Commentary: #Fires, #Hurricanes, #ExtremeWeather: The Media Misses the #ClimateLink
#Protesting the #FossilFuelIndustry and their political allies can help fix the narrative, and turn disasters into opportunities for #ClimateAction
by Margaret Klein Salamon, January 12, 2025
"Who is to blame for the #LosAngelesFires? For the destruction of #Asheville? The devastation of #Acapulco? If you listen to the mainstream media, you would get the impression that no one is truly responsible. These are framed as tragic but random events– acts of nature without clear cause or accountability. Even if articles do mention climate change, which they tend to bury toward the end, they won’t tell you the people and companies who caused these disasters in order to enrich themselves. And if you listen to right-wingers, you will get the mistaken impression that DEI, arson, and the Democratic Party caused these disasters.
"But here’s the truth: These mega-disasters are caused by the climate emergency, which has been caused by fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry has raked in obscene #profits for decades, while knowingly bringing down apocalypse onto the rest of us.
"We have the power to change the narrative. Imagine this: As fires rage through the city, a group of climate activists non-violently occupy the California State House in Sacramento. Or LA City Hall. Or Marathon Oil’s refinery in Los Angeles County. They would demand that fossil fuel companies pay for the damage they’re causing, and face criminal prosecution for the harm that they have inflicted.
Such a protest would be covered on front pages across the globe, shifting the narrative from passive victimhood to active accountability. This is an opportunity that the climate movement has yet to fully seize.
"The climate emergency is accelerating, and so is the frequency and scale of disasters. When these disasters occur, the eyes of the country and sometimes the world focus on the crisis and its fallout. This should be a tremendous learning opportunity for the public about the dangers of the climate emergency, but the media obscures the true cause of these events. While truthful headlines would report along the lines of, “The Climate Emergency Strikes Again,” the media continues to largely report these disasters as anomalous weather events.
"Activists have a unique role to play in these moments. By connecting fossil fuels to the damage we’re seeing — floods, fires, hurricanes — they can elevate the conversation and force the public to reckon with the reality of the climate emergency. Activists can also call for proactive policies: investments in renewable energy, phasing out fossil fuels, and sustainable rebuilding efforts. The “Make Polluters Pay” demand, which New York State just passed after facing pressure from the New York climate movement, offers a compelling framework for justice in the wake of climate disasters. With millions or even billions of dollars in damage, justice demands that the culprits — fossil fuel companies who have knowingly warmed the atmosphere for decades — foot the bill.
"Disasters are opportunities to shape long-term policy change. Disasters create a unique moment when the public and politicians are more open to new ideas and transformative policy changes. Naomi Klein argued for the unique political opportunities that disasters open up in her 2007 book, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Activists can use this moment to demand not only immediate relief but also policies that challenge the fossil fuel industry’s grip on power.
"Climate Emergency Fund is dedicated to supporting the nonviolent disruptive activists who are pushing these important conversations forward, through raising money and making grants. We saw an example of how climate protest can determine the narrative around climate disaster by accident — we supported a protest of Burning Man. The protest wasn’t terribly successful until Burning Man flooded and became a mud pit. Stories about the disaster, which were quite widespread, harkened back to or were even framed around the protest. This made the coverage more climate-focused and more politically activating.
"In moments of crisis, we must demand that climate change be treated not just as an afterthought, but as the root cause of the disaster. It’s time to stop focusing exclusively on short-term relief and rebuilding the status-quo and start building towards a fossil-free, climate-resilient future.
"So when disaster strikes — as it will more and more in the coming years, first, make sure you and your loved ones are safe. Second, see if there is anyone in your immediate vicinity who needs your help. And third, join, or plan, a protest that shifts the narrative. Let’s make it clear: These are not random catastrophes — they are the consequences of the fossil-fueled climate emergency. And we can and must hold the culprits accountable."
Original article:
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/los-angeles-fires-climate-media-1235232654/
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/AGdIa
#BigOilAndGas #ClimateCrisis #ClimateCatastrophe #ExxonKnew #BigOilKnew #ChevronKnew #ClimateActivism #ClimateProtest #SmallScaleRuptures
Solidarity from Acapulco to Appalachia
- Sanya Hyland
From #Hurricane Helene to John to Milton
#solidarity #acapulco #appalachia
#art #illustration #SanyaHyland
Meanwhile, AP coverage of Hurricane John impacts in Mexico
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-acapulco-flooding-hurricane-john-aa0ed47dad2d51c54c3814f34b4a7876
#Acapulco was devastated by Hurricane Otis, Oct 2023 and now again by Hurricane John, Sep 2024.
"We're desperate. We haven't recovered from Hurricane Otis yet, and now we're in a situation that seems to be worse”—Barbara Encinas
When do they run out of money to keep fixing destroyed infrastructure? What happens then?
https://phys.org/news/2024-09-desperate-mexico-acapulco-relives-hurricane.html
The number of deads from #Hurricane #John in #Mexico has risen to at least 16
Rescue workers carried out 150 rescue operations for people and pets with boats in the area of Punta Diamante de #Acapulco in the past 24 hours.
Live virtual office hour (@ 6pm PT tonight) will now include discussion of #Helene (which will be nearing landfall in FL as Cat 4+ storm) & #John (nearly stationary on Pacific Coast of MX and causing severe #Acapulco floods) as well as upcoming CA heat. https://www.youtube.com/live/KgHg_JmUdIA?si=hplwii6oRgmNnPx6
#HuracanJohn #HurricaneJohn - Areal view of #Acapulco, #Mexico
After #Hurricane #John intensified to category 1 again, Acapulco is now battered with heavy rains for at least 3 days. Results; flooding and landslides
: @enfoqueinforma
#Huracan #HuracánJohn #Hurrikan #Hurricane #John
With another dead reported in #Acapulco, the death toll from #HurricaneJohn in #Mexico has rosen to 5.
Approximately 700 structures have been damaged or destroyed.
Martha Laura Covián / Hotel Las Brisas Acapulco
Florida! Florida! Florida!
Meanwhile #Acapulco is got bashed to bits and no gives a shit ...
Oh right, not Americans.
#Acapulco #Mexico > Former #HurricaneJohn, now #TropicalStormJohn will strengthen again to a Category 1 #Hurricane
From Edward James Olmos Endorsing Kamala Harris to Calls for More Latino Representation: Inside the Imagen Awards
#Variety #News #Acapulco #DonaldTrump #EdwardJamesOlmos #ImagenAwards #KamalaHarris #Latino #SpiderManAcrosstheSpiderVerse
Take note of the “Las Colinas Poolside Singers”. A cover duo going ALL IN on famous 80s hits with all the lyrics in Spanish.
Their outfits are superb too. Sadly, they don’t get enough air time, but really adds a nice touch to the show.
Apple TV+ has renewed bilingual comedy series "Acapulco", starring Eugenio Derbez, for a fourth season.
#Acapulco #EugenioDerbez #AppleTV #Comedy #Entertainment #Television #TV #Streaming
This week on Magic Rays of Light:
@devondundee and @sigmund share their tvOS top shelves, Beats Pill and AirPlay alternatives, excitement for #Blitz, and thoughts on #Acapulco’s third season.
• Highlight #FancyDance
• Recap #DarkMatter
and the week in @AppleTV
Listen Now: apple.co/3zwdPAL
Aus Gründen hab ich mich gefragt, wie eigentlich der Stand der Dinge in #Acapulco ist, gut ein halbes Jahr nach #Otis. Wie zu erwarten war, wurden weder von der Weltgemeinschaft noch von der örtlichen Politik Lehren draus gezogen, dass "weiter so" im Angesicht von #Klimakollaps ausgedient haben sollte... (1/2)
I thought I read when Acapulco S3 was renewed that it would be the final season.
Seems there is a possibility of more. And plenty of plot points left open at the end of S3.
Time will tell.