Some Christian right groups have denied that coronavirus cases exist – while others have claimed the virus was deliberately made by China. Español.
A satirical poster of President Jair Bolsonaro saying COVID-19 ‘is just a flu’ in Brazil, where US-linked groups have also denied the virus exists. | Cris Faga/NurPhoto/PA Image
29 October 2020 (openDemocracy)* — Half a dozen US Christian right groups have poured millions of dollars into Latin America and have promoted misinformation about COVID-19 and other health and rights issues, openDemocracy can reveal today.
30 October 2020 (Wall Street International)* — There are no signs of a halt to the arms race… on the contrary, production of the most modern 5th and 6thgeneration technological weapons and the most terrifying and lethal weapons continues unabated.
30 October 2020 (UNEP)* — 31 October is World Cities Day. The theme for 2020 is Valuing Our Communities and Cities.
Photo: UNEP / 30 Oct 2020
For the Day, we look back to one of our Young Champions of the Earth from 2017, Latin America and Caribbean winner Liliana Jaramillo.
In the capital city of Quito in Ecuador, she has been working to build green roofs that host native plant species. Not only do plants beautify urban spaces, but they also reduce air pollution and provide habitat for birds and insects.
30 OCTOBER 2020 (FAO)* — Istaahil Mohamed stands near the fireplace in her small restaurant and scoops freshly cooked rice from a pot onto a plate. Hailing from Ceel Xumo village in Burao district, Somaliland, Istaahil has come a long way to be able to serve this spoonful of rice in her own restaurant.
Bonn, 29 October 2020 (UNEP)* – Future pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, do more damage to the world economy and kill more people than COVID-19 unless there is a transformative change in the global approach to dealing with infectious diseases, warns a major new report on biodiversity and pandemics by 22 leading experts from around the world.
Rome (FAO)* — Efforts to restore the world’s degraded forests and landscapes must be scaled up to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, said FAO in a new publication released on 28 October 2020.
A panoramic view of the badlands outside of Koulomboutej Village, Niger.
Land and forest degradation are among the world’s most pressing environmental issues. Globally, 25 percent of the total land area has been degraded. To safeguard the future of our planet, major actions are needed to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide.
29 October 2020 (WMO)* — La Niña has developed and is expected to last into next year, affecting temperatures, precipitation and storm patterns in many parts of the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The global declaration of a La Niña event is used by governments to mobilize planning in climate sensitive sectors like agriculture, health, water resources and disaster management.
Emptiness, lack of character and a fundamental unwillingness to take responsibility lurk at evil’s core.
Flickr/Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
27 October 2020 (openDemocracy)* — Despite our best intentions, Trump’s name is on everyone’s lips, yet I have no interest in the sordid details of his psyche. His pathologies are a matter of indifference. It’s clear to me that he’s a violent, dangerous lunatic. His desperate attempts to win attention and adulation likely stem from abuse he suffered as a youth.
(UNEP)* — Cities are home to 55 per cent of the world’s population, all jammed together cheek-by-jowl. Little wonder, then, that cities are being hit hardest by COVID-19: an estimated 90 per cent of all reported cases have occurred in urban areas.
But the same concentration of people also makes cities the places where the battle for a green recovery from COVID-19 – which is essential to reduce future pandemic risks and fight climate change – can be won.
(By FAO)* — Over half of the world’s population now lives in cities. With that number expected to rise to 68 percent by 2050, urbanisation is one of the world’s most transformative trends.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 