Environment

Al Jazeera+ reminds the world about the ongoing refugee crisis sparked by a mass exodus of peoples from Syria…

Zika: As temperatures rise from CO2 Emissions, epidemics spread

The Tree | – – ““Zika is a disease of poverty, similar to other neglected tropical diseases such as chikungunya and dengue. The burden falls disproportionately upon poor populations living near open water sources which attract mosquitoes, and who do not have the resources to protect themselves individually though bite prevention methods.” – LSE Fellow […]

Pollution

While Flint Was Being Poisoned, Gov.’s office sent State Workers Water Coolers

contributors

By Common Dreams staff | ( Commondreams.org) | – – Following release of new document and emails, Gov. Snyder told he must ‘explain to the people of Flint why his administration trucked water into a state building while allowing residents to drink unsafe water’ A newly obtained document and related emails released on Thursday show […]

Pollution

Why Flint’s Tainted Water is a Human Rights Disaster

contributors

By Amanda Klasing, Senior Researcher, Women’s Rights Division | (Human Rights Watch) | – – Nearly two years ago, the city of Flint, Michigan switched to a less expensive water source that turned out to be highly corrosive and led to lead poisoning of many children. Public outrage pushed the government to find a safer […]

Environment

Flint’s water crisis is a blatant example of environmental injustice

contributors

Robert D. Bullard | (The Conversation) | – – Many observers see race and class as factors in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water crisis. Earlier this week Flint’s mayor, Karen Weaver, said, “It’s a minority community. It’s a poor community. And our voices were not heard.” We asked Robert D. Bullard, Dean of the School of […]

Climate Change

It’s the CO2, Stupid!: 2015 ‘by far’ Hottest Year on Record & New Torrid Normal

contributors

By Janette Lindesay and Mark Howden | (The Conversation) | – – It’s official: 2015 was the hottest year on record. The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has confirmed overnight that 2015 saw the global average temperature climbing to 0.90°C above the 20th-century average of 13.9°C. The record has been confirmed by the UK […]

Featured

No, Gov. Snyder, Flint’s water wasn’t poisoned by “Government”: It was by your Appointee

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Perhaps it is inevitable but it is a shame that some people are gaming out how to profit politically from the lead poisoning of the children of Flint, Michigan (pop. 99,000). In the state capital, the Establishment is trying to blame the crisis on “government” or […]

Climate Change

The Real Zombie Apocalypse: Climate Change

contributors

Bill McKibben | (Tomdispatch.com) | – – When I was a kid, I was creepily fascinated by the wrongheaded idea, current in my grade school, that your hair and your fingernails kept growing after you died. The lesson seemed to be that it was hard to kill something off — if it wanted to keep […]

Plutocracy

Sanders: Michigan Governor Must Resign over Flint Lead-Poisoning Crisis

contributors

By Common Dreams staff | ( Commondreams.org) | – – Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday called on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to resign for his administration’s failure to deal with a lead-poisoning crisis that has sickened thousands of children in Flint, Michigan. “There are no excuses. The governor long ago knew […]