Common Dreams Highlights | Thursday, 2 April 2015

April 2, 2015 by ohnwentsya Leave a comment

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New Report Debunks ‘Myth’ That GMOs are Key to Feeding the World
by Lauren McCauley
Over the past 20 years, the report notes, global crop yields have only grown by 20 percent—despite the massive investment in biotechnology. On the other hand, it continues, in recent decades “the dominant source of yield improvements has been traditional crossbreeding, and that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.”

News…

	Despite Dire Scientific Warnings, GOP Leaders Vow to Bury Global Climate Deal by Lauren McCauley “Even if the job-killing and likely illegal Clean Power Plan were fully implemented, the United States could not meet the targets laid out in this proposed new plan,” McConnell said.
	In Reversal, Arkansas Governor Says He Won’t Sign Pro-Discrimination Bill by Jon Queally The bill passed by Arkansas legislators on Wednesday mirrors enacted in Indiana last week that created a national backlash and a wave of criticism against similar laws in other states.
	Astroturf on Steroids: Did Right-Wing Group Fake Anti-Net Neutrality Emails? by Deirdre Fulton For Free Press, which is leading the fight for an open Internet and net neutrality protections, the revelations are unsurprising. “There’s a relatively small community of organizations fighting against net neutrality,” Free Press senior director of strategy Tim Karr said in a statement to Common Dreams.
	Chorus of Outrage as Obama Administration Approves Arctic Drilling for Shell Oil by Nadia Prupis The decision opens up 30 million acres in the Chuchki Sea to fossil fuel exploration and drilling, a move which state and national green groups called “unconscionable.”
	Disregarding Human Rights Concerns, US Resumes Arm Shipments to Egypt by Jon Queally The move comes as Egypt has joined with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations to launch airstrikes, and possibly a ground invasion, of Yemen.
	Oregon Seeks to Become First State to Limit Antibiotic Use at Factory Farms by Deirdre Fulton bacteria commonly present on farms are mutating into stronger, antibiotic-resistant strains, which in turn find their way to the human population through numerous pathways, including contaminated food, airborne dust blowing off farms, and water and soil polluted with contaminated feces.
	Closer to Justice as Palestine Joins International Criminal Court by Lauren McCauley “As Palestine formally becomes a State Party to the Rome Statute today,” Al-Malki said, “the world is also a step closer to ending a long era of impunity and injustice. Indeed, today brings us closer to our shared goals of justice and peace.”
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	Feeding the World – Without GMOs by Emily Cassidy GE crops have done nothing to improve global food security—and there’s little reason to think that they will any time soon.
	Burning Our Bridges: Failing Infrastructure in the Age of Corporate Tax-Dodging by Sarah Anderson & Scott Klinger To generate funds to shore up our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, the U.S. Congress is considering giving corporations large tax cuts on their offshore profits….The last time we tried this, in 2004, it failed miserably.
	Iran Demands Lifting of Sanctions for ‘Irreversible’ Moves, Says Insider by Gareth Porter Iran has already made some significant concessions on the sanctions issue, the source revealed.
	Guilty of Being Poor by Karen Dolan When a community issues arrest warrants for more offenses than it has residents, something’s deeply wrong. A democratic society that purports “freedom and justice for all” can’t coexist with one that profiles and criminalizes poor people and communities of color.
	How Ohio’s Energy Economy Became a Radioactive 19th Century Relic by Harvey Wasserman After being at the cusp of major solar and wind power advances, the state has all but killed the prospects for any large new green energy projects. The state may now miss one of history’s biggest and most profitable technological transformations.
	The Backlash Against Discrimination And GOP’s “Indiana” Problem by Terrance Heath In 2016 and beyond, Republicans will find it hard to strike a balance between “religious freedom” and discrimination. They will find it even harder to choose between either “caving” and alienating their base, or alienating the growing majority of voters and facing a grassroots onslaught.
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