activistpost--2019-03-19--Green New Deal Plagiarized From 2009 UN Environment Programme Report

Green New Deal Plagiarized From 2009 UN Environment Programme Report?

In a stunning revelation from a 2009 UN document titled “Rethinking the Economic Recovery: A Global Green New Deal“, it is discovered that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ (AOC) Green New Deal is not a new movement of the people, but rather a crafty creation of a small group of global elite working through the United Nations.  This 144-page report was headed by Edward B. Barbier, a professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Wyoming at the time, but specifically prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)  It was UNEP that sponsored the infamous 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro that catalyzed the doctrine of Sustainable Development and produced the Agenda 21 book labeled The Agenda for the 21st Century. UNEP has been at the root of every intellectually bankrupt scheme to flip the world into its resource-based economic system while driving a fatal nail into Capitalism and Free Enterprise. In my books Technocracy Rising and Technocracy: The Hard Road to World Order, I have extensively documented that Sustainable Development is nothing more than warmed-over Technocracy from the 1930s.  Barbier credits a number of people as important contributors to his paper, but two in particular ring a loud bell: the Center for American Progress (CAP) and the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).  CAP was founded by John Podesta, a prominent member and operative of the Trilateral Commission. Podesta was the principal architect for the U.S. environmental policy for well over 2 decades. He served as Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff, Special Counselor to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Campaign Manager. In July 2002, the UN Secretary-General appointed him to the High-Level Panel On Post-2015 Development Agenda that created the text for the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.  The Board of Directors for CAP includes Sen. Tom Daschle (Chairman), Stacey Abrams, Donald Sussman, and California billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer.  PIEE was founded by Peter G. Peterson (1926-2018), a principal member of the Trilateral Commission for decades. PIEE’s Board of Directors is a Who’s Who of the Trilateral Commission and includes Lawrence Summers, C. Fred Bergsten, Richard N. Cooper, Stanley Fischer, Robert Zoellick, Alan Greenspan, Carla A. Hills, George P. Schultz, Paul A. Volcker, and Ernesto Zedillo. The PIEE paper cited by Barbier was A Green Global Recovery? Assessing US Economic Stimulus and the Prospects for International Coordination  The multiple crises threatening the world economy today demand the same kind of initiative as shown by Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s, but at the global scale and embracing a wider vision. (p. 5)  In an article by VOX titled Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is making the Green New Deal a 2020 litmus test, it stated,  The comparison to Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been prominent from the first day that Ocasio-Cortez became a public figure.  The official Global Green New Deal objectives are also reminiscent of the modern propaganda:  If rewritten to current Green New Deal standards, it would look like this:  Under the section, Reducing Carbon Dependence, more Green New Deal language, almost word-for-word, is discovered:  The report Rethinking the Economic Recovery: A Global Green New Deal made five nutty predictions, all of which have failed miserably.  Currently, the price of oil is $59, the rise in greenhouse gas emissions is not on its way to a 45 percent increase by 2030, the world economy never sustained losses of 5-10 percent of GDP, ecological degradation is not quantifiable, water scarcity is a myth and poverty levels of people with less than $2.00 per day is only 767 million (World Bank, 2018).  The predictions from the current iteration of the Green New deal are just as crazy as the Global Green New Deal from 2009. The modern “creators” of the Green New Deal claim that they developed it over a weekend. If true, it was only because they had a copy of Rethinking the Economic Recovery: A Global Green New Deal sitting in front of them to copy text and then localizing it for the United States. Furthermore, these policies are not popular with the American people, as constantly claimed, but have been consistently rejected by citizens. The Green New Deal is simply not a movement of the people, nor has it ever been. Rather, it has been purposely created by the same global elite that started Sustainable Development in the first place, namely, by members of the Trilateral Commission and the Club of Rome working through the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Programme. Shame on you Green New Deal ideologues. Plagiarism by any other name is still plagiarism. You will be rejected as certainly as the global elite has already been rejected. Note: tip of the hat to Dr. Willie Soon for forwarding this story to me, as originally highlighted in an email by Richard Bast of The Heartland Institute You can read more from Patrick Wood at his site Technocracy News and Trends, where this article first appeared.


activistpost--2019-04-30--Watchdognet Promotes Clean Energy Companys Offer of Free LED Light Bulbs to New Customers Even Tho

Watchdog.net Promotes Clean Energy Company’s Offer of Free LED Light Bulbs to New Customers Even Though LED Light Bulbs Are Harmful to the Environment

If you’re on the Watchdog.net email list, you recently received an email offering you 8 free LED light bulbs if you sign up with Arcadia Power by April 30.  Did you know that the average household’s electricity usage contributes to over 8,000 lbs of coal production per home. The good news? You can sign your utility account up for clean energy with Arcadia Power at absolutely no cost, and because you are in a state with electricity choice, they use the buying power of over 250,000 individuals like yourself to get lower rates than the utility. Clean energy at a lower cost with no installation – it doesn’t get easier than this. In honor of Earth Month if you sign up by April 30th, Arcadia Power will send you 8 free LED light bulbs to further increase your energy savings.  Unfortunately, there are biological, environmental, and safety issues associated with CFL and LED light bulbs.  Warnings about LED light bulbs have come from different sources and for different reasons.  Activist Post has published articles about the different problems associated with these bulbs before.  You may use more energy with incandescent light bulbs.  However, you won’t use as much gas driving yourself and your loved ones to and from medical appointments.  Provide, protect and profit from what is coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2019-07-30--NOW Is The Time To Demand 5G Wireless Health Environmental Impact Studies At YOUR State Capitol Or

NOW Is The Time To Demand 5G Wireless Health & Environmental Impact Studies At YOUR State Capitol Or Regret Not Doing It Later On

Sample state legislation establishing a commission to evaluate the environmental and health effects of the deployment of 5G wireless technology.  If the great State of New Hampshire did it, so can you, the readers, in your respective home states capitols. What did ‘proactive’ activists in New Hampshire, The Granite State, accomplish regarding 5G?  New Hampshire became the first U.S. state to enact legislation establishing a commission to evaluate environmental and health effects of 5G wireless technologies. Here is a proposed legislation, which Americans for Responsible Technology suggests everyone uses to contact his/her state capitol legislators in order to get an unbiased evaluation of effects from a never-tested for human and environmental impacts 5G safety broadband network.  However, I do not agree with the makeup of the ART’s proposed Commission; it’s already ‘slanted’ from what I read. Respectfully, there are no provisions set forth for accredited 5G or other RFR technology INDEPENDENT researchers suggested for nomination, such as:  Who should those scientists, MDs and PhDs be?  Magda Havas, PhD., Associate Professor Trent University School Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields. See Dr. Havas’s studies in live blood cells and electrosmog causing clumping technically called “Rouleaux.”   https://magdahavas.com/live-blood-cells-and-electrosmog/ Martin Pall, PhD., Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences, Washington State University. See Dr. Pall’s 90-page, online book regarding the effects of 5G here   https://peaceinspace.blogs.com/files/5g-emf-hazards–dr-martin-l.-pall–eu-emf2018-6-11us3.pdf David O. Carpenter, MD., Director, Institute for Health and the Environment, University of Albany, co-editor of the BioInitiative 2012 wherein 1800 new studies regarding bio-effects evidence are published about various stresses, health and environmental stressors are documented. https://bioinitiative.org/table-of-contents/   Report charts https://bioinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/BioInitiativeReport-RF-Color-Charts.pdf Any one of the 250 scientists who signed the Petition to the UN “Warning about EMF.”   https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/scientists-sign-petition-warning-about-emf/  It is my most sincere, plus scientific, opinion if any of the new state-by-state 5G impact studies legislation do not include at least two of the above-named research scientists, then we might as well forget it, since it will be a waste of time, money and a prolonged effort, as I can tell you right NOW what those results will be.  The results will coincide only with consensus EMF/RFR science ICNIRP, World Health Organization, United Nations Agenda 21 and 2030 dictates, BECAUSE 5G is integral platform to implement the Internet of Things (IoT) and AI (Artificial Intelligence)—the most unholy grail of consensus science to control humans, the weather and the environment!  Where have all the trees gone?  To make way for 5G transmissions!  Do you want that?  Where have all the forests gone?  To understand more fully “controlling the weather” via weather geoengineering, Dane Wigington of Weather Geoengineering.org explains the climate control horrors that have been ongoing for close to 70 years, which now result in a hopefully-not ‘final’ destructive Solar Radiation Management (SRM) strategy that is second to none, including the onslaught of 5G platforms that will pump out microwave RFRs (millimeter waves) at one hundred (100) times the oscillation powers of 4G, which is not in full capacity transmissions!  In addition to 4G having much better coverage, it will actually improve with the deployment of the upcoming spectrum like AWS-3and 600MHz. The carriers are going to continue to deploy their existing spectrum and future 4G spectrum that will continue to justify investment as they try to increase capacity and coverage in 4G where they can realistically make money .  Below is a 22 minute video regarding the ‘purposeful’ use of forest fires smoke to effectuate Solar Radiation Management.  Please take the time to watch it, as it just may change your mind.


ageofautism--2019-12-16--Author Response to Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Retraction of "A lowered probabili

Author Response to Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Retraction of "A lowered probability of pregnancy in females in the USA aged 25-29 who received a human papillomavirus vaccine injection"

By Gayle DeLong    In June 2018, the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A published my article “A lowered probability of pregnancy in females in the USA aged 25-29 who received a human papillomavirus vaccine injection”. Data revealed that 60% of women who had not received the HPV vaccine had been pregnant at least once, while only 35% of HPV vaccine recipients had ever conceived. The article detailed the statistical analysis as well as offered possible biological mechanisms for the results. Three researchers peer-reviewed the article. When the article first appeared, the editors eagerly promoted it by making it free. By early December 2019, the number of views reached close to 24,000.  On October 23, 2019, I received an email stating that Taylor & Francis and Editor-in-Chief Dr. Sam Kacew had opened an investigation of the paper, based on “several public and private expressions of concern about flaws in analysis.” They gave me two weeks to respond to comments from four post-publication reviewers, and I did so. On December 10, 2019, I received an email from Taylor and Francis stating that despite my comments, the “concerns raised by the reviewers still stand,” and they were retracting the article. Since the retraction, the number of views has increased to 24, 227.  In the retraction notice (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15287394.2019.1669991), Taylor & Francis state that all post-publication reviews, “described serious flaws in the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data in this paper” without going into any detail. However, one of their reviewers determined that I had been careful with the limitations and conclusions of the paper. That reviewer agreed with me that an open debate concerning the findings of the paper specifically as well as vaccine safety in general is essential.  The manner in which Taylor and Francis is handling these post-publication criticisms is highly unusual. Typically, if a researcher sees a flaw in a published paper, he or she openly writes a letter to the editor, to which the author can reply. Both the critique and the reply are published in the journal.  A basic principle of medical ethics holds that if there is evidence that a treatment, drug or vaccine may be dangerous, even if that evidence is not conclusive, we must investigate those possible problems until we have settled the question one way or another. Suppressing studies simply because we disagree with them only stifles legitimate scientific debate. My paper did not claim to offer a final answer to this issue. It simply raised concerns and called for further investigation into a question that may have an enormous impact on the reproductive health of millions of women.  Major post-publication criticisms – as identified by Editor-in-Chief Kacew – along with my responses are as follows: • Methodological Issues: Potential confounders are not accounted for or simply ignored such as an economic downturn, societal trends including postponing pregnancy, increased women in the workforce, changes in contraceptive use, contraceptive failure rates, etc. All these factors impact pregnancy but were not addressed.  The trends mentioned in this criticism address the decline in the overall birth rate. The value of my study is that each observation identifies whether a woman received the HPV vaccine and whether that woman had ever been pregnant. To confirm that overall trends were not influencing the results, I added time trends to the statistical analysis and the results remained: Women who received the HPV vaccine were less likely to have ever been pregnant. • Misinterpretation of data: Extrapolation of results that the number of pregnancies due to the vaccine are unfounded and supported by findings from studies by an author that uses VAERS database that relies on self-reported adverse events without verification makes the results dubious.  The data I use come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is a non-random survey of people living in the United States. By design, each observation represents many more people than the individual who is surveyed. The very essence of NHANES is to generalize from the observations, and the database includes specific weights for each observation.  The comment about the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) is not relevant. While I cite an author who uses VAERS, the citation serves merely as background and plays no major role in the analysis. • Validity questionable: The issues of selection bias, lack of similar observations in USA and Europe, weak biological plausibility and inaccurate statement regarding dose response are all factors that raise doubts regarding the data.  These criticisms are flat out wrong. No selection bias exists: I use every observation where the person surveyed includes answers to all the questions I use in the analysis. There are similar observations in Europe: In a separate study, I show that birth rates are falling in European countries that have implemented wide-spread HPV vaccine programs. That study is here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2019.1622977 Not only does biological plausibility exist, studies continue to be published that point to a link between the autoimmunity that vaccines can induce and fertility issues. The statement regarding dose response in the paper is correct: I confirmed my interpretation with two independent statisticians.


aljazeera--2019-01-07--Brazils environmental chief resigns after Bolsonaro criticism

Brazil's environmental chief resigns after Bolsonaro criticism

The head of Brazil's environmental protection agency has resigned following criticism from the country's newly inaugurated far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.  A spokesperson for the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) confirmed on Monday that Suely de Araujo stepped down after Bolsonaro suggested there were irregularities in Ibama's budget, Reuters news agency reported. Araujo had led the agency since 2016.  The Environment Ministry, which oversees Ibama, told Reuters in an emailed statement that it had been planning to replace Araujo and that a new head of the agency would be named within days.  Bolsonaro, a former army captain who swept to power in a tumultuous October election, has routinely attacked Ibama, which is tasked with policing the Amazon rainforest to stop deforestation and illegal mining.  On Sunday, the 63-year-old retweeted a Tweet published by Brazil's environment minister, Ricardo Salles, highlighting an alleged 28.7 million reais ($7.73m) budget allocation by the agency for rental vehicles.  "We've had a system created mainly to financially violate Brazilians without the slightest care," Bolsonaro, who has toyed with yanking Brazil out of the Paris climate accord, said.  Araujo released a written statement on Sunday saying Bolsonaro and Salles, who has previously called climate change a "secondary issue" and alleged many environmental fines are "ideological", had made "baseless accusations."  She said the cost was for the rental of 393 four-wheel drive trucks used by Ibama's armed agents across Brazil, and that the contract's amount also included all fuel costs and maintenance.  A high-ranking Ibama official told Reuters on Monday that the pressure from Bolsonaro and Salles was simply an attempt "to get rid of our ability to halt policing for those committing environmental crimes."  "It's an absurd factoid created to weaken Ibama," the person said on condition of anonymity. "This contract was approved by government regulators, and it is 10 percent less than the previous contract and for more vehicles."  The official added that the contract remained valid, but that the agency is concerned there will be attempts to cancel it, possibly leading to a crippling of its ability to patrol the Amazon and other regions.  Analysts, meanwhile, said Bolsonaro's actions demonstrated his presidency could pose a genuine "threat to the Amazon".  "The protection of the Amazon always relies on strong laws and rules," Thiago de Aragao, a director at the Brasilia-based political consultancy Arko Advice, told Al Jazeera.  "So definitely he [Bolsonaro] could be a threat in the sense that he could create a trend that the mindset of protecting the Amazon might not be the number one priority among certain individuals within the government," de Aragao added.  The rhetoric of Bolsonaro's administration has left many environmentalists deeply concerned for the preservation of the Amazon under his government.  Within 24 hours of taking office on January 1, the Brazilian leader signed an executive order making Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture responsible for the regulation and creation of new indigenous reserves, in a move widely seen as a boost for the country's powerful agribusiness lobby.  About 13 percent of Brazil's national territory is demarcated as indigenous land - defined as an area inhabited and exclusively possessed by indigenous people.  Approximately 98 percent of such areas are located in the Amazon, an ecosystem considered by environmental scientists as a crucial buffer against the impacts of climate change.  The temporary decree, which will expire unless it is ratified within 120 days by Congress, also moved the Brazilian Forestry Service, which promotes the sustainable use of forests and is currently linked to the Ministry of the Environment, under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture, according to Reuters.  Additionally, the order stated that the Ministry of Agriculture will be in charge of the management of public forests.  A close ally of the agribusiness lobby, Bolsonaro pledged during his election campaign to "end all activism" in Brazil.  On Monday, he announced that funding of all nongovernmental organisations working in the country will be rigidly controlled, reflecting increased oversight by his new administration over such groups.


aljazeera--2019-01-27--Environmentalist on mission to preserve island nation Vanuatu

The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has a long history of community matters being settled by tribal village chiefs - usually men.  But for the first time, a woman, Leimalu Tapesi, has been anointed the chairperson of a village tribal council on the island of Moso.  As part of her plans to transform village life, Tapesi is applying a strict environmentalist agenda which includes a marine park and cracking down on illegal logging.


aljazeera--2019-02-23--Climate change Teenage environmentalists protest in Paris

Climate change: Teenage environmentalists protest in Paris

A Swedish schoolgirl has taken her environmental fight to France.  Sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg is spearheading student strikes against inaction on global warming.  She joined hundreds of others at a protest in Paris.  It was Paris that was the host city for the signing of the climate accords. But President Emmanuel Macron, besieged by yellow vest protestors, dropped his plans to raise the price of fuel to combat greenhouse gas emissions after the protests that swept across the nation.


aljazeera--2019-02-28--US Senate confirms ex-coal lobbyist to head environment regulator

The Senate on Thursday confirmed US President Donald Trump's candidate, a former coal lobbyist, to lead the nation's top environmental regulator over the objections of conservation groups and Democrats.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a 54-year-old Washington insider with years of experience working as a congressional staffer, was nominated by Trump in January to permanently replace Scott Pruitt, who resigned in July after widespread criticism over his spending and conduct in office.  Wheeler worked at the EPA early in his career and was a top aide at the Senate Environment Committee before becoming a lobbyist a decade ago.  Only one Republican in the Republican-controlled Senate opposed Wheeler as the Senate voted 52-47 to confirm him on Thursday.  Susan Collins argued Wheeler's efforts to roll back standards on emissions blamed for climate change takes the country in the wrong direction.  Meanwhile, Republican Senator John Barrasso, chairman of the Senate environment committee, called Wheeler "uniquely qualified" to lead EPA and said that under Wheeler the agency is putting forward proposals that "both protect our environment and allow the country's economy to flourish".  Wheeler's nomination has been welcomed by businesses eager to see reduced regulation, but upset Democrats and conservation groups worried that environmental rollbacks under the Trump administration are going too far.  Environmental groups said that although Wheeler's behavior is "less cartoonish" than Pruitt, he supports the same policies.  While running the EPA on an interim basis, Wheeler oversaw the weakening of Obama-era rules limiting carbon and mercury emissions from power plants and standards on carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks.  He has also advanced an initiative to lift a summertime ban on higher ethanol blends of gasoline that was enacted to curb smog.  During his confirmation hearing in January, he said he did not believe climate change was a major crisis - a stance that resonates with Trump's scepticism, but which clashes with the scientific consensus that global warming will have devastating consequences if not addressed urgently.  "Throughout his career, Andrew Wheeler has shown a clear disregard for the EPA's mission to protect the public and environment," Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said after voting against him.  Wheeler was not making "meaningful progress" on clean water standards either, Democrat Joe Manchin said, citing the agency's failure to limit the amount of highly toxic chemicals contaminating drinking water in West Virginia and around the country.  The EPA has announced plans to place legal limits on the chemicals but has not done so yet. The perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known collectively as PFAS, have been linked to health threats ranging from cancer to decreased fertility.  Manchin also said he was concerned at EPA's attempt to undo rules designed to limit emissions of mercury, which can damage the brains of infants and young children.


activistpost--2019-02-10--California Sierra Club Committee Asks National Sierra Club to Oppose 5G and Small Cell Tower Install

California Sierra Club Committee Asks National Sierra Club to Oppose 5G and Small Cell Tower Installation without Local Input and Environmental Review

Thanks to the Center for Electrosmog Prevention for immediately posting the California Sierra Club’s Conservation Committee’s resolution requesting National Sierra Club take an opposing position to the deployment of 5G and small cell technology without local input and environmental review:  Feb. 9, 2019: passed (Page 1 of 3)   Sierra Club California Resolution   Adopted by the Sierra Club California Conservation Committee, February 9, 2019 Sierra Club Resolution   Title: Request to National Sierra Club to take an oppose position to the deployment of 5G and small cell technology without local input and environmental review Resolution:   The Sierra Club California Conservation Committee urges the National Conservation Policy Committee to adopt an oppose position to the FCC’s recent promulgation of a rule that waives environmental review, and limits local control, of the deployment of 5G wireless technology and small cell box installations.  Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and several tribal groups also voiced opposition as well as taken legal action against 5G legislation.  California Sierra Club was also one of many California organizations who submitted a statement of opposition to the state’s small cell bill, SB 649.  Environmental Working Group did as well.  The state bill was vetoed.  On a related note, the San Francisco Sierra Club chapter also filed a statement of opposition against utility “Smart” Meters due to biological and environmental risks.  Activist Post has reported countless times about state and federal legislation that has eliminated municipal control over harmful 4G and 5G small cell tower and infrastructure installation.  Many Americans are fighting this in their communities already.  Despite this, many Americans are still completely oblivious to the fact that small cell legislation has already passed in their states as well at the federal level.  For more information, visit the following websites:


activistpost--2019-02-22--Trump Tweets In Favor of Risky and Harmful 5G and 6G Tech Despite Opposition from Security Experts

Trump Tweets In Favor of Risky and Harmful 5G and 6G Tech Despite Opposition from Security Experts, Doctors, Elected Officials, Environmentalists, Scientists, etc.

The Telecom Industry can’t even say that 5G technology is safe.  Insurance companies don’t even cover them anymore – it’s too risky.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is also being investigated for COLLUSION with the Telecom Industry regarding already passed federal 5G legislation that eliminated municipal control over the installation of risky and harmful 4G and 5G small cell tower and infrastructure technology.  An increasing number of Americans are fighting this legislation – and installation – everywhere including doctors, elected officials, environmentalists, scientists, and tribal groups.  Not only that – embarrassingly awful Internet of Things (IoT) technology is part of the 5G game plan.  IoT has been lambasted by security experts for the past few years because of its almost 75% failure rate.    By most people’s standards –probably even Trump’s – IoT would be considered for losers. Even more bizarre – since Trump can’t stop insisting we need better national security, why would he support the installation of IoT anywhere?  Besides it being a cybersecurity nightmare – incorporating all of this new related technology is part of the Green New Deal which Trump has vehemently claimed is un-American.  Regardless – Trump tweeted yesterday in support of harmful 5G and even 6G technology.  (See 1, 2, 3)  Has 6G even been tested yet?  All of this completely contradicts Trump’s campaign promise to “Give the country back to the people.”  So WTF?  “Along with the 5G there is another thing coming — Internet of Things. If you look at it…the radiation level is going to increase tremendously and yet the industry is very excited about it… they project 5G/IoT business to be a $7 trillion business.” — Prof. Girish Kumar, Professor at Electrical Engineering Department at IIT Bombay 5G, the latest and greatest method of faster wireless transmission, is coming on with a storm.


activistpost--2019-05-03--Environmental Working Group EWG Names Duke Energy as Public Enemy 1 Customers Who Hate Dukes A

Environmental Working Group (EWG) Names Duke Energy as Public Enemy #1.  Customers Who Hate Duke’s AMI “Smart” Meters Feel the Same.

Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently published a long detailed article about how Duke Energy – America’s biggest electric utility company – is also the worst for the environment.  Duke Energy customers in 6 states feel the same animosity toward Duke Energy because of the company’s AMI “Smart” Meters which also happen to be harmful to the environment .  Customer complaints have been reported by many sources over the years (See 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) including by Activist Post. (See 1, 2, 3, 4)  ALL “Smart” Meters have been proven to be harmful to the environment because they:  Some environmental groups have already publicly opposed “Smart Meters” for these reasons. (See 1, 2)  People everywhere don’t want “Smart” Meters (See 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6 ) for all reasons list above as well as because of:  A documentary was produced about problems associated with all “Smart” Meters in 2013, Take Back Your Power.  The film was updated in 2017 and is free to watch online.  All “Smart” Meters emit RF radiation which is also referred to as cell phone radiation.  Environmental Working Group (EWS) has acknowledged health issues associated with cell phone radiation exposure before:  The largest-ever animal study of cellphone radiation effects, released today by the National Toxicology Program, or NTP, confirms earlier evidence from human studies that cellphone radiation increases the risk of cancer. EWG said the findings reinforce the need for people, especially children, to exercise caution when using cellphones and other radiation-emitting devices. “This report should raise alarms for policymakers and awareness for all Americans,” said Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., senior science advisor for children’s environmental health at EWG. “These studies should have been done before more than 90 percent of Americans, including millions of children, started using this technology day in and day out.” Today, 2G and 3G wireless networks are being replaced with 5G networks, which use a distinct and untested form of radio frequency. As EWG reported, the Federal Communications Commission is bowing to industry lobbyists and clearing the way for 5G installation in a way that would bypass federal environmental laws.  Unfortunately, EWG didn’t mention anything in their recent article about the harmful RF (i.e. cell phone) radiation emissions from the Duke Energy AMI “Smart” Meters.  Maybe next time…


activistpost--2019-05-27--Trump Administration Wants to Exempt Some Light Bulbs From Green Standards Despite Protest LED Bu

Trump Administration Wants to Exempt Some Light Bulbs From “Green” Standards Despite Protest. LED Bulbs Are Biologically and Environmentally Harmful Despite Energy Savings.

LED light bulbs may use less energy but research has proven they cause serious biological and environmental harm because they create Light Pollution and emit Dirty Electricity.  Research has also proven that exposure to LED lights causes temporary vision impairment as well as macular degeneration and blindness.  Warnings have been issued by the American Medical Association  and other experts (see 1, 2, 3).  Our pets may be affected by exposure as well.  So environmentalists who continue promoting LED lights as “green” are basically “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”  Unfortunately – it’s still happening way too much.  WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday proposed exempting some light bulbs from federal efficiency standards that take effect next year, a move environmentalists said would boost pollution and power bills for consumers.  The proposal would remove three-way bulbs, candle-shaped bulbs used in chandeliers, reflector bulbs used in recessed lighting, and others from having to comply with the new efficiency standards.  Advanced technologies, including light-emitting diode or LED light bulbs, use far less electricity than incandescent light bulbs, which produce far more wasted heat.  The changes would result in $12 billion in extra power bill costs for consumers, said the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.  The Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit alliance of business, government, environmental and consumer interests, said the proposal would give a lifeline to makers of inefficient incandescent and halogen bulbs.


activistpost--2019-07-31--Disturbing New Report Reveals How Many Environmental Activists Are Murdered Each Week

The fight to protect land, homes, livelihoods, and wildlife from destructive, pollution-causing industries turned deadly for more than 160 environmental defenders in 2018, international human rights group Global Witness revealed Monday night in a new report.  Organizers campaigning against the destruction of the environment face governments, contract killers, and private security firms trying to stop them—sometimes working together. In total, 164 people were murdered last year while fighting such forces as the mining, logging, and agribusiness industries from taking over swathes of ancestral lands, communities, and natural habitats.  The number recorded by Global Witness in its report, “Enemies of the State,” means an average about three eco-defenders were killed per week—but the group notes that because so many of these deaths go unreported, its study represents a “sizable underestimate.”  “These are ordinary people trying to protect their homes and livelihoods, and standing up for the health of our planet,” Global Witness reported. “Often their land is violently grabbed to produce goods used and consumed across the world every day, from food, to mobile phones, to jewelery.”  The Philippines was the deadliest country for eco-defenders in 2018, with 30 people killed for protecting land and the environment. Nine victims were killed on the country’s island of Negros when gunmen shot the sugarcane farmers as they occupied a plot of land which was covered by President Rodrigo Duterte’s land reform program but had not been distributed to the poor farmers.  The National Federation of Sugar Workers said at the time that the government has not created an effective land distribution program and instead “red baits those who assert their rights to the land,” linking the farmers to communist guerillas.  The criminalization of eco-defenders is a common tactic used by state forces and corporations to discredit organizers, defend aggressive actions against environmental campaigns, and deter others from joining the fight against extractive and damaging industries, Global Witness reported.  “It is a brutal irony that while judicial systems routinely allow the killers of defenders to walk free, they are also being used to brand the activists themselves as terrorists, spies or dangerous criminals,” said Alice Harrison, senior campaigner for Global Witness. “Both tactics send a clear message to other activists: the stakes for defending their rights are punishingly high for them, their families and their communities.”  Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a Filipina and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, told Global Witness about her own recent experience being labeled as a criminal by her country’s government.  “In March 2018, the Philippines government declared me a terrorist,” Tauli-Corpuz said. “This was in retaliation for me speaking out against indigenous rights violations in my home country. For months, I lived under threat, and could not safely return home. Although I have since been removed from the list, government officials continue to hurl false accusations at me.”  “This is a phenomenon seen around the world: land and environmental defenders are declared terrorists, locked up or hit with paralyzing legal attacks, for defending their rights, or simply for living on lands that are coveted by others,” she added.  Guatemalan campaigners fighting destructive industries were also subjected to deadly attacks as well as criminalization.  In December, two brothers were found shot to death amid their work with their community to fight a hydropower project linked to one of the country’s wealthiest and most powerful families and funded by international banks. The Peaceful Resistance of Ixquisis movement has led the fight, saying the two planned dams are polluting water sources, destroying crops, and killing fish populations.  At least one other man was killed last year for resisting the project, while many others have been injured and arrested.  “They say we are terrorists, delinquents, assassins and that we have armed groups here, but really they’re just killing us,” Joel Raymundo, a member of the movement, told Global Witness.  The country saw the largest spike in murders of eco-defenders in 2018, with 16 people—five times more than the previous year—killed for campaigning against the hydropower project, land grabs and forced evictions, mines, and plantations. The death toll makes Guatemala the deadliest country per capita for eco-defenders last year.  Resistance against mining projects was linked to the most deaths worldwide last year, with 43 environmental campaigners killed.  Julian Carrillo was found shot dead in northern Mexico in October—the sixth member of his family to be killed in recent years amid their community’s fight against mining projects. In February 2018, a 16-year-old eco-defender named Luis Fernando Ayala was reportedly tortured before being killed. He had been a fierce opponent to mining and hydroelectric projects. And in June, three people were killed when police shot live ammunition into a crowd of protesters in The Gambia, where they were demonstrating against sand mining on local rice fields. “Vicious attacks against land and environmental defenders are still happening, despite growing momentum behind environmental movements the world over,” Harrison said. “As we hurtle towards climate breakdown,” she added, “it has never been more important to stand with those who are trying to defend their land and our planet against the reckless destruction being meted out by the rich and powerful.” Top image: Women from Yulchen Frontera who are members of the Ixquisis Peaceful Resistance against the San Mateo Hydroelectric Project, pose for a photo in Ixquisis, San Mateo Ixtatan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala on April 26, 2019. (Photo: James Rodriguez/Global Witness) This article was sourced from The Mind Unleashed. Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Follow us on Minds, Twitter, Steemit, and SoMee. Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2019-08-10--Indian Activists Oppose Oil Refinery Project Citing Environmental Concerns As Protests Flare up

Indian Activists Oppose Oil Refinery Project Citing Environmental Concerns, As Protests Flare up

In March 2019, following large protests from farmers and environmental activists, the Indian government moved a planned $44 billion ‘green’ oil refinery project out of the ecologically sensitive Nanar region in Ratnagiri on the Konkan coast. Recently, calls from pro-refinery supporters to bring the project back to Ratnagiri have stoked fears among activists and farmers that the project will be reinstated in the area, causing damage to the environment and affecting livelihoods.  The joint venture between Saudi Arabian oil companies, Aramco and Adnoc, and Indian companies, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation was originally relocated following protests from locals and activists who were critical of India’s continued investment in fossil fuels. The project was moved to Raigad, 100 kilometers from India’s financial capital, Mumbai, as the government announced acquiring 40 villages to kickstart the project.  On 28 July 2019, pro-refinery group Konkan Vikas Samiti (KVS) held a rally demanding that the project be reinstated in Ratnagiri, citing the economic opportunities it would bring to local communities.  A counter-protest was then held in response by an anti-refinery group to prevent the project. Activists claim India’s land acquisition acts were misused to get lands for the project from farmers. For Satyajit Chavan, convenor of Konkan Refinery Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, the umbrella body leading the protests, reviving the oil refinery project would spell trouble for the region:  Ratnagiri’s Nanar is known for rocky terrains and creeks that act as a breeding ground for various marine species. The region is also a prominent agricultural area, and thousands of farmers rely on mango orchards and fishing for their survival. Locals fear the region’s biodiversity and their livelihoods would be affected by pollution emanating from the refinery project.  The project is estimated to require around 16,000 acres of land, leaving many local activists to question its claim to be a ‘green’ refinery and a requirement for an emerging economy like India.  “Despite moving the project location from Nanar to Raigad because of environmental impact, would it not create the same problem in Raigad as well?” Social activist Ulka Mahajan asked.  While experts say the project, with an estimated output of 1.2 million barrels per day, could offer India steady fuel supplies, others are questioning the pollution it has the potential to generate in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. Questions about its impact on fishing hamlets and mango orchids have also been raised.  India’s land acquisition laws were manipulated, added Ulka Mahajan. India’s land acquisition laws mandated consent from at least 70 percent of the affected owners and also required a social impact test. Passed by the parliament in 2013, the law also quadrupled four-fold compensation for rural land, including farmland.  There was some democratic space that gave a platform to voice concerns after social assessment surveys were conducted. This provision has been done away with in an amendment in the state laws. This is against the wishes of farmers and local communities, opines Mahajan.  India is an oil-dependent economy and over 80 percent of its demands are met from imports from the Middle East,  including Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Analysts say the Iran sanctions and lack of crude from Venezuela have hit the Indian economy, resulting in a slowdown of growth figures.  In 2015, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a new alliance of nations on a large-scale expansion of solar energy use and said fossil fuels put the planet in peril. While India is trying to diversify and increase its investments into solar and wind energy, projects involving fossil fuels have continued to rise and receive investments unabated. According to Modi:  As India continues to invest locally in dirty fuels, activists and experts are left to question the government’s promises to the global community on climate change.


activistpost--2019-10-09--Environmental Working Group Offers 9 Tips to Reduce Kids’ Exposure to EMF; Still Endorses Smart Mete

Environmental Working Group Offers 9 Tips to Reduce Kids’ Exposure to EMF; Still Endorses Smart Meters (??)

EWG’s tip sheet serves as a good resource for parents who provide their kids with cell phones despite warnings indicated by many health experts including the American Academy of Pediatrics:  It’s probably not news to you that cellphone use may be harmful to you and your kids. Studies have found a possible link between cellphone radiation and brain and heart tumors, not to mention a range of symptoms associated with screen time addiction. With kids headed back to school in a matter of weeks, and wireless devices becoming more common in classrooms, how can parents limit the electromagnetic field exposure that comes with use of tablets, phones and other wireless devices?  Here are nine ways to decrease your kids’ EMF exposure: • Encourage airplane mode. Ask your kids to put their phones into airplane mode whenever they’re in class or just not using their phone. This will stop the phone from emitting EMF signals. • Focus on younger kids. Younger kids are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of radiation, so it’s important to keep devices away from them as much as possible, scaling back their use of wireless devices as toys. (If they do play a game on a device, make sure they do so in airplane mode.) • Use wires. Stick to ethernet wires when available. • Promote the use of headphones. The more distance between your kids’ bodies and their cellphones, the better. If you’re worried that headphones and earbuds could damage their hearing because of loud music, look for parent controls that will let you set a maximum volume level. • Limit use at night. Establish a nightly cutoff time, and don’t let your kids take their phone to bed. This will not only lower their EMF exposure but also to improve their sleep. They should never sleep with their phone under their pillow. (Here are other ideas for lowering EMF exposure at home.) • Engaging with your kids’ school. Lots of great lifetime habits begin at school, and that can include safer cellphone use. In fact, school policies can play a role in helping minimize your children’s exposure. Questions to ask your kids’ school administrators or teachers: • What’s the current policy regarding in-school use? • Are kids told to put their phone into airplane mode at the start of every class? • How are educators helping parents and children learn about safer uses of technology? • Remember the router. Wi-Fi routers also emit EMF radiation. Make sure to locate your home’s router away from where kids spend time, and away from their bedroom. Some experts suggest turning off the router at night to minimize EMF. • Carry safely. The best place to carry a cellphone is in a bag. Boys and young men in particular should avoid carrying their device in their front pocket, because of the possible effect of radiation on male fertility. Girls and women should avoid putting their phone in their bra, and pregnant women should limit their cellphone use altogether. • Don’t forget Bluetooth. Bluetooth transmits EMF, although at lower levels compared to cellphones. So consider sticking with old-school wired earbuds, and if your children have Bluetooth-enabled devices, teach them to take the earbuds off when they aren’t using them.  The good news is that every day there seem to be more reports about schools banning cell phones and kids embracing this. Hooray!  What would be really great is if EWG also started recognizing that utility Smart Meters ALSO expose children and everyone else to harmful EMF and they finally STOP ENDORSING THEM because THEY ARE NOT BENEFICIAL to customers (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) and THEY ARE REALLY BAD for the environment. Hint hint!


activistpost--2019-11-18--Should Yellowstone Nat’l Park Install Environmentally Harmful Wi-Fi at the Expense of Wildlife and N

Should Yellowstone Nat’l Park Install Environmentally Harmful Wi-Fi at the Expense of Wildlife and Nature?  Public Comments Due This Month.

Research has determined that all sources of wireless radiation – including cell towers and WiFi – are biologically and environmentally harmful.  That’s why many environmentalists are fighting cell tower installation at national parks (see 1, 2). Unfortunately, businesses still want to install WiFi in national parks anyway. Yellowstone Park is asking for public comments about this. The deadline is November 29.  MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyoming — The National Park Service seeks public comment on a proposal to install indoor Wi-Fi networks and associated equipment throughout Yellowstone National Park’s developed areas for the benefit of park visitors and employees.  AccessParks has submitted an application for a right-of-way permit. If approved, the permit would allow for: • The installation of up to 484 small (10 x 10 inch or 7 inch diameter) antennas on employee housing and visitor lodging facilities at Canyon Village, Grant Village, Lake Village, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Old Faithful. • To link the antennas to internet providers outside the park, 39 additional antennas would be required and would include:   – 29 x 9 inch antennas installed at various locations in the developed areas at Canyon Village, Grant Village, Lake Village, Mammoth Hot Springs, and Old Faithful   – 6-foot-diameter antenna installed at an existing tower at Old Faithful   – One 2-foot and one 3-foot-diameter antenna installed on the existing tower at Mount Washburn • Coverage could eventually extend to other developed areas such as Norris, Madison, and Bechler for administrative and employee use. • Exterior antennas would be located in areas to minimize visibility. Where visible, the installations would be painted to match the buildings on which they are installed. • In an effort to have no adverse effect to historic properties or districts, many of the antennas on National Register of Historic Places eligible structures would be located in attic spaces or under eaves. • Examples of typical antenna placements and a list of affected properties are available here: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ap  The proposed installations would provide internet service to park visitors and employees in hotels and housing in developed areas. Consistent with the Yellowstone National Park Wireless Communication Services Plan, wireless access to recommended wilderness and park road corridors would be excluded.  Activist Post regularly reports about biological and environmental harm caused by exposure to all sources of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) aka “Electrosmog”. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:  Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.  Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


aljazeera--2019-01-31--Mining vs the environment The battle over Armenias Amulsar gold mine

Mining vs the environment: The battle over Armenia's Amulsar gold mine

A four-hour drive south of Yerevan, Armenia's bustling capital, takes you to the remote Vayots Dzor province, a rugged mountainous region whose inhabitants are proving to be every bit as tough as their environment.  For the last six months, environmental activists and locals from adjacent villages and Jermuk, the only notable town for kilometres around, have been laying siege to a gold mine here, preventing the owners, Anglo-American firm Lydian International, from getting in and working the project up to full production.  It is now mid-winter, and at an altitude of 10,000 feet, millions of dollars' worth of trucks and machinery sit idle and frozen around the spectacular snowy summit of a mountain called Amulsar.  This is where gold was discovered 10 years ago, and we are the first journalists granted access to the site since the blockade began.  Before leaving Yerevan we'd met with Hayk Aloyan, Lydian Armenia's managing director. He was eager to explain the mine's significance and why the company want to develop it.  "During the last 14 years we have invested about $500m," he said. "This project is very important for the economy of Armenia. We designed it in a way to be environmentally safe ... there are no issues with water, no issues with the health of the community."  He then spelled out what the blockade was costing Lydian, "It's been about $100,000 [a day], but now it's more because we lost key people, professionals. We had to terminate 1,270 contracts."  That seems to matter little to the mine's opponents who have been running the blockade via a network of small camps around the mountain. At any moment, they say they can call on some 6,000 people if needed - quite a claim given the remoteness of the location.  We arrived to see one group just as they were opening a bottle of sparkling Armenian wine. Mkrtchyan Knyaz, a grizzled bear of a man, was celebrating his birthday.  "I am turning 60 years today," he told us, gesturing to the peak behind him, "and I'm ready to spend another 60 years supporting Amulsar. We will not allow her to be exploited."  Gagik Margaryan, a veteran from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, explained why he had come to the blockade.  "Our community mostly does farming, agriculture and gardening, and we all know perfectly well we can't carry on if the mine starts to work."  There were others here too, we discovered; tourist industry workers and villagers simply fearful that their lives will change if the mine goes into production. But all of them seem hardy and committed, determined to fight to the end.  Hostility to mining in Armenia is perhaps understandable.  The country has a long history of environmental disasters relating to the industry come-and-go projects that, its detractors told us, had enriched a few but from which little or no benefits trickled down to local communities other than some transitory employment.  Instead, time after time, they have been left with land contaminated by toxic mine residue - left over heavy metals and poisons such as lead and arsenic. In a country so dependent on agriculture, this kind of pollution has become a critical and very controversial issue.  According to Gagik Avagyan of the Moscow Carnegie Centre, "Armenia has got only problems because of these mines. There are hugely corrupt scams, huge crimes. Like most developing countries only the elite have been profiting."  Irina Ghaplanyan, Armenia's First Deputy Minister of Nature Protection, agrees saying: "Lax legislation and very low fines on pollution led to an explosion of the mining industry … it's my personal belief and opinion that the mining sector is not good for Armenia."  Ghaplanyan is part of a new generation of politicians swept to office during the velvet revolution last summer when journalist-turned-politician, Nikol Pashinyan, began a long march to the capital from the west of the country, promising to end the endemic corruption and economic mismanagement that has dogged Armenia for decades.  By the time he reached Yerevan his support had grown to many hundreds of thousands.  The country came to a standstill as peaceful protesters defied ominous threats from the authorities and, incredibly, Pashinyan was eventually able to assume the role of prime minister without a shot being fired.  He consolidated this in a snap election in December 2018 when he won over 70 percent of the vote and a mandate for change.  Now, among the many pressing issues on his desk, is the question of what to do about the Amulsar mine.  Backed by the previous administration, it is currently on hold while Pashinyan ponders whether to let it go ahead. That is not a straightforward question.  For all the dreadful environmental problems mining has brought Armenia in the past, the country's battered economy is in dire need of the foreign investment and jobs that, properly run and managed, the industry could bring in.  Nevertheless, in the wake of the velvet revolution - and drawing inspiration directly from it - the protesters at Amulsar began their blockade in the hope the new government would take notice.  A few days before December's poll, Pashinyan travelled to the region to speak to the protesters and, though still outwardly noncommittal about what decision he will take, he dropped some reassuring clues when he told them he would always put the country's environment first.  He made similar hints during a speech at his next stop, at the spa town of Jermuk, which is just 9 miles from the mine site. The remarks were warmly received; this is Armenia's Baden-Baden and famous for its mineral water, sold all over the Caucuses.  Should any toxic discharge from the mine contaminate these precious aquifers, locals say it would be a catastrophe for the town.  Others told us there is an even bigger potential threat from the mine, that it could have a serious negative effect on Lake Sevan, the largest body of water in the whole of the Caucasus, holding some 25 percent of Armenia's fresh water.  It was to this extraordinary place we headed next. We had arranged to meet Levon Hkopyan, captain of a Soviet-era research vessel that monitors the lake.  "I was born on its banks," he told us. "Since my youth, I've been proud of the lake and I am still proud that I work on it, and live next to it. But we must do our best to keep it clean, transparent - to keep it the way it's always been. In my childhood, I drank this water. We drank it and washed with it at home. So there is no life for us without the lake."  At an altitude of 6,000 feet, Lake Sevan is a unique biosphere that attracts scientists from around the world. But Sevan is connected to the nearby Kechut reservoir by a tunnel which has been used since communist times to regulate the water level of the lake. In turn the Kechut reservoir is less than three miles (1.61km) from Amulsar.  Inevitably there's concern about whether any toxic discharge from the mine could also threaten Lake Sevan.  Artur Grigoryan, Armenia's Mining Inspectorate chief, admitted to being worried about the risk.  "Based on current documentation, no one really knows." he told us.  There was one last place to go. The remote and breathtakingly beautiful mountain ranges of the Southern Caucasus provides refuge for several endangered animal species. These include the world's rarest big cat, the Caucasian Leopard, of which there are only thought to be 10 left in Armenia.  Alexander Malkhasyan, a specialist at the World Wildlife Fund, probably knows as much about this beautiful if reclusive predator as anyone, having spent much of the last two decades charting its fight for survival.  He agreed to take us to a secluded spot high in the mountains used by the leopard.  "Now we're at the area with rocks and canyons which are essential for the habitat of leopards. There are a lot of wild goats here that are the main prey of leopards," he told us.  As he spoke he surveyed the rugged landscape through his binoculars. "Moreover there are badgers, hares, beech martens, a lot of rock ptarmigans, partridges here. That's the landscape which is inherent for leopards in Armenia."  Malkhasyan set up a trail camera and we left. It has been 19 years since he has actually seen a leopard but his cameras have captured pictures of the animal on several occasions, which gives some grounds for optimism.  When we returned to Yerevan we met with Malkhayan's boss, Karen Manvelyan, Head of WWF Armenia.  He showed us a map and explained that there are only two migratory corridors for the leopard in Armenia and that the Amulsar mine is slap bang in the middle of one of them.  "It comes from this area and goes like this," he said, tracing the route with his finger, "and you see mountains here - it's very important for migration of leopard and Amulsar connects both these ranges. This leopard is the last biggest cat of Europe and we should protect it."  From farming community protesters determined to protect their way of life, to people concerned about the potential of water contamination, to environmentalists desperate to preserve the unique habitat of one of the world's most endangered species (let alone government ministers openly critical about the damage caused by past industrial pollution), it doesn't seem like the vast mining project at Amulsar has many fans in Armenia.  But the lure of foreign investment is bound to be strong in a country whose battered economy is in dire need of a boost. Which way Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will go, is an intriguing but as-yet unanswered question.


aljazeera--2019-03-20--Qatar UAE nuclear plant threat to Gulf stability environment

Qatar: UAE nuclear plant threat to Gulf stability, environment

Qatar has said a nuclear plant under construction in the UAE poses a serious threat to regional stability and the environment.  In a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), seen by the Reuters news agency on Wednesday, Qatar also called the Vienna-based organisation to create a framework for nuclear security in the Gulf.  Relations between Qatar and its neighbour are already strained after the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic, trade and transport ties with the government in Doha in June 2017. The breach came over allegations that Qatar supports "terrorism", a charge the country denies.  In its letter, Qatar said that a radioactive plume from an accidental discharge could reach its capital in five to 13 hours and a radiation leak would have a devastating effect on the region's water supply because of its reliance on desalination plants.  The contested Barakah nuclear power plant is located in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.  "Qatar believes that the lack of any international cooperation with neighbouring states regarding disaster planning, health and safety and the protection of the environment pose a serious threat to the stability of the region and its environment," said the letter from Qatar's foreign affairs ministry to IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.  Qatar also said that the technology is relatively untested as there is only one other commercial reactor of this type in operation, in South Korea.  The UAE said on Wednesday that its nuclear energy programme conforms to IAEA standards and international best practices.  "The United Arab Emirates ... adheres to its commitment to the highest standards of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation," Hamad al-Kaabi, the UAE's permanent representative to the IAEA, said in a statement to Reuters.  He added that the Barakah plant, which was originally set to come online in 2017, was now expected to begin operations by 2020.  Qatar said regional concerns about nuclear safety will be amplified when the Saudi Arabian civil nuclear programme is launched.  The kingdom is considering building 17.6 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2032, the equivalent of about 17 reactors, making it one of the biggest projects globally.  There was no immediate comment by the IAEA.


bbc--2019-10-14--Queen's Speech: New laws on crime, health and the environment

Boris Johnson's government has set out "ambitious" policies on crime, health, the environment and Brexit in a Queen's Speech that opposition parties have dismissed as an "election manifesto".  Plans for tougher sentences for violent offenders and legal targets for cutting plastic pollution are among 26 bills set out at Parliament's State Opening.  The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said it was a "long shopping list".  But with the PM having no majority, many of the bills may not become law.  Our political editor said the PM was keen to focus on "bread and butter issues" like investment in schools and the NHS, or coming up with, at long last, a new way of funding care for the elderly.  But she said there was no guarantee the legislative programme would be approved by Parliament. If MPs reject it, it will trigger renewed calls for a generl election.  During a debate in the Commons later on Monday, Mr Johnson said his plans offered "a new age of opportunity for the whole country".  But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the speech was "a propaganda exercise", adding: "The prime minister promised that this Queen's Speech would dazzle us. On closer inspection, it is nothing more than fool's gold."  MPs will be able to debate the Queen's speech for a further five days, with a different theme for each of them, including the NHS and the economy. • All the pomp - but very bizarre circumstances • Bill by bill - what does Boris Johnson want to do? • Why didn't the Queen wear her crown?  Despite continuing Brexit uncertainty, the government has said it is determined to press ahead with its plans, announcing its intention to hold a Budget on 6 November.  Negotiations over the UK's departure, with Mr Johnson trying to secure an agreement that will enable the country to leave by 31 October.  The government says if it can strike a deal with the EU, it will introduce a withdrawal agreement bill and aim to secure its passage through Parliament before the Halloween deadline.  The Queen's Speech is famous for its pageantry - with the monarch arriving at the Palace of Westminster in a carriage procession and delivering her speech from the throne in the House of Lords, flanked by the Prince of Wales.  Mr Johnson said his government was focused on "seizing the opportunities that Brexit present". • Seven pieces of Brexit-related legislation, including measures to establish new regulatory frameworks for fishing, farming, trade and financial services, and a bill to end freedom of movement and bring in a points-based immigration system from 2021. • Seven criminal justice bills, including measures that will increase sentences for about 3,000 serious or violent criminals by ending automatic release at the half-way point, tougher penalties for foreign national offenders who try to return to the UK after being deported, and greater protection for police officers. Domestic violence legislation will also be carried over from the last session. • Plans for an independent NHS investigations body with legal powers - the Health Service Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) - to look into "serious healthcare incidents", and a pledge to update the Mental Health Act to reduce the number of detentions. • An environment bill to "enshrine principles in law" and set legally binding "improvement targets" to reduce plastics, cut air pollution, restore biodiversity and improve water quality. A separate animal welfare bill to outlaw trophy hunting. • Proposed reforms to the divorce laws to minimise the impact of family breakdown on children, and changes in employment law to require restaurants and cafes to give waiting staff "all tips" owed to them.  There is also a commitment to reform adult social care in England, although no legislation planned at this stage.  New measures will also be brought forward to tackle electoral fraud, including requiring people to show an approved form of ID before voting in general and local elections.  A shake-up of the rail franchising system in England is also being proposed to improve service reliability, reduce "fragmentation" and introduce a "greater distance" between ministers and the day-to-day running of the network. • Law and order - what has the PM promised? • Could there be an early general election?  Mr Johnson said the programme, which includes four bills carried over from the last session, demonstrated Brexit was not the limit of the government's ambitions.  He told the Commons: "At the heart of this speech is an ambitious programme to unite this country with energy, optimism and with the basic common sense of one-nation Conservatism."  But Mr Corbyn criticised a number of the proposals, saying mental health care was "getting worse and worse", social care proposals "offered the same promise after two years of inaction and failure", and plans for education were "shockingly weak".  He told MPs: "There has never been such a farce of a government with a majority of minus 45 and a 100% record of defeat in the House of Commons, setting out a legislative agenda they know cannot be delivered in this Parliament."  The SNP's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, focused his criticism on the PM's plans for Brexit, saying the UK had "entered very dark days".  He said the EU was "the greatest example of political co-operation and peace - leaving behind the scars of war, the pain of loss, and instead choosing to take the hand of friendship across this continent" and to leave would be a "tragedy".  Former Tory cabinet minister Dominic Grieve, who now sits as an independent after rebelling over Brexit, said the PM would find it "very difficult" to govern until Brexit was resolved.  That was a very long shopping list of things, but the unsaid reality, of course, is that the biggest question hanging over it all is Brexit.  The Queen may have said the government's priority is to leave on 31 October, but there's no way anyone in this square mile can be sure that happens. Whether it happens - and how it happens - is a much bigger influence than anything we've just heard being said.  In many ways, it's a Queen's Speech from a parallel universe - one in which Boris Johnson gets his way. Where he definitely gets his deal with Brussels by the end of this week, he definitely gets it through Parliament on Saturday and definitely gets all the Brexit legislation passed. It's also a world in which he definitely gets the general election he wants in the next few weeks and then definitely gets a Conservative majority.  We shouldn't dismiss this speech - it does mean something, but what it means is this is what we are likely to see as the basis for a Conservative manifesto whenever that election does come.


aljazeera--2019-10-11--Ecuador emergency: Protesters infuriated by killings

A large crowd in Ecuador has held a funeral for one of the protesters killed in days of violent demonstrations in the country.  At least five people have been killed in Ecuador following a week of violent protests.  President Lenin Moreno has imposed austerity measures and cut fuel subsidies which caused petrol prices to double overnight.  But Moreno who has moved government operations out of Quito since the protests began has said he will not step down.


aljazeera--2019-10-17--Environmental groups warn banks over Saudi Aramco: Report

At least eight environmental groups have warned banks that are connected to Saudi Aramco's planned market float that they run the risk of financing the destruction of the planet by supporting the public listing of the world's biggest oil producer, a report in the Guardian revealed.  The green groups, which include Friends of the Earth and Oil Change International, sent a letter to the chief executives of banks that the listing would undercut efforts to decrease emissions in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.  The groups warned that the stock market launch would be "the biggest single infusion of capital into the fossil fuel industry" since the agreement was signed.  The letter from the green groups also criticised the banks' willingness to help raise billions of dollars for Saudi Arabia "given the horrendous human rights record of the Saudi regime".  "Recent examples of this include the role of Saudi agents in the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018, and the involvement of Saudi forces in indiscriminate air strikes on civilians in Yemen," the letter said.  Aramco has said it plans to float around five percent of the state-owned company in 2020 or 2021 in what could potentially be the world's biggest stock sale.  The mammoth initial public offering (IPO) forms the cornerstone of a reform programme envisaged by the kingdom's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to wean the Saudi economy off its reliance on oil.     It aims to raise up to $100bn based on a $2 trillion valuation of the company, but investors have debated whether Aramco is worth that much and there have been repeated delays in the launch originally envisaged for 2018.


aljazeera--2019-11-01--Sierra Leone resumes timber exports, worrying environmentalists

The government of Sierra Leone is resuming timber exports in an effort to counter falling revenue from mining.  But environment activists are concerned it could erase gains made over the last 10 years to regrow the country's forests.


aljazeera--2019-12-28--Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva: Fight for climate justice

The environmentalist says climate change is the result of irresponsible actors, particularly the fossil fuel industry.  The protest movement calling for action on climate change gained momentum this year with millions taking to the streets across the world demanding that governments do more to fix the crisis.  Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg gained widespread attention for her "you have stolen my childhood" speech at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit in September.  The environmental protest movement Extinction Rebellion launched dramatic protests in the United Kingdom and across the world. India's capital New Delhi made headlines after its pollution levels became so bad that the city announced a public health emergency and closed schools.  The European Union meanwhile declared a global "climate and environmental emergency". The UN released multiple reports warning of the dangers of climate change. While in the United States, the climate crisis emerged as one of the issues among Democratic presidential hopefuls.  Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva has spent her career taking on multinationals as part of her fight to preserve the planet. Originally trained as a physicist, she has written more than 20 books and served as an adviser to both NGOs and the Indian government.  She says climate change is the result of irresponsible actors, particularly the fossil fuel industry.  "So, I would say the problem is chemical industrial fossil fuel-based farming, and the solution is ecological biodiverse farming, in the hands of small farmers," Shiva said.  "I think we have to reduce the infrastructure that was built for the fossil fuel empire. We've got to learn how to have better lives with a lower ecological footprint," she added.  Shiva also says there needs to be a global conservation goal.  "We [do] need a Green New Deal with the earth, remembering that the earth is alive, and we have to work with her laws and processes to protect her species diversity, avoid the sixth mass extinction, and avoid climate catastrophe," Shiva said.  On UpFront, we discuss the fight for climate justice with Vandana Shiva.


bbc--2019-03-24--We expect hostile environment in Montenegro - Southgate

England's young players need to be prepared for a "hostile environment" when they take on Montenegro in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Podgorica on Monday, says manager Gareth Southgate.  When England played in the city in 2013, players were verbally abused and targeted with missiles.  "That is the sort of challenge our players have faced many times before," Southgate said.  England beat the Czech Republic 5-0 in their opening Euro qualifier on Friday.  "I know the passion the supporters have for their country and of course that gives a huge lift to their own team," Southgate added. "We have to make sure our discipline is right and we focus on what we can affect.  "We are guests here, so we will be very respectful about how we speak about the opposition. Our players have to be prepared for hostile environments, whether it is in England for their clubs or travelling around the world."  Southgate fielded a young team against the Czech Republic - handing a first competitive start to 18-year-old Jadon Sancho and debuts to Callum Hudson-Odoi, also 18, and Declan Rice, 20.  But they were impressive in their opener and top Group A after Montenegro drew 1-1 against Bulgaria.  Asked whether he would consider putting out a more experienced side in the circumstances, Southgate said: "I have no hesitation in playing them [the young players]. This is part of their education and to be a top team we have got to adapt to every environment we go into.  "Playing at Wembley is always going to be a different sort of experience to going away from home but the only way they can learn and improve is to go through these experiences.  "Kyle Walker has been before and he is the only player in the squad who had, so he was able to speak about that. We talked about that in the past there have been flares on the pitch here, and how that should be approached. You build a picture of what they can expect, so it's not a surprise if it happens."  Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick in the 5-0 win over the Czechs on Friday and Southgate later revealed the 24-year-old had been added to a strong 'leadership group' within the England squad, set up by the manager before the World Cup last summer.  "When we started working with the team, I felt there was a lot of burden on one captain and you need other people to take the lead in different moments," Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live.  "Raheem's development as a person over the last year or so made him an absolute ideal person to come into that group. He is behind Jordan Henderson as our most capped player, so it's a no brainer really to involve him.  "I think he has enjoyed that responsibility, and whenever you speak to any of the young players that arrive, he's one of the first people they mention that has helped them settle into the camp. They are really important qualities."  Southgate said Sterling "definitely has the attributes" to captain England one day and could follow in the footsteps of Eric Dier, Fabian Delph, Henderson and Harry Kane.  "Anyone in that leadership group would be in there because we view whether they could captain the team. In our recent fixtures the rest of that group have all done it. So he immediately becomes a candidate in that group."  Southgate could name a similar starting line-up against Montenegro but will be without midfielder Dier after he picked up a muscle injury 13 minutes into Friday's win.  He was replaced by Ross Barkley, who could be given a start in Montenegro - although Friday's debutant Rice is also an option.  Southgate will also check on the fitness of Jordan Henderson, who has a minor ankle problem, and Sancho after he complained of some muscle tightness after excelling in that 5-0 win.  If fit to start, Liverpool midfielder Henderson would be making his 50th appearance for England.  "I'm proud to play for my country but the type of person I am, I'll not really think about it too much," said Henderson. "Maybe I'll think about it when I finish my career but at the moment I just want to concentrate on doing the best for my team."  Southgate said it would be a "great honour" for Henderson to pick up his 50th cap because he joins a group of only 59 players to have achieved the feat.  "It requires huge commitment to play for England and on a personal level I think Jordan's qualities as a player have been under-appreciated at times," said Southgate. "He is so important for us, and has been for the last couple of managers."  "Everybody values his winning mentality. Good players make other players play well. It's not just about your performance but the impact you have on others and Jordan is a leader."  "England were already one of the favourites to qualify directly for Euro 2020 before Friday's 5-0 win against main group rivals the Czech Republic. England are now estimated to have a 96% chance of finishing in the top two of Group A."


bbcuk--2019-09-17--Are cities as bad for the environment as we think

Are cities as bad for the environment as we think?

Our cities are increasingly under scrutiny over their impact on climate change. But in terms of carbon dioxide - one of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming - could life away from the UK's big towns be doing more damage?  According to the most recent government statistics, the UK's 63 largest towns and cities - defined here as built-up urban areas with 135,000 or more people - account for almost half of all of the country's carbon dioxide (or CO2) emissions.  London alone makes up 11% of the total.  But are these headline stats masking a more nuanced picture about the role of cities as contributors to climate change?  If we look at carbon emissions on a per resident basis, it could be that life in smaller towns, villages and the countryside has a greater impact.  The European Commission calculates UK emissions at 5.7 tonnes per person. That ranks the UK as one of the lowest carbon emitters per person among major economies. The US produces 15.7 tonnes per resident, while China - despite being the world's largest CO2 polluter - emits a mid-range 7.7 tonnes per person.  UK government statistics for 2017 place the average slightly lower, at 5.3 tonnes per head.  All but 10 of our 63 largest towns and cities emit below that average, with Ipswich coming out as the greenest major town in the UK from a climate perspective. It emits three tonnes of CO2 for every resident.  Even London, despite valid worries about air quality, has the ninth-lowest carbon emissions per resident at 3.6 tonnes per person.  Meanwhile, energy-intensive steel and chemicals industries contribute to the Swansea area - including Neath Port Talbot - and Middlesbrough (combined with Stockton, and Redcar and Cleveland) having the highest carbon emissions per person in the UK, at 22.4 and 12.1 tonnes per head respectively.  Examining the sources of carbon emissions helps us understand why cities produce comparatively little CO2.  Though the differences are not huge, on average, homes in large towns emit slightly less CO2 per person than their more rural counterparts. They tend to be smaller, denser and easier to heat.  Twelve of the 20 local authorities with the lowest domestic CO2 emissions per person are London boroughs, with Tower Hamlets - which has the second smallest homes of any authority in England and Wales - emitting the least.  One of the biggest differences in carbon emissions comes from transport, with CO2 emissions per head 66% higher away from cities. This is probably because more people drive private cars and make longer journeys for work and leisure.  Just 20% of British city dwellers travel more than 10km (6.2 miles) to work according to the latest Census, compared with a third of those who live away from major towns. Clearly, a lack of comprehensive public transport outside cities is a major factor.  Another significant difference is that economic activity in major towns tends to be more office and service-based, with manufacturing plants largely outside the boundaries of areas classed as cities.  For more on the UK's efforts to tackle CO2 emissions, download the BBC Briefing on energy. Part of a mini-series of downloadable guides to the big issues in the news, it has input from academics, researchers and journalists and is the BBC's response to demands for better explanation of the facts behind the headlines.  As well as being lower emitters per resident, cities are also decarbonising at a faster rate, cutting carbon emissions by 36% between 2005 and 2017, against 31% for other areas.  Although it remains a big polluter, the area around Middlesbrough has seen the biggest fall in emissions - 64% since 2011. This is linked to economic changes, with the closure of its major steelworks likely to have brought down overall emissions.  In contrast, industrial emissions in Slough rose between 2005 and 2017, as a likely result of changes to its local economy.  Providing high-quality job opportunities while keeping a lid on greenhouse gas production will be a difficult challenge for cities in the future.  However, cities cannot be judged by measuring CO2 alone.  While emissions from industrial sources fell by 48%, and domestic sources by 36%, the reduction in emissions from transport lagged at just 11%. This has implications for another major environmental concern of our age: air quality.  Transport on UK roads accounts for 32% of all nitrogen oxides, for example, which are linked to respiratory diseases, heart disease and lung cancer, according to 2017 figures. Of all roads that breach legal limits for nitrogen oxides, 88% are in cities.  More like this  Exhaust fumes in cities, where traffic volumes are highest, are trapped in by tall buildings. This also causes nitrous oxides to build up, resulting in air quality that is much poorer than it is in more rural areas.  So far only London has taken the concrete step of introducing an Ultra Low Emissions Zone to penalise polluting vehicles in a bid to clear its air.  Other cities will need to confirm and implement similar clean air plans if they are to both improve the air that their workers and residents breathe, and continue the fight against climate change.  While carbon dioxide is a key focus of climate change policy, it is far from the only pollutant affecting cities. Others include:  * The Centre for Cities' measure combines some authorities into one city area. For example, Swansea includes neighbouring Neath Port Talbot. See the full list.  This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation.  Paul Swinney is director of policy and research at Centre for Cities, a think tank dedicated to improving the performance of UK city economies.  You can follow him on Twitter.


channel4uk--2019-01-03--Environment secretary Gove warns farmers of turbulence in the event of no deal

Environment secretary Gove warns farmers of ‘turbulence’ in the event of no deal

Environment secretary Michael Gove warns farmers that a no-deal Brexit could have severe implications for the agriculture industry.  Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union, warns that a lack of agreement on Brexit may spell uncertainty for Britain’s farmers, ahead of a parliamentary vote on the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal in two weeks.  Theresa May will need to win back at least 100 conservative MPs – as well as the DUP – to get it through.


channel4uk--2019-11-29--How the country’s top environmentalists would tackle climate crisis

Sir David Attenborough has told this programme he believes that climate change will mean that the latest generation of young children are likely to see civil unrest, mass migration and a lack of choice in the food they eat.  The broadcaster and natural historian also said it was shameful that the Conservative leader Boris Johnson didn’t take part in last night’s climate emergency leaders’ debate on Channel 4.  The Conservatives have accused Channel 4 News of a “provocative partisan stunt” over the decision to “empty chair” Boris Johnson after he declined to take part.  But some of the country’s biggest environmental groups were there – in the spin room after the debate – with their own proposals on how to tackle the crisis.


channel4uk--2019-12-26--Are environmental concerns killing off Boxing Day shopping?

Shoppers have braved the wet weather to grab a Boxing Day bargain, with total sales today expected to hit around £4 billion across the country.  But there are signs that concerns over the impact that fast fashion is having on the environment is putting some consumers off – as Chris Cunningham reports.


chicagotribune--2019-11-25--‘Dark Waters’ review: Mark Ruffalo mesmerizing as lawyer who won’t let DuPont get away with environm

‘Dark Waters’ review: Mark Ruffalo mesmerizing as lawyer who won’t let DuPont get away with environmental damage

He gets more than he bargained for. A man on fire with the justness of his cause and livid that no one is paying attention, Tennant has both physical evidence and videotape recordings of the horrors that have been visited on his herd of cattle, 190 of which he has buried.


delawareliberal--2019-07-23--What is flesh eating bacteria

What is flesh eating bacteria?

What we call flesh-eating bacteria is really a disease called Necrotizing fasciitis. (NF). (The bacteria itself is frequently  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) but other flesh-eating bacterias are out there such as Vibrio vulnificus which has been found in Delaware’s waters just waiting for you to ignore your next underwater cut or scrape).  Whatever the strain, this shit means business.  The bacteria causes an infection that results in the death of parts of the body’s soft tissue.  The severity of the disease, the sudden onset of symptoms, and its 30% fatality rate give it its fierce reputation.  Do you have Necrotizing fasciitis right now?  No, you don’t because if you did you’d have red or purple skin in the arm or leg that picked up a cut at the wrong time.  You’d be in severe pain, running a fever and vomiting.  If you cut your foot yesterday, Doctors would be preparing to remove your leg at the knee tonight.   I mean if you are reading this, you don’t have it yet but probably will have it if you swim or work in Delaware’s bays.  How do you get Necrotizing fasciitis?  Typically, the infection enters the body through a break in the skin such as a cut or burn.  You can increase your risk of contracting it by having a degraded immune system, from diabetes, cancer, obesity or alcoholism or drug abuse.  But you can’t catch it from your infected family member.  Not unless you work at it for some reason, rubbing your wounds on theirs.   YUCK!  How do you NOT get Necrotizing fasciitis?  You could move to a planet that isn’t under attack from late-stage capitalism.  That would be a good start.  Or, if you don’t have the money for a spaceship, but you have a robust immune system, you can lower your risk with proper wound care.   But even proper wound care isn’t foolproof.  Typically it is treated with surgery to remove the infected tissue, and intravenous antibiotics.  Because we are talking about super-bacteria, a combination of antibiotics is often used, such as penicillin G, clindamycin, vancomycin, and gentamicin.  Delays in surgery are associated with a much higher risk of death. Even with high-quality treatment, the risk of death is about 30%.  Ed Note:  This was taken almost entirely from Wikipedia because I was curious and thought you might be too.


bbc--2019-08-29--What about the animals caught in the Amazon rainforest fires

What about the animals caught in the Amazon rainforest fires?

It's believed about three million different species of plant and animal - one in 10 of all the species in the world - live in the Amazon.  This has been the worst year for Amazon fires since 2010.  At the time of writing, Brazil's space agency Inpe reports that there have been almost 85,000 fires in the rainforest so far.  So what does this mean for the many animals who call the Amazon home?  Some animals may be able to escape. Large mammals, such as jaguars, stand the best chance of getting away because they are able to run fast enough to get away from the fire in time.  But many other animals will be killed almost straight away.  Dr Claudio Sillero, professor of conservation biology at the University of Oxford, tells BBC News that he's particularly concerned about the smaller creatures in the forest: "They don't stand a hope in hell."  "Different groups of animals will fare differently," he says. "But we really need to worry [about] amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. They live in microhabitats, and if these microhabitats get hit by fire then they will disappear completely, and these animals will die."  Their offspring are at risk too: "Their eggs also need to be kept damp - but [in fire] the eggs will be quickly cooked."  This, he adds, could cause some species to go extinct.  Then there are the Amazon's many small and slow mammals, such as the sloth. Dr Sillero says these animals "tend to panic in the presence of fire, and are more likely to suffer direct mortalities".  Birds face similar risks, he adds. While individual birds may be able to fly away and find safety, to do so they will need to abandon their chicks and eggs.  Paul Rosolie, an American author and conservationist, has seen this first-hand. Last week, he posted footage on Twitter that he had taken of fires in the Amazon while working in the forest in July.  "What's horrible is, and people don't realise, that all these animals are being cooked alive," he tells BBC News. "Baby birds in their nests, snakes, frogs... the monkeys go running for it, but this is the only place these animals have to live."  Fleeing the fire is the first step - and as Dr Alex Lees from Manchester Metropolitan University tells BBC News, these animals' chances of survival remain bleak.  Straight after a fire, he says, "once the area's burned, it's useless for many species".  "It's not like there's necessarily lots of spare space," he says. "Most areas are already at carrying [full] capacity, so they'll need to displace another individual of the same species from their own territory.  "That's the major problem here - they can't go somewhere else because those areas are occupied, and they'd be waiting around for a new territory to open up. But they can't re-use their old areas that have been burned."  When fires rip through a rainforest like the Amazon, they burn down so many trees that there are holes in the forest's canopy. This means that the environment beneath, which is usually dark and humid, is exposed to the harsh sunlight, and can dry out very quickly. It is then repopulated by new species that usually live on the naturally dry areas on the edge of the forest.  This is bad news for animals that rely on the forest's humid, moist environment. Dr Lees, who specialises in bird conservation, gives the example of insectivorous birds who need the ground to be soft and damp in order to be able to stealthily hunt for food. Dry, crunchy leaves on the ground make this impossible for them.  He adds that these species are unlikely to be able to return to their home "for decades - probably far in excess of the single life expectancy of any given creature".  As well as immediately killing and displacing birds, insects and land mammals, this habitat change will also eventually hit aquatic species, such as the Amazon river dolphin or the rainforest's many different fish.  Even though these animals are able to avoid the fires by seeking refuge underwater at first, Dr Mark Bowler, an ecologist at the University of Suffolk, says the rivers and lakes they live in will be altered.  "If you burn parts of the forest in order to build a cattle ranch, then aquatic habitats are going to be affected as well," he tells BBC News. "The fish populations and the ecology of the river will change, and that will [also] affect larger animals like the giant otter."  Many forest-dependent humans will lose their livelihoods as a result of the fires, too.  Dr Rachel Carmenta, an environmental scientist at the University of Cambridge who works with the Amazon's indigenous and mixed-descent communities, tells BBC News that the fires are "a humanitarian problem as well".  Many of the animals hunted by these communities, including tortoises and capybaras, are slow-moving and therefore are likely to have died in the fires, she says.  Trying to hunt the few remaining animals is almost impossible, as the ground is too noisy for hunters to quietly cross the forest floor. On top of this, the plants they use to build homes and produce medicines would have also been charred.  "It's not only about those immediate losses of flora and fauna," she adds, "but also the relationships, the identities, the attachments that people have to their homes and to their landscapes, which are eroded and become unrecognisable as fires pass through."  Faced with displacement and starvation, many people's lives are at risk, Dr Carmenta warns.  "In the long-run, I don't think that's too strong to say."