Eco Unionist News

Read more about EcoUnionist News #84

EcoUnionist News #83

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 12/21/2015 - 20:13

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, December 22, 2015

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

Lead Stories:

Tyson Foods' Secret Recipe for Carving Up Workers' Comp - By Michael Grabell, Truthout, December 18, 2015
2015: The year the coal industry woke up from a nightmare … and found it was real - By Bob Burton, Coal Wire, December 17, 2015
South African Power Plants Roiled By Water Scarcity and Global Pivot Away From Carbon - By Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue, December 16, 2015
And the Unjust Transition Award Goes to … - By Aaron Mair, EcoWatch, December 15, 2015
Labor Advisory Committee Report on TPP Synthesizes Everything Wrong
About the Trade Deal - By David Dayen, Naked Capitalism, December 14, 2015

Ongoing Mobilizations:

Flush the TPP - Spring 2016: | #FlushtheTPP
Railcon15 - Next Conference TBA | #Railcon15

COP21 and Paris:

COP21: in spite of the show, the glass is 80% empty - By Daniel Tanuro, International Viewpoint, December 19, 2015
The COP 21 is over… Or is it only just beginning? - By Michel Genet, Green European Journal, December 17, 2015 [originally in French]: Je COP, tu COP – c’est FINI ! Ou ça commence juste? - By Michel Genet, Eutopia, December 17, 2015
‘Indigenous people were silenced and erased’ - Editorial, New Internationalist, December 17, 2015
COP21 agreed to a climate-changed world - By Nnimmo Bassey, New Internationalist, December 15, 2015
An initial analysis of the COP21 climate agreement - By Brent Patterson, Rabble.Ca, December 15, 2015
Opposition Isn’t Enough - By Kate Aronoff, Jacobin, December 15, 2015
The Paris Climate Talks: a Victory for President Obama, a Defeat for the Planet and a Challenge to the Climate Justice Movement - By Eric Mann, CounterPunch, December 15, 2015
Solidarity with those on the front lines of climate change - By Liam Barrington-Bush, London Mining Network, December 15, 2015
Claim no easy victories. Paris was a failure, but a climate justice movement is rising - By Martin Lukacs, The Guardian, December 14, 2015
Climate Fraud in Paris - By John Reimann, Oakland Socialist, December 14, 2015
Protest in Paris: Climate Justice Activists Decry Accord as "Death Sentence" for Millions - By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now, December 14, 2015
Anti-nuclear climbers defy Paris protest ban, four arrested - By staff, Nuclear Resister, December 4, 2015

The Thin Green Line:

Cities Transitioning To A Fossil Fuel Free Economy - By Roy L Hales, The EcoReport, December 20, 2015
Christmas Comes Early for Big Oil as Congress Agrees to Lift Crude Oil Export Ban - By Mark Hefflinger, Bold Nebraska, December 16, 2015
Dirty deal lubricates the path to oil exports - By Greg Muttitt, Oil Change International, December 16, 2015
Is The Cost Of Extending Renewables Too Much? - By Roy L Hales, The EcoReport, December 16, 2015
Meet the Lobbyists and Big Money Interests Pushing to End the Oil Exports Ban - By Steve Horn, DeSmog Blog, December 16, 2015
What the Northwest Needs to Know about the Crude Oil Export Ban Lift - By Tarika Powell, Sightline Daily, December 16, 2015
Community Activists Help Kill Big Oil Terminal in East Bay - By Jean Tepperman, East Bay Express, December 10, 2015

Bread and Roses:

Latest: Arizona forest restoration project falls short - By Jodi Peterson, High Country News, December 21, 2015
Europe’s Dirty Little Secret: Moroccan Slaves and a ‘Sea of Plastic’ - By Gary Wockner, EcoWatch, December 18, 2015
Family farmers in the US and EU affected by WTO and FTAs - By staff, La Via Campesina, December 18, 2015
Modern Farmer article traces history of Fair Food movement… - By staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, December 18, 2015
Unofficial Draft of Agriculture Text at MC10 Big Disappointment - By staff, La Via Campesina, December 18, 2015
WTO favours developed countries, not the peasants and poor people - By staff, La Via Campesina, December 18, 2015
WTO kills farmers and destroys communities in Thailand and India - By staff, La Via Campesina, December 18, 2015
COP21: La Via Campesina brings peasant voices to People’s Climate Summit - By staff, La Via Campesina, December 17, 2015
Wolf in sheep skin: WTO reinvents and seeks legitimacy in Africa - By staff, La Via Campesina, December 16, 2015
AP Investigation: Supermarkets Selling Shrimp Peeled by Slaves - By John Hocevar, EcoWatch, December 15, 2015 [related]: From Whole Foods to Red Lobster: Stores, restaurants sell shrimp peeled by slaves, AP finds - By Tribune wire reports, Chicago Tribune, December 14, 2015
COP21 and "4 per thousand": Storing Carbon in the Soil - By Chris Rhodes, Energy Balance, December 14, 2015

Tags:

Read more about EcoUnionist News #83

EcoUnionist News #82

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 12/14/2015 - 18:06

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, December 15, 2015

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

Lead Stories:

‘I Didn’t See These Times Coming’: The Economic Despair Behind the Rise in Blue-Collar Deaths - By Stephen Franklin, In These Times, December 10, 2015
South Asian workers in Gulf fear rising temperature - By Navin Singh Khadka, BBC, December 10, 2015
Union-Led Popular Protests Push to Oust South Korean President - By Hyun Lee and Gregory Elich, Labor Notes, December 8, 2015
It's Time To Take A Stand For Workers On TPP - By James P. Hoffa, Leo W. Gerard and Dennis Williams, Huffington Post, December 7, 2015

Ongoing Mobilizations:

Flood the System - Fall 2015: Flood, blockade, occupy and shut down the systems that jeopardize our future! | #FloodTheSystem
Railcon15 - Next Conference TBA | #Railcon15

The Thin Green Line:

No to Coal Exports in Oakland - By Mary Anne Hitt, EcoWatch, December 14, 2015
End of Crude Oil Export Ban Is Possible - By David M Herszenhorn, New York Times, December 14, 2015
Pittsburg Defeats WesPac: Biggest California Crude Oil Project Stopped in its Tracks - By Ethan Buckner, Forest Ethics, December 11, 2015; [related]: Pittsburg Defeats WesPac: Biggest California Crude Oil Project Stopped in its Tracks - By Sam Richards, Contra Costa Times, December 9, 2015
Congress Is Close To A Deal That Could Flood Global Markets With American Oil - By Laura Barron-Lopez, Huffington Post, December 9, 2015; [related]: The Oil Industry Is About To Get A Big Gift From Congress - By Samantha Page, Think Progress, December 9, 2015
Keystone 2.0 - By Jean Tepperman, East Bay Express, December 9, 2015
Seattle Residents Occupy BNSF Offices to Protest Oil Trains - By Afrin Sopariwala, Rising Tide Seattle, December 8, 2015

Bread and Roses:

Building a future without violence in the fields - By Staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, December 11, 2015
Teens of the Tobacco Fields - By Staff, Human Rights Watch, December 9, 2015
Must-listen radio: New story on Fair Food Program’s entry into strawberry industry takes you into the fields as history is made - By Center for Investigative Reporting, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, December 7, 2015

An Injury to One is an Injury to All:

Kazakhstan: who ordered the killings and tortures? - By Gabriel Levy, People and Nature, December 13, 2015; [related] Kazakhstan: oil companies threaten activists - By Gabriel Levy, People and Nature, December 13, 2015
Queens Uni Belfast Fossil Free Occupation - By Admin, People & Planet, December 11, 2015
Another coal miner dies on the job - By Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette, December 10, 2015
Dirty Toys Made in China - By Staff, United Steelworkers, December 10, 2015
Former Safety Inspectors Blow the Whistle on Spectra, 100 March and Take Action in Response - By FANG, Stop Spectra, December 10, 2015
The Sleaze, Guilt and Punishment of Coal CEO Don Blankenship - By Jim Hightower, In These Times, December 10, 2015
Judge Berger issues post-trial rulings - By Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette, December 9, 2015
New Play Chronicles the Toll of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Workers - By Kari Lydersen, In These Times, December 9, 2015
Fear at the tap: Uranium contaminates water in the West - By Ellen Knickmeyer and Scott Smith, Associated Press, December 8, 2015
The Toxic Chemical Causing Lung Disease Among Both Workers Making and Users Vaping E-Cigarettes - By Elizabeth Grossman, In These Times, December 8, 2015
Thousands protest outside Melbourne court as CFMEU senior officials appear on blackmail charges - By Gloria Kalache and Stephanie Anderson, Austrailian Broadcasting Company, December 7, 2015
Workers Raise Concerns over National Grid Proposals that Could Impact Public Safety in Massachusetts - By United Steelworkers Local 12003, PR Newswire, December 7, 2015
Miners on territories of Donbass controlled by Kiev prepare to revolt - By Staff, DNI News, December 4, 2015

1267 Watch:

Fire Near St. Johns Bridge in Portland - By Staff, Columbia River Keeper, December 14, 2015
Police ID driver in deadly tanker crash, rail car fire - By Teresa Blackman and staff, KGW, December 14, 2015
Firefighters battling large fire near Highway 30 in industrial NW Portland - By Aimee Green, Oregon Live, December 13, 2015
Train Fire In The Outskirts of Portland - By Roy L Hales, The Eco Report, December 13, 2015

Carbon Bubble:

Codelco eyes $600 million in savings, more job cuts in 2016 as copper in the pits - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, December 14, 2015
AK Steel layoffs called “devastating” for Kentucky community - By Chelsey Levingston, Dayton Daily News, December 13, 2015
Temporary layoffs of about 2,000 workers at US Steel's Granite City plant to begin on Dec. 27 - Associated Press wire, The Daily Journal, December 12, 2015
Anglo American to cut 85,000 jobs, dividend and assets in sweeping restructuring - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, December 8, 2015
Let's get off the boom-bust roller coaster - By Gordon Laxer, Rabble.Ca, December 8, 2015
Struggling Texas oil field workers may be fleeing state, report says - By Jennifer Hiller, FuelFix, December 8, 2015
American Unions And A Steelworker Lockout - By Tom Ashbrook, WBUR 90.9 FM, December 7, 2015
Opec bid to kill off US shale sends oil price down to 2009 low - By Larry Elliott, The Guardian, December 7, 2015

Just Transition:

Just transition on the road through Paris - By Bill Onasch, Socialist Action, December 12, 2015
The Solar Industry Is More Transparent - By Roy L Hales, The EcoReport, December 10, 2015
Corbyn and Klein on Climate Jobs - By Jonathan Neale, Global Climate Jobs, December 8, 2015
Just Transition: Workers’ Rights are Human Rights - By Michael G. Williams, Blue Green Alliance, December 8, 2015
Climate change and the role of the workers' movement - By Piergiorgio Moro, Rabble.Ca, December 2, 2015
Mapping the Emerging Post-Capitalist Paradigm and its Main Thinkers - By Blaq and Celine Trefle, Commons Transition, December 2, 2015

Other News:

Alternatives to capitalism: Derek Wall’s Economics After Capitalism - By William Pinkney-Baird, Bright Green, December 14, 2015
Indiana Dunes Pavilion Project Hits Big New Snag - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, December 10, 2015
Greenpeace exposes sceptics hired to cast doubt on climate science - By Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, December 8, 2015
From Sacramento to Paris, Bringing Divestment to Government as a Tool for Social Change - By Lucia Graves, Pacific Standard, December 2, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Tags:

Read more about EcoUnionist News #82

EcoUnionist News #81 - The #COP21 Greenwash

Submitted by x344543 on Sun, 12/13/2015 - 18:17

By x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, December 15, 2015

Paris, France: COP21 has concluded, and the results could be summed up as less-than-inspiring, but just about what many of us in the green unionist movement (small thought it still is) expected: a complete and total capitalist greenwash designed to make it look like more business as usual was somehow a change from business as usual. Without going into all of the gory details, the so-called "agreement" which took two weeks to hammer out doesn't even rearrange deckchairs on the Titanic. It rearranges the fabric on the deckchairs on the Titanic while at the same time proclaiming to seal the breach in the hull and pump out all of the water, yesterday.

In short, the backers of the deal (capitalists, politicians, mainstream Big Green environmental NGOs, and all of the fossil fuel capitalists pulling the strings) are proclaiming that somehow this "achievement" is "groundbreaking" because it advises, suggests, or pleads (depending on which part of the thesaurus one chooses) that the capitalist class voluntarily reduces the world's GHG emissions to a point "substantially lower than" 2°C (but doesn't even specify what many believe to be the needed limit of 1.5°C).

Of course, there are no hard limits, no enforcement mechanisms, no penalties for "ignoring" the suggested reductions. Worse still, the agreement removes all references to the rights of Indigenous peoples, does not address the disproportionate effects of capitalist GHG emissions on the Global South, women, or the working class. The excessive hoarding of wealth and disproportionate emissions caused by the Global North are not referenced. No mention is made of agroecology (thus paving the way for capitalist driven "climate-smart agriculture" (read "privatization")). No limits are to be placed on air travel. Nothing is said of energy democracy or just transition.

Worse still, all of this deal making took place in the shadow of what has become a fascist police-state atmosphere in Paris, France, in response to the tragic bombings and attacks that took place on November 13, 2015. While capitalist delegates and their enablers were allowed to seal the fate of the rest of us with near impugnity, dissent was smashed by placing restrictions on where protesters could demonstrate, and several clmate justice leaders were placed under house arrest (though, at the end of the two week clusterfuck, many defied the bans anyway, but only after many of the NGOs had demobilized the 100,000s more that would've joined in had the ban not been in place). Meanwhile, other events that had nothing to do with protesting COP21 were allowed to happen with little or no restriction.

While this is not the worst possible outcome one could have envisioned, it still leaves an enormity to be desired, and all of the self-congratulatory fawning over it by Big Green and the capitalist class won't change that.

Fortunately, this is not the end of the story. In spite of the capitalist greenwashing attempts, most climate justice activists are not buying the official line, and have declared, rightly, that the struggle doesn't end here. The power does not lie in the hands of the capitalists or their enabling delegates. It does not lie in the halls of state or the inside-the-beltway offices of the Big Green NGOs. It belongs to the many who make up the noncapitalist class of the world, and when we realize it, organize, and act accordingly, this sham of a deal, and the capitalist system that spawned it can be banished to the dustbin of history where it rightly belongs, and replaced by a truly effective and tranformative framework for achieving the systemic change that is needed. An essential part of that change will involve the workers of the world organizing as a class along industrial lines. While this is not the only part of the strategy, it is nevertheless an important one.

There are many stories to be told about COP21, and they simply cannot be summarized into a single article, certainly not without much reflection.

Tags:

Read more about EcoUnionist News #81 - The #COP21 Greenwash

EcoUnionist News #80

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 12/07/2015 - 18:50

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, December 8, 2015

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

Lead Stories:

Secret trade talks could weaken climate targets set in Paris, warn campaigners - By Phillip Inman, The Guardian, December 3, 2015
Global warming, Canada's unions and the new, climate change-denial government in Ottawa - By Roger Annis, Rabble.Ca, November 30, 2015

Ongoing Mobilizations:

Flood the System - Fall 2015: Flood, blockade, occupy and shut down the systems that jeopardize our future! | #FloodTheSystem
Jobs, Justice, Climate: Rally to Defend New England's Future! - December 12, 2015
People’s Climate Strike - November 26 - December 12, 2015
Railcon15 - Next Conference TBA | #Railcon15

Bread and Roses:

Driscoll Berry Boycott - By Felix Chrome, The Cooper Point Journal, November 24, 2015
Cuba's ecological farming revolution shows a different path - By Stuart Munckton, Green-Left Weekly, November 23, 2015

Other News:

The Modern Day Company Town - By Nick Mullins, The Thoughtful Coal Miner, December 5, 2015
Horror Beyond Description: Noam Chomsky on the Latest Phase of the War on Terror - Interview by C.J. Polychroniou, TruthOut, December 3, 2015
Resistance to the Nicaraguan Canal: An Interview with López, Environmental Lawyer [English translation] - By Toni Martínez, Earth First! (originally posted in Spanish at La Marea), December 3, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Tags:

United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)

Read more about EcoUnionist News #80

EcoUnionist News #79: Don Blankenship found guilty! ... sort of ... well, not really...

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 12/07/2015 - 13:53

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, December 8, 2015

On December 3, 2015, the New York Times Reported:

Donald L. Blankenship, whose leadership of the Massey Energy Company was widely criticized after 29 workers were killed in the Upper Big Branch mine in 2010, was convicted Thursday of conspiring to violate federal safety standards, becoming the most prominent American coal executive ever convicted of a crime related to mining deaths.

But in a substantial defeat for the Justice Department, the verdict, announced in Federal District Court here, exonerated Mr. Blankenship, Massey’s former chief executive, of three felony charges that could have led to a prison term of 30 years. Instead, after a long and complex trial that began on Oct. 1, jurors convicted Mr. Blankenship only of a single misdemeanor charge that carried a maximum of a year in prison.

Far from a victory, this case, once again, represents an example of the "presumed innocence of capitalism". The death of these 29 workers and the destruction to the environment of Appalachia (and elsewhere) is considered "part of the cost of doing business" in which private capitalists appropriate the wealth extracted from the Earth by the working class. The costs of that appropriation are outsourced to the Earth and the working classes, and if workers die in the process and communities have to suffer the consequences, such things are dismissed as "externalities". That Blankenship was convicted of minor charges at all is simply a result of him being just a bit too arrogant in the process (the capitalist class knows full well that if a few of the more roguish elements among their class push the envelope it could stoke the fires of resistance among the non-capitalist class, and so token laws are passed to provide the illusion of law and order and to pacify those that are exploited).

The reaction among workers, their families, and environmentalists who haven't given into the typical "hopium" of inside-the-beltway NGO compromise is one of anger and frustration, but the results are what they more-or-less expected.

A measure of justice has been served through the conviction of Don Blankenship on federal charges of conspiring to violate mine safety standards. The truth that was common knowledge in the coalfields – that Don Blankenship cared little for the safety and health of miners working for his company and even less for the laws enforcing their rights – has finally been proven in court.

This decision will not bring back the 52 people killed on Massey Energy property during Blankenship’s reign as the head of that company, including the 29 killed at the Upper Big Branch disaster in 2010. Their families still must live without their loved ones, holding their grief in their hearts the rest of their lives.

But a message has gone out today to every coal operator in America who is willing to skirt mine safety and health laws: you do so at your own personal risk. I thank the jury for having the courage to send this message and establish a clear deterrent to this kind of activity. Hopefully that deterrent will keep more miners alive and intact in the years to come.”

--Official UMWA statement on the verdict, December 3, 2015

No, justice was not served today. I don't care how many press releases I see...Unfortunately, this was about 29 people who are dead because the law was not followed. MTR has killed many more, but never came up in the trial. Blankenship has pocketed billions of dollars by breaking unions, violating environmental and health laws, buying judges and punching reporters. He will serve at most 12 months, probably less. He is tough and can do his time standing on his head, and fly to Monaco with his girlfriend when he gets out. Calling this justice is a disservice to the families of those who are in their graves because of this man...The problem is that the punishment for evading safety laws should be more severe than the punishment for lying to your shareholders. I fully expect that a wrongful death civil lawsuit will follow this. I do expect that he will serve some time. But I am very disappointed in how this is playing out, and how some groups are spinning this as justice. Would they come here to the Coal River and say that to the families?

--Earth First! co-founder Mike Roselle on the "conviction" of Don Blankenship, December 3, 2015

Media Coverage

Coal Baron Found Guilty of Infamous Mine Blast: But Was Justice Served? - By Jeff Biggers, EcoWatch, December 4, 2015
The Don Blankenship Verdict - By Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette, December 4, 2015
Coal Baron Don Blankenship Found Guilty Of Conspiring To Violate Mine Safety Standards - By Mike Gaworecki, DeSmog Blog, December 3, 2015
Coal kingpin faces possible prison sentence after mine explosion - By Mason Adams, Grist, December 3, 2015
Former Coal CEO Who Oversaw Mine That Killed 29 People Will Only Face Up To A Year In Prison - By Katie Valentine, Think Progress, December 3, 2015
Raw News: UBB Family Member Makes Emotional Statement After Blankenship Verdict - By Jeffrey A. Morris, WCHS ABC 8, December 3, 2015
West Virginia coal baron guilty of misdemeanour - By Frik Els, Mining.Com, December 3, 2015

Tags:

health and safety

Appalachia

Read more about EcoUnionist News #79: Don Blankenship found guilty! ... sort of ... well, not really...

EcoUnionist News #78

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 11/30/2015 - 17:20

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, December 1, 2015

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

Lead Stories:

Protest Ban? What Protest Ban? - By Danny Chivers, New Internationalist, November 29, 2015
Can a WA State climate policy train wreck be averted? - By Patrick Mazza, Cascadia Planet, November 27, 2015
“We Need Not Be Polite” Hears First National Conference On Oil Train Threats - By Justin Mikulka, DeSmog Blog, November 25, 2015
Dhaka: Climate refugees and a collapsing city - By Sohara Mehroze Shachi, UNDP, November 23, 2015

Ongoing Mobilizations:

Flood the System - Fall 2015: Flood, blockade, occupy and shut down the systems that jeopardize our future! | #FloodTheSystem
Jobs, Justice, Climate: Rally to Defend New England's Future! - December 12, 2015
People’s Climate Strike - November 26 - December 12, 2015
Railcon15 - Next Conference TBA | #Railcon15

The Road to Paris:

Why the Paris climate talks are doomed to failure, like all the others - By Steffen Böhm, The Conversation, November 30, 2015
COP21 actions go ahead: 'We are not defending nature - we are nature defending itself' - By Nadine Bloch, The Ecologist, November 28, 2015
Environment activists plan to defy Paris ban on protests at UN Climate Conference - By Larissa Dubecki, The Age, November 28, 2015
Climate change rally: Tens of thousands gather in Melbourne ahead of UN talks - By Sara Phillips, Australian Broadcasting Company, November 27, 2015
Paris climate activists put under house arrest using emergency laws - By Arthur Neslen, The Guardian, November 27, 2015
If 'Life Must Go On,' say Groups, France Must Lift Ban on Climate Protests - By Jon Queally, Common Dreams, November 26, 2015
Climate Jobs Activities in Paris - By Jonathan Nancy, Global Climate Jobs, November 25, 2015
Our call for climate justice will be heard - By Ragina Johnson, Socialist Worker, November 25, 2015
“Filthy Foxes” Guard the Paris COP Hen House - By Andy Rowell, Oil Change International, November 24, 2015
It’s Too Late to “Save” the Climate, But Not Too Late to Save Ourselves - By Aaron Lehmar Craig, World Shift Vision, November 23, 2015
Mainers will head to Paris as they push for Obama to make climate deal - By Randy Billings, Portland Press Herald, November 23, 2015
'Now More Than Ever': In Paris and Beyond, Climate Movement Will Be Heard - By Deirdre Fulton, Common Dreams, November 23, 2015
Thousands of protesters demand action on climate change - By Oakland North, San Francisco Chronicle, November 23, 2015
What’s really at stake at the Paris climate conference now marches are banned - By Naomi Klein, The Guardian, November 20, 2015
Why climate activists should support nationalisation and direct public investment - By Zane Alcorn, Green Left Weekly, November 20, 2015
Is the Paris Climate March Cancellation a 'Gift to the Movement'? - By Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, November 19, 2015

Bread and Roses:

A farmers´ climate appeal to policy - By Georg Janßen, et. al., La Via Campesina, November 30, 2015
Water can't be for sale - By Mike Gonzalez and Nick Evans, Socialist Worker, November 30, 2015
‘Fruits of Justice’ – Activists & Lawyers in Support of Familias Unidas por la Justicia - By Staff, Boycott Sakuma Berries, November 26, 2015
Food for Thought on Thanksgiving Eve… - By Staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, November 25, 2015
Thousands protest in Seoul against the government policies - By Staff, La Via Campesina, November 25, 2015
What's Missing From Our Thanksgiving Menus? Justice for Farm Workers - By Jennifer S. Hirsch, Huffington Post, November 25, 2015
Behind Your Holiday Sweet Potato Dish, Hard Work In The Fields - By Dan Charles, NPR, November 24, 2015
Salmon Fishermen and Consumer Groups Criticize FDA Approval of Frankenfish - By Dan Bacher, East Bay Express, November 23, 2015

Tags:

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

COP21

Joe Hill

Read more about EcoUnionist News #78

EcoUnionist News #77

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 11/23/2015 - 18:26

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, November 24, 2015

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

Lead Stories:

"Environmental Goods." Really? - By Lee Anderson, Blue Green Alliance, November 23, 2015
Obama’s trade deal is in trouble - By Ian Swanson and Bob Cusack, The Hill, November 17, 2015
Thanksgiving and the Slanderous Myth of the Savage Savage - By John Horgan, Scientic American, November 24, 2014

Ongoing Mobilizations:

Flood the System - Fall 2015: Flood, blockade, occupy and shut down the systems that jeopardize our future! | #FloodTheSystem
Jobs, Justice, Climate: Rally to Defend New England's Future! - December 12, 2015
People’s Climate Strike - November 26 - December 12, 2015
Railcon15 - Next Conference TBA | #Railcon15

The Road to Paris:

Prelude to Paris: Four Tragic Tactics by President Obama and Four Climate Justice Proposals He Must Support - By Eric Mann, Huffington Post, November 23, 2015
France Cancels Major Climate March, Groups Say They Won’t Be Silenced - By Nadia Prupis, EcoWatch, November 19, 2015
The Paris attacks make climate protests more important than ever - By Nick Dearden, The Ecologist, November 19, 2015
Climate Activists Vow to Continue with Protests Ahead of Paris Talks - Alix Mazounie interviewed by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzáles, Democracy Now, November 18, 2015
France forbids massive climate march in wake of Paris attacks - By James West, Grist, November 18, 2015
Paris Attacks Complicate Upcoming UN Climate Talks - By Kieran Cooke, EcoWatch, November 18, 2015
Climate Movement, Don't Back Down at Paris #COP21 - By Tim DeChristopher, timdechristopher.org, November 17, 2015
Climate Activists Vow to Demonstrate During Paris Talks - By Katherine Bagley, Inside Climate News, November 16, 2015
After the massacres of Paris: dread, revolt, action: statement from Attac France - By Attac France, Reclaim the Power, November 14, 2015
'False Solutions' Won't Save Mother Earth: Tom Goldtooth on COP21 - By Dominique Godrèche, Indian Country Today, November 5, 2015

Bread and Roses:

Costco Warehouse in Sacramento Target of Pre-Thanksgiving Protest - By Staff, Boycott Sakuma Berries, November 21, 2015
Kao Bart Village, Thailand: Peasant Women in Struggle for Land Rights and Well Being - By Staff, La Via Campesina, November 20, 2015
Let’s talk about the rights of women farmers! - By Maria Vogt and Monika Thuswald, La Via Campesina, November 20, 2015
Farmworkers, allies march on Big Apple Headquarters of Wendy’s Board Chairman, Nelson Peltz! - By Staff, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, November 19, 2015
Syngenta convicted in Brazil - By Staff, La Via Campesina, November 19, 2015
A chance for the EU to amend bad policies in the milk sector - By Genevieve Savigny and Jose Miguel Pacheco Gonçalves, La Via Campesina, November 18, 2015
Greek Farmers Protest Austerity Measures - By Jennifer Baker, Revolution News, November 18, 2015
Unlikely bedfellows on the Liverpool Plains - By Tom Morton, Australian Broadcasting Company, November 17, 2015
After Decades in a Food Desert, These Neighbors Are Building a $2 Million Co-op—And They Own It - By Liz Pleasant, Yes!, November 12, 2015

An Injury to One is an Injury to All:

Morale Charades at Chemical Safety Board: Managing Director Scapegoated as CSB Stalls Mandatory Morale Survey Analysis - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, November 20, 2015
When Temp Workers Die While Being Taken to the Job, Who’s Responsible? - By Spencer Woodman, In These Times, November 20, 2015
Manslaughter charges filed in deadly 2012 platform blast - By Associated Press, FuelFix, November 19, 2015
Second train worker sues BNSF over Casselton oil train explosion - By Emily Welker, Inforum, November 19, 2015
USDA Sued to End Scientific Censorship: Unconstitutional Restraints on Publishing and Weak Integrity Protections at Issue - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, November 19, 2015
[TRIGGER WARNING] Mongolian trade unionist burns himself alive in a shocking act of protest (VIDEO) - By Staff, Russia Times, November 17, 2015

Carbon Bubble:

Union Pacific to close Burnham repair yard in Denver - By Alicia Wallace, The Denver Post, November 17, 2015
Worldwide oil job losses climb to 233,000, recruiter says - By Collin Eaton, FuelFix, November 17, 2015
Enbridge to cut 5 percent of workforce amid slump - By Robert Grattan, FuelFix, November 16, 2015

Just Transition:

Major Poll Shows African Americans Support Clean Energy, Clean Jobs, & Clean Power Plan - By Cynthia Shahan, Clean Technica, November 23, 2015
Is your pension fund in climate denial? - By Marc Lee, Rabble.Ca, November 19, 2015
New Report on "Connecticut’s Clean Energy Future" - By Marc Lee, Labor Network for Sustainability, November 19, 2015
Blockade of Chicago Petcoke Facility Calls for Green Jobs Instead of Toxic Fossil Fuels - By Will Reynolds, Huffington Post, November 16, 2015

Other News:

The Ticking Climate Bomb - By Jay Youngdahl, East Bay Express, November 18, 2015
‘Keep It in the Ground’ Victory: BLM Utah Halts Oil and Gas Lease Sale - By Sage Grouse Rebel, Canyon Country Rising Tide, November 17, 2015
Big Coal Comes to Oakland - By Catherine Schuknecht, Sierra, November 16, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Tags:

COP21

Read more about EcoUnionist News #77

EcoUnionist News #76

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 11/16/2015 - 18:07

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, November 17, 2015

Mural of Karen Silkwood (depicted, right) by Mike Alewitz

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

Lead Stories:

Oakland's Toxic Failure - By Darwin BondGraham, East Bay Express, November 11, 2015
Environmental Groups Aren’t Buying The TPP’s Wildlife Provisions - By Samantha Page, Think Progress, November 10, 2015
Labor, Environmental Leaders Call on Congress to Reject Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement - By Eric Steen, Blue Green Alliance, November 10, 2015
Trans-Pacific Partnership deal "an act of climate denial - By Charles Mandel, National Observer, November 10, 2015
The TPP Won’t Just Cost Workers Jobs—It Could Cost Them Their Lives, Too - By Leo Gerard, In These Times, November 10, 2015

Ongoing Mobilizations:

Flood the System - Fall 2015: Flood, blockade, occupy and shut down the systems that jeopardize our future! | #FloodTheSystem
Jobs, Justice, Climate: Rally to Defend New England's Future! - December 12, 2015
Northern California Climate Mobilization - November 21, 2015
People’s Climate Strike - November 26 - December 12, 2015
Railcon15 - Next Conference TBA | #Railcon15

The Road to Paris:

After the Attacks: A Climate Organizer's Notes from Paris - By David Solinit, The Indypendent, November 15, 2015
Paris attacks: COP21 and the war on terror - By Oliver Tickell, The Ecologist, November 14, 2015
Lack of ambition before Paris Climate Conference - By John Dillon, Rabble.Ca, November 12, 2015
Will the Paris Climate Talks Deliver the World We Need? Not likely - By Janet Redman, Foreign Policy in Focus, November 12, 2015
Agri-Corporations Attempt to Hijack COP21 - By Vandana Shiva, EcoWatch, November 11, 2015
Corporate agenda threatens to straightjacket Paris COP 21 proceedings yet again - By Brad Hornick, Rabble.Ca, November 11, 2015
University fossil fuel divestment doubles ahead of Paris climate talks: Press Release - By admin, People and Planet, November 10, 2015
Two Significant Steps Forward; One Step Back Towards Paris - By Andy Rowell, Oil Change International, November 9, 2015
World Pledges to Increase Emissions - By Johnathan Nancy, Global Climate Jobs, November 9, 2015

Bread and Roses:

Canfisco Cannery Line Closure: UFAWU Response - By Riley Caputo, West Coast Native News, November 16, 2015
BREAKING: CIW, allies to march on NYC offices of Wendy’s Chairman Nelson Peltz! - By Gerardo Reyes Chavez, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, November 13, 2015
Nov. 21st: “Uniting for Fair Food” National Day of Action for the Thanksgiving season - By admin, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, November 11, 2015
Will the EPA Ban a Pesticide That’s Been Lowering Children’s IQs for Years? - By Elizabeth Grossman, In These Times, November 10, 2015
Workers Speak Up After Being Told To Go Back To Work After Chemical Spill - By Esther Yu-Hsi Lee, Think Progress, November 6, 2015
Bolivian Urban Farming Coop Empowers Migrant Women - By Anna Bergren Miller, Shareable, November 3, 2015
How California Birthed the Modern Right Wing - By Chris Lehmann, In These Times, October 6, 2015

An Injury to One is an Injury to All:

Accused in Lac-Mégantic derailment plead not guilty on federal charges - By staff, Montreal Gazette, November 12, 2015
BHP Billiton drops 10-year-run with Teekay for non-unionized upstart - By Michael Allan McCrae, Mining.Com, November 11, 2015
Big Oil Brown Strikes Again: The governor's hypocrisy on climate change deepens - By Robert Gammon, East Bay Express, November 10, 2015; [related] Oil and gas regulator lodged complaint over work for Gov. Brown - By AP Wire, FuelFix, November 10, 2015
Why the United States Leaves Deadly Chemicals on the Market - By Valerie Brown and Elizabeth Grossman, In These Times, November 2, 2015
Marikana Massacre Represents the Beginning of the End of the African National Congress - By Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, Black Agenda Report, October 28, 2015
Workers win settlement, back pay from Alaska fuel distributor - By staff, The Stand, October 26, 2015

Carbon Bubble:

Job losses continue across the state as oil field services firms cut back - By Rhiannon Meyers, FuelFix, November 16, 2015
Why fossil fuel stock prices are doomed - By Brett Fleishman, 350.org, November 16, 2015
Oil crash job losses in Texas may be steeper than previously thought - By Rhiannon Meyers, FuelFix, November 12, 2015
North Dakota oil patch town moves closer to banning crew camps in city limits - By AP Wire, FuelFix, November 11, 2015
Noble begins second round of layoffs, 180 jobs on the chopping block - By Rhiannon Meyers, FuelFix, November 10, 2015
Why the oil sands no longer make economic sense - By Jeff Rubin, The Globe and Mail, November 9, 2015
Political Climate Shifting Against The Oil And Gas Industry - By Nick Cunningham, OilPrice.Com, November 8, 2015
What is happening in the steel industry? - By Walton Pantland, Union Solidarity International, October 27, 2015

Just Transition:

Climate Jobs in Portugal - By Jonathan Nancy, Global Climate Jobs, November 12, 2015
It's Already Happening: A Message to COP 21 - By John Thackara, Doors of Perception, November 11, 2015
Moving to renewable energy would create millions of jobs, study finds - By Katie Herzog, Grist, November 11, 2015
New Program Aims For 1000 New Solar Jobs For US Veterans - By Tina Casey, Solar Love, November 10, 2015
The Left should embrace degrowth - By Giorgos Kallis, The New Internationalist, November 5, 2015

Other News:

Alaska Seabird Reintroduction Boondoggle - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, November 16, 2015
Sierra Club and community partners keep pressure on Oakland City Council to ban coal exports—Join Dec. 8 teach-in and action - By Jeremy Gong, Sierra Club Yodeler, November 13, 2015
Capitalism vs. Climate: Naomi Klein’s New Film Takes Us From the Current Crisis to the World We Want - By Kate Aronoff, Yes!, November 5, 2015
Collective action gets Guangzhou sanitation workers direct employment contracts - By staff, China Labor Bulletin, November 5, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Tags:

COP21

Read more about EcoUnionist News #76

EcoUnionist News #75 - #NOXL Edition

Submitted by x344543 on Mon, 11/09/2015 - 19:54

Compiled by x344543 - IWW Environmental Unionism Caucus, November 10, 2015

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

Lead Stories:

The inside story of how the Keystone fight was won - By Ben Adler, Grist, November 6, 2015
Fed Regulators Accuse Murray Energy Of Trying To Silence Whistleblowers, Creating 'Atmosphere Of Intimidation' At 5 West Virginia Coal Mines - By Cole Stangler, International Business Times, November 4, 2015
Petrobras output cut by oil workers striking against austerity - Bloomberg, FuelFix, November 3, 2015
Lifting oil export ban could bring more revenue, hurt refineries and jobs in Wyoming - By Laura Hancock, Casper Star Tribune, October 17, 2015

Ongoing Mobilizations:

Flood the System - Fall 2015: Flood, blockade, occupy and shut down the systems that jeopardize our future! | #FloodTheSystem
Jobs, Justice, Climate: Rally to Defend New England's Future! - December 12, 2015
Northern California Climate Mobilization - November 21, 2015
People’s Climate Strike - November 26 - December 12, 2015
Railcon15 - Next Conference TBA | #Railcon15

Keystone X-L Rejected:

UpFront: Antonia Juhasz on Keystone XL; Meera Subramanian on India’s Environment [audio] - By Brian Edwards Tiekert, KPFA 94.1 FM, November 9, 2015
In Huge Win For Environmentalists, Obama Rejects The Keystone XL Pipeline - By Katie Valentine, Think Progress, November 6, 2015
'It Is Sickening' And Other Outrageous Responses To Obama’s Keystone Decision - By Kara Moses, Think Progress, November 6, 2015
Nurses Applaud President’s Decision to Reject Keystone XL - Press Release, National Nurses United, November 6, 2015
Obama: Keystone XL Pipeline 'Would Not Make a Meaningful Long-Term Contribution to Our Economy' - By Stefanie Spear, EcoWatch, November 6, 2015

The Road to Paris:

"Peasant Agroecology for Food Sovereignty and Mother Earth, experiences of La Via Campesina". Now available! - Press Release, La Via Campesina, Novmeber 9, 2015
COP21 101: The Ecologist Guide to the Paris mobilisations - By Kara Moses, The Ecologist, Novmeber 3, 2015
Jobs That Will Be Most Affected by Global Warming - By Diana Crandall, Attn, October 31, 2015

Bread and Roses:

Canada-wide migrant worker coalition calls on Trudeau to MoVE for Real Change - Press Release, Migrant Workers Alliance, October 27, 2015
What happens when 100+ Monsanto employees crash your presentation on GE crops and pesticides - By Ashley Lukens, Center for Food Safety, October 19, 2015

An Injury to One is an Injury to All:

Columbia Valley economy takes big hit with closing of Canfor mill at Canal Flats - By Nelson Daily, The Boundary Sentinel, November 8, 2015
Will Pakistan Change Its Safety Standards After Another Deadly Factory Collapse? - By Bryce Covert, Think Progress, November 5, 2015
Malibu School District Sics Cops on Parents: Vandalism Complaint for Taking PCB-Laden Caulk Samples for Lab Testing - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, November 4, 2015
Massey insider wanted to share warning - By Ken Ward Jr., Coal Tattoo, November 4, 2015
NLRB to Prosecute Asarco for Unfair Labor Practices - By Mariana Padias, United Steelworkers, November 4, 2015
New Transparency is Opaque at Chemical Safety Board: Basic Information on Investigations, Procurement and Private Emails Still Missing - By Kirsten Stade, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, November 4, 2015
Fukushima Gets A Lot Uglier - By Robert Hunziker, CounterPunch, November 3, 2015
Audit finds railroad safety lacking during high oil traffic - By Matt Volz, Associated Press, October 31, 2015
Luanshya Miners put on forced leave riot over K900 monthly allowances - By Staff, Lukaka Times, October 30, 2015
Strike begins at Turkey's largest copper mine - By Staff, Daily Sabah, October 30, 2015

Carbon Bubble:

Bankruptcy expected for Arch Coal, a reflection of industry woes - By Elizabeth Shogren, High Country News, November 7, 2015
Highland Valley Copper announces layoffs - By Michael Allan McCrae, Mining.Com, November 5, 2015
Layoffs announced at B.C. open-pit copper mine - Canadian Press, The Star Phoenix, November 5, 2015
Steel tension: Granite City workers fear tough holiday ahead - By Scott Cousins, The Telegraph, November 4, 2015
Chile’s Codelco lays off over 4,000 workers - By Cecilia Jamasmie, Mining.Com, November 3, 2015
North Sea fields face more job cuts as slump impairs viability - By Bloomberg, FuelFix, November 3, 2015
Oil Companies Have Cut Back Everything Except Crude Production - By Dan Murtaugh and Naureen Malik, Bloomberg, October 29, 2015

Just Transition:

Investing in Clean Energy Will Create Millions of Jobs, Increase GDP and Raise Household Incomes - By NextGen Climate America, EcoWatch, November 9, 2015
SF voters give city leaders a clear mandate on clean energy - By Jeremy Gong, The Yodeler, November 6, 2015
California ballot initiative would eliminate IOUs, establish statewide public utility - By Herman K. Trabish, Utility Dive, November 3, 201
Europe’s energy transformation falling behind in spite of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions - Staff Report, European Trade Union Institute, November 3, 2015
How Will We Reach an Ecological Civilization and Who Will Build It? - By Chris Williams, Truthout, October 31, 2015

Other News:

Portland Oil Resolution Passed Unanimously; Fossil Fuel Goes to Vote - Press Release, Columbia Riverkeeper, November 4, 2015
University of Calgary's relationship with Enbridge slammed by faculty associations - By Staff, CBC News, November 2, 2015
In Quest for Revenue, Los Angeles Times Creates Oil Industry Propaganda Website - By Andrew Seifter, Media Matters, October 30, 2015
Recycling Workers Fight Firings and Win a Union - By David Bacon, The Reality Check, October 18, 2015

For more green news, please visit our news feeds section on ecology.iww.org; Twitter #IWWEUC; Hashtags: #greenunionism #greensyndicalism #IWW. Please send suggested news items to include in this series to euc [at] iww.org.

Tags: