The group Climate Action Network Europe released a new report revealing the effects of Big Business — all the way across the ocean — on our up-coming election. Looks like, not surprisingly, one of the big losers of Citizens United is going to be the environment.
They report:
Climate Action Network Europe uncovered what appears to be a coordinated effort by European polluters to influence United States climate and energy policies through targeted donations to candidates who oppose action on climate change.
The European companies are funding almost exclusively Senate candidates who have been outspoken in their opposition to comprehensive climate policy in the U.S., and candidates who actively deny the scientific consensus that climate change is happening and is caused by people.
Apparently not content to just cause one of the United States’ worst environmental disasters, BP (UK, $25,000) is among the companies that CANE is highlighting, as well as LAFARGE (France, $34,500), GDF/SUEZ (France, $21,000), EON (Germany, $6,000), BASF (Germany, $61,500), BAYER (Germany, $108,100), Arecelor-Mittal (Luxembourg, $10,000) and Solvay (Belgium, 40,000). These corporations have contributed $240,200 in total for those blocking climate change legislation and $107,200 of that was to climate deniers. As the report points out, this was more than anti-climate, Tea Partier financiers Koch Industries has contributed to derail U.S. clean energy and climate initiatives thus far.
This is part of a larger and pretty simple strategy. If the U.S. does nothing on climate change everyone else can say they don’t have to do anything either. As the report states:
In Europe they are amongst the most influential and vocal within their, the confederation of European business (Business Europe) and the Alliance for a competitive European Industry) to avoid more climate action in the EU. The main reason of argument of those companies is that, for instance, the move to a 30% reduction target in the EU by 2020 cannot happen because of inaction in the rest of the world especially in the USA. What is clear now is that those same companies are financing key players in the US political arena responsible for this inaction. This is essentially climate sabotage on a global scale, because the inaction in the USA is one of the main reasons of the failure to agree an ambitious deal in Copenhagen.
Thanks a lot Europe! I guess a big polluters have one thing in common, regardless of their country, and that is profits.
You can see a complete breakdown of the amount of money contributed by the different companies and the candidates they supported here.
When people tell me not to worry that same sex couples in the U.S. can’t get married, it’s just a matter of time … that gay rights are culturally accepted … that those ‘other people’ will be on the wrong side of history … I want them all to see this news and let them know that actually, there’s a lot of work to be done, starting, most importantly, with our federal government. The HRC reports:
Earlier this week, government employees participating in Federal Employee Health Benefits were notified by a provider that they are eligible to buy into insurance policies for their pets. These same employees are denied the opportunity to cover their same-sex domestic partners.
“Current law puts federal workers’ parrots ahead of their partners,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “It is time for Congress to act to put people first and extend health care benefits equally to all of their employees.”
And here’s why this is so incredibly important:
Benefits, such as health insurance and retirement savings, are a significant portion of employee compensation. Although the federal government – the nation’s largest civilian employer – offers attractive family benefits to employees with different-sex spouses, it does not offer the same benefits to lesbian and gay workers with partners. As a result, these employees do not receive equal pay for their equal contributions, and the government cannot keep pace with leading private-sector employers – including many federal contactors – in recruiting and retaining top talent. In fact, 57% of Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits to their employees. HRC is not aware of any statistics regarding pet insurance offerings by the Fortune 500.
This, like DOMA and DADT, is an example of government sanctioned discrimination. This not only affects federal workers, but the entire queer community, especially youth who should be growing up in a country where the government’s laws protect them and provide them with the same rights as everyone else. To be treated as less than a dog is unacceptable.
Today, across the world, thousands of bloggers (including yours truly) are participating in Blog Action 2010 – the topic of which this year is water. Here’s some startling facts from Change.org:
- African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink.
- Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions.
- It takes 24 liters of water to produce one hamburger. That means it would take over 19.9 billion liters of water to make just one hamburger for every person in Europe.
- The shiny new iPhone in your pocket requires half a liter of water to charge. That may not seem like much, but with over 80 million active iPhones in the world, that’s 40 million liters to charge those alone.
- The US, Mexico and China lead the world in bottled water consumption, with people in the US drinking an average of 200 bottles of water per person each year. Over 17 million barrels of oil are needed to manufacture those water bottles, 86 percent of which will never be recycled.
- Today, 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
For years at AlterNet, we have had a dedicated special coverage page for water issues and we are now just about to release our second book taking on the global water crisis and providing solutions. Water Matters: Why We Need to Act Now to Save Our Most Critical Resource is at the printer right now and will be released in only a few weeks. The book has over 80 stunning photographs from some of the world’s top photojournalists, as well as beautiful and hard-hitting essays by writers like Barbara Kingsolver, Bill McKibben, Tina Rosenberg, Cynthia Barnett, Elizabeth Royte, Jacques Leslie and Jeff Conant. It also features writing from leading water experts and activists like Maude Barlow, Sandra Postel, Wenonah Hauter, Elearnor Sterling, Paula Garcia, Christina Roeseller, Kelle Louiallier, William Waterway, Brock Dolman and Erin Vintinner.
The importance of global water issues was summed up extremely well by Maude Barlow in a recent talk she gave.
I do not think it possible to exaggerate the threat to our earth and every living thing upon it. Quite simply we cannot continue on the path that brought us here. Einstein said that problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. While mouthing platitudes about caring for the earth, most of our governments are deepening the crisis with new plans for expanded resource exploitation, unregulated free trade deals, more invasive investment, the privatization of absolutely everything and unlimited growth. This model of development is literally killing the planet. …
Every now and then in history, the human race takes a collective step forward in its evolution. Such a time is upon us now as we begin to understand the urgent need to protect the earth and its ecosystems from which all life comes.
You can read Maude’s full speech here, get a copy of Water Matters here, check out AlterNet’s ongoing coverage of water issues here, and see what people all over the world are saying about water at Change.org.
Bill McKibben and friends left the White House disappointed last month after a visit in which they hoped to persuade the Obama administration to re-install one of Jimmy Carter’s solar panels that used to be on the White House roof.
Looks like McKibben’s dream is going to become a reality. The AP reports:
Solar power is coming to President Barack Obama’s house.
The most famous residence in America, which has already boosted its green credentials by planting a garden, plans to install solar panels atop the White House’s living quarters. The solar panels are to be installed by spring 2011, and will heat water for the first family and supply some electricity.
Let’s hope this is more than just an empty gesture and spurs on more commitment to green energy coming from Pennsylvania Ave and that it ignites some solar fever in homes and businesses across the country.
It was news to me that biotechnology companies think that some of their products are ‘eco-friendly,’ but according to Tom Laskawy at Grist, that’s exactly what Monsanto likes to claim about their Bt corn, soy and cotton. The trouble is, someone took the time to do a little research on the issue and shockingly, Monsanto’s products aren’t looking so hot (again).
Laskawy explains that Bt crops are genetically engineered to produce their own pesticide, which is a toxin that comes from the genes of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis. The supposed eco benefit to this would be that farmers wouldn’t then need to spray a whole bunch more pesticides on their crops. In theory this would be great news for our waterways, which have become polluted by industrial agriculture (more on that in a minute).
However, researchers tested an area where Bt corn was being grown in India and found that the waterways were in fact still polluted, but this time the toxin they found in streams was the same one in the Bt corn. The reason this happens is because farmers leave crop debris on their fields after harvest, a practice that would make a lot of sense if your actual crop didn’t contain toxins, I guess. This debris then washes into streams.
This is obviously bad, but Laskawy points out, no one really knows how bad because the effect that small amounts of Bt crops can have on aquatic life and other wildlife is unknown.
So, remind me again why these crops are allowed at all? Their supposed benefits, from being more environmentally friendly (which is laughable even to write) and increasing yields in order to feed our starving masses, have been debunked. Time to kick these crops to the curb and their pesticide counterparts.
One of the reasons (and yes, there are many) why this is so important is that we are destroying our waterways. A damming new report in Nature says that 80 percent of the world’s population leaves near a river that poses a serious human and environmental health risk. And this isn’t a problem of developing world nations, although there are some extremely serious water problems in many developing countries, the report found that some of highest threat levels are in the U.S. and Europe.
One major contributor to this industrial is agriculture. Need any more reasons to ditch the practice?
Please, I don’t want to wake up to another one of these headlines: “19-Year-Old Gay College Student Raymond Chase Commits Suicide.” Campus Pride reports:
“The loss of Raymond this week is the second college LGBT-related suicide in a week and the fifth teenage LGBT suicide in three weeks. The suicide of this openly gay young man is for reasons currently unknown; however, the recent pattern of LGBT youth suicides is cause for grave concern,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director and founder of Campus Pride. “Campus Pride demands national action be taken to address youth bullying, harassment and the need for safety and inclusion for LGBT youth at colleges and universities across the country. We must not let these tragic deaths go unnoticed. Together we must act decisively to curb anti-LGBT bias incidents, harassment and acts of violence.”
A comprehensive national study has found reason for serious concern. Here’s Campus Pride again:
–One quarter (23%) of LGBQ staff, faculty, and students reported experiencing harassment (defined as any conduct that has interfered with your ability to work or learn). Almost all identified sexual identity as the basis of the harassment (83%). An even greater percentage of transgender students, faculty, & staff reported experiencing harassment (39%) with 87% identifying their gender identity/expression as the basis for the harassment. The form of the harassment experiences by transgender people was more overt and blatant.
–One-third of LGBQ (33%) and transgender (38%) students, faculty, and staff have seriously considered leaving their institution due to the challenging climate.
–More than half of all faculty, students, & staff hide their sexual identity (43%) or gender identity (63%) to avoid intimidation.
–More than a third of all transgender students, faculty, & staff(43%) and13% of LGBQ respondents feared for their physical safety.This finding was more salient for LGBQ students and for LGBQ and/or Transgender People of Color.
These are shocking numbers, but they are also more than just numbers — they are also real people, with family and friends. The blog AutoStraddle sums up:
Raymond Chase was a person who liked Harry Potter and Rugrats and was a member of the popular facebook group “I cant spell “bananas” without singing hollaback girl.” He’s not number five in a week of suicides, he’s a unique special person with friends and family who are devastated by his loss. He’s a gay college kid who sure seems happy but not that day, or maybe he’d never been, and something happened or something had always happened and he couldn’t do it.
His facebook bio is short and simple: “I like to laugh, I like to have fun, and I’m gay.”
If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or even just seems a little sad there are resources. Every hospital has a Psych ER in addition to a regular ER and you can go there! I’ve been! No shame! Just go there. Just talk to someone. Just make somebody talk to someone. Just don’t die. Go to The Trevor Project for more information. Don’t die. We need you.
The practice of mountaintop removal mining may be the most destruction way that we can generate energy–millions of pounds of explosives are used to blow the tops off of mountains in Appalachia (the oldest in the country and some of the most biologically diverse); debris is pushed into valleys, burying streams and threatening water quality and human health; slurry pounds leak toxic waste in waterways; and residents live in fear of landslides, floods, blasts, water and air pollution.
The people of Appalachia and their allies have been fighting back against mountaintop removal mining and are in DC today to let their voices be heard.
As Kate Sheppard reports for Mother Jones:
There has been some improvement in oversight on MTR under the Obama administration, but not as much as the folks rallying in DC would like to see. In June 2009, the Obama administration announced that it was ending fast-tracked reviews for MTR operation permits and would require tougher environmental review before permits are issued. The EPA later announced that it was putting pending permits through closer scrutiny, and released new guidance in April on enforcement of existing state and federal laws. But the agency has also approved new MTR permits, which hasn’t given activists much hope that things have changed enough to protect their communities.
Environmental regulators say they’re doing as much as they can to enforce existing clean water laws. But when considering MTR permit applications, they say they are hampered by the fact that the practice is still legal. “Until that changes, we have to use the tools that we have,” said Nancy Sutley, head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, in a call with reporters last year. To that end, a bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation that would classify mining waste as a pollutant, effectively banning companies from dumping it into valleys and waterways. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) first released the Appalachia Restoration Act in March 2009, but they’ve been tweaking the language and plan to have an updated version in the coming weeks. Advocates are still hoping they can actually get a vote on the Senate floor this year.
You can follow more of the event today at Appalachia Rising and read a first-hand account of the effect of mountaintop removal mining on the region from Appalachian resident Mickey McCoy here.
Who knew a documentary about the Mississippi River could be so controversial? Last week, Molly Priesmeyer of the Twin Cities Daily Planet reported:
Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story has been nearly four years in the making. A team of researchers, filmmakers, and scientists have been up and down the Mississippi River, knee deep in swamps and icy waters, and elbow deep in footage and research. The film, by the U of M’s Bell Museum of Natural History, focuses on agriculture, pollution, and sustainable solutions. Now, suddenly, its premiere has been canceled, and no one can say exactly why.
The documentary was scheduled to premiere at the Bell Museum on October 3. U of M president Robert Bruininks, who has been an adamant supporter of the conservation-focused project, was set to speak at the event. The film was also scheduled to broadcast on TPT on October 5.
But on September 7th, just as invitations to the premiere were sliding into mailboxes, the U of M pulled the plug on the event and the TPT airing. According to Barbara Coffin, coordinator of public programs at the Bell and executive producer of Troubled Waters, the film was pulled from TPT by University Relations.
The producers at the U’s Bell Museum were informed that morning in a letter sent from University Relations: The film would not air on TPT and the party and premiere were shuttered. Later that week the Facebook invite for the premiere was updated to say the release was postponed “to allow time for a review of the film’s scientific content.”
Of course the only problem with this scenario for pulling the film is that the scientific content has already been reviewed, including by McKnight Foundation, Mississippi River Fund and the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. The real problem may have to due with a conflict of interest.
The Star Tribune reports that the person responsible for canceling the broadcast, U of M’s vice president Karen Himle, is married to “John Himle, CEO of Himle Horner Inc., a public relations firm that represents the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, a trade association that lobbies for agribusiness.”
Of course the university denies that this had anything to do with the film’s cancellation and is sticking by their story of wanting more faculty to review the film. Writing for DailyKos, U of M alum bobtmn shares this statement from the museum:
A Statement from Dr. Susan J. Weller, Director of the Bell Museum of Natural History:
In 2008, the University of Minnesota (Bell Museum of Natural History) received a legislative appropriation, and subsequent additional private funding, to develop an educational documentary on the waters of Minnesota, designed to promote watershed understanding and citizen action in protecting, restoring and conserving water resources.
Our standard procedure at the Bell Museum is that our exhibits and educational products have at least one researcher who oversees the project’s scientific integrity from inception to completion. Unfortunately, this procedure was not followed by the Bell Media unit for production of the documentary, “Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story.” As Director of the Bell Museum, I am responsible for ensuring these standards are followed, and I regret our error in this case.
Bobtmn asks, “If she was irresponsible during the process, what assurance do we have that she will be responsible during the review?”
Recently, this documentary was previewed by a number of University officials and faculty. In hindsight, this review should have occurred much earlier. As a result of input received from these viewers, I have postponed the premiere of the film at the Bell Museum. I have requested a small group of qualified faculty review the film. These faculty will advise me on whether the documentary as edited meets the specifications of the legislative appropriation to the University, and is scientifically accurate, objective and balanced in its presentation.
Again he questions, “Do we have assurances that the new reviewers will be identified? If parts are changed, will the original be released?”
The overall purpose of the review is to assure that the University meets its responsibilities under the legislation to provide the best quality product, one that meets the expectations contained in the legislation and provides high-quality educational material for viewers. No outside interests, as erroneously reported by some news sources, have been involved in this internal decision-making process.
It’s worth keeping tabs to see how this story develops and what changes may be made to this documentary before it is shown to the public.
In case you still had your head in your hands after the DADT fiasco, here’s a tidbit of good news: Florida has finally entered the 21st century.
A Florida circuit judge Tuesday struck down a 31-year-old state law that prevents gays and lesbians from adopting children, allowing a North Miami man to adopt two half-brothers he and his partner have raised as foster children since 2004.
“There is no question, the blanket exclusion of gay applicants defeats Florida’s goal of providing dependent children a permanent family through adoption,” Judge Cindy S. Lederman wrote in her 53-page ruling.
“The best interests of children are not preserved by prohibiting homosexual adoption.”
The downside?
The state attorney general’s office has appealed the decision.
Oh, thanks for still sucking, Florida!
Our industrial footprint on the Earth is big and dirty — there’s no doubt about that. There are plenty of photos out there documenting the huge mess we’ve made. It takes a special talent, however, to be able to capture all those horrors–from coal pollution to oil disasters to mining scars–and make them seem both horrific and beautiful. But that’s exactly what J Henry Fair has perfected.
I first found his work on his website when I was searching for photographs of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale for an up-coming book on water issues. Who knew a waste pit of drilling mud could be so captivating? Not only am I fortunate to have his work included in the next AlterNet Books project, Water Matters: Why We Need to Act Now to Save Our Most Critical Resource, but it turns out Fair has a new book due out in January that combines his amazing photography with essays from smart folks, who’re plugged in to helping us get on a greener path.
Here’s his description of his up-coming book:
My first book, The Day After Tomorrow: Images Of Our Earth In Crisis is a collection of gorgeous abstract images of environmental nightmares interspersed with essays by prominent authors, scientists, and environmentalists. It is first and foremost an art book, the pictures compelling in the manner of painters like O’Keefe, Giacometti, and Caspar David Friedrich. But it’s also a book about the power that the consumer has to shape the world through the purchase decisions she makes.
The collection includes essays from NASA climate scientist James Hansen; NRDC Senior Scientist Allen Hershkowitz; Harper’s and NYT mag author Jack Hitt; former Harper editor Roger Hodge; Frances Mayes, author of Under The Tuscan Sun; John Rockwell, the former senior editor of New York Times Arts and Leisure; and Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance.
Fair’s book won’t the shelves until January, but it’s already on the virtual shelves, so you can order a copy while you’re still marveling at the beautiful dance of texture and color he’s captured in phosphate fertilizer mining waste.
