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Category: climate crisis

  • ‘This is murder!’: Industrially poisoned South Baltimore residents march on state capitol, demand help from Gov. Moore

    On Dec. 7, working-class residents of Curtis Bay and other South Baltimore neighborhoods marched through the streets of Annapolis and delivered a giant stocking full of coal to the Governor’s mansion. They are demanding Gov. Wes Moore intervene in a generations-long struggle to stop rail giant CSX transportation from polluting their bodies, homes, and communities with toxic coal dust.

    CSX is not the only polluter in South Baltimore: industrial areas near Curtis Bay house oil tanks, a wastewater treatment plant, chemical plants, landfills, the country’s largest medical waste incinerator, and more. But a recent air quality study confirmed what residents have been complaining about for generations: Coal dust from the CSX Transportation coal export terminal is present all over Curtis Bay. CSX has denied culpability and called the study “materially flawed.” Residents say they’re fed up with the company refusing to take responsibility for the coal dust, and with the city government for ignoring their cries for help for years. So they are demanding that Gov. Moore and the Maryland Department of the Environment deny CSX’s operational permit for the coal terminal, a permit that the MDE has been reviewing for renewal.

    Studio Production: Maximillian Alvarez, Norma Martinez
    Post-Production: Kate Lindsay, David Hebden

    Transcript

    Annapolis March: “What do we want? Deny the permit!  When do we want it? Now! And if we don’t get it? Shut it down! If we don’t get it?  Shut it down! If we don’t get it… Shut it down…”

    Maximillian Alvarez: Working-class residents of Curtis Bay and other South Baltimore neighborhoods marched through the streets of Annapolis in early December, and delivered a giant stocking full of coal to the Governor’s mansion. They are demanding Governor Wes Moore intervene in a generations-long struggle to stop rail giant CSX transportation from polluting their bodies, homes, and communities with toxic coal dust.

    Nicole Fabricant: Governor Moore will not come to see the tragedy of Curtis Bay, so we have brought the community to Governor Moore.

    David Jones: It’s a little different here in Annapolis. I can actually take a deep breath and don’t feel like I’m gonna throw up or choke. So that’s a good thing. So if you could please make the air like it is here in Annapolis in my community, or even a little bit better, I think myself and others would really appreciate that.

    Phil Ateto: Governor Moore is treating Curtis Bay like a sacrifice zone, which is the opposite of his campaign slogan and pledge to ‘leave no one behind.’ Governor Moore, you are leaving Curtis Bay behind… Governor Moore, meet with the Curtis Bay community, reject the coal pier permit, and keep your commitment to communities across Maryland. 

    Maximillian Alvarez: CSX is not the only polluter in South Baltimore, but it runs uncovered coal trains through the same places people live in, and it operates a massive coal terminal in their backyard. Between the Curtis Bay Coal Pier and the CONSOL Energy Baltimore Marine terminal, served by both CSX and Norfolk Southern railroad, the Port of Baltimore is the second largest coal export port in the United States. Dozens of South Baltimore residents, community association members, and allies from climate justice movements across Maryland brought a message to Governor Moore from their communities: deny CSX’s operational permit for the coal terminal, a permit that the Maryland Department of the Environment has been reviewing for renewal.

    Shashawnda Campbell: You wouldn’t dream that you’d have to come somewhere to say, ‘Please stop poisoning me,’ right?… And it’s even worse that the community that’s been dealing with this burden for decades, decades upon decades—spills, leaks, explosions—time after time after time have to also be the ones to come here to say, ‘We need help.’

    Dave Jones: So this will never come out of my lungs, ever. This is probably what’s gonna cause my death. I’ve never been in a coal mine in my life, and I guarantee you when they cut me open, I’ll look like the coal miner that’s been there his whole life.

    Shashawnda Campbell: When we think about when somebody [is] doing something violent—we see it and we’re like, ‘We gotta stop that!.’ This IS violence. This is violence against our community.

    Dave Jones: This is murder. This is murder on a grand scale. The amount of cancer rates in my community are disgusting! And I, for one, am done. So I am pleading to our governor to please do something about this, sir. Please do your job!

    Maximillian Alvarez: A recent air quality study confirmed what residents have been complaining about for generations: coal dust from the CSX transportation coal export terminal is present all over Curtis Bay. Coal dust contains heavy metals that can be lethal, including selenium, chromium, arsenic, mercury, and lead. 

    Matthew Aubourg: We’re finding science that is supporting what community and what residents have been saying for decades… We shouldn’t need to be bringing this evidence to the table in the first place. What residents are experiencing, what people are seeing every day—that should be enough to make the change that’s needed in the community.

    Maximillian Alvarez: The year-long study was released by the Community of Curtis Bay Association, South Baltimore Community Land Trust, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and the Maryland Department of the Environment. Yet CSX still claims the study was flawed and denies the results, and CSX also says it is abiding by existing regulations and meeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Residents say CSX is full of it, that the study is not flawed, and that their bodies bear the proof of the deadly pollution the company denies. 

    Shashawnda Campbell: We are here fighting for the community, to say, ‘It’s not OK to have this coal terminal right next to communities and not doing anything to stop it.’ And so we need Governor Moore to come out and actually stand with the people and hold this facility accountable for the harms that it has caused.

    Maximillian Alvarez: CSX reported over $14 billion in total revenue last year, and a net profit of ​​$3.72 billion.

    Dave Jones: I don’t understand how you can justify profits over someone dying 20 years earlier than they’re expected to be, or getting cancer and having a horrible rest of their existence for the time they have left…

    The first thing you can do is declare a state of emergency for environmental injustice, and then we can go from there. What that looks like down the road, I don’t know. But I know the only way that we’re really gonna change this is if … we don’t get rid of these industries, is to change the status quo of what they get fined for being bad actors.

    Shashawnda Campbell: So we are calling for our governor—our governor [who] says so much about reducing greenhouse gasses and this and that—to actually stand on your words and do it. And you can do it single handedly by holding this coal terminal accountable by denying their permit so that coal terminal is not functional.

    Maximillian Alvarez: At a community meeting in November, in which Maryland Department of the Environment officials and a CSX representative were present, residents of Curtis Bay and other South Baltimore neighborhoods like Cherry Hill, Westport, Mt. Winans, Lakeland, and Brooklyn, shared fiery testimonies. They unanimously expressed anger and frustration towards CSX, and many urged the MDE to reject the operating permit for the CSX Transportation Coal Export Terminal. The agency says it’s amending the existing permit to impose stricter requirements on the railroad giant’s operations, and that it can enforce these restrictions with fines and even litigation, but does not have the authority to shut down CSX’s operations.

    Halyna Mudryj: I invite the people who work for CSX, those in charge: Please, come and live in our community.

    Jeffrey Barnes: MDE is ignoring us, and you, for years. There’s no question that the coal dust is poisoning our communities, causing cancers. That’s not a question. And yet we come here every year, and what do we say? ‘Please, you’ve got to stop this poisoning of our community.’ This is something that the state should do.

    Melanie Thomas: This is not just a Curtis Bay issue. Every community where that coal train passes through, you are being impacted too. Do y’all hear me? Every community that a train passes through carrying coal, you are being impacted too. Because it’s not just an isolated incident or an isolated area that we are talking about. We are talking about lives, we are talking about communities, miles and miles of people—people living and breathing like you and I—that are being affected each and every day by these fine particulate matters, these particles that we are breathing in day after day.

    Maximillian Alvarez: Standing here in Curtis Bay, South Baltimore, where a seemingly endless CSX locomotive is slowly pulling car after car after car of uncovered coal containers.

    Angie Shaneyfelt: So that’s the coal pile that we’ve been fighting for years and years and years. And literally right here, this white siding, is my house—about a football field, football field and a half, away from my house.

    Maximillian Alvarez: Angie Shaneyfelt lives just up the street from the CSX coal terminal. She and her family have been dealing with the realities of living in a “sacrifice zone” for years, like not opening their windows for the past 16 years, but it was after an explosion at the coal pier in December of 2021 that she got actively involved in the fight to hold CSX accountable for its toxic pollution. Again, CSX is not the only polluter in South Baltimore: Industrial areas near Curtis Bay house oil tanks, a wastewater treatment plant, chemical plants, landfills, the country’s largest medical waste incinerator, and more. But Angie says that everyone knows what the constant black dust in the community is, the harms it causes, and where it’s coming from. 

    Angie Shaneyfelt: So this is my windowsill, covered porch, totally black fingers now. Undisturbed. And it’s even up, it’s all the way up in here.” [shows finger and looks at the camera] … And this is 16 years now, since 2009, that we have not opened our windows fully to breathe fresh air, because the fresh air is not fresh. It’s coal dust, dirty.

    We are here in Curtis Bay community—a community of people, different kinds of people, all different walks of life. Most of the people around are renters. And we’re not that far away from the coal pile right there. I’ve lived here 16 years. And we don’t… everybody’s in, inside. Even on a nice day—inside. Because we don’t like this dust and breathing it in. Nobody should be breathing in this dust.

    Right here, right next to the coal, like less than 1,000 feet away is where the community starts. When we had the explosion, people’s windows were shattered out of their house, out of the frames. So crazy. And [we’ve] not gotten anything, really, since then. The only thing we get is doubt: ‘No, it’s not dust, it’s not coal dust, it’s something else.’ But we know what it is. Generations have fought this, and we’re gonna keep fighting it.

    Maximillian Alvarez: For The Real News Network, this is Maximillian Alvarez reporting from South Baltimore.

    This post was originally published on The Real News Network.

  • COP29 Contradiction And The Climate

    Climate activists are considering throwing in the COP towel after negotiations led to a poor budget deal, with activists walking away with only $300 billion of their $1 trillion goal after this year’s dubbed ‘finance’ COP.

    The 29th annual Conference Of Parties, or COP29 was created to facilitate international cooperation over ways to keep the global average temperature rise close to 1.5 degrees C. However, climate activists are now arguing that the process is instead a way for fossil fuel industries to protect their interests.

    While at COP, climate activist and five time COP attendee Xiye Bastida explained, “It’s no mistake that the last three COPs have been in oil [rich] countries.”

    The post COP29 Contradiction And The Climate appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Congress Averts Government Shutdown After Trump and Musk’s Effort to Sink Deal

    The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill 366-34 on Friday night to continuing funding the government, averting the shutdown that loomed after Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump sank a bipartisan spending agreement earlier in the week. The Senate then approved the continuing resolution 85-11 early Saturday, which will keep the government funded at current levels through March 14.

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Major Win For Youth Climate Activists In Montana Supreme Court

    The Montana Supreme Court upheld a landmark victory on Wednesday, affirming a lower court’s decision that the energy policies of the state violated youth activists’ constitutional rights to a clean environment.

    The ruling in Held v. Montana last August invalidated a law stopping regulators from taking into consideration the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions when issuing permits for new fossil fuel projects, reported The Guardian.

    The six-to-one decision was the first state supreme court decision of its kind in the United States.

    The post Major Win For Youth Climate Activists In Montana Supreme Court appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Appalachian Communities Are Ready to Resist Trump’s Environmental Racism

    The 2024 elections left the country in emotional turmoil, with deep uncertainty about the future — particularly regarding environmental justice. As Appalachian women and environmental leaders, we understand the weight of this moment, but maintain a steadfast belief in our communities’ resilience and the transformative power of collective action to drive change. This moment of fear and anxiety…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • The UK’s most ethical university has been revealed – and guess what? It’s NOT a Russell Group one.

    The result are in: the University of Bedfordshire tops the rankings of 149 UK universities by sustainability and ethical criteria – meaning if you’re looking for somewhere for higher education that actually cares, then it could be the place for you. 

    The University League – who’s the most ethical?

    The 2024/25 People & Planet University League ranks 149 UK universities against 14 criteria linked to climate and social justice. Universities receive award classes that follow the typical grading system in UK higher education, from 1st, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd and Fail.

    Post-1992 universities, given university status after the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act, continue to lead the way in sustainability in higher education with seven in the top 10 places. These institutions have often been early adopters of actions like ending recruitment links with fossil fuel companies and divesting from the border industry.

    Small and specialist universities have also proven that sustainability can be fostered at all institutions, with The Royal College of Art rising from a 3rd to a 2:1 after making a commitment to end all recruitment links and investments in the fossil fuel industry. Similarly, Arts University Bournemouth has finished with a first for the first time.

    The University of Bedfordshire has come out as the overall winner, following consistently high performance that has seen them finish in the top three for the last three years. The university has taken bold steps to divest endowment funds from the fossil fuel industry and to end recruitment pipelines with oil, gas and mining companies. They also scored highly for their energy sources and carbon reduction after investing in renewable energy generated on campus over the last 10 years.

    Russell Group: failing

    Just four Russell Group universities scored a 1st class award this year, down from six the previous year. The University of Oxford has slipped 27 places and keeps a 2:1, while the University of Cambridge has dropped 38 places to a third.

    Welsh institutions have taken a bold stand against the fossil fuel industry, with all eight universities there now committed to divested their endowments funds from that sector, and three have also ended recruitment links with companies involved in the oil, gas and mining industries.

    This has translated into a strong performance in the ranking with four of them scoring firsts, and the other four scoring 2:1s. For example, Aberystwyth has leaped 88 places from a 3rd to a 2:1, following its recent commitment to end recruitment ties with the fossil fuel, mining, and tobacco industries, which it adds to its commitment to divest from fossil fuels.

    As the vast majority of the university sector has now committed to divesting from fossil fuel companies, 10 universities have also decided to end their links via recruitment to environmentally destructive industries, up 30% since last year.

    In a bold step to delegitimise the border industry, six universities have also divested from companies that engage in the detention, deportation, use of force and surveillance of migrants.

    The winners, the University of Bedfordshire, and third placed University of West London have both invested in retrofitting and decarbonising their campuses recently, which have translated into high scores for carbon reduction and energy sources.

    For the first time this year, universities have been assessed on whether they have a fully plant-based or vegetarian outlet on campus, and it was found just 15% of institutions do.

    As universities seek to address their indirect emissions such as flying, it was also found that just 13% of universities have a plan to reduce aviation that prohibits mainland UK flights.

    Just 49% of universities are Living Wage Accredited, and 52% of universities have more than a quarter of their academic staff on fixed-term contracts, showing the extent of low-pay and precarity in the sector.

    Still far more to do to be an ethical university

    Laura Clayson, Campaigns Manager Climate Justice:

    Only 55% of UK universities have exclusions for fossil fuel extractor companies in their ethical investment policies, despite 78% having made public commitments to go Fossil Free. For over a decade students and staff have campaigned relentlessly to secure Fossil Free as an act of solidarity with the frontline and Indigenous communities resisting the impacts of fossil fuel operations and the climate crisis. We look forward to the sector aligning their policies with their proclamations in recognition of these demands for justice.

    Josie Mizen, Co-Director Climate Justice:

    As the climate crisis escalates, more and more universities are realising that climate justice can only be achieved by cutting ties with the fossil fuel industry. We’re delighted to see universities who’ve taken this vital step leading the way in this year’s University League.  There’s still much more work to do: we need more universities to commit to ending their relationships with oil, gas, and mining companies – but with a growing student movement standing up against these corporations infiltrating their campuses, we know it can be done.

    Andre Dallas, Co-Director Migrant Justice:

    Over the past year particularly, students across the UK have been unequivocal in their stance that they won’t allow their universities to continue to invest in blatant injustices like the hostile environment and climate collapse. Institutions like the University of South Wales are leading the way by showing that there is still a place for prioritising people and planet over profit – we look forward to the rest of the sector catching up before it’s too late.

    Jack Ruane, University League Manager:

    88% of students think their place of study should actively incorporate and promote sustainable development, so universities need to meet this demand if they want to attract this generation of young people. In this way, investments in sustainability are crucial for the long-term health of universities.

    Featured image supplied

    By The Canary

  • New Congressional Reports Show How Dire the Climate Insurance Crisis Really Is

    Five hurricanes made landfall in the United States this year, causing half a trillion dollars in damages. Flooding devastated mountain towns along the East Coast. Scores of wildfires burned almost 8 million acres nationwide. As such events grow more common, and more devastating, homeowners are seeing their insurance premiums spike — or insurers ditch them all together.

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Montana Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Youth in Historic Climate Case

    On Wednesday, the Montana State Supreme Court ruled to keep intact a lower court’s decision from last year, which found that a law banning state lawmakers from considering greenhouse gas emissions when permitting fossil fuel projects was unconstitutional. The lower court ruling was made in late 2023, after 16 young petitioners sued the state on the grounds that a state law allowing such…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Biden Admin Confirms Risks of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports But Won’t Block Them

    Approving more liquefied natural gas exports would raise domestic energy prices, increase the pollution burden placed on local communities, and exacerbate the climate crisis, the Biden administration concluded in a long-awaited report released Tuesday. However, the Department of Energy (DOE) stopped short of denying any pending or future approvals, passing the buck to the administration of…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • ICJ Set to Decide Whether Fueling Climate Change Violates International Law

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has just completed hearings on the climate crisis in a case that could have critical consequences for the survival of future generations. From December 2-13, more than 100 states and organizations argued before the ICJ in landmark litigation that began five years ago when Pacific Islander law students initiated a grassroots movement that persuaded the UN…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • ‘The people will save the people’: Rage and solidarity in the wake of Spain’s floods

    On October 29, the Spanish town of Paiporta, Valencia, was swept by more rain in four hours than it had received in the past three years. The resulting torrent gutted the entire community, killing over 200 residents. While Valencians have banded together to survive and rebuild, their solidarity of necessity is accompanied by a simmering fury at the government’s failures. The Real News reports from Valencia, Spain.

    Producers: Belal Awad, Leo Erhardt
    Videography: Mario Capetillo Torres
    Video Editor: Leo Erhardt

    Transcript

    David – Paiporta resident: 

    When the water rose all the way up there, that’s when the cell phone warnings came through. By then, my dog had already drowned here on the ground floor, that’s when the alarms went off, the warnings started coming in: “Peep peep! Watch out, the ravines are overflowing.” What happened here is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable. 

    Narrator: 

    On October 29th, 2024, the small Spanish town of Paiporta became a flashpoint in an unprecedented natural disaster. A rare weather event caused by the meeting of warm and cold fronts unleashed huge amounts of rainfall on the Spanish region of Valencia. More rain in 4 hours than the previous 3 years combined. The storm – referred to by the abbreviation DANA – claimed the lives of 220 people, with tens of people still missing. Today, the town’s residents are angry, they accuse the regional and central government of a slow and negligent response. But where the authorities have failed, volunteers have stepped in. 

    Goyo – Volunteer: 

    Well, it looks like some heads might roll. Watching the news, you get the impression they didn’t issue a very effective warning for people to take the necessary precautions, knowing that such a massive flood was on its way. 

    But groups like ours are really essential because, right now, we don’t see any military presence distributing food. It’s only the volunteer organizations and NGOs providing support to those in need. 

    Volunteer: 

    – Would you like some slices of melon? 

    – Yeah, we’ve got a Tupperware. 

    – Of course. 

    David – Paiporta resident: 

    They left us abandoned for the first 24 hours. We were alone for the first 48 hours. We were entering supermarkets, grabbing food trying to survive as if there were no government. It wasn’t until the third or fourth day that we finally started seeing some presence from the army and others. We felt completely alone and forsaken. In a country where we pay taxes, this should not be happening. And then, just last night, they pulled six more bodies out from under the mud along the tracks. Does it make sense that after ten days, they still haven’t sent enough personnel to find all the missing, or at least most of them? It’s unacceptable, completely unacceptable.

    Paiporta resident: 

    But as I’m saying, this could happen to any Spaniard. The flood has impacted Valencia. But all of Spain, our leaders have abandoned us. Tomorrow, this could happen somewhere else in Spain. We’ll help, but bear in mind, our leaders won’t. What do we even need those leaders for? I don’t want them; I’ll govern myself, damn it. 

    Narrator: 

    It was here in Paiporta, that the King and Queen of Spain, the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the regional leader of Valencia, Carlos Mazon came to visit after DANA. And it was here where they were all greeted with mud and dirt thrown at them by angry locals. Whilst the King and Queen stayed to talk to locals, Prime Minister Sanchez and regional head Mazon, both made a hasty retreat. 

    David – Paiporta resident: 

    It’s a huge outrage, and the anger running through the town is impressive. There are a lot of inconsistencies; the numbers they’re giving about the missing don’t add up. They’re still finding people. There are garages they haven’t even been able to check because the walls have collapsed. So they can’t tell the truth. Three homeless people who lived there are nowhere to be found. They’re not listed as missing. In Picaña, there were three or four homeless people in a park who are also unaccounted for. They could write this off as other causes of death. We’re furious, indignant, and feeling a deep-seated rage that’s indescribable. 

    Chantings: 

    Where’s your mud? Where’s your mud? 

    Murderers! Murderers! Murderers! 

    You’re defending a murderer! 

    Narrator: 

    Over 130,000 protesters took to the streets to not only demand the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazón, but to demand answers. Answers to questions like, why did Valencian residents only receive warning text messages 14 hours after the regional government had received a series of red weather alerts? For many the text messages came all too late. 

    Chantings: 

    Resign! Resign! 

    Where were you when you were needed? Where? You’re all dogs! You, you, and you are worthless! 

    Protester:

    Mazón was completely absent. Here, the people are saving the people. That’s what’s happening here today in the Town Hall square, in this November 9 protest, demanding Mazón’s resignation. 

    Protester: 

    We’ve had to coordinate ourselves. We’re doing everything by ourselves. And now they try to paint us as heroes, we don’t have to take care of this, they have to take care of everything. And next week, now that the people are more or less safe, what has to happen is that instead of asking for forgiveness, they resign! Out of pure shame of what they’ve done. 

    Paul – Valencia resident: 

    My view is that the management by the Valencian government bordered on criminal negligence, by not warning people, downplaying the tragedy beforehand, and trying to hide their incompetence. The Spanish central government, too, treats us like a colony, more worried about getting the AVE train to Valencia and making sure tourists can still come to the beach. And companies prioritize their interests over the safety of their workers, both on the day of the disaster and in the days afterward. 

    Lucia – Valencia resident: 

    I believe it’s our duty as citizens to present our complaints against the entire political mismanagement of this DANA, which led to the loss of countless lives that could have been saved. And the chaos that followed the DANA has been even worse than the DANA itself. 

    Chantings: 

    Long live Valencia! 

    Volunteer: 

    Sandwiches! Go forward if you want one. 

    I’m making it with whatever little we have so they can enjoy a little taste of home. We need all of this to go into storage. 

    Carlota – Volunteer: 

    We’re all in this together. Nobody is anyone’s enemy. It would be easy for us to have a little disagreement and say you’re on one side, and I’m on the other. But right now, we all need to be together and find a solution. I have my opinions, but I’ll keep them to myself because, right now, the priority is for us all to be here, helping however we can with the resources we have. 

    Maria del Pilar – Volunteer & victim: 

    I’m personally very grateful to the youth, to the people of Valencia who came to the towns to help us, to help us clear everything out and clean our homes. I’m so grateful that, if I could, I’d thank every one of these people personally.

    Jesus – Paiporta resident: 

    So many different people have come here — people from all over, from outside, from Valencia. Even people from abroad. It’s been remarkable. We can be proud of everyone who’s come to lend a hand. The people will save the people.

    This post was originally published on The Real News Network.

  • Climate Change Trial At The Hague

    The stakes are extremely high as the impact of fossil fuels on climate change goes to The Hague for hearings December 2-13, 2024 to determine whether nations are obligated to phase out fossil fuels. Will the esteemed court issue an opinion that truly impacts climate change? Antarctica is experiencing a frightening collapse that has polar scientists fearful and speaking out like never before. A link to an interview with James Woodford, a New Scientists’ reporter, who attended a recent emergency session with 450 polar scientists is found at the end of this article. Woodford: “Nobody could have foreseen Antarctic sea ice dropping off a cliff in the way that it has.”

    The post Climate Change Trial At The Hague appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Campaigners call out Norway’s complicity in Israel’s genocide. Yes, you read that right.

    On Thursday 12 December, campaigners from Fossil Free London staged a demonstration outside the Norwegian embassy in Belgravia, condemning Norway and its government’s role in developing the controversial Rosebank oil field, which will see millions flow towards Israeli fuel giant, Delek Group, blacklisted by the UN for human rights violations. It’s all tied to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and its apartheid and human rights abuses across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

    Norway: complicit in Israel’s genocide

    The demonstrators waved placards with slogans such as “Norway! Stand with Palestine for human rights and our climate” and “Shame on Norway, listen to the UN”. They chanted “Stop Rosebank, Free Palestine” as embassy workers entered the building:

    Equinor, majority owned by the Norwegian Government, and Ithaca Energy share ownership of the controversial Rosebank oil field, which will see £250 million flow towards Ithaca’s controlling shareholder – Delek Group. The Israeli fuel giant operates in illegal settlements and provides fuel to the IDF:

    Norway

    The demonstration coincides with Greenpeace Norway filing a complaint against Equinor for failure to conduct due diligence over its links to Ithaca and Delek under the 2022 Transparency Act.

    Equinor’s and Ithaca’s plan to develop Rosebank, contradicts warnings from climate scientists, the International Energy Agency, the IPCC and the UN that expansion of fossil fuel production is incompatible with a safe climate.

    Joanna Warrington, campaigner with Fossil Free London, said:

    Today, we gather outside the Norwegian embassy to shine a light on a toxic alliance driving both human rights abuses and climate devastation.

    The Norwegian government, through Equinor, is pushing forward with the Rosebank oil field even though it will generate profit to fund the oppression and occupation of Palestinian people, who are already suffering at the hands of a brutal genocide.

    Norway must choose people over profit, justice over violence, and stop Rosebank.

    Featured image and additional images via Fossil Free London

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Thanks to Keir Starmer, the Just Stop Oil ‘Stonehenge Three’ were in court today

    Three Just Stop Oil supporters appeared in court on Friday 13 December after taking action at Stonehenge to demand that the UK government commit to working with other governments to agree an equitable plan to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030. Of course, the fact that the three activists are in court is probably in no small part down to Keir Starmer’s previous intervention.

    Just Stop Oil: The Stonehenge Three

    Niamh Lynch, 22, a student from Oxford and Rajan Naidu, 73, from Birmingham appeared at Salisbury Magistrates court charged with ‘destroying or damaging an ancient protected monument’, and ‘intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance’.

    The pair sprayed orange cornstarch powder over the 5,000-year-old landmark to draw attention to the urgent need for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase out fossil fuels and to support dependent economies, workers and communities to move away from oil, gas and coal.

    Luke Watson, 35, of Manuden, Bishop’s Stortford, will also appear, charged with one count of ‘aiding and abetting destruction or damage to an ancient protected monument’, and one count of ‘aiding, abetting the causing of a public nuisance’.

    The English Heritage chief executive, Nick Merriman, told BBC Radio 4 after the action that there appeared to be “no visible damage” to Stonehenge.

    But on 19 June the now-prime minister, Starmer, then leader of the opposition, posted on Twitter that “the damage done to Stonehenge is outrageous. Just Stop Oil are pathetic. Those responsible must face the full force of the law.”

    A preposterous case

    Niamh Lynch said:

    I was born in 2002. When I was a few days old the global average temperature was 0.56 degrees C above pre industrial levels. Today, the global average temperature has shot past the safe limit of 1.5 degrees, which is triggering irreversible tipping points that threaten social collapse in my lifetime. We are seeing irreversible and permanent damage on an absolutely immeasurable scale.

    I’m a conservationist and an ecologist. Everything I do is about protecting our home and the species we share with it. I had no intention of causing any damage to the stones (hence the use of cornstarch, not paint) or of causing any upset to the public. I simply wanted to draw attention to the crisis we are all facing.

    The prosecution in the case maintains that an ‘orange substance of a chemical nature’ has harmed the stones and that widespread public shock and upset at seeing social media posts justifies the public nuisance charge.

    Today’s court appearance comes after 95,000 UK homes experienced power cuts after Storm Darragh caused havoc to UK infrastructure. Climate scientists warn that severity of storms will increase as climate breakdown accelerates.

    The case has been adjourned until 29 January and will be heard at Salisbury Crown Court.

    Just Stop Oil will be stepping into action again in the new year. To join a talk or sign up for action register at juststopoil.org.

    Featured image via Just Stop Oil

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Millions of Taxpayer Dollars Have Subsidized Project 2025 and Climate Denial

    After the hottest summer in recorded human history — along with Hurricanes Helene and Milton, flooding and wildfires — why isn’t there a greater push for action on climate change? One reason is that big oil, gas and coal companies — and their allies in Congress — block the urgent action that’s required. They do this in part by denying basic climate science, and in many cases…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Report: Climate Crisis Accounts for a Third of Weather-Related Insurance Claims

    Insure Our Future, a coalition of environmental, consumer protection and other grassroots groups, issued its annual scorecard report this week, detailing how the climate crisis has accounted for over a third of weather insurance loss claims across the globe since the start of the century. Such weather-related disasters with direct ties to the climate crisis amounted to over $600 billion in…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Car manufacturers are NOT committed to tackling the climate crisis – despite the EV bluster

    The World Benchmarking Alliance’s (WBA) latest Automotive and Transportation Manufacturers Benchmark, published today, reveals that the majority of global car manufacturers are not financially committed to investing in electrification and low-carbon business models, despite having the technological advances and political support on their side.

    Car manufacturers: not walking the walk

    The assessed companies, who between them produce eight out of every 10 cars sold globally and include Mercedes, Ford and Nissan, are still tied to soon-to-be outdated business models. Across these automotive manufacturers, only 17% of revenue is attributed to low-carbon sales.

    Not a single legacy manufacturer is committed to phasing out fossil fuels by 2035 and only six companies (Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford) pledged full electrification in specific markets. Only 23% of companies have a clear pledge to increase future expenditure on low-carbon technology.

    Encouragingly, 60% of assessed companies scored over 55 out of 100 on elements of their transition planning, suggesting that, while action is still limited, manufacturers have mapped out what low-carbon pathways might look like.

    The stark reality

    Vicky Sins, World Benchmarking Alliance’s Decarbonisation and Energy Transformation Lead, said:

    Our research reveals a stark reality: most manufacturers remain anchored to outdated business models that jeopardise their ability to meet these critical climate targets. While there are promising signs of transition planning on paper, real progress hinges on tangible actions – such as phasing out fossil fuel vehicles, investing heavily in low-carbon technology, and securing sustainable supply chains.

    If the automotive industry is to accelerate meaningful progress toward a 1.5°C future, it must unconditionally commit to business models that scale electrification globally. Far too many companies are stuck in first gear.

    The research highlights that leading automotive manufacturers must urgently address decarbonisation within their supply chains, particularly battery production.

    Only two companies, BMW and Kia, require suppliers to meet 1.5°C-aligned emissions goals, and none have specific targets for battery suppliers, a major source of upstream emissions and a key contributor to the automotive sector’s total emissions.

    However, WBA found that this may improve in the future.

    Hope on the horizon?

    Eleven assessed companies, including Volkswagen and BYD, covering 60% of the global EV market, are moving to in-house battery production, potentially boosting decarbonisation efforts.

    WBA’s new research found the 30 automotive companies assessed are far behind where they need to be on key social indicators to deliver a just transition. Only five manufacturers (Ford, Mercedes Benz, Renault, Stellantis and Suzuki are committed to engaging in social dialogue and negotiating with workers about what the future should look like.

    In addition, only 10% of companies even disclose the stakeholders they engage with on the road to a just transition, leaving nearly three million workers and affected stakeholders without a voice or ability to contribute to the discussion.

    Sins added:

    Decarbonisation alone is not enough. With automotive factories continuing to close, from Vauxhall’s Luton plant in the UK to VW potentially closing three factories in Germany, the automotive sector must ensure that decarbonisation is not used as an excuse for an unjust  transition, and that it meets the needs of workers and other affected communities. These businesses need to do more to leverage social dialogue and engage with workers and affected stakeholders in order to achieve a just transition.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Bipartisan Plan to “Reform” Energy Permits Is a Brazen Giveaway to Fossil Fuels

    This summer, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) and John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) to expedite the permitting of energy infrastructure cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. A similar bill is being considered by the House Committee on Natural Resources. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) reportedly wants to bring the Manchin…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • The government could be in the dock over its failure to protect disabled people from climate crisis

    Friends of the Earth and two co-claimants are appealing against the High Court’s decision in October to reject their legal challenge to the government’s inadequate climate adaptation plans.

    The decision to appeal comes as one of the co-claimants – Kevin Jordan – prepares to mark the first anniversary of his Norfolk home being demolished (on 9 December) as a result of coastal erosion.

    With Storm Darragh battering the UK with high winds this weekend, there are fears that the fragile Hemsby coastline could face further erosion.

    Climate adaptation plan is woefully inadequate

    Friends of the Earth is launching the appeal alongside two people whose lives have already been severely impacted by the climate crisis.

    Kevin Jordan, whose home in Hemsby, Norfolk was demolished in December 2023 after coastal erosion, fuelled by sea level rise and severe storms caused by climate change, left it in danger of falling into the sea.

    Disability activist Doug Paulley, who has a number of health conditions which are being exacerbated by searing summer temperatures. He’s concerned that the government’s current adaptation plans fail to consider the needs of disabled people – particularly in places such as care homes – putting him and others at risk.

    Friends of the Earth and the co-claimants argued that the current climate adaptation “National Adaptation Programme (NAP)”, introduced by the previous government in July 2023, falls far short of what’s legally required, with marginalised groups – such as older and disabled people – and those living in areas most exposed to rising global temperatures, disproportionately affected by the impacts of extreme weather and a deficient national adaptation programme.

    The judge was wrong

    Friends of the Earth is appealing on the grounds that the judge was wrong to conclude that non-specific and unmeasurable adaptation objectives could be lawfully set under the Climate Change Act, and that an assessment of the risk that the policies and plans would fail to deliver their intended impact was not legally required.

    The co-claimants also maintain that their human rights have been breached in the making of the plan, not least due to the lack of efficacy in the programme but also due to the failure to include marginalised groups – such as disabled people – in the decision-making process.

    The court is expected to make a decision on whether to allow the appeal in 2-3 months’ time.

    As the climate crisis escalates, the effects are increasingly being felt by communities across the country, such as those still dealing with the aftermath of Storm Bert that hit in late November, which left some disabled and elderly people in Wales struggling to get bottled water following fears that tap water may have been contaminated.

    Kevin Jordan said:

    As the anniversary of my home being lost to coastal erosion approaches, it is heart-breaking to see more homes on the Hemsby coastline under threat.

    Climate change is fuelling this crisis. When I bought my home 15 years ago, I was advised it would be safe for decades to come.

    The government’s climate adaptation plan is seriously inadequate and unless it is massively improved, communities across the country will be at risk from our rapidly changing weather.

    I hope this appeal succeeds and forces the government to give better protection to the hundreds of thousands of homes in England currently at risk of coastal flooding and erosion.

    Climate adaptation should not be an afterthought

    Doug Paulley said:

    The current National Adaptation Programme is not fit for purpose as it fails to protect disabled people from the impacts of climate change.

    I am delighted that we are appealing against the High Court ruling earlier this year. We need an adaptation plan that better protects us all – especially those most at risk and whose lives are disproportionally affected by our rapidly changing climate.

    Friends of the Earth’s head of legal, Will Rundle, said:

    We maintain that the government’s climate adaptation plan is unlawful and believe there are serious errors in the High Court ruling.

    The UK is woefully iIl-prepared for the escalating impacts of the climate crisis, putting millions of people at risk from increasingly severe and more frequent storms, floods and heatwaves.

    The government admits that the previous administration’s approach to climate adaptation has “left Britain badly exposed”. We urgently need a new and robust adaptation programme to help safeguard our homes and communities for the future.

    Featured image via Friends of the Earth

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Trump Admin Could Kill Funding for Life-Saving Climate Resiliency Hubs

    In Atlanta’s Cascade neighborhood, a Black church has operated a community center next door for decades. The recently renovated space is simple inside — white walls and gray carpet — but that’s where the magic happens. There, the congregation runs a weekly food pantry where they feed up to 400 predominantly Black families a week. Now, with financial help from the Inflation Reduction Act…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Right-Wing Org Maps 2025 Legislative Agenda Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration

    With less than two months until Trump begins his second term, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is meeting in Washington, D.C., this week for its annual States and Nation Policy Summit. ALEC state politicians, corporate lobbyists, and right-wing operatives are gathering at the four-star Grand Hyatt Washington to discuss and vote on model policies and resolutions to further climate…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Right-Wing Org Maps 2025 Legislative Agenda Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration

    With less than two months until Trump begins his second term, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is meeting in Washington, D.C., this week for its annual States and Nation Policy Summit. ALEC state politicians, corporate lobbyists, and right-wing operatives are gathering at the four-star Grand Hyatt Washington to discuss and vote on model policies and resolutions to further climate…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • The State of Maine and a Kansas County Are Both Taking Big Oil to Court

    Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House raised questions about potential new barriers to holding the fossil fuel industry accountable — but it hasn’t deterred two more governments from taking Big Oil companies to court over deception claims. The State of Maine and Ford County, Kansas, filed separate lawsuits against major oil and gas companies and industry trade associations on…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • After divesting from fossil fuels, universities are now ending recruitment ties to these companies too

    Aberystwyth University has committed to ending its recruitment ties with fossil fuel and mining companies. In doing so, it becomes the 10th UK university and the 3rd in Wales to exclude the fossil fuel industry from its careers and recruitment activities.

    Universities now ending recruitment deals with fossil fuel companies

    In an updated Ethical Careers Policy published on Aberystwyth’s website, the university states that it will “no longer collaborate or hold relationships” with fossil fuel, mining or tobacco companies.

    The announcement makes Aberystwyth the 10th UK university and the 3rd in Wales to publish such a policy, following similar commitments from the Universities of Swansea in November 2023 and Wrexham in December 2022.

    Aberystwyth made its commitment after negotiations with People & Planet, the UK’s largest student-led campaigning charity. The charity coordinates the UK-wide Fossil Free Careers campaign, which demands university careers services adopt an Ethical Careers Policy that excludes oil, gas and mining companies from recruitment relationships, in order to “end recruitment pipelines” into extractive industries.

    Students FTW

    Fossil Free Careers has been endorsed by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), as well as by 26 campus-based Students’ and Worker Union branches. Student campaigners across the UK are using this latest victory to push for similar exclusions on other campuses, particularly at the University of Bangor, where students have been negotiating for fossil fuel industry exclusions since September.

    Josie Mizen, co-director for Climate Justice at People & Planet said:

    We’re delighted to see Aberystwyth committing to cutting fossil fuel and mining companies out of its careers and recruitment activities. By doing this, the university is sending a clear message: that it will put the future of its students ahead of fossil fuel industry profits.

    As the climate crisis escalates, it’s never been clearer that universities have a crucial role to play in turning the tide against the fossil fuel industry. In the last month we’ve witnessed floods devastate communities from Wales to Spain, destroying homes and even claiming lives. In the face of this destruction, it’s encouraging to see Welsh universities leading the way in cutting ties with the companies most responsible for this crisis. We hope that more universities will follow their lead before it’s too late.

    All this comes after earlier this week, it was revealed that over 75% of UK higher education has now divested from the fossil fuel industry, illustrating how cutting financial ties with the industry is being increasingly recognised as a step that aligns with goals and values.

    In Wales, this figure has hit 100% – as all universities have divested.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Palau’s president invites Trump to visit Pacific to see climate crisis impacts

    By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor

    Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr is inviting US President-elect Donald Trump to “visit the Pacific” to see firsthand the impacts of the climate crisis.

    Palau is set to host the largest annual Pacific leaders meeting in 2026, and the country’s leader Whipps told RNZ Pacific he would “love” Trump to be there.

    He said he might even take the American leader, who is often criticised as a climate change denier, snorkelling in Palau’s pristine waters.

    Whipps said he had seen the damage to the marine ecosystem.

    “I was out snorkelling on Sunday, and once again, it’s unfortunate, but we had another heat, very warm, warming of the oceans, so I saw a lot of bleached coral,” he said.

    “It’s sad to see that it’s happening more frequently and these are just impacts of what is happening around the world because of our addiction to fossil fuel.”

    Bleached corals in Palau.
    Bleached corals in Palau. Image: Dr Piera Biondi/Palau International Coral Reef Center/RNZ Pacific

    “I would very much like to bring [Trump] to Palau if he can. That would be a fantastic opportunity to take him snorkelling and see the impacts. See the islands that are disappearing because of sea level rise, see the taro swamps that are being invaded.”

    Americans experiencing the impacts
    Whipps said Americans were experiencing the impacts in states such as Florida and North Carolina.

    “I mean, that’s something that you need to experience. I mean, they’re experiencing [it] in Florida and North Carolina.

    “They just had major disasters recently and I think that’s the rallying call that we all need to take responsibility.”

    However, Trump is not necessarily known for his support of climate action. Instead, he has promised to “drill baby drill” to expand oil and gas production in the US.

    Palau International Coral Reef Center researcher Christina Muller-Karanasos said surveying of corals in Palau was underway after multiple reports of bleaching.

    She said the main cause of coral bleaching was climate change.

    “It’s upsetting. There were areas where there were quite a lot of bleaching.

    Most beautiful, pristine reef
    “The most beautiful and pristine reef and amount of fish and species of fish that I’ve ever seen. It’s so important for the health of the reef. The healthy reef also supports healthy fish populations, and that’s really important for Palau.”

    Bleached corals in Palau.
    Bleached corals in Palau. Image: Palau International Coral Reef Center/RNZ Pacific

    University of Hawai’i Manoa’s Dr Tarcisius Tara Kabutaulaka suspects Trump will focus on the Pacific, but for geopolitical gains.

    “It will be about the militarisation of the climate change issue that you are using climate change to build relationships so that you can ensure you do the counter China issue as well.”

    He believed Trump has made his position clear on the climate front.

    “He said, and I quote, ‘that it is one of the great scams of all time’. And so he is a climate crisis denier.”

    It is exactly the kind of comment President Whipps does not want to hear, especially from a leader of a country which Palau is close to — or from any nation.

    “We need the United States, we need China, and we need India and Russia to be the leaders to make sure that we put things on track,” he said.

    Bleached corals in Palau.
    Bleached corals in Palau. Image: Palau International Coral Reef Center/RNZ Pacific

    For the Pacific, the climate crisis is the biggest existential and security threat.

    Leaders like Whipps are considering drastic measures, including the nuclear energy option.

    “We’ve got to look at alternatives, and one of those is nuclear energy. It’s clean, it’s carbon free,” he told RNZ Pacific.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Wales just hit a massive green energy milestone thank to campaigning from students

    Every university across Wales has now committed to divesting from the fossil fuel industry. This milestone was solidified by a decision from the University of South Wales to exclude fossil fuel extractor companies from its investment portfolios.

    Wales: universities completely divested from fossil fuels

    Earlier this week, it was revealed that over 75% of UK universities have now divested from the fossil fuel industry, illustrating how cutting financial ties with the industry is being increasingly recognised as a step that aligns with university goals and values.

    Laura Clayson, campaign manager at Climate Justice, said:

    This news is incredibly significant given how fossil fuels have shaped the nation’s recent history and landscape. It is an act of solidarity with frontline communities globally, as well as those within Wales itself. This includes the community surrounding the controversial Ffos-y-Fran, the UK’s last and largest open cast coal mine, which closed in 2023. The community continues to have to fight for justice, for everything from health impacts to restoration of the area, as the mining company continues to break their promises on each and every front. We hope this news provides some additional strength to their struggle.

    The University of South Wales is not only the latest university to divest from the fossil fuel industry but has also just become the latest university to exclude the border industry from its investment portfolio. This decision ensures that companies involved in border security, detention, surveillance and deportation of migrants will no longer receive financial support from the university.

    The university announced its commitment to exclude border industry and fossil fuel companies from all its investments by updating its Investment Policy. This victory was revealed by People & Planet University League research.

    The People & Planet University League is the only comprehensive and independent league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance. The 2024-25 dataset is due to be launched imminently.

    Students pushing the movement forward

    Students have been at the forefront of these campaigns for justice, securing 116 wins on Fossil Free and six on Divest Borders to date. In the face of intersecting crises of climate collapse, mass displacement and increasing border violence, young people have been clear that any truly effective solutions must address the overlapping nature of the systems that create and sustain these injustices.

    Both Divest Borders and Fossil Free are led by the student network of People & Planet which, since its inception in 1969, has been supporting students to fight for social and environmental justice on their campuses.

    The student-led charity began its flagship Fossil Free campaign in 2013 and Divest Borders in 2021. Both campaigns make use of the tactic of public divestment announcements to delegitimise their target industries. These challenge the social licence of these companies to continue with their destructive operations.

    The Divest Borders campaign demands that UK universities exclude the companies complicit in maintaining the UK’s violent border industry as an act of solidarity with those impacted by its operations, which includes harms such as detention, deportation and the disproportionate surveillance of racialised communities.

    The Fossil Free campaign demands fossil fuel industry exclusions in recognition of the industry’s role in the climate crisis, and in solidarity with the frontline and Indigenous communities experiencing the sharp end of the injustices wrought by fossil fuel operations and climate impacts.

    An urgent need for action

    André Dallas, co-director of Migrant Justice at People & Planet, said:

    It is great to see that the University of South Wales has not only divested from fossil fuels, but has also committed to exclude all companies profiting from the detention, deportation and surveillance of migrating people. Students are clear that their universities must stand for justice, community and progress not only in their prospectuses but in their policies and actions. That all of Wales has turned its back on the fossil fuel industry is momentous – we look forward to all Welsh universities taking analogous steps to cut ties with the brutality of the border industry.

    Navid Sharif, vice-president of activities at University of South Wales Students’ Union, said:

    As the Vice President of the University of South Wales Students’ Union, I am incredibly thrilled to celebrate the University’s ethical investment policy and its firm stance on excluding fossil fuels and the border industry. These exclusions reflect the values of our student community and mark the culmination of discussions that have been ongoing since 2022, including key focus at the January AGM 2024.

    This commitment highlights the urgent need for action on climate and social justice, and we are thrilled that USW is leading the way as part of a wider movement, with all Welsh universities now fully Fossil Free. We hope this momentum continues, inspiring further progress, such as ensuring the exclusion of the border industry across Wales.

    At USW, our students care deeply about sustainability, and this milestone showcases what can be achieved when institutions listen to their communities. We are excited to build on this success and continue driving positive change towards a more equitable, low-carbon future for all.

    University of South Wales marking a milestone

    Rachel Elias-Lee, chief finance officer at the University of South Wales, said:

    At USW, we are committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2040, and minimising our impact on the planet. As part of this ambitious target, USW’s Ethical Investment Policy defines our strong intention to exclude direct investment in companies that are incompatible with our carbon reduction efforts, which has been our approach for the past few years.

    We avoid fossil fuel related investments and instead support organisations that positively impact the environment. By doing this we are helping to accelerate renewable energy generation whilst demonstrating our commitment to a low carbon, sustainable future for all.

    This is alongside the policy’s wider social reach, ensuring that we avoid industries trading in arms and tobacco, and restrict investment in companies that, for example, have unethical supply chains or are complicit in border violence. We work closely with our fund managers to enact this and to make sure our investments do not have a negative impact on society.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Cops in a frenzy as Extinction Rebellion cause chaos in City of London

    On Wednesday 4 December, Extinction Rebellion occupied the headquarters of an international law firm that is playing a leading role in oiling the legal wheels of the deadly fossil fuel machine setting our planet on fire.

    Extinction Rebellion: back at A&O Shearman

    Activists targeted the City of London offices of A&O Shearman – whose lawyers facilitated more than $285 billion in fossil fuel transactions between 2019 and 2023, the second highest amount for any legal firm in the world – demanding they ‘Cut The Ties With Fossil Fuels’:

    Extinction Rebellion

    Rebels entered the building and occupied the lobby, while others sprayed the outside of the building with fake oil:

    An oil derrick was outside the entrance, on which a Grim Reaper figure sat holding a scythe and a set of scales, with a burning planet in one pan and a pile of oily cash in the other:

    The air filled with smoke and the sound of drums, and activists used a megaphone to spell out A&O Shearman’s crimes against the planet:

    Extinction Rebellion

    Police made a number of arrests:

    Propping up climate breakdown

    A&O Shearman’s record as an enabler of climate breakdown is wrecking its reputation amongst up-and-coming legal talent. Prior to their merger, Allen & Overy and Shearman Sterling were both individually given the worst rating ‘F’ in the Law Students for Climate Accountability 2024 scorecard.

    A&O Shearman advises clients across the oil and gas industry, from exploration and production, pipelines, refining. It acts for governments, energy companies such as Saudi Aramco, Chevron, oil field services companies and investors on some of the world’s largest oil and gas transactions. These companies are significantly expanding oil and gas production, even as mounting levels of greenhouse gas emissions threaten to trip irreversible climate tipping points, making the planet unrecognisable and accelerating mass extinctions.

    A&O Shearman has been silent in the face of mounting criticism from campaign group Lawyers are Responsible over their complicity in the climate emergency.

    Today’s action is an escalation from last week, when Lawyers are Responsible, along with doctors and scientists, targeted five law firms including A&O Shearman, who are collectively responsible for over £285 billion of fossil fuel transactions.

    At the protest was Dr Sara Melly from Hampshire, who said:

    We demand A&O Shearman cut their ties with the fossil fuel industry immediately, for existing A&O Shearman employees to refuse to work for fossil fuel clients or leave, and for new legal talent to go and find work elsewhere. The future is in renewable energy and in prosecuting Big Oil for knowingly causing death and destruction from global heating and climate change.

    Marcus Bailie, an activist who travelled up from the South Wales Valleys, said:

    Many will have seen the flooded houses and businesses featured in national news. That’s all people are talking about in Pontpridd and everybody knows the cause. It is outrageous that A&O Shearman and other major law firms are still enabling fossil fuel extraction even as the signs of current warming are plain and obvious to see. Carbon dioxide lasts 100 years in the upper atmosphere, so the damage they do now will cause a century of harm, they are enabling an existential threat. Lawyers are going to have to choose what’s more important to their reputation – profit at any cost or saying no to work that is destroying communities.

    Extinction Rebellion will be back

    Melanie Strickland from Lawyers are Responsible said:

    It is disgraceful that A&O Shearman is facilitating and profiting from climate and ecological collapse. Lawyers are Responsible have written to Allen & Overy twice to demand they stop enabling the fossil fuel industry, and we staged a climate crisis exhibition outside the merged firm A&O Shearman in November 2024. Yet A&O Shearman make no comment.

    Lawyers work in a public profession. As lawyers, we are granted professional status on behalf of the public. It is a privilege, and it entails the responsibility to uphold the public interest. A&O Shearman is aggressively pursuing the interests of its clients, such as ADNOC, at the expense of life on Earth, and its lawyers are massively lining their own pockets in doing so. Lawyers are Responsible believes that it is possible for lawyers to be part of the solution, and we want our fellow professionals in these firms to be part of the solution.

    Speaking at the G20 Summit last month UN Secretary-General António Guterres said “Our climate is at a breaking point. Unless we limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, spiralling disasters will devastate every economy” and “investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is moral and economic madness”.

    Yet fossil fuel emissions continue to rise and the current 12 month average temperature increase stands at 1.64º Celsius, already breaching the Paris Agreement’s safe limit. As the Lancet reported “the science is unequivocal; a global increase of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average and the continued loss of biodiversity risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse”.

    Extinction Rebellion demands:

    1. A&O Shearman cut their ties with the fossil fuel industry immediately.

    2. All existing A&O Shearman employees to refuse to work for their fossil fuel clients or leave.

    3. Any new legal talent to go and find work elsewhere.

    Featured image and additional images via Extinction Rebellion

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • ICJ Hearings Offer New Chance to Get Rich Countries to Pay for Climate Crisis

    Five years ago, a group of 27 law students at the University of the South Pacific came together and hatched a bold new plan to bring the issue of climate justice before the United Nations’ top court. Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change was born, and the youth-led group quickly grew to include more than 100 members from countries across the South Pacific. They were tired of world…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Swan Lake just faced protests over a theatre’s ties to planet-wrecking Barclays

    Campaigners from Fossil Free London disrupted the opening night of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, demanding the venue sever ties with Barclays over the bank’s funding of fossil fuels and arms.

    Swan Lake

    During the Swan Lake interval, protesters staged a dramatic lobby demonstration, pouring oil on two campaigners dressed in Swan Lake costumes while others chanted, “Sadler’s Wells, drop Barclays”. Their banner read, “Cut Ties with Barclays”:

    Security escorted them out of the building.

    The disruption followed an earlier protest outside the theatre, where 10 campaigners in Swan Lake costumes staged a “die-in” next to a banner that read, “Barclays Funds Bombs and Big Oil”. Leaflets explaining the protest were handed out to theatre goers:

    Sadler’s Wells has a close relationship with Barclays, which is one of the theatre’s main sponsors. Additionally, Nigel Higgins, the chair of the Sadler’s Wells Board of Trustees, also serves as the chairman of Barclays. So, protesters made the Swan Lake audience aware:

    Barclays: wrecking the planet

    By February 2024, Barclays had £2bn in shares in eight of the nine companies providing military equipment to Israel.

    This included £2.7m in Elbit Systems. Elbit provides 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet and land-based equipment. Alongside this, it supplies bombs, missiles, and other weaponry. It markets these as “battle-tested” after bombardments in occupied Palestine.

    Barclays has provided over £6.1bn in loans and underwriting to the arms and military technology companies Israel has violently deployed against Palestinians. These include arms firms like BAE Systems, Boeing, and Raytheon.

    Meanwhile, Barclays is also making a killing bankrolling the climate crisis. Between 2016 and the end of 2023, Barclays has poured US $235.2bn into fossil fuels. This is according to the latest ‘Banking on Climate Chaos’ report, which placed Barclays among its ‘Dirty Dozen’ – the top twelve worst banks for financing the polluting sector.

    Moreover, it has invested over US $190bn in fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement. Whilst Barclays committed to stop financing new oil & gas expansion ‘projects’ in a renewed energy policy in February, this restricts just 10% of their fossil fuel funding.

    Swan Lake is dancing around the issue

    Joanna Warrington, campaigner with Fossil Free London, said of the Swan Lake protest:

    It’s time for Sadler’s Wells to stop dancing around the issue.

    By continuing to partner with Barclays, a bank that fuels climate breakdown and genocide, Sadler’s Wells is complicit in global suffering and the destruction of our future. This sponsorship lets Barclays hide behind a veil of corporate responsibility, while it continues business as usual, bankrolling the industries driving environmental devastation and violence across the world.

    Art holds immense power to inspire change and shape our world for the better, but it’s meaningless if we don’t act to protect the future it imagines. Sadler’s Wells must choose: uphold the values of art and humanity, or remain complicit in the destruction and greed that threatens us all.

    Featured image and additional images via Talia Woodin

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Frontline Nations Demand Climate Accountability at the ICJ

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) heard arguments Monday in the largest climate case ever brought before it as a coalition of low-lying and developing nations demanded larger polluting nations be held to account under international law for causing “significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment” with runaway fossil fuel emissions over recent decades.

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    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.