INCINCERATING OUR KIDS' FUTURES

Arden, 215; Chico, 242, Concord, 174, Davis, 196, Gridley, 367, Livermore, 203---The airnow.gov site is so overloaded now, you only get to see California as a whole, and this list isn’t even past the Ls.   But in case folks need to know, Yuba City registers 369.

Butte County

What do these airnow.gov AQI readings mean besides measuring pollutant concentrations in a community’s air? Zinke says now is not the time to point fingers, especially with 66 recorded deaths so far. But those deaths require more, lot’s more than the bromide “our thoughts and prayers etc. etc.”

We need to point fingers at PGE, a corporation so addicted to its bottom line, according to the New York Times, it was responsible, for “several” of last year’s wildfires, at least 17 of them caused by power line, pole, and other poorly maintained PGE infrastructure. PGE’s recent incident report states that a  power failure occurred on a transmission line in Butte County at 8:15 AM, exactly 15 minutes before the fire was reported as starting.

And we need to point the finger at the Supreme Court which is still trying to put off hearing Juliana vs. U.S., the youth lawsuit that argues kids should have a future, and at Congress and a White House, god forbid, that withdrew from the Paris Accord.

Juliana vs. United States

And at the fossil-fuel-based economy and the fracking industry, and the pipe line corporations, and other fossil-fuel-culture-maintaining enterprises.

And at the authorities who failed to decontaminate the Santa Susana reactor, which spread radiation over SoCal as the fires burned.

And at a long-term drought which has left the ground parched, and over a billion California trees dead, and misguided people who know nothing about fire management logging out whole areas where the flames could sweep through the dried weeds and grasses like the hurricane force winds that drove them.

photo credit: Michael Kerr

And the military and its more than seven wars, both foreign and now domestic, that are the world’s largest consumer of fossil fuels, and its domestic occupations, now busy reinforcing our own border with retrofitted concentration camps designed to hold 200,000 immigrants.

And all the State governments that have overlooked declaring driving on alternate days of the week, based on even and odd numbered license plates.

And the mayor of your city and your city council who have not prohibited all city center vehicle use.

And any of the citizens who have ignored putting pressure on them.

What’s the answer? Nothing comfortable, any more than the over 7,000 people who have lost 8.650 homes to the Camp fire are finding running out of hotel money, and camping out in pauperizing-wage Walmart’s parking lots comfortable.

In 2011 Fukushima happened. It happened because of the energy addiction that rationalized the building of nuclear reactors, a technology that is way over any human ability to control.

That day, I was so aggrieved, I should not have been on the road. And sure enough, I was involved in an accident by a woman making a blind left turn directly in my path, totaling my car.

I gave up driving on the spot. Since then I have reflected on privilege. How everyone driving does so because they’re in a hurry. How everyone driving feels entitled to getting there faster and more CONVENIENTLY. My own conclusion—because I don’t like bean counting and budgets—is to try embracing poverty.  I’m doing it in every small way I can, knowing full well that whole countries of very poor people are scrambling their way out of it: China, India, for example. Although I don’t think what I don’t do makes much of a difference delaying the final trumpets of global warming, I do it because in my own delusional way, I assume it might actually be the right thing to do.  And I do it for the kids. They need a future, too.

Bone up on Juliana vs. U.S. here.

There is no planet B. Sign Greenpeace petition here.

Help First Nations speak out against tar sands expansion in Canada.

Sign Climate Change in Australia petition.

Demand more action  on Climate Change in Europe.

Sign petition arguing DHS cannot throw immigrants deeper into poverty.

Donate to the Abrams, Gillum, and Nelson recount campaigns. Even $5. helps.

 

Headlines

Under poaching pressure, elephants are evolving to lose their tusks!!!

With Tory government in shambles, Labor Leader, Jeremy Corbin demands Theresa May(not) withdraw ‘half-baked’ Brexit deal.

The backlisting of Iran from SWIFT, the international financial messaging system, by U.S. sanction will hasten the demise of the dollar.

Labor

Colorado becomes the first state to abolish prison mandatory labor, thus ending slavery. (49 more to go.)

Missouri and Arkansas  voters pass big minimum wage increases.

The Sanders-Khanna ‘Stop Walmart Act’ would outlaw stock buybacks for corporate giants that don’t pay $15 an hour.

 Peace

Anti-war groups and progressive lawmakers express cautious optimism after the administration announces it will end its policy of refueling Saudi planes engaged in assault on Yemen.

The elections

Arizona senate race no longer in doubt as  Democrat Krysten Sinema expands lead to over 30,000 votes.

Josh Harder defeats GOP Denham in California House race.

Maine announces historic victory for Dem Jared Golden after federal judge rejects GOP lawsuit to stop the country’s very first congressional ranked choice voting

Democrat Katie Porter wins in CA district 45.

Federal Courts rule against massive voter suppression in Florida and Georgia

Young and growing progressive caucus determined to fight ‘like hell’ for bold Demo agenda.

Judge orders Georgia recounts to continue.

Florida lawsuits challenge voter suppression in recount.

Just Now: Florida Secretary of State orders manual recount in U.S. Senate race.

Schools win as Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Seattle pass measures to raise moneys locally for schools. Referenda win in Georgia, Maryland, and New Jersey.

2018 Democratic wins show GOP no longer has lock on senior vote

The midterms prove progressive ideas are now mainstream.

The 2020 electorate will be even younger, better educated, and more diverse than this year’s.

And Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brian Kemp resigns after scrubbing 340,000 voters from the rolls, slamdunk sure that he’s won the governor’s race.

Anti-nuclear

Physicians work to bring back the anti-nuclear movement.

Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty could become law next year.

The Planet

Spain unveils groundbreaking plan to slash emissions and transition to 100% renewables by 2050.

Students across Europe excoriate world leaders for hiding scientific  reality of pending global climate collapse.

Backed  by Ocasio-Cortez, youth climate activists arrested at Pelosi’s office demanding Democrats embrace ‘Green New Deal.”

Oil and gas company drops all plans to drill beneath Rocky Flats following intense backlash.

Over eminent domain, landowners fight the Bayou Ridge Pipeline in court.

Judge halts further fracking off SoCal Coast until full review is complete.

Dutch stop fracking over potential earthquakes.

Co-op solar project to be owned by Brooklyn’s under poverty-line community it benefits.

Keystone XL pipeline blocked by federal judge in major blow to administration. 

Oakland terminates army base, telling Tagami coal train project is over.

Local communities turn vacant lots into thriving urban farms.

East Bay switches to community energy.

The Courts

Maryland files for injunction against Matthew Whitaker’s AG appointment.

Abrams files lawsuit to count absentee and provisional ballots in Georgia’s gubernatorial race.

Southern Poverty Law Center sues over presidential proclamation banning migrants from seeking asylum.

Southern Poverty Law Center lawsuit against neo-Nazi leader moves forward.

Durham’s next DA wants to stop prosecuting students charged in school.

Administration endorses criminal justice bill mandating reduced mandatory sentences that divides McConnell’s GOP.

Emoluments lawsuit to sandbag #45.

Brooklyn Appellate Court bars local police from ICE detentions.

#45-appointed Judge Timothy Kelly orders administration to restore Acosta’s press pass. (Huckabee cries 'uncle'.)

Resistance

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and more than 70 human and digital rights groups call on Zuckerberg to add real transparency and accountability to Facebook’s content removal process.

Environmental groups up in arms about bill targeting legitimate protests.