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Category: General news

Managing director of Ebono Institute and major sponsor of The Generator, Geoff Ebbs, is running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at the next Federal election. By the expression on their faces in this candid shot it looks like a pretty dull campaign. Read on

  • The Road Through Paris Blair Palese – 350.org Australia
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    The Road Through Paris

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    Blair Palese – 350.org Australia <350@350.org> Unsubscribe
    8:04 PM (1 hour ago)
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    Dear Neville,

    2015 is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history, and this December hundreds of world governments will meet in Paris to try to strike a global climate agreement. It will be the biggest gathering of its kind since 2009, and it’s potentially a big deal for our global movement.

    In Paris, governments are supposed to agree on a shared target for climate action, based on the national plans governments have been putting together all year. But the numbers just aren’t adding up and the Australian Government isn’t helping. Everything being discussed will allow too many communities that have polluted the least to be devastated by floods, rising sea levels and other climate-fuelled disasters.

    Click here to join us in showing world leaders what real action to keep fossil fuels in the ground and finance for a just transition to 100% renewable energy looks like.

    Already communities around Australia are standing up to demonstrate the leadership that is needed to turn fossil fuels off and renewable energy on. From indigenous people standing up to mining companies, to farmers fighting coal and gas, individuals shifting their money out of fossil fuels and everyone sharing these stories online and in the media.

    Over the next few months, our movement will come together in a series of powerful actions to send a signal to our Government that where they fail, we step up.

    Sign up to hear how you can join the movement over the coming months as we take a big stand for climate justice.

    The solutions are obvious: we need to stop digging up and burning coal and gas, start building more solar and wind, and make sure communities on the front lines of climate change have the resources they need to respond to the crisis.

    The time for feeling powerless in the face of climate chaos is over. No matter what happens in the negotiating halls in Paris, we must build power to hold our governments accountable to the principles of justice and science. Will you join us?

    After many months of consultation with groups and organisations across Australia, here is the plan for what we are calling “The Road Through Paris”: a plan to grow the movement and hold world leaders accountable to the action we need.

    First, in October and November there will be film screenings and workshops in communities across the country to discuss how we can each get involved in building the power of our movement through Paris and beyond.

    Then, from November 27-29, on the eve of the Paris negotiations, hundreds of thousands of people will turn out around the country for the most diverse climate march Australia has ever held.

    Following the marches, hundreds of us will unite for an iconic and powerful action that will move even the staunchest fossil-fuel-loving politicians.

    Sign-up to be part of these important moments and to receive updates about events happening near you.

    But most importantly, we won’t stop with Paris. I want you to mark your calendars for the month of April in 2016. That’s when we will mobilize as part of a global wave of action unlike any we’ve seen before. Not one big march in one city, not a scattering of local actions — but rather a wave of historic national and global mobilizations targeting the fossil fuel projects that must be kept in the ground, and backing the energy solutions that will take their place.

    This is one of the most ambitious plans we’ve been involved in but ambition is what is called for, along with courage, faith in each other and the readiness to respond when disaster strikes, plans change, or politicians fail to lead.

    We are nearer than ever to the changes we’ve been fighting to see. I hope to stand with you in the coming months to see them through.

    Blair Palese, CEO – 350.org Australia

    P.s By signing on to the Road Through Paris plan today you’ll regular receive updates about events happening near you.

    350.org is building a global climate movement.You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and become a Climate Defender and donate monthly to help 350.org keep Australia’s fossil fuels in the ground.

  • Turnbull’s agenda: Cutting penalty rates and local jobs. Australian Unions Team

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    Turnbull’s agenda: Cutting penalty rates and local jobs

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    Australian Unions Team <info@actu.org.au>
    5:54 PM (54 minutes ago)
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    Inga —

    We have seen off Tony Abbott, but when will we see off his policies?

    We have asked Malcolm Turnbull to dump policies that attack our living standards and reverse his government’s cuts, but instead he has two priorities: cutting penalty rates and smashing local jobs.

    Mr Turnbull’s first announcement was to provide support to deals like the China Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) that allows companies to bring in their workforce from overseas without offering the jobs to local workers first.

    His second announcement was to make reviewing penalty rates a top priority! His key cabinet Minister is saying cutting weekend penalty rates would be a good thing.

    Big business and the Liberal party now have new hope and are stepping up their campaign. We need to step up ours.

    The good news is every day our campaign gets stronger as more and more people put their hand up to help out. Come and join us – together we can Build a Better Future.

    The community is on our side and wants the Abbott government’s policies dumped. We are receiving messages of support for penalty rates and for local jobs from across the country every day.  Campaigning is fun and rewarding.  Join us.

    Show Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal government they need to think again if they think we will step away from the issues most important to working people just because Tony Abbott is gone.

    Yours in union,

    Dave Oliver

    http://www.australianunions.org.au/

  • QUICK SIGNATURE: Ask Senators to protect laws that keep life thriving

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    QUICK SIGNATURE: Ask Senators to protect laws that keep life thriving

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    Geoff Cousins, ACF Unsubscribe
    9:04 AM (6 minutes ago)
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    Hi INGA
    It’s been a turbulent time in politics that landed us with a new Prime Minister.Australians sent a clear message. We won’t stand for leaders who put polluters before people.

    But while our politicians find their feet, the government’s attempts to rip out the laws that protect our air, water, wildlife and the places we love, have bulldozed their way to the Senate.Right now our Senators have an opportunity to leave the mistakes of the past behind and do what’s in the best interests of the Australian people.

    Will you send a message to Australian Senators to reject the policies of the past and keep life thriving in Australia?

  • 9 Massive US Companies Pledge To Go 100% Renewable

    9 Massive US Companies Pledge To Go 100% Renewable

    by Samantha Page Sep 23, 2015 9:43am

    CREDIT: Courtesy Walmart

    Workers install solar panels on a Walmart store. The company has pledged to use 100 percent renewable energy.

    Nine more giant corporations, including Nike and Walmart, pledged to transition to 100 percent renewable energy Wednesday. The announcement, made during Climate Week, is intended to show international governments that there is broad-based business support for going off fossil fuels in advance of the United Nations climate talks in December.

    Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Salesforce, Starbucks, Steelcase, and Voya Financial also took the RE100 pledge, organized by the Climate Group, an international sustainability non-profit.

    “Research shows that the most ambitious companies have seen a 27 percent return on their low carbon investments,” Mark Kenber, CEO of the Climate Group, said in a statement. “Today these companies are signaling loud and clear to COP21 negotiators that forward-thinking businesses back renewables and want to see a strong climate deal in Paris.”

    Swiss bank UBS joined the pledge last week. In total, 36 companies have joined RE100 since it was launched at Climate Week last year.

    Some of the companies are also part of a White House initiative for sustainability investment announced in July. Those companies, which include Goldman Sachs and Walmart, will invest $140 billion in new low-carbon investment and build more than 1,600 megawatts (MW) of new renewable energy capacity.

    The RE100 goals are non-binding, but in the pledge companies agree to release information about their sustainability efforts. And some companies have set specific benchmarks. For instance, Goldman Sachs says it will use 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. Johnson & Johnson has set a goal of 2050. Nike seeks to transition by 2025, and Voya International by 2015.

    One company in Wednesday’s announcement, Steelcase, is already operating with 100 percent renewable electricity. Part of the goal of the RE100 initiative, though, is not just to change behavior for the companies involved, but also to draw attention to companies that are committed to renewable energy.

    “For Steelcase, joining RE100 is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to renewable energy,” Jim Keane, the company’s president and CEO said. “Our current investment in renewables equaling 100 percent of our global electricity use is an important part of our energy strategy.”

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  • The John James Newsletter 81

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    The John James Newsletter 81

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    John James
    7:00 AM (1 hour ago)
    to John
    The John James Newsletter 81
    26 September 2015
    Everyone’s a pacifist between wars. It’s like being a vegetarian between meals
    Colman McCarthy
    When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist 
    Helder Camara
    Atlantic Ocean excited to move into beautiful beachfront mansion soon
    A fable for our time.
    Putin’s Line in the Sand: No Regime Change in Syria
    Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are prepared to defend their ally Assad and stop Washington. Otherwise the US will have succeeded in destroying another sovereign nation and scattering its people across the Middle East and Europe.
    Does Putin Have a Plan for Syria?
    It’s not just support for Bashar al-Assad that’s driving Moscow’s growing intervention.
    Russian troops already engaged in battle against ISIS around Homs
    Contrary to the impression conveyed by Moscow that Russian troops in Syria are not engaged in combat and that none of the sophisticated arms deliveries were destined to the Syrian army.
    Listening to Bashar al-Assad
    I have to say that I am changing my tune.  Not only because there can be no doubt whatsoever that Assad and his military are currently the only force protecting the Syrian people from the medieval insanity and viciousness of Daesh, but because the man impresses me more and more.
    Tracking the inferno: where wildfires are hitting California and other states hardest
    Five “megafires”, an official term for fires that span more than 100,000 acres
    A Sense of Despair Is Sweeping Through Iraq
    Omar is one of a tidal wave of Iraqis trying to get out of Iraq as the war continues and insecurity grows worse. Kidnapping is rife in Baghdad, with victims ranging from three-year-old children to the deputy Minister of Justice. Eighteen Turkish construction workers were abducted by a Shia militia and moved to Basra without the government being able to do anything about it. In addition there are daily bombings by Isis which a multitude of government checkpoints fail to stop.
    Greece through the eyes of the homeless
    A homeless woman was given a camera and asked to document life on the streets of Athens.
    OPEC, Russia and the New World Order Emerging
    The OPEC oil-producing states, including Iran, through the skilful mediation of Russia, are carefully laying the foundations for a truly new world order. What is likely to emerge in the current extraordinary situation is a negotiated arrangement between Russia and the OPEC oil producers to devise a new ordering of world energy supply, independent of Anglo-American domination. The benefits are simply too great for all involved parties to ignore. It would provide Russia safe markets outside the Anglo-American current war zone, and the oil producing countries of the Middle East would join as central parties to the unfolding economic boom that is emerging out of new Economic Silk Road rail and sea port infrastructure projects.
    Prof. Peter Wadham’s discussion of the Arctic and his prediction for total ice loss quite soon
    You may be particularly interested in watching the dynamic changes to the jet scream at 10-12 minutes.
    Turkey’s Radicalizing Youth Dominates Escalating Conflict
    Politicized youth organizations on both ends of the political spectrum are becoming more vocal, violent and popular.
    35 Million migrants heading to Europe, says Hungary as it builds second fence
    It’s a delusion to call this situation a migration crisis; it is a massive migration of nations, with inexhaustible reserves.
    Russia’s Ultimate Lethal Weapon
    Glazyev is in favor of forcing Russian companies that have Western loans to default. Predictably, some sectors of US  went bonkers, stating with utmost certainty that “the Russian energy sector would not be able to find much financing without connections to the West.” Nonsense. Russian firms would easily find financing from Chinese, Japanese or South Korean sources.
    Russia’s False Hopes
    Russia  miscalculated that diplomacy could solve the crisis that Washington created in Ukraine and placed its hopes on the Minsk Agreement, which has no Western support whatsoever, neither in Kiev nor in Washington, London, and NATO. Russia can end the Ukraine crisis by simply accepting the requests of the former Russian territories to reunite with Russia. Once the breakaway republics are again part of Russia, the crisis is over. Ukraine is not going to attack Russia. Russia doesn’t end the crisis, because Russia thinks it would be provocative and upset Europe.
    India’s Russian-Made Sukhois Wipe the Floor With UK’s Eurofighters
    By humiliating the RAF in recent exercises in Britain Indian Air Force pilots flying Russian-made Sukhoi-30 fighters once again showed that its jets easily outgun and outrun any fourth generation western jet fighter
    TTIP Aims To Defang Local Rules Against Hazardous Chemicals
    New report finds that the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership poses a threat to state regulations against hazardous pesticides, products, and fracking chemicals
    The Hidden Meltdown of Greenland
    Greenland’s glaciers flowing into the ocean are grounded deeper below sea level than previously measured. This means that the warm ocean currents at depth can sweep across the glacier faces and erode them.
    Race against time to save the last white rhinos
    On World Rhino Day, the only northern white male left in the world is desperately trying to save his subspecies. and the last hope for saving his subspecies by impregnating his daughter or granddaughter.
     
    Smoke and Mirrors
    In London, the latest figures suggest air pollution now kills more people than smoking. Worldwide it causes more deaths than malaria and Aids together. This is the neglected health crisis of this age, that we seldom discuss or even acknowledge.
    Fossil fuel divestment booming, with $2.6trn in assets set to be dumped
    Since starting on the campuses of a few colleges in the US, this movement has struck a chord with people across the world who care about climate change, and convinced some of the largest and most influential institutions in the world to begin pulling their money out.
    9 Massive US Companies Pledge To Go 100% Renewable
    The announcement is intended to show international governments that there is broad-based business support for going off fossil fuels in advance of the UN climate talks in December. Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Salesforce, Starbucks, Steelcase, and Voya Financial took the RE100 pledge, organized by the Climate Group.
    “Research shows that companies have seen a 27% return on their low carbon investments,”
    The Character Assassination of Jeremy Corbyn
    The mission of the media is simple: to kill him off before any serious policy debate can take place.
    Mexico’s ghost towns
    Guadalupe is one of a handful of towns in the 55-mile Juárez Valley, along the Rio Grande. The region was a hub of cotton production in its heyday. But these days, Guadalupe is a ghost town,
    Neo-fascist Greek party takes third place in wave of voter fury
    Golden Dawn wins 7% of election vote – 500,000 Greeks – behind Syriza and New Democracy

  • No business in abuse Shen – GetUp!

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    No business in abuse

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    Shen – GetUp!
    2:07 PM (22 minutes ago)
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    No Business In Abuse banner image

    ~~ Trigger warning: discussion of self-harm and sexual assault ~~

    NEVILLE,

    We’re in the papers again today,1,2 this time shining a light on the abuse inflicted on people imprisoned in Transfield’s camps.

    Digging around in reports about what’s going on in Manus and Nauru, we’ve found some truly horrifying statistics that had escaped public attention.

    In the Nauru detention camp there has been a “major or critical” incident of:

    • self-harm every four days
    • assault every five days
    • sexual assault every four months

    And this is according to Transfield’s own records.

    Under Transfield’s watch, violence and abuse are rampant – the human misery needs to end.

    Right now, there’s a five year contract on the table, and Transfield must decide whether to continue managing the detention camps on Manus and Nauru.

    Tell Transfield not to sign onto five more years of profiting from abuse:
    Click here to send an email.
    Click here to comment on their Facebook post.
    Click here to tweet.

    No company operates in a vacuum, and Transfield knows it. They’re supported by a network of stakeholders and investors that are underpinned by us – the Australian public. And this is where we come in: as the tide turns against Transfield, we need to show them just how many of us aren’t willing to stand by and watch as they make millions from human suffering. Together, we can prove to them that if they continue to profit from abuse, their entire business model will be at risk.

    The numbers we found only scratch the surface of the story. Behind them are men, women and children who face unprecedented horrors with no end in sight – a purgatory that on its own constitutes abuse. And while they suffer, Transfield rakes in millions.

    Transfield knows that they’re vulnerable in this moment, with almost-daily scrutiny in the media ahead of their decision on whether or not to renew their contract – and just weeks ahead of their AGM. If we flood their inboxes with emails making it clear the Australian public will not stand idly by and let them keep up their heartless profiteering, they’ll need to listen.

    Email Transfield here: www.getup.org.au/email-transfield
    Click here to comment on their Facebook post.
    Click here to tweet Transfield.

    Thank you for being part of this campaign. We’re already having an impact – now let’s make sure Transfield feels it.

    Shen, for the GetUp team


    References
    [1] ‘People in detention on Nauru try harm themselves every four days: Transfield response to Senate’, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 September 2015
    [2] ‘Transfield under fire over assaults, violence at Nauru’, The Australian, 25 September 2015