A small group of people can make a lot of money when they find a poor rural community, take advantage those people and turn their farming land into a dumping ground. Politicians are poisoning and selling out the people to corporations so they can have somewhere cheap and far away to dump their toxic waste.

The extreme poverty of Alabama makes it a perfect location for unscrupulous dumping, with toxic waste from across the country brought in to the state and dumped for as little as $1 a ton. Alabama has a total of 173 operational landfills, more than three times as many as New York, a state with a population four times larger than Alabama. California has just a handful more landfills than Alabama even though the state is three times larger than Alabama and has eight times the population.

Alabama has a stark racial disparity in terms of exposure to pollution. A landfill near Emelle in Sumter county, a community that is about 75% black and 90% closest to the landfill, at one point accepted 40% of all of the hazardous waste disposed of in the US. The landfill is owned by Waste Management Inc. (WM), a company Bill Gates owns 33 million shares of. WM is the largest company in the hazardous waste industry. Among WM’s customers are major corporations and more than 150 military bases.

In Anniston, Alabama, where half the residents are black, residents won a settlement from Monsanto after the company dumped so much PCBs, chemicals linked to cancers and liver damage, that it turned a local creek red with the toxic waste. In order for residents to receive the settlement, so they could afford to leave their toxic neighborhood, they had to sign away any right to sue in the future for what so much toxic exposure could have done to them or their children.

Many homes near Stone’s Throw landfill have been abandoned. The landfill accepts as much as 1,500 tons of asbestos, sludge and other materials everyday. It is located in a community that is around three-quarters black and there is pressure placed on those residents to sell their devalued land to the expanding landfill.

Uniontown, is a place with ninety percent black residents and the median household income is $14,000 a year. Uniontown is also home to the Arrowhead landfill, twice the size of New York’s Central Park. It can accept up to 15,000 tons of waste a day, from 33 states. A group of residents have spent the past decade complaining about the site’s coal ash, causing an array of health problems, such as sore throats and nosebleeds […]

via Toxic Waste From Across the Country Dumped in Poor, Black, Rural Communities — ANARCHIMEDIA

“HempWood” is 20 percent harder than oak, and grows 100 times as fast. It’s a sustainable alternative for hardwood furniture, flooring and more.

Now that it’s legal to grow hemp in the United States, a man who’s spent the last decade developing hemp “hardwood” is building a $6 million factory to manufacture  the product en masse. His patented product called “HempWood” is made out of compressed hemp pulp fibers, held together with a soy-based glue.

While that may sound like some newfangled version of particle board, it’s not.

It looks and feels like oak, but is actually 20 percent harder than the famous hardwood tree.

It also grows 100 times as fast. While it takes an oak tree at least 6 decades to mature, it takes hemp 6 months […]

via Hemp is the New Oak: America’s First Hemp “Wood” Factory is Being Built — Return to Now

By Marco Teruggi – Pagina 12 – April 12, 2019

The attack should have been short since the Maduro administration was not strong enough to resist. This was the conviction of the United States as they carried out a strategy to overthrow him: they built a President 2.0 Juan Guaido; they gave him a fictionalized government, international recognition, a collective narrative among mass media companies, accelerated economic sanctions at different levels. Overlapping these variables, different results were expected to be achieved on their path of getting a forced negotiation or the toppling of the government.

Events did not take the planned course. First and most important, the breaking of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB): a crucial element that should have happened but did not. A series of tactics were implemented for it, from internal conspiracy with the support of a lot of dollars, visas and guarantees, or the strategy of a latent threat of a possible U.S. intervention. A combination of bluff – an unloaded weapon pointed at your head – with built up dates to try to achieve a rupture, such as on February 23rd.

The second event that should have occurred, despite the difficulty in defining a target, was Guaido supposedly building mass support in the streets. He boasted that 90 per cent of the population supports him. Pictures of his mass mobilization capacity show that the initial momentum on January 23, when his self-proclamation was acknowledged by Donald Trump through a tweet, lost strength. A major reason for this was the crisis of expectations that resulted from the unfulfilled promise of an immediate outcome. Another is that it was an artificial, communicational, diplomatic construction which could not gather more than the right’s historical rank-and-file supporters, characterized by a specific social, geographic class, living conditions, idiosyncrasy and symbolism. The opposition looked too much like themselves.

Third was the attempt to take the poor to the streets; blackouts and the water shortages were the most favorable of the scenarios to provoke this. But the outcome was not what they expected either.  The clearer and wide reaching reality was the majority trying to solve their problems, individually, collectively, together with the Venezuelan Government. Sustained protests, fostered almost completely by the right, were scarce and without capacity to spread in the country.

Each of these variables has feedback points. The crisis of expectations is the result, for instance, of the fact that the Armed Force has not broken, that Guaido speaks of a hastiness that does not occur, with the conclusion that if they don’t succeed in any of their three targets, the last resort is an international intervention headed by the United States. That same interventionist narrative moves away from those who see Guaido as an alternative to the current political and economic situation. Calling on the majorities to achieve an international operation comes across evident obstacles.

Overthrowing Maduro does not seem possible in the correlation of national forces. It has been proven that the attack will not be short and that Chavismo, which is more than a Government, has enough strength to resist. If it was just a national affair, Guaido would lose strength to the point that he wouldn’t even be part of the list of opposition leaders that carry the burden of defeat. The problem is that this new coup attempt was devised over a point of no return with the United States building of a parallel government facade, acknowledged by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, and right-wing governments in Latin America. What to do with Guaido when the plan is not successful due to initial miscalculations?

The question is due to the US, its current Administration is a mixture of Donald Trump-neoconservative leaders, and the so-called deep state; that is to say, real, invisible structures of power that constitute and safeguard that country’s strategic development in the geopolitical struggle. A defeat in Venezuela would be charged to the Administration in a pre-election period and it would suffer a double blow with Maduro’s continuity, or the lack of ability make a key Latin American country fall in line, and its implications in the international arena […[

via Is the U.S. Prepared to Accept a Defeat in Venezuela?

By Elias Marat | The Mind Unleashed | April 11, 2019

Facebook has unpublished the page of Ecuador’s former president, Rafael Correa, the social media giant confirmed on Thursday, claiming that the popular leftist leader violated the company’s security policies.

In a statement republished by Ecuadorean newspaper El Comercio, a company spokesperson said:

“Protecting the privacy and security of people is central to Facebook [and] we have clear policies that do not allow the disclosure of personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, bank account data, cards, or any record or data that could compromise the integrity physical or financial of the people in our community.”

The move comes on the same day that Ecuador’s government allowed British security personnel to enter their embassy in London to arrest journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been sought by U.S. officials for years due to his role in releasing scandalous information implicating Washington in a range of crimes, including war crimes.

via Facebook Removes Page of Ecuador’s Former President on Same Day as Assange’s Arrest

The lynch pin that could blow the cover off the shameful Russia Hoax once and for all could be Assange’s deposition and forensic proof that the dumped DNC e-mails was an inside leak and not a hack, Russian or otherwise [. . .]

“I love Wikileaks!” The image is clear today as it was back then when candidate Trump stood at the dias before a sea of deplorables and gave an enthusiastic endorsement of the global public watchdog and publisher of information never meant for general consumption. And for good reason because the dump of incriminating e-mails was a window into the corrupt world of federal politics the plebes had always known was the witch’s brew bubbling behind the façade of platitudinous BS given lip service by the politicians whose only crime, just ask them, was sacrificing too much “for the American People.”

With the arrest of Wikileak’s founder Julian Assange today, Donald Trump’s moment of Truth has arrived. The 2016 Wikileaks dump of DNC & PODESTA e-mails was proof of a multitude of high crimes and misdemeanors, from the MSM-DNC collusion on behalf of HRC by the likes of NYT’s Maggie Haberman and the cringeworthy Glenn Thrush and NBC’s wind-up-doll Chuck Todd to name just a few; to the proof of rigging the Democrat Debate for HRC that got Donna Brazille fired from CNN; and rigging the Democrat primary for HRC that got the fish-faced Gollum Debbie Wasserman-Schultz to resign as the head of the DNC. Not to mention ?jokes? about sacrificing chickens to Moloch by DNC staffers and solicitation of hot tub “entertainment” with prebuscent children Ruby, Emerson and Maeve Luzzatto (11, 9 and almost 7) to HRC’s creepy campaign manager John Pedosta … this glimpse into the sea of corruption and dark undertones of things much more insidious definitely helped drag Donald Trump across the finish line ahead of the purple pantsuit high priestess of corruption and lies that is and has always been HRC. […]

To prosecute and convict the man demonstrably helpful to your presidential aspiration would be the final nail in the coffin of Trump 2020. But what appears to be a bad thing may be some of that oft-mentioned and rarely acknowledged 4-D chess. Best case scenario, a pardon for Assange after the information gleaned during the discovery phase of his US trial is the MOAB that finally busts the Deep State Russia-Hoax bunker they’ve all been hiding behind by proving what NSA whistleblower Bill Binney’s known all along, due to the speed at which the e-mails were uploaded … the DNC e-mail job was a leak, not a hack. Leaked by an altruistic DNC staffer who saw the corruption first hand and decided to do something about it, and ended up paying for it with his life. Julian Assange has heretofore stuck to his code of never giving up his sources, which has allowed the complicit MSM and their lap dogs in DC to run with the bullshit Russia Hack gas light to beat the band. In a court setting, where hard drive forensics will be compelled, the disinfectant of sunlight will be absolute and there will be no more dark places left for the cockroaches to hide.

via Assange is Trump’s Trump Card. Time for the President to Stand and Deliver! — boomrX

Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno Garces addresses the UN General Assembly. © Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

RT | April 11, 2019

US-backed Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno reneged on asylum agreements made with naturalized citizen Julian Assange, leading to his arrest on Thursday, but how exactly did relations with the whistleblower end up here?

Moreno won a narrow victory in 2017 to become president of Ecuador, having served as vice president under his predecessor Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2013 as part of the center-left PAIS Alliance. Much like Assange, Moreno was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, for championing the rights of the disabled (he is the only world leader who uses a wheelchair).

When he rose to power Moreno quickly locked horns with Assange, eventually revoking his internet access in March 2018 while also reducing the security detail at the embassy as a result of their ongoing spat. Moreno alleged that Assange had installed electronic distortion equipment in addition to blocking security cameras at the embassy. Their deteriorating relationship culminated in Moreno’s withdrawal of asylum granted to the whistleblower on April 11, 2019.

“Today I announce that the discourteous and aggressive behavior of Mr Julian Assange; the hostile and threatening declarations of his allied organization against Ecuador, and especially the transgression of international treaties, have led the situation to a point where the asylum of Mr Assange is unsustainable and no longer viable,” Moreno said in a video statement shortly after Assange’s arrest.

The writing had been on the wall for a long time, however.

Following his 2017 election, Moreno quickly moved away from his election platform after taking office. He reversed several key pieces of legislation passed under his predecessor which targeted the wealthy and the banks. He also reversed a referendum decision on indefinite re-election while simultaneously blocking any potential for Correa to return.

He effectively purged many of Correa’s appointments to key positions in Ecuador’s judiciary and National Electoral Council via the CPCCS-T council which boasts supra-constitutional powers.

Moreno has also cozied up to the US, with whom Ecuador had a strained relationship under Correa. Following a visit from Vice President Mike Pence in June 2018, Ecuador bolstered its security cooperation with the US, including major arms deals, training exercises and intelligence sharing.

Following Assange’s arrest Correa, who granted Assange asylum in the first place, described Moreno as the “greatest traitor in Ecuadorian and Latin American history” saying he was guilty of a “crime that humanity will never forget.”

Despite his overwhelming power and influence, however, Moreno and his family are the subject of a sweeping corruption probe in the country, as he faces down accusations of money laundering in offshore accounts and shell companies in Panama, including the INA Investment Corp, which is owned by Moreno’s brother.

Damning images, purportedly hacked from Moreno’s phone, have irreparably damaged both his attempts at establishing himself as an anti-corruption champion as well as his relationship with Assange, whom he accused of coordinating the hacking efforts.

via Who is Lenin Moreno and why did he hand Assange over to British police? — Aletho News

Over 2 million cars and motorcycles are cleared off the roads of Bogotá, Colombia every Sunday to make way for bicycles, roller skates, scooters and skateboards

Every Sunday, the traffic-jammed, stressed-out citizens of Bogotá, Colombia get a day of rest, free from honking horns, sitting at red lights and engine fumes.

For the last 14 years, the city’s leaders have banned all motorized vehicles in the city limits from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and over time, it has turned into a day of relaxation and celebration.

Originating as an environmentalist experiment, it a respite from the stress of modern life, cherished by the 1.5 million Bogotanos who come out for the festivities at the end of each week.

“All kinds of transportation are welcome—bicycles, roller skates, scooters, wheelchairs, skateboards—as long as they are not motor-driven,” reports Alma Guillermoprieto for National Geographic.

The event is called Ciclovía, or Bicycle Way, and the idea is spreading worldwide to cities in Europe, China and New Zealand.

Ciclovía is about more than just cycling. It’s about slowing down and building community. And there’s lot’s to do besides riding or rollerblading, including walking, running, dancing, Zumba and even tai chi […]

via This City Bans Cars Every Sunday and Everyone Loves It — Return to Now

Native Americans in Ontario are living with dried up, contaminated wells and no running water, while Nestle extracts nearly a million gallons of water a day from their reservation.

Twice a week, Iokarenhtha Thomas and her husband grab jugs, pails, and whatever other containers they can find, and drive 5 miles to the nearest public water tap so they can cook, clean and bathe.

The water isn’t potable though, so once a week they also drive 6 miles to the nearest town to buy bottled drinking water.

A university student and mother of 5, Thomas lives at Six Nations of the Grand River indigenous reserve. She’s been without running water since age 16. Her children have never known what its like to have a shower, bath or toilet.

Meanwhile Nestlé extracts up to a million gallons of fresh, sparkling water a day from a well on her peoples’ treaty land.

“When my husband isn’t here, it makes it difficult to do the dishes or anything because I don’t have the strength to carry all the jugs of water,” Thomas told The Guardian.

Each container of store-bought bottled water weighs more than 40 pounds.

A little over a year ago, she tried supplementing with rainwater collected from her rooftop, but stopped when her son was diagnosed with rashes called impetigo, believed to be caused by bacteria on the roof’s shingles.

Some of her neighbors have paid thousand dollars to be connected to a community well only to find the water was too polluted to drink because of sewage contamination from septic beds.

One neighbor lamented to The Guardian about how drought has dried up all the wetlands in the community in recent years, decimating local populations of salmon, trout, pike and pickerel.

In 2013, the community received a $41 million grant to build a state-of-the-art water treatment plant, but because the grant did not cover the cost of plumbing, fewer than 10% of homes are connected to it.

The 90 percent either have no water at all or tap water that’s too polluted to drink.

Meanwhile Nestle pumps massive amounts of spring water from a nearby well known as the Erin Well, which sits on a tract of land given to the Six Nations under the 1701 Nanfan Treaty on expired permits.

The company pays the province of Ontario only $390 per million liters for the water, while paying Six Nations nothing […]

via Indigenous Canadians in Water Crisis as Nestlé Drains A Million Gallons a Day From Their Land — Return to Now

State lawmakers in Florida have told cities they must respect citizens’ property rights, and seemingly even more basic right to grow their own food.

They just passed a bill “prohibiting local governments from regulating vegetable gardens on residential properties.”

“Such regulations are void and unenforceable,” the new law says.

The legislation was inspired by a couple who had had been tending a beautiful front-yard vegetable garden for 17 years when the town of Miami Shores told them it was illegal and made them tear it up.

It didn’t matter how nearly they tended their tomatoes, beets, scallions, spinach, kale and multiple varieties of Asian cabbage, only non-edible “ornamental” plants could be planted in view of the public, “unsightly” Swiss chard needed to be hidden behind the house, the town said.

The couple argued there wasn’t enough sunlight in the backyard.

“Indignant at the fact that vegetables were deemed more offensive than boats, RVs, jet skis, statues, fountains, gnomes, pink flamingoes, or Santa in a Speedo in one’s front yard,” they took their case all the way to the Florida Supreme Court, but lost, Tree Hugger reports.

But a few months later, their story hit a nerve with enough state lawmakers, they are now victorious […]

via Florida Lifts Ban on Front-Yard Vegetable Gardens — Return to Now

by Ron Ridenour Counterpunch edited by O Society April 8, 2019

When I first heard of Andrei Martyanov, I was skeptical about his intentions. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, USSR, 1963, he became a naval officer and expert on Russian military and naval issues. He took part in conflicts in the Caucasus. In mid-1990s, he moved to the US for reasons unstated in print. He currently works as laboratory director of a commercial aerospace group, and blogs on the US Naval Institute Blog and one on the other side of the fence, unz.com.

This is not a typical leftist or peace activist, but after reading his book and a piece on the website of the world’s most aggressive naval institution, I surmise that this Russian-American seeks to influence the avaricious eagle into realizing that warring against the cautious bear would not achieve success for anyone. Here is his conclusion of piece:

“Today, the Russian Navy is on its way to becoming a leaner and more potent…version of its former Soviet self, capable of carrying out any task in defense of its country. By doing so, the Russian Navy has finally found its mission. Considering Russia’s immense and tragic experience with warfare, such an accomplishment is no small feat. Especially in the absence of a coherent navy specific doctrine.”

This statement is in keeping with what Martyanov sees as his book’s key mission, to assist his native country in defending its national sovereignty, which entails acting to prevent a nuclear world war. As he states in the conclusion of his book, “Losing Military Supremacy”, he is most worried that it is the United States that will pull the triggers to set off World War III.

“The main task today is to prevent by all means any possibility of this delusional, self-proclaimed exceptional nation unleashing Armageddon because of frustration with its own weakness…” so well exposed by now.

Martyanov refers to the fact that despite all the hubris, the US has failed to win most of the wars it has started since WWII. Korea was a stalemate. It lost to Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos. Afghanistan will never be conquered. The victory over a much inferior Iraqi military largely destroyed the cradle of civilization and left nearly all its people hating the US. The current government wants the US out of its country. The US got rid of Libya’s leader Gaddafi only to be replaced by three internally fighting self-declared governments, whose extremist Muslims wantonly murder, smuggle and enslave people. The once richest people in Africa are now among the poorest. The US has divided people in Syria, and Ukraine where they placed a neo-fascist coup government in power […]
via Has the US Lost Its Military Supremacy Over Russia? — O Society