Environment

The indigenous community of the Guna (Kuna) live on islands off Panama and along a narrow strip of its coast, in the province of Guna Yala (Kuna Yala). But global warming and sea level rise are threatening their lives on those islands, and those of Carti Sugdup (Gardi Sugdup) have decided that they have to […]

Energy

Pussy Riot Protests Russian Oil Oligarchs and Putin

Juan Cole

The Russian Punk Rock band “Pussy Riot” has released a new video, Rolling Stone reports, entitled “Like a Red Prison,” in which they attack Russia’s oil magnates and their ties to President Vladimir Putin. The song likens Putin to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei because of his favoritism toward the Russian Orthodox Church, and complains that […]

Africa

Kenya: Solar Power on a Pay as you Go Plan gives Light, rechargers to Villagers

Juan Cole

“Small solar home systems bring good quality light and phone-charging to off-grid households and save them money. Yet their upfront costs render them out of reach for the people who would benefit most from them. UK-based startup Azuri has developed a pay-as-you-go interface which allows households [in Kenya and East Africa] to pay for solar […]

Energy

Tiny Cape Verde’s Push to be a World Leader in Wind Energy

Juan Cole

Finnfund explains: “The windswept islands of Cape Verde lie off West Africa, some 500 km from Senegal. They are the site of Africa’s largest wind power project, which started up in autumn 2011. Generating equipment on four of the islands will produce a greater proportion of electricity from wind than anywhere else in the world…” […]

Environment

Why the Media Ignores Climate Change (Moyers Video)

Juan Cole

Bill Moyers interviews media critic Marty Kaplan: “Marty Kaplan on Why the Media Ignores Climate Change Media scholar Marty Kaplan sits with Bill Moyers to discuss how and why major news media, including Fox News and CNN, choose to ignore critical news and information about climate change — leaving comedy shows like The Daily Show […]

Domestic Surveillance

In Chilling Ruling, Chevron is Granted Access to Amazon Activists’ Private Emails

Juan Cole

"Sweeping" subpoena violates rights of those who spoke out against oil giant's devastating actions in Ecuador – Lauren McCauley writes at Commondreams “Following their guilty sentence for the dumping of 18.5bn gallons of toxic waste in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Chevron is amassing the personal information of the environmentalists and attorneys who fought against them in […]

Energy

And you Want to transport More Oil across America by rail, pipelines? Canadian Town destroyed by Railroad Oil Cars

Juan Cole

Train cars carrying petroleum became unmoored and rolled seven miles before jacknifing and exploding, inflicting heavy damage on the town of Lac Megantic in Quebec. At least 5 are dead, 40 are missing, and over a thousand were evacuated because of toxic fumes and the outbreak of fires. CBS News reports: Industrial accidents involving petroleum […]

Environment

No Atheists in Foxholes, no Climate Change Deniers at front Lines of Wildfires

Juan Cole

The western US is facing the prospect of worse and worse severe wildfires over the next century, according to a study summarized by The Scientific American: ” Their findings suggest that, in the decades to come, fire prevalence will decrease in tropical regions — but will increase, possibly severely, at more northerly latitudes, and particularly […]

Energy

GE’s ‘Brilliant’ Wind Turbines offer Cheaper Energy than Coal, Gas, & have Battery Storage

Juan Cole

GE’s Brilliant wind turbines generate electricity more cheaply than coal or gas according to Clean Technica , and have battery storage for when the wind isn’t blowing: Here’s a well-done video on the technology: The Department of Energy issued a report in December finding that building out US wind power over the next two decades […]