October, 24 2019, 12:00am EDT
PG&E Shuts Off Power to Vulnerable California Communities for Second Time This Month
WASHINGTON
Less than two weeks after shutting off power to hundreds of thousands of Californians, utility company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced that it will again shut off power to 17 Northern California counties. The shutdown is expected to impact at least 180,000 customers. The stated purpose of the power shutoff is to prevent potential wildfires as warm, dry weather, high winds, and the changing climate are increasing the risk of fires in California.
In response, Greenpeace USA Climate Campaigner Rachel Rye Butler said:
"For the second time in two weeks, hundreds of thousands of Californians will be left in the dark by their electricity company and public officials who haven't done enough in the face of climate change. Vulnerable communities continue to pay the price -- at least one person who relied on electrically-powered medical equipment died during the shutoff earlier this month [1].
"PG&E is not alone in shouldering the blame. The fossil fuel industry has polluted Californians' air and water for decades and fueled the climate crisis, creating the hotter, drier conditions partially responsible for catastrophic wildfires and the need for power shutoffs across the state.
"Governor Gavin Newsom is pointing fingers at PG&E, saying that the shutoffs 'can't be the new normal [2], but things are only going to get worse if Newsom lets the fossil fuel industry carry on business as usual. It's time for Governor Newsom to get serious about climate change and begin a just transition to phase out oil production in California."
The full list of impacted cities and counties can be found here.
Greenpeace is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
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Bernie Sanders talks about the oligarchy
While rarely discussed in the corporate press or by most elected officials, argues Sanders, the reality is that a "small number of incredibly wealthy billionaires own and control much of the global economy. Period. End of discussion. And increasingly they own and control our government through a corrupt campaign finance system."
Since the the victory of President-elect Donald Trump in November, Sanders has been increasingly outspoken about his frustrations over the failure of the Democratic Party to adequately confront the contradictions presented by a party that purports to represent the interests of the working class yet remains so beholden to corporate interests and the wealthy that lavish it with campaign contributions.
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Mr. Siri is also representing ICAN in petitioning the FDA to "pause distribution" of 13 other vaccines, including combination products that cover tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and hepatitis A, until their makers disclose details about aluminum, an ingredient researchers have associated with a small increase in asthma cases.
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Sandy Fonzo, whose son killed himself after being sentenced to juvenile detention, said in a statement: "I am shocked and I am hurt. Conahan's actions destroyed families, including mine, and my son's death is a tragic reminder of the consequences of his abuse of power."
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