It is now 24 years since the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, and other Ogoni in Nigeria in 1995. The Ogoni 9, as they are called, were murdered for their campaign against the oil giant Shell, whose rampant double standards and pollution had caused the Ogoni community to mobilise.
"Having exhausted every other option", the Green New Deal is "is the only kind of climate response that stands a chance of not going up in smoke.”
The local protesters, typified by the wonderful Nanas, maintained a protest camp against Cuadrilla through rain and shine, through hail and snow, through night and day, they said they had the science behind them, they had history on their side. But it was a David and Goliath fight. And as of last Friday, David has won. For now at least.
The Californian fires are a “tipping point” for many residents as they realize that life will never be the same. They must also be the tipping point for clear concise action by politicians to force the oil industry to begin ramping down their operations now. There can be no more excuses.
A new study released in Nature Communications argues that even under a moderate emissions scenario, projected sea levels are high enough to threaten the homes of nearly 150 million people by 2050.
Right now, many parts of California are ablaze fuelled by high winds and tinder dry conditions.
