https://fighting-words.net/2019/09/11/the-u-s-military-and-climate-change/

By Mike Shane

Without a doubt, the greatest threat to the planet Earth at this moment in history is the worldwide environmental degradation and destruction. The environment is threatened by not just climate change, but also pollution of the air, land and water, habitat loss, mass extinction of literally millions of species of plants and animals, and loss of topsoil. And the U.S. military, and the military-industrial-banking complex, plays a major role in destroying the planet’s ability to sustain life.

The U.S. military is the world’s largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels and the world’s worst producer of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and many other toxic pollutants. The U.S. military accounts for almost 80% of the federal government’s fossil fuel consumption. If the Pentagon were a country, it would rank 47th in annual fossil fuel consumption, ahead of 140 countries. Not included in this GHG emissions total are those produced by the Pentagon’s massive use of concrete, electricity consumption, and other resources that also produce GHGs. The production of concrete is one of the major sources of GHGs and other forms of pollution.

Since the onset of the so-called “Global War on Terror” in 2001, which is better characterized as the U.S. Global War on Terror, the Pentagon has created more than 1.2 billion metric tons of GHGs from fossil fuel consumption, with 400 million metric tons produced directly from war-related use of fuel. The Pentagon’s GHG emissions are generally overlooked in climate change studies because it is difficult to get consistent data. In an effort to get U.S. buy-in, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol exempted the U.S. military and UN/U.S. sanctioned military activities from the GHG totals, as a concession to U.S. imperialism. Despite this concession, the U.S. refused to sign the 1997 Kyoto Protocol which was signed by 191 countries while the U.S. Congress passed a law exempting the Pentagon from GHG limits.  The U.S. military exemptions were eliminated in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which the U.S. initially agreed to but has since announced its withdrawal from the Agreement….

Coalition to March on the DNC‎1st Coalition Meeting & March

The Coalition to March on the DNC is calling for an initial meeting of delegates from various organizations to be held at Dontre Hamilton (Red Arrow) Park in downtown Milwaukee, with a start time of 5 pm on Thursday, October 10.

Several representatives from the founding organizations will chair this meeting. We will be going over our points of unity, reviewing the route of the march, and hearing questions that coalition delegates may have.

Afterward, we will do a walk-through of a portion of the route. We encourage everyone to bring signs and/or banners if you’ve got them! We will end the march with a public demonstration on the steps of city hall, demanding answers for why we haven’t received our permit despite having made the request nearly half a year ago.

We are looking for delegates from organizations to speak during the demonstration, specifically honing in on the fact that the city has yet to grant the Coalition a permit to peacefully protest for our demands. If you are from an organization and would like to speak or know someone who would, please message us and we’ll make it happen.

Youth Climate Action Team‎Appleton Climate Strike!

https://bit.ly/2m76S3g

We CAN stop this pipeline, and we need a regional effort to do it

Enbridge has four states in its sights — Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan — and we all need to join together to stop the flow of tar sands through our home communities. On  September 28, thousands of people will converge on Duluth to show Minnesota’s new Democratic Governor, Tim Walz, that the people want him to reject Enbridge’s Line 3. Although his Public Utilities Commission gave the pipeline the green light on June 28, 2018, a recent judgment by the Minnesota Court of Appeals slowed the process down by rejecting the certificate of need because of an inadequate Environmental Impact Statement. And now Governor Walz’s administration can stop the new Line 3 by denying it a 401 (clean water) permit.

Will you help us mobilize Wisconsinites for this regional rally?

There are so many ways you can help, starting with signing up for a seat on the bus. It will be one looong day, with no need to buy lodging in Minnesota, as we’ll be bussed back the same day. (Food will be provided on the bus!) This summer, we’ll be reaching out in many ways to many constituencies, to educate and mobilize Wisconsinites to protect our state and our planet.

We’re all in this together

I told you that 28 fossil fuel infrastructure projects were canceled in just two years, and opposition continues to grow. Here’s a snapshot of some of what’s happening:

• In Nebraska, people power, organized by Bold Nebraska, has held off the Keystone XL pipeline for 10 years! That fight continues.
• The Trans Mountain Pipeline that would carry tar sands oil to the port of Vancouver, BC, is being opposed by 150 First Nations; the Province of British Columbia; the state of Washington; the cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, and Victoria and 19 other BC municipalities; and 350,000 petition signers.
• In Michigan, a powerful coalition called Oil and Water Don’t Mix is fighting to get Enbridge’s 68-year-old Line 5 decommissioned before its underwater portion in the Straits of Mackinac ruptures, contaminating the entire Great Lakes. If the coalition wins, it will be a tremendous victory, but it will also mean that Enbridge will try to reroute Line 5 through Wisconsin!

On September 28, we’ll mingle with people from all four states and many indigenous nations on the streets of Duluth. There will be dazzling art and many creative actions that day. Will you join us? Your time and talents are needed — help us create a movement against tar sands that’s unstoppable!

Come Together Sheboygan

In conjunction with SCIO’s Farmer’s Market, Come Together returns for its third year to Downtown Sheboygan. This event is FREE to the public, and open to all.

Non-profit organizations will have booths on site, as you enjoy live performances from local musicians and performers on Fountain Park’s band shell.

We are seeking non-profit organizations to have a booth at this event, free of charge. For more information, contact Patrick Ortlieb at 920.207.0833 or email at: Aloha11po@gmail.com

https://bit.ly/2kiacbq

Reverend William Barber is the co-founder of the #PoorPeoplesCampaign, named for Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s final campaign. In King’s later years, he had an increased focus on the economic ramifications of systemic racism, and his advocacy for the poor remains one of the lesser-discussed but still extraordinarily relevant aspects of his legacy. Barber’s ongoing mission to increase awareness and fight for social and political transformation in how we fight poverty in America is in the spotlight this week as he asked the executive committee of the Democratic National Committee to host a presidential debate about poverty.

As reported by Religion News Service, Barber told the DNC that “We have to say the word, ‘Poverty’ … We need to lift up the stories of folks in Appalachia and Kansas and the Mississippi Delta. We need to hold them alongside the folks in our gentrifying cities, some of whom work two jobs and still sleep in their cars at night.”

Barber also had strong words for Christians who ignore poverty at the expense of one or two pet political issues.

“For too long, faith has been hijacked by those who say abortion and sexuality are the only moral issues,” Barber said. “They tell religious people to vote their pro-life/pro-family values, then they use their political power to pass policies that keep families in poverty, separate families at the border, keep families from getting healthcare and endanger the lives of children in schools, worshipers in churches and the planet itself.”

The remarks were delivered at the DNC’s summer meeting in San Francisco, California, and led to a standing ovation, with DNC Chair Tom Perez shouted: “Let the church say, ‘Amen!’”

That said, Barber’s debate request isn’t likely to happen. On Saturday, the DNC voted down a measure requesting a presidential debate around the candidates’ climate change proposals. “What do we say to the other thirty groups asking for these?” DNC delegate Craig Smith told the Mercury News. “We’re picking something out of the air.”

But all Democratic candidates in attendance said they supported Barber’s call for a debate about poverty, and with Barber planning a nine-month campaign focused on mobilizing and registering poorer Americans called “We Will Do MORE,” don’t expect this conversation to slip away as easily as the DNC might like.

#PoorPeoplesCampaign

Global Climate Strike-day 2

Saturday, September 21, 2019
12 noon – Meet at Milwaukee County Court House – Southside
1:00 pm – March and Rally

Milwaukee County Courthouse.

South side between 9th & 10th on Wells St.

March to State Bldg. & City Hall – 1 pm

Our warmer planet is already hurting millions of people. If we don’t act now to transition fairly and swiftly away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy access for all, the injustice of the climate crisis will only get worse affecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, our ability to survive

As we deal with devastating climate breakdown and hurtle towards dangerous tipping points, young people are calling on millions of us across the planet to disrupt business as usual by joining the global climate strikes on September 20 and continuing actions the following week. This is just before the UN Emergency Climate Summit calling for increased climate action.

Already people in 150 countries are organizing for the global climate strikes

Please mobilize your organizations and their families to join us for this important Rally & March.

These Climate Strikes won’t solve the climate crisis alone.

What this moment can do is demonstrate that people are no longer willing to continue with business as usual. The urgency of the climate crisis requires a new approach and a just response centered on human rights, equity, and justice. Now it’s everyone’s turn to stand with young people and show world leaders the people power demanding climate justice. Keep carbon in the ground!

This event is organized locally by 350 MKE, along with other supporting organizations. It will emphasize the international student call for urgency of the climate crisis and acknowledge and support our state, county and city governments’ recent commitments to 100% renewable energy by 2050 in agreement with the Paris Accords along with the Milwaukee Joint City/County Task Force on Climate & Economic Equity.

Speakers: Representatives of the Youth Climate Action Team and Gaia Coalition, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton, County Board Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde, Citizen Action, Sierra Club, MPS Climate Justice Committee, NAACP, WI Green Muslims, 350.org Milwaukee, and others.

At 1:00 pm, we will march from the County Court House down Wells St., past the State office Building, to City Hall and Red Arrow Park for Community Open Mic.

Ethnic Fest

https://bit.ly/2m78mdR

Global Climate Strike: Wisconsin

This September, millions of us will walk out of our workplaces, schools, and homes to join you climate strikers on the streets and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels.

Our house is one fire — let’s act like it. It’s now time to rebel.

Both adults and young people alike need to take to the streets on September 20 to demand climate justice.

Can’t strike? Protest in solidarity by disrupting the status quo and striking for 11 minutes on September 20 to symbolize our looming deadline.

Flagship Strikes:
Madison: https://www.facebook.com/events/444295093093779/
Milwaukee: https://www.facebook.com/events/693776687701388/
La Crosse: https://www.facebook.com/events/361147151227652/
Appleton: https://www.facebook.com/events/473243190128356/
Ashland: https://www.facebook.com/events/400269883939953/

See ycatwi.org/sep20 for other strikes & more info on 11 minute strikes!