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Kay Bradley

TEDxAtlanta - Harrison Dillon - Resolving Food and Oil at Scale - YouTube - 0 views

www.youtube.com/watch

food Industrialized Democracies Less Developed World: Oil sustainability economy

shared by Kay Bradley on 18 Nov 11 - No Cached
  • Kay Bradley on 18 Nov 11
     
    What if you could replace the petroleum molecules that we use in fuel, foods and so many other products with a biotechnology substitute made from algae? Harrison Dillon, co-founder of Solazyme, gives the talk of his life, one day before his company delivered 150,000 gallons of algae-derived Soladiesel® fuel to the U.S. Navy.
Kay Bradley

COP26: Key Outcomes From the UN Climate Talks in Glasgow  | World Resources I... - 0 views

www.wri.org/...comes-un-climate-talks-glasgow

shared by Kay Bradley on 01 Dec 21 - No Cached
  • The world still remains off track to beat back the climate crisis.  
  • ministers from all over the world agreed that countries should come back next year to submit stronger 2030 emissions reduction targets with the aim of closing the gap to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees
  • Ministers also agreed that developed countries should urgently deliver more resources to help climate-vulnerable countries adapt to the dangerous and costly consequences of climate change that they are feeling already —
  • ...46 more annotations...
  • curb methane emissions,
  • halt and reverse forest loss,
  • align the finance sector with net-zero by 2050
  • ditch the internal combustion engine
  • accelerate the phase-out of coal,
  • end international financing for fossil fuels,
  • “Not nearly enough” to the first question, “yes” to the second. 
  • 151 countries had submitted new climate plans (known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs)
  • To keep the goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C within reach, we need to cut global emissions in half by the end of this decade.
  • these plans, as they stand, put the world on track for 2.5 degrees C of warming by the end of the century.
  • If you take into account countries’ commitments to reach net-zero emissions by around mid-century, analysis shows temperature rise could be kept to around 1.8 or 1.9 degrees C.
  • some major emitters’ 2030 targets are so weak (particularly those from Australia, China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Russia) that they don’t offer credible pathways to achieve their net-zero targets.
  • a major “credibility gap”
  • To fix this problem, these countries’ must strengthen their 2030 emissions reduction targets to at least align with their net-zero commitments. 
  • as well as ramping up ambition
  • the pact asks nations to consider further actions to curb potent non-CO2 gases, such as methane, and includes language emphasizing the need to “phase down unabated coal” and “phase-out fossil fuel subsidies.”
  • This marked the first time negotiators have explicitly referenced shifting away from coal and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies in COP decision text.  
  • this COP finally recognized the importance of nature for both reducing emissions and building resilience to the impacts of climate change,
  • Did Developing Countries Get the Finance and Support They Need? 
  • In 2009, rich nations committed to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 and through 2025 to support climate efforts in developing countries
  • developed countries failed to meet that goal in 2020 (recent OECD estimates show that total climate finance reached $79.6 billion in 2019).
  • The Adaptation Fund reached unprecedented levels of contributions, with new pledges for $356 million that represent almost three times its mobilization target for 2022. The Least Developed Countries Fund, which supports climate change adaptation in the world’s least developed countries, also received a record $413 million in new contributions.
  • COP26 also took steps to help developing countries access good quality finance options.
  • For example, encouraging multilateral institutions to further consider the links between climate vulnerabilities and the need for concessional financial resources for developing countries — such as securing grants rather than loans to avoid increasing their debt burden. 
  • COP26 finally put the critical issue of loss and damage squarely on the main stage
  • Climate change is already causing devastating losses of lives, land and livelihoods. Some damages are permanent — from communities that are wiped out, to islands disappearing beneath the waves, to water resources that are drying up.
  • Countries also agreed to operationalize and fund the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage, established at COP25 in Madrid, and to catalyze the technical assistance developing countries need to address loss and damage in a robust and effective manner.  
  • International Carbon Markets.
  • negotiators agreed to avoid double-counting, in which more than one country could claim the same emissions reductions as counting toward their own climate commitments.
  • his is critical to make real progress on reducing emissions.
  • Common Time Frames. In Glasgow, countries were encouraged to use common timeframes for their national climate commitments. This means that new NDCs that countries put forward in 2025 should have an end-date of 2035, in 2030 they will put forward commitments with a 2040 end-date, and so on.
  • Transparency. In Glasgow, all countries agreed to submit information about their emissions and financial, technological and capacity-building support using a common and standardized set of formats and tables.
  • 100 high-level announcements during the “World Leaders Summit"
  • including a bold commitment from India to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 that is backed up with near-term targets (including ambitious renewable energy targets for 2030), 109 countries signing up to the Global Methane Pledge to slash emissions by 30% by 2030, and a pledge by 141 countries (as of November 10) to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 (backed by $18 billion in funding, including $1.7 billion dedicated to support indigenous peoples).  
  • Glasgow Breakthroughs, a set of global targets meant to dramatically accelerate the innovation and use of clean technologies in five emissions-heavy sectors:
  • power, road transport, steel, hydrogen and agriculture.
  • 46 countries, including the U.K., Canada, Poland and Vietnam made commitments to phase out domestic coal,
  • 29 countries including the U.K., Canada, Germany and Italy committed to end new direct international public support for unabated fossil fuels by the end of 2022
  • Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, led by Costa Rica and Denmark — with core members France, Greenland, Ireland, Quebec, Sweden and Wales — pledged to end new licensing rounds for oil and gas exploration and production and set an end date that is aligned with Paris Agreement objectives
  • Efforts were also made to scale up solar investment
  • new Solar Investment Action Agenda by WRI, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Bloomberg Philanthropies that identifies high-impact opportunities to speed up investment and reach ISA’s goal of mobilizing $1 trillion in solar investment by 2030.
  • Non-state actors including investors, businesses, cities and subnational regions also joined collective action initiatives aimed at driving economic transformation.
  • Over 400 financial firms which control over $130 trillion in assets committed to aligning their portfolios to net-zero by 2030
  • banks, asset managers and asset owners fully recognize the business case for climate action and the significant risks of investing in the high-carbon, polluting economy of that past.
  • 11 major automakers agreed to work toward selling only zero-emission vehicles globally by 2040, and by no later than 2035 in leading markets.  
  • In the year ahead, major emitters need to ramp up their 2030 emissions reduction targets to align with 1.5 degrees C, more robust approaches are needed to hold all actors accountable for the many commitments made in Glasgow, and much more attention is needed on how to meet the urgent needs of climate-vulnerable countries to help them deal with climate impacts and transition to net-zero economies.
Kay Bradley

Opinion | How Trumpism May Endure - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...trump-capitol-lost-cause.html

shared by Kay Bradley on 10 Jan 21 - No Cached
  • The story demands a religious loyalty.
  • Mr. Trump’s Lost Cause takes its fuel from conspiratorial myths of all kinds, rehearsed for years on Trump media and social media platforms. Its guiding theories include: Christianity under duress and attack; large corrupt cities full of Black and brown people manipulated by liberal elites; Barack Obama as alien; a socialist movement determined to tax you into subservience to “big government”; liberal media out to crush family and conservative values; universities and schools teaching the young a history that hates America; resentment of nonwhite immigrants who threaten a particular national vision; and whatever hideous new version of a civil religion QAnon represents.
  • The Confederate Lost Cause is one of the most deeply ingrained mythologies in American history. It emerged first as a mood of traumatized defeat in the 1860s, but grew into an array of arguments, organizations and rituals in search of a story that could win hearts and minds and regain power in the Southern states. It was initially a psychological response to the trauma of collective loss among former Confederates. It gained traction in violent groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and in the re-emergence of the Democratic Party’s resistance to Reconstruction.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • Crucially, the Lost Cause argued that the Confederacy never fought to preserve slavery, and that it was never truly defeated on battlefields.
  • Confederate Lost Cause ideology
  • All Lost Causes find their lifeblood in lies, big and small, lies born of beliefs in search of a history that can be forged into a story and mobilize masses of people to act politically, violently, and in the name of ideology.
  • By the 1890s, the Lost Cause was no longer a story of loss, but one of victory: the defeat of Reconstruction. Southerners — whether run-of-the-mill local politicians, famous former generals or women who forged the culture of monument building — portrayed white supremacy and home rule for the South as the nation’s victory over radicalism and Negro rule.
  • glory of America
  • But it does seem to be tonic for those who fear long-term social change;
  • liberalism; taxation; what it perceives as big government; nonwhite immigrants who drain the homeland’s resources; government regulation imposed on individuals and businesses; foreign entanglements and wars that require America to be too generous to strange peoples in faraway places; any hint of gun control; feminism in high places; the nation’s inevitable ethnic and racial pluralism; and the infinite array of practices or ideas it calls “political correctness.”
  • border walls; ever-growing stock portfolios; access to the environment and hunting land without limits; coal they can burn at will; the “liberty” to reject masks; history that tastes of the sweetness of progress and not the bitterness of national sins.
  • Kay Bradley on 10 Jan 21
     
    "Mr. Trump's Lost Cause takes its fuel from conspiratorial myths of all kinds, rehearsed for years on Trump media and social media platforms. Its guiding theories include: Christianity under duress and attack; large corrupt cities full of Black and brown people manipulated by liberal elites; Barack Obama as alien; a socialist movement determined to tax you into subservience to "big government"; liberal media out to crush family and conservative values; universities and schools teaching the young a history that hates America; resentment of nonwhite immigrants who threaten a particular national vision; and whatever hideous new version of a civil religion QAnon represents."
juliam814

Haiti crippled by fuel shortages as gang leader demands prime minister resign | Reuters - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...ime-minister-resign-2021-10-26

economy Haiti economics

shared by juliam814 on 01 Nov 21 - No Cached
  • Haiti's streets were unusually quiet on Tuesday and gasoline stations remained dry as gangs blocked the entrance to ports that hold fuel stores and the country's main gang boss demanded that Prime Minister Ariel Henry resign.
  • The situation has put further pressure on a population already struggling under a weakening economy and a wave of gang kidnappings, which include the abduction earlier this month of a group of Canadian and American missionaries.
  • juliam814 on 01 Nov 21
     
    Gasoline shortages, caused by a major gang boss, pressure Haiti's weak economy.
ershai

Gangs Rule Much of Haiti. For Many, It Means No Fuel, No Power, No Food. - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...haiti-gangs-fuel-shortage.html

shared by ershai on 02 Nov 21 - No Cached
  • ershai on 02 Nov 21
     
    An example of a low capacity, low autonomy country. Gangs, not the government, rule about half of Haiti's capital, blocking the ports and causing a fuel shortage that is pushing the country to the brink of collapse.
julianatseh

'We can do better, we must' declares departing UN climate change chief, as COP27 looms ... - 1 views

news.un.org/...1119792

shared by julianatseh on 03 Nov 22 - No Cached
  • julianatseh on 03 Nov 22
     
    UN climate change chief warns about the exponential progression of climate change. The world is currently on track to reach more than double the 1.5 degree goal of the Paris Agreement by the end of the century so a lot will have to be done to find solutions
  • cole_bodner on 04 Nov 22
     
    I am concerned that the larger GDP nations will not have convincing propositions to get smaller nations to pull out of the fossil fuel industries. Even if they do, it is very understandable that such fossil fuel dependent nations will have trouble taking such a huge risk to their economy when countries like the U.S. are heavily invested in fossil fuels themselves, and despite their promises, aren't making any progress either- in fact, the reality is quite the opposite.
Kay Bradley

More Wealth, More Jobs, but Not for Everyone: What Fuels the Backlash on Trade - The Ne... - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...els-the-backlash-on-trade.html

shared by Kay Bradley on 09 Nov 16 - No Cached
  • But trade comes with no assurances that the spoils will be shared equitably. Across much of the industrialized world, an outsize share of the winnings have been harvested by people with advanced degrees, stock options and the need for accountants. Ordinary laborers have borne the costs and suffered from joblessness and deepening economic anxiety
  • Policy makers under the thrall of neoliberal economic philosophy put stock in the notion that markets could be trusted to bolster social welfare.
  • From 2000 to 2010, the United States lost some 5.6 million manufacturing jobs
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Only 13 percent of those job losses can be explained by trade
  • The rest were casualties of automation or the result of tweaks to factory operations that enabled more production with less labor.
  • American factories produced more goods last year than ever, by many indications. Yet they did so while employing about 12.3 million workers — roughly the same number as in 2009, when production was roughly three-fourths what it is today.
  • a symphony of motion greets every arriving container ship. Cranes rev, lifting containers
  • Robots Running Things in Rotterdam
petertimpane

Guatemala's growing palm oil industry fuels Indigenous land fight | Indigenous Rights N... - 0 views

www.aljazeera.com/...ry-fuels-indigenous-land-fight

Guatemala Police Indigenous Conflict

shared by petertimpane on 20 Oct 21 - No Cached
  • Community members accuse a Guatemalan company of planting oil palm on their traditional lands, and they have built homes to reclaim the disputed tract – spurring an eviction notice, several police operations, and a day of deadly violence that remains ever-present in the memory of the settlement’s more than 500 residents.
  • Last year, Guatemala produced some 880,000 tonnes of crude palm oil. Roughly 80 percent of it is exported, mainly to Mexico, a few European countries, and other Central American nations. Palm oil and its derived ingredients are commonly found in processed foods, cosmetics, and cleaning products.
  • One of the principal causes has been the institutional weakness of the State to address the legal certainty of land and to guarantee the human rights of citizens. This absence of the State definitely generates conditions for conflicts
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • NaturAceites, one of Guatemala’s top palm companies, claims ownership of the land under dispute and had planted it with oil palm. Maya Q’eqchi’ residents claim it historically belongs to Chinebal.
  • Police operations have struck fear in many community members, but Chaman’s killing has also sparked anger and determination.
  • juliam814 on 20 Oct 21
     
    Indigenous people in Guatemala are disputing with palm oil companies over the land used for plantations. The State has not been able to properly address these tensions, and the people live in fear of police operations (evictions and murders).
  • davidvr on 02 Nov 21
     
    Julian had already shared this article, but I think it's very relevant to what we've learned recently; economic forces are clashing with indigenous rights to land. The Guatemalan government is forced to choose, and they have chosen to protect businesses at the cost of the environment.
  • petertimpane on 02 Nov 21
     
    Indigenous People have been disputing and fighting a Guatemalan company that's planting oil palm on their traditional lands. There have been multiple police arrests/killings.
Kay Bradley

Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate | Council on Foreign Relations - 0 views

www.cfr.org/...venezuela-crisis

petroleum petrostate Latin America

shared by Kay Bradley on 15 Nov 21 - No Cached
  • Punto Fijo pact, which guaranteed that state jobs and, notably, oil rents would be parceled out to the three parties in proportion to voting results. While the pact sought to guard against dictatorship and usher in democratic stability, it ensured that oil profits would be concentrated in the state.
  • OPEC. V
  • OPEC embargo on countries backing Israel in the Yom Kippur War quadrupled oil prices and made Venezuela the country with the highest per-capita income in Latin America.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • mismanagement. Analysts estimate that as much as $100 billion was embezzled between 1972 and 1997 alone.
  • A country that discovers a resource after it has formed robust democratic institutions is usually better able to avoid the resource curse, analysts say. For example, strong institutions in Norway have helped the country enjoy steady economic growth since the 1960s, when vast oil reserves were discovered in the North Sea,
  • Strong democracies with an independent press and judiciary help curtail classic petrostate problems.
  • Many countries with vast resource wealth, such as Norway and Saudi Arabia, have established sovereign wealth funds (SWF) to manage their investments
  • climate change.  
  • Analysts anticipate that a global shift from fossil fuel energy to renewables such as solar and wind will force petrostates to diversify their economies. Nearly two hundred countries, including Venezuela, have joined the Paris Agreement, a binding treaty that requires states to make specific commitments to mitigate
  • Summary Venezuela is an example of a decaying petrostate, where the government is highly dependent on income from fossil fuels, power is concentrated in an elite minority, and corruption is widespread.  Petrostates are vulnerable to what economists call Dutch disease, a dynamic in which a government develops an unhealthy dependence on natural resource exports, and other important industrial sectors are deprived of investment. Venezuela has descended into economic and political turmoil under President Nicolas Maduro, as its once-substantial oil outflows have slowed to a trickle. Absent a power transition, analysts say the country’s prospects are grim.
  • Jeffrey Sachs,
Stuart Suplick

Striking Syria: Mixed messages | The Economist - 2 views

www.economist.com/...striking-syria

syria syrian-people rebels regime economist

shared by Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13 - No Cached
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Interesting how the division may also be socio-economic: the wealthy in non-rebel held areas may not like Assad, but don't want to "take one for the team" (or perhaps they just want to avoid becoming collateral damage). Other Syrians (more middle class(?)) in rebel-held areas are more sympathetic to the rebel cause.
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Have news agencies been focusing too much on America's indecisiveness, and what it means for its PR? Shouldn't they focus more on how a strike can or will be a turning point, for better or worse, in the Syrian Civil War? Wouldn't such a discussion better help the general public and government officials make more informed and holistic decisions? Wouldn't it be ideal to have a greater emphasis on such a discussion by the help of the news agencies?
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      The U.S. is indeed the "global cop" when the UN is powerless (in Syria's case, virtually powerless b/c of Russia's veto power). For every dollar spent on global defense/security by the world's countries, 42 cents of it was spent by the U.S. (NPR).
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Heard it this morning, can't recall what year.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Some wealthy Damascenes say that though they are keen to see the back of Mr Assad, they would rather America not strike because they fear the potential consequences. Syrians living in rebel-held areas, who have less to lose, seem more supportive of intervention.
  • many criticise America for not asking them which targets to hit
  • many are annoyed that the conversation about strikes revolves around America’s credibility and deterring other regimes, rather than putting an end to Syria’s war or Mr Assad’s rule.
  • Some Arab states, like Saudi Arabia, urge action in private, but keep quiet publicly, lest they be seen to be seeking Western help
  • One thing many Syrians do agree on, however, is their contempt for Mr Obama's indecisiveness: "Obama, you ass, are you going to hit us or not?" asks a young Damascene on Facebook.
  • Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
  • olivialucas on 13 Sep 13
     
    I find it very interesting that the Damascenes' opinions on U.S. intervention seem to differ based on socio-economic status, but yet the majority of them all agree that Obama should be more decisive about his plans for or against invasion. In general, this article surfaces a lot of interesting points to ponder surrounding the conflict in Syria.
  • kian vafai on 13 Sep 13
     
    The article makes a very important point. U.S. engagement is not aimed at overthrowing Assad and establishing a new political government or regime, rather American involvement is serving as a deterrent for the prevention of chemical weapon usage by other countries. Such reasoning undercuts the moral virtue of American involvement in Syria and will serve to fuel greater anti-American sentiments in the region.
olivialucas

Media's False Equivalency Played a Big Part In Government Shutdown - 0 views

www.huffingtonpost.com/...lse-equivalency_b_4168561.html

government shutdown obamacare media

shared by olivialucas on 29 Oct 13 - No Cached
  • olivialucas on 29 Oct 13
     
    This article discusses the role inaccurate media portrayal played in the emergence and persistence of the Obamacare debate. The op-ed piece argues that false equivalency in the media by way of exaggerating the mistakes and flaws of one party to criticize the obvious sins of the other party allowed the media to add fuel to the fiery debate without appearing to have a bias for one side or the other.
Katie Despain

Ukraine's Gas Deal With Russia Reflects Shifting Pressures - 0 views

online.wsj.com/...-shifting-pressures-1411762998

ukraine russia

shared by Katie Despain on 29 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • Katie Despain on 29 Sep 14
     
    Months after the Ukraine crisis, Ukrainian officials still rely on Russia for gas sources. Interestingly, the economic fighting between Russia and Ukraine allows Russia and rebels in Ukraine to shift the focus of negotiations with Kiev from securing the border between Russia and Ukraine to the current economic problem. The pro-Western government in Kiev is forced to compromise with Moscow in order to receive essentials for the upcoming chilly winter. The deal shows that the Kremlin is switching from a military to an economic strategy to fight Ukraine's efforts to align itself with the West. Russia now imposes a trade war threat. Ukraine is the transit route for Russian gas supplies to 28 other countries. Ukraine cannot afford an economic shock from fuel shortages, because its economy is already expected to shrink this year by 7 percent.
olivialum

Signs, Long Unheeded, Now Point to Risks in U.S. Economy - The New York Times - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...nt-to-risks-in-us-economy.html

shared by olivialum on 29 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • The data points range from the obvious to the obscure, encompassing stock market and credit bubbles in China, the strength of the dollar relative to emerging market currencies, a commodity rout and a sudden halt to global earnings growth.
  • The United States economy would only be able to avoid for so long the deflationary forces that have taken root in China
  • global G.D.P. pie is shrinking
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Suddenly, loans in relatively cheap dollars that financed real estate and consumption booms were no longer available and the ultimate result was always a growth slowdown.
  • What was driving weakness in all these countries was the gradual slowdown in the Chinese economy. As China bought less steel from Brazil, iron ore from Australia (its stock market was down by 22 percent during this time frame) and less mineral fuel and oil from Indonesia, the effect on these economies was immediate.
  • The bottom line though, is that investors in American stocks recognized too late in the game that a global contraction was sneaking up on them.
alisimons

German border policy worries Greek officials | Kathimerini - 0 views

www.ekathimerini.com/...policy-worries-greek-officials

shared by alisimons on 17 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • alisimons on 17 Sep 15
     
    A decision by the German government to tighten inspections along its border with Austria has fueled serious concerns in Athens as thousands of refugees and migrants continue to arrive on Greece's islands from neighboring Turkey. Greek government officials warn that the move could lead to the collapse of the country's already problematic system of response to the migration crisis.
Arshia Surti

Europe! Europe! Europe! - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...08iht-edcohen.html

europe EU unity

shared by Arshia Surti on 09 Oct 10 - No Cached
  • Arshia Surti on 09 Oct 10
     
    An interesting article on European unity (or disunity) and decreasing EU power.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Samantha Bishop on 15 Oct 10
     
    This article is very interesting. I like the connection that is made between what is happening in Belgium and what is happening in Iraq in reference to government. Another part that stood out to me is the emphasis on the decrease of the EU power as Arshia mentioned. I was unaware of this rapid decrease in patriotism.
  • Kay Bradley on 17 Oct 10
     
    Great article. Resonates with an article in the New York Times today (Sunday, 10.17.10) by Frank Rich: "the Rage Won't End on Election Day," http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/opinion/17rich.html?ref=opinion Having to do with the fact that economic fears, outsourcing and immigration are fueling the rise of intolerant populism--in the US it's the Tea Party movement; in Europe the anti-muslim, anti-gypsy frenzy. . .
  • anonymous on 18 Oct 10
     
    It is odd for the British to do this. After all, they've shown their mistrust of a united Europe in their repeated refusal to forgo the pound and convert to the euro (and they've been proven correct in doing so; just look at the exchange rate). To have them as the most spirited proponents of the European unity dream (and I do mean dream) is certainly a statement about the rest of Europe.
Ben Mittelberger

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/missing-weapons-from-gadhafi-era-arms-c... - 0 views

This article touches on the monster that the UN and NATO may have created when they decided to assist in the destabilization of Libya. Huge caches of light and heavy arms are missing from the Gadha...

Libya Arms Revolution

started by Ben Mittelberger on 08 Sep 11 no follow-up yet
Kay Bradley

Opinion | Your Tax Dollars Help Starve Children - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...n-famine-war-saudi-arabia.html

shared by Kay Bradley on 10 Dec 18 - No Cached
  • he United States is thus complicit in what some human rights experts believe are war crimes.
  • Houthi rebels who control much of Yemen,
  • Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, backed by the United States, are trying to inflict pain to gain leverage over and destabilize the Houthi rebels.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • The reason: The Houthis are allied with Iran.
  • The governments of Saudi Arabia and the United States don’t want you to see pictures like Yaqoob’s or reflect on the suffering in Yemen.
  • Even the survivors may suffer lifelong brain damage.
  • Yemen began to disintegrate in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and then the Houthis, a traditional clan in the north, swept down on Sana and seized much of the country.
  • Houthis operate a police state and are hostile to uncovered women, gays and anyone bold enough to criticize them.
  • I asked President Houthi about the sarkha, the group’s slogan: “God is great! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curses on the Jews! Victory to Islam!” That didn’t seem so friendly, I said.
  • the system.”
  • When I asked about Saudi and American suggestions that the Houthis are Iranian pawns, he laughed.
  • “That’s just propaganda,”
  • But he cautions that the risk of another Somalia is real, and he estimates that there may be two million Yemenis in one fighting force or another.
  • nother danger is that the Saudi coalition will press ahead so that fighting closes the port of Hudaydah, through which most food and fuel come
  • To avert a catastrophe in Yemen, the world needs to provide more humanitarian aid. But above all, the war has to end.
Kay Bradley

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/21/germanys-coronavirus-response-masterful-science-communi... - 2 views

Good find, Anya. This week we'll be listening to an NPR article comparing China's and India's response to COVID-19. . . and the question of civic culture/mindset that predominates in different cou...

started by anyak2021 on 28 Aug 20 1 follow-up, last by Kay Bradley on 01 Sep 20
artemisiam2021

In Visiting a Charred California, Trump Confronts a Scientific Reality He Denies - The ... - 1 views

www.nytimes.com/...ires-trump-climate-change.html

California_Wildfires Climate_Change Trump NYTimes

shared by artemisiam2021 on 14 Sep 20 - No Cached
  • artemisiam2021 on 15 Sep 20
     
    Trump has come to California today to take inventory of the wildfires currently scorching the state. He has been firmly denying the existence of climate change while promoting the usage of fossil fuels throughout his campaign and presidency, even though climate change is at least partially responsible for the level of devastation the California fires have caused.
  • anyak2021 on 15 Sep 20
     
    This is a super interesting article. I didn't realize how directly responsible Trump is for much of the current climate crisis and that his decisions in the past 4 years have had a global impact
marleyg2021

Japan's coronavirus fatigue is fueling defiance in Tokyo, even as the case count rises ... - 3 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html

shared by marleyg2021 on 27 Aug 20 - No Cached
  • marleyg2021 on 27 Aug 20
     
    Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic Japan has consistently had a low number of cases but as quarantine continues many citizens are getting restless at home and others feel the finical pressure to reopen their businesses despite the increase of cases.
  • amalieg2021 on 27 Aug 20
     
    I find it interesting how this article highlights the sentiment that the Japanese government is out of touch and lacks leadership when it comes to the containment of the coronavirus. The government's apparent prioritization of the economy over the well being of their citizens does not seem unique to Japan.
  • mayas2021 on 30 Aug 20
     
    I agree with Amalie in that many government's, Japan and the United States included, are prioritizing the economy over the health of their citizens. I also find it interesting that the Japanese government is half-way committing to shut downs, which is also similar to the United States. Countries might need to start putting the well being of their citizens first, even if that will lead to economic struggles for the country.
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