In EPA news, yesterday’s ruling against the use of pesticide, endosulfan, in the US has sparked reviews of its use in other countries. Endosulfan is a persistent pollutant which harms wildlife as far away as the poles. Today, the Senate is discussing cutting the EPA’s power to use the Clean Air Act when regulating carbon emissions. This act is supported by four democrats and one senator from West Virginia, but the White House claims that it would be vetoed if it passed.
Tomorrow, people from villages around the Indian region of Goa, along with activists and organizations, will protest the State’s refusal to live up to its promises of environmental justice and human rights by forming a “Chain in the Rain” protest.
As we live through what may be the hottest year ever recorded, a new poll shows that fewer people believe in global warming than did 4 years ago. This Stanford survey shows that 74% of US Americans believe in global warming, versus 85% in 2006.
Violence is escalating in Oaxaca, as armed paramilitaries shoot at local people from a blockade, complete with large boulders likely moved by heavy machinery. This blockade is part of the Mexican government’s plans to remove subsistence farming from rich lands that could be used for industries like wind farms and biofuels.