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Why Trump Hates Traditional Journalism and Loves Digital Media (Videos)

February 18, 2017 Add Comment Edit

Trump despises traditional media for exposing his lies and he loves digital media because it can be spun to support his false narrative. The post factual reality, fake news and alternate facts being spun by the Trump administration reads like an Orwellian nightmare. If this sounds like hyperbole you have not been following closely. If you need more proof simply watch Trump's most recent tirades against the press. Trump needs to deride fact-based reporting as a matter of survival. He must discredit the press if he is to have a hope of fulfilling his dark agenda. This is a man who has declared war on the EPA. He wants to take away regulations that protect the air that people breathe and the water that people drink. This is a man who wants to remove sanctions against Russia so that Exxon can drill for oil in the Arctic.

In a page right out of 1984, Trump's doublespeak consistently accuses others of what he himself is guilty of. This may have been the strategy behind Trump's first solo press conference since November 8th. The February 16th spectacle was described by some as surreal. During his hour and 17-minute rant, he lambasted "dishonest media" and then went on to utter a bold faced lie about his popularity. This is a one-two combination that is Trump's signature move. Attack those who would expose you then lay down a bed of lies for his base.

Watch this Democracy Now! video containing excerpts from Trump's February 17th press conference. He turns the truth on its head by suggesting that traditional news is fake news and his lies are the truth.

In this video from Fox News Shepard Smith slays Trump for his litany of lies at the press conference.

At his February 19th rally in Melbourne Florida Trump again went after the press accusing the media of doing what he himself has done on numerous occasions. Trump said the press writes stories even though they have "no sources" he then called journalists, "part of the corrupt system." He then equates his subterfuge with the words and deeds of the founding fathers.

We are at a turning point in history and it is far more sinister than many realize. Under the guise of populism, the Trump administration is a kakistocracy they are preparing to enrich themselves and subvert democracy. It is not only the US that is moving in this dark direction. Nations where there is growing support for nationalistic agendas, include the UK, France, and Germany. The demagogues leading these right-wing movements have more in common with Adolph Hitler than America's founding fathers.

Trump's extreme views and erratic behavior are widely perceived as dangerous. At the 2017 Munich Security Conference, John McCain delivered an impassioned speech in which he expressed concerns about the "survival of the West". However, it may very well be that there is a goal if not a method to his madness. It is possible that Trump may be trying to augur a constitutional crisis which would allow him to centralize power and subvert democracy. We can say for sure that his fervent support for fossil fuels and disdain for climate action are by all scientific accounts a threat to civilization as we know it.

New Narratives

It may not be hyperbole to say the fate of democracy and life on the planet may depend on counter-narratives. The institutions of democracy have already proven a powerful counter-force to Trump's dark agenda. We also need new narratives that reach out to common people and address the issues and concerns of our times.

More than anything a new narrative needs to bring us together to resist the dystopia of the Trump administration. This is precisely what the new administration cannot allow. Trump willfully sows division, he is the Johnny Appleseed of hate. This division serves him as it pits his core followers against those who are interested in facts. He villainizes those who seek the truth as a prophylactic against his lies being exposed. Trump's fear of a fact-based appraisal of the world is well warranted. Facts are his undoing, so Americans perception of reality must be altered at all costs.

Journalistic malpractice

Traditional media is not blameless, they are at fault but not in the way that Trump suggests. Traditional media served up a sensationalist, low-fact diet that fattened the anti-science politics of our age. It is not overstating the case to say that they have helped to create the right conditions to allow a pathological liar to become the president of the United States.

Traditional media was guilty of journalistic malpractice long before the most recent election cycle. They inaccurately covered climate science and once it ceased to be of interest to readers or once it failed to generate good ratings it was dropped altogether. Failure to adequately communicate the magnitude of the threat makes Trump's climate denial seem a little less out of touch with reality.

Traditional media has been consistently losing market share to the digital world. Once a virtual license to print money in recent years desperation has driven the media to make commercial interests the paramount concern. Commercial interests have driven a host of factors that have diminished news and analysis. This includes convergence, newsroom integration, multimedia partnerships, cross-promotion and mergers. Corporate ownership of media has led to editorial intervention that detracts from the veracity of the news reporting. Even the so-called "promotional synergy" has not materialized to the extent many had hoped.

Newspapers and television fell asleep at the switch. In a bid for ratings they pandered to the basest aspects of human nature and abandoned the best journalistic standards. In the final analysis traditional media's preoccupation with financial viability inadvertently helped an ill-equipped narcissist to assume control of the oval office.

We cannot give the media a pass, but by the same token we need them now more than ever. As John McCain said recently, dictators get started by suppressing free press.

Related
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Mainstream Media is Distorting the Facts about Climate
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The Science of Storytelling: Making Facts Matter in a Post-Factual World
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The Death of Mikhail Beketov and Environmental Journalism in Russia
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The Importance and the Power of Protest: Why We Must Stand Up to Trump

January 31, 2017 Add Comment Edit

The need for protests challenging the Trump administration's destructive actions and their deceptive narrative have become even more glaringly apparent in the wake of the tragic murder of peaceful Muslims in a Quebec city mosque. Look at the face of terrorism, note the pale skin and the light blue eyes. The man who committed this barbaric crime was not an ISIS sympathizer he supported Donald Trump and other racist nationalistic movements. This man is what is called in French "pure laine" literally meaning pure wool, referring to those whose ancestry is exclusively French-Canadian. As reported by The Independent, the killer's Facebook page indicates that he is a supporter of nationalistic movements including Donald Trump in the US, Le Pen in France, and the separatist Parti Quebecois.

The Quebec City massacre killed six Muslims and wounded many others who were attending a mosque for evening prayers. The criminal whose name should be forgotten is a 27-year-old resident of Quebec. He has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder with a restricted weapon.

"I wrote him off as a xenophobe. I didn't even think of him as totally racist, but he was enthralled by a borderline racist nationalist movement," Vincent Boissoneault, a fellow Laval University student, told The Globe and Mail newspaper.

Perpetrators of hate crimes

Trump has inspired hateful acts of violence before he was elected. Here are some of the hate crimes committed at Trump rallies during the election campaign and violence inspired by Trump before the election. After his electoral victory, there was another uptick in violent hate crimes. This is the demagogue who now leads the free world.

In the alternate universe promulgated by Trump and his people, the homeland must be protected from outsiders. That may be the narrative that some white people want to hear, but the truth is that the real terror threat is not from Muslim refugees seeking to escape the horrors of war, these refugees have committed zero acts of terrorism and they actually have a lower incidence of criminality than Americans born in the country.

According to Global Research, in both the US and Europe the overwhelming majority of mass shootings were perpetrated by non-Muslims. According to Charles Kurzman, Professor of Sociology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Muslim terrorism accounts for less than 1 percent of the 180,000 murders in the US since 9/11.

Some of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the US were perpetrated by white people. In 1995 Timothy James McVeigh killed 168 people and injured over 600 in Oklahoma. In 2015 Dylann Roof killed 9 black people in a South Carolina church.

Trump's revisionism

In yet another example of twisted logic, the Trump administration used this attack to support their xenophobic policies including the Muslim ban which has been condemned by world leaders. As they often do, DT co-opts real world events that challenge his legitimacy and revises the facts so that they support his narrative.

"We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. It’s a terrible reminder of why we must remain vigilant, and why the president is taking steps to be proactive, rather than reactive, when it comes to our nation’s safety and security," press secretary Sean Spicer said at his daily briefing on Monday.

The fact remains that Bissonnette is a Trump supporter who shares Trump's disdain for Muslims.

Control of the narrative

We cannot sit idly by and let the White House control the narrative. We must challenge their lies. Throughout his campaign, Trump lied repeatedly and even after being elected president he resorted to fake news with regard to Russia and he has attacked CNN dismissing the facts they report. We must oppose fake news and the darkness of Trump's post-factual narrative.

Trump recently called the New York Times, the gold standard of fact-based reporting, "fake news" in a Twitter post. Donald Trump and his chief strategy advisor, a racist by the name of Steve Bannon are the real purveyors of fake news. What makes the situation even more troubling is that their deceitful narrative is now coming directly from the White House.

Power of protest

Now more than ever we need to acknowledge the importance and the power of protest. We must not forget that Trump lost the popular vote by an unprecedented three million people. There were massive protests against DT after he was elected. This continued on inauguration day and was followed by the Women's March on January 21. It is important to note that the Women's March had a far bigger turnout than Trump's Inauguration in Washington, D.C., a day earlier.

There are many who feel disheartened and beaten by the election of DT. However, we need to reflect upon what protest has accomplished. Consider what was accomplished through civil rights protests and the protest against the Vietnam war.

More recently climate protests have helped to augur change on the world stage. The People's Climate March in September 2014 helped to create momentum that ultimately culminated in the historic Paris Climate Agreement. Almost half a million people and more than 1,500 organizations took to the streets in New York City to demand climate action as world leaders convened at the United Nations headquarters. There were 2646 rallies in 162 countries. The event generated more than 5000 articles and over 630,000 social media posts.

The September 21st Climate March was the largest climate oriented march in history. There were a number of ground-breaking environmental protests that preceded it. In 2013 we were seeing signs of growing environmental activism and the beginnings of the new environmental movement. By the end of 2014 the people-powered environmental movement had come of age. In 2016 we saw how protest helped to kill the Dakota Access Pipeline. Previously, years of protest against the Keystone XL helped to create the support President Obama needed to cancel it.

Activists are also responding to DT's crimes against the environment and assaults on climate. This includes his revival of the KXL and DAPL pipelines, his war against the EPA (including naming a climate denier by the name of Scott Pruitt to head the agency), the nomination of Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as the Secretary of State.

Recently, Greenpeace activists hung a massive, 70-by-35-foot banner reading "RESIST" from a crane only blocks from the White House Wednesday. Trump's Muslim ban has spawned ongoing protests in the US and around the world.

Trump's wall rhetoric spawned massive protests in Mexico and when Trump visits the UK this summer he will be greeted by what is being described as "the biggest protest ever" (tentatively scheduled for July 1).

This administration's is a kakistocracy and their unprecedented deceit warrants protest. There has never been a better reason to make our voices heard.

Another People's Climate March is scheduled to take place on April 29th, 2017. It will be a global opportunity to protest Trump's war against science, climate and the environment. This protest will take place in Washington, D.C., in cities nationwide and around the world.

How Conservatives Use Fake News to Control the Narrative

December 23, 2016 Add Comment Edit

Donald Trump and many members of his administration have capitalized on the fact that conservatives love fake news and reject facts and scientific evidence. While there are fake news sites on both sides of the political spectrum, research shows that the problem is far worse on the right than it is on the left.

The Washington Post reports that conservatives are both more likely to post fake news and more likely to believe it compared to liberals.

Conservatives have been found to be highly receptive to stories that reinforce their existing worldview. While this may be somewhat true of many people, there is evidence to show that liberals are not as receptive to fake news. Not only are conservatives more likely to fall for fake news they are more likely to produce it. A Buzzfeed analysis of Facebook revealed that leading conservative pages were twice as likely to publish fake news compared to leading liberal pages.

According to research conducted by New York University research psychologist John Jost and his colleagues conservatives tend not to be critical thinkers. This lack of affinity for critical thinking may explain why conservatives are more receptive to fake news. In his review of 40 studies, Jost found that liberals were far more likely to think critically than conservatives.

As Stefan Pfattheicher of Ulm University explained in an email to the post, conservatives, "are less reflective in information processing, especially when information is consistent with [their] own worldviews."

Pfattheicher found that conservatives were more likely to be duped by nonsense than liberals. A small study conducted by Pfattheicher showed a significant correlation between susceptibility to nonsensical statements and support for Trump and other Republican candidates. No such relationship was found in those who support Democratic candidates.

It is interesting to note that conservatives may not be less intelligent they may simply be less motivated to process information critically. Simply put, conservatives would rather consume news that supports their existing beliefs.

Daniel Kahan, a Yale professor of law and psychology, said that his research suggests that conservatives have the same level of political bias as liberals. However, Kahan's findings are at odds with 11 other studies that show people on the left are more apt to engage in cognitive reflection than those on the right.

During the presidential campaign Trump repeatedly used a fake news related tactic that appears to have served him well. He would call Clinton the very things that he himself is guilty of. The one that may have gained the most traction is "crooked Hilary".

The Trump campaign and now the administration in waiting hijack certain words to take control of a narrative that could be otherwise used against them.

By redefining fake news in their own terms and claiming that reporting by outlets such as The New York Times and CNN constitute fake news, right-wing media figures are bolstering the President-elect’s continued efforts to delegitimize mainstream news sources. This blurs the distinction between real and fake news. While fake news represents a serious impediment to an informed electorate, it is being used by conservatives as an effective instrument of disinformation.

Fake news is a large and growing problem but efforts are underway to combat it.

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The Death of Mikhail Beketov and Environmental Journalism in Russia
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Video - McConnell Confirms the Koch Brothers Power Over America

September 06, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) provides the smoking gun illustrating the Koch brothers control over America. These comments by one of their own are evidence for the Koch brothers insidious power. McConnell's remarks were recorded during a speech he gave at a secret strategy meeting hosted by the infamous climate denying oil billionaires known as the Koch brothers.

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The Koch Brothers Control of America

September 05, 2014 Add Comment Edit

Charles and David Koch are brothers and oil billionaires who have a long history of political interference and climate misinformation. Their multifarious support for fossil fuels has helped to slow America's adoption of renewable energy.

They have also undermined efforts to pass climate and energy legislation at both the state and national levels. They have even managed to influence the Supreme Court and help sour American attitudes on the veracity of global warming.

Political control

An investigative report on the 2012 GOP Presidential hopefuls revealed the extent of the Koch brothers sinister influence. The GOP's slate of 2016 candidates, like most Republicans running in the 2014 midterms remain under the influence of these fossil fuel barons. The Kochs use their billions to support candidates who will carry out their fossil fuel agenda and deny any human role in global warming.

The idea that the Kochs are instrumental to the Republican party is not just the view of liberals, this view was recently articulated by one of their own. A leaked audio tape of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) indicates that the Koch brothers have maintained and even reinforced their hold on the GOP. McConell's comments were recorded at a top secret June 2014 Koch retreat. McConnell's remarks demonstrate just how much power the Koch brothers continue to hold over the GOP.

McConnell opened his remarks by saying, “I want to start by thanking you, Charles and David for the important work you’re doing. I don’t know where we’d be without you, and um, and I want (inaudible) for rallying, uh, to the cause.”

At a speaking engagement at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, former President Jimmy Carter shared his concern for the Koch brothers interference with America's democracy,

“The Koch brothers are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into every political campaign to support candidates that will support their position.”

Supreme court influence

The Kochs have even been accused of wielding control over the highest court in the land. At least two Supreme Court justices, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, have been linked to the Koch brothers. The Citizens United Supreme Court ruling opened the floodgates for corporate control over the election process. This decision allows a small cabal of wealthy people and large corporations to effectively subvert democracy and manipulate the electoral process to serve their conservative agenda. By eliminating limits on campaign contributions it enabled the Kochs to pour $400 million into the last election cycle.

In his speech, McConnel lauded the Koch's Supreme Court influence which facilitated the Citizens United decision.

“The Supreme Court allowed all of you to participate in the process in a variety of different ways. You can give to the candidate of your choice. You can give to Americans for Prosperity, or something else, a variety of different ways to push back against the party of government,” McConnel said.

Subsidies subterfuge

The Koch brothers are oil barons who claim to hate subsidies, however, they have yet to return the billions of taxpayer subsidies offered to the fossil fuel industry. The brothers lobbied for and benefited from a 2004 tax break that was designed to protect the manufacturing sector from outsourcing. The expanded definition of manufacturers provides tax breaks that are expected to cost taxpayers $17.3 billion over the next decade.

The real reason they pretend to be opposed to subsidies has to do with their opposition to renewable energy which represents a real threat to their fossil fuel interests. They have lobbied hard against the production tax credit for wind as well as renewable energy portfolios at the state level.

The oil and gas industry received $10.5 billion in federal subsidies in 2013. If the Kochs had any integrity, they would return their share of the subsidies to the IRS.

Canadian Connection

The Koch brothers influence extends all the way up into Canada. Koch industries has been heavily invested Canada's tar sands for more than 50 years. This involvement is multi-faceted and runs the gamut from extraction to refinement and transportation. The Kochs are active in Canadian politics. They aggressively lobby both the provincial and federal governments. They are also longtime contributors of those who support the fossil fuel industry. This includes the Fraser Institute, an influential policy shop closely allied with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his fossil fuel obsessed policies.

Influencing public opinion

On issues like the minimum wage the Koch brothers have managed to sway public attitudes and ensure that Republican legislators vote against any increases. This represents a major shift in American attitudes. While awareness of environmental issues have increased in most parts of the world, thanks to the Kochs and other sources of misinformation, Americans have actually grown more ignorant. In 2001 42 percent indicated their concern for environmental issues, in 2014 only 31 percent indicated that they were concerned.

The Koch brothers have invested tremendous sums of money to try to misinform Americans about a number of issues including the scientific veracity of climate change. Between 1997 and 2011 they donated more than $67 million to organizations with anti-climate agendas. Now many conservatives reflexively reject anthropogenic climate change without even considering the evidence.

Economic misinformation

Through their front groups they have repeatedly inflated the cost associated with acting on climate change, while ignoring the economic, environmental and health returns. Many conservatives believe that combating climate change would bankrupt our economies.

Jimmy Carter sets the record straight. “Don’t let the false debate being put forward by fossil fuel companies deter you from enthusiastic endorsement of this crusade, [against global warming]” Carter said. “Realize it’s not an economic sacrifice but an economic boon to every country on Earth.”

Conclusion

As explained in a Grist article, the Koch brothers warrant our concern because they, "threaten to destroy American democracy...their extreme and self-interested positions are taking over the Republican Party." They have amassed a fortune of more than $80 billion, and thanks to the Citizens United decision they are free to spend massive amounts of money to influence electoral outcomes. Thanks in large part to Koch-backed organizations like the Americans for Prosperity (AFP), there is virtually no hope for climate and energy legislation in the foreseeable future.

The Koch brothers wield an extraordinary amount of power, their influence over the courts, legislators and public opinion make it far more difficult to engage the climate crisis.

Source: Global Warming is Real

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Video - Trailer for the Koch Brothers Documentary: Buying Democracy

May 03, 2014 Add Comment Edit

This is the trailer for "Koch Exposed," a hard-hitting investigation of the 1% at its very worst from acclaimed director Robert Greenwald. Charles and David Koch are using their billions to put a stranglehold on American democracy. The film also explores what we can do about it. Click here to get the film.

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Buying Support for the Keystone XL

May 01, 2014 Add Comment Edit

US courts have cleared the way for wealthy oil industry elites to throw their massive financial weight behind candidates that support their interests. This includes the Keystone XL. While rich environmentalists are also free to do the same, they are nowhere near as numerous or as powerful as those who continue to earn billions from fossil fuels.

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There are some good reasons to delay the Keystone XL pipeline, however, the ultimate fate of the project is directly related to campaign finance. There is a war being waged that pits environmental concerns against the fossil fuel industry. The Keystone XL would transport more than 800,000 barrels of tar sands bitumen from Alberta to the Gulf Coast. The tar sands are the dirtiest fossil fuel on earth and a major contributor of climate change causing greenhouse gases.

Campaign finance ultimately has the ability to determine the outcome of many elections and perhaps even the fate of the Keystone XL. Two important Supreme Court decisions have made it easier to buy elections in the United States. The first is the recent ruling in the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission case and the other is the 2010 Citizens United ruling. These two rulings, along with lower court decisions, allow for virtually unlimited funds to determine the outcome of any race in the U.S.

The Koch brothers political influence

The influence of the Koch brothers extends to the Supreme Court. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas have attended the Koch brothers’ secret retreats. Oil billionaires Charles and David Koch are some of the richest and best known examples of wealthy patrons who use their fortunes to interfere with the political process and protect their corporate interests. They are estimated to be worth about 25 billion each.

Koch Industries is the second-largest privately owned corporation in the U.S. In 2008 they played a prominent role in killing cap-and-trade legislation. In 2010 they succeeded in electing a slate of candidates committed to eliminate environmental and financial regulations. The Koch network spent more than $400 million on the 2012 election alone including $60 million on anti-Obama ads. The Koch brothers not only spent money on misinformation, they fostered close ties to the 2012 GOP presidential candidates.

The Kochs oppose environmental protections while they support the Keystone XL. Reports show that they stand to make $100 million from the Keystone XL’s construction. They benefit from the tar sands industry in a number of ways including transportation, refining and the sale of a variety of finished products. Koch Industries created, or collaborated with, other companies that are key players in the development of Alberta’s oil resources. They have also extensively lobbied Canada’s ruling Conservatives to limit government regulations.

In addition to lobbying for its oil, gas, mineral and chemical interests, Koch Industries and its subsidiaries support climate denial and oppose renewable energy. According to Greenpeace, the Kochs spent more than $50 million between 1998 and 2010 on climate science attacks. It is interesting to note that during this period, the number of Americans that believe in anthropogenic climate change declined substantially.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Koch Industries and its employees are the largest single oil and gas donor to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Together, they contributed $279,500 to 22 of the committee’s 31 Republicans, and $32,000 to five Democrats. Nine of the 12 new Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee signed a pledge distributed by Americans for Prosperity to oppose legislation designed to regulate greenhouse gases.

Harry Reid recently suggested that the Koch brothers are using their financial might to advocate for the Keystone XL. Reid has accused the billionaire brothers of “buying America.”

“Anything that’s dirtying the environment, look around and they’re involved in it most of the time,” said Reid. “It’s hard to find anything dirtier than coal. But you look around, you got tar sands — that beats it.”

Wealthy environmentalists counter misinformation

The McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ruling also allows rich environmentalists to support ecologically concerned candidates across the U.S. Men like Tom Steyer are throwing their weight behind environmental causes like efforts to combat the KXL. Steyer is the founder and co-managing partner of Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C., one of the country’s most successful investment firms. He is also the co-founder of Next Generation, an organization that combats climate change.

Steyer is a billionaire environmentalist who has vowed to spend as much as $100 million ($50 million of his own money and $50 million from other donors) on behalf of candidates who back climate change legislation. Steyer said he and his organization, NextGen Climate, “will continue to stand up for politicians and leaders who have the courage to stand up to special interests, like Big Oil, who are in this fight for their own bottom line.”

“First, since the pipeline would significantly increase carbon pollution, we know that it fails the climate test laid out by President Obama last year. Keystone XL is the economic key to unlocking the Alberta tar sands. As Canadian oil interests have confirmed, the oil industry cannot maximize the extraction of some of the world’s dirtiest oil without it,” Steyer said. “Second, our leaders must demand that in advance of any decision on the project, TransCanada finally come clean on whether all of the refined oil will stay in the United States. TransCanada has said the United States should support the pipeline because it would provide energy independence for the United States, but they have ducked, dodged and refused to commit to keeping the refined oil in our country.”

However, there is an important distinction to make between Stayer and the Koch brothers. As he explained, he’s not the left’s version of the Koch brothers. “That is not something I embrace. I think there are real distinctions between the Koch brothers and us,” Steyer said in an interview with POLITICO and The Washington Post taped for C-SPAN’s Newsmakers. While Steyer will use his vast personal fortune to make climate change a top priority in the upcoming midterm elections, unlike the Kochs, he is not getting involved with politics for personal gain nor is he a purveyor of misinformation.

Steyer does not have a complex multi-faceted subterfuge machine like the Koch brothers. He claims he will only get involved in eight midterm races, while the Koch brothers are likely to get involved in many more.

Despite the efforts of Steyer and others, the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision unfairly benefits corporate interests more than environmentalists. That is because there are far more rich people beholden to the fossil fuel industry than there are wealthy environmentalists. Further, the vast sums of money made in hydrocarbons dwarfs the earnings of other individuals or corporations.

The Keystone XL has the support of some very wealthy patrons, far more than the forces that oppose it. In the final analysis, it comes down to the choice between the democratic will of the people and the extraordinary power and wealth of the fossil fuel industry.

Nonetheless we have reason to hope. The Koch brothers’ massive spending did not succeed in ousting Obama in 2012. Further, a huge grassroots movement has managed to keep the Keystone at bay for more than three years.

Source: Global Warming is Real

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California's Proposition 39 will Generate Half a Billion a Year for Clean Energy and Efficiency

November 12, 2012 Add Comment Edit

In California 60 percent of voters approved the passage of Proposition 39 which will generate $500 million per year for energy efficiency and clean energy projects in public buildings over the next five years. This includes projects at schools and government buildings such as installing solar panels, and energy efficiency retrofits.

"California voters not only modernized the state’s corporate tax structure by passing Prop 39, they indicated their strong support for renewable energy, including expanding solar energy and encouraging related investment over the next five years,” Carrie Cullen Hitt, vice president for state affairs at The Solar Energy Industries Association.

Although the proposition could raise taxes for some corporation, the state's Legislative Analyst's Office, said it will create up to 40,000 new jobs in California.

It is interesting to note that Proposition 39 had almost no formal opposition. the reason for this appears to be due to the hard work of Tom Steyer, a hedge fund manager who poured almost $30 million into the campaign to pass the measure. He succeeded in thwarting opposition by threatening to publicly identify any corporation that opposed it.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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European Elections and Sustainable Development

May 10, 2012 Add Comment Edit

In Europe voters have chosen growth over austerity and this has implications for the U.S. economy and sustainable development. The Greek and French electorate’s rejection of austerity will have a dramatic effect on European spending, including investments in sustainability. These changes can also be expected to reverberate across the Atlantic.

In France, Francois Hollande’s presidential victory has derailed Nicholas Sarkozy’s austerity policies and in Greece, the parties supporting the international rescue package have lost control of parliament. In both countries, voters decisively said no to austerity and yes to growth.

France and Greece Choose Growth over Austerity

Both France and Greece appear to be doing a 180 on austerity. Hollande has been critical of the austerity policies central to European bailout deals. He promises to ease austerity measures and increase taxation on the wealthy. Hollande has pledged to renegotiate the European fiscal pact that was signed in December 2011 and he wants to issue common European bonds to finance growth through investment in sectors like renewable energy.

Investment in renewable energy is only one of several commitments that have pleased France’s Green Party (which received 2 percent of the French vote). During the campaign, Hollande promised to diversify France’s energy, including promises to cut the country’s nuclear dependence in half by 2025. He also vowed to increase renewable energy and respect France’s international engagements to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This will help France reach and perhaps even surpass its EU-backed sustainability goals of 20 percent by 2020. Greenpeace France notes that the newly elected President of France has called for the EU to increase its GHG emissions target to 30 percent by 2020.

Prior to the election, France’s right leaning Sarkozy government was criticized for doing little for the environment. In an October, 2011 article published in the French daily Le Monde, MPs from the “ecological” wing of the Socialist party derided the center-right’s environmental record. They chided the “environmental passivity of the right” saying that after 10 years of leadership, “France invests nine times less than Germany and five times less than China in clean energy.” They further drew attention to the fact that there are no French businesses among the top 10 producers of wind turbines or photovoltaic panels. They also pointed out that in terms of wind production per inhabitant, France was in thirteenth place in Europe and the country had no offshore wind developments.

The fate of Greece is much less certain. The results of Greek parliamentary elections are inconclusive, fueling fear that Greece will become the first developed nation to default on its debt.

If a coalition government cannot be formed, Greece will go back to the voters some time in June, but this will be too late for the bailout package being offered by the EU. If Greek political leaders cannot form a government, the country will default on its debt and cease to be part of the EU. This will have a calamitous impact on the economy of the entire continent and the wider world. Whatever the future holds, it is now clear that Greeks have refused austerity.

Rio+20

All of this intrigue takes place just ahead of the Rio+20 conference, which will take place on June 20 – 22, 2012. This is the fourth major summit on sustainable development since 1972. The summit brings together at least 100 global leaders and 50,000 participants from around the world, including corporate executives and representatives of various social movements. Participants will focus on growth, and address specific concerns as they relate to oceans, food, energy, biodiversity and climate. The summit aims to find ways to support sustainable development.

U.N. Secretary General Bank Ki Moon wants to bring sustainable energy to even the most remote corners of the planet and 3,000 scientists will present a new science for Planet Earth at Rio 20 known as the State of the Planet Declaration.
However, some of Europe’s key players will not be attending the Rio Conference. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not attend nor will British Prime Minister David Cameron. Despite rearranging the summit’s dates so they would not coincide with Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Cameron announced he will not be attending Rio. US President Barack Obama is also likely to stay on the campaign trail rather than go to Rio.

Whatever happens in Rio, the elections in Europe have changed the political map and this has implications for the forthcoming American election.

Sustainable Development in America

Austerity in Europe was not good for the growth of sustainability or the American economy and social unrest born of economic hardship compounded the problem. The end of austerity is good news for advocates of sustainable development and those who want to see more growth in the American economy.

In Europe, government investment to stimulate growth will benefit the American economy. It may also make it easier for the Obama administration to increase its commitment to sustainable development. As should be obvious to all with even a passing interest in American politics, when it comes to sustainable development, the Democrats are the only game in town.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has an economic strategy that has austerity at its heart. Events in Europe may encourage Americans to question the Republican vision for America. According to the European narrative, spending cuts further slow the economy and actually increase debt. This puts Republicans squarely at odds with the new economics sweeping across Europe.
As stated by Richard Eskow, a senior fellow at the liberal Campaign for America’s Future, this should bode well for the Democrats:

“This should be the Democrats’ moment, a time to make political gains in the most honorable way possible: by fighting for what’s right. Today’s radical Republicans want to destroy government and slash the very spending that’s needed to rescue the economy. The GOP is even rejecting the common sense spending on roads and bridges embraced by past Republicans from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush. As austerity measures eviscerate Europe’s economy and undermine the political popularity of its leadership, this should be the Democrats’ finest hour. Unfortunately, too many Democratic leaders have preferred to echo the austerity rhetoric of their Republican opponents — and of Europe’s embattled leaders. The president’s last debt deal with John Boehner was a milder version of European austerity, and it slowed our country’s tentative growth. And yet he’s reportedly pushing for another “Grand Bargain,” leaving him with a muddled economic message, and Americans in a prolonged state of fear.”

There is reason to believe that Americans may support government spending at least until there is stronger growth and more jobs. Americans may very well follow the French and the Greeks who have chosen to abandon austerity in favor of growth.
The near term fate of sustainable development hinges on governments adopting a policy of growth rather than a policy focused on austerity.

Source: Global Warming is Real

No Reprieve for the Environment as Slacktivists Hand Majority to Canadian Conservatives

May 04, 2011 8 Comments Edit

The 2011 Canadian federal election vindicates those who characterize young people as apathetic. Had Canada's youth voted in larger numbers they could have prevented a Conservative majority, instead they generated a lot of online buzz, but failed to pull the trigger when it counted. In many parts of the country it appears that the under 30s did not leave their computers and cell phones long enough to cast a vote.

Although we will not have hard data from Elections Canada for a few weeks, publications like Saanich News are reporting low youth vote turnout: "Despite expectations, early numbers suggest social media hype before Monday’s election did not translate into more young people making it to the polls."

The election of US President Barack Obama succeeded due in large part to the youth vote. Many were hoping that similar youth involvement in Canada would impede the Conservative's assault on the environment. With fewer than 14 million ballots cast in the last federal election, Canada's 5.5 million Canadians under the age of 30 could have been a game changer.

The reason why younger voters are so important is because they tend to favor parties other than the Conservatives. In the 2008 federal election less than 40 percent of young people voted and although advanced polling suggested that we would see a surge of young voters, Canada's youth did not materialize in sufficient numbers to deny a Conservative majority.

The fact that the Conservatives won 167 seats indicates that young people did not get out and vote en masse. Although Canada's youth did help propel the NDP to a second place finish with 31 percent of the popular vote. An “orange crush” of historic NDP support swept through Quebec, parts of Ontario and the Prairies to give the party 102 seats. “You, young Canadians, are an inspiration and a source of hope for our country’s future,” NDP leader Jack Layton told a large crowd in downtown Toronto.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff resigned after his party lost more than half their seats leaving them with 34.“We’ve seen tonight, I think, the emergence of a polarization in Canadian politics,” a defeated Ignatieff told supporters in Toronto. The people may be polarized, but the power is now in the hands of the Conservatives. Canadians failure to vote against the Conservatives have given a majority to a party that will aggressively support tar sands oil and largely ignore the environment and the green economy.

In British Columbia, Green Party leader Elizabeth May won the party’s first-ever elected seat in Saanich—Gulf Islands. The Green Party's first seat along with Liberal losses and NDP gains make this a historic election. This election is also historic as a missed opportunity to reverse Canada's anti-environment trajectory.

According to an early Elections Canada report, 61 percent of eligible Canadians voted in the 2011 federal election. The 2011 turnout was only slightly more than 2008's dismal electoral participation of 59 percent.

More than 70,000 youth had pledged to vote as part of the “I Will Vote” campaign, but efforts to boost the youth vote with social media and vote mobs were insufficient to prevent a Conservative majority. The outcome of the 2011 election indicates that while Canadian youth like online campaigns, they are not interested in doing much to manage climate change, even when it concerns an action as simple as voting.

Some attribute lower than expected youth voter turnout to a lack of engagement by Canada's political parties and the need for more face-to-face mobilization. The truth is the 2011 election results show that Canada's youth are indeed an apathetic group of slackers, (hence the expression slacktivists). Even though the under 30s claim to care about efforts to manage climate change, through their inaction they have effectively given the Conservatives carte blanche to continue to ravage the environment.

Young Canadians could have moved beyond raising awareness and started changing the world. Instead the under 30s stayed home in many parts of the country. Canada's youth missed a historic opportunity to use their democratic rights to lead the country into the future and enjoin the battle against climate change.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Next: The Last Best Hope to Combat Climate Change

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