copenhagen
GRITtv: Dec. 6, 2010
Though there is little hope for a binding international agreement from the current round of climate talks held by the United Nations in Cancun this week, there is something different about the conversation. Tina Gerhardt reports that countries who are in attendance at the talks aren't talking about future consequences of global climate change, but instead talking about the crises they are suffering right now. From drought to floods, weather patterns are shifting and across the world, people are feeling the pain.Tina is reporting from the Cancun talks this week for The Nation, and she joins us to give us an update on the situation, who's there, who's not, and what, if anything, we can hope for as a result of the talks.The environmental and climate justice movement isn't just about saving polar bears from melting ice, argues writer and 350.org founder Bill McKibben. It's about rebuilding connection and community, changing the way human beings live, and working in solidarity with human rights organizations across the world to improve all of our lives. And the biggest stumbling block to the growth of a global climate justice movement? It's right under our noses: our own Congress.Bill McKibben is a recipient of this year's Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship, and he joins us in studio for a special one-on-one chat with Laura about the state of the climate justice movement, the Cancun talks, Obama's failure to act, and what we can do to change things before it's too late.
Email this pageGRITtv: Tina Gerhardt: Reporting from Cancun
Though there is little hope for a binding international agreement from the current round of climate talks held by the United Nations in Cancun this week, there is something different about the conversation. Tina Gerhardt reports that countries who are in attendance at the talks aren't talking about future consequences of global climate change, but instead talking about the crises they are suffering right now. From drought to floods, weather patterns are shifting and across the world, people are feeling the pain. Tina is reporting from the Cancun talks this week for The Nation, and she joins us to give us an update on the situation, who's there, who's not, and what, if anything, we can hope for as a result of the talks. Distributed by Tubemogul.
GRITtv: Message to World Leaders on Climate
After the Copenhagen climate talks ended with no binding agreement, youth from around the world sent this message to their leaders: "You're not done yet. And neither are we."
GRITtv: Jan. 7, 2010
No matter what the news is, the response from TV news seems to be the same: quote Dick Cheney. We saw plenty of that this week, along with pronouncements that Democrats are doomed in 2010, complaints about progressives who've criticized the health care bill, and of course Tiger Woods. Joining us to discuss the good, bad and ugly in this week's media are Marcy Wheeler, Liza Sabater, the Rude Pundit Lee Papa and Dan Gerstein; in a new documentary from Robert Opel's nephew and namesake, we take a look at "Uncle Bob"'s life, family, and tragic death; Ali Abunimah, cofounder of Electronic Intifada, and Medea Benjamin, cofounder of Code Pink: Women for Peace, took part in the march for Gaza in Egypt, and we also speak to Electronic Intifada contributor Rami Almeghari; Kate Clinton celebrates radical feminist theologian Mary Daly, who died this week at age 81.
GRITtv: Copenhagen: Vigil for Survival
In Copenhagen, while world leaders argued dollar amounts and percentage points, more than 5000 ordinary people, activists and NGO workers, decided to fast for climate justice as an example of their willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good. This video from TckTckTck shows their vigil outside the conference.
GRITtv: Dec. 21, 2009
The holiday season is usually when the biggest movies of the year come out, but there are several that have been out for a while generating lots of buzz. Is this going to be the year of the woman in cinema, or is it just hype?; MC Tamarrod is a rapper living in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon who joins us to talk about his life and offer a rhyme; Alan Grayson calls for sanity in Congress; getting pennies for standing next to priceless works of art and the F Word with Laura Flanders on the Senate passage of the health-care bill.
GRITtv: The F Word: Holiday Spirit?
It’s that familiar season, full of quaint old false beliefs … Who’s been naughty and who’s been nice? It’s pretty clear in the world of global politics, but there’s no relation between behavior and the consequences. In fact, if there's any relationship, it's downside up. Take climate change. Polluter nations wouldn't be hard for Santa to spot. They’re the big ones, with long dirty industrial histories, gobbling up everybody's ozone space. They’re not called “naughty” (just "developed") and in Copenhagen they did all they could to prevent ever having to pay any painful price … In Washington, there's something similar taking place. While bank bonuses go back up, so does poverty and unemployment. The bankers say they're not breaking any rules, they're paying the government back, and they're back to work drafting new rules that will keep their profits on track. Meanwhile, Main Street's hurting and no one's hurting worse than those who had the least in the first place … You better watch out...You better not pout... Just when is Santa coming to town? -- Laura Flanders
GRITtv: Mohammed Rezwan: Global Community
"But I thought, why can't an architect design exciting things to help the poor in their own communities? I can't tell you how happy I was the day the first boat school took the waters. It was really my dream." Mohammed Rezwan told the Washington Post about his floating schools in Bangladesh, a creative solution that looks all the more necessary as climate talks tank in Copenhagen. He stopped by the GRITtv studios to tell us about his organization, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, which brings services to the people by boat. Video edited by Nina De Puy Kamp.
GRITtv: The F Word: Union Labor is Sexy, Too
President Obama gave a speech this week touting weatherization as a "sexy" way to save money and make the world a greener place. His audience included Senators, mayors, and labor leaders, and he cracked jokes in between serious discussion of insulation, job creation, and clean energy. All well and good, right? But the backdrop for Obama's "sexy" discussion? Home Depot. Yes, THAT Home Depot, the big-box home goods store famous for its union-busting bosses. Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus once referred to the Employee Free Choice Act, the bill that would make it easier for employees to unionize, as ?the demise of civilization.? Robert Nardelli, former CEO of Home Depot, was a Pioneer fundraiser for George W. Bush. Just a few days before jetting to Copenhagen, Obama couldn't find a small business to tout while pushing his green agenda? Home Depot wasn't just his backdrop, after all--he gave them several shout-outs, saying he was "with folks who play a vital role in helping America's families build strong homes." Imagine, this is the same president who spoke out on behalf of Republic Windows and Doors employees whose occupation of the factory kept the place open. How about holidng the presser there? He could have praised their energy-efficient windows and doors -- and their union while he was about it. Obama sent a message by supporting the union workers' fight a year ago, and as recently as April, Vice-President Joe Biden made a speech with the Serious Materials factory as a backdrop. I can't help but think that Obama was also sending a message by choosing Home Depot this time. -- Laura Flanders
GRITtv: Dec. 17, 2009
Today in the news: Kate Sheppard of Mother Jones magazine reports from Copenhagen Thursday on the state of the climate talks; Rory O'Connor's documentary on the Durban II conference; Mark Danner on his new book; Mohammed Rezwan on his organization, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, the F Word and more.
