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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Mountaintop removal and clean water: Kinda at odds
DC lobbying effort May 12-16 |
Erik Hoffner |
11 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Citizens from Appalachia were at the UN's meeting on sustainable energy policy this week to challenge the clean-coalers, and were received really well by the other delegates. Coal advocates were hard-put to refute the evidence that coal kills communities. Now the effort moves to D.C. from May 12-16 for the 2nd Annual Mountaintop Removal Week lobbying effort. Organized by Appalachian Voices, the effort will advance the Clean Water Protection Act toward passage and he ... |
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| Topics: coal, Congress, energy, environmental justice, legislation, lobbying, mining, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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UN Secretary-General appoints climate envoys
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David Roberts |
10 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I haven't been keeping very close tabs on this, but apparently new(ish) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon -- who is determined to make climate change a priority -- has named three Special Envoys for Climate Change. What's a Special Envoy, you ask? Good question. I searched in vain for answers, and all I found is this: The Special Envoys will solicit the views of national leaders, including those who are key actors in the climate change negotiations. "The w ... |
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| Topics: climate, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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So What's Plan C?
United Nations report outlines the trouble with biofuels |
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09 May 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| So What's Plan C? United Nations report outlines the trouble with biofuels Remember how biofuels were going to save us? That lasted about as long as an ice cream cone on a hot day. A new United Nations report says the switch to biofuels, if not well managed, could lead to rampant deforestation, food and water shortages, and increased poverty. It also says using biofuels for heat and power is a better and cheaper way ... |
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| Topics: biofuels, energy, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Interview with Pachauri
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David Roberts |
08 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| ThinkProgress has an interview with Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC. Worth a listen. |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, IPCC, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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MTR at the UN this week
Press conference on Tuesday in NYC |
Erik Hoffner |
07 May 2007 |
Gristmill |
| A delegation of grassroots groups from around Appalachia will be at the UN's Commission on Sustainable Development meetings this week to discourage further MTR abuse and advocate for alternatives (More on them here: www.stopmtr.org). New Yorkers, turn up for this if you can: NEW YORK CITY//MAY 8, 2007 NEWS ADVISORY A delegation of Appalachia coalfield citizen groups will hold a news event at 2 p.m. on Tuesday (May 8, 2007) in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Park to ca ... |
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| Topics: coal, energy, grassroots activism, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Responsibility
The view from Washington |
Tom Athanasiou |
18 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| So here I am in Washington (the other one) in a homey B&B just eight blocks from the White House. I came here for a number of reasons, not the least of which is attending a conference called Climate Change and International Development (which was, by the way, recorded, and it is said that videos will be available here.) It was pretty good, and the less-public strategy meeting that followed it today (at the Friends of the Earth offices) was even better. Strategic ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, IPCC, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Disagree to Agree
U.N. Security Council hosts feisty climate debate |
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18 Apr 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Disagree to Agree U.N. Security Council hosts feisty climate debate Yesterday the U.N. Security Council held its first-ever debate on climate change, and the meat of the debate was -- well, whether the debate should be happening at all. With 55 countries speaking, Britain led the pack of those arguing that climate change threatens global security, while China led the MYOB contingent. "The developing c ... |
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| Topics: climate, national security, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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IPCC Working Group III goes after transportation pollution
If you won't go after them, we will |
Joseph Romm |
17 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The IPCC reports are some of the most highly anticipated of 2007. An obvious sign? Within two weeks of one report's release, papers are already covering a leak from the next. IPCC Working Group III's focus is on mitigation, meaning a fair number of policy implications can be derived from its conclusions. So here's a hint for America's auto industry: the report calls for urgent action on road pollution. In the United States, there are 483 passenger cars per 1,00 ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, cars, climate, climate change mitigation, green living, greenhouse-gas emissions, IPCC, litigation, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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A unique insight into the IPCC process
The innerworkings of it all |
Andrew Dessler |
07 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Those opposed to action on climate change are compelled to attack the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its reports. Not doing so would cede the scientific high-ground of the argument and essentially doom their preferred do-nothing policy approach. One way to attack the IPCC is to describe it as a nameless bureaucracy pursuing its own political agenda, and entirely disconnected from the scientific community. For example, a report from the Fraser ... |
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| Topics: climate change impacts, climate change mitigation, IPCC, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Climate in the UN Security Council
Highlighting security risks of climate change |
Geoff Dabelko |
06 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| On April 17, the UK will use the prerogative of the chair of the UN Security Council to devote a day to the security implications of climate change. UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett is scheduled to deliver a major address meant to put climate-security links squarely on the high table of security policy. John Ashton, the UK special envoy for climate change and an adviser to Beckett, has been making the case for treating climate as a security issue since he too ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Sustainability in world politics, continued
On Revkin's piece on poverty and climate change impacts |
John McGrath |
02 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| (A topic I return to every once in a while. See here and here.) The link that Jason posted Sunday deserves a closer look, if you missed it over the weekend. Revkin has written an excellent, if somewhat depressing, piece on the fact that while climate change is overwhelmingly the responsibility of the world's rich nations, the nations that suffer most will be the world's poorest. It also reminds me of something else I heard Tim Flannery say last week: whatever ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, environmental justice, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Right before my very eyes: Ethiopia
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Geoff Dabelko |
01 Apr 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The vista of Ethiopia's ancient Rift Valley, speckled with shimmering lakes, stretches before me as our motorized caravan heads south from Lake Langano, part of a study tour on population-health-environment issues organized by the Packard Foundation. Sadly, the country's unrelenting poverty and insecurity are as breathtaking as the view -- Ethiopia currently ranks 170 out of 177 countries on the UN Development Programme's Human Development Index. These numbers beco ... |
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| Topics: environmental justice, Ethiopia, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Femme Natal
Anika Rahman, women's- and reproductive-rights advocate, answers readers' questions |
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16 Mar 2007 |
InterActivist |
| What are the implications of the Bush administration's denial of funds to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)? -- Name not provided Anika Rahman, Americans for UNFPA. In 1969, the U.S. was integral in the formation of UNFPA, recognizing the importance of providing women's health care. Since 2002, the U.S. has withheld $161 million from UNFPA. The denial of funds strips the moral, ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, InterActivist, interview, United Nations, United States (all these topics) |
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Intent of a Woman
Anika Rahman, women's- and reproductive-rights advocate, answers Grist's questions |
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12 Mar 2007 |
InterActivist |
| Anika Rahman. What work do you do? What's your job title? I'm the president of Americans for UNFPA. UNFPA, or the United Nations Population Fund, is essentially the United Nations' women's health agency. It provides women's health care and promotes the rights of women all over the world. Working in 140 countries, it is the largest international source of such assistance. Americans for ... |
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| Topics: green living, health, InterActivist, interview, United Nations, United States (all these topics) |
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Circuit Training
U.N. launches global partnership to combat unhealthy e-waste habits |
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08 Mar 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Circuit Training U.N. launches global partnership to combat unhealthy e-waste habits Faced with an annual global gadget toss approaching 40 million tons, the United Nations has launched a partnership to battle the world's heaps of e-waste and the environmental and health problems caused by impromptu e-recycling. Solving the E-Waste Problem, or StEP -- which counts governments, unive ... |
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| Topics: business, greening biz operations, news, toxics, United Nations, waste (all these topics) |
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Good God, Y'all
U.N. chief says climate change poses as big a threat as war |
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02 Mar 2007 |
Daily Grist |
| Good God, Y'all U.N. chief says climate change poses as big a threat as war When we were in school, assemblies were a chance to see something fun, like a juggler or a movie. How times change. Two months after taking office, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave his first climate-change speech, saying all kinds of gloomy things to an audience of schoolchildren from around the world. To wit ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, news, politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Don't Have a Cow
About 20 percent of farm-animal breeds* are endangered, says FAO |
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18 Dec 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Don't Have a Cow About 20 percent of farm-animal breeds* are endangered, says FAO Word association time: What comes to mind when you think "endangered animals"? Odd-looking tropical frogs and obscure birds with funny names? Time to adjust your thinking: The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that one in five breeds of farm animal are in danger of extinction. Of more than 7,600 b ... |
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| Topics: food and agriculture, news, United Nations, wildlife (all these topics) |
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Shh ... It's Around the Corner
As climate report downplays human impact, scientists struggle to speak freely |
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11 Dec 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Shh ... It's Around the Corner As climate report downplays human impact, scientists struggle to speak freely The U.N.'s new climate report will apparently lower the estimate of human impact on global warming by 25 percent. Skeptics may salivate, but as a top U.K. scientist says, "The bottom line is that the climate is still warming while our greenhouse-gas emissions have ... |
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| Topics: climate, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Do Not Giggle
Livestock sector spews a fifth of human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions, says U.N. |
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01 Dec 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Do Not Giggle Livestock sector spews a fifth of human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions, says U.N. The U.N. has issued fresh content on a vital cause of global warming: cow farts. It seems that 18 percent of human-caused greenhouse gases stem from farm animals and the livestock industry, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Besides poots, agriculture-related deforestation and energy us ... |
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| Topics: climate, food and agriculture, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Nothing New Under the Sea
After days of negotiations, U.N. fails to pass high-seas bottom-trawling ban |
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27 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Nothing New Under the Sea After days of negotiations, U.N. fails to pass high-seas bottom-trawling ban In a roughy outcome for conservationists, the U.N. failed to adopt a high-seas bottom-trawling ban supported by countries including the U.S. and Australia. The controversial fishing method, currently used by 11 countries including ban-busters Iceland and Russia, involves dragging vast nets and coral-crunching ro ... |
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| Topics: marine life, news, oceans, United Nations (all these topics) |
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The End Is Sigh
U.N. conference ends with little progress on climate action |
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20 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| The End Is Sigh U.N. conference ends with little progress on climate action In a monstrous anticlimax, the U.N. climate summit in Nairobi, Kenya, ended with a decision to ... review the Kyoto Protocol in 2008. "From Christian Aid's point of view that's simply not good enough, and we need some heads to be knocked together by somebody," said Andrew Pendleton of the charity organization. U.K. environment minister David ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Taking It From All Sides
Bush faces climate criticism from greens, U.S. mayors, entire world |
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16 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Taking It From All Sides Bush faces climate criticism from greens, U.S. mayors, entire world You know how, when you're making a bad choice, your friends try to tell you, but you can't see it? Listen up, Bush administration. In a speech yesterday, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan cited a "frightening lack of leadership" on climate change. He later said he wasn't pointing at the U.S., but you wouldn't ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, United Nations, United States (all these topics) |
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Fund, Fund, Fund 'til Daddy Took the T-Note Away
U.N. climate talks continue, but dissension rules the day |
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13 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| Fund, Fund, Fund 'til Daddy Took the T-Note Away U.N. climate talks continue, but dissension rules the day As week two of the U.N. climate talks kicks off in Nairobi, Kenya, debate is raging over how to manage a fund that will help poorer countries adapt to climate change. Western countries want the $3 million fund -- which is expected to grow to $750 million -- to be run by a group allied with the World Bank. But developing ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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In Toilets Is the Preservation of the World
U.N. study illuminates deadly global water and sanitation situation |
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10 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| In Toilets Is the Preservation of the World U.N. study illuminates deadly global water and sanitation situation Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice -- but it's more likely to be lack of access to clean water that does us in. A U.N. report says dirty water is the second-leading cause of death among children around the world, causing 1.8 million wee ones under 5 to perish each year, and says that 2.6 bi ... |
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| Topics: news, United Nations, water pollution (all these topics) |
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A New Leaf
Billion-tree effort launches as new climate reports issued |
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09 Nov 2006 |
Daily Grist |
| A New Leaf Billion-tree effort launches as new climate reports issued Ooh, we love reports. A new one from a team of European scientists says the Arctic and Antarctic are linked by powerful currents, creating a "climate seesaw" that connects the fates of the poles and could help scientists predict the effects of polar warming on climate. A second, U.N.-commissioned re ... |
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| Topics: Antarctica, Arctic, climate, Kenya, land stewardship, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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