Desdemona Despair

Blogging the End of the World™

Trump “not invited” to Paris climate summit

7 November 2017 (AFP) – U.S. President Donald Trump is not among the 100 heads of state and government invited to next month’s climate summit in Paris, a French presidential aide said on Tuesday. “For now, President Donald Trump is not invited,” he said, while noting that representatives of the U.S. government would attend. In […]

The magnitude of America’s opioid epidemic, in six charts – “The situation is dire and getting worse”

By Andrew Kolodny 6 November 2017 (Quartz) – Drug overdose deaths, once rare, are now the leading cause of accidental death in the US, surpassing peak annual deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents, guns, and HIV infection.As a former public health official, clinician, and researcher, I’ve been engaged in efforts to control the opioid addiction […]

U.S. winter more than one month shorter than a century ago – 2016 was “way off the charts” nationwide

By Seth Borenstein 27 October 2017 WASHINGTON (AP) – Winter is coming … later. And it’s leaving ever earlier. Across the United States, the year’s first freeze has been arriving further and further into the calendar, according to more than a century of measurements from weather stations nationwide. Scientists say it is yet another sign […]

As Syria embraces Paris climate deal, it’s the United States against the world – “Trump has isolated the U.S. on the world stage in an embarrassing and dangerous position”

By Brady Dennis 7 November 2017 (The Washington Post) – President Trump has put America at odds with the rest of the world when it comes to the goal of combating climate change.At an international climate conference in Bonn on Tuesday, Syria announced its plans to join the Paris climate accord — an agreement forged […]

Australia turns down New Zealand offer to take asylum seekers from Manus Island camp – PM Turnbull urges refugees to leave – PNG Supreme Court rejects bid to restore electricity, food, medical care, and water supplies

SYDNEY,  6 November 2017 (Reuters) – Australia turned down on Sunday an offer to take 150 asylum seekers being held in an Australian-run detention centre in Papua New Guinea, where UN officials have warned a humanitarian emergency is unfolding. About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus Island in Papua New […]

Death toll in Vietnam from Typhoon Damrey rises to 69

7 November 2017 (VOA News) – Vietnamese officials say the death toll from a powerful typhoon that struck the country’s south-central coast last week has risen to 69. The Disaster Management Authority says another 30 people are still missing in the aftermath of Typhoon Damrey, which caused extensive damage throughout Khanh Hoa province. More than […]

Giant mass of plastic waste taking over the Caribbean – “One of the most devastating and disgusting things that you could imagine to see in the water”

6 November 2017 (BBC News) – A huge mass of plastic bottles, cutlery and polystyrene plates has been found floating in the Caribbean. The “sea of plastic” stretches for miles. Underwater photographer Caroline Power was there to witness it first-hand. Photos don’t exactly do it justice. It was one of the most devastating and disgusting […]

Endangered vaquita porpoise dies in captivity – Fewer than 30 vaquitas remain

By Mark Stevenson 5 November 2017 MEXICO CITY (AP) – Researchers were thrilled to have captured one of the few remaining vaquita porpoises, but announced Sunday that the adult female died after a few hours in captivity in a floating pen, raising questions about the last-ditch effort to enclose the world’s smallest porpoises to save […]

The Paradise Papers: Trump-Russia links and offshore piggy banks of the 1 percent exposed

5 November 2017 (ICIJ) – The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists today releases The Paradise Papers, a global investigation that reveals the offshore activities of some of the world’s most powerful people and companies.ICIJ and 95 media partners explored 13.4 million leaked files from a combination of leaked files of offshore law firms and the […]

The India-Bangladesh wall: Lessons for Trump – Border fences are not particularly effective, but they are enormously expensive

By Sudha Ramachandran 15 February 2017 (The Diplomat) – United States President Donald Trump’s plans to build a “great, great wall” along the United States’ 3,200 kilometer long border with Mexico to keep out what he calls “criminals, drug dealers, [and] rapists” is hardly a new idea. Several other countries, many motivated by Islamophobia, have […]

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