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Three Roads: Labor, Music, Ecology is a new book by LNS president and founder Joe Uehlein. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants/Communication Workers of America says, “Three Roads is both an instruction manual for building campaigns to win big fights and a deeply personal and uplifting memoir. Joe is a true champion for working people and our planet, and he makes the stories of our fight sing off the page.”

Now Joe is giving a series of readings and performances from Portland Me to Seattle WA:

Here’s where to catch Joe’s Show:

More info here

The post LNS Prez Joe Uehlein Touring with New Book and Guitar first appeared on Labor Network for Sustainability.

Image Source: “Protest against ICE in downtown Minneapolis 23 January 2026 – ICE OUT – Fuera ICE” by Fibonacci Blue via Wikimedia Commons.

Minnesota trade unionists are among 15 people indicted in mid-June on charges of “conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer” during ICE attacks on Minneapolis since December 2025. The indictment cited participation in assemblies of trade unionists and other workers held at the United Labor Centre in Minneapolis as evidence that the activists participated in a criminal conspiracy.

Kieran Knutson, president of Communications Workers of America Local 7250, described these worker assemblies as “an attempt to create a democratic space for workers to be part of decision making about how the workers’ movement participates in the anti-ICE resistance, and in the labor movement in general.”

“Most union members can go to their union meetings if their unions have meetings and participate this way, but this was a way of doing that across different unions, across different industries, across different trades, in a way that’s directly democratic, to talk about and discuss and debate issues. It wasn’t a front group for any one political trend. A number of unions sponsored it.”

More than fifty labor and community groups responded to the conspiracy indictment with a statement signed by SEIU Local 26, UNITE HERE Local 17, CWA Local 7250, UFCW locals 1189 and 663, Education Minnesota, and the Minnesota AFL-CIO, among others. It read in part:

“A hundred thousand of us peacefully marched in minus twenty degrees. No matter what we look like, how we pray, or what language we speak, we looked out for our neighbors and stood up to attacks on our state. But now, ahead of our midterm elections, the Trump regime’s weaponized DOJ is lashing out in hopes of intimidating people who challenge their corruption, abuses of power, and attacks on our freedoms.

“But Minnesotans have already proven we won’t cave to bullies and their billionaire backers, no matter their fearmongering and division. We’ll continue to stand together and stand up for what is right, because that’s what neighbors do for each other.”

For more on this story:

• “Sweeping Federal Indictments of Ice Observers Net Minnesota Unionists” from In These Times
• “We’ll Continue to Stand Together”: Minnesota Labor Slams Federal Indictments as Political Repression from Workday Magazine

The post “Then They Came for the Trade Unionists…” first appeared on Labor Network for Sustainability.

Today, by a vote of 6-3, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the long-standing federal limit on campaign spending coordination between political parties and candidates. This limit was passed by Congress in 1971 to guard against the corrupting effect of large campaign contributions flowing through party committees to candidates to circumvent federal limits on the amount of direct campaign contributions to candidates. The case is National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission. Public Citizen filed an amicus brief in the case arguing in support of the law.

“This Supreme Court twisted the First Amendment to help billionaires and corporations buy our elections and bend our government to their will,” said Public Citizen Democracy Advocate Jon Golinger. “We have to combat this outcome by increasing transparency so voters know who’s paying for election ads, empowering small donors and public matching funds, and passing the Democracy For All Amendment to empower Congress, the states, and the voters to put in place reasonable protections to guard against campaign finance corruption.”

Data centers are large warehouse-like structures filled with digital electronics that process artificial intelligence (AI). They can encompass more than a million square feet. Today by one count there are 4,149 data centers in the US, with 2,788 more under construction or planned. LNS is currently preparing an informational guide about the impact of data centers on workers.

The companies planning data centers maintain they will benefit local communities and produce large numbers of much-needed jobs. Some unions have joined them. But according to a recent Gallop poll, seven in ten Americans oppose constructing data centers in their local area. Nearly half, 48%, are strongly opposed. Barely a quarter favor these projects, with only 7% strongly in favor. Community coalitions in hundreds of locations are organizing to oppose them. Just in the first quarter of 2026, the number of groups actively opposing data centers more than doubled to 833 across 49 states. They say they will corner local energy supplies and therefore raise electric rates; drain scarce water resources; pollute the environment; accelerate global warming; and create heat and noise pollution for miles around.

Patrick Schloesser, a software engineer at Amazon Web Services, recently testified in support of regulation of new data center construction in Seattle: “It’s been reported that this year, Amazon is spending $200 billion on capital, with most of it going to data centers and AI. Microsoft is spending $190 billion. Meanwhile, the leaders at my company have laid off 30,000 corporate employees in the last eight months.” (The Seattle City Council ultimately voted for a yearlong moratorium of local data center construction.)

Tech workers, joined by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Association of University Professors, and the Working Families Party, have just founded the Guardrail Alliance, a super PAC designed to “take on moneyed entities that oppose reining in A.I., while supporting legislation to safeguard the technology.”

The post Why All the Fuss about Data Centers? first appeared on Labor Network for Sustainability.

Image Source: “Renewable Energy Systems Engineering” by Getty Images Signature via Canva (Altered)

The Green Workers Alliance is an organization of 1,800 renewable energy workers across the country who are mobilizing to win more and better jobs in the sector. In early June GWA members joined allies from the United Ratepayers campaign to crash the Edison Electric Institute annual summit in Las Vegas, joining activists from across the nation to call for an end to rate hikes and increased use of renewable energy, the most affordable way to power our nation. As the CEO of Nevada Energy spoke, ratepayers demanded the utility cancel the daily demand charge, which is being imposed as Nevada residents face worsening struggles paying their utility bills. GWA says that expanding renewable energy means jobs for its members and affordable energy for hard-pressed utility customers.

Source: https://www.greenworkers.org/post/gwa-on-the-move-this-spring

The post Green Workers Alliance Crashes Edison Electric Institute Summit first appeared on Labor Network for Sustainability.

Image Source: The White House, Public Domain

In two new pieces in his Commentary on Solidarity and Survival series, LNS co-founder and senior strategic advisor Jeremy Brecher reviews Donald Trump’s war against fossil-free energy and examines to what extent it has succeeded.

Trump’s Anti-Greentech Counter-Revolution by Jeremy Brecher | Jun 1, 2026

From the day of his inauguration until long after the closing of the Straits of Hormuz, President Donald Trump and his fossil fuel supporters have conducted an unrelenting war against the Greentech revolution and fossil free energy.

Irresistible Greentech Revolution Meets Immovable Trump Counter-Revolution by Jeremy Brecher | Jun 15, 2026

As we saw in the previous commentary, Donald Trump is conducting a full spectrum counter-revolution against the Greentech revolution that is transforming energy production and consumption worldwide. This commentary shows that he has managed to significantly impede the onward march of Greentech in the US, but that Greentech is marching on nonetheless.

 

The post Has Trump Defeated the Greentech New Deal? first appeared on Labor Network for Sustainability.

Image source: “Piles Judicial Court Files” by AndreyPopov via Canva (Altered).

In March, 2023 the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, to rule on the obligation of nations to protect the climate under international law. In July 2025 the Court ruled that States have an obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions. The Court also ruled that if States breach these obligations, they are legally responsible and may be legally required to stop the wrongful conduct, offer guarantees that it won’t happen again, and make full reparation, depending on the circumstances.

Now the General Assembly has passed a new resolution, affirming the Court’s ruling that States are obliged to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emission. There were 141 votes in favor, and 28 abstentions, with Belarus, Iran, Israel, Liberia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the US, and Yemen voting against.

Source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167561

The post UN General Assembly Backs World Court: International Law Says Governments Legally Responsible to Protect the Climate first appeared on Labor Network for Sustainability.

Image Source: “Global Climate Strike 09-20-2019” by Markus Spiske via Canva (Altered).

In an advisory opinion issued May 21, the International Court of Justice ruled that the right to strike is protected under the International Labor Organization’s Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement,

“At a moment when workers’ organizations face sustained attacks around the world, this opinion reaffirms that the freedom to withhold one’s labor is not a privilege granted by the powerful, but a fundamental human right grounded in international law.”

Check out “Labor Unions Celebrate World Court’s Ruling That Enshrines the Right to Strike” from Truthout for more information.

The post World Court Affirms: Workers Have a Right to Strike first appeared on Labor Network for Sustainability.

Today in Trump v. Barbara the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship to everyone born in the United States.

Thomas Wolf, director of democracy initiatives at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following reaction:

“Today’s ruling is the right one amid an avalanche of Supreme Court opinions undermining our democracy. The Court could not have defensibly ruled any differently. The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed citizenship to everyone born here over 150 years ago. The Supreme Court affirmed that 20 years later in Wong Kim Ark. Meanwhile, the Court has been on an anti-democratic rampage.

“In just the past few weeks alone, the Court further undermined the Voting Rights Act, encouraged more aggressive partisan gerrymandering, dangerously expanded presidential power over federal agencies, and further depleted protections for immigrants. This ruling does not make up for all the damage the Court has done this term.”

In an important victory for all Americans, today the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a presidential executive order that would have changed the 14th Amendment’s process for U.S. citizenship.

But while today is a victory, attacks on communities of color continue to persist both with the president and in cases with this court.

“While we welcome the Court finally upholding a constitutional amendment ratified nearly two centuries ago, upholding the law is no cause for celebration, it is a requirement” Common Cause President & CEO Virginia Kase Solomón said. “Let today be a stark reminder that this court continues to systematically dismantle voting protections for Black and brown communities, tilting the scales of justice toward a dark era where a wealthy, privileged few dictate the rules for the rest of us. Today may be a brief victory for the rule of law, but our fight to protect our multiracial democracy continues.”

It’s not easy being green — especially when you’re a scientist in an environmental field. Sometimes we’ve been at it for so long we lose sight of the many sympathetic folks and resources that surround us.

But there’s much we can do to find local, national, and international colleagues, and more importantly help the public understand the importance of what we do every day.

 

 

Dear Dr. Green,

I’ve been active in the environmental movement ever since high school. I’m a microbiologist studying the ability of bacteria and fungi to break down pollution. I also partner with organizations like Mossy Earth to restore degraded land. I’m seeing a lot of burnout and pessimism in environmentalist circles, but I’m really optimistic about humanity’s odds to beat climate change, habitat destruction, and our other problems. The scientific discoveries I make show me that nature is resilient. I can’t seem to convince anyone, though. My question is: How do people find hope again? Sometimes it feels like I’m carrying a torch in the dark all by my lonesome.

T.F.

Hello T.F.,

First, thank you for your service and dedication to environmentalism. We need people with the optimistic, whole-hearted commitment to our natural world more than ever. Your  optimism is invigorating and your work sounds fascinating and fulfilling.

Loneliness seems to be part of the package, too, but you don’t have to feel alone. Like the discoveries you’ve made about nature’s resilience, you need to nurture your own resilience and gather other environmentalists around you in a vibrant collective.

Let’s look at how we can get you more grounded with others who share your values and work ethic and how you can inspire hope in the process.

Start with yourself, then friends and colleagues, and expand from there.

Do you like to write about your ecological science work in language accessible to the public? That might be a great way to contribute to local and regional newspapers’ editorial sections; or contact the editors of regional media and suggest an environmental section if there isn’t one already. Such pieces can get people involved in local issues that affect their health and wealth.

Look for local events like farmers’ markets and monthly town celebrations where you might try having an informational table or booth and meet and greet. It may cost you a bit, but you can set out a donation jar to offset costs and get friends involved to help. The World Wildlife Fund has a great guide on how to host an information booth.

Next, reach out to your circle of professional contacts, groups and colleagues — even if you haven’t talked to them in ages. I’m not a fan of Facebook, but it can be a handy place to seek out old comrades and colleagues in your field, as can other social media platforms or LinkedIn. You mentioned your work with Mossy Earth; did you make connections there? Reach out and find where they are gathering with other environmental scientists. What are some other environmental circles you have worked or participated in?

Consider becoming an educator and mentor for younger folks interested in the work you do.

Young people — and really, anyone at any age — love learning about cool stuff like using bacteria and fungi to destroy pollutants. Mentor school kids: They might want to follow in your footsteps. Look for some public presentation opportunities at your local library, community and youth centers, the YMCA/YWCA, Rotary and other clubs (Lions Club, Elks, Veterans), local outdoors clubs — like hiking, gardening, surfing, boating — churches, schools (especially science classes), and community colleges and universities. These places are always looking for guest speakers or experts.

Develop a PowerPoint projected slideshow, handouts, and other educational materials. Again, a little out-of-pocket cost for screens, projectors, and your time is cheaper than feeling lonely or despairing.

In giving these talks, you’ll meet people and have a chance to enlighten them. Remember to speak in layman’s terms: Explain any concept in simple easy-to-understand language and don’t get in the weeds with overly academic or scientific terms. Focus on the enthusiasm you have for what you do, and the audience will be enthusiastic too.

People can rediscover hope when you show them good news about new  developments in environmental science.

Shine a light for everyday people who are not scientists, but who are eco-curious. Communicate to them what you and your colleagues are doing to save the environment, such as with Mossy Earth and other organizations and teams. Your rich experience and optimism will get people engaged.

Scientific achievements mean little to the public unless people in the sciences, like us, get out there and talk about what we’re doing.

Let our readers know how it’s going and ask more questions about the dissemination of scientific work to the public. We want to know how you move forward with this!

See you next time!

Cheers, my friend

Dr. Green

What are you struggling with as a dedicated environmentalist and global citizen? Let us know by sending your questions and success stories in the text box below.

All participants are anonymous. Even Dr. Green has no idea who you are.

Send Dr. Green your questions and stories below:

All questions are considered intended for publication; published questions will be kept anonymous. Individual replies are not possible.

Disclaimer: This column is not a replacement for therapy, and the advice given is educational in nature, not a replacement for professional psychological or psychiatric therapy. This is a peer-driven support effort by The Revelator to inform and build community with environmental and wildlife defenders.

If you are feeling critically depressed and suicidal, it’s time to immediately find professional help. Go to your closest emergency room or call the following numbers to get immediate help in your area:

SUICIDE HOTLINES

Worldwide: http://www.befrienders.org/support/

United Kingdom: http://www.samaritans.org

USA: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

1-800-273-TALK

Resources:

“Feeling Hopeless About the Climate? Try Our 30-Day Action Plan” (The Revelator)

“Yes, Your Friends and Neighbors Want to Talk to You About Climate Change” (The Revelator)

WWF: “How to Host a Booth or Table at a Community Event”

The Nature Conservancy: “Ways to Get Involved”

Mossy Earth: A Team Restoring Nature & Fighting Climate Change

American Scientist: “12 Tips for Scientists Writing for the General Public” by Katie L. Burke

Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World by Katharine Hayhoe

What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

The post Dr. Green: An Environmentalist Scientist Asks About Finding Connections and Inspiring Hope appeared first on The Revelator.

Today, the Supreme Court ruled for the Republican Party and JD Vance in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, reversing previous decisions and removing one of the last restrictions preventing wealthy donors from funneling huge sums to their preferred candidates through political parties. The decision strikes down limits on "coordinated expenditures" and opens the door to even more billionaire influence in American elections.

Stand Up America’s Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, Brett Edkins, issued the following statement on today’s decision:

“The right-wing supermajority on the Supreme Court thinks Citizens United didn’t go far enough. Today they gave their blessing for billionaires to buy even more influence over the politicians who represent us.

“Americans deserve a Supreme Court that upholds our fundamental freedoms–not one that consistently sides with billionaire donors and diminishes the power of everyday citizens in our democracy. Congress should rein in this rogue Court once Trump leaves office by enacting major reforms, including term limits, an enforceable code of ethics, and expanding the Court with justices who will defend our democracy and our fundamental freedoms.”

Since 2021, Stand Up America has been on the front lines of the fight for Supreme Court reform, mobilizing its members to take nearly one million actions in support of Supreme Court term limits, expansion, and a binding code of ethics.

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, the National Audubon Society released the Great Salt Lake Birds and Habitat Assessment—a science-based analysis that integrates habitat, hydrology and climate modeling...

Eric Mackres is senior manager of urban analytics for the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and attended London Climate Action Week during the June 2026 heatwave. Usama Bilal is an associate professor of epidemiology and co-director of the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel University.

As thousands gathered in London for one of the year’s largest climate gatherings last week, Western Europe faced its most severe heatwave ever recorded. The irony was not lost.

Across Europe, over a dozen countries issued urgent heat warnings and the World Health Organization recorded over 1,300 excess deaths. In London, where air conditioning is rare in buildings and on trains and buses, temperatures soared past 36 degrees Celsius (97F) and schools closed early. The mayor announced the city’s first heat action plan – an important step.

Extreme heat is now a public health crisis for many of the world’s cities, as the urban heat island effect intensifies dangerous temperatures – and it’s growing worse. Around 500,000 people die from extreme heat every year. As global temperatures rise, and with a severe El Niño getting underway, even more people will die and be hospitalised unless cities act soon.

But most cities are still taking a far too one-sized-fits-all approach to tackling heat, looking only at temperatures and not its local effects on people and their health.

People experience heat differently

How extreme heat affects people’s health can vary widely across a country and city, depending on their environment and demographics. Cities can save far more lives and prevent more hospitalisations by taking a tailored approach, using data to understand who’s most vulnerable and directing solutions toward them.

The good news: better data now exists that enable cities to pinpoint who’s most at risk. And that data can inform customised adaptation strategies to save lives. Indeed, the future of cities will hinge on their ability to deliver solutions to extreme heat tailored to at-risk people and neighborhoods.

Comment: Climate adaptation in Africa needs investment, not imported solutions

First, cities should start by measuring heat’s risks to people’s health locally. Our work in Brazil and across Latin America shows big differences in what temperatures are dangerous and how quickly risks escalate at higher temperatures. These variations exist between cities, between demographic groups and between neighbourhoods.

But it’s not as simple as finding the hottest places. In temperate Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, a person’s risk of death increases by 25% at temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius (81F). In tropical Teresina, in northern Brazil, which is hot year-round, the same temperature does not elevate the risk of death. At 32 degrees Celsius (90F), a person’s risk of death increases by a milder 10%.

These differences also exist within cities where the climate is the same. Elderly people, the very young, lower-income communities and those without air-conditioning and shaded green spaces are all more likely to get sick, be hospitalised, or die from heat. Areas with more trees and green spaces usually have lower temperatures, and therefore lower impacts of heat.

Targeted heat alerts

Second, cities can use this data to develop early warning systems and outreach campaigns that give people more targeted heat alerts. Research in the UK found that the elderly, despite being among the most at-risk, often were unable to heed warnings during the 2022 heatwave. Well-designed heat warning systems and city responses strengthen people’s trust in health services. They can change people’s behaviours and better prepare municipal services, helping reduce illness, hospital visits and deaths.

Rio de Janeiro adopted a heat alert system in 2024 with five alert levels based on past heatwaves’ impacts on health and forecasts of when temperature and humidity will hit those dangerous levels again. The alert levels activate services like cooling centres, extra public drinking water, and changes to outdoor events. When a heatwave struck during Carnival in 2025, the city was able to deploy resources to protect and warn people while still allowing events to go on.

WHO issues new guidance on heat-health action plans, as El Niño sets in

Finally, cities should use local heat data to target cooling solutions to where they can help people the most. Solutions like tree cover, shade structures and cool roofs lower temperatures and can provide targeted relief for the most vulnerable people, like outdoor workers and those who travel by foot, bike or public transit.

In Florianópolis, Brazil, we helped the local government use heat impact modeling to design a green corridor and urban forestry project that will reduce pedestrians’ heat stress up to 7 degrees C. In Hermosillo, Mexico, our researchers worked with the city and found that certain neighbourhoods could feel up to 14 degrees C hotter than the shaded city center. A park is now under construction that will bring better shade and heat relief to one of the city’s most at-risk areas.

A modular street shade structure on display during an event at New York Climate Action Week on Governors Island, NYC in September 2025. (Photo: Megan Rowling) A modular street shade structure on display during an event at New York Climate Action Week on Governors Island, NYC in September 2025. (Photo: Megan Rowling) Connecting health and climate planning

Momentum to address extreme heat in cities is growing, from both national and local governments. At last year’s UN climate summit in Brazil, the Belém Health Action Plan saw 30 national health ministries commit to build climate-resilient health systems based on local data and evidence-based policies.

And over 160 local governments joined the Beat the Heat initiative, committing to develop urban heat action plans and deliver passive cooling projects to reduce health risks.

But there’s still a disconnect between health, urban and climate officials. Only 23% of World Meteorological Organization member countries integrate weather information into health surveillance systems. Heat-health impact models, though increasingly easy to scale, are not yet built for every city. Some cities still need to collect local data for specific demographics and neighbourhoods – and many need support.

National and local governments will need to partner on this tailored approach. It will require integrating local heat and health data into public health systems, city planning, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness.

We have the data to know who will be most impacted by extreme heat when – and the solutions to keep people alive and out of the hospital. It’s time for governments to use them.

The post With extreme heat now a public health crisis, local data can save lives appeared first on Climate Home News.

• June 30, 2026

(Op-Ed) Ska Fela Moya: Don’t Give Up, Just Breathe The Fumes

When a corporation wraps itself in the language of human endurance while polluting the air that athletes breathe, we should name it for what it is. A lost opportunity.

Gerda Steyn crossed the Comrades Marathon finishing line in Pietermaritzburg in 5 hours 44 minutes and 53 seconds, her fifth (and fourth consecutively), setting a new Up Run course record. It was, by any measure, one of the great performances in the history of the race.

Gerda is a Global Team Toyota Athlete. Toyota announced that partnership at last year’s Comrades and it returned with her to the 2026 race.

Two diesel-powered Toyota Hilux vehicles led her to the finish line.

I have spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of energy, environment and community rights in South Africa. In that time, I have seen many examples of corporations saying one thing and doing another. It is particularly disappointing that Toyota seems to have regressed by only providing fossil fuel-powered vehicles at Comrades 2026. This deserves to be examined clearly.

The Language Of Values, The Reality Of Diesel
Before the race, Toyota South Africa issued a release describing its 22-year Comrades partnership as an expression of values ‘deeply aligned with the Toyota brand,’ including ‘human endurance and determination.’ It provided 14 Hilux bakkies, three Quantum mini-buses, two Urban Cruisers and two Starlet Cross models to support the event.

Not one of those vehicles is electric. Toyota produces the BZ4X electric SUV and, through Lexus, the RZ 450e. Neither appears in the Comrades fleet. The official lead vehicles for the route from Durban to Pietermaritzburg were two diesel Hilux models, burning diesel directly in front of runners for hours on end.

When the language of human spirit is used to sell a brand while exhaust emissions from that brand’s products harm the environment and the health of the people it claims to celebrate, that is a contradiction dressed in marketing.

What The Science Tells Us About Diesel And Human Health
I am a scientist by training. I rely on evidence. There have been a number of published peer reviewed articles that show that breathing in diesel fumes is not good for your health.

Diesel particles cause inflammation in the body. A controlled chamber study by Xu et al., published in Particle and Fibre Toxicology, found that healthy volunteers exposed to diesel exhaust for three hours showed measurable drops in lung function, airway irritation, and elevated inflammatory markers in the blood.

A 2021 peer-reviewed study in PeerJ by Zoladz and Nieckarz found that elite marathon runners ventilate at over 110 litres of air per minute during a race, absorbing substantially more particulate matter than a person at rest. The researchers called for ‘clean air marathon runs’ as a public health measure. A 2024 Brown University study in Sports Medicine quantified the performance effect: higher race-day air pollution could mean slower finish times.

“It’s a missed opportunity. Leading the Comrades Marathon in an electric vehicle would have promoted the brand, the safety of electric vehicles, and the lack of harm. It is slightly incongruous that you are leading a marathon with a diesel engine,” said Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit, professor of pulmonology at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital. “Diesel particles are known to cause inflammation in the body. They are associated with cardiovascular disease and the development of asthma.”

Van Zyl-Smit is right. And there is a further dimension to this that goes beyond the elite runners at the front of the field.

The runners who spend twelve hours on the Comrades route are not professional athletes with medical teams and optimal conditions. They are ordinary South Africans, many from communities that already bear a disproportionate burden of air pollution from industry, traffic and energy poverty.

Every runner on that road was already breathing elevated levels of traffic pollution on a public highway for up to twelve hours, with lungs working at many times their resting capacity.

Instead of seizing the opportunity to promote the future and highlight how electric vehicles can showcase a future driven by clean transport, Toyota disappointingly chose to supply a fossil fuel fleet as the official, branded, celebrated centrepiece of a race-day environment that in my view should have focused on clean air.

The Athlete In The Exhaust
The Gerda Steyn detail sharpens this further. Toyota announced her as a Global Team Toyota Athlete in 2025. She returned to Comrades in that capacity and won, emphatically, smashing her own Up Run record by nearly five minutes and becoming only the second woman in history to claim five Comrades titles.
South Africa and Toyota will celebrate that, as it should. But Steyn, ventilating at elite pace for nearly six hours, was absorbing airborne particulate matter every step along the road.

Why not lead with a fully-electric vehicle?

The Technology Exists. So Why Not Showcase It?
In 2025, Toyota led the Comrades elite races with a Corolla Cross Hybrid. In 2026, it was replaced by a diesel Hilux, a vehicle that burns more fuel, not less. The Toyota BZ4X has a range of over 400 km on a single charge. The Comrades route is 86 km. Other major marathons have already made the shift: the 2025 Berlin Marathon was led by an all-electric BMW iX3, and the London Marathon is supported by an all-electric Ford fleet.

There are various electric vehicle initiatives underway in South Africa. For example, for logistics and people-mover duties, peer-reviewed research by Professor Thinus Booysen and Joshua Sello of Stellenbosch University (conducted in partnership with GoMetro) has demonstrated that electric minibus taxis are operationally viable in South African conditions.

Toyota has previously shown a willingness to supply even rare, commercially unavailable vehicles when it suits the brand. In October 2023, it brought a hydrogen-powered Mirai to the Smarter Mobility Africa Summit in Gauteng for a proof-of-concept demonstration, with the Gauteng Premier in the passenger seat. The Mirai is not for sale in South Africa. Toyota went to the effort regardless. The will to deploy experimental technology for brand purposes exists. Why not seize the opportunity to deploy existing, locally available electric vehicle technology that showcases the future in front of 21 000 runners and a much larger television audience?

The CMA Must Account For Its Choices Too
Toyota does not operate at Comrades without the agreement of the Comrades Marathon Association. Sponsorship contracts are negotiated. The CMA has the standing to require that its official vehicle partner supply electric vehicles and also engage a zero-emissions logistics provider. Neither condition was apparently set.

The CMA’s theme for 2026 is “Ska Fela Moya.” “Don’t give up.” Those words carry weight for everyone who has kept moving through the pain of the last 20 kilometres. But clean air is not a luxury for marathon runners. It is the medium through which they perform. Toyota and the CMA missed the opportunity to deploy electric vehicles and demonstrate that the future of transport is clean, consistent with their celebration of human endurance and determination.

The 100th Comrades Is Eleven Months Away
We live in climate-constrained world, and a move to electric vehicles is an important part of our just energy transition package. South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) aims to decarbonize the economy while protecting vulnerable workers and communities, and its Electric Vehicles White Paper predicts that 75% of total new vehicle sales by 2035 will be electric vehicles. There appears to be an amazing opportunity to showcase South Africa as a country which is moving away from polluting fossil fuels, and that Toyota is committed to leading this charge.

The 2027 Comrades Marathon will be the 100th edition of the race. It will draw global attention and carry symbolic weight that goes well beyond a single sporting event. It is an opportunity to demonstrate what South African sport, and Toyota, stand for over the next 100 years.

A fully electric lead vehicle and fleet at the centenary Comrades would be a genuine expression of the values of sustainability and endurance that lie behind ensuring another 100 years of long-distance running. Corporate environmental responsibility is not measured in mission statements. It is measured in decisions that make a difference in the real world: in this case, what you burn and what you do not burn, and whose air you choose to protect and whose you choose to compromise.

Let us ensure that the 100-year celebration of The Comrades Marathon is a celebration of human endurance and determination to move towards electric-driven mobility.

Liziwe McDaid is Strategic Lead at The Green Connection and co-recipient of the 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa.

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The Green Connection administrator November 6, 2024 Past News TO PROTECT OCEANS AND LIVELIHOODS, WESTERN CAPE HIGH COURT SET TO HEAR ANOTHER CASE AGAINST TOTALENERGIES DRILLING PLANS IN SOUTH AFRICAN WATERS

November 6, 2024 TO PROTECT OCEANS AND LIVELIHOODS, WESTERN CAPE HIGH COURT SET TO HEAR ANOTHER CASE AGAINST TOTALENERGIES DRILLING

The Green Connection administrator November 17, 2024 Past News WITH CLIMATE TALKS UNDERWAY, WHY MUST CIVIL SOCIETY STILL FIGHT TOTALENERGIES’ FOSSIL FUEL DRILLING IN COURT?

November 17, 2024 WITH CLIMATE TALKS UNDERWAY, WHY MUST CIVIL SOCIETY STILL FIGHT TOTALENERGIES’ FOSSIL FUEL DRILLING IN COURT? As

The Green Connection administrator January 24, 2025 Past News Eskom’s Proposed Retail Tariff Plan: The Green Connection Joins Calls For Energy Justice And Stakeholder Engagement

January 24, 2025 Eskom’s Proposed Retail Tariff Plan: The Green Connection Joins Calls For Energy Justice And Stakeholder Engagement. Photo

The Green Connection administrator February 28, 2025 Latest News Eco-Justice Organizations Reject Draft Scoping Report For Offshore Drilling On SA’S West Coast (TEEPSA DWOB South).

February 28, 2025 Eco-Justice Organizations Reject Draft Scoping Report For Offshore Drilling On SA’S West Coast (TEEPSA DWOB South). Just

The post (Op-Ed) Ska Fela Moya: Don’t Give Up, Just Breathe The Fumes appeared first on The Green Connection.

As governments gathered at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa this month, pledging over $6 billion for marine protection, sustainable fisheries and offshore wind, one issue remained largely absent from the main stage: the continued expansion of offshore oil and gas.

From Norway, Brazil and Guyana to South Africa, Angola and Kenya, countries are pushing ahead with offshore oil and gas projects even as they promise to protect marine ecosystems and tackle the climate change that is heating the ocean, raising sea levels and damaging coastal livelihoods. 

Governments argue that offshore oil and gas production is needed for energy security, public revenues and economic growth, but environmental groups say new drilling risks locking countries into decades of fossil fuel production just as they are promising to build a sustainable blue economy. 

Inia Seruiratu, Fijian parliamentarian and the Pacific COP31 Envoy for the Ocean, said the contradiction is becoming harder to ignore. 

“For too long, two conversations – climate mitigation and ocean protection – have run on separate tracks, in separate rooms, with separate experts,” Seruiratu told delegates at a side event during the Mombasa conference held on the shores on the Indian Ocean. 

• Jun 19, 2026 Oceans Mombasa ocean summit drives progress on marine protection, but threats persist At the 11th Our Ocean conference in Kenya, its founder John Kerry says the ocean must become central to climate solutions and needs to be looked after Read more
• Jun 18, 2026 News West African nations target Eastern Atlantic for early high seas protection At the 11th Our Ocean Conference, African governments launched a bid to have the zone classified as one of the first high-seas protected areas Read more
• Jun 5, 2026 Nature Offshore oil and gas expansion threatens key marine ecosystems, report warns Sea life in countries like Kenya is under threat from planned new oil and gas production, analysis by environmental groups has found Read more

“We talk about emissions reductions in one hall, and coral bleaching in the other, as if they were unrelated phenomena rather than cause and effect. As we commit to new marine protected areas, new ocean financing and fisheries action, we cannot continue to treat the symptoms while funding the disease,” he added. 

In Mombasa, only one side event out of the dozens of panels was dedicated to the threats posed by the expansion of offshore oil and gas. That event was organised by civil society rather than governments.

Kenyan officials led by deputy president Kithure Kindiki, alongside John Kerry, founder of the Our Ocean conference. (Photo: Kenya State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries) Kenyan officials led by deputy president Kithure Kindiki, alongside John Kerry, founder of the Our Ocean conference. (Photo: Kenya State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries) New wave of offshore projects

One-third of the world’s global production of oil and gas comes from offshore projects. They harm oceans in part through the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the fuels they produce, with climate change already driving record sea temperatures, coral bleaching and sea-level rise. 

Offshore exploration and production also affect marine life through seismic surveys, underwater noise, vessel traffic and the risk of oil spills, threatening sensitive habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows that support fisheries, biodiversity and coastal protection. 

Now, as onshore reserves mature, a new wave of offshore oil and gas development is advancing across the world. 

Offshore oil and gas expansion threatens key marine ecosystems, report warns

A May report by Earth Insight found that 85% of all hydrocarbon discoveries made in 2024 were offshore, with new projects advancing from Norway and Brazil to Guyana, Namibia and East Africa. 

In Africa, countries such as Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya say exploiting fossil fuel resources could help finance development, support economic growth and lift millions out of poverty, particularly at a time when many face high debt levels and limited access to climate finance. 

Kenya’s conundrum

The debate was on display at the Mombasa conference, where host Kenya announced it was joining the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA), while also defending plans to explore for oil and gas in the Lamu Basin, a biodiverse coastal region. 

“The energy transition is a journey. It is not a one-stop shop,” Alex Wachira, principal secretary for Kenya’s Department of Energy, told Climate Home News. “Therefore, we must explore the transition and bring on as many options as possible while exploiting the resources we have. At some point, the entire sector will transition to 100% renewable,” he added. 

Wachira said Kenya’s low contribution to global emissions and its continued development needs justify pursuing offshore oil and gas alongside renewables, adding that the country still has “the industrial revolution” to achieve.

“Kenya needs to have a piece of the pie … our emissions today are the least, but we have suffered the most,” said Wachira. 

How Shell is still benefiting from offloaded Niger Delta oil assets

The East African nation is seen as a world leader in renewable energy, with about 90% of its electricity generated from geothermal, hydropower, wind and solar. 

Omar Elmawi, a Kenyan climate activist and member of the Fossil Free Ocean Initiative, said Kenya should focus on expanding renewable energy, adding that new fossil fuel projects could result in financial losses as countries move to cut planet-heating emissions and shift to cleaner energy. 

“We know we cannot have a future dependent on fossil fuels. The rest of the world is talking about how to move beyond them,” Elmawi told Climate Home News. 

“If we invest heavily in fossil fuels within our oceans, we’ll end up with stranded assets and a huge debt that taxpayers will have to pay,” he added. 

A side event on fossil-fuel-free oceans at the Our Ocean conference in Mombasa. (Photo: Kenya State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries) A side event on fossil-fuel-free oceans at the Our Ocean conference in Mombasa. (Photo: Kenya State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries) Offshore wind as a solution

Many environmental groups argue that offshore wind is a promising alternative, as it can deliver similar economic benefits from energy production without worsening climate change. 

A study unveiled at the Mombasa conference by Zero Carbon Analytics, Ocean Conservancy and GOWA found that Africa’s offshore wind potential is vast, yet largely untapped. 

The continent could install around 6,750 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity – roughly 28 times its current power generation capacity. 

Developing just 5% of that potential could create an estimated 5.9 million jobs and generate more than $1 trillion in economic benefits, while producing enough electricity to meet all projected growth in power demand through 2040, the study found. 

Campaigners say this could strengthen energy security, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and help build new industries around ports, manufacturing and maritime services. 

According to a 2025 World Bank report, every $1 million invested in offshore wind creates around 25 jobs – five times more than fossil fuels. 

Robust marine protection needed

Bruna Campos, senior campaigner for the Climate and Energy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), said offshore wind offers a cleaner alternative to offshore oil and gas, but warned that poorly planned projects can also cause harm. 

She called for robust marine spatial planning, environmental assessments and early community involvement to ensure the industry does not repeat mistakes associated with fossil fuel development. 

“You need to understand what are the impacts that offshore wind will have on sensitive ecosystems and communities,” Campos told Climate Home News. 

West African nations target Eastern Atlantic for early high seas protection

A 2024 UN study found that offshore wind farms can disturb whales, seals, porpoises and migratory fish, particularly during construction, when underwater noise and seabed disruption are greatest. At the same time, turbine foundations can act as artificial reefs, creating habitat for some species and boosting local fish populations. 

Pacific COP31 Envoy for the Ocean Seruiratu said that while investing in renewables is crucial, it is also important to keep pushing for fossil fuels to be phased out. 

He said his own country, Fiji, is among a growing block of nations calling for “a binding international mechanism for an orderly and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels”. 

“Every offshore drilling decision, every new exploration site, every delayed phase-out is a decision made against the common good,” he added. 

The post Ocean summit stays silent on new wave of offshore oil and gas expansion appeared first on Climate Home News.

Headline News:

• “Trump Killed Climate.gov Last Summer. Scientists Have Just Brought It Back” • Last summer, Trump shuttered climate.gov, NOAA’s portal on climate science. Now a team of roughly eighty volunteer scientists and former NOAA staffers has resurrected climate.gov as the nonprofit climate.us, crowdfunded with over $321,000 in donations. [Gizmodo]

Atmospheric river (NOAA, public domain)

• “Power From Here: Most Of Humanity Already Lives Where Solar And Wind Are Strongest” • Most of the world is already rich in the two energy sources we need to decarbonize fast: sun and wind. The global shift to renewables is not constrained by resource scarcity, but by whether planning and investment move fast enough. [CleanTechnica]
• “Europe’s Record Heatwave Is Shifting East” • Europe is still going through its most severe heatwave on record, with all-time highs shattered by temperatures across the continent. The death toll is more than 1,300. Now the heat is shifting east towards the Balkans and Ukraine, and Ukraine’s war-damaged power grid is bracing for the heat’s next phase. [Euronews]
• “Solar Power: From Intermittent To Reliable Power” • Global solar demand is growing dramatically. China is by far the largest investor in solar PV generation and the largest producer of solar panels. In contrast to many other markets, solar truly is a global growth industry, now representing over 40% of the investment in global power generation. [McKinsey & Company]
• “Duke Energy Latest Company to Accept Trump’s Dirty ‘Deal’ to Scrap Offshore Wind” • Duke Energy accepted $129 million in taxpayer money to end an offshore wind lease. The company is the latest to accept such an offer from the Interior Department. California and northeastern states are suing the US government over such agreements. [CleanTechnica]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Berdasarkan informasi yang beredar, ROYALGACOR memperkenalkan diri sebagai platform hiburan daring yang menyediakan berbagai kategori permainan, mulai dari permainan bergaya slot hingga layanan lain yang berkaitan dengan taruhan digital. Dalam materi yang dipublikasikan, platform tersebut mencantumkan sejumlah fitur seperti permainan kasino, sportsbook, layanan pelanggan, serta sistem transaksi bagi pengguna.

Namun, keberadaan sebuah platform daring tidak hanya dapat dinilai dari daftar fitur yang ditampilkan. Faktor lain seperti transparansi pengelola, keamanan data, legalitas operasional, serta rekam jejak layanan menjadi bagian penting yang perlu diperiksa oleh masyarakat.

Pemeriksaan Informasi Menjadi Langkah Utama

Dalam perkembangan industri layanan daring, tampilan profesional dan banyaknya fitur belum selalu menjadi indikator utama tingkat kepercayaan sebuah platform. Beberapa layanan berbasis internet dapat menggunakan strategi pemasaran yang menonjolkan kemudahan akses maupun berbagai fasilitas, tetapi pengguna tetap perlu melakukan verifikasi secara mandiri.

Salah satu pemeriksa situs pihak ketiga, ScamAdviser, memberikan catatan berbeda terhadap beberapa domain yang menggunakan nama serupa ROYALGACOR. Salah satu domain mendapatkan peringatan terkait sejumlah faktor seperti identitas pemilik yang tidak terlihat, usia domain, serta indikator yang dianggap perlu diperhatikan sebelum digunakan.

Temuan tersebut tidak secara otomatis membuktikan suatu layanan bermasalah, tetapi menjadi pengingat bahwa pemeriksaan keamanan tetap diperlukan, terutama ketika pengguna diminta memberikan data pribadi atau melakukan transaksi keuangan.

Keamanan Data dan Transaksi Jadi Perhatian

Salah satu aspek yang sering menjadi sorotan dalam platform daring adalah perlindungan informasi pengguna. Data seperti identitas akun, metode pembayaran, hingga riwayat aktivitas merupakan informasi yang memiliki nilai penting.

Pengguna disarankan memahami bagaimana sebuah platform mengelola data, apakah memiliki kebijakan privasi yang jelas, serta bagaimana mekanisme perlindungan yang diterapkan. Selain itu, penggunaan kata sandi yang kuat dan kewaspadaan terhadap tautan tidak resmi juga menjadi langkah dasar dalam menjaga keamanan akun.

Memahami Klaim dan Realitas di Lapangan

ROYALGACOR menampilkan berbagai klaim mengenai pengalaman bermain, variasi permainan, hingga layanan yang tersedia bagi pengguna. Namun, klaim promosi perlu dibedakan dengan informasi yang dapat diverifikasi secara independen.

Dalam praktiknya, setiap layanan berbasis permainan berisiko memiliki tantangan tersendiri, termasuk risiko kerugian finansial, ketergantungan penggunaan, maupun penyalahgunaan data apabila keamanan tidak diperhatikan.

Karena itu, pemahaman terhadap mekanisme layanan, aturan penggunaan, serta batasan pribadi menjadi bagian penting sebelum seseorang memutuskan menggunakan sebuah platform.

Kesimpulan

ROYALGACOR menjadi salah satu nama yang menarik perhatian dalam pembahasan mengenai platform permainan daring. Informasi mengenai fitur dan layanan memang tersedia, tetapi pengguna tetap perlu melakukan pemeriksaan lebih lanjut terkait keamanan, kredibilitas, dan transparansi sebelum mengambil keputusan.

Di tengah perkembangan layanan berbasis internet yang semakin luas, sikap kritis dan kemampuan memilah informasi menjadi faktor utama agar pengguna dapat memahami sebuah platform secara lebih menyeluruh, bukan hanya berdasarkan tampilan atau klaim yang ditawarkan.

Austerity and neoliberalism have pushed workers across Bolivia into an indefinite general strike, with miners, teachers, and transport workers, alongside social movement groups (primarily Indigenous),...

The post “Rifle, machine gun, the people will not be silenced”: General strike and protests in Bolivia first appeared on Spring.

Milk comes out slowly. Nipples hurt after each pumping session. Many parents blame the pump, but the real problem sits in a small plastic piece. Wrong flange size cuts milk output by half and damages tender skin. A lactation specialist measures and fixes this hidden issue quickly. Calling a lactation specialist Dubai changes pumping from painful to productive in one visit.

Why size matters:

Fit determines success. If the tunnel diameter is too large, too much tissue pulls inside. This causes friction and swelling. If the diameter is too small, the nipple rubs against the sides, causing pain and blocking flow. Correct alignment allows the tissue to move freely without dragging. Proper dimensions provide comfort and protect sensitive skin from unnecessary trauma during daily use.

Signs of incorrect fit:

Watch for clear physical signals. Redness or skin irritation indicates poor sizing. Pain or burning sensations during the session point toward a bad match. If the nipple looks blanched or white after pumping, the flange is likely too tight. Conversely, if too much areola enters the tunnel, the opening is far too wide. These visual cues tell a story about comfort levels.

How to measure accurately:

Measuring requires patience. Wait until the end of a session when the tissue is most supple. Use a simple tool to measure the base diameter of the nipple. Avoid including the surrounding areola in the calculation. Add a few millimeters for movement to find the ideal diameter. Most manufacturers provide guides to help determine the starting point based on these specific measurements.

The impact on output:

Efficient emptying relies on proper suction mechanics. When the fit matches the anatomy, the cycle mimics a natural nursing rhythm. This stimulates milk production effectively. Poorly fitted parts restrict the ducts, reducing volume. Achieving the right seal helps the device work exactly as intended. Better fit leads to shorter sessions and improved overall yield without the frustration of constant adjustments or skin distress.

Adjusting as needs change:

Bodies shift throughout the journey. Tissue size fluctuates due to hormone levels and hydration. What worked during the early weeks might not suit the situation three months later. Periodically re-evaluating the fit remains wise. Small changes in size requirements are normal. Updating the equipment to match current physical needs keeps the process comfortable and productive throughout the entire duration of feeding.