• In the aftermath of the Feb. 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the southeast asian nation was plunged into economic crisis, as the rule of law broke down and the civil war intensified. As people were thrown out of work many traveled to northern Kachin State, near the border with China – where day laborers were employed to mine for gold.
(“In Wake of Coup, Gold Mining Boom Ravages Myanmar,”Yale Environment 360, May 3, 2022)
• South Africa’s power utility Eskom went dark last fall with day long blackouts as the nation was pushing ahead with a transition to clean energy. Eskom is hampered by debt, corruption and rules requiring it not to run a deficit. The biggest long-term challenge for the power company is its reliance on local coal supplies to generate power.
( “South Africa Energy Workers Struggle for Green Public Power,” In These Times, March 31, 2022)
• Weeks before President Joe Biden travelled to Iowa to boast about new investments in biofuels and ethanol, family farmers testified about the dangers of three carbon capture pipelines under consideration in Midwest states.
(“Fight Erupts in Iowa over Carbon Capture Pipelines,” American Prospect, April 22, 2022)
This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo
