Patricia Kullberg hosts this episode of the Old Mole, which includes the following segments:
Justice and Palestine: On July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued its opinion that Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Palestinian territories are unlawful and that its discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians violate the prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. Further, the Court refuted the notion that Palestinian self-determination must be achieved solely through bilateral negotiations with Israel – a requirement that has subjected Palestinians to violence, dispossession and rights violations for decades. In their Left and the Law segment, Jan Haaken and Mike Snedeker look at the significance of this opinion by the ICJ, particularly given similar past rulings by the international courts. They talk about how this and other ICJ rulings since December support the global movement for justice in Palestine even as the Court lacks authority for legal enforcement.
Capitalism and Climate Change: In order to prevent climate catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, global leaders have looked to market forces to effect the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy. But market forces, argues economist Marty Hart-Landsberg, aren’t working. Hart-Landsberg looks back to the mobilization for the war effort during World War II for lessons on what we could do today. Patricia Kullberg speaks with Hart-Landsberg about the strategies needed to achieve needed reductions in carbon emissions. Hart-Landsberg is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Lewis and Clark College and author of numerous journal articles and seven books on issues related to globalization and the political economy of East Asia. He is also the chair of Portland Rising. He blogs at Reports from the Economic Front.
Oregon’s Climate Protection Program at Risk: Oregon's Climate Protection Program (CPP) 2024, overseen by the Department of Environmental Quality, aims to reduce 80-90% of harmful emissions from the state’s largest polluters by 2050. Implementation of the CPP was delayed for three years on a technicality following a lawsuit by oil and gas companies, including NW Natural Gas. Jan Haaken talks with Diana Meisenhelter about the CPP and the critical role of testimonials from community members at this stage of its implementation. Corporate interests are already critiquing the new program and thus it is important that DEQ hear from the public. Diana Meisenhelter has been an environmental and social justice activist, labor organizer and educator for over 50 years and is on the global, national and local teams of Extinction Rebellion, a global climate justice organization.