In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.
Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic? Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future.
Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:22 Giant Sinkhole in Siberia 05:54 Evidence of Methane in Craters 09:02 Alaskan Lake Bubbling 14:47 Effects of Permafrost Thaw on Climate 17:26 Native Alaskan Solutions to Permafrost 21:37 Organic Matter Impacted by Permafrost 24:44 Greenhouse Gasses Emitted from Permafrost Thaw 33:37 Fossil Methane in Earth’s Crust 42:19 Tipping Point: Arctic Regions are Sinking 47:47 How Communities are Finding Solutions 50:15 Conclusion
(Premieres Wednesday, February 2 at 9PM ET on PBS.)
As the country marks 2 years since the January 6 insurrection, MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports on the DOJ charging 950 people in connection with storming the Capitol. Plus, former Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers joins “The Beat” after receiving a Presidential medal for his refusal to abuse his power to overturn the 2020 election, as Trump and his coup lawyer John Eastman asked him to. Bowers described the call from Trump’s team and how John Eastman’s support of coup plots “floored” him.
(7 Jan 2023) A 6-year-old student shot and wounded a Virginia teacher Friday during an altercation inside a first-grade classroom, police and school officials said. (Jan. 6)
In a democracy, meaningful change often requires adapting views and building coalitions. Some believe finding common ground and building rapport is the best way to change minds. Others believe activism and protests are key to raising awareness. Increasingly, however, the acts of listening and persuasion are left out, as each side is convinced that the other is unmovable.
Anand Giridharadas is a journalist, columnist, on-air political analyst, and author. His latest book, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy, explores how the tactics of persuasion can help strengthen democracy and foster positive societal change.
Guests: Anand Giridharadas, Journalist, Author, The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy
Russian President Vladimir Putin has unilaterally declared a 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Russian Orthodox Christmas on January 7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Putin’s overture, however, saying that Russia wants to use Christmas as a pretext to stop Ukrainian advances in the Russian-occupied Donbas region. Putin’s declaration comes after about 1,000 U.S. faith leaders called in an open letter last month for a ceasefire during the holidays, inspired by the Christmas truce of 1914 during World War I, arguing that a pause in the fighting could create room for negotiations to peacefully end the conflict. We air a recent sermon by Bishop William Barber, one of the signatories, in which he discussed the need for a Christmas truce. “We need a ceasefire to interrupt this warring madness,” Barber said. “A ceasefire doesn’t mean both sides are equally culpable for starting the war, but it can have the impact of stopping the massive, massive killing on both sides.”
Friday marks two years since the January 6 Capitol insurrection, when President Donald Trump incited thousands of supporters to violently storm Congress, attempting to overturn the 2020 election. The attack on the Capitol briefly shut down Congress as lawmakers fled for their safety from the mob, which included members of the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and other violent extremist groups. Two years later, part of Congress has been effectively shut down again, this time because a group of far-right Republicans, including many who supported the January 6 insurrection, have blocked Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s attempt to become House speaker. We speak to Andy Campbell, senior editor at HuffPost and author of “We Are Proud Boys: How a Right-Wing Street Gang Ushered In a New Era of American Extremism,” as the House speaker vote drags on and the Proud Boys face trial for seditious conspiracy over their involvement in the insurrection.
Globalization used to be a guarantor of economic growth. No longer, and the losers are poorer nations. They have restricted access to global markets and are largely excluded from beneficial labor migration.
Unfettered access to the world’s economic markets should boost prosperity and foster peaceful international coexistence – in theory. But which countries take advantage of the opportunities presented by global competition? And which countries avoid it, preferring to protect their economies at the expense of the poor? And why does free global trade preach the unrestricted movement of goods, while setting limits on labor migration? With these questions and contradictions in mind, we travel through the US, Peru, Senegal and Europe. An agreement with China means the former steel producing center Duisburg is eyeing a renaissance. America, on the other hand, blames China and globalization for its declining steel industry. Billions of US dollars are invested in domestic industries and agriculture as part of the country’s “America First” policy stance. This has a detrimental effect on poorer nations. For example Peru, a nation left behind by globalization that’s making little progress in the fight against poverty.
When it comes to worldwide migration, there are clear winners and losers. Spain’s farming sector is starved of workers, while the EU resists immigration. In countries like Senegal, where illegal fishing and the appropriation of farmland by international concerns has left people destitute, migrants are leaving in search of a better life. One of the chief beneficiaries of globalization is China, whose migrant workers represent the confidence and strategy of their powerful homeland. “Globalization in Crisis” is a two-part documentary telling the stories of those who benefit – and those who suffer – as a result of globalization.
[Part 2 online next week]
Globalization: Profits over people (2/2) | DW Documentary
Globalization used to be a guarantor of economic growth. No longer, and the losers are poorer nations. They have restricted access to global markets and are largely excluded from beneficial labor migration.
Unfettered access to the world’s economic markets should boost prosperity and foster peaceful international coexistence – in theory. But which countries take advantage of the opportunities presented by global competition? And which countries avoid it, preferring to protect their economies at the expense of the poor? And why does free global trade preach the unrestricted movement of goods, while setting limits on labor migration? With these questions and contradictions in mind, we travel through the US, Peru, Senegal and Europe
. An agreement with China means the former steel producing center Duisburg is eyeing a renaissance. America, on the other hand, blames China and globalization for its declining steel industry. Billions of US dollars are invested in domestic industries and agriculture as part of the country’s “America First” policy stance. This has a detrimental effect on poorer nations. For example Peru, a nation left behind by globalization that’s making little progress in the fight against poverty.
When it comes to worldwide migration, there are clear winners and losers. Spain’s farming sector is starved of workers, while the EU resists immigration. In countries like Senegal, where illegal fishing and the appropriation of farmland by international concerns has left people destitute, migrants are leaving in search of a better life. One of the chief beneficiaries of globalization is China, whose migrant workers represent the confidence and strategy of their powerful homeland. “Globalization in Crisis” is a two-part documentary telling the stories of those who benefit – and those who suffer – as a result of globalization.
Welcome to Transition Studies. To prosper for very much longer on the changing Earth humankind will need to move beyond its current fossil-fueled civilization toward one that is sustained on recycled materials and renewable energy. This is not a trivial shift. It will require a major transition in all aspects of our lives.
This weblog explores the transition to a sustainable future on our finite planet. It provides links to current news, key documents from government sources and non-governmental organizations, as well as video documentaries about climate change, environmental ethics and environmental justice concerns.
The links are listed here to be used in whatever manner they may be helpful in public information campaigns, course preparation, teaching, letter-writing, lectures, class presentations, policy discussions, article writing, civic or Congressional hearings and citizen action campaigns, etc. For further information on this blog see: About this weblog. and How to use this weblog.
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