health and safety

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, June 14, 2016

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• A Diet of Austerity: Class, food and climate change - Reviewed by Martin Empson, Climate and Capitalism, June 13, 2016
• The Doomsday Clock: Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change and the Prospects for Survival - By Noam Chomsky, TomDispatch, June 12, 2016
• Asbestos Industry Knew and Kept Secret for Decades That Their Product Was Deadly - By Alex Formuzis, EcoWatch, June 8, 2016
• Leave it in the ground: A new abolitionism needed for climate change - By David Mirtz, People's World, June 7, 2016

Ongoing Mobilizations:

• Flush the TPP - Ongoing through 2016 | #FlushtheTPP
• March for a Clean Energy Revolution - July 24, 2016, Philadelphia | #CleanEnergyMarch
• TWAC Cascadia 2016 - August 8th-15th 2016

The Thin Green Line:

• Cowboy & Indian Alliance Plant “Seeds of Resistance” Ponca Corn in Paths of Atlantic Coast & Mountain Valley Fracked Gas Pipelines - By Mark Hefflinger, BOLD Nebraska, June 8, 2016; [related]: Activists plant ceremonial corn against pipeline - By Laura Peters, News Leader, June 6, 2016
• Oregon oil train explosion fuels growing opposition movement - By Sarah Gilman, High Country News, June 8, 2016
• In the Pipeline: In Oregon, a volatile climate for liquefied natural gas pipeline and terminal projects - By Juliet Grable,  Earth Island Journal, June 6, 2016
  

Just Transition:

• Climate Jobs for New York State - By Jonathan Neale, Global Climate Jobs, June 12, 2016
• New U.S. Solar Capacity Just Outperformed Fossil Fuels - By Alejandro Davila Fragoso, Think Progress, June 9, 2016; [related]: Solar Added More New Capacity Than Coal, Natural Gas and Nuclear Combined - By Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, June 9, 2016; [and]: Solar Made Up 64% of New Electric Generating Capacity in the US in Q1 2016 - By Mike Munsell, Greentech Media, June 8, 2016
• Unemployed oil workers find new home in solar industry - By Brenda Salinas, Marketplace, June 7, 2016
• University of Wyoming Helps Displaced Coal Workers - By staff, Associated Press, June 6, 2016
• Transition Economics–Vermont - Ken Jones, Darren Springer, and Jon Erickson interviewed by Jan Mueller, The Energy Exchange, May 27, 2016 
• Denmark’s Energy Transition - Justin Gerdes interviewed by Chris Nelder, The Energy Transition Show, May 18, 2016

Bread and Roses:

• International Launch of La Via Campesina’s 7th International Conference - By staff, La Via Campesina, June 14, 2016
• Brazil Occupation: MST Landless Take Over Suzano and report environmental problems - By Anne Petermann, Global Justice Ecology Project, June 13, 2016
• Increase Gained Not Enough: Familias Unidas por la Justicia Members Will Continue the Fight for Fair Wages and Union Contract - By staff, Boycott Sakuma Berries, June 13, 2016
• Some thoughts on the Implications of Brexit - By Matt Lobley, Landworkers Alliance, June 13, 2016
• Striking Colombian Campesinos Reach Deal With Government - By staff, TelesurTv, June 13, 2016; [related]: Colombian Peasant, Indigenous Groups Launch 'Agrarian Strike' - By staff, TelesurTv, May 30, 2016
• Peasant members of SPI demand immediate resolution to land dispute at UPT, Bali Village - By staff, La Via Campesina, June 10, 2016 
• False Promises, Smears and Golden Rice: Is This the Solution for Disease, Poverty and Malnutrition? - By Colin Todhunter, CounterPunch, June 9, 2016
• Farmworkers Union Walk Out from the Fields This Morning - By staff, Boycott Sakuma Berries, June 9, 2016
• In defense of territorial markets, institutional procurement: Ramona and Angel at CFS Negotiations - By staff, La Via Campesina, June 9, 2016; [related]: Small holder farmers are crucial to ensure food security and nutrition: Javier Sanchez at CFS - By staff, La Via Campesina, June 9, 2016
• MEDIA ROUND-UP: Commentators across the World Wide Web take Publix, Wendy’s to task! - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, June 8, 2016
• June 20: Farmworkers Organizing for Justice! Report-back on West Coast Tour - By Heather, Community Alliance for Global Justice, June 6, 2016
• Victims of Colombian Death Squads Can Move Forward With Case Against Former Chiquita Executives - By Valentina Stackl, EarthRights International, June 2, 2016

An Injury to One is an Injury to All:

• Union demands SF make Uber, Lyft, pay for drivers’ business licenses - By Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, San Francisco Examiner, June 8, 2016
• Another coal miner killed on the job - By Ken Ward Jr, Charleston Gazette-Mail, June 7, 2016
• Minister blames Chinese cost cutting for Ramu death - By staff, The National aka The Loggers Times, June 6, 2016
• South Africa in crisis: splits at the top, stirrings from below - By Tom Bramble, Red Flag, June 3, 2016; [related]: South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters: Julius Malema and the Struggle to Continue the Revolution - By Dr. Marsha Cole, Black Agenda Report, May 31, 2016
• Needless radio communications are too distracting, union leader says - By staff, Progressive Railroading, June 1, 2016

Whistleblowers:

• New Nevada monument to be rutted by off-road desert race - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, June 13, 2016
• Whistleblower: EPA Official Covered Up Methane Leakage Problems Across US Natural Gas Industry - By staff, NC WARN, June 8, 2016; [related]: Key government reports were wrong about methane leaks' severity, environmental group alleges - By Ivan Penn, Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2016
• EPA pushing huge hike in drinking water radioactivity - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, June 7, 2016

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, June 7, 2016

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• Climate Is Poised To Be A Divisive Issue For This Group Of Voters - By Samantha Page, Think Progress, June 3, 2016; [related]: Actually, the Labor-Green Alliance Has Never Been Stronger - By Zoë Carpenter, The Nation, May 24, 2016
• Media Blackout As France Witnesses Biggest Revolution In 200 Years - By Sean Adl-Tabatabai, YourNewsWire.Com, June 2, 2016; [related]: French workers answer back with strikes - By Elizabeth Schulte, Socialist Worker, June 1, 2016; [and]: Riots escalate across France as government refuses to reconsider labour law reform - By Alex Wheeler, International Business Times, May 27, 2016; [and finally]: Belgian Trade Unions Prepare for General Strike against “Labour Reforms” Proposed by the Federal Government - By guest, Revolution News, June 6, 2016 
• What I Learned From the Mining Community That Produced My Engagement Ring - By Nicki Lisa Cole, Truthout, June 1, 2016
• Why There Could Be More Blasts Like 2015 ExxonMobil Torrance Oil Refinery Explosion, Putting Millions At Risk - By Larry Buhl, DeSmog Blog, June 1, 2016

Ongoing Mobilizations:

• Convergence In Support of Eco-Prisoners & Against Toxic Prisons - June 11-13, 2016
• Flush the TPP - Ongoing through 2016 | #FlushtheTPP
• March for a Clean Energy Revolution - July 24, 2016, Philadelphia | #CleanEnergyMarch
• TWAC Cascadia 2016 - August 8th-15th 2016

The Thin Green Line:

• Another Oil-By-Rail Fire Near Portland - By Roy L Hales, The ECOReport, June 3, 2016; [for more information] Join 1267 Watch! 
  

Just Transition:

• As Coal Fades, What’s Next for Thousands of Miners? - By Reid Frazier, The Allegheny Front, June 3, 2016
• U.S. Solar Jobs Exceed Oil And Gas For First Time In 2015 - By Thomas R. Burton and Mintz Levin, Breaking Energy, June 2, 2016; [related]: There are more jobs in renewable energy than in oil, gas, and coal combined - By Heather Smith, Grist, May 31, 2016; [and ]: Renewable Energy Jobs Keep Growing While Fossil Fuel Jobs Keep Shrinking - By Mike Gaworecki, DeSmog Blog, May 27, 2016
• Group Aims for NY to Be Climate Leader with Nation’s Strongest Clean, Renewable Energy Bill - By staff, Environmental Advocates of New York, June 1, 2016
• Led By Solar And Wind, Renewable Energy Grew Like Never Before Last Year - By Alejandro Davila Fragoso, Think Progress, June 1, 2016; [related]: A Record Year for Renewables - By Andy Rowell, Oil Change International, June 1, 2016; [and]: Wind and solar drive rise in renewable generation as costs fall - By Sophie Vorrath, REnew Economy, May 31, 2016
• New York Assembly Approves Climate Bill That Would Cut Emissions to Zero - By Zahra Hirji, InsideClimate News, June 1, 2016
• Organizing to put the Leap Manifesto to work - Bianca Mugyenyi and Martin Lukacs interviewed by Scott Neigh, Talking Radical Radio, June 1, 2016; [related]: Leap Manifesto [You Tube Video] - By Avi Lewis, The Murphy Institute, May 31, 2016
• TVUH talks our energy, environment and employment future with Iron & Earth - Lliam Hildebrand interviewed by Canadian Glen, Blog Talk Radio, May 31, 2016

Bread and Roses:

• UAWC Statement on World Environment Day - By Union of Agricultural Work Committees, La Via Campesina, June 6, 2016
• MST-Goiás statement on the policy of harassment against fighters for agrarian reform - By MST-Goiás, La Via Campesina, June 3, 2016
• Three Bible quotes later, no extra overtime pay for farmworkers - By Jeremy B. White, Sacramento Bee, June 2, 2016; [related]: Assembly kills bill to give California farmworkers overtime pay - By John Myers, Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2016
• BAFLF: Government must be prepared for the post subsidy era - By Abdul Mazid and Golam Sorowor, La Via Campesina, June 1, 2016
• CAP 2020: More deregulation will not solve the problems - By Geneviève Savigny, et. al., La Via Campesina, June 1, 2016
• Declaration against the criminalisation, persecution and judicialization of the struggle for the defence of life, rights, land, water, seeds and mother earth - By various, La Via Campesina, June 1, 2016
• Farmworkers March across New York State for the Right to Organize - By Sonia Singh, Labor Notes, June 1, 2016
• Dow-DuPont Merger Will Cripple Farmers and Food Sovereignty, Groups Warn - By Nika Knight, Common Dreams, May 31, 2016; [related]: Logan: Enough is Enough on Big Mergers - By Ron Sylvester, Ohio Farmers Union, May 31, 2016
• National boycott takes center stage at Wendy’s annual shareholder meeting! - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, May 31, 2016 
• Boycott berries? A third generation Sakuma Brothers worker weighs in - By Elizabeth Alvarado, The Seattle Globalist, May 30, 2016; [related]: Renewed Concern Over Labor Dispute at Washington Farm - By Kerstin Lindgren and Anna Canning, Fair World Project, May 26, 2016
• From Albrecht to Monsanto: A System Not Run for the Public Good Can Never Serve the Public Good - By Colin Todhunter, Counterpunch, May 30, 2016
• Joint Statement: 3rd OEIWG session on UN declaration on rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas - By various, La Via Campesina, May 30, 2016   

By staff - OxFam, 2016

As poultry workers are routinely denied adequate bathroom breaks, they face dangers to their health and blows to their dignity.

While the poultry industry today enjoys record profits and pumps out billions of chickens, the reality of life inside the processing plant remains grim and dangerous. Workers earn low wages, suffer elevated rates of injury and illness, toil in difficult conditions, and have little voice in the workplace.

Despite all that, though, workers say the thing that offends their dignity most is simple: lack of adequate bathroom breaks, and the suffering that entails, especially for women.

Routinely, poultry workers say, they are denied breaks to use the bathroom. Supervisors mock their needs and ignore their requests; they threaten punishment or firing. Workers wait inordinately long times (an hour or more), then race to accomplish the task within a certain timeframe (e.g., ten minutes) or risk discipline.

Workers struggle to cope with this denial of a basic human need. They urinate and defecate while standing on the line; they wear diapers to work; they restrict intake of liquids and fluids to dangerous degrees; they endure pain and discomfort while they worry about their health and job security. And it’s not just their dignity that suffers: they are in danger of serious health problems.

The situation strikes women particularly hard. They face biological realities such as menstruation, pregnancy, and higher vulnerability to infections; and they struggle to maintain their dignity and privacy when requesting breaks.

Supervisors deny requests to use the bathroom because they are under pressure to maintain the speed of the processing line, and to keep up production. Once a poultry plant roars to a start at the beginning of the day, it doesn’t stop until all the chickens are processed. Workers are reduced to pieces of the machine, little more than the body parts that hang, cut, trim, and load—rapidly and relentlessly.By its nature, it is demanding and exhausting work.

But it does not have to be dehumanizing, and it does not have to rob people of their dignity and health.

Read the report (Link).

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, May 31, 2016

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• Niger Delta Avengers militants shut down Chevron oil facility - By Ruth Maclean, The Guardian, May 26, 2016; [related] Who are the Niger Delta Avengers? Deep Sea Divers, Sophisticated Explosives, and Sabotage - By staff, Earth First! Newswire, May 26, 2016; [and]: Local leaders supporting militants attacking Nigerian oil production - By Associated Press, FuelFix, May 27, 2016
• The Oil World in Chaos - By Michael Klare, Tom Dispatch, May 26, 2016
• American Unions Form Alliance to Prevent Climate Disaster and Promote Prosperity - By Joe Uehlein and Jeremy Brecher, Labor Network for Sustainability, May 24, 2016
• Leading US union SEIU makes fighting climate change a campaign priority - By Jana Kasperkevic and Oliver Milman, The Guardian, May 24, 2016
• Progressive Nonprofits That Oppose the New Overtime Rules for Low-Income Workers Are Hypocrites - By Ethan Miller, In These Times, May 23, 2016
• Why the Environmental Movement Is Not Winning - By Peter Montague, Huffington Post, (updated) May 23, 2016

Ongoing Mobilizations:

• Convergence In Support of Eco-Prisoners & Against Toxic Prisons - June 11-13, 2016
• Flush the TPP - Ongoing through 2016 | #FlushtheTPP
• March for a Clean Energy Revolution - July 24, 2016, Philadelphia | #CleanEnergyMarch
• TWAC Cascadia 2016 - August 8th-15th 2016

The Thin Green Line:

• Dangling from a trestle, protesters provoke police - By Elizabeth Floyd Mair, Hudson Valley Earth First!, May 26, 2016
• Supporters of shipping coal through Oakland say it will bring jobs [in fact there will likely be more jobs if coal isn't shipped through Oakland; see No Coal in Oakland's analysis for details] - By Erin Baldassari, East Bay Times, May 24, 2016
• Fracking Comes to the UK for First Time in Five Years Despite Concerns Over Gas Leaks and Safety Breaches - By Victoria Seabrook, DeSmog UK, May 23, 2016 
  

Just Transition:

• Is the real rich v poor climate battle about to start? - By Ed King, Climate Change News, May 27, 2016
• Environmental groups should come to the aid of coal country - By Pete Maysmith, Grand Junction Sentinel, May 22, 2016
• Electrify the Rail System for a Just Transition From Fossil Fuels - By Patrick Mazza and Bill Moyer, Truthout, May 12, 2016

Bread and Roses:

• Food sovereignty and climate change - By La Via Campesina, Climate and Capitalism, May 28, 2016
• United Church of Christ, representing one million followers, endorses Wendy’s boycott! - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, May 27, 2016
• Insurgency, conflict and communalism in Colombia - By José Antonio Gutiérrez D. and Janet Biehl, ROARmag, May 26, 2016
• ZIMSOFF and Ucama farmers join hands to fight for farmer saved seeds - By staff, La Via Campesina, May 26, 2016
• “As people of faith… we pledge to join the boycott of Wendy’s until Wendy’s commits to justice for the workers that make your profits possible.” - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, May 25, 2016
• From the Green Revolution to GMOs: Living in the Shadow of Global Agribusiness - By Colin Todhunter, Counterpunch, May 25, 2016
• Kazakhstan: land protesters face police rampage - By Andrei Grishin, People and Nature, May 25, 2016
• Poultry Industry “Sustainability Workshop” Shuts Door to Farmers, Workers, Consumers, Animal Rights Groups - By Jean Willoughby, Rural Advancement Foundation International, May 25, 2016
• Publication: Farm Succession in Romania - By staff, La Via Campesina, May 25, 2016
• Revolt of the ‘Chapulines’: After Strike, Indigenous Mexican Farmworkers Vote To Unionize - By David Bacon, In These Times, May 25, 2016
• Bayer and Monsanto: A Marriage Made in Hell - By Martha Rosenberg and Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association, May 24, 2016; [related]: Bayer ‘Confident’ It Can Still Strike Deal with Monsanto, Merger Could Spell Disaster for Farmers and Global Food Supply - By Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, May 26, 2016; [and] Small Farmers Are Foundation to Food Security, Not Corporations Like Monsanto - By Dr. Vandana Shiva, EcoWatch, May 23, 2016
• Bold, fruity, with a hint of RoundUp... - By Christian Kallen, Sonoma Index-Tribune, May 23, 2016
• Unions join the fight to ban glyphosate in the European Union - By staff, European Trade Union Institute, May 23, 2016
• Toxic ‘red tide’ in Chile prompts investigation of salmon farms - By Jonathan Franklin, The Guardian, May 17, 2016

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, May 25, 2016

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• Breaking Free: A Rising Tide of Climate Resistance - By Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan, Common Dreams, May 19, 2016
• Explaining the Anthropocene: An interview with Ian Angus - By Socialist Review, Climate and Capitalism, May 18, 2016
• NUMSA statement on silicosis and Aurora judgements - By Irvin Jim, NUMSA, May 17, 2016
• The Hidden Workforce Expanding Tesla’s Factory - By Louis Hansen, San Jose Mercury News, May 15, 2016; [related]: The Slovenian Who Fell 3 Stories Illegally Working On Tesla Paint Shop, and Tesla’s Response - By James Ayre, Clean Technica, May 17, 2016; [and]: Tesla’s labor controversy shows that a green job isn’t always a good job - By Heather Smith, Grist, May 17, 2016
• Iron and Earth: oilsands workers call for training in renewable energy - By David Dodge and Dylan Thompson, Green Energy Futures, May 15, 2016

Ongoing Mobilizations:

• Convergence In Support of Eco-Prisoners & Against Toxic Prisons - June 11-13, 2016
• Flush the TPP - Ongoing through 2016 | #FlushtheTPP
• March for a Clean Energy Revolution - July 24, 2016, Philadelphia | #CleanEnergyMarch
• TWAC Cascadia 2016 - August 8th-15th 2016

The Thin Green Line:

• Concerned Health Professionals Ireland call for frac ban - By Concerned Health Professionals of Ireland, Fracking Free Ireland, May 19, 2016 
  

Just Transition:

• #klimajobber: update on climate jobs in Norway - By Jonathan Neale, Global Climate Jobs, May 20, 2016
• Lançamento da campanha: Empregos para o Clima (Launch of climate jobs at 1 May in Portugal) - By Jonathan Neale, Global Climate Jobs, May 19, 2016
• Bay Area cities can lead the way to 100% clean energy - By Nathan Duran, Sierra Club Yodeler, May 18, 2016
• Film review: 'This Changes Everything' - By Rob Hopkins, Transition Network, May 18, 2016
• Some Say Alameda County's New Green Energy Plan Isn't Green Enough - By Jean Tepperman, East Bay Express, May 18, 2016
• Cracks in Capitalism, Part II: Publicly Owned Energy Comes to London - By Steve Rushton, Occupy.Com, May 16, 2016
• Americans Don’t Miss Manufacturing: They Miss Unions - By Ben Casselman, Five Thirty Eight, May 13, 2016
• From Coal To Code: A New Path For Laid-Off Miners In Kentucky - By Erica Peterson, NPR, May 6, 2016
• The energy fix - By Ruth Nyambura, New Internationalist, May 2016
• 100% Clean Energy Economy Is Much Closer Than You Think - By Marc Gunther, Sierra, May 2016

Bread and Roses:

• Activists, Farmers, Indigenous People Rise Up to March Against Monsanto - By Nika Knight, Common Dreams, May 21, 2016
• How Carbon Farming Can Reverse Climate Change - By Andrea Basche, EcoWatch, May 21, 2016
• Article 19-Right to Land and Other Natural Resources- absolutely unnegotiable - By David Jelinek, La Via Campesina, May 19, 2016
• Mobilisation Call: 2nd NYÉLÉNI Europe Forum For Food Sovereignty - By staff, La Via Campesina, May 19, 2016
• 1.4 million reasons why Publix should join the Fair Food Program… - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, May 19, 2016
• Chile’s ‘Worst Ever’ Red Tide Kills 20 Million Fish, Prompts Investigation of Salmon Farms - By Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, May 18, 2016
• What is at stake in the negotiations for a peasant rights' declaration - By Vincent Delobel, La Via Campesina, May 18, 2016
• Blueberry farm workers are striking this morning in protest of wages - By Jeanne Pastore, Kern Golden Empire, May 17, 2016
• How corporate rights protections are threatening farmers' right to seed - By Lois Ross, Rabble.Ca, May 17, 2016
• Signed, sealed, delivered! 300+ Jewish leaders endorse Wendy’s boycott in stinging letter to Nelson Peltz… - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, May 17, 2016
• ECVC pushes for a united front in defense of Seeds - By staff, La Via Campesina, May 16, 2016
• MST Statement on the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff - By MST National Coordination, La Via Campesina, May 16, 2016
• Nebraska Farmers Sue Monsanto Alleging Roundup Gave Them Cancer - By Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, May 16, 2016
• Via Campesina and allies in Geneva for next round negotiations on Peasant Rights - By Mohammed Ikhwan and Sandra Moreno Cadena, La Via Campesina, May 16, 2016
• Farmers sue Monsanto over alleged Roundup cancer link - By Nicholas Bergin, Lincoln Journal-Star, May 15, 2016
• Cuomo Decides To Support State Farmworkers After They Sue Him - By Scott Heins, Gothamist, May 11, 2016

By Jonathan Latham, PhD - The Ecologist, May 20, 2016

Piecemeal, and at long last, chemical manufacturers have begun removing the endocrine-disrupting plastic bisphenol-A (BPA) from products they sell.

Sunoco no longer sells BPA for products that might be used by children under three. France has a national ban on BPA food packaging. The EU has banned BPA from baby bottles.

These bans and associated product withdrawals are the result of epic scientific research and some intensive environmental campaigning. But in truth these restrictions are not victories for human health. Nor are they even losses for the chemical industry.

For one thing, the chemical industry now profits from selling premium-priced BPA-free products. These are usually made with the chemical substitute BPS, which current research suggests is even more of a health hazard than BPA. But since BPS is far less studied, it will likely take many years to build a sufficient case for a new ban.

But the true scandal of BPA is that such sagas have been repeated many times. Time and again, synthetic chemicals have been banned or withdrawn only to be replaced by others that are equally harmful, and sometimes are worse.

Neonicotinoids, which the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) credits with creating a global ecological catastrophe, are modern replacements for long-targeted organophosphate pesticides. Organophosphates had previously supplanted DDT and the other organochlorine pesticides from whose effects many bird species are only now recovering.

The same is likely to happen with glyphosate - whose authorisation the EU notably failed to renew yesterday. If the EU does ban the herbicide in the next few months, the most likely outcome by far is that farmers will reach for another bottle. They will only spray 2,4-D, dicamba and glufosinate (phosphinothricin) instead.

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, May 17, 2016

The following news items feature issues, discussions, campaigns, or information potentially relevant to green unionists:

Lead Stories:

• LIVE BLOG: Climate Resistance Breaks Free from Fossil Fuels - By staff, Rising Tide North America, May 14, 2016; [related]: Climate Resistance Escalates Against the Fossil Fuel Empire - By staff, Rising Tide North America, May 14, 2016
• Break Free or Burn in Hell: a Message From the Canadian Tar Sands - By Paul Street, CounterPunch, May 9, 2016
• Exxon scrambles to contain climate crusade - By Andrew Restuccia and Elana Schor, Politico, May 9, 2016
• Is a Fear of Death at the Heart of Capitalism? - By James K. Rowe, The Arrow, April 28, 2016

Ongoing Mobilizations:

• Convergence In Support of Eco-Prisoners & Against Toxic Prisons - June 11-13, 2016
• Flush the TPP - Ongoing through 2016 | #FlushtheTPP
• It’s Time For the Rubber Stamp Rebellion - May 15-22, 2016 | #NoNewPermits #NoPipelines #NoLNG
• March for a Clean Energy Revolution - July 24, 2016, Philadelphia | #CleanEnergyMarch
• TWAC Cascadia 2016 - August 8th-15th 2016

The Thin Green Line:

• Editorial: If coal is too dirty for the U.S., why would Oakland build a dock to export it to Asia? - By The Times Editorial Board, Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2016
• Demonstrators rally in South Philly against refinery expansion - By Dustin Slaughter, Billypenn, May 8, 2016 
  

Just Transition:

• Responding to economic critiques of the Leap Manifesto - By The Redeye Collective, Rabble.Ca, May 11, 2016
• World’s vulnerable must be at the heart of a low carbon transition - By Teresa Ribera and Michael Zammit Cutajar, Climate Change News, May 11, 2016
• Denmark Is Kicking Its Fossil Fuel Habit. Can the Rest of the World Follow? - By Phil McKenna, Inside Climate News, May 10, 2016
• Geothermal Could Put Thousands from Alberta’s Oil and Gas Sector Back to Work - By Carol Linnitt, DeSmog Canada, May 3, 2016

Bread and Roses:

• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), representing millions, becomes the first major Christian denomination to endorse the Wendy’s boycott! - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, May 13, 2016; [related]: Official new Wendy’s Boycott website up and running, including a call for endorsements! - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, May 11, 2016
• Nebraska farmer leaders in Keystone XL battle call for 100% clean energy for all - By Mark Hefflinger, Bold Nebraska, May 12, 2016
• Day of Action in Support of Familias Unidas and San Quintin, MX Farmworkers - By staff, Boycott Sakuma Berries, May 11, 2016; [related]: Driscoll's Workers Call for Global Boycott over Alleged Abuses at World's Biggest Berry Distributor - By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!, May 6, 2016
• Children in Farm Communities Pay a Steep Price for the Food We Eat - By Elizabeth Grossman, Civil Eats, May 10, 2016
• Brexit or Bremain: Collected Opinions and Resources - By Lynne Davis, Landworkers Alliance, May 9, 2016
• Vietnam police break up protest over fish deaths - By staff and wire, Al Jazeera, May 9, 2016
• Industry benefits but does not pay its dues; Patents are an assault on genetic resources - By Guy Kastler, Agricultures, May 6, 2016
• What Killed Jack McCall? A California Farmer Dies and a Case Against Monsanto Takes Root - By Carey Gillam, Huffington Post, May 6, 2016
• After a Century In Decline, Black Farmers Are Back And On the Rise - By Leah Penniman, Yes!, May 5, 2016

An Injury to One is an Injury to All:

• Federal Toxics Law Still Protecting the Chemical Industry’s Dirty Secrets - By Melanie Benesh, EcoWatch, May 13, 2016
• ‘Indescribable injustice’ - By Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette-Mail, May 13, 2016
• Revision of European legislation on occupational cancers: only a small step forward - By staff, European Trade Union Institute, May 13, 2016
• Worker Killed at Exxon Refinery - By Meagan Parrish, Chem.Info, May 12, 2016
• Don't let the Fort Mac fire turn into feel-good boosterism for the extractive industry; They knew this was coming - By Nora Loreto and Sarah Beuhler, Rabble.Ca, May 9, 2016

Whistleblowers:

• Is the EPA Being Pressured? Environmental Concerns About Syngenta Chemical Removed From EPA Site - By Lisa Graves, PR Watch, May 11, 2016
• Whistleblower Fired for Exposing Flint Mayor’s Plan to Take Water Donations - By Llowell Williams, Care2, May 11, 2016