News Roundup
‘(Reuters) – An increase in heat waves is almost certain, while heavier rainfall, more floods, stronger cyclones, landslides and more intense droughts are likely across the globe this century as the Earth’s climate warms, U.N. scientists said on Friday.’
via Extreme weather to worsen with climate change: IPCC | Reuters.
‘WASHINGTON AP — Top international climate scientists and disaster experts meeting in Africa had a sharp message Friday for the world’s political leaders: Get ready for more dangerous and “unprecedented extreme weather” caused by global warming.’
via Science panel: Get ready for extreme weather – Yahoo! News.
Nov 15, Berkeley, California
Professor Robert Reich spoke to approximately 5000 people in Sproul Plaza at the University of California Berkeley culminating a General Strike & Day of Action. The general assembly of ‘Occupy Cal’ voted earlier that evening to resume the tent occupation that had been torn down by the university police Wednesday night last week amidst videos of police brutality against students who had locked arms to defend the initial occupation. This video includes real time views of the plaza packed with demonstrators.
Partial excerpt:
“Fortyseven years ago as you know we were graced with the elequence and the power of Mario Savio’s words from these steps. And they were words that echoed and richocheted across America, Words about the importance and centrality of freedom of speech and assembly and freedom of expression and social justice. And those words continue to live on. In fact, the sentiments and words that Mario Savio expressed fortyseven years ago, are as relevant if not more relevant today than they were then. Because today unlike then we have a few Supreme Court decisions, such as ‘Citizens United’ against the Federal Election Commission.” [crowd boos]
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| The general assembly’s vote and decision to occupy is announced and a tent is carried up the Mario Savio steps while the crowd awaits Robert Reich |
Excerpt Continued:
“Did you just boo the Supreme Court of the United States? There are a few Supreme Court decisions that have said that essentially that money is speech and corporations are people. Now when you think that money is speech and corporations are people then it becomes extraordinarily important to protect the first amendment rights of ordinary Americans of regular citizens of students of everybody else who doesn’t have the money and who is not a corporation.”
See also:
Video: UC Berkeley Nov. 15 Day of Action – March through Berkeley
Voices from Occupy Cal at the University of California, Berkeley
Video: Vice Chancellor LeGrande To Occupy UC Berkeley: We’re fighting for the same cause, but no encampment will be allowed
Video: Occupy Oakland’s General Strike
KQED Reich video
CalTV Reich video
Report by James George
Nov 15, Berkeley, California
Students, faculty and staff at the University of California staged a Nov 15 General Strike and Day of Action against tuition fee hikes and recent policy brutality against student activists. After a large noon rally, thousands marched through the city of Berkeley.
Upon returning from the march to Sproul Plaza on the University of California Berkeley campus, the demonstrators were joined by a large contingent – and a tent – from the recently dismantled encampment of Occupy Oakland in Oscar Grant Plaza (Frank Ogawa Plaza).
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| The marchers return to Sproul Plaza after a march through Berkeley |
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| Sproul Plaza filled with demonstrators |
See also:
Video: Robert Reich at UC Berkeley’s General Strike & Day of Action
Voices from Occupy Cal at the University of California, Berkeley
Video: Vice Chancellor LeGrande To Occupy UC Berkeley: We’re fighting for the same cause, but no encampment will be allowed
Video: Occupy Oakland’s General Strike
Report by James George
‘(Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed on Sunday to keep pressure on the United States to approve the $7 billion Keystone pipeline project to ship crude oil from Alberta to Texas.’
via Canada will not give up on U.S. to approve Keystone | Reuters.
‘No wild black rhinos remain in West Africa, according to the latest global assessment of threatened species.’
November 9, Berkeley, California
Students at the University of California Berkeley began an occupation of Upper Sproul Plaza on November 9th, 2011. Here are some voices from the assembly that evening. Later that night University police came in riot gear and violently pressed the protestors with batons and arrested several students and one professor from among those who had locked arms to defend the encampment. A CALmessage sent by Chancellor Birgeneau and other administrators defended the police action, described locking arms as ‘not non-violent’: “It is unfortunate that some protesters chose to obstruct the police by linking arms and forming a human chain to prevent the police from gaining access to the tents. This is not non-violent civil disobedience.”
The occupation general assembly has called for a campus strike on November 15.
Here is raw video of the police action later that night:
See also:
Video: Robert Reich at UC Berkeley’s General Strike & Day of Action
Video: UC Berkeley Nov. 15 Day of Action – March through Berkeley
Video: Vice Chancellor LeGrande To Occupy UC Berkeley: We’re fighting for the same cause, but no encampment will be allowed
Video: Occupy Oakland’s General Strike
Report by James George
Nov 9, 2011
University of California Berkeley Students began an occupation in Upper Sproul Plaza today. This video shows Vice Chancellor Harry LeGrande addressing the assembly.
Partial Excerpt of Vice Chancellor Harry LeGrande’s Statement:
“I think we’re all fighting for the same causes.” [not shown in this video. See this video]
“We appreciate your concerns about the economy and inequality in our country. We understand you seek places to discuss and strategize about the issues. You may gather 24/7 over the next week on Upper Sproul [Plaza]. Our policy though: no encampments which means, no tents, no sleeping bags, no fires for cooking, no sleeping. Amplified sound is allowable from noon to one p.m. From five to seven p.m. Other hours may be arranged by exception. ”
“If there are encampments they will be removed. We hope that you will work with one another and us to maintain these guidelines. If infamous weather arrives. We will allow tarps to be placed in protection.”
“In the event that we have to, we will give you a ten minute warning before the police come in, so that if any student does not want to be arrested if that is what is going to occur, they will have time to remove themselves.”
Report by James George
‘(Reuters) – Deaths and health problems from floods, drought and other U.S. disasters related to climate change cost an estimated $14 billion over the last decade, researchers said on Monday.’
via Health cost of 6 U.S. climate disasters: $14 billion | Reuters.
‘The Obama administration is considering a move that could delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline by requiring sponsors to reduce the project’s environmental risks before it can be approved, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations.’
via Keystone pipeline decision could be delayed until after election – latimes.com.