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As the Tempest editors were preparing this article for publication, the Russian state designated those associated with the website Posle as a “foreign agent.” Russia’s “foreign agent” law is highly repressive, and places the editors at significant risk of criminal prosecution and other threats to their basic civil rights. Russia’s law is a model of what Human Rights Watch has identified as a critical tool in the authoritarian playbook. “The primary target of these laws are civil society and media organizations” whose activities are “aimed at influencing public policy…[and] organizing public debates, events, rallies and demonstrations.” Thus, among other purported sins, the Putin regime has based its decision on Posle’s alleged “promotion” of “LGBT relationships”. This is part of a broader attack on democratic rights internationally. It has its own parallels in the U.S., as the authoritarian creep has been escalated by Trump. Tempest stands in unconditional solidarity with Posle and its editors. We see in Posle fellow “agents”, not of any state, but of a democratic project of international solidarity which is the antidote to a future of unbridled capitalist barbarism. 

Ashley Smith: The U.S. and Israel have expanded their joint genocidal war on Gaza into Lebanon and Iran. They expected a quick victory, but it has turned into yet another disastrous forever war. The Iranian regime has launched asymmetrical warfare; it has struck the region’s oil infrastructure, shut down the Strait of Hormuz, and thereby disrupted the flow not only of oil but also petrochemicals, fertilizers, and helium, which is essential for the manufacture of microchips. While stagflation threatens every corner of the world economy, it appears that Russia has benefited from the war: President Trump has lowered sanctions on Russia oil and increased fossil fuel prices have poured profits into Putin’s coffers. Is this an accurate assessment? What impact is this having on the Russian economy?

Posle: Indeed, in the short term, Russia has benefited from the surge in oil prices and lifting of sanctions. For example, Russian budget revenues from oil exports in April doubled compared to March. However, these additional revenues are not enough to halt the catastrophic rise in the budget deficit (for instance, the deficit currently stands at 2.5%, exceeding the government’s planned threshold of 1.6% for this year).  This has a  negative, knock-on impact on other government spending and the strength of the rouble.This adds further pressure on the creaky financial system.

Furthermore, almost all of the windfall profits were channeled to oil companies to modernise infrastructure (which has been severely damaged by effective attacks from Ukrainian missiles). It is worth noting that Ukraine’s attacks targeting oil refineries and oil loading terminals have seriously undermined Russia’s ability to export raw materials. In recent months, ports on the Baltic Sea, for instance, have reduced oil shipments by a third.

At the same time, a sustained increase in oil prices will inevitably lead to a decline in global oil consumption, which could seriously damage the Russian economy that is already in recession. Therefore, the ongoing war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are not in Russia’s economic interests, although they undoubtedly offer it political advantages.

AS: Trump’s war on Iran has further disrupted the so-called rules based order, already discredited by the U.S. and Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and Russia’s imperialist war on Ukraine. Trump launched the attack on Tehran without consulting or even alerting Washington’s NATO allies. Now that alliance is fraying with Trump increasingly threatening to pull U.S. troops out and abandoning support for Ukraine. As a result, Europe, especially Germany, is rapidly re-arming. Given this reality, what do you believe is the current perspective of the Putin regime regarding the inter-imperial rivalry within Europe, and that between NATO and Russia, and Ukraine’s struggle for self-determination?

Posle: In fact, declining support for Ukraine in the U.S. and America’s further distancing from European security issues due to the war in Iran represent Putin’s main political gain to date. In this sense, it is clear how the interests of Russia and its population (suffering from a falling standard of living and intensifying missile attacks) diverge sharply from those of Putin and his regime, which is prepared to prolong the conflict in order to achieve its geopolitical ambitions. These objectives include crushing Ukrainian resistance (at the cost of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers’ lives) and destabilising Europe in order to expand his influence across the post-Soviet space and in Eastern Europe.

Currently, the situation around Armenia is escalating, where President Pashinyan is seeking to gradually withdraw the country from the CSTO (a pro-Russian military bloc) and strengthen cooperation with the EU. Tensions are also rising with the Baltic states, which are becoming increasingly targeted by Russian military sabotage. All these developments are of great significance to Putin, as they raise questions about the reality of NATO’s support for its members and allies.

If aggression against Iran escalates, the U.S. will continue to rapidly reduce its presence in Europe, and NATO risks turning into a “paper tiger,” whose members’ mutual commitments are worthless. It is clear that these challenges not only lead to the remilitarisation of Germany, but also call into question the entire ideological model of the German state, built upon the trauma of Nazi militarism and the colossal sacrifices of the Second World War. All these values are threatened today, as demonstrated by the growing support for the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which has effectively become the country’s most popular party.

In these circumstances, the German Left must certainly fight against the danger of fascism and militarisation, but not by ignoring the Russian threat facing Eastern European countries. On the contrary, only consistent support for Ukraine can curb the ambitions of Putin’s regime and, consequently, the need for Germany’s remilitarisation, which ultimately plays into the hands of the far right.

AS: In another development that impacts Russia, voters kicked out Victor Orbán after 16 years of his increasingly authoritarian rule in Hungary. He was an ally of Putin who had blocked the EU’s $106 billion loan package to Ukraine. What is the significance of Orbán’s defeat for the Putin regime?

Posle: This is certainly a serious setback for the Kremlin, as Orbán served as its chief agent within the EU. Today, the only country remaining in this role is Slovakia, which is led by the right-wing populist Robert Fico. He, like Orbán, holds anti-Ukrainian views and is focused on securing supplies of cheap Russian gas. This model of Russian influence clearly demonstrates how the Kremlin has turned energy supplies into a powerful political weapon that it will continue to wield against other European countries.

Orbán’s defeat resulted from the fatigue of Hungarians (and particularly the youth) with his corrupt and authoritarian rule; however, it does not, in our view, signal the beginning of the end for far-right populists on a pan-European scale. On the contrary, this trend continues to gain momentum, and the Kremlin is placing its main bets on it – including in countries such as Germany and France.

AS: The war in Iran will also impact Russia and China, both of whom have supported Tehran in various ways. With oil supplies disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, will China turn more to Russia for its oil and natural gas supplies? What will this do to their so-called “friendship without limits”? What will their policies be toward Iran? How will this scenario impact Russia and China’s rivalry with the U.S. and Europe?

Posle: The loss of Iran as a reliable oil provider (as was previously the case with Venezuela) has indeed made China more dependent on Russian supplies. Furthermore, the failure of “Operation Epic Fury” in Iran has highlighted the vulnerability of U.S. military power. Nevertheless, a distinctive feature of Putin’s position remains his efforts to develop a bilateral dialogue with Trump, despite his “friendship” with China. It is telling that Russian diplomacy, whilst repeatedly condemning the “war started by the U.S. and Israel,” has emphasised “Russia’s commitment to providing goodwill services to the parties.”

Putin and other Kremlin officials have consistently stressed that, despite its alliance with Iran, Russia is distancing itself from the conflict and prefers to play the role of mediator. Just recently, Putin repeated his proposal to transfer enriched uranium from Iran to Russia. It appears that following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Russia is not ready to become seriously involved in conflicts in the Middle East and is seeking to focus on Ukraine and European affairs.

AS: What is the impact of these inter-imperial and macro-economic dynamics on Russia’s ability to continue its invasion of Ukraine?

Posle: Almost five years of war in Ukraine have severely undermined Russia’s economic and human resources, but this has not yet affected Putin’s desire to “achieve the objectives of the special military operation” at any cost. Recently, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov stated that the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the Donetsk region is not a matter for possible negotiations with Kyiv, but a precondition for them.

In other words, once Ukraine voluntarily cedes part of its territory, further demands are likely to be made. It is clear that the Kremlin is not interested in a ceasefire and is planning a major offensive in the Donbas this summer and fall. The aim of this offensive is not only military but also political – it is necessary to convince Trump that Russia continues to dominate on the battlefield, and therefore the U.S. must increase pressure on Kyiv, forcing it to accept the Kremlin’s terms.

Putin’s plan clearly highlights a conflict between his personal ambitions and the interests of the Russian people. The Russian army’s losses on the front line have reached their highest level this year – for example, in the second half of April alone, around 4,500 soldiers were killed (in total, at least 350,000 Russians have died over the five years of the war). The number of civilian casualties is also rising due to Ukrainian missile strikes on military and energy infrastructure (though this is completely incomparable to the casualties of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities).

Ordinary Russians are paying this price for Putin’s desire to tell Trump about his army’s advance of a few dozen square kilometres. The gap between the perception of the war in the Kremlin and among ordinary people keeps growing rapidly.

Ordinary Russians are paying this price for Putin’s desire to tell Trump about his army’s advance of a few dozen square kilometres. The gap between the perception of the war in the Kremlin and among ordinary people keeps growing rapidly.

AS: Now, let’s turn to the domestic impact of all this in Russia. Ukraine has persisted in resisting Russia’s invasion and is militarily striking increasingly deep into Russia. As a result, Russian casualties have mounted at what appear to be an escalated rate during the recent spring offensive. Meanwhile, due to sanctions, and the dynamics of the war economy generally, economic conditions have worsened. There are signs of increasing dissent, expressed in a deflected way by quisling politicians and influencers. What is the domestic political situation in Russia? What should we make of the various expressions of discontent by public figures? Is this a sign of mass discontent developing among workers and the oppressed within Russia? How stable is the Putin regime?

Posle: Indeed, the first half of 2026 was marked by rising inflation and a fall in living standards. It is fair to say that the effect of the “military Keynesianism” associated with the sharp rise in public spending at the beginning of the war has now run its course. Even according to government forecasts, inflation this year will stand at 5.2 percent, whilst wages will rise by 2 percent. At the same time, the Kremlin intends to offset the growing budget deficit, as mentioned before, by increasing taxes on small businesses, as well as by cutting welfare programmes and infrastructure projects.

Against this backdrop, earlier this year, the Russian authorities took entirely unprecedented measures to restrict access to the internet in the country. Specifically, they attempted to block Telegram (used by 105 million Russians – that is, the majority of the population) and VPNs (used by around 40% of Russians to bypass blocks on Instagram, YouTube and other platforms). Furthermore, in Moscow and other major Russian cities, wireless internet was frequently cut off entirely, causing immense damage to the economy and resulting in a dramatic increase in cash withdrawals from banks.

Behind all these measures, which have provoked widespread discontent, stands the Federal Security Service with its “sovereign internet” project, entirely controlled by the authorities. The official reason for all these restrictions, according to the authorities, is to prevent attacks by Ukrainian drones, a claim that seems highly implausible given that the increase in internet restrictions has coincided with an intensification of Ukrainian strikes. A mood prevails in the country that those in power are preoccupied solely with their own war and constant prohibitions, and are not interested in how ordinary people live.

These sentiments were further fuelled, in particular, by government attempts to cover up an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle in Siberia and other regions. This move was prompted by the fact that Russia remains a significant international meat exporter. As a result, the Russian authorities seized and slaughtered tens of thousands of cattle and pigs belonging to farmers without any explanation or compensation for the damage. In several cases, this has already led to direct clashes between the police and rural communities. Nevertheless, to date, countries such as China and the U.S. have effectively acknowledged the existence of this dangerous epidemic in Russia, which will inevitably lead to a ban of Russian meat exports.

All these factors are clearly leading to a loss of trust in the authorities and increasing discontent. However, by now, any possibility of legally expressing any dissent has been completely eradicated in Russia. For example, young activists who tried to organize a protest against the shutdown of Telegram, as well as dozens of farmers attempting to protect their cattle from slaughter, have been arrested and subjected to heavy police pressure.

Increased repression and government attempts to restrict the flow of information are an answer to the growing discontent. Whereas previously the regime largely enjoyed legitimacy among the population as a guardian of the stability of everyday life, it now relies more and more on fear of the police and secret services. In this sense, Putin may be moving towards the Iranian model, where a regime that does not enjoy the support of the majority retains power through violence.

As for the mood among the political and business elite, they are, of course, dissatisfied with the endless continuation of the war, the economic downturn, internet restrictions, and the growing power of the security services. However, contrary to the rumours being spread by a range of Western media outlets, there is not a conspiracy brewing against Putin.

Whereas previously the regime largely enjoyed legitimacy among the population as a guardian of the stability of everyday life, it now relies more and more on fear of the police and secret services. In this sense, Putin may be moving towards the Iranian model, where a regime that does not enjoy the support of the majority retains power through violence.

This is the case for a few reasons. First, the fear of repression among the elite makes them divided and suspicious. It is worth recalling that over the past year, the number of arrests of government officials has risen sharply: dozens of employees of the Ministry of Defence (including several former deputies to Minister Sergei Shoigu) have been arrested, as well as representatives of other departments. In 2024, Transport Minister Roman Starovoit committed suicide due to the threat of arrest, whilst Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Denis Butsaev fled to the US. Several prominent businessmen suspected of political disloyalty have lost their property and their freedom (for example, this happened to Vadim Moshkovich, the owner of one of the country’s largest agricultural companies).

Second, the agenda and prospects of such a conspiracy are unclear in the current circumstances, as this elite has no common clear vision of an alternative foreign policy direction or conditions for ending the war. It also does not possess any legitimacy in the eyes of the population.

Finally, Putin’s disappearance could trigger large-scale conflicts within the Russian elite over control of property. Having destroyed all the country’s political institutions over the 25 years of his rule, Putin himself has become the sole factor maintaining a relative balance of interests within the ruling class. And that is why the elite fears his departure more than the continuation of his destructive military adventures.

Opinions expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editors or the Tempest Collective. For more information, see “About Tempest Collective.”
Featured Image credit: ARTIST NAME; modified by Tempest.

The post War, economic crisis, and discontent in Putin’s Russia appeared first on Tempest.

• New research shows that building more housing near existing jobs, stores and transit generates more tax revenue and reduces infrastructure costs, saving taxpayers money. (Pew)
• Another new study found that development patterns are at least partly responsible for the high number of traffic deaths in the U.S. It recommends mixing households and businesses instead of putting commercial uses along dangerous arterial roads. (CNU Public Square)
• Climate Town explains that the U.S. actually has an extensive rail system, but most tracks are old, slow and owned by freight companies, so they’re unsuitable for passenger rail. (YouTube)
• Ironically, drivers are dealing with high gas prices by going out of their way to find deals and topping off their tanks more often. (NPR)
• The Rails to Trails Conservancy has tips for getting around World Cup cities by walking, biking or transit.
• Sound Transit is cutting back or delaying future Seattle transit projects to address a $34 billion deficit. (KING)
• Pittsburgh Regional Transit approved a $600 million budget that includes no fare hikes or service cuts. (WESA)
• Cyclists will soon be able to pedal around Michigan’s Belle Isle park without having to cross paths with cars. (TMDN)
• Florida didn’t suspend its gas tax, but at least residents can save on guns and camping gear for when society collapses Mad Max-style. (Orlando Weekly)
• Bus trips by young people rose almost tenfold after Scotland introduced free bus passes for everyone under age 22. (BBC)
• A new European ticket system will simplify international train travel. (European News)
• A list of the 10 most bike-friendly cities includes the usual suspects like Amsterdam, but also a few surprises like Taipei and Buenos Aires. (Islands)

Sandra “Sister” Hunter Reed, a decades-long activist and death penalty abolitionist, passed away on April 18, 2026, in Bastrop, TX, where she was born. Sandra was the mother of six sons, the most well-known of whom is Rodney Reed, wrongfully-convicted and incarcerated on Texas’ death row since 1998. Sandra organized for decades to win her son’s freedom and for an end to the death penalty, a leader on the front lines in the state she described as the “belly of the beast.”

Rodney was convicted of the 1996 rape and murder of Stacey Stites in Bastrop despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence. Engaged to a police officer, Stacey was in a relationship with Rodney, who is Black; Stacey’s fiancée was an open racist who knew about their relationship. Yet prosecutors hammered at the racist assumption that Rodney’s relationship with Stacy, who was white, must have been nonconsensual. This claim was offered as the sole “evidence” in the crime and Rodney was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to death.

From left to right, Walter Reed, now deceased, the father of Rodney Reed (center), and Sandra Reed.

Rodney’s conviction—and the implementation of the death penalty in the U.S. today—echoes the era of Southern lynchings and a so-called justice system that denies justice for Black people and people of color. “Until a person is in our place, you can’t really describe it,” Sandra said in an interview. “It’s a hard pill to swallow—the corruption and injustice that’s dwelling in my son’s case.” Despite this, Sandra said that “Rodney’s handling things very well—he’s remaining strong for himself. The truth keeps us all strong and believing that justice will prevail.”

George W. Bush and Rick Perry—both former governors—built their national profiles on “tough on crime” agendas, including accelerating the pace of executions at a brutal rate. Texas’ death row today, although less busy than under Bush and Perry, retains a barbaric track record: exactly 600 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in 1982, and 59 percent of those on death row are people of color. Black people are 12 percent of the state’s population yet make up over 40 percent of the executed.

In the face of this overwhelming opposition, Sandra was an unceasing activist and brought many into the movement. She began organizing with the Austin chapter of the national Campaign to End the Death Penalty (CEDP) in 1999. She later joined the CEDP’s national board, serving alongside other abolitionists including exonerees Yusef Salaam of the formerly-known Central Park 5, and Shuja’a Graham, exonerated from California’s death row,

In a statement shared at her memorial service, Lily Hughes, a former national director of the Campaign to End the Penalty based in Austin, TX, reflected on the joys of Sandra’s friendship and the work they shared for close to three decades:

Sandra was a fierce advocate for Rodney and for so many other wrongfully convicted death row prisoners and victims of the criminal “injustice system.” She spoke at rallies, marches, meetings, and conventions in Texas and all over the country. She was a powerful voice in the abolition movement.

Sandra was so brave. She hated flying, but still she flew around the country to speak out. She disliked the limelight, yet she spoke in front of huge crowds of people. When she took the podium, she commanded the attention of all with her Grace and passion.

Sandra was so loving and supportive to her family, friends, and fellow activists. She welcomed everyone into the movement, into her community and into her home with open arms.

The campaign for Rodney has been a very long, hard road. He and his family suffered the torture of three scheduled execution dates. He has fought for many years for DNA testing of the murder weapon, a leather belt used to strangle Stacey Stites. Despite finally winning a favorable ruling with the U,S. Supreme Court in 2023, when the Court ordered the evidence to be tested, the state of Texas continued to block Rodney’s request, shifting the goal posts to argue against DNA testing on new grounds. Rodney once again fought for his case to be heard by the highest court but in March of this year, just weeks before Sandra’s death, the Supreme Court dealt his case a major blow when it refused to hear his latest appeal.

Sandra was so well-loved for her warmth, humor and generosity, and for her ongoing activism despite serious health problems in later years; her passing leaves a hole not easily filled. She was a crucial voice in shining a light on the realities of criminal “justice” in the rural South and for keeping the movement for social justice at the center. In 2009, standing alongside exonerees and family members, she joined historian Howard Zinn and writer Dave Zirin onstage at the University of Chicago for the CEDP’s national convention. “I’m in this fight for life,” she declared to the over 1,000 audience members.

Because of Sandra, many others made that same commitment. She will be in our hearts always. Sandra Reed presente!

How to support Rodney Reed:

Rodney urgently needs movement support to stop his execution from moving forward and to finally free him from decades behind bars. With the recent Supreme Court ruling against him, the way is clear for Texas to set another execution date. Please take some of these steps to join this fight:

• Sign and share the petition
• Follow the Reed Justice Initiative for updates and actions.
• Watch and share the documentary State vs Reed streaming on YouTube
• Across the country, the pace of executions has begun to pick up after a period of decline. Donald Trump is a strong supporter of capital punishment, potentially threatening those on federal and military death rows. Find out about and support ongoing campaigns including Rodney’s at Death Penalty Action.

Opinions expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editors or the Tempest Collective. For more information, see “About Tempest Collective.”
Featured Image credit: ARTIST NAME; modified by Tempest.

The post A tribute to Sandra Reed appeared first on Tempest.

Homeless Hunger, a youth-led volunteer is providing meals to unhoused individuals in Sydney, Australia. The initiative aims to cook and deliver 50 meals every one to two weeks.

Natalia Alderson, a high school student, explains that she felt unsatisfied by passively observing the hardships endured by unhoused people in her city. She realized she could offer home-cooked meals to those in need by mobilizing a group of peers at her school.

“We carry bags of food in containers and hand it out to people around Sydney Central Station and the surrounding park,” Alderson tells Food Tank. “If it’s a hot day, we try to also provide bottles of water.” The students make their delivery at a similar time and along the same route each time. They hope that this consistency allows those in need of the meals to locate them.

What began as a personal response has become a coordinated, student-led initiative to engage in direct community action. Homeless Hunger reports that they have cooked and distributed almost 500 meals.

Using Jame Oliver’s stew recipes, Alderson and her team focus on nutritious and scalable meals that are rich in protein and have broad appeal. The meals are distributed with napkins, forks, and sometimes a biscuit. And as important as the meals themselves are, Alderson emphasizes the power of human connection as one of the initiative’s most powerful components.

“While the meals provide short-term nourishment, the act of stopping, speaking, and acknowledging someone can be just as meaningful,” Alderson tells Food Tank.

According to Foodbank Australia’s 2025 Hunger Report, one in three Australian households experienced food insecurity in 2025, making hunger a highly prevalent and pressing issue to tackle nationwide 

Alderson hopes to see the program grow even further, aiming to provide hundreds more meals over the next year. She also hopes that the project serves as an example of the power and potential of grassroots youth-led direct action.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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En un Haití sin Parlamento, el nuevo decreto minero abre la puerta a la industria extractiva

Claudia Alavez

Samuel Nesner

El 30 de marzo de 2026, el gobierno haitiano publicó en Le Moniteur un nuevo decreto minero que reorganiza las reglas para la prospección, exploración y explotación de minerales en el país.

A primera vista, el decreto parece técnico. Pero detrás de ese lenguaje jurídico se encuentra una decisión profundamente política: reorganizar el territorio y el marco legal para una nueva etapa de expansión minera en Haití.

El decreto  establece mecanismos para otorgar permisos de prospección, exploración y explotación, y crea un sistema más estructurado de control territorial mediante un “catastro minero”, administrado por el Bureau des Mines et de l’Énergie en su calidad de Autorité Minière Nationale (AMN).

El artículo 7 establece precisamente la creación de este “catastro minero”, concebido como un sistema centralizado de registro y cartografía de títulos mineros, autorizaciones y perímetros de explotación. Administrado por la AMN, este dispositivo organiza el territorio mediante coordenadas, polígonos y zonas clasificadas: —disponibles, reservadas o prohibidas—.

Para ello, el decreto define unidades territoriales específicas —“carrés” y “périmètres”— destinadas a delimitar el espacio minero. El “carré” aparece como la unidad mínima indivisible del territorio minero, mientras que el “périmètre” corresponde a conjuntos de zonas continuas sujetas a permisos o títulos de explotación.

Aunque el decreto utiliza constantemente la noción de “Autorité Minière Nationale”, el texto no define completamente si se trata de una entidad autónoma o del propio Bureau des Mines et de l’Énergie ejerciendo funciones ampliadas bajo una nueva denominación jurídica. En la práctica, una misma institución concentra competencias estratégicas sobre permisos, registros y control territorial del sector.

Haití no parte de cero. Desde hace más de una década, diferentes empresas nacionales y extranjeras han mostrado interés en el potencial minero del país, particularmente en zonas del Norte y Nordeste. Proyectos vinculados a exploración de oro y cobre han sido asociados a empresas como VCS Mining, SOMINE y Eurasian Minerals.

En territorios como Kadouch, en la comuna de Quartier-Morin, apartamento Norte del país, ya existen permisos relacionados con actividades de exploración minera. Para muchas comunidades, la minería no es una posibilidad abstracta o futura: es un proceso que ya comienza a acercarse al territorio.

La dimensión territorial del proyecto tampoco es menor. El decreto permite la constitución de perímetros mineros organizados mediante bloques territoriales y coordenadas geográficas que pueden abarcar extensas superficies. En un país pequeño y densamente habitado como Haití, estos espacios no representan territorios vacíos: son zonas agrícolas, áreas habitadas y regiones atravesadas por fuentes de agua fundamentales para las comunidades rurales.

La perla de las Antillas ¿para quién?

Uno de los aspectos más delicados del decreto no está solamente en su contenido, sino en la forma en que fue aprobado.

El texto fue adoptado por decreto en un contexto donde el Parlamento haitiano no está funcionando. Esto significa que una decisión con profundas implicaciones territoriales, ambientales y sociales fue tomada sin debate parlamentario nacional.

Y eso importa porque la minería involucra cuestiones que van mucho más allá de la economía: el control de los recursos, el uso de la tierra, el acceso al agua y el futuro ambiental del país.

En un contexto de fragilidad institucional y desconfianza hacia el Estado, la ausencia de consulta pública alimenta la percepción de que decisiones estratégicas están siendo tomadas lejos de las comunidades que vivirán sus consecuencias directas.

El decreto incorpora referencias a “protocolos de desarrollo comunitario” y menciona estudios de impacto ambiental y social, planes de gestión ambiental y programas de rehabilitación de sitios mineros. Sin embargo, el texto parece privilegiar mecanismos de acompañamiento e información más que procesos sólidos de consentimiento comunitario .

El decreto contempla estudios de impacto ambiental y social, así como ciertas restricciones para zonas protegidas. Sin embargo, muchas de esas disposiciones quedan formuladas de manera general o sujetas a reglamentos posteriores.

Eso deja abiertas preguntas fundamentales: ¿Qué territorios estarán realmente protegidos? ¿Cómo se controlará la contaminación?¿Qué pasará con las fuentes de agua? ¿Quién supervisará efectivamente a las empresas? ¿Qué mecanismos existirán para sancionar incumplimientos?

En Haití, donde amplias zonas rurales ya enfrentan erosión, escasez de agua y vulnerabilidad climática, estas preguntas adquieren una dimensión especialmente sensible.

Por eso, más allá del lenguaje administrativo del decreto, será fundamental observar de cerca su implementación, los permisos que comiencen a otorgarse y las regiones que entren progresivamente dentro del nuevo mapa minero haitiano. Porque, retomando las palabras del sociólogo haitiano Jean Casimir, la llamada “Perla de las Antillas” rara vez ha pertenecido realmente a quienes la habitan. En un país marcado por siglos de extracción, ocupación y dependencia económica, el avance de la minería vuelve a abrir una vieja pregunta: quién decide sobre el territorio haitiano y quién termina beneficiándose de sus riquezas.

Claudia Alavez, integrante de colectivo latinoafricano, coordinadora de la UNIR en Haití, radicada en Haití desde hace 6 años.

Samuel Nesner, abogado haitiano, coordinador de SOKIJA (Asociación Cultural de Jóvenes Haitianos), militante e investigador en defensa del territorio frente a megaproyectos.

**Este artículo es la cuarta entrega de la «Serie: La minería en Haití — contexto, riesgos y debates», construida en el marco del Programa de Defensa y Resistencias de Territorio de la Universidad Itinerante de la Resistencia en Haití.

 

Reflexiones sobre la seguridad en una época de profunda crisis civilizatoria - Una conversación Fecha y horario * Fecha: 17 de junio, 2026 * Horario: 1pm GMT * Enlace de Registro: Aquí * Participantes: Manuel Rozental (Colombia) y Deepa Sinha (India)

Conceptualizing Security in a Time of Deep Civilizational Crisis - A conversation Date and time * Date: June 17th, 2026 * Time: 1pm GMT * Registration Link: Here * Speakers: Manuel Rozental (Colombia) and Dipa Sinha (India) * Moderation: Madhuresh Kumaralternativesalternativesalternatives

Events Upcoming events Conceptualizing security in a time of deep civilizational crisis - June 17th The first webinar will open the series with a conceptual discussion on security in a time of deep civilizational crisis. It will examine how security has traditionally been framed through the international order, the nation-state, sovereignty, militarization, and the management of threats, while asking how communities and movements are challenging this paradigm today.AlternativesalternativesT…

Eventos Próximos eventos Reflexiones sobre la seguridad en una época de profunda crisis civilizatoria Este es el primero de una serie de seminarios web que dará inicio al ciclo con un debate conceptual sobre la seguridad en una época de profunda crisis civilizatoria. Se analizará cómo se ha concebido tradicionalmente la seguridad a través del orden internacional, el Estado-nación, la soberanía, la militarización y la gestión de amenazas, al tiempo que se cuestionará cómo las comunidades y l…

Energy efficiency is a good thing—but is it being undermined by some part of human nature?

There’s a long-running debate in energy economics about whether as technology becomes more efficient, people may cancel out (or significantly decrease) energy savings because they consume more resources, not fewer.

This effect, variably known as the rebound effect or the Jevons paradox, traces way back to 1865, when the English economist William Stanley Jevons noticed that as steam engines burned coal more efficiently, Britain burned dramatically more coal, not less. Cheaper energy services, he argued, simply invite more energy use.

Few examples illustrate the Jevons paradox as starkly as the humble light bulb. A modern LED produces the same brightness as a Victorian gas lamp using less than one percent of the energy (a 1,000-fold leap in efficiency). Yet humanity now uses vastly more light than ever before: glowing billboards, 24-hour parking lots, and cities visible from space. Each efficiency gain in lighting has been met, and often surpassed, by more and more lights. Did the carbon savings we expected partly evaporate into a brighter world?

The question for the climate era is uncomfortable—but unavoidable. Nearly every national climate plan, every net-zero pledge, and every IPCC pathway leans heavily on energy efficiency as a pillar of decarbonization. How much can more efficient cars, heaters, and other appliances really help stave off climate change? 

• • • The Good News

1.  The big numbers look good. Energy efficiency has to date been one of the main drivers of emissions reductions. The International Energy Agency estimates that improvements to energy efficiency saved the world 7 gigatons of carbon dioxide from 2010 to 2022. For context, that’s more than the tailpipe emissions from 1.5 billion gas-powered passenger cars driven for an entire year. And, the IEA projects that improving fuel efficiency in vehicles, better insulation in houses, and other energy efficiency measures could deliver two-thirds of the oil demand reduction and half of the natural gas demand reduction necessary to meet net zero energy sector emissions by 2050.

2.  Jevons’ paradox is only a problem if the metric is a problem. As Adam Dorr pointed out in a blog post for the nonprofit research org RethinkX, swapping out an emissions-heavy coal plant for a more efficient solar farm may cause energy consumption to spike as prices drop, but that doesn’t mean emissions went up. We often associate energy efficiency with energy austerity. But what if a fully decarbonized economy turned that association on its head? We could use a whole lot more energy, but our emissions footprint would be undetectable. Check out Adrienne Bernhard’s piece for the BBC on “How limitless green energy would change the world.”

Source: The International Energy Agency 2026 Electricity Report

3.  A (possible) ceiling on consumption. Full-fledged rebound requires appetites without limits; in practice, energy appetites saturate. In other words, there may be a ceiling to how much energy most people actually want. A family that switches to a heat pump does not crank the thermostat to 85°F because heating got cheaper; they nudge it up a degree or two and pocket the rest. Even at a national level, at some point, enough really is—well—enough. In his New York Times article, “The Paradox Holding Back the Clean Energy Revolution,” Ed Conway cites research showing that steel and copper consumption seem to slow down as countries achieve a high standard of living.

In short, rebound may be real, but it may also be overblown within the context of carbon emissions. In fact, the strongest version of the Jevons’s claim—that efficiency raises total emissions—is, when tested against modern data, surprisingly hard to find.

• • • The Bad News

1.  AI is the wrench in the works. If ever there were a real-time Jevons experiment, it is unfolding now in data server farms in Virginia, Ireland, and Arizona. Google, for example, seems keen on energy efficiency. In their 2024 environmental report, the company reported that their latest custom processors were 2.7 times more energy efficient than the previous generation, and that they’d found ways to slash the energy required to train models by up to a thousand-fold. In their 2025 report, they highlight how improvements in hardware energy efficiency, among other things, helped them avoid two-thirds of possible emissions the previous year. And yet, that same report noted that once you include the emissions produced building and rigging up their new AI data centers, Google’s overall real-world emissions have actually risen by more than 50% between 2019 and 2024. AI systems overall were estimated to have had the same carbon footprint as New York City in 2025.

Source: The International Energy Agency 2026 Electricity Report

2.  Shipping may also have a big rebound. A 2024 study in Nature Energy found that Jevons’ may have eroded the carbon savings from regulations designed to increase fuel efficiency in long-haul trucking by more than 25 percent. “We didn’t anticipate effects of this magnitude,” Jonathan Hughes, one of the study’s authors, told Anthropocene. That’s because more fuel efficient trucking is cheaper trucking, which could encourage manufacturers to switch from the relatively cleaner, but slower rail shipping.

3.  Rebounds don’t stay in one lane. If increases in energy efficiency result in less demand from power plants for petroleum to burn, one might think this would result in a straightforward reduction in petroleum use, but not so fast. As investment management firm Van Eck pointed out in a blog post, petroleum isn’t just an energy source, it’s also a feedstock for many petrochemicals such as plastics and fertilizers. If increased energy efficiency drives down petroleum demand, basic economics suggests petroleum prices should also go down. Manufacturers might happily gobble up the cheaper feedstocks to produce more plastics and fertilizers. Considering that petrochemicals also produce emissions (around 5 percent of the US’ annual emissions), what had been a simple picture gets messier. 

 

• • • What to Keep An Eye On

1.  Autonomous vehicles. When researchers conducted a full life-cycle analysis of autonomous electric cars, they found some tell-tale signs of rebound. While autonomy cuts fuel-use emissions by about 21%, manufacturing the more complex vehicles, combined with increased travel, can surge emissions by up to 40%—and even with recycling offsetting some of that, autonomous electric vehicles end up emitting roughly 8% more greenhouse gases over their lifetime than standard electric vehicles.

2.  The Global South. Most rebound studies come from wealthy economies where appetites for light, heat, and mobility are largely saturated. In countries where billions of people are only now gaining reliable electricity, air conditioning, and personal vehicles, even modest efficiency gains may unlock enormous new demand. How the world handles that legitimate growth, and whether the energy meeting it is clean, may matter more for the global carbon trajectory than any rebound coefficient ever measured.

3.  Carbon pricing. Even where rebound is real, it is not destiny—it is a policy problem with a known fix. Inês Azevedo’s makes the point in a 2014 paper. When efficiency is paired with a carbon price, an emissions cap, or a clean-electricity standard, the freed-up money and energy cannot simply re-fuel fossil consumption, because the cap or the price is still binding. Efficiency under a carbon constraint is not Jevons’s coal mine; it is a tightening lid on a shrinking budget. The paradox, in this view, is not a law of human nature—it is what happens when you do efficiency without doing climate policy.

Top image: ©Anthropocene Magazine  

Each week, Food Tank is rounding up a few news stories that inspire excitement, infuriation, or curiosity.

U.S. States Move To Ban Food Dyes and Additives

The USDA’s new public tracking system was updated this month to show the progress food companies are making to remove petroleum-based synthetic dyes from their products.

This federal push encourages companies to act before states implement their own restrictions but, over the past few days, several states have advanced major food safety measures to limit or ban certain food dyes and chemical additives.

In Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a sweeping health bill that bans certain artificial food dyes and additives from school meals and expands ingredient-related health regulations.

The legislation prohibits six food dyes and two additives from foods and drinks served in many K-12 schools across the state. The law is being described as one of the most prominent state-level food and health measures in the country.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in New York have advanced the “Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act,” which would ban additives in foods sold in the state.

Potassium bromate, one of the additives targeted in the New York bill, is commonly used to strengthen dough and improve texture in some iconic New York foods like pizza and bagels.

According to a report from The New York Times, some bakers have pushed back against the proposal, arguing the additive helps preserve the texture and consistency of traditional recipes.

However, many bakeries have taken the bill in stride and are now adjusting their family recipes to ensure a safer slice for New Yorkers.

Thailand’s THAIFEX Expo Highlights the Global Shift Away From Ultra-Processed Foods

As legislation moves forward in U.S. states, food leaders are gathering in Bangkok this week to discuss the next generation of cleaner, more sustainable foods at Thailand’s THAIFEX expo.

THAIFEX is one of Asia’s largest food and beverage trade shows and is being promoted by the Thai government as part of its strategy to position Thailand as a global food hub.

One of the primary focuses of this year’s expo is the future of alternative proteins, especially plant-based products.

Industry leaders at the expo are emphasizing a shift toward plant-based foods that are more affordable, more flavorful, and more nutritious than earlier generations of meat substitutes.

Fermentation technology is also a major theme at the conference this year, as companies look for new ways to create proteins and ingredients with fewer additives and less industrial processing.

The event reflects a broader global push to adapt food production as governments, startups, and major food manufacturers respond to concerns about climate impact, supply chain resilience, and long-term food security.

U.S.-Mexico Trade Disputes Continue to Drive Up Tomato Prices

In the U.S., trade disputes with Mexico over tomatoes are beginning to hit consumers. More than 70% of the fresh tomatoes consumed in the U.S. are imported from Mexico, making American grocery prices especially vulnerable to supply disruptions and tariffs.

Last year, Food Tank reported on the U.S.’s termination of the “Tomato Suspension Agreement.” Now, the U.S. is enforcing a 17% tariff on many fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico and American consumers are feeling the effects of rising costs.

Tomato prices recently reached an eight-year high, 23% above last year’s prices.

Supporters of the tariffs, including many Florida tomato growers, argue that Mexican producers have long sold tomatoes below fair market value, undermining domestic farmers. But industry experts warn that U.S. producers are unlikely to replace Mexico’s supply quickly enough to stabilize prices.

The situation has been further complicated by winter freezes and crop diseases across North America this year which significantly reduced tomato production on both sides of the border.

Food policy experts say the dispute underscores broader challenges facing the global food system, including climate-related production risks, water scarcity, supply chain vulnerability, and growing concerns about long-term food security and regional resilience.

Federal Decision Could Remove Bison From Public Lands

Concerns about regional resilience are also surfacing in the American West this week, where a federal decision threatening bison herds has sparked backlash from tribal nations and conservation advocates.

The recent federal decision could remove bison from public land in Montana, potentially displacing nearly 1,000 animals.

The decision centers on grazing permits administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), where officials have argued that bison are not a “productive” livestock species like cattle.

Bison help shape grassland ecosystems, support biodiversity, and maintain prairie health. They also hold deep cultural and economic importance for many Native American tribes.

In the late 1800s, federal eradication campaigns devastated the North American bison population from tens of millions to only a few hundred surviving bison.

Tribal nations and conservation groups have spent decades rebuilding herds and restoring the species to parts of its historic range.

The Coalition of Large Tribes joined protests to oppose the bison removal as a threat to tribal food sovereignty, cultural traditions, and ongoing conservation efforts. They argue the federal decision may mark worse to come for bison herds across the country.

The Hajj Brings People—and Culinary Traditions—Together

This week also marks the beginning of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. Millions of Muslims are traveling from across the globe to Saudi Arabia, bringing with them important food traditions, ingredients, and cooking styles from their communities.

Pilgrims this week will share foods including Indonesian rice dishes, Nigerian stews, South Asian biryanis, North African couscous, Turkish desserts, and so many more regional specialties.

Food safety, refrigeration, sanitation, and supply logistics become especially critical during the pilgrimage because of the scale of the gathering and the intense summer temperatures in Saudi Arabia.

This week, thousands of farmers, workers, volunteers, and aid organizations will work to get meals safely to millions of people participating in the Hajj.

At a time of such global division, the Hajj is a reminder that food remains one of the most powerful ways people connect across borders, languages, and traditions.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Omer F. Arslan, Unsplash

The post Food Tank’s Weekly News Roundup: The Hajj Begins, States Move to Ban Food Dyes and Additives, and Trade Disputes Continue to Drive Up Tomato Prices appeared first on Food Tank.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world lately, you’re not alone.

Every day seems to bring another crisis: rising costs, deepening inequality, escalating conflicts, and climate disasters arriving faster and harder than before. It can feel relentless.

But beyond the headlines, something else is happening too.

Across the world, ordinary people are building the future we’ve been fighting for – together, in their communities, with their own hands. They are organizing, installing solar panels, demanding accountability, and proving that another kind of future is not only possible, but already underway.

This week alone, we’ve seen powerful reminders of that.

1. The United Nations took a historic step on climate accountability

United Nations member states have adopted a landmark resolution affirming that governments have a legal responsibility to act on climate change. The move follows the groundbreaking advisory opinion issued earlier this year by the International Court of Justice.

More than two-thirds of UN member states, 141, voted in favour of the resolution on Wednesday, with eight voting No and 28 abstaining.

For years, climate movements around the world have pushed for accountability from the countries and corporations most responsible for the crisis. While this resolution does not solve everything overnight, it marks a significant shift: climate justice is becoming impossible to ignore at the highest levels of global power.

This is what sustained public pressure can achieve. Change rarely comes all at once, but movements create momentum, and momentum matters.

2. Pacific communities are building energy sovereignty

In Nadi, Fiji, community leaders from Fiji, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are currently taking part in a hands-on Solar Scholars training led by 350 Pacific and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities.

By the end of the training, participants will have assembled and installed two community-owned solar systems: one serving a village in Sigatoka and another powering a kindergarten in Lautoka.

That means children will be able to go to school with reliable electricity and communities will have greater control over their own energy future.

“One of the dreams has always been to learn how to reach out to communities and bring energy sovereignty in our communities,” said 350 Pacific Coordinator George Nacewa.
This is what a just energy transition looks like: communities building solutions for themselves, rooted in care, self-determination, and shared knowledge.

3. People around the world are demanding renewable energy

New polling across 13 countries, including Brazil, India, Colombia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, shows something striking: people increasingly understand that fossil fuels are tied to conflict, instability, and rising living costs. They want something different.

Across political divides, majorities support investing in solar and wind energy, taxing excessive fossil fuel profits, reducing dependence on oil and gas, and treating energy as a public good rather than a source of corporate profit.

The message is clear. People want energy systems that are cleaner, fairer, more stable, and more affordable. Governments now need to catch up with the public.

4. Southeast Asia is embracing rooftop solar

As global fuel prices continue to rise, families and governments across Southeast Asia are increasingly turning to rooftop solar.

In the Philippines, solar installations have surged by 70%, while customer inquiries reportedly increased six-fold following the recent Iran conflict. Indonesia aims to expand rooftop solar capacity from 1.3 gigawatts today to 100 gigawatts by 2034. Vietnam and Thailand are also introducing new policies and targets to accelerate solar adoption on homes and public buildings. This is people power in action.

When renewable energy becomes accessible, people choose it, because it lowers costs, increases energy security, and offers a path away from dependence on volatile fossil fuels.

Every rooftop panel represents more than electricity. It represents a choice for a different future.

5. Africa is mobilizing for affordable, community-owned energy

Across the African continent this week, thousands of activists, young people, and community organizations are mobilizing as part of AfrikaVuka Week.

Their demand is simple but powerful: stop expanding fossil fuels and start investing in affordable, community-owned renewable energy.

For decades, fossil fuel expansion has been framed as development, even while millions of people continue to lack access to reliable and affordable electricity. Afrika Vuka Week challenges that narrative by calling for energy systems that prioritize people, not corporate profits.

Climate justice and energy justice are inseparable, and communities across Africa are making that connection impossible to ignore.

The transition is already happening

It is easy to believe that progress is too slow, or that powerful interests will always stand in the way of change.

But around the world, the transition is already underway.

Communities are organizing. Families are choosing renewable energy. Young people are demanding accountability. Movements are growing stronger across borders.

And together, they are proving something important: a safer, fairer, more affordable future is not a distant dream. It is already being built.

Across the world, people are proving that another energy future is possible. Join the Great Power Shift campaign and help build a future powered by the people, not fossil fuels.

The post 5 pieces of good climate news that you probably missed recently appeared first on 350.

Chika Okoye discusses Movement Generation’s Just Transition Principle: If it’s not soulful, it’s not strategic.

  At the start of this year we decided to embark on a process of evolving MG frameworks, tools, and curriculum—including Just Transition, Resilience-Based Organizing, Three Circles and others—to reflect the more than 10 years of practice with our movement comrades and, most importantly, to meet this moment. We started by reaching out to beloved comrades from many, many organizations and have already received so much excellent feedback, critique, gaps, innovations, and offerings!   Please consider donating to Movement Generation to support our Frameworks Evolution project!   DONATE

A historic gold mine re-opened using modern technology, to scour out minerals the old-timers couldn’t get at? Twenty kilometres from Tofino? Is this the best we can hope for, a third of a century after the historic 1993 Clayoquot Summer peaceful protests put the region on the map of global ecological hotspots?

It seems that’s what the BC government wants. This spring, they issued mineral exploration permits to Vancouver-based Imperial Metals. The permits would allow Imperial to explore in the territories of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN), in Clayoquot Sound. This despite 2 years of consultation, in which TFN made it clear that mining is not a permissible activity in their territories.

The permits issued allow for 22 drill pad sites, 6 trenches, and 3 helipads in the Tranquil Creek watershed, which is designated as a Tribal Park by Tla-o-qui-aht. They will not expire until 2031. Imperial Metals also holds mineral rights on Catface Mountain (čitaapii), just 13 kilometres from Tofino.

A disaster that changed the conversation around mining in BC

Imperial Metals is notorious for the catastrophic 2014 failure of the tailings dam at their Mount Polley mine, spilling 25 million cubic metres of toxic tailings and slurry into pristine Quesnel Lake—home to a quarter of the Fraser River’s sockeye salmon. It was one of the biggest mining disasters in the world. They are currently facing 15 charges under the federal Fisheries Act in relation to this disaster. Mount Polley is located in the traditional territory of Xat’sull First Nation, near Likely BC in the Cariboo region.

“The province of BC should be respecting our vision for our territories, not issuing permits for mineral exploration without our consent and against our wishes,” said Saya Masso, Tla-o-qui-aht Manager of Lands and Resources. “We’ve seen some positive steps from the BC NDP government, but this move jeopardizes efforts towards reconciliation here in Clayoquot Sound.”

Clayoquot Action has stood united with Tla-o-qui-aht against mining since our founding in 2013, and will continue to oppose any attempts to open mines here in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region.

Take action now. Please make your voice heard—send your letter now using our simple online tool. The letter is already written; it only takes a minute! Send the letter HERE

The post No mines in Clayoquot Sound appeared first on Clayoquot Action.

By Cecilia Allen, Global Projects Advisor, GAIA

(c) Nipe Fagio

Once seen as the domain of dreamers, zero waste is now mainstream. It has even entered the language of the UN: the body created a resolution urging governments to “promote zero‑waste initiatives,” an International Day of Zero Waste, and a Zero Waste Advisory Board, and UNEP, UN‑Habitat and other UN bodies use the concept in campaigns and reports. This year, zero waste was named one of the top priorities on the Global Climate Action Agenda. Türkiye’s Zero Waste Foundation, a leading promoter of these efforts, is organizing its second Global Zero Waste Forum under the motto Road to Antalya: Zero Waste as Climate Action. Türkiye will be the host of climate COP31. 

While this progress is exciting, words matter. When the same UN bodies that are meant to promote zero waste recognize waste-to-energy incineration plants and reuse of the highly toxic incinerator fly-ash as a zero waste solution, it means something is off. Likewise, when Pakistan claims to pursue a “zero waste” economy by increasing waste-to-energy capacity, alarm bells go off among zero wasters worldwide: Incineration is an oxymoron to zero waste. What these examples show us is that a true definition of zero waste needs to be adopted and vigorously defended.

What is zero waste?

The concept of “zero waste” emerged 30 years ago by adapting manufacturing targets such as “zero defects” to solid waste.  Zero waste is both a vision and an action plan. As an action plan it includes strategies to design out the idea of “waste”: waste prevention, redesign, reuse, changes in consumption patterns, recycling, composting, and other methods to reprocess organic material. Zero waste is guided by the goal of progressively reducing disposal in landfills and incinerators, a yardstick for judging the effectiveness of waste programs and policies.

As a vision, its ultimate objective is to change how we produce, consume and process discards so our materials economy fits within planetary boundaries. This concerns not only materials but our relationship with them, the environment, and one another. That is why zero waste is rooted in environmental justice– supporting the flourishing of everyone regardless of race, class, or any other identity, and the rights of nature. Zero waste systems are community‑based, recognize waste pickers as workers, eliminate “sacrifice zones” that disproportionately burden poor and marginalized communities, and put people at the center of solutions.

That is the beauty of zero waste: it offers an encouraging alternative to a linear waste system that perpetuates disposal, resource depletion, climate change and pollution that threaten public health and well-being. It will not happen overnight, but it sets a clear direction.

Defending zero waste

There are multiple conversations within the environmental movement about the co-option of the zero waste concept. Should we let it go? Defend it? There are solid arguments on all sides of the table. But our objective is to expand true zero waste worldwide. Mainstreaming means ideas become accepted as normal because most people share them — that is what thousands of communities, government officials and businesses have worked toward for decades. Fighting this co‑option is therefore an inevitable part of mainstreaming.

Every time a waste‑to‑energy or plastics‑to‑fuel project is presented as “zero waste,” authorities in the field must set the record straight. Waste‑to‑energy incineration perpetuates waste generation because it requires feedstock to burn, competes with reuse and recycling for high‑calorific materials, relies on fossil‑based feedstocks such as plastics, produces greenhouse gas emissions, and creates hazardous residues. None of that could be farther from zero waste. 

Most importantly, zero waste is not just an abstract concept. For over three decades, hundreds of cities, thousands of communities and many waste practitioners have led the transition toward it. They have shown that it is possible to achieve over 90% source separation, diversion rates of 80% and higher, improved working conditions for waste pickers, and local economies based on repair and reuse. They also demonstrate that following the waste hierarchy creates more jobs, reduces more methane emissions, and improves public health.

Enabling zero waste implementation 

In recent years more governments, financial institutions, universities, and waste practitioners have embraced the zero waste vision and prioritized upstream measures over disposal. That is encouraging, but much more is needed. For example, only 1% of international finance aimed at methane abatement in the waste sector goes to zero waste strategies such as composting.

If multilateral development banks and other international financial institutions directed the remaining 99% shifted from harmful end‑of‑pipe systems like incinerators and megalandfills to community‑based organic waste prevention and recovery, the the playing field would level: there would be more incentives for a shift in production and consumption patterns, and local governments and communities would speed up the zero waste transition. If governments that claim to pursue zero waste acted accordingly, they would lead the transition and inspire others.

UN bodies such as UNEP, UN‑Habitat and the Zero Waste Advisory Board have a special responsibility to set a clear vision for governments and institutions, and promote an authentic zero waste agenda to advance environmental sustainability, social equity and economic systems that respect natural boundaries.

As we continue the work toward a zero waste future, let us honor its true spirit that drives systems change. And let us support and scale up the proven programs and policies that governments, communities, waste pickers, NGOs, and businesses are sustaining.  Let us protect the term, and honor the practice: put real zero waste into action.

Rommel Cabrera/GAIA, 2019. Waste pickers collecting separated waste from households. Tacloban City, the Philippines.

The post Defending the Real Spirit of Zero Waste first appeared on GAIA.

  Nicolas Salmon In our experience working on nature-based solutions in cities across Ecuador and Latin America, the problem is not that we do not know participation matters. Everybody says participation matters. The problem is that almost everything in the way projects are designed — timelines, funding structures, institutional cultures, and even expert anxieties — […]

 

Backbone Intern Giacomo Moody's Story Map for We the People is now LIVE!.

The Story Map traces the journey of this Iconic image, from its 2007 debut at Seattle Center to its current deployments in pro-democracy protests around the country. Check out Giacomo's great work and the amazing fruits of our collective labors.

Learn more about joining us in DC or pitching in to support our team going to Washington, DC to mark the 250th Birthday of this country. We'll once again take the streets in a defiant and beautiful expression of common cause and our shared commitment to fulfilling mission of creating a more just, sustainable, and democratic nation, and a future we can be proud to hand our children.

Check out the We the People Story Map at BackboneCampaign.org/WeThePeople.