Els Torreele
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elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele
@elstorreele.bsky.social
570 followers 620 following 100 posts

Interested in Shifting Powers towards Health Equity, Economic Justice, post-Finance Capitalism, Climate Justice, Equitable Access to Medicines and Vaccines, and a better future for all of us. Founding Director of æqua.

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Environmental science 28%
Economics 20%
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elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · Jul 4
👇 Podcast: Reflecting on the deadly impact of US global health funding cuts incl stopping people's #AccessToMedicines, I talk about the root causes of #access dependency and why pharmaceutical self-reliance for public health purpose is a strategic priority.

open.spotify.com/episode/64o8...
Rethinking Global Health, Aid Funding and HIV Response
Make Medicines Affordable · Episode
open.spotify.com

Reposted by Alison Phipps, Els Torreele

davidwearing.bsky.social
David Wearing @davidwearing.bsky.social · 17h
The diplomatic "achievement" of the ceasefire was to recalibrate the tempo of the genocide sufficiently to get it off the front pages and the news bulletins, thus alleviating the political pressure on Israel's western accomplices.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Israel still committing genocide in Gaza, Amnesty International says
The NGO’s chief says last month’s ceasefire ‘risks creating a dangerous illusion that life in Gaza is returning to normal’
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

yanisvaroufakis.bsky.social
Yanis Varoufakis @yanisvaroufakis.bsky.social · 18h
How Amazon, from its warehouses to the killing fields of Gaza to our public services, is becoming out technofeudal overlord. And how the Resistance is already beginning! www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
How Amazon turned our capitalist era of free markets into the age of technofeudalism | Yanis Varoufakis
Amazon Web Services owns the basic infrastructure for other businesses to operate online, turning even governments into its serfs, says the leader of MeRA25, Yanis Varoufakis
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

jasonhickel.bsky.social
Jason Hickel @jasonhickel.bsky.social · 1d
The UN General Assembly resolution against torture was rejected by only three countries: the US, Israel, and Argentina, who remind the world that they oppose even the most basic principles of humanity.

Reposted by Els Torreele

jasonhickel.bsky.social
Jason Hickel @jasonhickel.bsky.social · 1d
This new report from the Grantham Institute is crucial. And it's quite striking to see it published... it seems to indicate people are willing to consider policy ideas long treated as taboo.

www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminst...
Revisiting central bank independence for the climate era: insights from the People’s Bank of China - Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment
This paper explores the relationship between independence and climate action through an in-depth study of the PBoC, comparing it with Western central banks.
www.lse.ac.uk

Reposted by Els Torreele, Christina Pagel, David Darmofal

apoorvanyt.bsky.social
Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 1d
SCOOP: The Trump administration has instructed employees and grantees not to use U.S. funds to commemorate World AIDS Day — because the observance was started by the World Health Organization.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/h...
Trump Administration Cancels U.S. Observance of World AIDS Day
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

wajali.bsky.social
Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 2d
Palantir, Thiel's company, has received billions of dollars to create a surveillance state and is now being used by authoritarians to crack down on dissent and go after immigrants.

What could go wrong?

We're talking about it with author and expert Michael Steinberger.

thelefthook.substack.com
The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali | Substack
A political, cultural, and intellectual playground for the rest of us with writer Wajahat Ali. Click to read The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscriber...
thelefthook.substack.com

Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, Els Torreele

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 2d
Over a quarter of Trump's proposed $1T military budget would go to just four companies who have spent $103B in taxpayer dollars on stock buybacks and dividends over the last decade.

He wants to use your money to make the military-industrial complex even richer.

Reposted by Els Torreele

electricbluesfan.bsky.social
RichardJR @electricbluesfan.bsky.social · 3d
9/10 This is the biggest chemistry experiment on the planet in 66 million years.

The Earth is indifferent to what is politically possible. It has wiped away living worlds before.

Getting emissions to zero will be maddeningly difficult, but the alternative is a derangement of the carbon cycle.

Reposted by John Hogan, Els Torreele

annpettifor.bsky.social
Ann Pettifor @annpettifor.bsky.social · 4d
Low income countries are enduring the worst sovereign debt crisis ever….debt service absorbs an average of 43% of budget revenues paid to foreign and domestic creditors. Germany got debt relief after World War 2 benefitting both Germany & EU.

Africa needs the same.

www.ft.com/content/1637...
Letter: Can Africa’s creditors learn from Germany’s debt deal?
From Ann Pettifor, Ex-Director, Jubilee 2000 campaign, 1997-2000, London NW1, UK
www.ft.com

Reposted by Wolfgang Crämer, Els Torreele

scientifiquesenrebellion.fr
Scientifiques en rébellion @scientifiquesenrebellion.fr · 4d
💥 LE FINAL de notre action « Fin de la COP30 : Jour de Colère » - à regarder jusqu’au bout 💙.

@scientifiquesenrebellion.fr et l'Orchestre du nouveau monde jouent le Dies Irae de Verdi après de 8h de lectures de textes scientifiques lors d'une action de 10h marquant les 10 ans de l'Accord de Paris.

Reposted by Els Torreele

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 4d
The biggest divide is not between “right” and “left." It’s between democracy and oligarchy. The billionaires who control our economy and democracy seek to divide us. They want us to turn on each other so we don't look up and see that they have all the wealth and power.

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Meredith Broussard, Daniel Kim , and 6 more

hypervisible.blacksky.app
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 4d
“Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a lawsuit by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.”
Meta buried 'causal' evidence of social media harm, US court filings allege - The Economic Times
Meta reportedly halted internal research into the mental health impacts of Facebook and Instagram after finding causal evidence of harm. Internal documents revealed users reported lower depression and...
m.economictimes.com

Reposted by Els Torreele, Glenda Sluga

madhupai.bsky.social
Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 4d
Every year, around Climate COP conference, I remember this street art by Isaac Cordal

"Politicians discussing climate change"

Reposted by Els Torreele

davidgraeberinst.bsky.social
David Graeber Institute @davidgraeberinst.bsky.social · 4d
Why is the priority of the economy not to house the homeless and ensure everyone has good healthcare?
it used to be the economy was the way we provide people with food shelters and other necessities to keep them alive. now we are all supposed to die for the sake of the ecomy. What is this thing they are talking about. is it just code for rich people. class power, or what.

Reposted by Marina Jirotka, Jussi T. Eronen, Els Torreele , and 2 more

sabrinafernandes.com
Sabrina Fernandes @sabrinafernandes.com · 5d
COP30 overpromised, underdelivered, empowered distractions, backtracked on issues and once again gave big oil and big ag a free pass.

Unfortunately, the suspicions of climate scientists (here in Brazil and abroad) were confirmed again.

Reposted by David Johnson, Gerald Friedman, Els Torreele

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 5d
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

-FDR, 1937

Reposted by Els Torreele

alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social
alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social @alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social · 5d
Former Brexit Party MEP #NathanGill has been sentenced to 10,5 yrs in prison for taking Russian bribes while he was in office at the EP. Whatsapp messages revealed he had received over €45,000 from #OlegVoloshyn He was bribed to make pro-Russian statements www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/1... #AfD
Former Brexit MEP jailed for 10 years for taking Russian bribes
A series of Whatsapp messages revealed that the British MEP had received over €45,000 from an alleged Russian asset to make pro-Kremlin statements.
www.brusselstimes.com

Reposted by Raffaella Ravinetto, Els Torreele

schuklenk.bsky.social
Udo Schuklenk @schuklenk.bsky.social · 7d
Physical Accessibility of Medicines in Countries Hosting Trials for FDA Approvals url: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Important paper, if unsurprising findings… some things never change
Physical Accessibility of Medicines in Countries Hosting Trials for FDA Approvals
This cross-sectional study aims to determine whether and when medicines receive market authorization in the countries where they are tested for US Food and Drug Administration approval, as well as tre...
jamanetwork.com

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Meri Koivusalo, Els Torreele

timothysnyder.bsky.social
Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 8d
Extraordinary that the Texas government would be so corrupt that it would have to black out more than 80% of its emails with Elon Musk.

Reposted by Els Torreele

corporateeurope.org
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · 8d
Both political forces want to get rid of NGOs that are advocating for protective EU rules on issues related to health, environment and climate + are the same political groups that are pushing the deregulation agenda and weakening all kinds of protective rules.
corporateeurope.org/en/2025/11/b...
Boycott the EP’s Scrutiny Working Group on NGOs | Corporate Europe Observatory
CEO joins 30+ organisations asking the political groups in the European Parliament to boycott the new scrutiny working group on NGOs.
corporateeurope.org

Reposted by Els Torreele

corporateeurope.org
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) @corporateeurope.org · 8d
"The new scrutiny working group (SWG) on NGOs in the European parliament as set up by the far-right & EPP should be boycotted by the other political groups.This SWG is nothing more than a political translation of the smear campaign against civil society by the far-right", says CEO's Hans van Scharen

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Nandita Sharma, Joe R. Feagin , and 16 more

karenattiah.bsky.social
Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 9d
A reminder that seven years ago almost to the day, the CIA determined that Mohammed Bin Salman ordered the killing of @washingtonpost.com journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

I hired and worked with Jamal for a year.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/nation...
CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination
Audio recordings, intercepted phone calls and other intelligence link Mohammed bin Salman to killing that Saudis say was conducted by rogue elements.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

oliclassen.bsky.social
Oliver Classen @oliclassen.bsky.social · 9d
50 years after the baby formula scandal, @publiceye.ch shows that, regarding sugar, a similar malpractice continues.

In an open letter, 19 civil society organisations in 13 countries are calling on Nestlé to put an end to inacceptable double standard.

www.publiceye.ch/en/topics/cr...

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Meredith Broussard, Ian Hall , and 10 more

felipegaonar.bsky.social
Felipe Gaona @felipegaonar.bsky.social · 13d
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.

Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally
A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...
www.yahoo.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

healthpolicywatch.bsky.social
Health Policy Watch - Global health news reporting @healthpolicywatch.bsky.social · 14d
🌍 Brazil launches the Belém Health Action Plan at #COP30 — a roadmap to protect 3.3B people from climate-driven health threats.

But nations offered zero new finance. Only a $300M philanthropic pledge vs >$11B/yr needed for a basic plan.

@cleanairfund.bsky.social @wellcometrust.bsky.social
📖⬇️ & 🙏🔁
Brazil Wins Limited Backing For COP30 Climate-Health Plan, But Nations Commit No Finance - Health Policy Watch
Brazil launched a sweeping climate-health action plan on Thursday, named after the COP30 host city in the Amazon, winning initial endorsements from roughly
healthpolicy-watch.news

Reposted by Els Torreele

euobserver.com
euobserver — EU news that matters @euobserver.com · 14d
The European Parliament’s biggest political group, the centre-right European People’s Party, has teamed up with the far right to roll back major parts of the EU’s green corporate rulebook.
EU conservatives join far-right to gut green rules
The European Parliament’s biggest political group, the centre-right European People’s Party, has teamed up with the far right to roll back major parts of the EU’s green corporate rulebook.
euobserver.com

Reposted by Beatriz Gallardo Paúls, Els Torreele, Clean Clothes Campaign

eccjorg.bsky.social
European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) @eccjorg.bsky.social · 15d
🚨For the first time, @europarl.europa.eu has adopted a legislative mandate thanks to an alliance between conservatives & the far right

This vote marks a dangerous turning point for EU democracy. When anti-EU forces & lobbies write the rules, accountability dies
corporatejustice.org/news/press-r...
PRESS RELEASE European Parliament’s far-right alliance adopts position on Omnibus I: Corporate capture on full display, written for the few not for people or planet - ECCJ
corporatejustice.org

Reposted by Els Torreele

francesryan.bsky.social
Frances Ryan @francesryan.bsky.social · 15d
“Policies that favour the interests of the working class are disregarded as a fantasy, whereas those that push wealth and power towards the rich are seen as a realistic status quo.”

My col. on a politics and media that normalises Reform and dismisses the Greens. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Labour’s rebuttal to the Green party this week sums up the double standard that dogs our politics | Frances Ryan
Why is it that the politics of hope offered up by the left is dismissed as naive, while the policies of the centre and right are portrayed as all that is possible? asks Guardian columnist Frances Ryan
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Raffaella Ravinetto, Richard Larouche, Els Torreele

madhupai.bsky.social
Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 15d
The fact that children in 2025 are suffering from diseases that should have been consigned to history is not just a public health failure. It is a moral failure.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/12/c...
Kids have a right to vaccinations. Let's bring in the lawyers
Children suffering from diseases that should have been consigned to history is a moral failure. Access to vaccines is a human right.
www.statnews.com

Reposted by Colin F. Camerer, Els Torreele, Brian Keegan

ebharrington.bsky.social
Brooke Harrington @ebharrington.bsky.social · 15d
What the Epstein files show is the *solidarity* of many men-across class, race, religion, profession & party affiliation-in the global political project of keeping the boot on women's necks.

People have no problem understanding class solidarity among the rich. Why can't they see gender solidarity?
mollymckew.bsky.social Molly McKew @mollymckew.bsky.social · 15d
Like I dunno, maybe the reason it took a lady to break open the story of all the men protecting the dude trafficking underage girls is because the male journos were all emailing him making jokes about it?