The neoliberal model of 'development' is ravaging nature and pitting communities and eco-defenders against powerful corporations and colluding police and military forces. The violence must stop!
To defend the environment, we must defend human rights Friends of the Earth International | 10th June 2014 Comment Corporations Development Human Rights san-jose-del-golfo-cut.jpg The neoliberal …
It's fine for 'green' groups to plant trees, or rescue baby flying foxes, write Susan & Bill Laurance. But when they campaign for the environment, right wing politicians see red, Moves are now afoot to strip advocacy groups of their charitable status, reflecting a broader clamp down on eco-activism across the Asia Pacific region in China, Cambodia, Lao and India.
Australia prepares tax penalty attack on environmental advocacy groups Susan Laurance Bill Laurance | 13th June 2014 News Australia Campaigning Politics jellyfish-cut.jpg It's fine for 'green' groups …
Will the World Bank ever change? After decades of promises, initiatives, accords and re-branding, Bruce rich finds that the World Bank is the same old indiscriminate money-pump, still funding social and environmental catastrophe worldwide.
Foreclosing the Future - can the World Bank ever reform? Tom Griffiths | 24th February 2014 Reviews Economics Finance foreclosing-future.png Will the World Bank ever change? After decades of …
US beef carries a heavy environmental cost in water, land, emissions. But few of us know quite how damaging beef is, writes Gidon Eshel, nor that it is more than five times worse than pork, poultry, eggs or cheese. Isn't it time we did something about it?
The true cost of your beefburger is much worse than you know Gidon Eshel | 22nd July 2014 Comment Food Farming USA Climate Change Water beef-feedlot-cut.jpg US beef carries a heavy environmental cost …
Coal leases on public lands operated by the US Bureau of Land Management are responsible for 40% of US coal production and 14% of total US CO2 emissions, writes Mike Gaworecki - yet their environmental impacts have not been reviewed in 35 years.
BLM sued - no environmental review of coal leasing since 1979 Mike Gaworecki | 8th December 2014 News Climate Change Law USA Coal Fossil Fuels powder-river-trains-cut.jpg Coal leases on public lands …
Government and corporations are resorting to the judicial repression of environmental activism in Malaysia, writes Meena Raman - deploying public order and defamation laws to suppress criticism and protest. Malaysia must value its peoples health and security above corporate profit.
Malaysia: eco-activists combat judicial repression Meena Raman | 26th September 2014 Comment Malaysia Health Pollution Law anti-lynas_protest-cut.jpg The environmental movement in Malaysia remains …
In a radical departure from it's 'pro free speech' rhetoric, Australia's 'Liberal' government wants to ban environmental boycotts. But as Bill Laurance writes, eco-boycotts are not only an effective tool for reining in corporate excesses - they are also a key democratic right.
… struggled to find a consistent line on both environmentalism and free speech . Straight …
The winter Olympics at Sochi have trashed the National Park that contains Russia's richest biodiversity, writes Igor Chestin. Worse, the gutting of key environmental laws means that it can happen all over again, and again.
Sochi - an Olympiad of environmental destruction Igor Chestin | 17th February 2014 News Russia Forests Natural World mzympta-dumping.png The winter Olympics at Sochi have trashed the National Park …
Thirty-five distinguished scientists urge the US-EPA not to register new mixtures of the herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate, intended for use on herbicide-tolerant GMO crops. Approval of the herbicide mixtures would endanger both human and environmental health.
Scientists write: EPA, ban 'agent orange' herbicide mix and GMO crops! The undersigned | 3rd July 2014 Comment Farming Toxics USA GMOs Regulation windy-day-spray-cut.jpg Thirty-five distinguished …
Six environment heroes, one from each continent, are honoured for their work today - fighting threats from giant coal mines to forest destruction, fracking, high dams, illegal development and toxic waste dumps. Sophie Morlin-Yron reports.
2014 Goldman winners - fighting coal, dams, palm oil, fracking, toxic waste Sophie Morlin-Yron | 28th April 2014 News Fracking Fossil Fuels Waste Water Energy USA Indonesia Russia Peru Africa India …
The UN has specialist organizations for trade, health, labour, maritime affairs, intellectual property, tourism and Palestinian refugees - but none for the environment. Isn't it time that changed? Lucien Georgeson believes a WEO would bring substantial global benefits.
Why is there no World Environment Organisation? Lucien Georgeson | 15th May 2014 Comment Un Politics beach-rubbish.jpg The UN has specialist organizations for trade, health, labour, maritime affairs, …
Sweden's Greens are in government for the first time, wriites Dominic Hinde, with six ministerial posts in the new Social Democrat / Green coalition. After eight years of Conservative-led government, the country is determined to resume its former role as a green pioneer, but many challenges lie ahead.
… of Sweden's particular brand of mainstream environmentalism. Wired up with a radio … can put Sweden at the forefront of global environmentalism once again, the country is …
The proposed structure of Juncker's new European Commission sidelines sustainability issues and risks undoing years of environmental legislation. The European Parliament must now block his deregulatory assault on the EU’s climate, energy, biodiversity, pollution, chemicals and environmental health policies.
EU Parliament must reject Juncker's anti-environment Commission Green10 | 29th September 2014 Comment EU Regulation Pollution Climate Change amsterdam-harbour-cut.jpg The proposed structure of …
A series of judgments against Canada in secret corporate tribunals costing taxpayers $100s of millions show that 'free trade' agreements really do restrict governments' right to protect health, environment and endangered species, writes Nick Dearden.
Profits before whales! To know why TTIP would be a nightmare, look to Canada Nick Dearden | 26th March 2014 Comment Politics Corporations Trade Mining Canada EU whale-watching-digbys-neck-cut.jpg A …
Public Health England is guilty of gross scientific misconduct, writes Paul Mobbs, for its apparently deliberate whitewashing of the public health impacts of fracking. But it's all part of a pattern of maladministration that reaches to the heart of government.
Shale gas and public health - the whitewash exposed Paul Mobbs | 6th May 2014 News Fracking Health UK Law Fossil Fuels Pollution Radiation gasmasks-cut.jpg Public Health England is guilty of gross …
A decision by parties to an obscure Convention has huge implications for Europe's ageing nuclear reactors, writes Jan Haverkamp. Licence extensions must follow EIAs which compare the potential impacts to those of alternatives - including wind, solar and other renewables.
Europe's ageing nuclear reactors will have to undergo environmental assessments Jan Haverkamp Greenpeace | 9th June 2014 News Nuclear Energy rivne-ukraine-cut.jpg A decision by parties to an obscure …
What do the Australian Environment Foundation, the Renewable Energy Foundation and the Global Warming Policy Foundation have in common? They are all fiercely anti-environment, writes William Laurance - and we must beware their 'eco-doublespeak'.
… book ' Global Spin: The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism ' , Sharon Beder described …
Multinational paper and palm oil companies are rushing to declare 'zero deforestation' policies. It looks like a huge victory for the rainforests and forest peoples, but Peter Gerhardt asks - what is a no-deforestation promise really worth?"
Don't be fooled by 'zero deforestation' promises Peter Gerhardt | 19th May 2014 News Forests Indigenous Peoples Corporations Campaigning cargill-palm-oil-cut.jpg Multinational paper and palm oil …
A health study in Pennsylvania, USA, shows that people living near fracking and other natural gas wells are more likely to suffer from skin conditions and upper respiratory symptoms. It calls for further study of the associations, including the role of specific air and water exposures.
Skin, respiratory symptoms increase near gas wells The Ecologist | 25th September 2014 News Gas Fossil Fuels Science Fracking USA Health pa-gas-well-cut.jpg A health study in Pennsylvania, USA, shows …
The oil and gas industry is disrupting communities and damaging ecosystems worldwide, writes David Poritz. Tough, independent social and environmental standards for the industry can bring urgently-needed improvements to company practices - even where government regulation has failed.
Certified-responsible oil and gas - we need it now! David Poritz | 21st October 2014 Comment Oil Fossil Fuels Ecuador Amazon USA Nigeria Society david poritz hart hat-cut.jpg The oil and gas industry …
Left wing governments across the Americas are faced with a dilemma, writes Daniel Macmillen - high social spending programs financed by income from destructive mining and hydrocarbon extraction - or a slower but sustainable development path that puts ecology, equity and justice first. Their answer - a constant pushing back of the resource frontier.
… in a "contemporary and rational" form of environmentalism, based on an equilibrium … made to enshrine greater respect for nature, environmentalism remains little more than a …
Tatyana Novikova has been fighting an unsafe nuclear power plant right on the country's border with Lithuania. She spoke to Chris Garrard about her campaign, the official persecution of anti-nuclear activists, and her invocation of the Aarhus Convention to the anti-nuclear cause.
… curious how she had first become involved in environmentalism and what had motivated her. …
With 300,000 hectares of forests, fields and steppes damaged by fire, the war in Ukraine has done huge damage to the country's environment, writes Dimiter Kenarov. But there has been an upside: a new green spirit is taking root, and young volunteers are stepping in to protect wild spaces.
Greening the revolution - Ukrainian youth joins fight for nature Dimiter Kenarov | 21st October 2014 News Ukraine Natural World Society War mrlp.jpg With 300,000 hectares of forests, fields and …
A second canal joining the Pacific and Atlantic oceans is planned for Nicaragua, writes Nathan Wood. But the gigantic project is raising growing fears due to a grossly unfair contract, glaring failures of process, close links to the Chinese government, and its enormous - but uncosted - ecological impacts.
The Nicaragua Canal - a disaster in waiting? Nathan Wood | 15th August 2014 News Nicaragua China Transport Water Forests Economics lake-nicaragua-cut.jpg A second canal joining the Pacific and …