Swedish climate change activistGreta ThunbergneedledPresident Trumpon Wednesday asTrump departed the White House for the final time.
Calling back to an old jab Trump himself had once levied at her, Thunberg quipped that the president looked like “a very happy old man looking forward to a bright and wonderful future” as he climbed the steps of Marine One.
Thunberg’s tweetreferenced a remarkmade by the president in 2019. When referring to Thunberg’s address to the United Nations, Trump tweeted that she looked like “a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future,” apparently mocking the dire warnings the activist had delivered.
Even as the Biden administration takes the reins of power, the fact remains that authoritarianism and a fascist strain of political thinking have taken firm root on U.S. soil among a large proportion of its citizens. This utterly disturbing development will, according to Noam Chomsky in this exclusive interview for Truthout, be hard to contain. A recent poll shows that the overwhelming majority of Republicans continues to give a thumbs up to Donald Trump, even after the storming of the Capitol. In the wake of the attempted coup, and on the cusp of a new administration, what do the current political currents mean for the future?
C.J. Polychroniou: Noam, you had been warning all along of a potential coup in the event that Trump would lose the 2020 election. In this context, are you surprised at all by what took place on Capitol Hill on the Electoral College vote count?
Noam Chomsky: Surprised, yes. I’d expected a strong reaction from Trump’s voting base, raised to a fever pitch by his latest antics. But hadn’t expected the attempted coup to reach this level of violence, and I suspect most of the participants didn’t either. Many seemed to have been caught up in the excitement of the moment when the leaders of the crowd surged into the hated Capitol to drive out the demons who were not just “stealing the election” but “stealing” their country from them: their white Christian country.
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That it was an attempted coup is not in question. It was openly and proudly proclaimed as just that. It was an attempt to overturn an elected government. That’s a coup. True, what was attempted was not the kind of coup regularly backed by Washington in its dependencies, a military takeover with ample bloodshed, torture, “disappearance.” But, nevertheless, it was an attempted coup. True, the perpetrators regarded themselves as defending the legitimate government, but that’s the norm, even for the most vicious and murderous coups, like the U.S.-backed coup in Chile on the first 9/11 — which was actually much worse in virtually every dimension than the second one, the one that we remember and commemorate. The first one is best forgotten on the principle of “wrong agents”: Us, not some radical Islamic fundamentalists.
The emotions of those attempting the [Capitol] coup were apparent. Belief that the election was stolen was plainly held with real fervor. And it is understandable among people who live in passionately pro-Trump areas where he is revered as their savior, and for some, even chosen by God, as he once declared. Many may scarcely have seen a Biden sign, or heard anything from Fox News or Rush Limbaugh to suggest some possible flaw in their beliefs.
In some respects, these beliefs are not as bizarre as they may look at first. A shift of tens of thousands of votes in a few counties might have swung the election the other way in a deeply undemocratic system such as ours, where 7 million votes can be swept aside along with an unknown number of others eliminated by purging, gerrymandering, and the many other devices that have been devised to steal the election from the “wrong people,” effectively authorized by the Supreme Court in its shameful 2013 decision nullifying the Voting Rights Act (Shelby County v. Holder).
As we’ve discussed before, the malevolent figure in charge deserves credit for his talent in tapping the poisonous streams that run not far below the surface of American society, with sources that are deep in U.S. history and culture.
I have to say that I was also surprised by the quick reaction of those who own the country and have a large share of responsibility for the malaise that broke forth on January 6. In no small part, it is a consequence of the neoliberal assault since Reagan, amplified by his successors, that has devastated the rural areas that are the homes of many who stormed the Capitol. Those who hold the levers of the private power that dominates the society and political system never liked Trump’s behavior, which harmed the image they project as humanists dedicated to the common good. But they were willing to tolerate the vulgar performance as long as Trump and his accomplices delivered the goods, lining their pockets by robbing the public.
And that they did. The “transfer of wealth” from the lower 90 percent to the ultra-rich since Reagan opened the doors for highway robbery reaches almost $50 trillion, according to a recent Rand corporation study. No one can place numbers on the vastly greater cost of environmental destruction that was a high priority of the Trump-McConnell years of service to the very rich and corporate sector.
But January 6 was apparently too much, and the marching orders were delivered swiftly by the Big Guns.
One has to have some sympathy for the legislators caught between powerful contending forces. On the one hand, they see the angry hordes whipped to a frenzy by Trump’s performances, and still in his pocket, poised to wreak vengeance on those who betray their leader. And on the other hand, looking down on them from above, are the captains of finance and industry who fund their elections and dangle before them many other privileges to keep them in line. (How many members of Congress leave office to become truck drivers or secretaries?)
The dilemma is particularly harsh for senators, who are more reliant on the large donors. And their defection from the ranks of obsequious Trump loyalists has been somewhat greater.
Apparently, D.C. Council members had been briefed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia that Donald Trump might invoke the Insurrection Act to seize control of the city police, but did not expect an attack on the Capitol itself. In your own view, what explains the enormous security failures that led to the Capitol siege, and do the events of January 6, 2021, qualify as a putsch?
An attempted putsch, though the connotations of the term putsch may be too strong. The events reminded many, including historians of fascism, of Hitler’s failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, which actually did not so easily penetrate the centers of power as the attempted coup of January 6.
The reasons for the security failures are being debated. I have no special insight. Black members of the Capitol police, who showed great courage along with many of their white colleagues, have charged for years that the force has been infiltrated with white supremacists. There may have been some collusion, and possibly serious corruption higher up the chain of command.
If Trump incited an insurrection against elected officials of the U.S. government, is it enough that he has been impeached again? Shouldn’t he be facing sedition charges since inciting an insurrection against the government is a criminal act under Title 18 of the U.S. Code?
I presume the Joint Chiefs of Staff chose their words carefully in their message on the “violent riot” on January 6, “a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process,” an act of “violence, sedition and insurrection.” They surely considered the fact that incitement to sedition and insurrection carries a heavy prison sentence. I presume that they also weighed the evidence that such incitement took place from the Oval Office.
Many questions arise about how to pursue such barely concealed charges, but we should be careful to avoid the Watergate trap. The Nixon impeachment procedures were initiated by [Massachusetts] Rep. Robert Drinan, S.J., charging him with the bombing of Cambodia, a truly monstrous crime, of Nuremberg Trial caliber. That charge was struck down by Congress. The prime charge against Nixon was that he organized thugs to invade one of two seats of political power in the country, the Democratic Party headquarters. This attack on the foundations of the Republic was overcome in a “stunning vindication of our constitutional system” (famed liberal historian Henry Steele Commager).
In short, the powerful can rise to their own defense. The victims of truly monstrous crimes can look elsewhere for recourse. Maybe history, with luck.
Incitement of an attempted coup is no laughing matter, but it scarcely weighs in the balance against a dedicated effort to destroy the environment that sustains life on Earth or demolition of the arms control regime that mitigates the threat of nuclear war.
Do you believe that Trump is finished as a political figure? Or, to put the question slightly differently, was the Washington putsch of January 6, 2021, the beginning of the end of the rise of Trumpism?
Far from it. Whether Trump will survive the error of judgment that turned major power centers against him is unclear. He may well do so. The voting base of the Party seems to remain loyal, maybe with even greater fervor after this attack on their hero by the “deep state.” Local officials too. He was cheered on his visit to the Republican National Committee the day after the Capitol riot. He has other resources.
Whatever the fate of the individual, Trumpism will not be so easily contained. Its roots are deep. The anger and resentment raised to a frenzy by this talented con man is not limited to the U.S. The $50 trillion robbery is only the icing on the cake of the neoliberal disaster, which itself is built on foundations of deep injustice and repression. We are not out of the woods, by far.
MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) — A federal judge in Oklahoma has ordered the new owners of an Oklahoma zoo featured in Netflix’s “Tiger King” documentary to turn over all the lion and tiger cubs in their possession, along with the animals’ mothers, to the federal government.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III issued the order last week in the case against Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe and the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park based on claimed violations of the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act.
“The Lowes have showed a shocking disregard for both the health and welfare of their animals, as well as the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jonathan D. Brightbill of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
Jeffrey Lowe’s attorney, Daniel Card of Oklahoma City, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The Lowes took over operations of the zoo, which was previously run by Joseph Maldonado-Passage — also known as Joe Exotic — and featured in Netflix’s “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”
Maldonado-Passage is serving a 22-year sentence in a Fort Worth, Texas, federal prison for his conviction on charges that he participated in a murder-for-hire plot and violated federal wildlife laws. Maldonado-Passage has formally requested a pardon from outgoing President Donald Trump.
By Sophie Yeo19th January 2021The world’s largest animals are unusually good at taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.S
Seeing a whale stranded on a beach often provokes a strong reaction. It can make people curious – beached whales can do strange things, like explode. It can also be upsetting to witness a creature so magnificent in water reduced to lifeless blubber on land. What rarely registers, however, is the lost opportunity for carbon sequestration.
Whales, particularly baleen and sperm whales, are among the largest creatures on Earth. Their bodies are enormous stores of carbon, and their presence in the ocean shapes the ecosystems around them.
From the depths of the ocean, these creatures are also helping to determine the temperature of the planet – and it’s something that we’ve only recently started to appreciate.
“On land, humans directly influence the carbon stored in terrestrial ecosystems through logging and the burning of forests and grasslands,” according to a 2010 scientific paper. “In the open ocean, the carbon cycle is assumed to be free of direct human influences.”
But that assumption neglects the surprising impact of whaling.
Whales are not only valuable in death. The tides of excrement that these mammals produce are also surprisingly relevant to the climate
Humans have killed whales for centuries, their bodies providing us with everything from meat to oil to whalebone. The earliest record of commercial whaling was in 1000 CE. Since then, tens of millions of whales have been killed, and experts believe that populations may have declined from anywhere between 66% and 90%.
The bodies of whales, among the largest creatures on Earth, are huge stores of carbon (Credit: Alamy)
When whales die, they sink to the ocean floor – and all the carbon that is stored in their enormous bodies is transferred from surface waters to the deep sea, where it remains for centuries or more.
In the 2010 study, scientists found that before industrial whaling, populations of whales (excluding sperm whales) would have sunk between 190,000 to 1.9 million tonnes of carbon per year to the bottom of the ocean – that’s the equivalent of taking between 40,000 and 410,000 cars off the road each year. But when the carcass is prevented from sinking to the seabed – instead, the whale is killed and processed – that carbon is released into the atmosphere.
Andrew Pershing, a marine scientist at the University of Maine and an author of that study, estimates that over the course of the 20th Century whaling added about 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. “This is a lot, but 15 million cars do this in a single year. The US currently has 236 million cars,” he says.
But whales are not only valuable in death. The tides of excrement that these mammals produce are also surprisingly relevant to the climate.
Whales feed in the deep ocean, then return to the surface to breathe and poo. Their iron-rich faeces creates the perfect growing conditions for phytoplankton. These creatures may be microscopic, but, taken together, phytoplankton have an enormous influence on the planet’s atmosphere, capturing an estimated 40% of all CO2 produced – four times the amount captured by the Amazon rainforest.
“We need to think of whaling as being a tragedy that has removed a huge organic carbon pump from the ocean that would have been having a much larger multiplying effect on phytoplankton productivity and the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon,” says Vicki James, policy manager at Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).
Whale poo is a powerful fertiliser for the ocean’s phytoplankton, which have a large potential to capture carbon (Credit: Alamy)
The ocean’s missing whales have had some unexpected impacts, too.
For instance, as whale populations declined, the orcas that predated them turned to smaller marine mammals like sea otters. The otters subsequently declined, leading to the spread of sea urchins, which munched away the kelp forests around the North Atlantic – with a knock-on effect on marine carbon sequestration.
The beauty of restoring whale populations is that there is plenty of space in the ocean – space once filled with whales
What this means is that restoring whale populations to their pre-whaling numbers could be an important tool in tackling climate change, sequestering carbon both directly and indirectly, and thus helping to make a small dent in the enormous volume of CO2 emitted by fossil fuels every year.
There have been various other proposals for how to achieve this reduction, including tree-planting and stimulating phytoplankton blooms by adding iron to the ocean, a form of geoengineering known as iron fertilisation. But tree-planting requires a scarce resource: terrestrial land, which may already be in use as another valuable habitat or farmland. The beauty of restoring whale populations is that there is plenty of space in the ocean – space once filled with whales.
The resulting plumes of whale poo would also vastly outstrip the potential of ocean iron fertilisation. It would take 200 successful blooms per year to match the potential of a fully restored whale population, according to Pershing’s study.
Marine phytoplankton capture carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, acting as a carbon sink (Credit: Alamy)
And, unlike with risky geoengineering techniques, the benefits would not just accrue to the climate, but to the whole ecosystem.
“Whale carcasses provide a unique habitat for deep sea species, many of which are only found on these ‘whale falls’. Research has shown that a single skeleton can provide food and habitat for up to 200 species during the final stages of decay,” says WDC’s James.
This study found that, when you add up the value of the carbon sequestered by a whale during its lifetime, alongside other benefits like better fisheries and ecotourism, the average great whale is worth more than $2m (£1.48m), with the entire global stock amounting to over $1tn (£740bn).
The economists behind this study are now working on a project to transform this price tag from theory into reality, through a mechanism known as carbon offsetting. The idea is to persuade carbon emitters to pay a certain amount of money to protect whale populations, rather than invest in reducing their own emissions, helping them to achieve a neutral carbon footprint.
“What you’re doing is valuing the service from the whales, because they’re sequestering carbon dioxide,” says Thomas Cosimano, one of the economists who co-authored the IMF paper. “It doesn’t mean that whales aren’t doing other things. This is just a benchmark we can use to establish a lower bound on what the value of the whale would be.”
With the carbon-capturing potential of whales quantified, economists are devising an offsetting scheme centred on whales (Credit: Alamy)
It’s a complicated scheme, but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility: the team has been working on a similar carbon-market-based approach for protecting elephants from poachers in the central tropical forests of Africa, which is expected to be in place by the end of the year.
Already, a Chilean charity called the Fundación MERI is figuring out the foundations for a whale-based carbon market, installing early-warning acoustic buoys that will monitor the locations of whales and generate alternative routes for ships. It is believed to be the world’s first project to protect whales because of the carbon storage that they provide.
The IMF study concludes that whale protection must now become a top priority in the global effort to tackle climate change.
“Since the role of whales is irreplaceable in mitigating and building resilience to climate change, their survival should be integrated into the objectives of the 190 countries that in 2015 signed the Paris Agreement for combating climate risk,” the authors write.
Later this year, the UN climate conference will take place in Scotland, a country whose coasts regularly host species like minke and humpback whales. With a carbon market for whales now a real possibility, perhaps it’s time to put these creatures on the agenda.
The new owners of an Oklahoma zoo featured in the hit Netflix documentary Tiger King have been ordered to surrender all tiger cubs and their mothers to the federal government.
The case was filed against Jeff and Lauren Lowe, owners of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park.
They are accused of violating the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act.
Mr Lowe is the former business partner of Joe Exotic, star of the hit show.
Exotic, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently serving a 22-year sentence for his involvement in a contract killing plot and animal abuse.
“The Lowes have showed a shocking disregard for both the health and welfare of their animals, as well as the law,” said the acting assistant attorney general Jonathan D Brightbill of the Justice Department’s environment and natural resources division.
Both Jeff and Lauren Lowe appeared in Tiger King.
The court found that the pair’s “failure to provide safe conditions, proper nutrition, and timely veterinary care resulted in harm to a number of animals, including the death of two tiger cubs less than a week apart”.
The court rejected claims by the Lowes that they were not “exhibitors” under the Animal Welfare Act as the zoo was still under construction.
Joe Exotic has formally requested a pardon from US President Donald Trump, who is expected to pardon dozens of people in his final hours in office.
Mounting evidence suggests that replacing animal proteins with plant-based proteins can benefit your health in numerous ways.
Afraid of eating chicken due to bird flu? Try these five vegetarian foods high in protein for a balanced diet | Photo Credit: iStock Images
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Vegetables and fruits are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet
Research has shown that replacing animal-based foods with plant-based foods lowers the risk of many diseases
Here are some of the best vegetarian foods loaded with protein, fibre and other essential nutrients you can add to your diet for a healthier, fitter you
New Delhi: We all know the fact that protein is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Research has proven that a high-protein diet can increase muscle mass and strength, boost metabolism and aid weight loss. But who says one needs to eat poultry, beef, or fish to create a delicious and fulfilling meal? Mounting evidence suggests that replacing animal proteins with plant-based proteins can benefit your health in numerous ways, including lowering the risk of death from cancer and heart disease.
So, whether you’re trying to avoid consumption of chicken and eggs due to bird flu scare or simply want to improve your diet, swapping meats in dishes for those nutrient-dense, fresh veggies could be one of the simplest and healthiest ways to improve health and well-being. And here’s a list of vegetarian foods that are packed full of protein.
Vegetarian foods high in protein
Lentils: Lentils, like beans, are chock full of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. One-half cup of cooked lentils contains about 1 grams of protein, which is more than the amount in a hamburger. Lentils make for an excellent replacement for meat in your diet. They are also an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
Black beans: A diet rich in plant-based foods such as beans has been linked to a reduced risk of several serious medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It can also help your body process calories more effectively. High in protein, fibre, antioxidants and other essential nutrients, black beans are another healthy vegetable swap for meat in your diet. What’s more, they are low in fat and have no cholesterol. One serving of cooked black beans (1/2 cup) can give you about 8 grams of protein.
Chickpeas: Chickpeas are another legume packed full of nutrients. Apart from protein, they are high in fibre and several vitamins and minerals with a moderate amount of calories. Their health benefits range from aiding weight management to supporting blood sugar control and protecting against certain cancers. One cup of cooked chickpeas contains about 15 grams of protein.
Soya beans: A complete protein, comparable in quality with animal proteins, soya beans or soybeans are high in dietary fibre and other essential nutrients like iron. They are low in fat and free of cholesterol. In fact, soy is one of the few known plant foods that have all the essential amino acids – like those found in meats. One cup of soyabeans contains about 31 grams of protein.
Tofu and tempeh: Both originate from soybeans, tofu and tempeh are a complete source of protein. They also contain high amounts of several other nutrients and antioxidants that can improve health in a number of ways. They can be used in a variety of recipes such as burgers, soups, etc. Both tofu can tempeh come with about 10-19 grams of protein per 100 grams.
The bottom line is, all vegetables come with healthful vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help prevent or reduce your risk of disease and promote overall health. Try to add a range of veggies daily to your diet to reap as many health benefits as possible.
Shawn Massey, 38, of Gibbsboro, was charged with murder in the slaying ofJoseph Bottinoand was at-large, Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Pine Hill Police Chief Christopher Winters said in a statement.
CHRIS Packham has raged that the Royal Family need to ‘grow up’ for supporting trophy hunting in a new nature documentary.
The 59-year-old presenter- who will be back on our screens hosting Winterwatch this week – is an avid animal rights campaigner.
Chris Packham has called for the Royal Family to ‘grow up’ and stop supporting trophy huntingCredit: ITV
Chris is reigniting his campaign to ban the importing of hunting trophies in the UK, and has called on the Royals to get behind it.
This is despite the fact that in 2016, Prince William admitted he was in favour of trophy hunting under the right circumstances, explaining: “there is a place for commercial hunting in Africa as there is around the world”.
When asked about the Royal Family and their position on the matter, Chris said:…
Updated 11:00 AM ET, Tue January 19, 2021This Psittacosaurus fossil, in the collection of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Frankfurt, Germany, preserves the only known dinosaur cloacal vent.
(CNN)We know a lot about dinosaurs — what they looked like,what they ate and what killed them off — but no fossils have definitively preserved two dinosaurs in the act of mating.However, a fossil from China of a Psittacosaurus is so well preserved that the opening the Labrador-size dinosaur used to pee, poop and reproduce is visible, allowing paleontologists to study it for the first time.While it doesn’t offer any concrete answers on how dinosaurs may have procreated, it does give some hints.”We don’t have any dinosaur fossils where you can be confident they’ve been caught in the act,” said Jakob Vinther, a paleontologist and senior lecturer at the University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences.What we know is “based on natural history where we compare it to living groups of animals.”While most mammals have separate holes for bodily functions, many other animals — including birds and reptiles — have just one and it’s known as the cloaca.close dialog
Receive Fareed Zakaria’s Global Analysisincluding insights and must-reads of world newsActivate Fareed’s BriefingBy subscribing you agree to ourprivacy policy.The fossilized cloaca confirms that dinosaurs had one but it doesn’t look like that of any other living animals.A reconstruction of Psittacosaurus illustrating how the cloacal vent may have been used for signaling during courtship.”It is very unique. Most cloacas form a kind of slit. Sometimes it’s a vertical split, sometimes it’s a smiley face, sometimes it’s a sour face. This thing has a V-shaped structure with a pair of nice flaring lips and there’s not a living groups of animals that have morphology like that,” Vinther said. “It is somewhat similar to crocodiles but still unique.”The study, which published in the journal Current Biology on Tuesday, said that large, pigmented lobes on either side of the opening could have harbored musky scent glands, as seen in living crocodiles and alligators.What’s more, the outer margins of the cloaca are highly pigmented with melanin. While they don’t know for sure what color it was, it likely would have contrasted with the dinosaur’s pale underbelly, Vinther said.
Inside a dinosaur egg, this baby wasn’t what researchers expectedThis distinctive pigmentation could mean the vent was used to display and signal, similar to living baboons andsome breeding salamanders.The fossil is displayed at the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Frankfurt, Germany, but was found in a fossil-rich area of Liaoning in northern China.Vinther had worked on the fossil before in 2016, reconstructing the dinosaur’s color patterns, and it was only at the end of that study that he realized that the cloaca was really well preserved, he said.In animals with cloacal vents, the genitals are tucked inside the body and haven’t been preserved so it’s not known whether this particular dinosaur was male or female.Most birds, the only living relative of dinosaurs, mate by “cloacal kissing” — by pressing together their openings. Some paleontologists think dinosaurs may have mated like this.Vinther, however, believes that this dinosaur would have had a penis — the fossilized opening is more similar to a crocodile’s, which do, and there are some birds, like ostriches and ducks, which also have penises.”From what we can see, this cloaca would not have been suitable for cloacal kissing,” Vinther said. “It looks like it would have been penetrative sex.”
Afraid of eating chicken due to bird flu? Try these five vegetarian foods high in protein for a balanced diet | Photo Credit: iStock Images
This Psittacosaurus fossil, in the collection of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Frankfurt, Germany, preserves the only known dinosaur cloacal vent.
A reconstruction of Psittacosaurus illustrating how the cloacal vent may have been used for signaling during courtship.”It is very unique. Most cloacas form a kind of slit. Sometimes it’s a vertical split, sometimes it’s a smiley face, sometimes it’s a sour face. This thing has a V-shaped structure with a pair of nice flaring lips and there’s not a living groups of animals that have morphology like that,” Vinther said. “It is somewhat similar to crocodiles but still unique.”The study, which published in the journal Current Biology on Tuesday, said that large, pigmented lobes on either side of the opening could have harbored musky scent glands, as seen in living crocodiles and alligators.What’s more, the outer margins of the cloaca are highly pigmented with melanin. While they don’t know for sure what color it was, it likely would have contrasted with the dinosaur’s pale underbelly, Vinther said.
