re: Senate Republicans’ extreme plan for America

 

Here’s the hard truth of it: If Republicans take back the Senate, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Rick Scott says Republicans are ready to sell off public lands they deem “non-essential,” roll back voting rights, finish Trump’s border wall and name it after him, and hike personal income taxes for millions of workers and families — including 40% of New Mexicans. Everyday people — and our planet — can’t afford for this plan to become a reality. But Senate Republicans sure can afford to spend big to reclaim the majority and enact this harmful agenda — thanks to their whopping $41.6 million war chest. In contrast, Democrats are working to better everyday lives and protect our planet. We just sent a historic bill to President Biden’s desk to cut down costs for families, keep our promises to veterans, address climate change, and invest in healthcare, education, and affordable housing. And I fought to secure more than $160 million to fund 75 community projects in New Mexico, from waste and water infrastructure for Tribal communities to a new fire station. I want to keep working with the Democratic majority to deliver lasting results for New Mexico and our country. But that’s only possible if we can compete with Republicans’ massive fundraising haul to stop them from flipping the Senate and wreaking havoc on our communities and our planet. Can you make a grassroots donation of $3, $10, or any amount that works for you to our campaign before our mid-month deadline this week? Every dollar will help us protect the majority and keep delivering for the American people. — Martin     Paid for by Martin Heinrich for Senate Senator Martin Heinrich is committed to helping New Mexico become a leader in defense, tech, and energy with opportunities in every corner.  Martin Heinrich for Senate PO Box 25763 Albuquerque, NM 87125 United States

Saving the World’s Most Endangered Whales

Petition Filed to Help North Pacific Right Whales The Center for Biological Diversity and allies filed a petition this morning urging the federal government to expand critical habitat for North Pacific right whales in Alaska. They’re the most endangered group of whales in the world: The eastern population is down to only about 30 individuals.   These massive mammals — who have gigantic, arched jaws and can weigh 70 tons — are still no match for the mounting threats they face in the areas we’re pushing to protect. Trans-Arctic shipping traffic, for example, is surging as climate change and melting sea ice open shipping routes, increasing ocean noise and risks of vessel strikes.    “If we don’t want to lose these magnificent whales in our lifetimes, we have to safeguard all the habitat that’s critical to their survival,” said the Center’s Cynthia Elkins. “Only a fraction of this important area is protected now, so federal action is a crucial step.”

Take Action: Save Our Most Popular National Forest The most visited national forest in the United States is the Pisgah-Nantahala in North Carolina. It has hundreds of miles of trails and more than 1 million acres of hardwood forests, whitewater rivers, cascading waterfalls, breathtaking views and habitat for rare wildlife like Indiana bats.   But the plan to manage it for the next 30 years threatens all that.   Take action now: Tell the U.S. Forest Service to follow our guidance and fix the plan before it lets logging decimate this national treasure.

Strengthen the Law, Save Life on Earth The Center just filed an ambitious legal petition urging the two agencies in charge of the nation’s wildlife to take bold action against the extinction crisis by strengthening how the Endangered Species Act is carried out.   NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should push for bold new rules to tackle climate change, reduce political meddling, and make industry accountable for any harm it does to crucial habitat.   “Despite the Endangered Species Act’s remarkable success at stopping extinctions,” said the Center’s Stephanie Kurose, “these agencies have been reluctant to fully implement it, succumbing to political and industry pressure. The time for reform is now.”   Extinction isn’t inevitable. Help us prevent it with a gift to our Saving Life on Earth Fund.

Exxon Oil-Trucking Plan Defeated in Santa Barbara ExxonMobil’s been pushing to restart three drilling platforms off the Santa Barbara coast — but on Tuesday, in a move that will make that harder for the fossil fuel giant, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to reject its plan to transport the oil by tanker trucks along hazardous California highways.   “We’ve seen oil spill after oil spill along the California coast,” said Julie Teel Simmonds, a Center attorney. “It’s incredibly encouraging to see Santa Barbara County supervisors take a stand against this dirty and dangerous industry.”   Center supporters have been helping fight this destructive plan since it was proposed in 2019. Thanks for being part of this crucial win.

Biden Backtracks on Wildlife Pesticide Protections The Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that a pesticide called malathion does not pose an extinction risk to any protected animals or plants — thus refusing to take meaningful action to shield them from the chemical.   This move contradicts the agency’s own 2017 finding that malathion would likely jeopardize 1,284 species. It also runs counter to last week’s NOAA Fisheries finding that malathion poses risks to endangered U.S. salmon, sturgeon, steelhead and Puget Sound orcas.   “The Biden administration has failed to rein in the dangerous use of one of the world’s worst neurotoxic pesticides,” said the Center’s Lori Ann Burd.

Center Op-Ed: Feds Must Act for Yellowstone Wolves  Last year the Center and allies filed an emergency petition to restore Endangered Species Act protections to Northern Rockies wolves, who don’t benefit from our recent win restoring those protections to other U.S. wolves. But the Fish and Wildlife Service has done nothing since announcing in September that the wolves may indeed deserve that protection.    In the meantime, hunters massacred 25 Yellowstone National Park wolves just for setting paw outside the park’s invisible boundaries.   “The time to step in is now, not in six months or a year,” said the Center’s Collette Adkins in this recent op-ed. “A future without Yellowstone’s wolves is too heartbreaking to imagine and too senseless to allow.”

The Path to Peace? More Renewables, Jobs, Justice President Biden’s ban on Russian oil and gas imports — using the very laws the Center has been urging him to use to speed the transition off fossil fuels — is a critical first step toward ending the fossil fuel tyranny that’s both funding the invasion of Ukraine and driving the climate emergency.   Learn how Biden can lead the way to a peaceful and livable future using his broad authorities under the Defense Production Act to ramp up the production and deployment of renewable technologies, create millions of good-paying jobs, and prioritize green energy in vulnerable communities.    Stay tuned for more ways to take action.

Revelator: Historic Chance to Save Rivers Ten bills that are now in Congress would add protections for 7,000 miles of free-flowing river — plus 5 million acres of riverside land — to safeguard drinking water, biodiversity and recreation. The River Democracy Act in Oregon, for example, would help significantly expand the nation’s Wild and Scenic River System, established in 1968.   Read more about this landmark legislation in The Revelator. And don’t miss out on the e-newsletter bringing you each week’s best environmental articles and essays.

That’s Wild: The Science of Weird Sea Creatures Weirdness is in the eye of the beholder. To humans, deep-sea animals’ transparent bodies, giant eyes, and glowing face appendages look strange. But these seeming oddities are incredible adaptations suited to the low light and dangerous world of the deep sea.   Learn more in this video from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Follow Us Center for Biological Diversity | Saving Life on Earth     Donate now to support the Center's work.   Photo credits: North Pacific right whale courtesy NOAA; Indiana bats by Ann Froschauer/USFWS; wolves by Holly Kuchera, manatees by NOAA and polar bear via Depositphotos; oil tanker accident courtesy Cal Fire; Southern resident orca and calf courtesy NOAA; wolf by Pick Pic; rooftop solar installation by David Dodge/Green Energy Futures; Tumalo Falls by Elliott Blackburn; deep-sea lizardfish courtesy NOAA. Center for Biological Diversity P.O. Box 710 Tucson, AZ 85702 United States

 

CC Newsletter 09 March - Ukraine Update: Saudi Arabia and UAE leaders ‘decline calls with Biden’

Dear Friend,

The de-facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have declined to arrange calls with US president Joe Biden in recent weeks as the U.S. and its allies have sought to contain a surge in energy prices caused by the Ukraine Crisis. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing Middle East and U.S. officials, both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan have been unavailable to Biden after US requests were made for discussions.

If you think the contents of this newsletter are critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our newsletter here http://www.countercurrents.org/news-letter/.

In Solidarity

Binu Mathew

Editor

Countercurrents.org

Ukraine Update: Saudi Arabia and UAE leaders ‘decline calls with Biden’

by Countercurrents

Collective

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/ukraine-update-saudi-arabia-and-uae-leaders-decline-calls-with-biden/

The de-facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have declined to arrange calls with US president Joe Biden in recent weeks as the U.S. and its allies have sought to contain a surge in energy prices caused by the Ukraine Crisis. According to the Wall Street Journal, citing Middle East and U.S. officials, both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan have been unavailable to Biden after US requests were made for discussions.

Understanding the War in Ukraine

by Vijay Prashad

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/understanding-the-war-in-ukraine/

The war between Russia and Ukraine began much before February 24, 2022—the date provided by the Ukrainian government, NATO and the United States for the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Dmitry Kovalevich, a journalist and a

member of a now-banned communist organization in Ukraine, the war actually started in the spring of 2014 and has never stopped since.

On the Worthiness and Unworthiness of War Victims

by Chris Hedges

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/on-the-worthiness-and-unworthiness-of-war-victims/

Dividing the world into worthy and unworthy victims is a tactic used to justify our crimes and demonize our enemies. Conflicts will not be solved until all nations abide by international law and all victims are deemed worthy.

Our Ukraine Wake-Up Call – The Global Age is Upon Us

by Karen J Greenberg

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/our-ukraine-wake-up-call-the-global-age-is-upon-us/

The war there should be a wake-up call. Its unmistakable directive: accept the realities of the twenty-first-century world. We are so much more interconnected than we care to acknowledge and, with that in mind, we need new norms and protections in place of those that have led us to this point on an

all-too-new and dangerous planet.

Absit Omen

by Jim Miles

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/absit-omen/

While the world remains on the brink of nuclear destruction, a fate we have escaped so far mostly through luck combined with a small touch of intelligence, no one should be resting easy about the future of their children and grand-children.  Hopefully they will have a history to read about that remains in the past and is not a series of ongoing current events’ crises continually threatening their survival.

How Pakistan Could Find a Development-First Path to Peace in Balochistan

by Justin Podur

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/how-pakistan-could-find-a-development-first-path-to-peace-in-balochistan/

The disappearances and killings of Baloch activists living in Pakistan and abroad under mysterious circumstances have made headlines in recent years. The surge in cases relating to these “enforced disappearances” highlights the urgency for Pakistan to resolve the

grievances felt by the people of the region as it tries to forge an identity away from the U.S. and looks to China for its future growth.

International Women’s day celebrated in  a big way in Punjab

by Harsh Thakor

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/international-womens-day-celebrated-in-a-big-way-in-punjab/

On the International Women’s day, Bharti Kisan Union(Ekta Ugrahan) staged massive  women conferences at 11places in 10 districts of Punjab, in which tens of thousands of women participated. State president of the Union, Joginder Singh Ugrahan and General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan informed the press that at all these places the Conferences were organised and led on the initiative of women themselves.

Reduced presence in politics main cause of Gender Gap

by Dr Madabhushi Sridhar

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/reduced-presence-in-politics-main-cause-of-gender-gap/

With four parameters, the gender gap in 156 nations was studied in 2021. It says it will

take 135.6 years to bridge the gender gap worldwide… India is at 140th rank among 156 nations. It has slipped 28 places..

Gender, Environment and Sustainability

by Sarah Kidwai

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/gender-environment-and-sustainability/

The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, gender equality in context to climate crisis and management is one of the major concerns of the twenty-first century. Its impacts vary amongst regions, generations, age, income groups, and gender. Over recent years, expanding concern about the climate change has had a widespread effect on social behavior of humans.

Protest in Punjab against the Ukraine War

by Harsh Thakor

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/protest-in-punjab-against-the-ukraine-war/

A Protest was undertaken by Lok Sangram Morcha, in Punjab in Nature Park in Moga district on March 5th protesting the War in Ukraine. The front is a conglomeration of

revolutionary democratic mass organizations, adhering towards Communist revolutionary line

Jhund: An upper-caste movie review

by Akshat Jain

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/jhund-an-upper-caste-movie-review/

As an upper caste person, I can say that Jhund is a must for the upper castes to watch. As families. Together. Like we watch Shahrukh Khan movies. Like we have always watched Amitabh Bachchan movies. Jhund will make you reflect and have some conversations within your families that you might not have had otherwise. The film is extremely valuable just for the discussions it can spark in upper caste households, just for the soul searching it might force some members of the household to do

Crime and Punishment: Is Indian Justice System Impartial?

by Dr Ram Puniyani

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/crime-and-punishment-is-indian-justice-system-impartial/

Can we hope for a just society with equal justice delivery system for all, irrespective of their religion?

Axing Scholarships, Denying Opportunities

by Subhash Gatade

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/axing-scholarships-denying-opportunities/

When Government itself Does Not Have Any Qualms in rationalising Drona Mindset

Sharab, Shabab aur Kebab -III

by T Vijayendra

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/sharab-shabab-aur-kebab-iii/

Within the constraints of ecology, one still has choice when it comes to what one can eat. A variety of balanced diets are followed by people inhabiting different ecological regions of the world. There is absolutely no need to preach vegetarianism. In fact, one should stop using terms like vegetarian and non-vegetarian which divide people unnecessarily. Passages from the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of Sikhs) say that only fools argue over this issue. Guru Nanak said that any consumption of food involves a drain on the Earth’s resources and thus on life

Our India: Either We keep it or it will be Stolen from Us

by Hersh Sewak   

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/our-india-either-we-keep-it-or-it-will-be-stolen-from-us/

Choice of clothing, very much like a piercing of ear or nose are non-contradictory decisions that do not prevent others from exercising their own decisions. The present discourse would benefit from this question: “Will you be able to show to your next generation with pride the humiliation of young girls in schools of Karnataka?”

Hindutva crucifying Science

by Dr Jas Simran Kehal

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/hindutva-crucifying-science/

I have made up my mind to do my homework on yagna chikitsa, cow excreta, holy smoke, and astrology in addition to a short course in mythology before venturing out to discuss science with whatsup university generation. Lest I am rendered outdated.

The Anti-Conversion Laws Target Freedom of Religion and Conscience

by National Solidarity Forum

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/the-anti-conversion-laws-target-freedom-of-religion-and-conscience/

Karnataka Government has passed the Anti-Conversion Bill in the Assembly despite stiff opposition from civil society and political parties. The Bill is expected to be tabled in the upper house to be made into a law. The Anti-Conversion Laws affect Christians, Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis and Women. It restricts the rights of an Indian citizen to choose one’s religion. It violates the equality and freedom of religions in India as per the Indian Constitution. It is discriminatory as well as draconian. The National Solidarity forum initiated a campaign to Repeal Anti-Conversion Laws in India. The appeal is to support the campaign through endorsements on: https://chng.it/gBYcGCPZyV

 

Michael Moore Presents: Planet of the Humans | Full Documentary | Directed by Jeff Gibbs

Michael Moore presents Planet of the Humans, a documentary that dares to say what no one else will — that we are losing the battle to stop climate change on planet earth because we are following leaders who have taken us down the wrong road — selling out the green movement to wealthy interests and corporate America. This film is the wake-up call to the reality we are afraid to face: that in the midst of a human-caused extinction event, the environmental movement’s answer is to push for techno-fixes and band-aids. It's too little, too late.

 

CC Newsletter 12 March - The Fermi paradox – From the gas chambers to a radioactive greenhouse Earth

 

Dear Friend,

As stated by Albert Einstein “The splitting of the atom has changed everything, except for man’s way of thinking, and thus we drift into unparalleled catastrophes.”

If you think the contents of this newsletter are critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our newsletter here http://www.countercurrents.org/news-letter/.

In Solidarity

Binu Mathew

Editor

Countercurrents.org

The Fermi paradox – From the gas chambers to a radioactive greenhouse Earth

by Dr Andrew Glikson

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/the-fermi-paradox-from-the-gas-chambers-to-a-radioactive-greenhouse-earth/

As stated by Albert Einstein “The splitting of the atom has changed everything, except for man’s way of thinking, and thus we drift into unparalleled catastrophes.”

On the Edge of a Nuclear Abyss

by

Edward Curtin

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/on-the-edge-of-a-nuclear-abyss/

I believe that today we are in the greatest danger of a nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, something I vividly remember as a teenager.  The same feelings return.  Dread.  Anxiety.  Breathlessness.  I do not think these feelings are misplaced nor they are simply an emotional response. I try to continue writing on other projects that I have started but feel stymied.  The possibility of nuclear war, whether intentional or accidental, obsesses me.

Behind the thick cloud over Ukraine

by Farooque Chowdhury

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/behind-the-thick-cloud-over-ukraine/

A thick cloud is now shrouding Ukraine, once a part of the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Sufferings of about two million people from Ukraine are now overwhelming all around the world

Finding a Solution to the Conflict in Ukraine

by Yanis Iqbal

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/finding-a-solution-to-the-conflict-in-ukraine/

Ending the turmoil in Ukraine will involve weakening the power of this decadent elite and crafting a new social contract that can promote equitable socio-economic growth and establish a multi-ethnic compact.

Empathy Exercise: What If The Zionists Invaded, Devastated, And Ethnically Cleansed Australia Too?

by Dr Gideon Polya

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/empathy-exercise-what-if-the-zionists-invaded-devastated-and-ethnically-cleansed-australia-too/

The West has rightly and  vigorously responded to the evil and war criminal Russian invasion of Ukraine but it hypocritically  ignores US, US Alliance and Apartheid Israeli invasions of numerous countries in living memory.

Monster See Monster Do!!

by Philip A Farruggio

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/monster-see-monster-do/

Now we have this USA Two Party/One Party government throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Russians.

Followed by most of the aforementioned nations ( excluding China) they will sanction Russia up the kazoo… when all of this madness could and should have been avoided.

If High Gas Prices Are So Painful, Shouldn’t We Move Away From Fossil Fuels?

by Sonali Kolhatkar

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/if-high-gas-prices-are-so-painful-shouldnt-we-move-away-from-fossil-fuels/

Not only is it possible to switch to renewables, but it’s also cheaper and would make economies less vulnerable. Yet, bizarrely, politicians and the fossil fuel industry, who are using the war on Ukraine to justify high gas prices, are now calling for more oil to be produced.

Pong Dam Evictees Have Not Received Justice Even After 50 Years

by Bharat Dogra

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/pong-dam-evictees-have-not-received-justice-even-after-50-years/

It was over 50 years back that over 20,000 families living in villages of Kangra region were asked to leave their beautiful settlements to make

way for Pong Dam constructed on Beas river in Himachal Pradesh.

Sri Lanka’s exercise in futility at human rights council to whitewash its decades of human rights violations

by Thambu Kanagasabai

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/sri-lankas-exercise-in-futility-at-human-rights-council-to-whitewash-its-decades-of-human-rights-violations/

Foreign Minister G.L. Pieris’s speech at  the 49th Session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva is impeccably laced with web of lies and littered with hollow and empty promises and empty undertakings having been cleverly woven to cover up the truths and mislead the United Nations, UNHRC and International Community.

Withdraw the proposed Coal Mining Project by Adani at Gondalpura, Jharkhand

by National Alliance of People’s Movements

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/withdraw-the-proposed-coal-mining-project-by-adani-at-gondalpura-jharkhand/

NAPM extends solidarity to villagers of Gondalpura Struggling to Protect their Farms, Forests

and Biodiversity

What Kind of Swachh Bharat and Modernisation Are We  Creating?

by Vidyadhar Date

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/what-kind-of-swachh-bharat-and-modernisation-are-we-creating/

What kind of Swachh Bharat and  modern urbanisation we are creating ? Let us start with Bandra suburban station in Mumbai, one of the    oldest and prized heritage  stone  buildings, with  its red tile roof. A perfectly  functioning toilet for men and women  here  was demolished recently  and    now there is  no toilet, urinal of any kind  on any of the seven platforms on this important station. This is a  gateway to the Bandra Kurla  financial and business centre.

Political thoughts of BR Ambedkar and its historical destiny

by Dr V Lakshminarayana

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/political-thoughts-of-br-ambedkar-and-its-historical-destiny/

Ambedkar is a man of our times. From RSS to communists all are busy including Ambedkar in their programs. It is a fact that Ambedkar is

more popular among Indian people now, than during his life times. Starting from Indian ruling class at the top to the working masses below, attention has been drawn towards Ambedkar. This is an anachronism. Why so?

Modern Ouroboros

by Dr Trishna Sarkar

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/modern-ouroboros/

Marx not only failed to anticipate that capitalism will find a panacea of recessions in the form of public expenditure, but he also failed to foresee that eventually capitalism will survive by destroying this system. Capitalism have entered into the stage of Ouroboros the mythical tail-eating serpent. Only time will tell how long it will survive by eating its own body?

Love & Shukla  – Through a Gender Lens

by Lalitha Dhara

https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/love-shukla-through-a-gender-lens/

What I found absolutely amazing about this film is that it foregrounds mutual sharing and conversation as intimacy. This is nothing short of revolutionary, particularly in the

context of a traditional family set up and arranged marriage, where one-way ‘man ki baat’ is the norm and intimacy is ‘stripped’ down to bare essentials, pun intended.

Maine's perseverance

 

Janet Mills is the Democratic governor of Maine, and she’s facing a far-right candidate in her reelection campaign. You’re receiving this email because you’ve supported Democratic candidates and organizations in the past. 

Serving this great state is a privilege that I am grateful for every single day.

Since 2019, I’ve been working tirelessly to make sure the people of Maine have a governor who listens and delivers for them.

Together, we’ve expanded health care to over 80,000 people. We’ve strengthened our public education system. We’ve made investments in our future and a green economy. We’ve rejected the partisanship of our national politics and found common-sense solutions to the issues facing our state.

Maine’s former governor Paul LePage is running against me. He is a self-styled “Trump before Trump,” and wants to put an end to the progress we’ve made since he left office.

Can you click here to join my campaign today and help us keep pushing Maine toward a brighter future? Any amount will go a long way to helping us defeat my far-right opponent →

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Thank you for joining me,

Janet Mills

 

 

 

 

 

 

Governor Janet Mills has always fought for the people of Maine, from keeping people healthy and safe during this pandemic to putting us on the road to recovery, to planning ahead for a sustainable future. Now, she's ensuring that Maine emerges from this crisis stronger than before.

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