At a campaign stop today in New Brunswick, Prime Minister Cowboy Steve clarified his stance on a proposed one-on-one debate with Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff. The Conservative Party leader told his audience "I don't believe in debate as a worthwhile forum for presenting ideas and policy. I'd much rather address Canadians during our comprehensive daily question and answer sessions. I was on the debating team at school and I speak from experience. Most people ridiculed us, and we never, ever got laid. Next question, please."Debating can cause a lifetime of frustration and …
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Truth: Pandora Thomas and Zakiya Harris- Vision of Sankofa …
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A 250 News article About 300 people marched from the Prince George Court house to the Civic Centre Plaza this morning, to protest the proposed Enbridge twin pipeline. They hoped to carry a message to not only the Joint Review Panel which is accepting submissions today in preparation of oral hearings which will be set for a later date, but to let members of the public see there is opposition to this project. B.C. Association of First Nations Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says the opposition to the proposed pipeline is growing “We view this proposal as being the wrong proposal in the wrong …
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A Climate Pledge of Resistance announcement At a recent climate camp in North America, activists began collecting signatures for a tar sands pledge of resistance. We invite you to sign on to commit to action against a fossil fuel pipeline and pumping project (”Trailbreaker”) that may bring tar sands bitumen through infrastructure across several American states and Canadian provinces. If we cannot overturn these industry plans, tar sands bitumen will be sent through Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, Vermont, and Maine …
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Raj Patel in The Observer “The violence in Maputo is just the latest manifestation of the crippling shortcomings of the global economy” It has been a summer of record temperatures – Japan had its hottest summer on record, as did South Florida and New York. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Niger are flooded and the eastern US is mopping up after hurricane Earl. None of these individual events can definitively be attributed to global warming. But to see how climate change will play out in the 21st century, you needn’t look to the Met Office. Look, instead, to the deaths and burning …
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Pierre-Karl Peladeau and Gilles Duceppe, as well as the mayor of Quebec City, Regis Lebeaume, all have one common goal; to bring an NHL franchise back to Quebec City. In order to accomplish this, NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman has made clear to Lebeaume that a new arena is essential before he can even consider a new team for Quebec City, a deal needs to be in the works for the construction of a new arena. La Colisee is old and falling apart; same problem that existed when the Nordiques left in 1995 for Colorado.   They all want and need federal dollars to build this new arena. Furthermore, …
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Shaun Thomas in BCLocalNews.com Hundreds of people gathered outside of Riverlodge in Kitimat today to protest plans for the Enbridge Northern Gateway while a hearing hosted by the Joint Review Panel took place inside. “The opposition to this project is massive and growing every day,” the event’s MC Gerald Amos from Kitamaat Village told the crowd. “We have drawn a line in the sand. There will be no Enbridge Pipeline and there will be no crude oil tankers in our waters. This is not a battle we intend to lose.” At the same time, some 200 people gathered outside of the Enbridge …
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Folks, this is very alarming. Recently they arrested a man from Tulare County with a fully loaded up truck and his full body armor as he was driving crazy through Oakland highways headed towards the Tides Foundation and the ACLU offices in SF. Now they hittin up MD. Cuidado y qu se cuidan. take care of each other. love each other and protect each other. diana * * * * * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              September 1, 2010 For more information contact Jill Garvey 312-266-0319 CHICAGO – Today’s hostage situation at the Discovery Channel’s …
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Sparki on the It’s Getting Hot in Here blog Great action today in San Francisco. The Mobilization for Climate Justice West (MCJ-West) turned out 150 people on a Monday afternoon and marched to the SF financial district offices of Chevron, the Environmental Protection Agency and BP calling for Big Oil to stop harming our environment and communities and pay up for the damage they’ve caused. A coalition of national, regional and local groups, activists with MCJ-West) blockaded the doors of the SF BP offices and the intersection in front of the building. With a set of demands, MCJ-West …
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Happy Monday! Autumn is here. The teachers and students are going back to school. Waking up to this Monday, a few snippets of news to sharpen your analysis:   1. Twin Peaks, Native Lands and Sovereignty: http://earthfirstnews.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/big-day-for-indigenous-support… 2. Letter to Big Oil: Mobilization for Climate Justice West: http://west.actforclimatejustice.org/2010/08/open-letter-to-big-oil-accept-re… 3. 5th Anniversary of Katrina-Rita events: http://facingtowardsjustice.blogspot.com/2010/08/gulf-coast-fellowship-for-co… CNN coverage: …
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Photos, remarks, and links from Toban Black on his blog Here are some photos from an August climate camp gathering and protest in Dunham, Quebec — just north of Vermont. A tar sands pipeline and pumping station project (“Trailbreaker”) was our main target at the camp. For more information, see this invitation, and this camp publication. The main campaign around the climate camp is a way of blocking tar sands expansion, while helping out local victims, at the same time. The pipeline project cuts across Maine, Quebec, Ontario, Michigan, Illinois, and other areas — so …
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This is my friend and estimada compañera luchadora, Debora Barros FInce. Wayús hacen primer proceso de reparación indígena, tras masacre de 12 miembros de su comunidad Foto: Martha Lucía Martínez Débora, líder de la comunidad wayú de Bahía Portete, y los demás miembros de esa ranchería quieren regresar a sus tierras para que sus hijos vuelvan a correr por el desierto. En eso están trabajando para retornar Así pretenden demostrar que no son secuestradores ni ladrones, como lo afirmó …
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Important developments from the Social Forum of the Americas regarding market based mechanisms.  * * * * * Dear all, Please find below the final declaration of the Social Forum of the Americas, which took place from 11 to 15 August in Asunción, Paraguay. There were many events related to climate justice and REDD at the forum, in which hundreds of representatives from Indigenous Peoples and social movements from all over the continent participated. The rejection of market-based mechanisms and REDD was also supported by Bolivian President Evo Morales and his staff during their statements …
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This came across my inbox today and thought I should share. That, and a friend’s fb status post: “It feels like the day after 9/11 all over again.” Send love healing strength and fight to all our brothers and sisters out there. The ones on the frontlines of climate change and the xenophobia islamophobic backlash. * * * * * Gulf Coast Fellowship for Community Transformation Katrina and Rita 5th Anniversary Events Schedule The following is a list of community events set to commemorate the 5th Anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina. Our mission is to support the work of community …
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A UK climate camp press release “Action Round-up for the Climate Camp day of mass action targeting RBS and the fossil fuel industry: Monday 23 August” Activists at the Camp for Climate Action are celebrating a successful day targeting various climate criminals- holding direct actions, demonstrations and street theatre confronting the role of financial institutions like RBS in bankrolling climate change. A group of protestors occupied the head offices of Forth Energy, a company planning to build four new biomass power stations in Scotland. Three protestors chained themselves to the …
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A video about UK climate camp protesting “Climate change protesters target Edinburgh during this summer’s Festival in a campaign against the Royal Bank of Scotland. The action, at RBS’s HQ in Gogarburn, has been taken in protest at taxpayers’ money allegedly being used to prop up big business and fund the destruction of the planet.” …
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A UK climate camp press release A group of ‘tar’ covered activists from the Camp for Climate Action have locked themselves to the RBS branch on Nicholson Street, shutting the bank down. This is the second time that the Nicholson Street bank branch has been shut down by protests today, as several activists who had blockaded the bank entrance by supergluing themselves together in front of it had just been removed by the police, resulting in three arrests. Anorther group of activists is demonstrating with banners and leaflets outside the bank branch and on the streets of Edinburgh …
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this is why i do the work i do: young people's energy and vision, and wisdom, continue to inspire me and also constantly redefine the boundaries of imagination and "what is possible." * * * * * Tribal Youth Group Rises to Fight Problems Exacerbated by Oil Spill With the BP crisis as their impetus, the 'Bayou Healers' aim to publicize environmental concerns and strengthen a weakened tribal identity by Jacoba Charles – Aug 9th, 2010 in Activism BP oil spill Gulf Oil Spill Young People GOLDEN MEADOWS, LA—The twisted silhouettes of …
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I must admit: I have certain rules in handling responses from readers to postings on this blog.  No libel, no swearing, no racist remarks, no name-calling. But I do NOT try to kill off comments from people who disagree with me (although I wonder how could they!  .   I don’t disqualify them because their submissions  have [...] …
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Climate camp Quebec photos Dunham, Quebec – Around 100 people marched through the main street of Dunham, Quebec yesterday to protest the construction of a oil pipeline pumping station in the community. The pumping station is a fundamental piece of infrastructure for the completion of the Enbridge Trailbreaker pipeline project, which would move tar sands bitumen from Alberta, through Montreal to Portland, eventually ending up on tankers bound for the Gulf Coast of Texas. The march began at Parc L’Envol, where Climate Campers held activities for local children, including making a large …
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Big news. > August 16, 2010 > > After a week of negotiations, the main conclusions of the World Peoples Conference on Climate Change and the Right of Mother Earth (Cochabamba, April 2010) have been incorporated in the document of United Nations on Climate Change, that now have been recognized as a negotiation text for the 192 countries which has been congregated in Bonn, Germany, during the first week august of 2010. > > The most important points that have been incorporated for its consideration in the next round of negotiation before Cancun, that will take place in China, are: …
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And it ain’t pretty.  In fact, it’s quite frightening. Here is an exerpt from Krugman’s latest article: The Unlit, Unpaved Road To Nowhere is where greed is leading to; that’s where and if you read the article, you will see that he means that…literally! The lights are going out all over America – literally.Colorado Springs has made headlines with its desperate attempt to save money by turning off a third of its streetlights, but similar things are either happening or being contemplated across the nation, fromPhiladelphia to Fresno. Meanwhile, a country that …
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Just to let my readers know, I will be on CKNW 980 Saturday afternoon to talk with host Simi Sara about the Chief Electoral Officer’s handling … or maybe mishandling … of the HST petition. The segment will air from 3:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m and for those outside the Vancouver area, it can be heard on [...] …
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Mexican workers for TDOT contractor claim abuse By TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press Writer Published: Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 5:09 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 5:09 p.m. A Mexican guest worker says a landscaping company with Tennessee state contracts and a federal stimulus loan guarantee held him and fellow workers like indentured servants, confiscating their passports and subjecting them to constant surveillance by managers who were often armed. Hilario Razura Jimenez said in an interview that he was rescued from Vanderbilt …
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Today seems to be the day for bad accidents.  First, there was the tragic motorcycle accident with Mario Lague, Iggy’s communications director earlier this morning. Again, deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Then, just out from the Barrie Examiner, Helena Guergis who seems to be trapped under a dark cloud since last fall was in a car accident on her way to a funding announcement at the base, where Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced $219 million in upgrades.  Ms Guergis, who is five months pregnant,  is under observation in hospital.  She was driven by one …
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A press release from an activist group in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada “S.H.A.M.E. (Sarnia’s Hometown Activist Movement Emerging) is a loose knit network of Sarnia residents who are growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of civic responsibility our corporate neighbors in Chemical Valley are showing. Given recent events we are asking Enbridge and British Petroleum to supply the public with their emergency response plans, and that a complete public review of emergency response procedures be undertaken with haste. Furthermore, because so many people get their water from the St. Clair …
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I just got this email from the Bolivian / People's World Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. These are significant moves in the negotiated text, especially given where we thought we were after the fracaso of last December. * * * * * Press Conference: Bonn Climate Negotiations Aug. 6 CLICK HERE–> http://unfccc2.meta-fusion.com/kongresse/100802_AWG/templ/play.php?id_kongresssession=2959  to watch friday’s press conference by Ambassador Pablo Solon of the Plurinational State of Bolivia at the UNFCCC climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany (via UNFCCC …
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A call from Climate Justice Action In 2009, indigenous peoples throughout the world called for a global mobilisation ‘in defence of mother earth’ on October 12, reclaiming the day that used to be imposed as ‘Columbus Day’. Responding to this call, and the demand for a day of action for ‘system change, not climate change’ issued by the global movements gathered in Copenhagen last year, Climate Justice Action is proposing a day of direct action for climate justice on October 12, 2010. Today, we know… For years, many had hoped that governments, international summits, even the very …
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Another video from UK climate camp activists “Camp for Climate Action 2010 Break the Bank! Edinburgh Four days of training and direct action: 21st–24th August The Camp for Climate Action is a grassroots movement taking direct action against the root causes of climate change. We’ve already had major successes with Heathrow’s third runway and E.ON’s plans for a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth. This year we’re targeting the Royal Bank of Scotland, one of the world’s largest investor in oil, gas and coal. Last year RBS were bailed out with £50 …
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A video from UK climate camp activists “This summer Climate Camp are targeting the ‘oil and gas bank’, the Royal Bank of Scotland. Join us in Edinburgh from 21st to 24th August.” …
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http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/08/environmental_racism_surfacing_in_bp_spill_waste_management.html BP's Dumping Oil-Spill Waste in Communities of Color, Study Finds by Michelle Chen  Tuesday, August 3 2010, 8:39 AM EST Tags: BP, environmental justice, Gulf oil spill More than one hundred days into the BP disaster, folks are wondering where all the oil has gone–much of it seems to have crept under the water's surface, or maybe evaporated into thin air. But, as officials scramble to assess the pending damage, we do know the destination of around 40,000 tons of …
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PRESS RELEASE To limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5° C, carbon emissions must be limited to 420 gigatons (Gt) between 2010 y 2050. This quantity is known as the “carbon budget” that countries cannot exceed if they wish to remain below a certain temperature. August 3, 2010 (Bonn, Germany) – At a press conference today in Bonn, Germany, during the latest round of climate negotiations being carried out under the United Nations Framework Convention, Bolivian Ambassador Pablo Solón presented scientific data demonstrating that the emissions reductions by developed countries …
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Michelle Chen in Colorlines More than one hundred days into the BP disaster, folks are wondering where all the oil has gone–much of it seems to have crept under the water’s surface, or maybe evaporated into thin air. But, as officials scramble to assess the pending damage, we do know the destination of around 40,000 tons of the spill waste: it’s headed for the families that have been getting dumped on for years. In what may be yet another calm before the storm, BP’s colorfully advertised waste management plan appears to follow a haunting pattern of environmental …
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http://bit.ly/1070gaganews Two Arizona Fans Move Lady Gaga to Speak Out Against SB 1070 Pop Star says Arizona is in a "state of emergency" calls on fans to actively protest discrimination. 08.02.2010 – Two Arizona Fans Move Lady Gaga to Speak Out Against SB 1070 Pop Star says Arizona is in a "state of emergency," calls on fans to actively protest discrimination. Phoenix, AZ. 7/31/2010. One week before the pop phenom, Lady Gaga, was scheduled to perform a concert in Phoenix, AZ, two young gay migrant rights organizers posted letters to the star on Facebook …
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always interesting to see what the WSJ has to say. REVIEW & OUTLOOK APRIL 27, 2010 Arizona's Immigration Frustration The new state law is the result of a failed national policy. Arizona's new immigration law shows what happens when a state on the front lines of a failed immigration policy reaches the bursting point. What you get is a blunt instrument that produces lawsuits, more political polarization (if that's possible) and the risk of hostility between the local police and the public. The law makes it a state crime to be in the U.S. without proper …
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For Immediate Release Contact: Opal Tometi, Puente. 602.349.1073                   BREAKING BREAKING BREAKING Sheriff Arpaio Retaliates by Wrongfully Arresting Human Rights Leader. Salvador Reza of the Puente Movement Being Held as Political Prisoner   What: Procession in front of downtown jail to free Puente Movement leader               Salvador Reza When: Tonight. 10:30pm pacific. July 29th, 2010. Where: Sheriff Arpaio’s jail at …
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 ***Please excuse cross postings***   Press Advisory   Contact:  Yadira Hernandez (NDLON) 707-318-2771   Opal Tometi (PUENTE)  602-349-1073   Human Rights Protesters Released for Acts Of Civil Disobedience   Demand For the Release of Nearly 80 Others   What: Press Conference to demand release of others detained for acts of non-compliance   Where: Corner of 4th Ave and Madison Street (Phoenix, Arizona)   When: 11:00 am   Who:   Salvador Reza, Puente Movement human rights leader, released after non-compliance act blocking Arpaio’s jail entrance   Protesters who scaled …
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Joshua Kahn Russell on It’s Getting Hot in Here Today, Arizona’s “show me your papers” anti-immigrant law SB1070 goes into effect. Across the country, July 29th has been declared a national day of action for Human Rights. Phoenix is ground zero for the collective outrage and protest that this bill has inspired. Here thousands of people are in the streets, many showing their courage by participating in civil disobedience across the city. In particular, downtown Phoenix has been transformed into a temporary “Human Rights Zone” with public promises from communities, businesses, …
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Aaron Petcoff on his blog As if the troubles facing the Gulf region weren’t enough to totally discredit the whole oil industry, the news came in late yesterday that a burst pipeline has spewed over 800,000 gallons of crude oil into a creek that feeds the Kalamazoo River in Kalamazoo, Michigan (the state I live in). And if that weren’t already disturbing enough, than maybe the fact that a second oil rig burst into flames yesterday in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, right on the heels of finally plugging the BP leak, will. Somebody’s out to ruin your day (allow me to clarify that I’m …
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