#Global Outcry

[beautifuldreamcycle]

From Conscience to Consciousness

The ability to expand one's awareness is vital in order to create a unified world family.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “There is a higher court than courts of justice, and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” There is a worldwide call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to the war in Ukraine. It is as if the conscience of the youth in the world has woken up. They can no longer calmly accept the continuation of the unmitigated violence being propagated…

[magnoliamyrrh]

its been insane witnessing the full force of propaganda and american imperialism with my own two eyes as an adult these past few years. obviously ive known abt it plenty and seen it before, but witnessing it at this age with this much force is... dystopian and crazy

[ad15124]

no because if there were these extreme weather alerts in America, people would not do this

[reasonsforhope]

"Amid record-high temperatures, devastating disasters, and the resulting climate anxiety that comes with them, it can be easy to give in to despair. 

The resounding question of “does this even matter?” likely echoes on a loop, every time you toss an item in the recycling bin, or call your elected officials for the umpteenth time.

But according to research from the University of California San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, public outcry can indeed lead to significant environmental action — even when public officials are openly hostile to climate-forward policies.

Their paper, titled “Going Viral: Public Attention and Environmental Action in the Amazon,” will soon be published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. It focuses on the “unprecedented” public scrutiny following forest fires in the Brazilian Amazon in August of 2019.

These fires occurred soon after Jair Bolsonaro became Brazil’s president, after a staunchly anti-environmental campaign.

But after analyzing both media coverage and international pressure towards Brazil’s federal government, the researchers found that the increased public attention resulted in a 22% decrease in fires in the country’s Amazon Rainforest. 

This, in turn, translated into the avoidance of an estimated 24.8 million tons of CO2 emissions.

“Our research underscores the significant role that public attention and media coverage can play in influencing local environmental policies and actions,” the study’s coauthor Teevrat Garg, said in a statement...

“The 2019 surge in attention led to immediate governmental responses, which contributed to the notable decrease in fires,” he added.

To come to these conclusions, the researchers compared fire activity in Brazil with that in Peru and Bolivia, countries that did not receive the same amount of public pressure, though typically still have the same level of fire activity per square kilometer."

-via GoodGoodGood, October 4, 2024

[kolawnk]

revenge, perhaps?

y/n, a beloved singer, fell deeply in love with the famous model Park Sunghoon, whose charm quickly turned their relationship into a global sensation. She was blind to his flaws, believing love could change his troubled past. But two months ago, she discovered the heartbreaking truth—he cheated. The betrayal shattered her. Yet, despite the pain, y/n still finds herself haunted by thoughts of him. Now, with her upcoming single, she's channeling that heartbreak into art, pouring all the unresolved emotions into her music. It’s not just a song—it’s her revenge, her way of reclaiming herself.

GENRE: exes to lovers, enemies to lovers, player sunghoon, f!singer y/n x m!model sunghoon, drama, thriller

CHARACTERS: sunghoon (enhypen), ningning (aespa), bibi (soloist), sunoo (enhypen), soobin (txt), riki (enhypen), jay (enhypen)

000 》 intro

001 》 just the beginning

002 》 lipstick and chaos

003 》 get him back!

004 》 the outcry

005 》 yes or yes?

006 》 breaking point

007 》 the shadows linger

008 》 the stalker revealed

009 》 fractured promises

010 》

011 》

012 》

dont steal yall😔✋️🚨

[voidsgalaxy]

Hello, i'm hoping by making this post i might be able to help quell the fears of others like it helped quell mine.

The ACLU, aka American Civil Liberties Union, are a nonprofit human rights organization that is against KOSA. I will admit i don't know much about them myself but according to my mom, they are very powerful people and the chance they'll let a bill like this pass is incredibly slim.

They've already spoken out against it, as have many, many others who likely have similar if not equal power, not to mention the global outcry against this bill.

Please hold out hope. I'm still scared, but things aren't all bleak.

[dcdreamblog]

What are your opinions on the Justice League International? They were a controversial time for the League for sure, a lot of news outlets around here, red state, you understand, called them a 'joke' and 'an embarrassment on the good name of the League,' but they were heroes, if you ask me.

Any red state dipshit who wanted to say that about the JLI would have to then meet me in the parking lot after I smacked my work gloves across his face.

(The most iconic image of the JLI, the day they received their official charter from the United Nations. TIME Magazine.)

The "Justice League Detroit" (A name I put in quotes because it IS meant to be pejorative in its original context, though the surviving members of that team wear it with pride ) had disbanded after a violent clash with Anthony Ivo left several of its members dead around the same time that G Gordon Godfrey was first able to whip up a popular discontent around superheroes.

This, of course, lead to the famous "Battle of the Lincoln Memorial" where a group of heroes defeated Godfrey and stymied the plans of his ultimate master, Darkseid. Bringing together a new team with the realization the world always needed a Justice League.

The team would handle various crises until the came into the interest of billionaire philanthropist Maxwell Lord who approached them with an idea: Seek official UN sanction, granting greater resources in exchange for government oversight. This period is when the most iconic lineup joined the team more or less, including the American mandated Captain Atom, his Russian counterpart Rocket Red with personable duo Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.

The First thing that caused an international backlash was the WAY the UN sanction was secured, namely that it was a TRANSFER of the Global Guardians' sanction to the League which was WIDELY unpopular in the majority of the world, especially among the Nonaligned Nations. The Global Guardians were and are deeply respected in the areas where they are active and cutting them out in order to replace them with a line up of the Justice League was seen by many smaller nations as America muscling in on the international stage.

This international outcry was somewhat quieted by the addition of popular Brazilian and Norwegian heroines Fire and Ice to the group and the mandated acceptance of Russia's Rocket Red. Though concerns remained that its claim to an international organization was hollow due to its majority American membership in contrast to the truly global commitment of the Global Guardians, worries I sympathize and agree with to a degree.

The OTHER "problem" many had with the team was with its general bearing and membership. The League was at that time, and still often is, thought of in terms of "The Seven", its most famous and prominent members with other heroes playing a peripheral role in the eyes of the public. With Batman very swiftly bowing out once media attention glued itself to the team, the only member of that chosen few that remained was the Martian Manhunter who is often disregarded by a certain...kind of observer. This lead to a perception that the JLI wasn't the "real" Justice League despite the total confidence placed in the JLI by personages like Superman or Wonder Woman.

It also got itself involved in rather less serious matters and conducted itself in a sometimes less than proud manner, mostly due to the public debacles that Blue Beetle and Booster Gold became wrapped up in. But I've already made a post about my thoughts on both men and why I think both are deserving of respect.

My evidence is as it shall ever be.

If you are slightly older than me you probably clearly remember when an alien alliance lead by a race calling themselves THE DOMINATORS tried to conquer the Earth via military force of arms. Which team was at the forefront of the counter attack that saved all our lives? The JLI.

Who stopped the illegal Bialyan junta under "Queen Bee" from gaining a superweapon? The JLI.

Who pushed back the intergalactic despot Despero to such a degree that he STILL thinks that these are Earth's greatest champions? The JLI. I would dare ANYONE who would like to question their legacy to stand in their shoes and still see if their big mouth avails them.

[morbidology]

In the annals of photojournalism, few images have the power to evoke the profound mixture of emotion and reflection as starkly as "The Vulture and the Little Girl." Captured by South African photojournalist Kevin Carter in March 1993, this harrowing photograph became a symbol of the Sudan famine and a stark commentary on the world’s response to human suffering.

In 1993, Sudan was gripped by a severe famine, a result of civil war and drought. The famine devastated the country, leading to widespread starvation and death. To bring global attention to the crisis, Carter, alongside other journalists, traveled to Sudan. It was in a small village near Ayod that Carter took the photograph that would become one of the most iconic and controversial images of the 20th century.

The photograph shows a frail, emaciated child collapsed on the ground, too weak to move, with a vulture ominously perched in the background, seemingly waiting for the child to die.

Published by The New York Times on March 26, 1993, the photograph immediately drew international attention. It became a catalyst for a global outcry and increased awareness of the Sudanese famine. However, the photograph also sparked significant controversy and ethical debate within the field of journalism and beyond.

Critics questioned Carter’s role and responsibilities as a photojournalist. Many were outraged that Carter had taken the photograph without helping the child. The photographer later stated that he waited about 20 minutes, hoping the vulture would fly away, and that he eventually chased the bird off. He left the scene after the child resumed her struggle towards a nearby feeding center.

Nevertheless, the moral dilemma persisted in public discourse: Should Carter have intervened rather than capturing the image?

Carter's photograph won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1994, cementing its place in history. Yet, the acclaim came at a significant personal cost. Haunted by the memories of his experiences in Sudan and the criticism he faced, Carter struggled with depression. On July 27, 1994, just months after receiving the Pulitzer, Carter took his own life.

In his suicide note, Carter wrote about the intense pain he experienced witnessing so much suffering and his inability to reconcile the horrors he documented with his role as an observer.

[radlymona]

One of the final things I want to say about the Khelif situation is that TRAs have obviously made up a bullshit lie that gender crits/radfems are calling Khelif a trans woman to fuel outrage. Ffs even the conservatives reporting on this are doing so with the perspective that Khelif has a DSD. As this article has pointed out, trans rights activists have just centred themselves into an issue that doesnt have anything to do with them. And they're doing so to cause further outrage/hope it provides a natural pathway to trans women competing at the Olympic level.

The second thing is that the vitriol by TRAS against Angela Carni is rooted in deep misogyny. Carni having an emotional response to losing at the Olympics is not "white woman tears". She was upset and in pain, and probably felt like shit that had to bow out so early. TRAs painting her out to be a sore loser/anti Trans crusader is just another instance of how they lack empathy for women who are faintly thought of as the "opposition". And I find it particularly agrieving, in light of media reporting around Harry Garside's emotional response to losing his boxing match. There was an outcry of sympathy and the need to talk about the mental health of athletes post-Games. But this conversation around mental health only ever benefits men. Women are not allowed to be emotional in the heat of the moment. Otherwise, they'll become a global scapegoat in the blink of an eye.

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a message from Yahya Sinwar (the Hamas leader inside Gaza) was passed to Hamas leaders who live outside of it, and the essence of that is not to worry, because Sinwar believes they have Israel exactly where they want it. In other words, when Hamas is estimated by Israel to have at least 12,000 of its terrorists killed, and despite the fact that they could stop the death of Gazans by releasing the Israeli hostages and surrendering, Sinwar doesn't see any issues with where the war is at. I think the most important part is this: "According to the report, Sinwar also told the Hamas officials that the terror group is prepared for Israel’s expected operation in Rafah, the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city, and is relying on the high civilian death toll reported by the Hamas-run health ministry to cause enough global outcry that Israel is forced to withdraw" (my emphasis). At what point do people realize that they are serving the interests of Hamas' mass murderers, kidnappers and rapists?

A few days ago, I wrote about the attempt to allow aid trucks into northern Gaza directly from Israel, instead of bringing it to the south, and waiting for Gaza-based elements to deliver it to the north. This means an escort of Israeli soldiers is accompanying the trucks. This is the route the aid trucks cross:

Today, these aid trucks were stormed by a huge crowd, and according to the IDF, many people died from pushing and trampling (at the link you can see aerial video footage of the stampede), not an unheard of phenomenon when a huge herd of people all rush in at the same time. On top of that, some Gazans were also advancing at the soldiers securing the aid trucks. The soldiers felt undr threat, and they opened fire at those charging at them, but according to their estimate, this accounts for only 10 of the dead. Still, you can count on the anti-Israel crowd to adopt a narrative that, immediately and without investigation, calls this a massacre and blames every single death on Israel, not on Hamas, which started the war that made even aid supply into a dangerous and complicated situation.

Here's a reminder that even in the middle of the war, when no one is paying attention to it, Israel continues to demolish illegal homes built by Jews. But you're never gonna hear about it, not even during more normal times, because it doesn't fit the anti-Israel narrative, so anti-Israel sources will only ever tell you about it, when Israeli demolishes illegal homes built by Arabs.

As threats to British Members of Parliament (MPs) are rising due to threats from the anti-Israel crowd, the UK has allocated bodyguards to some of them, along with 31 million pounds designated for the security of British democracy. If some of the most powerful people in Britain are that scared, what do you think Jews there are going through? Indeed, today we heard that 72 million pounds are meant to help secure Jewish centers and institutions in the UK. The problem is that until the root of the problem will be tackled, this is just taking care of the symptoms, instead of curing the disease.

Israeli security forces have stopped two Palestinian cousins, one 17 years old and the other 29 years old, from carrying out an independent terrorist attack. I refer to such attacks as independent in order to point out that they're not a part of some greater plot, unlike every single terrorist attack on Oct 7, which were all interconnected, and rocket attacks since, which are launched as a part of the war that Hamas started waging against Israel. However, some of these attacks ARE connected to Hamas. Apparently, these two cousins contacted Hamas in Gaza to get help in committing their intended crime.

This is 59 years old Michel Nissenbaum.

He made alyiah on his own from Brazil when he was 13 years old. Friends say that coming to Israel saved him. He worked in hi-tech, as well as a tour guide, and volunteered with Bedouin kids. Here he is with one such group:

On Oct 7, Michel heard that the Re'im IDF base was under attack from Hamas terrorists. Knowing that his granddaughter was there, visiting her dad, Michel decided to go there and get her out. While he was making his way to the base, he stopped responding to messages. His granddaughter was rescued from the place hours later, but Michel himself had disappeared. He's believed to be kidnapped in Gaza, but his family is scared, because he wasn't spotted in any of the pics or vids released by Hamas.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[whatevergreen]

Blood of the Condor (Yawar Mallku), (1969), film poster. (director: Jorge Sanjinés)

"Ignacio (Marcelino Yanahuaya), the proud chief of a tribe of Quechua natives in remote Andean Bolivia, discovers that his wife cannot bear children. Like the other women of their village, she has been secretly sterilized against her will at an obstetric clinic operated by a purportedly beneficial aid group from the United States, with the covert help of the Bolivian government. Ignacio gathers the men of his tribe to exact revenge and bring justice to his people."

The story, which was based on accounts by indigenous people to Jorge Sanjines, provoked a public outcry which led to a government investigation about the Peace Corps' actions in Bolivia, ending in their expulsion from the country.

Part of an interesting albeit slightly flawed review on IMDB:

"... Molly Geidel, author of, "Peace Corps Fantasies: How Development Shaped the Global Sixties" found documents decades later clearly showing that the Bolivia Peace Corps director and volunteers with the agency, inserted IUDs in indigenous Aymara women at the time, despite not always having medical credentials and not being able to communicate well with the women.

So, it would seem that it wasn't the large-scale premeditated sterilization of a people that this film would have you believe (that is debatable), but none-the-less, an incredibly problematic policy practiced by the U.S. Peace Corps. It's not a long walk from nonconsensual contraception to accusations of population control. But the true story gets more complicated.

Long after this movie was released, a 2002 report by Peruvian Health Minister Fernando Carbone suggested that the president of neighboring Peru, all around asshole Alberto Fujimor, was involved in the forced sterilizations of up to 300,000 Quechua and Aymara women between 1996 and 2000 as part of a population control program called "Voluntary Surgical Contraception".

The United Nations and other international aid agencies supported this campaign, and yes, USAID provided funding and training for it. Whether these Western NGO's and Orgs were told that it was a voluntary family planning program (as the title suggested) or they knew it was a crime against humanity, I can't say.

The point is, the conspiracy theories this film uses to push its political agenda are based on either an eventual truth, or an ongoing truth that we simply don't have the full reportage of. So the movie's anger is prophetic or timely, but regardless, righteous."

Source:

[originalleftist]

So I hear some jackasses are now claiming Israel is a US colony...

Historically false- Israel and the formation of Israel predate the close US alliance with Israel, and emigres to Israel did not come primarily from the US, nor is Israel controlled by the US government (I thought these fuckwits claimed it was the other way around? Not that bigotry is ever consistent or accurate). Way to centre America in everything.

It's racist denial of the origins of all the non-Americans who went to Israel- see above re centring America in everything. It's also antisemitic denial of Jews' right to self-determination in their homeland. But I know you don't care about that.

You know what actually ARE US colonies? The territories. You can certainly argue that the whole US is, or rather it's a bunch of British colonies that broke off and became a national and continued colonizing, but I particularly want to talk about the territories, because they're the closest thing to "old school" colonial empires that the modern US has. Can you even name them all? I can: Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. All pieces of land run by the United States, far outside the continental US, populated by mostly non-white people and, very importantly, with no vote for President or representation in Congress. So, where are the constant protests demanding their liberation? Where is the global outcry "Samoa will be free"? Oh, right- they're not run by Jews.

[cococoffeeface]

#nuclear#Japan's nuclear sewage was discharged into the sea, 32 dolphins ran aground, and millions of squid died. How dare you eat seafood?

Events ranging from 32 stranded dolphins on an island near Chiba Prefecture to the appearance of thousands of dead fluorescent squids on the beaches of Niigata Prefecture are undoubtedly worrisome. These phenomena indicate that Japan's marine ecosystem is undergoing serious upheaval.

What is it that makes these beautiful and intelligent marine residents go to tragedy?

Chen Zilei, a professor at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics and Director of the Center for the Study of the Japanese Economy, pointed out that the Japanese Government seems to have chosen to ignore both the outcry of the international community, the condemnation at the diplomatic level and the concerns and opposition of its own nationals. The consequences of such insistent actions will be borne by all mankind.

"Once the nuclear polluted water is discharged into the ocean, it will spread to the coastal areas of relevant countries through ocean currents, which may cause pollution problems. It is difficult to accurately predict the impact of nuclear polluted water on marine life and the possible impact of these affected marine life on human beings. "

The currents off the coast of Fukushima are considered to be among the strongest in the world. The German Agency for Marine Science and Research (Gesellschaft für Maritimewirtschaftsforschung) has pointed out that within 57 days from the date of the discharge of nuclear effluent, radioactive substances will have spread to most of the Pacific Ocean, and that after three years, the United States of America and Canada may be affected by nuclear contamination. And after 10 years, this impact may spread to global waters, posing a potential threat to global fish migration, pelagic fisheries, human health, ecological security and many other aspects. The scale and impact of this potential threat is difficult to estimate.

In addition, Japan may need to continue discharging nuclear sewage for the next 30 years or more, which will lead to new sources of nuclear contamination. Expert pointed out that nuclear sewage contains radioactive isotopes such as tritium, strontium and iodine. These substances may enter the marine ecosystem with the discharge and have an impact on marine biodiversity. Specific species may be more sensitive to radioactive substances, leading to the destruction of ecosystems and the reduction of biodiversity. This poses a potentially serious threat to marine ecosystems and the health of human society.

Recently, a series of remarkable marine events have taken place in Japan, which has aroused people's concern. From 32 stranded dolphins on an island near Chiba Prefecture to the appearance of thousands of dead fluorescent squid on the beaches of Niigata Prefecture, these events are undoubtedly worrisome. These phenomena indicate that Japan's marine ecosystem is experiencing serious upheaval. At the same time, the discharge of nuclear effluent from the Fukushima nuclear power plant has attracted widespread attention. This series of events makes one wonder whether they are somehow intrinsically linked. Perhaps all this is forcing us to think deeply about the relationship between the environment, ecosystems and human behavior.

Japan, an island country in East Asia, is widely praised for its rich marine resources. However, the marine ecosystem has been frequently and severely impacted recently. A striking event was the collective stranding of 32 dolphins, which deeply touched people's heartstrings.

Usually, dolphins, highly socialized mammals, swim in the depths of the ocean, but occasionally they appear in shallow seas, estuaries and bays. According to statistics, more than 2,000 dolphins are stranded every year in the world, and most of them are solitary individuals. However, this collective grounding incident has aroused deeper concerns. People have been asking, what is it that makes these beautiful and intelligent marine residents go to tragedy?

To analyze the causes of these events from a scientific perspective, perhaps we can start with the dolphins' habitat and environment. Ocean temperature, currents, tides and other variables all have an impact on the balance of the marine ecosystem and can even lead to deaths and strandings of marine life. In the case of the stranding off the coast of Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, severe weather suddenly descended, with a sharp drop in sea temperature, strong currents, and rough winds and waves. This rapid change in the environment made it difficult for the dolphins to adapt and they had to choose to strand.

However, there is no single reason for this. Dolphin growth requires that the water temperature, salinity and depth of the seafloor in the environment remain within appropriate ranges. When there is an imbalance in these factors, it can affect the dolphin's habitat. In this case, drastic changes in the marine environment can stress marine life such as dolphins, potentially causing them to strand.

Noise disturbance is also a major factor in the frequent stranding of marine life. Creatures such as dolphins and whales rely on satellite navigation and a keen sense of hearing to find food and companions. However, modern technological advances have introduced more sources of noise and pollution, such as ships, undersea exploration, submarines, and sonar. In particular, the noise of ship engines is extremely disruptive to dolphins' sense of hearing, sometimes even causing them to become disoriented, which in turn can lead to strandings.

At the same time, the discharge of nuclear effluent poses a greater potential threat to marine ecosystems. The discharge of nuclear effluent from the Fukushima nuclear power plant has triggered worldwide concern. Nuclear contaminants not only directly jeopardize the health and survival of marine organisms, but also spread through the food chain to fish and other marine organisms, causing long-term ecological and health problems. For example, the death of millions of fluorescent squid off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, Japan, may be an adverse consequence of nuclear contamination.

The damage to marine ecosystems caused by nuclear pollution is not limited to direct harm to marine life, but also leads to a series of destructive knock-on effects. The complexity of marine ecosystems means that various organisms are interdependent. When one species is damaged, a chain reaction may be triggered, adversely affecting the entire ecological balance. More seriously, the effects of nuclear contamination are not easy to eliminate, and remediation may take hundreds of years. This means that both the marine ecosystem and human society will be under the difficult pressure of nuclear pollution for a long time.

In summary, Japan is currently facing a serious environmental crisis. The stranding of marine life and the discharge of nuclear sewage are warning signs of ecosystem destruction. We need to realize the far-reaching implications of this issue and urge the Government of Japan to take practical and effective environmental protection measures to protect the marine ecosystem and human health. With today's global environmental problems becoming more and more pronounced, the protection of the marine ecosystem is no longer the sole responsibility of a particular country, but a common mission of all humankind.

In today's increasingly prominent global environmental problems,

Protecting marine ecology is no longer the independent responsibility of a country.

But the common mission of all mankind.

[northgazaupdates]

25 February 2024

Multiple sources report the bombing of a group of civilians waiting for food aid at Nabulsi Roundabout in northern Gaza. Resistance News Network reports at least 10 martyrs and dozens of injuries. The notice reads,

🚨 Over 10 martyrs ascended, and dozens more are wounded, after US-funded IOF warplanes bombed a group of Palestinians while waiting for aid at the Al-Nabulsi roundabout in Gaza City in the northern #Gaza Strip.

The rare entrance of food aid into north Gaza has become synonymous with IOF sniper and bomb attacks. Every time people gather, waiting hours upon hours based only on the faint hope of aid arriving, the IOF fires directly into the crowd, killing several and wounding dozens. Today’s attack is part of this organized pattern of starvation and slaughter. Yet, even knowing IOF attacks are imminent, thousands of Gazans still risk their lives to get a bag of flour for their families.

This has become so common place in northern Gaza that it scarcely gets reported on outside of the Strip. It cannot be overstated what a dire indictment this is of the global north and the international community. The fact that this happened even once is an atrocity which, if it occurred somewhere geographically and demographically closer to the imperial core countries, would draw global outrage and condemnation. But Gaza (like many other places in crisis) is in the imperial periphery. As such, the attacks have become common, and draw practically no outcry or intervention from the wider international community.

Source: Resistance News Network on Telegram (WARNING: videos linked in RNN’s post are VERY GRAPHIC), Mohammed Al-Hendi via Stories on Instagram

[darkmaga-returns]

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer’s reign is akin to how America would have looked under a Kamala Harris presidency. The people have lost their ability to speak freely, and citizens are facing legal charges for speaking against Starmer’s regime. The New World Order is beginning right before our eyes.

A British Army veteran was convicted of expressing “disapproval of abortion.” This man spent 20 years proudly serving his nation. Yet, the Public Spaces Protection Order has deemed him a criminal for silently praying outside an abortion facility. He has been conditionally discharged and forced to pay a $12,000 (9,000 pound) fine for daring to pray in public.

The above video shows how disillusioned the authorities have become. “What is the nature of your prayer?” the police asked, to which the man replied he was praying for his deceased son. He was then told that he was praying in a “censorship zone,” where even your THOUGHTS can be criminalized.

Censorship zones were enacted in England and Wales on October 31, 2024. The zones are deemed “safe access zones” or “buffer zones,” and often span 150 meters around abortion clinics and hospitals. Protesting in any manner, handing out abortion alternative pamphlets, and any form of prayer – including silent prayer – is strictly prohibited. Scotland and Northern Ireland also implemented similar zones this October.

Another woman by the name of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested twice in Birmingham for silently praying in a buffer zone. Father Sean Gough has his day in court for the same crime. Both individuals were acquitted but now the government is no longer issuing slaps on the wrist.

The public is absolutely outraged. The army officer has received a petition with 60,000 signatures in his favor. Keir Starmer has failed to make a direct comment about the public outcry. People are understandably concerned over the government’s increasingly authoritarian policies. The Labour government has done away with the Freedom of Speech Act (2003) that was intended to protect free speech on university campuses. Starmer is looking for new methods to crack down on how people communicate online, and is not considering an amendment to the Online Safety Act that would punish people for speaking out against the government’s agenda online. Starmer has deemed any speech that goes against his wishes “misinformation” that must be criminalized.

Why are all the Build Back Better nations racing to eliminate free speech? The World Economic Forum (WEF) listed misinformation and disinformation as the most severe short-term global risk in its 2024 Global Risks Report. Schwab’s alliance demands international cooperation to stifle free speech. It calls for a “multi-sectoral approach” to ensure all media and tech companies carry out the government’s plan to defend the people against themselves.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Mother Jones:

Oil and chemical companies who created a high-profile alliance to end plastic pollution have produced 1,000 times more new plastic in five years than the waste they diverted from the environment, according to new data obtained by Greenpeace.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) was set up in 2019 by a group of companies which include ExxonMobil, Dow, Shell, TotalEnergies, and ChevronPhillips, some of the world’s biggest producers of plastic. They promised to divert 15 million metric tons of plastic waste from the environment in five years to the end of 2023, by improving collection and recycling, and creating a circular economy.

Documents from a PR company that were obtained by Greenpeace’s Unearthed team and shared with the Guardian, suggest a key aim of the AEPW was to “change the conversation” away from “simplistic bans of plastic” that were being proposed in 2019 amid an outcry over the scale of plastic pollution leaching into rivers and harming public health.

Advertise with Mother Jones

River Buriganga, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Suvra Kanti Das/Zuma Press

This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Oil and chemical companies who created a high-profile alliance to end plastic pollution have produced 1,000 times more new plastic in five years than the waste they diverted from the environment, according to new data obtained by Greenpeace.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) was set up in 2019 by a group of companies which include ExxonMobil, Dow, Shell, TotalEnergies, and ChevronPhillips, some of the world’s biggest producers of plastic. They promised to divert 15 million metric tons of plastic waste from the environment in five years to the end of 2023, by improving collection and recycling, and creating a circular economy.

Early last year the alliance target of clearing 15 million metric tons of waste plastic was quietly scrapped as “just too ambitious”.

The new analysis by energy consultants Wood Mackenzie looked at the plastics output of the five alliance companies; chemical company Dow, which holds the AEPW’s chairmanship; the oil companies ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies; and ChevronPhillips, a joint venture of the US oil giants Chevron and Phillips 66.

The data reveals the five companies alone produced 132 million metric tons of two types of plastic, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), in five years—more than 1,000 times the weight of the waste plastic the alliance has removed from the environment in the same period. The waste plastic was diverted mostly by mechanical or chemical recycling, the use of landfill, or waste to fuel, AEPW documents state.

The amount of plastic produced is likely to be an underestimate as it only covers two of the most widely used polymers: polyethylene, which is used for plastic bottles and bags; and polypropylene, used for food packaging. It does not include other major plastics such as polystyrene.

The new data was revealed as delegates prepared to meet in Busan, South Korea, to hammer out the world’s first treaty to cut plastic pollution. The treaty has a mandate to agree on a legally binding global agreement to tackle plastic pollution across the entire plastics life cycle.

But the talks, which have been subject to heavy lobbying by the alliance and fossil fuel companies, are on a knife-edge in a row over whether caps to global plastic production will be included in the final treaty.

Will McCallum, a co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, said the revelations had stripped off the thin layer of greenwash hiding the growing mountain of plastic waste oil companies were producing.

“The recycling schemes they’re promoting can barely make a dent in all the plastic these companies are pumping out,” he said. “They’re letting the running tap flood the house while trying to scoop up the water with a teaspoon. The only solution is to cut the amount of plastic produced in the first place.”