An estimated 20% of UK adults, or 10.9 million people, are behind on one or more household bill – up by 3 million since March – according to the Money Advice Trust report. This figure was much higher, at 45%, for households that received a means-tested benefit, the debt charity said. High energy price rises had already become unaffordable for millions of people, the charity said. About 10.7 million had seen their energy bills rise by £100 or more a month since April.

 5.6 million have gone without food in the past three months according to new research that reveals Britons are skipping meals “just to keep the lights on”. This included skipping meals, eating once a day or not eating at all on some days.

Joanna Elson, the charity’s chief executive, said, “Many households are already facing impossible choices, such as which meal to skip just to keep the lights on.” 

The charity found that many households had little or no wriggle room left in their budgets to cope with rising prices. It said 41% had already cut all nonessential spending, a figure which was up seven percentage points on its March poll.

The jump in energy costs meant more people were borrowing money to try to make ends meet. The charity estimates that more than 15 million people have had to use credit to pay for essentials – an increase of 2.1 million since March 2022 – while one in 10 have had to borrow money from family or friends.

Britons skipping meals ‘just to keep the lights on’, research reveals | UK cost of living crisis | The Guardian

Less than 10% of U.S. plastic waste is recycled annually.

 The American Chemistry Council (ACC), an industry group is seeking to “change existing law so that plastics incinerators can operate without meeting the environmental and health protections of the Clean Air Act.”

“Removing existing Clean Air Act limitations on burning plastic will allow chemical manufacturers to produce and release these toxic chemicals into our communities without limitation.”

“Under the guise of offering a solution to the global plastic waste crisis, the American Chemistry Council has invented an Orwellian new name for decades-old incineration technologies,” the signers stated. “It seeks to rebrand pyrolysis and gasification incinerators as ‘advanced recycling,’ even though there is nothing advanced about them and nothing gets recycled.” 

“In reality, the plastic trash that enters pyrolysis and gasification incinerators gets burned, creating dioxins and other harmful air pollution. What’s left is toxic chemical waste that gets burned again later at hazardous waste disposal facilities or as a dirty fuel. Far from ‘recycling’ the plastic waste they get paid to accept, gasification and pyrolysis incinerators are turning plastic into highly toxic air pollutants and generating hundreds of thousands of pounds of hazardous waste.”

“Plastic contains hundreds of toxic chemicals, including heavy metals, phthalates, flame retardants, bisphenol A, and PFAS. The process of burning plastic via pyrolysis and gasification generates even more toxic pollution, including chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other serious health harms. Emissions include dioxins, benzene, cadmium, arsenic, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and mercury.”

“Changing the legal definition of incineration or waste so that chemical companies can burn plastic in poor and minority communities without controlling the toxic pollution they emit is environmental injustice at its worst.” 

200+ Groups Decry ‘Orwellian’ Industry-Backed Plastic Burning Push (commondreams.org)

 India is seeing an increase in suicides among daily wage workers, according to the latest report by the National Crime Records Bureau. The report released in August revealed that the share of daily wage workers is the largest among those who die by suicide in India.

Out of 164,033 suicide cases reported in 2021, just over 42,000 suicides, or one in four, were among wage workers.

“Suicide numbers and attempts have risen significantly. The data is reflective of the trend but the numbers are likely to be even more,” Delhi-based psychiatrist Achal Bhagat told DW. “Poverty contributes to mental health problems in multiple ways.” Bhagat, who has studied the issue closely, said many wage workers are uncertain if they will be able to support themselves, and have feelings of feelings of guilt for not living up to the role of being a young man in a patriarchal society. 

Mental health professionals attribute the climb in suicides to factors including joblessness, poverty, debt and inability to cope with cuts in wages.

 “The two most important policies that could make a difference are sustainable livelihoods with social security, and access to mental health and suicide prevention services,” Bhagat said. 

About 450 million of India’s 1.3 billion plus population work in the informal economy. These include wage workers, construction workers, street vendors and landless laborers. Over half of India’s daily wager workers earn just 200-400 rupees a day (€2.5- €5, $2-$5), far below the prescribed minimum wage for unskilled workers. Many workers become indebted and are left vulnerable to exploitation.

The pandemic “led to a severe decline in earnings for the majority of workers resulting in a sudden increase in poverty. Women and younger workers have been disproportionately affected,” a recent study by the Azim Premji University in collaboration with various civil society organizations found. Most daily workers experienced an acute drop in employment, including after November 2020 and in much of early 2021. Sectors such as real estate, construction, infrastructure and urban development took time to restart projects.

“Because of the uncertainty about work and income, they [daily wage workers] had to frequently migrate, have lost safety nets, possess zero savings and are debt-ridden,” Nelson Vinod Moses, founder of the Suicide Prevention India Foundation, explained. “Many have high alcoholism rates, no health insurance, get ill-treated and work in hazardous conditions with injuries,” he added.

Tina Gupta, a psychotherapist who has studied behavioral patterns, cited a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health showing that a $1 increase in the minimum wage is linked to a fall in the suicide rate of between 3.5 and 6% among people with high school education or less. 

“This study points out how low wages are linked to high suicide risk among the vulnerable. Daily wage workers are among the poorest,” she said. “There would be a complex pattern of vulnerabilities like financial stress, lack of social and economic stability, and debt,” she added.

Daily wage workers are most often the primary breadwinners of the family, stated Anjali Nagpal, another psychiatrist in New Delhi.

“Because of their limited academic or vocational skills, if they are terminated or face financial difficulties, they’re not in a condition to adapt by changing their trade or ask for help from their friends, as they are in similar position,” she said. “On top of their work and financial woes, they often struggle with their personal life as being aware of one’s mental health issues isn’t a priority in this stratum,” she pointed out.

But without social and economic safety nets or access to mental health care, many daily wage workers continue to feel trapped.

The key to suicide prevention is “health insurance, debt assistance, social security, access to health care and a public health campaign that shows that civil society cares,” stressed Nelson Vinod Moses of the Suicide Prevention India Foundation.

India sees spike in suicides among wage workers | Asia | An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 18.09.2022

 The series of right-wing attacks in 2008/2009 was the gravest set of crimes committed in Hungary’s recent history.  The perpetrators ambushed their victims, set their homes on fire and then shot them as they sought to escape the flames. Or they killed them in their sleep. In all, the neo-Nazi group killed six people, among them a small child, and injured a further 55, most seriously. The only motivation for their crimes was the fact that their victims were Roma.

The case of Hungary’s Roma murders was never entirely solved. Nevertheless, three perpetrators were handed life sentences in 2014, and an accomplice was given 13 years in prison. Still, despite ample evidence of their guilt — including DNA samples collected at various crime scenes — all of the men involved were unflinching in their claims of innocence. Only one of the four, Arpad Kiss, considered the leader of the group and the main suspect in the case, ever spoke of the crime in public, each time proclaiming his innocence. Now, some 13 years on, out of the blue, he has given a confession. 

But that wasn’t the only statement that made the interview so remarkable. For the first time, Kiss publicly confirmed what most who have followed the case long suspected: accomplices and supporters enabled the murders by providing cash, guns and logistics. In the interview, Kiss referred to two helpers: A local politician from the far-right Jobbik party, and an employee at a gun shop who apparently had access to confidential information from the Interior Ministry through a relative. Kiss did not name names, nor did he offer further information, though he claimed to have provided details on both accomplices to Hungarian investigators back in 2020. But official investigations went nowhere. 

“We were held responsible, but those two went free,” said Kiss.

Although the Roma murders represent a uniquely racist, far-right crime spree, reaction to the interview has been nonexistent. A few media outlets offered short summaries, but neither Orban or his fellow Fidesz politicians have addressed it, nor has anyone from the opposition party. Journalists have also remained silent.

“No political side in Hungary has any interest in completely investigating and solving the Roma murders, that is consensus,” filmmaker and journalist Andras B. Vagvolgyi told DW. Vagvolgyi is one of the few people who know the case inside and out. He attended the trial over the course of years, and published a book on the crimes in 2016. Vagvolgyi is convinced that a fundamental investigation into the case could prove the perpetrators had accomplices in the security and intelligence communities. He said a general lack of will to get to the bottom of the case, as well as a latent antiziganism, are both impeding closure. “Many politicians have told me that people should finally just forget about it,”

Liberal ex-politician Jozsef Gulyas, who together with friends and acquaintances helps survivors of the crimes, agrees. “Sadly, hardly anyone is still interested in the case. The victims are all but forgotten,” he told DW. Gulyas was a member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security that investigated the case back in 2009 and 2010. “In light of Arpad Kiss’ public statements,” said Gulyas, “the most important thing now would be to open a new investigation and demand intelligence agencies turn over whatever information they have on the case.”  

Istvan Csontos, an informant for the Hungarian military’s KBH security office, also happened to be the getaway driver in the last two attacks. He reportedly informed his contact at the KBH of his role, but that information is said to have not been passed on. 

Hungary: Shocking confession in Roma murder case garners zero interest | Europe | News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 17.09.2022

 The label “foreign agent” has been applied by the Russian government to various media organisations, campaign groups and individuals openly critical of Kremlin policies.

One of Russia’s most popular singers, Alla Pugacheva, has called on the Russian authorities to declare her a “foreign agent”, in solidarity with her strongly anti-war husband Maxim Galkin. She has been a big star for decades. She is a hugely popular and well-respected artist.

 Protests have broken out at the funeral of a woman who died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police. The funeral took place in Ms Amini’s hometown, Saqez, in the western province of Kurdistan.

 The United Nations’ latest annual ranking of nations by “sustainable development goals” have as its top four countries the Scandinavian nations. 

The United States is forty-first, just below Cuba. Other nations better than the USA include Estonia, Croatia, the Slovak Republic, Romania, and Serbia.

The seventeen “sustainable development goals” (SDGs) include the absence of poverty and hunger, good health and education, gender equality, clean air and water, and reduced inequality. The purpose of the report is to measure countries’ progress, or development, toward a civilized and sustainable future.

 As historian Kathleen Frydl points out, “Under this methodology … the U.S. ranks between Cuba and Bulgaria. Both are widely regarded as developing countries.” 

 How does a country that was once “developed” become “developing”? The phrase “developing country” implies that there are countries that have achieved development, and countries that are on their way. It leaves no room for the possibility that a nation, once it developed, can “un-develop” itself. It’s like saying that a “growing child” can become “un-grown.” 

And yet, that’s exactly what is happening to the United States.

Albeit, other measurements and reports may not place the US below Cuba or Serbia, but most major measurements seem to point one way: down. Life expectancy is declining. Economic inequality is rising. Other measurements are flat at best.

Opinion | Is Progress Obsolete? The United States Is Now an ‘Un-Developing’ Country | Richard Eskow (commondreams.org)

 Agricultural water use makes up nearly 80% of total water consumption in the Colorado River basin, with roughly half of that going toward the production of alfalfa hay, according to a 2020 study. One out of every three farmed acres in  California’s Imperial Valley is dedicated to growing alfalfa, which dries into a high-protein hay commonly used as food for livestock. 

The large-scale production of alfalfa during a megadrought is, in a large part, possible because the Imperial Valley is the single biggest controller of rights to Colorado River water. Now, with the basin on the brink of the most severe water cuts in history, the alfalfa industry has been propelled to the center of longstanding debates over sustainable water use and the future of farming in the west.  Farmers have faced growing criticism for what some have characterized as the “perverse” practice of growing a thirsty crop – none of which goes directly to feeding people – in a drought-stricken region.

The Colorado River, which supplies freshwater to more than 40 million people in seven states and 29 federally recognized tribes across the south-west, as well as northern Mexico, is in rapid decline. Reduced snowpack, drought conditions and higher average temperatures have all reduced the river’s flow in recent decades.

The two biggest reservoirs along the river, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are each close to hitting levels so low that the Colorado River could stop flowing entirely, a condition ominously known as dead pool.

 “We’re teetering on the edge,” said Jack Schmidt, a professor and director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. “We’re irrigating alfalfa in 120-degree temperatures in the dead of July … how does that possibly make any sense?” Schmidt said.

Alfalfa production in California uses around 5 feet an acre (6167.4 cubic metres) of water, making it one of the most water-intensive crops alongside the likes of almonds, pistachios and rice. Crops such as sugar beets use roughly 3 feet an acre (3,700 cubic metres), and dry beans as little as 1.5 feet each acre (1,850 cubic metres).

Stephen Hawk, a fourth-generation farmer who grows a mix of forage crops and vegetables, decided to scale back production of alfalfa – then his biggest crop. He ramped up production of vegetables like lettuce, onions, carrots and sugar beets. In addition to conserving water, the decision allowed him to diversify revenue streams and practice ground rotation, which comes with soil health benefits. 

“We’re ultimately stewards of the land and our resources,” Hawk said. “And our water is our most precious resource.” He added: “There’s a lot of farms that are 100% forage. That’s going to be very difficult for them to continue. When there’s a shortage, they won’t have enough water to farm all their acres.”

Policymakers have imposed various restrictions aimed at curtailing residential water use, including limiting pool sizes and paying people to rip up their lawns. But others argue that municipal conservation measures can only go so far.

“Even if everybody ripped up their lawns and planted native plants that didn’t need to be irrigated, we’re still going to have this problem. We need to address agriculture straight on,” said Amanda Starbuck, research director of Food & Water Watch, an advocacy group on farming and water issues. “Alfalfa is one of the major crops that is being grown with this water. And it is unfortunately one of the most water-thirsty”.

In 2021, nearly 20% of alfalfa produced in the west was shipped abroad, according to analysis of United States Department of Agriculture data. Nationwide, alfalfa exports reached a record high last year, driven by strong demand from China. Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia are among other top importers.

It’s the thirstiest crop in the US south-west. Will the drought put alfalfa farmers out of business? | Water | The Guardian

 According to statistics compiled by CBS, as of 16 September Texas and Arizona had sent almost 300 buses carrying approximately 13,000 migrants to Washington DC, New York and Chicago. Florida has become the third Republican-run state to traffic migrants/asylum seekers to Democratic controlled states or cities. The bulk of these people were sent from Texas.

“Extreme climate change risks are under-explored,” Luke Kemp, a researcher with the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, warned. “Climate scholars have strong incentives to err on the side of least drama. You don’t want to be branded an alarmist.” But with fossil fuel emissions still going up and climate-fuelled disasters multiplying, it’s time for an “honest assessment of the risks and what can be done”, he told an audience with a frank assessments of looming threats.

As they grapple with ever-clearer data about how close the planet may be to irreversible tipping points, scientists say they are struggling to deliver clear and realistic warnings about the unthinkable, without undermining hope.

With new evidence that catastrophic climate-change “tipping points” are nearing – from surging sea levels as polar ice melts to spiking temperatures as methane escapes thawing permafrost scientists are quietly planning for the unthinkable.

“It’s scary and it’s real – and these are the futures that are going to be opening up to us if we don’t act strongly now,” warned Laura Pereira of the Global Change Institute at South Africa’s Witwatersrand University.

A study in the journal Science found that four dangerous planetary tipping points are “likely” above 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) of warming above preindustrial temperatures – a level that could be passed within a decade.  Tipping points happen when a small change – such as an incremental increase in global temperature – sparks a rapid, often irreversible transformation, scientists say.

Accelerating melting leading to the eventual collapse of the Greenland ice sheet may have already been triggered, setting in motion 7 metres (23 feet) of sea level rise over an indeterminant time, enough to swamp key coastal cities.

David King, former chief scientific advisor for Britain and founder of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, an expert panel, said he thinks “the Arctic circle tipping points are now passed”.

With the Arctic having warmed 3C – well above the global average, which is already about 1.3C, risks are also growing that large amounts of methane trapped in thawing permafrost could be released. Adding much more of that potent greenhouse gas to the atmosphere could drive an unstoppable cycle of higher global temperatures and more melting.

“If all of that is released, we’ll see temperatures rise 5-8C (8-14F) over 20 years,” he said, adding this would be “extraordinarily destructive to the future of humanity”, likely causing food system collapse and displacing billions of people.

An array of new efforts to reduce catastrophic risk – or to deal with the consequences of failing – are starting to appear.

Efforts to pass a fossil fuel “non-proliferation” treaty – designed to end new oil, gas and coal exploration and production – are gathering steam, while the Bezos Earth Fund this week put $1.15 million into efforts to “activate” positive tipping points. “non-proliferation” treaty. Scientists also want a special report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on catastrophic climate change and tipping points, in part to help raise the profile of the threats.