How Three Women Turned into Environmental Defenders in India
Mildred, Meena, and Rose Xaxa: These women fight for their own communities’ land, forests and water. In the process, they clash against the might of the state and often risk their lives.
UN Report Details Rampant US Human Rights Violations at Home and Abroad
In its blistering November 3 report, the UN Human Rights Committee documented how little the U.S. has done to challenge the systemic, wide-ranging racism that continues to infuse every aspect of its society.
Demystifying Artificial Intelligence – Part I
A 3-part series explains the main features of the rapid growth of AI today, current research and issues in regulation. Part-I discusses the core idea of AI, the growth of ‘generative’ AI and, crucially, explores if it will serve humankind or develop an autonomy that can make it do dangerous things.
Journalist Unions Present 14-Point Charter to Revive Journalism; Assault on NewsClick Lowest Point for Media Freedom
Unions also call for law to protect journalists from arbitrary arrests and malicious prosecution, emphasising that journalists should not be treated as terrorists. Also: ‘Assault on NewsClick Marks the Lowest Point for Media Freedom in India Since Emergency’.
Farce at COP28 – 2 Articles
‘COP28: Where Fossil Fuel Industries Go to Gloat’. Also: ‘Climate Summit at the Petroleum Kingdom’.
Pronab Sen Explains Why Data on Which GDP Is Calculated Is a Major Concern
India’s former chief statistician says that the data on which India’s GDP is calculated is “a major concern”, and if not corrected soon, India’s GDP growth figures could become “unreliable”. He says that the Q1 GDP growth figure of 7.8% is an overestimation, and that 6.5% is more accurate.
The Silkyara Tunnel Collapse Reminds Us Exactly How Contentious the Char Dham Project Is
Despite the successful rescue operation of 41 miners trapped in the Silkyara tunnel collapse, it is essential to understand the problems with the larger Char Dham project, to prevent similar disasters in the future.
COP28: The Mirage That Capitalism Can Solve its Destruction
The COP28 summit taking place in Dubai from 30 Nov to 12 Dec is a colossal illusion. The delusionary effect is that the capitalist system is capable of reforming itself sufficiently to prevent global climate catastrophe, even as all the evidence points to the opposite conclusion.
COP28: Another Failure of the UN Climate Negotiations; Top 1% Emit Over 1,000 Times More CO2 Than Bottom 1%
‘Despicable Derailment of UN Climate Negotiations’: There is nothing to suggest that COP28 will manifest anything other than another failure of the UN climate negotiations. Also: “The world’s top 1% of emitters over 1,000 times more CO2 than the bottom 1%.” – this is not from Oxfam, but the International Energy Agency.
Panama’s Massive Environmental Awakening
Beyond the traditional anti-mining movement, the protests have been effective in swaying or crystalizing public opinion against mining, even among some pro-extractive sectors. Indeed, the mobilizations may be labeled paradigm-changing.