While other countries apply themselves to environmental challenges from climate change to nature protection, Russia - with its massive wealth of nature and natural resources - is stubbornly refusing to take part, writes Lucy E J Woods. And as the economy declines, the pressure is on: to ignore environmental regulations, and clamp down on environmental defenders.
… Russia - has the world's biggest country … Lucy E J Woods | 22nd September 2015 News Russia Climate Change Energy Fossil Fuels Oil Nuclear Law Politics Natural World linevo-russia-cut.jpg While other countries apply …
The isolation of the white wilderness is coming to an end. Scientists and activists are urging caution but Russia is leading an urgent rush to exploit the Arctic’s oil and gas reserves. Tom Levitt reports
… Putin’s Russia will lead a ‘new era of Arctic … Tom Levitt | 19th October 2011 News Arctic Russia Climate Change Natural World … and activists are urging caution but Russia is leading an urgent rush to exploit …
'We all live in Khimki Forest' has become the rallying cry of a local forest defense campaign. Goldman Prize winner Evgenia Chirikova describes what it's like to be green in Russia the why a culture of impunity and corruption risks destroying the country's natural heritage
… Chirikova: 'Putinomics' the biggest threat to Russia's environmental movement The Ecologist … Natural World Society Energy Climate Change Russia Goldman Prize Evgenia Chirikova Putin 12012europe_7.jpg Russian activist Evgenia Chirikova leads the …
As Russia looks like extending its dominion into Crimea and East Ukraine, Ola Cichowlas finds that Vladimir Putin cares rather less about the the heart of Russia itself - places like Berezniki, the country's very own chemical alley.
… Chemfest and collapse in the heart of Russia Ola Cichowlas | 2nd March 2014 News Russia Pollution Society berezniki-rain.png As Russia looks like extending its dominion into …
Russia’s zapovedniks are some of the world’s most pristine wildernesses. For 70 years they were protected ruthlessly by the Soviet system, but recently they have fallen prey to Putin, the World Bank and ecotourists. Paul Webster reports on their plight
… The Wild Wild East: Russia's Zapovedniks Paul Webster | 1st February 2003 News Russia Wilderness World Bank Ecotourism … Forests Natural World WILDEAST_FEB03_MAIN.jpg Russia’s zapovedniks are some of the world’s …
Sanctions against Russian natural resource tycoons could be good for the environment, writes eco-campaigner Konstantin Rubakhin - if only they would target the right people. But so far, the EU has been turning a blind eye to powerful Kremlin insiders with an open licence to pollute and destroy.
… Western sanctions could help Russia's environment - but will they? … Rubakhin | 19th September 2014 Comment Russia EU Mining Oil Finance Law … konstantin-rubakhin-cut.jpg Sanctions against Russian natural resource tycoons could be good …
The drums of war are beating on the BBC and other mass media, writes Oliver Tickell - naked propaganda about fictitious 'Russian aggression' intended to soften us up for a war that could wipe out life on Earth. We must refuse to fall for the endlessly repeated lies, and tell our politicians that our highest priority of all is peace.
… Russian aggression and the BBC's drums of … 2015 Comment War Nuclear WMD Politics NATO Russia shell-children.jpg The drums of war are … Tickell - naked propaganda about fictitious 'Russian aggression' intended to soften us up …
The need for cooperation over Russia's exports of gas to the EU via Ukraine was an important reason for the tentative peace deal struck in Geneva yesterday. But as Jack D. Sharples writes, gas will also be a source of East-West tensions for a long time to come.
… Russia, Ukraine, EU tied by gas dependency … | 18th April 2014 News Fossil Fuels Politics Russia Ukraine EU pipeline-repair.jpg The need for cooperation over Russia's exports of gas to the EU via Ukraine …
New regulations on animal slaughter are in force across Russia, writes Georgy Borodyansky, with devastating effects on small farmers and consumers, who face a three-fold hike in the price of meat. Will the 'health and safety' madness destroy Russia's main producers of wholesome food?
… Russia's small farmers are the latest 'health … Georgy Borodyansky | 5th August 2014 News Russia Food Farming Regulation EU Law russia-cattle-vmenkov.jpg Cattle in a paddock …
The mainstream media are working hard to obscure NATO's hideous plot to rekindle the Cold War in Ukraine, writes Diana Johnstone, as they seek to engineer our 'consent' for yet more heinous acts to come. To prevent the horror of a full scale war, first we must grasp the truth.
… Johnstone | 8th May 2014 Comment Ukraine Russia USA War Media Politics odessa-cut.jpg … very many citizens object to the endless Russia-bashing of the NATO-oriented mainstream … posed an urgent threat to preservation of Russia's only warm water naval base in Crimea. …
Look beneath the surface of the wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, and what do you find? Oil, gas, and contested pipeline transit routes. Never mind high-sounding talk of human rights, national sovereignty, international law and UN Resolutions, writes John Foster - fossil energy is the world's main driver of armed conflict.
… News Politicis Energy War Middle East Ukraine Russia Afghanistan pipeline-war-kuwait-cut.jpg … and prepared for war on humanitarian grounds. Russia intervened and Assad agreed to destroy … rewards. The geopolitics are complex. Russia, Iran, and China support the Syrian …
The next Chernobyl scale nuclear disaster could happen in Chernobyl as the Ukraine conflict intensifies.
… intensifies. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia poses several nuclear threats, … programs. The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine provides a test-case of the … nuclear plants will remain at risk. Disaster Russia has several thousand nuclear weapons. …
Why so few Russian representatives at the UN's World Conference on Indigenous Peoples? Officials prevented activists - some opposing Arctic oil development - from leaving the country, damaging passports and detaining them so they missed their planes.
… Russia: officials block indigenous leaders … | 26th September 2014 News Indigenous Peoples Russia Human Rights Oil Arctic russia-indigenous-siberia-cut.jpg Why so few …
Russia's seizure in international waters of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise has provoked worldwide outrage. But what are the reasons for Moscow's heavy-handedness? And why has the official western response been so muted?
… Hands off our Russian Arctic! Elena Racheva | 28th October 2013 News Russia Arctic Energy Climate Change faiz-oulahsen.png Russia's seizure in international waters of …
Germany’s decision to halt the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline may cause long-term damage to Russia – but Putin doesn’t care.
… Simon Pirani | 1st March 2022 | Comment Russia Ukraine Gas Nord Stream 2 War Energy … 2 gas pipeline may cause long-term damage to Russia – but Putin doesn’t care. Russia’s war in Ukraine will capsize its …
A report on formally joining the climate deal is due for completion by the end of the month, while a key industry lobby has reversed its opposition.
… Russia reviews ratification of Paris Agreement … Natalie Sauer | 11th February 2019 News Russia Oil Paris Agreement Global Warming x A … industry lobby has reversed its opposition. Russia, one of the world’s highest-polluting …
Protests at the proposed mining of nickel and copper in the heart of Russia's Black Earth belt have been escalating - as has the smear campaign against the protesters. Konstantin Rubakhin sees this as a positive sign ...
… Mining Russia - thousands join the protests … Rubakhin | 2nd January 2014 News Mining Russia Land Grabs security_guards.png Protests … mining of nickel and copper in the heart of Russia's Black Earth belt have been escalating …
Superpower confrontations and growing tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Arctic are all part of a new Cold War, writes Alexander Reid Ross - and this time Green campaigners are under attack by both Russian authorities and NATO ...
… War Fossil Fuels Politics Ukraine Middle East Russia NATO pipeline-blast.jpg Superpower … Green campaigners are under attack by both Russian authorities and NATO ... When Russian commandos surrounded Greenpeace …
The respected Russian campaign group Sakhalin Environment Watch is being forced to choose between registering as a 'foreign agent' label and closing down, writes Oliver Tickell. Environmental campaigning, it seems, is now a 'political activity'.
… Russia aims 'foreign agent' law at green NGO … Oliver Tickell | 15th September 2015 News Law Russia Conservation Finance dmitry-cut.jpg The respected Russian campaign group Sakhalin Environment …
Official recycling rates in Russia stand at close to zero, writes Minna Halme. But my study of the potential to develop the sector uncovered widespread informal recycling networks, lurking in basements, stigmatised for supposed links to organised crime, barely tolerated by the authorities. And any ideas of legitimising the shadowy recycling operations are met with frosty official silence.
… for drunks, addicts and babushkas' - inside Russia's shadowy waste industry Minna Halme … | 8th February 2016 Comment Waste Recycling Russia Society bottles-cut.jpg Official recycling rates in Russia stand at close to zero, writes Minna …
Turkey's shooting down of a Russian jet near its border with Syria has just revealed the real nature of the war, writes Oliver Tickell, and sharply illustrates the dangers of getting involved in a conflict that is driven more by a battle of two gas pipelines than a clash of ideologies. The message for the UK - keep well out! Or if we are serious about crushing IS, best join in with Assad and Putin.
… Russia's shot down jet is sending us a … News War Energy Oil Gas Politics Syria Turkey Russia US UK France su24-cut.jpg Turkey's shooting down of a Russian jet near its border with Syria has …
Russia is rich in nature reserves and national parks, writes Mikhail Kreindlin. But the government body meant to be protecting them is in fact promoting logging, building and mining projects. Conservationists are fighting back, but the odds are stacked against them.
… Russia's wildlife protector is on a mission of … Mikhail Kreindlin | 5th July 2014 News Russia Natural World Forests Development Law … kurils_nature_reserve igor shpilinok-cut.jpg Russia is rich in nature reserves and national …
For the US fracking industry - and for Vice-President Joe Biden - fracking is more than just a way to bring in vast amounts of cash, writes Steve Horn. It's also a key weapon in the US's long war with Russia, as Biden made clear this week in Kiev.
… Steve Horn | 25th April 2014 Comment Fracking Russia Ukraine USA Politics Fossil Fuels … also a key weapon in the US's long war with Russia, as Biden made clear this week in Kiev. … Biden: 'fracking is freedom' With the ongoing Russian occupation of Crimea serving as the …
As the US and EU apply sanctions on Russia over its annexation' of Crimea, JP Sottile reveals the corporate annexation of Ukraine. For Cargill, Chevron, Monsanto, there's a gold mine of profits to be made from agri-business and energy exploitation.
… News Food Farming Corporations Ukraine USA EU Russia hitler-ukraine.png As the US and EU apply sanctions on Russia over its annexation' of Crimea, JP … Black Sea grain terminal at Novorossiysk on Russia's Black Sea coast. The port - to the …