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File:  ltr to Congress, 76 scientists 2012.pdfResource Type: Letters

File:  ltr to Congress, 76 scientists 2012.pdfResource Type: Letters

Oil and gas operators walked away from a record number of wells in Colorado over the past year, with two operators responsible for the vast majority. According to a state report, 576 wells were added to the state’s Orphaned Well Program in fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30. Of those, 551 were abandoned by two operators: Omimex Petroleum Inc, which abandoned 339 wells, and WME Yates LLC, which abandoned 212 wells.

In 2022, Colorado strengthened its rules around the financial assurance companies must provide before being allowed to drill in the state. Both Omimex and WME Yates failed to comply with the rules, including failing to pay fines and to pay to plug and clean up well sites. Neither company remains in business, and their wells are now the property—and financial responsibility—of the state. Also in 2022, Colorado added a new fee that operators pay per well; regulators hope this fee will generate $115 million over the next five years for the Orphan Wells Mitigation Enterprise Fund. In the meantime, much of the funding to plug orphaned wells is coming from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.

Over the past year, Colorado plugged 132 orphaned wells. While this is a record, it is far fewer than the 576 orphaned wells that were added to the program’s backlog last fiscal year. That backlog now sits at 912 orphaned wells across the state, and regulators estimate that as many as 33,000 orphaned wells will eventually need to be plugged by the state. Orphaned and abandoned wells, if unplugged or improperly plugged, are more likely to leak oil and natural gas into the surrounding soil and air, posing health risks to nearby communities and harming animals and plants.

Quick hits Havasupai Tribe continues to oppose controversial uranium mine

Cronkite News

Wyoming calls off sale of wildlife-rich tract in Jackson Hole (not the Kelly Parcel)

WyoFile

How ranchers and conservationists joined forces to stop drilling in Colorado’s Thompson Divide

New York Times

NM releases draft feasibility study for controversial drilling wastewater proposal

NM Political Report

Water donation headed to Great Salt Lake

Utah News Dispatch | Salt Lake Tribune

US nuclear repository is among the federally owned spots identified for renewable energy projects

Associated Press

Opinion: Striving for solar development balance on Nevada public lands

Nevada Current

Opinion: Draft of Forest Service’s policy is a good step, but it must go further to protect Colorado’s old-growth forests

Colorado Sun

Quote of the day

This planning process could determine the pattern of energy development on desert public lands in this extraordinary landscape for decades to come. They’ve got to get it right.”

—Mason Voehl, Amargosa Conservancy, Nevada Current

Picture This @usinterior

The Dena’ina people call this special place “Yaghanen” — the good land. It’s also known as the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

From ice fields and glaciers to tundra, forests and coastal wetlands, the Kenai Refuge is often called “Alaska in miniature.”

Alaska’s most-visited refuge is nearly two million acres in size. World-class fishing, camping and hiking opportunities draw people from around the world.

Photo by @usfws

 

Featured image: A pumpjack in northeastern Colorado, Greg Goebel via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0

The post Orphaned wells in Colorado doubled over past year appeared first on Center for Western Priorities.

At Green Action Centre’s Annual General Meeting back in June we elected four new members for our Board of Directors! Since they’ll be having their first official Board Meeting this month, we thought it high time we officially introduced them. We’re very excited to have these four very talented individuals joining our board! Please give a warm welcome to…

 

Omolola Fashesin CPA, MBA
Director

Omolola Fashesin is a Principal with the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB). In this role, she helps to shape the future of sustainability standards through technical research, market outreach, educational and awareness building activities.

In her previous role as Head of Sustainability at Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Omolola was pivotal in crafting and executing the company’s sustainability strategy. She supported the development of environmentally and socially responsible business practices across the organization’s wide-ranging services, including Banking, Stock Broking, Investment Advisory, Asset Management, Pension Funds Management, Trustees, and Insurance Brokerage. Her commitment to reducing the company’s environmental impact was evident through initiatives aimed at energy conservation, paper reduction, and waste recycling. Moreover, she was instrumental in creating programs that bolstered female entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

Omolola holds a CPA designation and received her MBA from the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. She is a Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) credential holder and has completed the Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR™) program offered by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.

Through her expertise and dedication, Omolola continues to be a driving force in shaping a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible corporate landscape.

 

Anjen McLean
Director

Anjen is an advisor in risk management, strategy and change management. She is passionate about working with companies and leaders to implement change that is resilient and sustainable. Anjen uses her experience gained in many countries, industries and cultures to bring different perspectives to strategic and tactical challenges. She encourages the use of deep listening and an inclusive approach to develop solutions that are more likely to result in change that sticks.

After working in leadership positions in risk management for many years- designing and implementing enterprise risk management frameworks that support strategic plans, Anjen is now focused on providing coaching and advisory support in risk management and change management and operational excellence. Her focus is on issues that advance responsible stewardship of the environment, good governance and respect for diversity of thought and experiences. Recent and current projects include the implementation of ESG frameworks in medium and large organizations.

Anjen holds a bachelor’s degree in management studies from the University of the West Indies (Trinidad). She also holds a master’s degree in financial management from Middlesex University (London UK). She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Change Management Advanced Instructor and RIMS certified risk management practitioner.

Having lived in the Caribbean and the UK, Anjen is now growing roots in Winnipeg with her two teenagers. Anjen loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking. She hopes to discover all that the province has to offer.

 

Tory McNally
Director

Tory McNally is an enthusiastic new board member of the Green Action Centre, bringing her extensive expertise in Human Resources to support the organization’s mission of promoting environmental sustainability. With over 15 years of experience in HR leadership across various sectors, Tory excels in talent management, organizational development, and creating inclusive work environments that foster growth and collaboration.

A passionate advocate for the planet, Tory integrates her professional skills with her love for the environment. On warm and sunny days, she enjoys riding her bike to work and enjoying the outdoors.

 

Mark Ranson
Director

Mark Ranson is a Building Science and Renovation Consultant. Mark has over 40 years’ experience in the construction, renovation and energy efficiency fields, and has both designed, and delivered training in these fields.

Starting in 1981, Mark was the co-owner of a successful contracting company whose projects include everything from changing a 90-year-old house into three luxury condominiums, to turning a 1000 sq. ft. bungalow, into a 2500 sq. ft., two story home. Mark has also supervised the construction of a 20,000 Sq./Ft Energy Efficient hospital in Swan River and a personal care Home in Benito, Mb.

Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experience working with the latest materials and technology. One project that Mark was responsible for was the ground breaking construction of a new home in Winnipeg, that demonstrated the ultimate in energy efficiency. This home far exceeded R2000 standards. Of high concern during construction was the use of all environmentally safe materials that used the least amount of embodied energy, and did not off gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). This intense attention to detail makes this home the apex to which all environmentally friendly homes should aspire to.

As a result of the attention to detail and the focus on energy efficiency this house won the Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency’s national Award for New Housing. Mark also won the R-2000 Award for Technical Merit as this house was recorded as the tightest building envelope on record in the R-2000 Program.

Mark’s experiences cover everything from developing and teaching entry level, and professional development training courses for the Manitoba Renovation Contractors Association (MRCA); to contracting and developing the Home Energy Savers Workshops for the Government of Manitoba and Manitoba Hydro – for which he was responsible for its delivery throughout the province. The Entry Level Carpentry Course, developed by Mark and was run by the MRCA in partnership with Manitoba Education and Training is accredited for carpentry apprenticeship level one within the Province of Manitoba.

Mark was the President of the Manitoba Renovation Contractors Association, which was founded in 1990. Under his leadership, the association grew from four original members, to sixty-four members. Mark was instrumental in the merger of the MRCA and the Manitoba Home Builders Association in 2001.

Mark was also the Director of the Manitoba Government’s Community Places Program (CPP). CPP provided funding and planning assistance to non-profit community organizations for strategic planning, facility construction, upgrading, expansion and acquisition projects. As an experienced professional, with knowledge of all aspects of residential and light commercial construction, organizational planning and energy related fields, Mark will be happy to be an active member of the Green Action team.

 

What is Circular Economy Month?

Powered by Circular Innovation Council, Circular Economy Month is Canada’s public awareness campaign dedicated to educating and empowering Canadians to support an economy that protects the planet and prioritizes people.

A circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves creating long-lasting products that can be re-used and repaired. Unfortunately, we currently live in a linear economy, where products are mostly designed to be used once and then thrown away. This has contributed to a significant amount of waste ending up in landfills or polluting our air and water. Circular living benefits consumers because products would be purchased once and built to last.

What can you do?

This year, Green Action Centre has partnered with the City of Winnipeg and West End Resource Centre to offer two free workshops this month:

Buy Less, Fix More, Trade Often
October 23, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
West End Resource Centre

In this workshop, we’ll explore the environmental impact of our buying habits and discover how fixing and trading items can benefit both the planet and our communities. We will share tips, explore resources, and dive into how small changes can make a big difference. Join us as we learn more about how we can be more mindful consumers while helping our planet!

Register Here

DIY Workshop – Rag Rug Making
October 30, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
West End Resource Centre

Did you know that clothing and textiles currently make up at least 7% of the total amount of waste in global landfill space? Instead of throwing out our unwanted clothing items, we can use the materials to create something new. In this DIY workshop, we will learn how to turn fabric scraps into a beautiful rug! Be sure to bring your old rags, t-shirts, and jeans and learn how to give these items a new life.

Register Here

This event series is made possible by funding from the City of Winnipeg.

Fall is just around the corner and so is a month of sustainable transportation. This October, participate in Gotober and Walktober!

Gotober

Log your carpool, bus, bike and walk trips all October to earn points. The more points you earn, the more chances you have to win some awesome prizes. In order to participate, you must be signed up with GoManitoba. Visit GoMB.ca  to sign up today!

 

Walktober

Each October, Green Action Centre encourages parents, teachers and kids to lace up their sneakers and walk throughout the month. This is not only  to enjoy time outside before the weather gets colder, its also to support active and sustainble transportation and reduce the number of cars dropping kids off at schools. Register your classroom or kids to recieve the walktober activity kit. This October, we are challenging teachers to take their classrooms on a Walkabout! This fun activity gets kids exploring the neighborhood around schools and has them look at it through a new lense. 

Register for Walktober here!

 

Prizes to be won for Gotober:

• Check back here for the updated list! 

WE, the more than 400 delegates, comprised of farmers, youth, women, entrepreneurs, researchers, CSOs, and policy actors, attending the Tripartite Event on African Agroecological Entrepreneurship, the Harare Seed and Food Festival, and the 5th Biennial Food System Celebration held in Harare, Zimbabwe from 11th to 14th September 2024, under the theme ‘Celebrating Our Healthy African […]

The post HARARE DECLARATION OF COMMITMENT AND CALL TO ACTION first appeared on AFSA.

Since 2017, Green Action Centre’s rideshare tool has connected folks to carpools, transit, bike routes and more. This year, we relaunched GoManitoba on a more user-friendly platform.

Register today!

Become a GoManitoba Network!

Thanks to the support of the Province of Manitoba, we are offering SIX MONTHS FREE for your organization to become a GoManitoba network. You will get access to all of the great tools that come with GoManitoba as well as support to build your program from Green Action Centre. After six months, you can choose to stick with a low subscription rate, or to become a full network partner. This tool is a fantastic way to support your staff to save money and reduce their environmental impact!

Check out more details and pricing: GoManitoba – NEW info sheet

Interested in creating a Network? Fill out this form! 

 

Why consider GoManitoba at this time?

• Emergency Ride Home: “I’d love to carpool/bike/bus BUT what if _____?” With your GoManitoba subscription, you get FREE access to the Emergency Ride Home program, administered by Green Action Centre. This is a fantastic benefit to offer your employees!
• Custom Branding and URL: Your workplace’s branding, text and images.
• Multi-modal Solution: Supports all sustainable travel options like carpooling, cycling, walking, transit and telecommuting.
• Advanced Matching Technology: RideAmigo’s matching algorithms match users based on proximity to origin, destination, actual travel route, and personal preferences.
• Incentives & Gamification: You can reward your employees for participating and logging their trips. You set the rules and incentives!
• 24/7 Administrative Portal: Access your information at any time securely. Filter, map, export your data at any time.
• Trip Logging Calendar: RideAmigo’s trip logging calendar allows users to log their trips – a diary for commute activity! GoManitoba offers syncing to many fitness apps.
• Data Privacy and Security: Database security is RideAmigo’s priority. Using the latest technologies available, they make sure that your data is protected and stored in Canada.

Our commuting research shows the RISE in interest in sustainable commuting, especially biking, since the pandemic. While we bid farewell to this health crisis, the reality is the economic and environmental crisis are of deep concern to many Manitobans, and both are entrenched in our transportation system.

Did you know:

• The average Canadian spends $8,000 – $12,000 a year to commute via personal vehicle. Reduce the stress those in your organization face when driving alone.
• During the pandemic, most don’t miss their commute … except those who travel sustainably. Bring joy to your organization by offering choices for folks to love their trip!
• 91% of Canadians say climate change is a serious issue. Help your team make a positive impact by traveling sustainably, even just once or twice a week!
• Active travel has many mental and physical health benefits. Help to reduce the barriers your team is facing to find routes, buddies and motivation!

GoManitoba continues to grow and we would love to work with you to find all of the benefits for your region or organization. Connect with gohappy@greenactioncentre.ca to set-up a time to chat.

Happy travels!

On September 11th 2024 and September 21st 2024, Green Action Centre will be hosting its second annual mobility fair. The purpose of these events is to showcase a variety of transportation options that people with disabilities and older folks can use to maintain a healthy, independent and sustainable lifestyle.

During these free, drop-in events, folks will have the opportunity to browse equipment, learn about transportation alternatives in the city, grab some take-home resources and listen to a presentation or two. Limited refreshments will be provided. Many of the vendors will be stationed outside so be sure to wear comfortable footwear and check the weather beforehand. Bike Winnipeg will be providing a courtesy bike valet for both events, in addition to the remainder of the parking lots. These events will be accessible to mobility aids.

Our first event will be open from 9am to 2pm on September 11th at the Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex on 999 Sargent Ave. Our second event will be open from 9am to 2pm September 21st at the Dakota Community Centre at 1188 Dakota St.

Click here to learn more about our Mobility Fair 2023.

Featured Vendors and Presenters 

• Bike Winnipeg/Bike Valet
• Plain Bicycle/Winnipeg Trails
• City of Winnipeg Active Transportation
• Accessible Sports Connection Manitoba
• Manitoba Possible
• Manitoba Accessibility Office
• Vision Impaired Resource Network
• Barrier Free Manitoba
• C-5 Mobility
• Active Aging in Manitoba
• Alzheimer’s Society
• CNIB Foundation
• Easy Street Rehabilitation
• MPI
• Reliable Mobility showcasing (Mobility Scooters)
• Transit Travel Trainer with Winnipeg Transit
• Winnipeg WAV
• And more!

And lastly, a big thanks to Winnipeg Foundation for the continued support of our programming.

Empowering Agroecological Entrepreneurs, Celebrating African Food Heritage, and Building Resilient Markets for a Sustainable Future. Harare, Zimbabwe | September 11-14, 2024 – As Africa grapples with the triple burden of malnutrition, climate crises, and biodiversity erosion, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) is set to host a landmark tripartite event in Harare, Zimbabwe. […]

The post PRESS RELEASE: AFSA ANNOUNCES THREE MAJOR CONFERENCES IN HARARE first appeared on AFSA.

Biofuelwatch submission to US Forest Service Consultation I am writing on behalf of Biofuelwatch, an international organization with staff in the USA and UK. Our organization campaigns against large scale bioenergy, in particular wood pellets and chips for power generation, falsely presented as and subsidized as “renewable energy”.   Protecting forests is an effective climate solution while burning them releases more greenhouse gases, undermines potential for C sequestration, and destroys biodiversity.  As part of our campaign efforts we advocate for protection of natural forests. We strongly support the intent of the Biden administration’s Executive Order to protect mature and old growth forests. Not long ago, mature and old growth forests blanketed much of our nation, but have drastically dwindled to a small number of remnant pockets under severe logging pressures.  It is imperative, for the sake of current and future generations, that the remaining stands of Old Growth be left standing without any logging interference whatsoever. Rather, these forests should be left under the rule of nature, not logging interests or “managers”. All logging of old growth forests should be halted altogether immediately.  Supporting the regeneration of old growth forests is key to combatting climate change and biodiversity loss.  The protection of mature forests is a critical step toward this goal. Mature forests must be left alone, governed only by the forces of nature to eventually provide new additional stands of old growth forest.   The proposals put forward by the forest service in their DEIS are sadly lacking in real protections, and rather leave monumental loopholes that allow further destruction and fail to meet the intent of the Executive Order.   The DEIS leaves far too many openings for discretionary decision making concerning what counts as “old growth” and favors ambiguous terminology that will not prevent logging or  even supports logging referred to as “proactive management”.  Decades of experience have shown that forest “management” is driven by commercial, not ecological principles. Old growth forests need to be freed from human interference, with “management” determined solely by natural processes.  The DEIS utterly and sadly fails to provide real protections for mature forests. By failing to provide overarching definitions of forest status, the definitions are left to local and regional forest agency discretion, again creating gaping opportunities for continued logging and destruction of both mature and old growth forest. This is unacceptable especially when financial incentives still drive the delivery of old growth trees to mills for sale! No old trees should be sold. It is truly shocking to find that the DEIS essentially ignores the imperatives for forest protection and regeneration that have been centrally featured under international Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on Climate Change. There, delegates from around the globe have worked to shape agreed language and processes for global forest protections in acknowledgement of the essential role of natural forests, and especially old growth and mature forests.  Regeneration of forest cover is considered to be one of the only truly proven and effective measures currently available to make significant progress toward drawing down atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Yet the US Forest Service and BLM appear to be ignorant of the driving imperatives, history and intent of global initiatives to protect forests. We are experiencing increasingly dire impacts of climate change, threatening the health and well-being of people all over the world.  Public lands should be treated to provide the greatest good to the public, not driven by any commercial interests. The highest value to the public for our forests is in service of climate mitigation and biodiversity protection, aesthetics and recreation – not the sale of wood products. Many people go to great lengths to provide themselves and their children with the opportunity to experience the grandeur of old growth forests. It is our opportunity to see just what natural forests can be, free from chainsaws and human “management”.  The Forest Service and BLM have a duty to future generations to ensure that old growth forests, existing and future, remain standing and increase in area.  History will look back on this moment and the decisions we make.  We ask: what legacy does the Forest Service and BLM wish to leave?  One in which vast loopholes, ambiguities  and failures of implementation have all but eliminated the special majesty of old growth forests? Or one in which such forests remain and expand to fulfill their social and ecological values for the benefit of all? 

 

A new mining trade association statement on mining and Indigenous Peoples fails to advance Indigenous rights and creates unnecessary confusion, risking further violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights worldwide. The statement comes as demand for energy transition minerals, which are used in EV batteries and other renewable energy technologies, is skyrocketing. More than half of energy transition minerals worldwide are on Indigenous Peoples’ lands.

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) is the principal trade association of mining companies. Amongst its members are the world’s largest mining multinationals, and its membership represents roughly 30% of the global metals market. The ICMM’s members are expected to adhere to the principles and positions adopted by the organization. As such, the ICMM’s position statements have the potential to be highly influential amongst the largest and most visible global mining companies. Furthermore, the ICMM is trying to develop a “consolidated standard” for responsible mining to serve as a global benchmark for companies to be measured against, although many civil society groups remain skeptical of the process given its industry-controlled governance and the risk of consolidation towards a lowest common denominator, rather than a high-bar, standard.

The ICMM’s updated Indigenous Peoples’ Position Statement was published on August 8th, 2024, replacing the mining industry association’s original Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement published in 2013. While the new ICMM document is little more than a restatement of already existing international Indigenous Rights norms, it risks creating more harm than good. It includes ambiguous and seemingly contradictory language in critical sections, which leave open to broad interpretation how companies should proceed when:

1. a State (i.e. a country) does not recognize the right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), does not recognize the existence of affected Indigenous Peoples within an impacted area, or otherwise fails to carry out an adequate FPIC process;
2. a State approves a project despite lack of consent by an impacted Indigenous community to said project; and
3. acquiring a mine site where FPIC was not carried out or carried out inadequately prior to the company’s acquisition of said mining operation.

These are common scenarios faced by mining companies which put at risk the rights of Indigenous Peoples. A policy that truly acknowledges the inherent rights of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination must provide clear, unambiguous guidance. 

Instead, the statement’s shortcomings risk validating its members’ ongoing and future violations of the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples. These and a series of other critical flaws and shortcomings have been identified by civil society and Indigenous rights organizations including the SIRGE Coalition, First Peoples Worldwide, Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE), and Oxfam America.

The Right of Indigenous Peoples to Withhold Consent as Part of the Right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent

Encouragingly, the statement recognizes the right to withhold consent several times. For example: “[a]s a process, FPIC also enables Indigenous Peoples to freely give or withhold their agreement, should they choose to do so” (on page 15).

Unfortunately, on the very next page it asserts that “[t]here are also situations in which States might determine that a project should be authorised even without consent.”

The ICMM conditions this assertion by clarifying that “international human rights standards establish that such a determination can be made only after the State has made genuine attempts to obtain consent, and the determination must adhere to established criteria of necessity and proportionality for permissible limitations on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, as reflected in UNDRIP.” The statement also goes on to reiterate the independent duty of companies to engage in human rights due diligence regardless of State action. But the decision to include this language and support it by citing Article 46(2)—a controversial provision in the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) that offers little practical clarity as to the scope of its application and has been subject to repeated criticism by Indigenous Peoples and their allies—contradicts the Statement’s purported respect for the right to withhold consent. It conditions this inherent right with hypothetical scenarios in which companies may proceed with mining projects despite an explicit lack of consent.

Companies’ Independent Duty to Respect Human Rights under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

Under international law, States are the actors ultimately responsible for ensuring the protection of human rights. However, one of the great contributions of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) is the explicit requirement for non-state corporate actors to comply with an independent duty to respect fundamental human rights, regardless of the failure of a given State to recognize or protect said rights.

The official commentary to Section II(A)(1.1) of the UNGPs reads as follows:

“The responsibility to respect human rights is a global standard of expected conduct for all business enterprises wherever they operate. It exists independently of States’ abilities and/or willingness to fulfill their own human rights obligations, and does not diminish those obligations. And it exists over and above compliance with national laws and regulations protecting human rights.”

The ICMM’s Position Statement recognizes this by stating on page 3 that “[r]egardless of how States meet their commitments, or where they fail to do so, the independent responsibility for companies to conduct due diligence and establish that they respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples remains.”

However, the statement also asserts on page 2 that “[d]ecisions about whether projects can initially proceed are State decisions.” This language could lead to the interpretation that companies may proceed with a project, regardless of the country’s compliance with its obligations to protect Indigenous rights, as long as they engage in a due diligence process that the statement fails to define with any degree of sufficient clarity and detail.

The failure of a State to conduct a proper FPIC process is a violation of fundamental Indigenous rights, and under such circumstances no project should proceed.

Denial of Retroactive Application of FPIC

According to the Position Statement, no retrospective application of an FPIC process is required in the case of projects where FPIC was never carried out, or was flawed in its execution. This is particularly problematic as many mines owned by ICMM members were opened without an adequate FPIC process, often by non-ICMM member companies. This provision allows ICMM members to freely inherit and profit from the legacies of neocolonialism and environmental racism set in motion by other actors—leaving no entity fully accountable for those harms.

And while the Position Statement calls on companies to provide for and engage in grievance mechanisms with affected communities, it does not require companies to participate in independent grievance mechanisms if they do not deem it necessary or appropriate. The Position Statement is of little-to-no value for rights holders without explicitly setting out how ICMM members’ compliance will be externally monitored, and what steps can be taken by affected Indigenous communities that are accessible and independent of the companies violating their rights.

Falling Behind in Respect for Human Rights

For the Position Statement to be of value it would have to go above and beyond already recognized and widely accepted international human rights norms regarding the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. Instead, it contributes to existing confusion and creates further loopholes for companies to continue to trample on the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world.

At a time when investors and regulators are calling for greater ambition in corporate human rights and environmental performance and demanding more transparent and reliable reporting, the ICMM continues to fall behind global trends in corporate respect for human rights. 

–

For further reading, please see First Peoples Worldwide’s in-depth, critical analysis of the Position Statement here.

The post The International Council on Mining and Metals’ New Indigenous Peoples and Mining Position Statement Risks Doing More Harm Than Good appeared first on Earthworks.

This blog was written in collaboration with Lesley Muñoz Rivera (Colla), a member of the Copiapó community in Chile.

Disponible en español a continuación.

The Colla community in the Atacama Region of Chile has been sounding the alarm about the possible impacts of lithium extraction for the ecosystems they depend on, and, more specifically, for water sources. Over the past few years, multiple companies have been developing lithium extraction projects in areas of the Maricunga Salar and nearby lagoons where they have concessions. Today Earthworks and the Colla Indigenous Community from the Comuna of Copiapó present a new geophysical survey of the Maricunga Salar (salt flat). 

In April 2023, Chile’s government announced a National Lithium Strategy, which established an important role for the Chilean state in the lithium sector through public-private business contracts. In the case of the Maricunga Salar, at the beginning of 2024 the Chilean state mining company, Codelco, bought the Salar Blanco project which is the furthest developed in terms of permitting, given that it has its Environmental Qualification Resolution and is now looking for financing and support to make the project operational.

The Salar de Maricunga is an important habitat for Andean and Chilean flamingo species.

But Codelco must recognize that it has purchased a project with various risks for the company and its financiers and investors. The study published today shows that there is still not enough data available to create an adequate model of the Maricunga Salar’s watershed. This means that we cannot calculate the impacts of lithium extraction for the fragile ecosystems that depend on the salar, or for communities that depend on and have water rights to streams that flow down from the salar. Codelco’s project is currently facing legal challenges in Chile’s Environmental Tribunal, since the project did not implement a consultation process with the Colla Indigenous Community of the Comuna of Copiapó or other communities in the area. This presents further risks for financiers and investors. 

The environmental impact study for the Salar Blanco project focused on data collection in the northern part of the salar where the lithium extraction operations would be located, and concluded that there will be no impacts to the rest of the salar or nearby communities. The Colla Indigenous Community of the Comuna of Copiapó has taken care of this territory for over a century, and it was due to their concerns and observations they raised that we commissioned this study on the geophysical characteristics of the salar. It found:

A map that shows the partial protection of the salar (area inside the green line is protected).

• The clay core in the northern part of the salar could form part of an interconnected system which could make the center and southern parts of the salar vulnerable to the impacts of brine extraction for lithium.
• Corroboration of the hypothesis that subterranean water discharges from the south of the salar to the Paipote stream, which the Colla Indigenous Community of the Comuna of Copiapó has water rights to. 
• The environmental impact assessment does not have sufficient data to assure that the discharges that reach the central and southern zones of the salar are discharged through evaporation.

This year, the Chilean government announced the creation of a network of protected salares as part of its National Lithium Strategy. According to Minister of the Environment Maisa Rojas, “we know that salares are fragile and unique ecosystems, and creating protected areas is an excellent way to guarantee the survival of these ecosystems in the future.” As part of this strategy, the Maricunga Salar was put under partial protection, with protections given to the southern part of the salar where there is a national park and a Ramsar Site, a wetland of international importance. But if a salar is an interconnected system, as is suggested by this new study and the traditional knowledge of the Colla People, Codelco cannot protect the southern part of the salar while moving forward with lithium extraction in the northern part–these goals directly contradict one another. 

A bulletin by the Observatory of Latin American Environmental Conflicts and the Observatory of Mining Conflicts in Latin America from 2021 highlights that, “to understand Maricunga you need a much deeper look than is common, in which the ecosystems that are part of these territories are interconnected.” If the Chilean government wants to protect these fragile and unique ecosystems, it must produce studies that view the salar as an integrated and interconnected system. Partial protection does not consider this and leaves all the species, both human and non-human, that rely on and live alongside this salar vulnerable. 

The dispute surrounding the environmental impact studies of the Salar de Maricunga shows us the importance of consulting with Indigenous communities before a mining project begins. These communities that have spent centuries studying an ecosystem and how it functions thanks to ancestral knowledge of a territory and its life forms, have the right to consent to projects that take place on or near their territories, and consider these projects while watching out for their future survival and for the fragile ecosystems that they depend on and take care of.

• Report: Impacts of Lithium Mining to the Santa Rosa Lagoon Lacustrine System, Salar de Maricunga
• Press Release: New Study on Water Impacts from Lithium Extraction in Chile’s Maricunga Salar

Nuevo estudio sobre los impactos hídricos de la extracción de litio en el Salar de Maricunga en Chile

Este blog fue escrito en colaboración con Lesley Muñoz Rivera (Colla), miembro de la comunidad de Copiapó en Chile.

La Comunidad Colla en la región Atacama de Chile ha estado sonando la alarma sobre los posibles impactos de la extracción de litio para los ecosistemas sobre los cuales dependen, y, en específico, para sus fuentes de agua. En los últimos años, varias empresas han estado ingresando proyectos de extracción de litio en los  lugares donde tienen concesiones en el Salar de Maricunga y lagunas cercanas. Hoy Earthworks y la Comunidad Indígena Colla de la Comuna de Copiapó presentaron una nueva prospección geofísica del Salar de Maricunga. 

En Chile, el gobierno anunció su Estrategia Nacional de Litio en abril 2023, lo cual entre sus medidas establece un papel importante para el estado  chileno en el negocio del litio por medio de negociaciones público-privadas. En el caso del Salar de Maricunga, a inicios de 2024, la empresa estatal Codelco compró el proyecto más avanzado en el salar en cuanto a permisos–ya que el proyecto “Salar Blanco” cuenta con Resolución de Calificación Ambiental aprobada–y ahora está buscando financiamiento y apoyo para poder operacionalizar el proyecto. 

El Salar de Maricunga es un hábitat importante para las especies de flamencos Andinos y Chilenos.

Pero es importante que Codelco reconozca que ha comprado un proyecto con varios riesgos para la empresa, y sus financiadores e inversores. El estudio publicado hoy demuestra que todavía no hay suficientes datos para crear un modelamiento adecuado de la cuenca del Salar de Maricunga. Esto significa que no se puede calcular los impactos de la extracción de litio para ecosistemas frágiles que dependen del salar, o para comunidades que dependen de y tienen derechos a fuentes de agua que corren aguas abajo del salar. Por otro lado este proyecto comprado por Codelco, se encuentra con recursos legales pendientes en el Tribunal Ambiental, puesto que este proyecto no consideró a la Comunidad Indigena Colla de la Comuna de Copiapó y otras comunidades que habitan el territorio, dentro del proceso de consulta, siendo esto parte del riesgo que tiene este proyecto para financiadores e inversores. 

Los estudios de impacto ambiental para el Proyecto Salar Blanco se enfocaron en recolectar datos solo del norte del salar donde se piensa ubicar las operaciones de extracción de litio, y concluyeron que no habrá impactos para el resto del salar o comunidades en la región. La Comunidad Indígena Colla de la Comuna de Copiapó se ha encargado de cuidar este territorio  por más de un siglo, y fue a causa de sus preocupaciones y observaciones que se hizo otro estudio de las características geofísicas del salar.

Pero el estudio presentado hoy encontró que:

Un mapa que muestra la protección parcial del salar (el área dentro de la línea verde está protegida).

• El núcleo arcilloso en el norte del Salar podría formar parte de una sistema interconectado, lo cual podría hacer que la zona centro y sur del Salar sean vulnerables a los impactos de la extracción de salmuera para el litio. 
• Corroboración de la hipótesis de posibles descargas de agua subterránea desde el sur del salar hacia la quebrada Paipote, sobre la cual la Comunidad Indígena Colla de la Comuna de Copiapó cuenta con derechos de agua.
• El Estudio de Impacto Ambiental generado por la empresa no cuenta con datos suficientes para asegurar que toda la descarga que llega a la zona sur y centro del Salar se descarga por evaporación.

Este año, el gobierno chileno anunció la creación de una red de salares protegidos como parte de su Estrategia Nacional de Litio.  Según Maisa Rojas, la ministra del Medio Ambiente, “sabemos que los salares son ecosistemas frágiles y únicos, y crear áreas protegidas es una excelente herramienta para garantizar la sobrevivencia de estos ecosistemas para el futuro.” Bajo esta estrategia, el Salar de Maricunga fue declarado parcialmente protegido, con protecciones otorgadas a la zona sur del salar donde se encuentra un parque nacional y un sitio Ramsar, que reconoce humedales de importancia internacional. Pero si el salar es un sistema interconectado, como sugiere este nuevo estudio geofísico y el conocimiento ancestral del pueblo Colla, Codelco no puede pretender proteger la zona sur mientras se avance con la explotación del litio en la zona norte–representa dos metas que se oponen entre sí. 

Un boletín del Observatorio Latino Americano de Conflictos Ambientales y el Observatorio de Conflictos Mineros de América Latina del 2021, subraya que  “la comprensión de Maricunga contempla necesariamente utilizar una mirada mucho más profunda a la común, en la que se relacionan los ecosistemas que forman parte del territorio.” Si el gobierno chileno quiere proteger estos ecosistemas frágiles y únicos, se tienen que generar estudios que contemplen el salar como un sistema integrado e interconectado. Una protección parcial no contempla esto y deja vulnerable a todos las especies, humanas y no humanas, que dependen de y conviven con este salar.

La disputa sobre los estudios de impacto ambiental del Salar de Maricunga nos demuestra la importancia de consultar a los pueblos indígenas desde antes que comience un proyecto minero. Estas comunidades llevan siglos estudiando el ecosistema y su funcionamiento teniendo conocimiento ancestral sobre el territorio y sus formas de vida, tienen el derecho a decidir sobre los proyectos en o cerca de sus territorios, y contemplan estos proyectos velando por su sobrevivencia indigena a futuro y por los ecosistemas frágiles que cuiden y dependen de.

The post New Study on Water Impacts from Lithium Extraction in Chile’s Maricunga Salar appeared first on Earthworks.

Earlier this month, fracking company CNX released the first round of data from its “radical transparency” program. This initiative is a public-private partnership between Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and a fossil fuel company that the Governor previously brought charges against while serving as the commonwealth’s attorney general. Since the announcement of that partnership, frontline community members and environmental advocates have continuously raised concerns, specifically on the issues of voluntary self-reporting from a company that has faced criminal charges for falsifying data. 

Many feared that CNX would use this partnership to artificially salvage its image. Less than a year later, those fears are becoming a reality. This sanctioned rebranding of a serial and criminally charged polluter could potentially set  precedent for the expansion of fracking next to homes, schools, and playgrounds, and the possible construction of a dangerous hydrogen hub in Appalachia.  

The Shapiro administration has made a grave error in partnering with CNX on a program that is little more than a public relations campaign. This initiative is flawed and the Governor’s office should acknowledge it.

Any policy decisions made using this data is highly problematic. Air and water quality monitoring through this collaboration is questionable. Too few facilities were used in the sample. And, worst of all, those facilities were hand-selected by – and we’ll say it again – a chronic and criminally charged company, CNX. 

There are serious flaws in methodology in this first round of “data.” There are mountains of actual peer-reviewed evidence to the contrary. When it comes to sample size, which only include 11 well pads and 2 midstream facilities, it only represents 0.6% of the 1,850 wells CNX owns across Pennsylvania.

So, what is so radically transparent?

So, what is so radically transparent about this curated, paltry dataset – and what is happening at CNX’s other sites? 

There is plenty of evidence that some CNX well pads are polluting significantly more than what this initiative is showing.. Less than a year ago, an ITC-certified Earthworks thermographer filmed a CNX well pad in Washington County, PA. This well was NOT selected for the “radical transparency” program. An industry-standard optical gas imaging camera captured an enormous plume of pollution, including health-hazardous volatile organic compounds such as BTEX and the climate super pollutant methane, spewing from the facility. This was not a unique event. Publicly available methane emissions data from Carbon Mapper shows at least four methane “super emitter” events near the locations of CNX well pads in 2023.

There is also evidence to suggest that the kind of equipment CNX is using to measure air quality can miss pollution from oil and gas facilities. A report released by Earthworks and Oil Change International in 2023 and revisited in 2024 showed that continuous emission monitors, like those used by CNX, are not reliable due to a variety of human and mechanical errors. These include placing monitors too far away from emissions sources, positioning them too low to the ground to adequately detect pollution, or using too few monitors to effectively detect pollution.

Long Term Consequences: more fracking & more pollution

The announcement of this “Radical Transparency” partnership between Governor Shapiro and CNX came in November 2023 shortly after both the company and the commonwealth were awarded funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) Regional Hydrogen Hub program through the ARCH2 and MACH2 hydrogen hubs respectively. 

The ARCH2 hub, of which CNX is a project partner, is a blue hydrogen hub, which would use fracking as a feedstock to create hydrogen. Despite being called a clean energy source the truth is that this is yet another lifeline to preserve the fracking industry in Appalachia.

The ARCH2 project poses the threat of the continued buildout of fracking infrastructure, more pipelines, underground CO2 injection, and the construction of multiple new chemical facilities. ARCH2 must be held to a higher standard of community engagement and scrutiny if the DOE is going to sink $30 million of our tax dollars into it – especially when dealing with CNX. 

The well-documented history of CNX harming communities and climate will continue if this initiative is to be recognized as a real test of this operator’s pollution problem. The claims CNX makes from its cherry-picked data make a mockery of the actual scientific process, which has produced hundreds of peer-reviewed studies showing health harms from fracking. This company’s “radical transparency” program should not be given unwarranted legitimacy by Pennsylvania’s governor. The future of our planet and the safety of communities should not be determined by flawed data and misleading statements orchestrated by criminally-charged fossil fuel corporations.

The Shapiro administration has made a grave error in partnering with CNX on a program that is little more than a public relations campaign. This initiative is flawed and the Governor’s office should acknowledge it. More than that, Governor Shapiro should follow through on recommendations backed by peer-reviewed evidence and his own 2020 grand jury report, which calls for expanding no-drill zones to protect the health of communities. 

No one wants a politician helping a public relations effort by a company that has shown time and again that it cannot be trusted. Frontline residents want and deserve an elected leader who respects science, follows the facts, and puts  the health of communities above all else.

The post Radically misleading: Governor Shapiro’s dangerous partnership with CNX hurts communities & ignores the facts appeared first on Earthworks.

Informationen und Argumente Gemeinsames Papier von Biofulewatch und ROBIN WOOD

Hier klicken um das Papier zu lesen

Raus aus Kohle, Gas und Holz! Protest vor Vattenfall-Zentrale in Berlin, 25.04.2023, Foto: Stephan Röhl / ROBIN WOOD

Zwischen dem Land Berlin und Vattenfall wurde bereits 2011 eine „Vereinbarung über die Nachhaltigkeit der Biomassebeschaffung” geschlossen – lange bevor es in der EU Nachhaltigkeitskriterien für subventionierte Biomasse-Energie gab. Auch nach dem Kauf von
Vattenfalls Wärmenetz und den Erzeugungsanlagen durch das Land Berlin gilt diese Vereinbarung in ihrer aktuellen Fassung für das neue kommunale Unternehmen Berliner Energie und Wärme AG (BEW) weiter.

Der Auslöser für eine solche Vereinbarung war 2011 öffentliche Kritik an Vattenfalls damaligen Importen von Holzhackschnitzeln aus Liberia. Umwelt- und Sozialkriterien sollten die Kritiker:innen beruhigen. Tatsächlich waren die negativen Auswirkungen dieses Liefervertrags noch verheerender, als die Warnungen von Umweltgruppen vermuten ließen und so kündigte Vattenfall 2012 den Vertrag. Doch bis heute erkannten weder das
Unternehmen noch der Berliner Senat die Tatsache an, dass die Nachhaltigkeitsvereinbarung nicht einmal grobe Verstöße gegen die vereinbarten Kriterien verhinderte.

Auch wenn der Text der Vereinbarung im Jahr 2021 auf einen neueren Stand gebracht wurde, bleiben die Grundprobleme bestehen: Niemand überwacht effektiv die Herkunft des Holzes. Soziale Konflikte sind nur deshalb derzeit nicht virulent, weil seit 2012 kein Holz aus Staaten
außerhalb der EU verbrannt wird. Obwohl die Klimaauswirkungen der Holzverbrennung vergleichbar schwerwiegend sind wie die der Kohleverbrennung, werden sie grundlegend ignoriert. Die Umweltkriterien der Vereinbarung sind so schwach, dass auch Holz aus Schutzgebieten wie zum Beispiel Natura 2000-Gebieten verbrannt werden darf. Ebensowenig effektiv sind freiwillige Waldbewirtschaftungsstandards für Nachhaltigkeit, wie die vorliegende Analyse belegt.

Umweltorganisationen Biofuelwatch und ROBIN WOOD legen Analyse vor und fordern, kein Holz in Kraftwerken zu verfeuern

3. September 2024 – Die Umweltorganisationen ROBIN WOOD und Biofuelwatch haben zwei Tage vor einer Anhörung des Umweltausschusses des Berliner Abgeordnetenhauses eine Analyse der Berliner Nachhaltigkeitsvereinbarung für Biomasse veröffentlicht. Sie zeigen darin auf, warum es mit der Vereinbarung nicht gelingen kann, die Schäden der Holzverbrennung in den Griff zu bekommen. Der Berliner Senat und das neue kommunale Unternehmen BEW (Berliner Energie und Wärme AG) sind nun gefordert, die Expansion der Holzenergie zu stoppen und mehr Energieeinsparung und klimafreundliche erneuerbare Energien in Berlin zu realisieren.

Der Berliner Senat hält auch nach dem Rückkauf der Fernwärmeversorgung an der noch mit dem Energiekonzern Vattenfall geschlossenen Nachhaltigkeitsvereinbarung fest. Zugleich setzt der Senat weiterhin auf den Ausbau der Holzenergie. Der „Dekarbonisierungsfahrplan”, den die BEW von Vattenfall übernommen hat, enthält das Ziel, die Holzenergie bis 2030 auf das 17-fache zu steigern. Für ein großes, neues Holzheizwerk in Reuter West liegt bereits ein Scoping-Antrag vor. Diese Expansion wird von Umweltinitiativen in Berlin und bundesweit scharf kritisiert. 

„Der Berliner Senat versucht, mit der Nachhaltigkeitsvereinbarung der berechtigten Kritik an der Holzverbrennung den Wind aus den Segeln zu nehmen”, sagt Almuth Ernsting, Kodirektorin von Biofuelwatch. „Das war schon 2011 nicht anders. Damals hatte der Senat erstmalig mit Vattenfall eine Nachhaltigkeitsvereinbarung für Biomasse geschlossen. Der Energiekonzern wollte Kritiker*innen seines Imports von Holz aus Liberia mit Sozial- und Umweltkriterien beruhigen. Später wurde jedoch bekannt, dass die Auswirkungen des Projektes auf die lokale Bevölkerung und den Regenwald noch verheerender waren als befürchtet. Doch obwohl die Nachhaltigkeitsvereinbarung schon damals ein Flop war und Berlin das Fernwärmenetz von Vattenfall zurückgekauft hat, setzt der Senat weiter auf diese Karte.”

Die Analyse der beiden Umweltorganisationen zeigt, dass die in der Vereinbarung festgelegten Nachhaltigkeitskriterien keineswegs den Schutz von Wäldern und Natur garantieren. Auch die Einhaltung sozialer Mindeststandards bei der Gewinnung von Holz sind nicht sichergestellt.

So darf auch Holz aus Schutzgebieten wie zum Beispiel Natura 2000-Gebieten verbrannt werden, sogar Holz aus intakten Primärwäldern ist nicht ausgeschlossen. Zudem wird die Herkunft des Holzes nicht effektiv kontrolliert. Die freiwilligen Waldbewirtschaftungsstandards für Nachhaltigkeit, die in der Vereinbarung aufgelistet sind, bieten – laut Anlayse der Umweltorganisationen – ebenfalls keinen Schutz von Wäldern sowie Tier- und Pflanzenarten. 

Darüberhinaus ist der Begriff „Nachhaltigkeit” aus Sicht der Umweltschützer*innen für die Nutzung von Energieholz nicht anwendbar.

„Nachhaltigkeitskriterien und Zertifizierungen für Holz sind in dem Moment unbrauchbar, wenn es verbrannt wird. Das Verfeuern von Holz emittiert – unabhängig von seiner Herkunft – zurvor stabil gebundenes CO2 und verschlimmert den Klimawandel”, sagt Jana Ballenthien, Waldreferentin von ROBIN WOOD. „Immer mehr Holz landet zur Energieproduktion in Kraftwerken. Dadurch werden immer mehr Wälder in Europa und weltweit zu einer CO2-Quelle, sie geben also mehr CO2 ab, als sie speichern. Dabei sind es unsere Wälder und Waldböden, die wir im Kampf gegen die Klimakrise dringend als CO2-Speicher brauchen.”

We are excited to announce the release of AFSA’s latest publication, “Digitalisation and Agroecological Markets in Africa.” This groundbreaking book explores the intersection of digital technologies and agroecology in Africa, offering a critical perspective on how digitalization impacts the continent’s food systems. The digitalization of African agriculture has become a battleground between supporters of the […]

The post Book Launch: Digitalisation and Agroecological Markets in Africa first appeared on AFSA.

The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) is pleased to announce a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified consultants to undertake a critical study on integrating agroecology within the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) across Africa. This study aims to demonstrate the potential of agroecology as a climate […]

The post Call for EOI: Study on Integrating Agroecology within NDCs and NAPs in Africa first appeared on AFSA.

The world is often unforgiving and ableist even without climate breakdown. In the video below, Áine Kelly-Costello dives into why it’s important to look beyond the climate crisis, racial justice, gender justice and disability justice as single issue siloes and instead build cross-movement solidarity. Watch the video below to find out more. 

You can find the descriptive transcript underneath the video.

In this video we’ve featured footage from the Disability Justice Project an amazing global grassroots media network and hub for documentaries by and about persons with disabilities, and footage from Detroit Disability Power and the Black Disabled Lives Matter March in Detroit in 2020. We also reference the Disability Justice Principles by Sins Invalid.

Want to deep dive into this topic? Read the article this video is adapted from, written by Áine for the Disability Debrief newsletter and check out this resource list they have put together.

Descriptive transcript

[Video description: In the first shot, a light-skinned person in a wheelchair is carried by four other people above shallow water during a flood. Then Áine Kelly-Costello, the narrator of the video, speaks directly to the camera. Áine is white and is wearing a grey t-shirt with a 350.org logo on it and text which reads ‘we can build a fossil free future.
Áine Kelly-Costello: Climate justice cannot be separated from disability justice. Here is why: 

Footage by Alla Elnady of a light-skinned wheelchair user trying to cross the road but the curb is too high and they are unable to get onto it and away from the oncoming traffic.
Áine Kelly-Costello: The world is often unforgiving and ableist even without climate breakdown.

Shift to footage by The Daily Moth of a dark-skinned person holding a microphone and giving a speech at a rally. They have short black hair, and have a mask around their chin and they are wearing gloves. They are wearing a t-shirt that says ‘Black disabled women matter’. The video then shifts to footage by Nuanua o Le Alofa of a medium-skinned person writing at a desk. The video then shifts to footage by ICRC of a medium-skinned person walking with crutches holding a gray bucket.
Áine Kelly-Costello: We as disabled people feel it particularly hard when countless extra layers of oppressions are landing on us. 

Footage of a storm where palm trees are blowing in intense wind, engulfed in gray fog. The video shifts to footage of a wheelchair user being airlifted into a helicopter being rescued from a flood. Video shifts to footage of a light-skinned person in a wheelchair being carried by four other people above shallow water during the flood. The video then shifts to a medium-skinned person breathing into a ventilator.
Áine Kelly-Costello: from being forgotten in superstorms to considered dispensable in a pandemic. Or both at once.  

Shift to Áine speaking directly to the camera. Then the video shifts to a photograph of a group of mostly light-skinned people of different genders standing in front of the Royal Court of Justice with Friends of the Earth. The video zooms in on different members of the group. Placards they are holding include one that says ‘I lost my home to coastal erosion’, ‘climate justice = disability justice’, ‘new climate adaptation plan now’.
Áine Kelly-Costello: The root causes of our oppression and those of climate breakdown are similar.

Footage by ICRC of a medium-skinned person using crutches to cross a room. Shifts to footage by Nuanua o Le Alofa of a medium-skinned person with a shell necklace addressing a room. Shifts to footage by the Daily Moth of a medium-skinned person in a green Sari being pushed in a wheelchair in a rural setting.
Áine Kelly-Costello: Most disabled people live in the global south, are Indigenous or people of color and live in poverty.

Footage of a dark-skinned person with their hands in fits and their arms crossed across their chest, wearing a mask with a clear panel in the middle so people can see their lips. They are wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. They start using sign language.
Áine Kelly-Costello: Everyone fighting to uproot unequal systems and center care instead can learn a lot from disability justice. 

Shift to Áine Kelly-Costello talking directly to the camera. The video then shifts to footage by Nuanua o Le Alofa of a medium-skinned person standing by a poster on the wall with a handwritten list pointing at the list and talking to a group of people, mostly medium-skin tones and different genders.
Áine Kelly-Costello: For starters, an integrated approach which moves beyond single-issue siloes. 

Sins Invalid logo comes onto the screen. Sins Invalid’s 10 principles of disability justice principles are presented as a list as Áine is speaking. [Text on screen: 1. intersectionality, 2. leadership of those most impacted, anti-capitalism, cross-movement solidarity, wholeness, sustainability, cross-disability solidarity, 3. interdependence, 4. collective access, 5. collective liberation.]
Áine Kelly-Costello: Sins Invalid created 10 Principles of Disability Justice to guide an approach that is led by those most impacted, anti-capitalist and centred in cross-movement solidarity and sustainability. 

Shift to footage by Nuanua o Le Alofa of people with medium-skin tones in a classroom sat at desks by. Shift to footage by Nuanua o Le Alofaa of a medium-skinned person being pushed in a wheelchair. Video shifts to footage by Nuanua o Le Alofa of someone with a medium-skin tone speaking to a room of people who also have medium-skin tones.
Áine Kelly-Costello: Marginalized communities coming together can birth pockets of a world where they fully belong. 

Video shifts to Áine Kelly-Costello talking directly to the camera. Video shifts to a photo from @DisabledAndHere of two people with medium-skinned tones and one person with a dark skin tone. One person in a wheelchair, holding a pink and blue trans flag and a rainbow flag. Video shifts to footage by Daily Moth of light and dark skinned people at a march and a dark skinned person at a rally using sign language.
Áine Kelly-Costello: The lived reality of disabled queer and trans, Black, Indigenous and people of colour in the US gave rise to the first disability justice frameworks. 

Shift to Áine talking directly to the camera. Shift to photos of light skinned and medium skinned wheelchair users speaking at the Global Disability Innovation Hub and UN Climate Summits.
Áine Kelly-Costello: There has to be space for us in grassroots activism and in international negotiations. Let’s continue to make our voices heard. 

Shift to Áine talking directly to the camera.
Áine Kelly-Costello: and work together to create the world we want to live in. To read more, see “Where Disability and Climate meet” article on the Disability Debrief newsletter by Áine Kelly-Costello.    

Video ends with a black screen and the 350.org and Disability Justice Project Logos.] 

The post Climate justice cannot be separated from disability justice appeared first on 350.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 28 AUGUST, 2024 AGRA’S POLICY INFLUENCE EXPOSED AFRICAN FAITH LEADERS DEMAND REPARATIONS FROM GATES FOUNDATION MEDIA CONTACTS Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa – tadele@afsafrica.org Josh To – A Growing Culture – josh@agrowingculture.org Ferdinand Wafula – Bio Gardening Innovations – biogardeninginnov@yahoo.com Gabriel Manyangadze – Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute – gabriel@safcei.org.za […]

The post PRESS RELEASE: AGRA’S POLICY INFLUENCE EXPOSED first appeared on AFSA.