March 2011 subscribers printable monthly newsletter

The Ecologist

7th March, 2011

This month we look at efforts to tackle the 'resource curse', examine the growing conflict over wolves, find out what really lies behind our love affair with French baguettes, hear why some charities are suffering because of an unusual crime wave, and ask why the FAO are saying tribal people hold the key to tackling world hunger. To access this exclusive content plus other articles, log in and scroll down to the bottom of the page...

EDITORIAL: Tackling the resource curse

After the fiasco over the future of England’s forests, the apparent abandonment of so-called ‘Green ISAs’ and the hypocrisy of the government’s promotion of oil drilling in the Shetlands and Arctic whilst simultaneously calling for greenhouse gas emissions cuts, the coalition’s credibility on green issues has taken a battering in recent weeks.

But, receiving far less attention, the government has quietly pledged to support groundbreaking laws that could positively affect the lives of millions in some of the world’s most impoverished countries: George Osborne last month signalled the coalition’s backing for the implementation of EU-wide oil, gas and mining transparency laws.

These laws, if introduced, will require companies listed in the EU to publish what they pay to foreign governments in order to extract minerals and other natural resources. This will vastly improve transparency over revenues - frequently shrouded in a cloak of secrecy - help tackle the corruption that has long been endemic in many resource-rich countries, and equip those living there with the information to help them reap the benefits of their nations...

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