[TheClimate.Vote] January 27, 2020 - Daily Global Warming News Digest

Mon Jan 27 09:09:41 EST 2020

/*January 27, 2020*/

[Politico opinion, text and audio]
*House Republicans caught between Trump and young voters on climate change*
GOP leaders are putting together their own more modest set of climate 
policies that their party can rally behind...

    "We've got to actually do something different than we've done to
    date. For a 28-year-old, the environment is the No. 1 and No. 2
    issue." - House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy...

"The GOP needs to have a Republican position on climate change. I would 
say it's our hope that what we table would attract bipartisan support," 
the aide said. "We haven't had a coherent message in some time."

Environmentalists say the ideas the Republicans are considering are way 
too weak to address the global climate crisis.

"All they can come together on is useful, but really tiny stuff like 
tree planting and energy R&D," said David Doniger, senior strategic 
director for the Natural Resources Defense Council's climate and clean 
energy program. "Those are just not going to meet the climate crisis, 
which requires that we cut the pollution that's driving this."...
more at - 
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/26/climate-change-trump-republicans-104665

[Survey Report from Yale program on Climate Change Communication]
*Global Warming Surges as a 2020 Voting Issue*
45% of registered voters say a candidate's position on global warming 
will be "very important" when they decide who they will vote for in 2020.
Today we are pleased to release a new report - Politics & Global Warming 
- from our latest national survey. Here are a few highlights from the 
full report: Global Warming as a Voting Issue

-- More than four in ten registered voters (45%) say a candidate's 
position on global warming will be very important when they decide who 
they will vote for in the 2020 presidential election, an increase of 7 
percentage points since April 2019. This includes 72% of Democrats (+8 
points), 41% of Independents (+7 points), and 13% of Republicans (+1 point).

-- Of 29 issues asked about, global warming is the 11th most important 
voting issue for registered voters, up 6 ranks since April 2019. Among 
liberal Democrats, it is the 3rd most important voting issue, and it is 
the 7th most important issue for moderate/conservative Democrats.

-- When registered voters were then asked to choose their single most 
important issue when voting for a candidate, however, global warming is 
ranked #5 overall. Among liberal Democrats global warming is #1, and 
among moderate/conservative Democrats it is #5. Global warming is not a 
top 10 issue among Republicans.
https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/

[Economist Ted Nordhaus in the Wall Street Journal]
*Ignore the Fake Climate Debate*
The deniers and alarmists may make headlines, but behind the scenes, an 
expert consensus is taking shape on how to respond to global warming.
By Ted Nordhaus
Jan. 23, 2020

Beyond the headlines and social media, where Greta Thunberg, Donald 
Trump and the online armies of climate "alarmists" and "deniers" do 
battle, there is a real climate debate bubbling along in scientific 
journals, conferences and, occasionally, even in the halls of Congress. 
It gets a lot less attention than the boisterous and fake debate that 
dominates our public discourse, but it is much more relevant to how the 
world might actually address the problem.

In the real climate debate, no one denies the relationship between human...
$ - https://www.wsj.com/articles/ignore-the-fake-climate-debate-11579795816

[geek workers speak]
*Hundreds of Amazon employees protest company PR policy by speaking out 
about climate change*
Amazon employees are responding to threats of termination for their 
climate advocacy by intentionally violating the company's corporate 
communications policy.

More than 340 workers criticized Amazon's contribution to climate change 
Sunday in a Medium post, violating corporate PR rules that prevent 
employees from discussing company business without approval. It's the 
latest example of tech workers leveraging their position as valued 
assets in a tight labor market to pressure their employers on political 
issues. Employee activism in the tech industry is creating new 
challenges for corporations trying to balance business interests with 
the demands of the employees they've invested heavily in recruiting and 
retaining...
The advocacy group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice published the 
statements to show solidarity with two employees who say they were 
threatened with termination. Amazon's human resources department told 
the employees their jobs could be in jeopardy if they continued to 
violate the communications policy by speaking publicly about Amazon's 
carbon footprint. Amazon says its corporate communications rules are not 
new but confirmed updating the policy in September and notifying 
employees at that time.
https://www.geekwire.com/2020/hundreds-amazon-employees-plan-protest-pr-policy-speaking-climate-change/
- - -
[From within the company]
*Amazon Employees Share Our Views on Company Business*
357 Amazon employees gave one or more [smart and eloquent] quotes...
https://medium.com/@amazonemployeesclimatejustice/amazon-employees-share-our-views-on-company-business-f5abcdea849
- - -
[join "To feed minds, not mindless feeds"]
*Amazon Employees for Climate Justice*
https://medium.com/@amazonemployeesclimatejustice

[change political structure ]
*Sir David Attenborough says fixed-term parliaments lead to lack of 
climate focus*
The UK's fixed-term parliaments could see politicians failing to 
prioritise climate change, veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough has 
suggested.

He told the first citizens' assembly on climate having a five-year 
government leads to a lack of long-term planning.

The 110-strong assembly in Birmingham will meet over four weekends to 
examine options for how the UK can meet its greenhouse gas emission targets.

Sir David said he was "extremely grateful" to those taking part.

It is hoped their recommendations - to be published in April - will help 
inform Parliament and the government on policies to reach net zero 
emissions.

Sir David said one of the problems with Parliament having a fixed length 
of five years is that the effects of climate change may only be felt 
much later.

"It is very difficult to persuade politicians that they should give 
money and time and attention and worry about an issue which is not going 
to come to a climax - and people won't know if it is successful or not 
successful - for 10 years hence, 15 years hence," he said.
- - -
"I believe that the question we are facing is of the upmost importance," 
he added.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 requires an election be held every 
five years, unless two-thirds of MPs vote for an early poll...
more at - https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51252222

[Opinion from Aljazeera]
*It is time to change the definition of refugee*
Climate change is an existential threat to humanity and as such, should 
be included in legislation on asylum seeking.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/time-change-definition-refugee-200126095857235.html 

[Professor of XR]
*XR Interview with spokesperson, Rupert Read, at the WEF, Davos*
Jan 23, 2020
Nick Breeze
https://envisionation.co.uk/index.php/blogs/nick-breeze-blogs/259-xr-rupert-read-davos
Extinction Rebellion are in Davos talking to corporates and billionaires 
about putting their money where their mouths are and committing to 
emergency action proportionate to the climate crisis. NICK BREEZE talks 
to XR spokesman, Rupert Read about the WEF and the road to COP26.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is the first of the big global 
conferences of 2020 that will lead us to COP26 in Glasgow where 
governments will be under enormous pressure to agree safe and realistic 
action for the future. With Extinction Rebellion (XR) and other protest 
groups converging in the Swiss alpine town of Davos, I asked their 
leading spokesperson, Rupert Read, whether the tone being set here is 
encouraging
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkTvm7FmIa4
- - -
[BBC Radio]
*Dr. Gail Bradbrook | BBC Radio 2 | 22 January 2020 | Extinction Rebellion*
Jan 23, 2020
Extinction Rebellion
Jeremy Vine discusses Donald Trump and Greta Thunberg's contrasting 
climate visions with guest Dr. Gail Bradbrook...and Fraser Milson.
https://youtu.be/u_a7sWItXSE?t=253

[Classic Noam Chomsky from 2013]
*Can civilisation survive really existing capitalism? | Noam Chomsky*
Apr 3, 2013 - UCD - University College Dublin
Noam Chomsky: Can civilisation survive really existing capitalism?
UCD Philosophy Society Inaugural Lecture 2013

One of the world's leading intellectuals and political activists, 
Professor Noam Chomsky has been awarded the UCD Ulysses Medal, the 
highest honour that University College Dublin can bestow.
Full story: 
http://www.ucd.ie/news/2013/04APR13/030413-Noam-Chomsky-awarded-UCD-Ulysses-Medal.html

The award was inaugurated in 2005, as part of the university's 
sesquicentennial celebrations, to highlight the 'creative brilliance' of 
UCD alumnus James Joyce. It is awarded to individuals whose work has 
made an outstanding global contribution.

Professor Chomsky was presented with the UCD Ulysses Medal by the 
President of UCD, Dr Hugh Brady, following a public lecture hosted by 
the UCD Philosophy Society and the UCD School of Philosophy at 
University College Dublin on Tuesday 02 April 2013.
https://youtu.be/_uuYjUxf6Uk?t=1091 [starts discussion of climate]

[Digging back into the internet news archive]
*On this day in the history of global warming - January 27, 2014 *
MSNBC's Rachel Maddow reports on the latest schemes of Charles and David 
Koch.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rachel-maddow/54197650

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