power. The CEO of TECO promised the county that 100% of customers will have their power restored by Thursday, October 17.

In the past year, TECO has been under fire, with customers protesting their unprecedented rate hikes. With residents already struggling to pay rent and get food on the table, TECO promised that the rate hikes would mean shorter power outages for customers. By Thursday it will be over a week since the devastation of Milton caused millions to lose power.

Most of those living in the Tampa Bay region without power are those who live in working class and largely immigrant communities. These communities have been forced to go back to work despite the loss of power to their homes. While residents are left in the dark, the city quickly restored power to Central Command’s MacDill Airforce Base and tourist attractions like Busch Gardens.

The shortage of gasoline remains an issue felt by all those living in Tampa. Even before Milton hit, the demand for gas had emptied gas stations across Tampa Bay. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not step in to provide gas for Florida residents until the Saturday after the hurricane. Even then, the state only provided three distribution sites – Plant City, Saint Petersburg and Bradenton – leaving many still without the means to get fuel.

Had the governor taken precautions before the hurricane hit the state, Tampa residents would not have gone to lengths to hoard gas or had to wait in hours-long lines just to fill up their cars. As of Monday afternoon, 50.4% of Tampa and Sarasota area gas stations are without fuel.

Throughout the region, large trees and downed power lines still block off many streets. On Sunday, Governor DeSantis announced that he would be using the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida State Guard, the National Guard, and the Florida Highway Patrol to help with city and county debris removal. Of the at least 23 people who died from the hurricane, one woman in Tampa, one man in Orlando, and one man in Polk County died while clearing the debris in their yards post-Milton.

Residents impacted by Milton can now apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Last month, all 11 Florida Republicans in Congress voted down a resolution that would have provided billions in additional disaster relief funding.

Donald Trump and Republicans across the country have been spreading misinformation that FEMA is refusing to help people in Republican areas and is instead using funds to house immigrants. This propaganda has led to individuals threatening FEMA personnel in North Carolina who were providing aid after Hurricane Helene. As a result, these emergency personnel were forced to evacuate and pause their relief efforts in the area.

The state of Florida and Governor DeSantis had time to prepare for the devastation that Milton was projected to bring. Instead, Florida residents were left to fend for themselves in the midst of destruction, flooding, power outages and gas shortages.

#TampaFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #NaturalDisasters #Environment #ClimateChange #FEMA #Feature

Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, April 21, a march of approximately 300 people from the Twin Cities metro area marched, blocking traffic for Earth Day.

The Climate Justice Committee (CJC) and Anti-War Committee (AWC) led the march. It drew attendees from the nearby Little Earth indigenous-preference housing complex, the surrounding East Phillips neighborhood, and Camp Nenookaasi, an encampment of the unhoused which has been forced by the city of Minneapolis to move many times.

The crowd took the street, making its first stop directly in front of Smith Foundry. Speakers from the neighborhood highlighted the impact the metal foundry has on the neighborhood, from increased asthma and heart disease rates in children to the putrid smells that emanate from it.

Evan Mulholland of the CJC stated, “It’s not right that the neighbors and workers are unprotected from pollution while the profit flows directly to the owner, Zynik capital in Canada,” highlighting the OSHA violations Smith had recently been fined for. Mulholland reminded everyone that “green capitalism is not going to fix white supremacy.”

The march then headed to the site that Mayor Jacob Frey wants to develop into a new 3rd Precinct building for the Minneapolis Police Department, despite residents strongly opposing a new site without meaningful police reform. The previous site had been burned during the uprising after the murder of George Floyd. Danielle Korby from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice explained the necessity for community control of the police to prevent developments, which would force neighbors in need of community resources to enter a building filled and staffed with the most violent gang in the city.

Stacey Gurian-Sherman, speaking for Minneapolis for a Better Police Contract, pointed out the deep connections between the Israeli Defense Forces and police techniques in the United States, including Cop City and similar militarized training facilities soon to be erected across the country. The crowd marched on, chanting “IDF, KKK, MPD, they’re all the same!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

At every stop, the Mexica Dancers danced and blessed the area, doing medicine work, expressing their desire for real change for our planet and neighbors, and were received by cheers by fellow marchers.

As the march came to an end, anti-war and workers’ right activists pointed out how monopoly capitalism is the driving forces behind climate change, and thus we cannot stop one without stopping the other.

Tracy Molm of the CJC and Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Twin Cities concluded the event with remarks on the negligence of the Democratic and Republican Parties on climate change and Palestine, rousing the crowd with an invitation to march on the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention later this year.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #EarthDay #ClimateChange #CJC #FRSO #DNC2024 #PeoplesStruggles #Housing #AntiWarMovement #International #Palestine

Minneapolis, MN – On January 29, 70 activists, community members and supporters held a rally and healing circle in response to the Minneapolis city council’s recent vote in favor of continuing their legacy of environmental racism in the city of Minneapolis. The East Phillips Neighborhood Institute and the Climate Justice Committee organized the rally.

The city council voted on Thursday, January 26 to demolish a former industrial site, the Roof Depot building, against the demands of the community. The building is currently trapping arsenic below the soil and keeping it out of the lungs of East Phillips, a majority oppressed nationality, working-class neighborhood in Minneapolis. East Phillips is also home to Little Earth, a housing complex with the largest concentration of indigenous people in the city.

Residents have asked the city to provide a remediation plan for the arsenic that would be released by demolition, but the city has yet to formalize any sort of plan to reduce harm in the neighborhood. Worse, the city plans to increase harm with their post-demolition plans, by using the empty lot as a refueling station for all of the city’s diesel trucks. Due to industry and heavy traffic already concentrated in East Phillips, the neighborhood has a shocking 12% asthma rate. Arsenic released into the air and diesel trucks are the last thing this community needs, and folks came out on January 29 to express their responses to the city council’s devastating vote.

The mic was open to anyone in the crowd, and many East Phillips residents shared experiences of having loved ones with respiratory issues due to the pollution of East Phillips. One lifelong resident, an Ojibwe mother, spoke through tears, saying, “I have two children that have disabilities because we live in this neighborhood,” adding, “the doctor said he thought my last was born with that heart disease because of living here.”

While people coming to the mic expressed frustration with the city government, none showed any sign of throwing in the towel and forgetting about the Roof Depot struggle. Community members made it abundantly clear that they will not back down from this fight.

Little Earth resident Nicole Perez, said, “We have a lot of residents that are willing to step up for this. We don’t want this to happen to our community. It scares us very much and we will fight till the end!” Another supporter in the crowd, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, seconded this sentiment, declaring, “If I were back in Pine Ridge they would come from all entities of our land on horseback here, just like they did in Rapid City. And I am going to ask them to come here if we have to because this is affecting our children, our tribe!”

Katherine Gould of the Climate Justice Committee summed up the perspectives of the crowd when she said, “Thursday’s decision brought a lot of clarity, clarity that we are the ones who save us. It’s not city council or regulatory agencies or legal systems sweeping in. It’s not a city that will ignore its own guidelines whenever it becomes inconvenient or expensive or just costs the city profits.”

As the rally concluded, the crowd expressed their unity and unending support in the struggle for clean air in East Phillips as they chanted, “When Minneapolis attacks East Phillips, what do we do? Stand up, fight back! When Minneapolis attacks Little Earth, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

#MinneapolisMN #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #environmentalRacism

Some new measures were begrudgingly adopted, others swiftly shot down, and ultimately many attendees left exhausted and unenthused. For every step forward, there was a step back, as was summed up by chief Mexican climate negotiator Camila Zepeda, who said with quiet resignation, “you take a win when you can.” And it is precisely because of this chronic dysfunction that working-class people can see this conference for the shameless act of political theater that it really is. Conferences like COP27 exist to preserve the capitalist system at all costs, to convince average citizens of something they already know is untrue: that our future is in capable hands.

The “loss and damage” fund

Certain measures adopted this year have been lauded by pro-capitalist media outlets as historic achievements, which in some sense is true. The main “historic” moment was that there has been a first-of-its-kind discussion of the necessity for wealthier nations to contribute aid for poorer nations in building their defenses against the effects of climate change. On its face, this would seem like a major victory for those in the climate movement who have long been insisting that our current laissez-faire free-for-all approach disproportionately hurts underdeveloped nations. However, this apparent victory comes with a staggering amount of fine print.

For one, this measure that was adopted does not actually fund any particular projects for poorer nations, it really only acknowledges the necessity of such a fund. Furthermore, the money for this fund would not actually be paid for by wealthier nations themselves (read: the nations responsible for the overwhelming share of global emissions) but would come from the very global financial institutions that have artificially maintained the underdevelopment of the Third World in the first place. And finally, it is important to make clear what such a fund is not. It is not a fund for reparations to repay for historic climate injustice, and it is not a fund dedicated to eradicating the emissions that are causing climate change, only for damage control as crises intensify.

In fact, the U.S. made it quite clear that this fund is not the same as reparations, which would potentially open the U.S. and others up to international criminal liability, and that this distinction was a main reason they agreed to it in the first place.

U.S. hypocrisy on China

The U.S. delegation, headed by John Kerry, met with Xie Zhenhua and China’s climate officials to discuss the possibility of cooperation on fighting climate change – a discussion that was tabled earlier in the year when Nancy Pelosi inflamed tensions by visiting Taiwan. Little was revealed about the details of their brief talk, but Kerry was quick to use this conference as an opportunity to hypocritically heap undue blame onto China, implying that it is them who are refusing to follow the lead of the West and pull their weight in keeping warming at or below the 1.5°C threshold agreed upon at Paris 2015. This ignores both that the main reason China’s emissions are higher is that Western nations have offshored huge amounts of their production to China, and that China has been behind some of the most genuinely bold emissions mitigation projects in the world, such as the building of vast commuter rail networks across continental Asia, reforestation projects, and others that were highlighted in their recent 20th Party Congress. Meanwhile, the U.S. remains responsible for more than double the energy consumption per person as compared to China.

Corporate greenwashing

A perfect symbol of COP27’s total non-commitment to actually fighting climate change was caught by observers before the conference even began, when it was announced that Coca-Cola was sponsoring the event. Just days before this, the Coca-Cola corporation had been named by the 2022 Break Free From Plastic audit as the single worst plastic polluter on the planet for the fifth year in a row. This act of greenwashing is so naked that it really needs no additional analysis, but as poet and songwriter Gil Scott-Heron put it a half-century ago, “the revolution will not go better with Coke.”

Reject “green” capitalism, build workers’ internationalism

It is long past time for working people of the world to declare outright that those in power – the capitalist class – are fundamentally unfit for the task of averting climate catastrophe. These conferences like COP27 are nothing more than a pageant of controlled opposition, a sophisticated act of class warfare to create the illusion that humanity’s biggest problems will be solved by the good-hearted decisions of capitalist think-tanks and NGOs – no, they will not, and cannot.

For the health and survival of all oppressed peoples of the world, there is no alternative but for the masses to strike at the imperialist system itself, and for the workers of all nations to take their future into their own hands.

Charlie Berg is a member of the Climate Justice Committee MN

#UnitedStates #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #ClimateJusticeCommittee

Milwaukee, WI – On July 16, Northside Rising held a rally seeking divestment from WE Energies (also known as Wisconsin Electric), a waiver of their planned moratorium on energy assistance, and investment in green, net-zero carbon jobs that are not monopolized by the company. Investing more in a climate justice plan, as well as a solution to the depletion of job opportunity for Milwaukee’s Northside, would be a step in the right direction for the city’s Black residents.

The rally began at the Victory Garden Park in the Harambee neighborhood. Speakers included Pastor Jonathan Barken, Supreme Moore Omukunde, Dana Kelly, and George Martin of Milwaukee 350. Pastor Jonathan spoke of the need now, as activists and as organizers in the community, to have a specific agenda. Others spoke of the right to fair housing and the role WE Energies continues to play in denying Black and other people their rights.

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis there are many issues that, while already present before, are being exacerbated because of the material conditions of the pandemic. One of those issues is the high cost of utilities in spite of high unemployment, at levels comparable to those seen during the Great Depression, particularly on Milwaukee’s Northside.

WE Energies has held a monopoly over southeastern Wisconsin utilities for a little over a century now. This has been countered with no oversight or accountability from local or state government. As a result, WE Energies over time has had its way with the people of Milwaukee and the surrounding areas for decades.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the rise in unemployment, it has been hard for workers and unemployed people to make payments on their energy bills. In response to this, Milwaukee’s historically Black Northside has been seeing a surge in applications for energy assistance, so much so that WE Energies made the executive decision to hold a moratorium on energy assistance beginning on July 25.

This is called a ‘shutoff,’ because without energy assistance and the ability to make payments on bills, residents have no choice but to have their utilities shut off. This will leave hundreds if not thousands of poor and working people on the Northside without electricity. The week to come promises temperatures consistently in the upper 80s and lower 90s, meaning people will be left to bake in their home without the ability to use air conditioning or even fans.

In response to this specific issue, Northside Rising was formed by workers with the local non-profit Citizen Action. The WE Energies moratorium on utilities assistance represents an issue of national oppression because it doesn't give Black people access to a basic need. All progressive forces must stand in opposition to WE Energies and their plan to end vital energy assistance programs that will specifically harm Milwaukee’s Black residents on the Northside.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange

Milwaukee, WI – On the morning of September 20, more than 500 people gathered and marched in downtown Milwaukee to defend the planet. The crowd included a wide variety of people from all different backgrounds and of all different ages. The leaders were young, Black, and predominantly women.

After gathering strength at city hall, demonstrators were led on a nearly two mile march by a handful of students from North Division High School. The student activists are part of a group organized in their school called Youth Rising Up. For many of these young adults, it was their first experience protesting anything, and they made the most of the opportunity.

The march was determined and energetic, with all participants demonstrating their resolve to fight against corporations to save the future. Chants of “You can’t drink oil! Keep it in the soil!” and “Climate action now!” rang out as passersby snapped pictures, cheered or honked car hons.

The day of action was called by an organization called Youth Climate Action Team. One of the primary organizers is Ayanna Lee, a senior at Rufus King High School in Milwaukee. She said that politicians have failed to address the needs of people, specifically the oppressed nationality youth.

“Those in power have neglected to acknowledge their privilege on the issue [of climate change]. Marginalized communities – including my own in Milwaukee – have to forgo clean water,” Lee said. “Robin Vos and Scott Fitzgerald simply cannot relate to our struggles, which is why they refuse to recognize the existence of climate change,” referring to Wisconsin’s assembly speaker and the state senate majority leader.

The demonstration concluded with a massive rally at Lake Park near the shores of Lake Michigan. Those gathered were treated to a rousing speech from Lee about the role oppressed nationalities have played in the struggle for climate justice. A speaker who traveled to Milwaukee all the way from Germany shared news of hundreds of similar actions taking place all over his country, demonstrating the global character of the movement.

Representatives of the Coalition to March on the DNC in 2020 actively participated in the march and rally, helping to lead chants and excite the crowd. One of the Coalition’s points of unity is a demand for climate action now. The expectation is that many who attended or supported the climate strike will join the Coalition for its first organizing meeting which is being held at Dontre Hamilton (Red Arrow) Park on October 3 at 5 p.m.

If there’s one lesson to be learned from this action in Milwaukee and the thousands of similar ones all around the world, it’s that young people aren’t going to sit idly by any longer. They’re ready to take the offensive and battle the system at the root of the climate crisis.

#MilwaukeeWI #PeoplesStruggles #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #climateStrike

Hurricane Florence is about to make landfall on the Carolina coast. The storm is a monster, at 500 miles across, with sustained tropical storm winds extending out 200 miles. Florence is forecast to stall offshore near Wilmington, North Carolina early Thursday and roll slowly south before coming on shore Saturday, Sept. 15, near Charleston, South Carolina. Up to 40 inches of rain in a 24-hour period are possible, with flash and river flooding extremely likely. The storm surge at high tide will be of six to thirteen feet.

Hurricanes in a warming climate

A few years back, Senator Jim Inhofe brought a snowball to the Senate floor. As much as the Oklahoma senator wanted it to – the snowball didn’t disprove climate change any more than Florence proves it. Hurricanes in themselves, are not new and no particular weather event can be definitively linked to global climate change and the overall warming of the earth. Scientists are seeing changes in the behavior of individual hurricanes that are linked to climate change. Florence is exhibiting some of those characteristics.

Hurricanes forming as far north as Florence often do not make U.S. landfall, as dominating weather patterns cause them to turn northeast and back into the Atlantic. Record warming of sea water at the poles is linked with an abnormal collapse of the polar vortex, causing that weather pattern to instead steer Florence into the mainland. This same warming at the poles reduces the winds that drive hurricanes forward. Florence will be an enormous rain event, because it is drawing moisture from waters that are three to four degrees warmer than average and because it will move very slowly. These characteristics make it similar to Hurricane Harvey that devastated Houston in 2017.

At this point no one who is serious about science doubts that climate can change is real, and that human activity is driving that change. Specifically, capitalism is a system that is all about the highest rate of profit. Corporations have the lion’s share of the responsibility for the greenhouse gases that are fueling climate and making ‘extreme’ weather events more common place.

Mother Nature hates trailer parks? Not really

Climate change is just one portion of the manmade disaster. Wealth inequality and the poverty imposed by the capitalist class is the most direct and pressing thing turning natural disasters to manmade ones. In storms like Florence, most people die from a lack of electricity and flooding. Poor people die from being without insulin and medications or from running out of oxygen or by being without the transportation to evacuate and nowhere to go during the evacuation. Flash flooding wipes out poorly-fortified housing and those homes don’t get bailed out by federal flood insurance, while the beach homes of the wealthy get bailouts.

Cuba, a country with great expertise in keeping people safe in a hurricane, sends transportation to pick up people and belongings and take them to evacuation sites. Additionally, they send out community work teams to trim branches that might knock out power lines and assist with the board-up of homes.

During Hurricanes Harvey and Rita prisoners were subjected to cruel and unusual conditions, including being trapped in cells flooded with sewage, no climate control, little clean water and food. In South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is setting up a very similar situation, by refusing to evacuate MacDougall prison. MacDougall is in the evacuation zone near Charleston.

Trump says: 3000 deaths an “incredible unsung success”

During a White House briefing on hurricane Florence, Donald Trump touted his administration’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico as “an incredible, unsung success.” The official death toll of Hurricane Maria was formally raised to 2975 people.

Since that is what is termed a ‘success,’ anyone who is not a Hilton Head real estate mogul can expect to see no meaningful assistance beyond a few rolls of paper towels.

#UnitedStates #CapitalismAndEconomy #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #HurricaneFlorence

Minneapolis, MN – Thousands of people joined the People’s Climate Solidarity March, April 29 in downtown Minneapolis. The protest was one of the many taking place across the U.S. to push back against Trump’s anti-environment agenda and to demand government action on climate change.

#MinneapolisMN #Healthcare #Protest #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #ClimateMarch

The same imperialism that has caused so much damage to the Global South today continues expanding and threatening the whole planet. Consequently, the struggle for climate justice has converted into a struggle for the liberation of all workers, peasants, indigenous and ecosystems. The struggle against Empire is a struggle to save life on Earth.

It is necessary that we understand the “Empire” is not just an abstract concept, but exsits as a daily reality impacting everyone. The Empire is the exercise of the military and political power of the United States and its allies in the service of transnational capitalism. Its goal is the imposition of an exploitative, unsustainable and unjust economic system—neoliberalism. There are those who say that the global power of the United States is weak and in decay. In many ways, this is so. However, the size of its military power continues being without equal and compares to all the military might of the other nations of the world combined. The US has more than 1,000 military bases distributed throughtout the world. This capacity for intervention is increased by alliances and security accords with its allies, mercenaries and neocolonial agents, and by a gigantic network of “intelligence” that likewise facilitates its intervention, whether political or military, in whatever part of the world where it believes its interests are compromised or its hegemony challenged. Not all imperialism is US imperialism, but as the dominant power in the world today, it is clearly this Empire that has put the entire Earth at risk.

Marc Plattner is a Vice President of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an organization that, despite its name, exists to manipulate electoral processes of other sovereign countries. He writes that, “Liberal democracy clearly favors those economic accords that foment globalization....The international order that sustains globalization is based on the predominance of the American military.” The international “order” of this degenerated military-neoliberal vision represents the imposition of international inequality. According to statistics cited by the humanitarian organization Oxfam, there are currently 80 persons whose personal possessions are more than the poorest half of the global population. They speculate that by 2016, one percent of the global population will have more economic riches than the rest of the 99%.

If one doubts the nefarious impact that the Empire causes to the planet, a few more statistics will illustrate the situation simply and clearly. Only five companies are responsible for 12.5% of the greenhouse gasses that are emitted into the atmosphere: Chevron-Texaco, Exxon-Mobil, British Petroleum, Shell Oil and Conoco-Phillips. Their protector, the US armed forces is in turn the single governmental or corporate institution that consumes more petroleum products and emits more greenhouse gasses than any other in the world. Nevertheless, the US demands that the climate impact caused by the US military will not be brought up in any of the climate negotiations—and the UN accepts this. With respect to the health of the planet, since 1970, worldwide biodiversity has reduced by 30%, with a rate of 60% in tropical zones. We are in the midst of a great extinction event so much so that our own human lives are in the balance. For these reasons, today more than ever we require a united global movement for climate justice that is very clear in its objectives and intentions.

It is equally necessary that we recognize the many popular movements already existing that have effectively challenged the oppressor and opened up paths toward a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. We especially refer to the diverse struggles of indigenous, African heritage and rural peoples, and of workers. We express solidarity with island nations whose very existences are threatened by the rising sea level. We declare our support for communities in Tuvalu, Kiribati, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines who are seeking to hold fossil fuel companies legally responsible for the devastating impacts they are experiencing due to global warming. And we look to the Americas (or better, Abya Yala, a non-colonial name) where we are able to name hundreds of movements in resistance, from the Idle No More movement in North America to the Zapatistas in Mexico, to the peasant resistance in Peru against mining mega-projects like the Tía María in Arequipa and the Conga in Cajamarca, or the peasant movement in the Aguan Valley in Honduras where they struggle for agrarian reform and to reject transgenic crops. There is the popular movement in Colombia with its eagerness to defend its territories against transtionals and governments that only want to assist this foreign pillage. There are the people of Puerto Rico who struggle against colonization and an occupying military that has left the island of Vieques poisoned from years of US Navy weapons testing. Matching the long list of our peoples in resistance are the brutal and oppressive aggressions at the hands of the Empire and its neocolonial puppets against them. Assassinations, tortures and forced displacement have been the high price that these defenders of their people and Mother Earth have had to pay.

It is when we look at Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua and all the participatory democracies of the world, that we are able to see social, political and economic force with the necessary power to stop and reverse the advances of the Empire and to reclaim resources and communities in the name of the people and the planet. Even these governments are not perfect and commit their own mistakes. But, day by day, this concentration of popular power, united and allied in international solidarity associations, has developed the capacity to effectively challenge the Empire. If we want to change the system and not the climate, it is absolutely necessary that we recognize the value of their examples and that we act in solidarity with them against the interference of the United States and its allies.

In order to confront climate change, we demand:

• Enforceable international agreements, with a goal of zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, that do not unduly penalize “developing” nations but put primary responsibility on “developed” nations;
• Reparations by the “developed” countries to the countries “in the process of development” for the cataclysmic impact caused by the plunder of their natural resources and peoples;
• The rejection of REDD (the UN Program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and whatever capitalist schemes that serve to consolidate inequality among nations;
• An end to all exceptions in climate negotiations regarding the environmental impact of the US military;
• The closure, dismantlement and environmental clean-up of all foreign US military bases;
• Respect for the national sovereignty and the rejection of interference in the internal and electoral matters of other countries on the part of the United States, its allies and the “private” entities funded by them (interferences which undermine the adoption of environmental protection laws);
• The rejection and repeal of Free Trade Agreements that remove whatever obstacle might be raised against unsustainable development and the transnational sacking of natural resources;
• Recognition of the existence of environmental as well as political and economic refugees as a result of the bad policies of imperialist neoliberalism. (Nations that have benefitted not only from the exploitation and destruction of lands, but from the exploitation of laborers among these refugees,must assume moral and economic responsibility for the damage suffered by these populations).

We find ourselves in a revolutionary epic that has seen the surge of social movements and the election of socialist and/or popular governments as a response to the pressures from below and from the left. This Revolutionary epoch and the actors who comprise it see climate injustice as the major crisis of our times. From the deforestation and monoculture in Africa and India, to the extractivism in the Americas and beyond, we demand more than the empty resolutions that have until now been the legacy of the climate summits of the United Nations COP (Conference of the Parties) process and that do nothing significant or adequate to reverse already existing harmful policies. We make a call to the international movement, that it be focused on the rights, virtues and dignity of the South within its historic context on which the destiny of all the rest of the peoples of the world depends.

Endorsers:

• Fensuagro, National Unified Federation of Agricultural Workers Unions (Colombia)
• MAS, Movimiento de Afirmación Social – Movement for Social Affirmation (Perú)
• Argentine Leauge for the Rights of Man – Liga Agrentina por los Derechos del Hombre
• Comite Ambientalista Pachamama – Pachamama Ecological Committee (Venezuela)
• Juventud Comunista de México – Communist Youth of Mexico
• Echoes of Silence (Nicaragua)
• Komite Internazionalistak – Internationalist Committee (Euskal Herria/Basque Country)
• Fundación Mundubat – World Foundation (Euskal Herria/Basque Country and Spain)
• Alliance for Global Justice (US)
• Juventud Comunista del Perú – Patria Roja – Communist Youth of Peru – Patria Roja (Perú)
• Marcha Patriótica – Patriotic March (Colombia)
• Lazos de Dignidad – Links of Dignity (Colombia)
• Colectivo MAIZAL / Frente Nacional Ecosocialista por la Vida, Caracas(Venezuela)
• Movimiento 27 de Octubre – October 27th Movement (Venezuela)
• Casa Baltimore/Limay (Nicaragua and US)
• Askapena – Liberation (Euskal Herria/Basque Country)
• Poor Peoples Economic and Human Rights Campaign (US)
• Fundación Venancio Cálido – Venancio Cálido Foundation (Venezuela)
• Agencia Estudiantil de Prensa – Student Press Agency (Colombia)
• Centro de Excursionismo y Ecología de la Universidad de Carabobo (CEEUC) – Center for Hiking and Ecology at the University of Carabobo, Valencia (Venezuela)
• El Tribunal Popular contra las Transnacionales en la Guajira – Guajira Popular Tribunal against the Transnationals (Colombia)
• Nicaragua Network (US)
• Fundación de Investigación y Desarrollo Ecológico Integral (FIDEI), Maracay– Foundation for Investigation and Integral Ecological Development, Maracay (Venezuela)
• La Guajira Resiste – Guajira Resists (Colombia)
• KUYAIMÁ Hiking Center, Maracay – Centro excursionista KUYAIMÁ. Maracay (Venezuela)
• Aragua Carabobo Regional Ecological Front – Frente Ecológico Regional Aragua Carabobo (FERAC). Aragua y Carabobo. (Venezuela)
• US Peace Council
• ANSWER Coalition (US)
• UNAC, United National Anti-war Committee (US)
• International Action Center (US)
• Workers World Party (US)
• Freedom Road Socialist Organization (US)
• Nicaraguan Cultural Alliance (US)
• Party for Socialism and Liberation (US)
• Coalición de Derechos Humanos – Human Rights Coalition (US)
• May 1st Coalition for Worker and Immigrant Rights (US)
• Comité de Solidaridad con Cuba y Venezuela – The Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee (US)

#UnitedStates #PeoplesStruggles #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange

Miami, FL – Miami joined people around the world on Sept. 21 in the Peoples Climate March, demanding action from a UN special summit on climate change. The largest march was held in New York City, where the summit will take place on Sept. 23. In countries across the globe, hundreds of thousands of people joined together to demand action, not just words from politicians.

The Miami march, nearly 200 strong, started in downtown. It ended at the Intracoastal Waterway as a powerful visual reminder of sea level rise that could put Miami underwater. Along the way, the marchers chanted slogans, “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Keystone pipeline’s got to go!” and “We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!” The group stuck around for almost an hour after the march ended as speakers discussed different aspects of the climate movement, such as how it affects workers, ecosystem rehabilitation and the U.S. military’s wars for oil.

Lorenzo Canizares, a long time labor activist, said it is important to workers because “one of the things that we are concerned about is the ability to have good jobs that are able to sustain a family and that make a worthwhile living and so we believe that our participation on this issue is of utmost importance.”

In Miami, communities are vulnerable to climate change. Already, Miami Beach is experiencing regular flooding brought on by a rise in sea levels. By the end of this century, there may be a rise in levels from six to ten feet. Most of the land in Miami is less than ten feet above sea level.

The climate movement has been disappointed over and over again by the U.S.’s refusal to commit to a meaningful reduction in its carbon output. The U.S. failed to agree to the Kyoto protocol to reduce carbon and current legislation aimed at reducing carbon only aims for 7% below 1990, not enough to bring the amount below 350 parts per million, which is what climate scientists say is a safe level. The irony is that while the U.S. refused to take action, the nations most likely to be affected are the ones who produce the least pollution.

The Peoples Climate march is refreshing for the environmental movement. Florida Atlantic University student Gonzalo Vizcardo pointed out, “This march and the one in New York has succeeded in the sense that compared to past years, the breadth and depth of organizations present has been a lot more representative of social justice movements generally.”

#MiamiFL #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #PeoplesClimateMarch

Washington, DC – According to protest organizers, more than 50,000 people joined the massive “Forward on Climate” rally here Feb. 17. Organized by 350.org, the Sierra Club, Hip Hop Caucus and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the rally was the largest protest in U.S. history addressing the issue of climate change. Many participants were students.

“For 25 years our government has basically ignored the climate crisis: now people in large numbers are finally demanding they get to work. We shouldn't have to be here – science should have decided our course long ago. But it takes a movement to stand up to all that money,” said 350.org founder Bill McKibben.

Protesters demanded President Obama reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. This pipeline has been the target of a growing movement of environmental justice activists, indigenous peoples, and other progressives. It is within President Obama’s power to stop the project.

“The Yinka Dene Alliance of British Columbia is seeing the harm from climate change to our peoples and our waters,” said Chief Jacqueline Thomas, immediate past Chief of the Saik’uz First Nation in British Columbia and co-founder Yinka Dene Alliance (People of the Earth). “We see the threat of taking tar sands out of the Earth and bringing it through our territories and over our rivers. The harm being done to people in the tar sands region can no longer be Canada’s dirty secret. We don’t have the billions of dollars that industry has. But we do have our faith that people will do the right thing to protect Mother Earth. The Forward on Climate Rally shows that we are not alone in the fight to stop tar sands expansion and tackle climate change.”

Protesters also demanded that the Obama administration take action to cut carbon emissions from power plants.

#WashingtonDC #EnvironmentalJustice #TarSandsKeystoneXLPipeline #ClimateChange #350org #ForwardOnClimate