Wouldn’t you want to know if your house paint/ golfballs/ make-up/ spinach/ car tires could give you cancer? …How about if they might? Still interested? Deaf to the expressed desires of its citizens and researchers, the European Commission seemingly refuses to acknowledge the essential lack of transparency in the nano industry, instead preferring to rely … Read More.
Sure, your local American drug store may sell very European-sounding makeup, but that is where the similarity ends. The laws that determine which ingredients are allowed are very different: the European Union bans 1300 potentially-hazardous chemicals vs. a mere 11 banned under United States law. Toxic freedom! Cosmetics Europe, which represents over 4000 individual cosmetics … Read More.
US-EU trade agreement threatens to reduce environmental standards in favor of looser pesticide regulations Industry lobbyists are pushing proposals to weaken pesticide regulations in the EU and US under the proposed Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) Agreement. The ongoing TTIP negotiations between the EU and the US aims primarily to minimize regulatory differences between … Read More.
EU Commission terminates Chief Scientific Advisor position after pressure from CIEL and partners By David Azoulay and Lainey Sidell Science is a critical tool for policy making, in particular on issues relating to human health and the environment. In some cases, science can give very definite answers; in others, there is uncertainty. Recognizing the wider … Read More.
Last month, the Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) met in Barbados for its 8th session. What’s the GCF? It’s a financial institution that is expected to channel billions of dollars to developing countries to help them in their efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. (Check out some of our blogs for … Read More.
Dearest Friends, Colleagues, It is hard to believe that a year has passed since we formed the Tri-Caucus to improve coordination between those who focus specifically on rights related to REDD+. As we finalize last-minute logistics for the upcoming UN climate negotiations – the Conference of the Parties (COP 20) in Lima, Peru – I … Read More.
In the world of UN climate negotiations, in which 194 official parties, as well as hundreds of observers and representatives from civil society and indigenous groups, have different and complex agendas and priorities, meaningful progress to reduce emissions is a challenging feat. Ensuring that progress respects human rights and environmental integrity is even more so. … Read More.
Colombia’s thirty-four páramos are unique, high-altitude wetland ecosystems that serve as vital sources of freshwater for nearby inhabitants’ survival. To those who don’t directly rely on a healthy páramo ecosystem for life, however, these highlands have a different draw: precious metals buried deep beneath the surface. Therein lies the problem. In 1994, Greystar Resources Limited, … Read More.
Last week, CIEL submitted a letter to an expert group that is tasked with evaluating whether Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund Global, should divest from companies engaged in the fossil fuel industry. At the end of November, the expert group will present its divestment recommendations. If Norway decides to divest, it will … Read More.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Climate Summit on September 23, 2014 is expected to “serve as a public platform for leaders at the highest level – all UN Member States, as well as finance, business, civil society and local leaders from public and private sectors – to catalyze ambitious action on the ground to reduce emissions and strengthen … Read More.
Travelling from India on behalf of the Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’ Rights or Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS), Dr. Bharat Patel presented how the World Bank Group-funded Tata Mundra Power Plant has affected the community of Gujarat during the World Bank’s annual Spring Meetings. His contributions at the Bank’s meeting of Executive Directors … Read More.
The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has decided to begin drafting an international treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses. On June 26, 2014, the HRC voted in favor of a resolution to establish an intergovernmental working group that would create an instrument for regulating transnational corporations with regard to human … Read More.
A new amicus brief supports human rights and environmental protection in El Salvador’s battle to uphold environmental laws against Pac Rim Mining Corporation’s lawsuit. On July 25, CIEL co-hosted a brownbag lunch discussion featuring Teodoro Antonio Pacheco, a Salvadoran environmental activist who is speaking out against the Pac Rim Mining Corporation’s (Pac Rim) most recent … Read More.
How can policymakers adequately regulate nanomaterials if they don’t know what’s out here to regulate? This post is the second in a series of updates on the contentious technological development known as nanomaterials. At the heart of nanotechnology regulation is a need for information. Information is the key to developing appropriate regulatory tools to protect … Read More.
Although elephants and tigers get the most attention, CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is not only about animals. Plants, including trees, are listed under CITES as well. Last week, I sat as an observer and witnessed two “surprises” in CITES’ 65th meeting of the Standing Committee. With … Read More.
This post is the first in a series of updates on the current situation regarding the contentious technological development known as nanomaterials, a topic that has spurred heated debate as policymakers, industry, and environmental health experts weigh its potential to help versus harm. In response to intense lobbying and activism by NGOs and several European … Read More.
A violent eviction occurred only three months after La Puya celebrated its second anniversary of a round-the-clock peaceful protest at the Tambor mine entrance in Guatemala. May 23, 2014: Over 300 anti-riot police approach the Tambor gold mine entrance in San Jose del Golfo, propelling tear gas canisters towards the courageous environmental defenders that make … Read More.
As we near the 800th birthday of the Magna Carta—and CIEL’s 25th—how does Magna Carta influence the realm of international environmental law today? CIEL welcomed President Emeritus and Distinguished Scholar Dan Magraw as the second speaker in its 25th Anniversary Discussion Series Defending the Planet in the 21st Century. Currently a professorial lecturer and fellow … Read More.
On May 23, 2014, a small delegation representing 80 human rights, environmental, indigenous, and faith-based organizations delivered a joint statement to the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, DC, calling for protection and justice for the people in Cajamarca, Peru, who are working to defend their land and their rights. The statement expresses concern for the violent … Read More.
Tahoe Resource Inc.’s Escobal silver mine in the municipality of San Rafael Las Flores, southeastern Guatemala, is the subject of local opposition and ongoing legal processes. Community leaders have faced repression, criminalization, and violence for their efforts to promote consultation processes with local residents. Despite the conflict, Tahoe put the mine into operation even before … Read More.
When you work on international environmental law and policy issues as I do, it can sometimes be challenging to feel optimistic. However, I am pleased to share at least two reasons to be hopeful. As the global community prepares for the climate discussions at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn, Germany, CIEL … Read More.
(This post is a continuation of the previous videos posted here.) Continuing the coverage of ongoing review of the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguard policies, CIEL presents the second installation of videos from the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing on World Bank Lending and Human Rights. Over 18,000 concerned citizens across the globe … Read More.
As the World Bank evaluates its environmental and social safeguards, many civil society organizations from across the globe have criticized existing standards and provided recommendations to ensure human rights are respected in development finance. On April 9th of this year, five human rights advocates testified to this effect at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission … Read More.
While neither the World Bank nor its Inspection Panel are perfect, the elements that make the Panel successful in enforcing environmental standards in development projects may teach us lessons for creating effective environmental dispute resolution mechanisms in the trade arena as well. The Panel was created through an advocacy effort by members of civil society, and … Read More.
Following public outcry over EU-US trade negotiations, the EU is holding three month public consultations on one of several controversial issues, Investor-to-State Dispute Settlement, or ISDS. Human rights, including the right to a healthy environment, are threatened by the possible inclusion of ISDS in the new free trade agreement being negotiated between the US and … Read More.
On April 9, 2014, over 18,000 people from all over the world tuned into the live stream of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on “World Bank Lending and Human Rights.” The hearing focused on how the influential World Bank can improve its development programs while supporting effective human rights protections and maintaining environmental … Read More.
For twenty five years, CIEL has used the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. One of the most critical issues we work on is climate change. Day in and day out, we work on designing and strengthening the laws and policies to combat climate … Read More.
We are pleased to announce that Delphine Djiraïbé will be speaking at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Hearing on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 from 2:00pm-4:00pm along with Barney Frank (former member of Congress), Arvind Ganesan (Human Rights Watch), Nadejda Ataeva (Association for Human Rights in Central Asia), and Yoni Rivas (Movement of Unified Campesinos … Read More.
Each Spring, thousands of government finance ministers, economists, civil society representatives, and community members from around the world convene in Washington, DC, for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings. It is often a hectic week of seminars, press conferences, civil society events, and side-line meetings. This year, the Spring Meetings and civil … Read More.
We’re reporting back from Bali, Indonesia, where the February meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board took place, and excited to share an update on the progress we made and the challenges we face ahead! The GCF was created by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2010 to serve as the primary … Read More.
Nanomaterials are very, very small. When a molecule changes size, its properties – chemical, physical, toxic, etc. – also change. The expanding field of nanotechnology holds enormous potential for advancing technology in exciting ways, but the funding for innovation currently outpaces research into possible negative impacts by more than 3,000%. CIEL works actively to ensure … Read More.
By Baskut Tuncak and Vito Buonsante Two weeks ago, at the start of the fourth round of “trade” negotiations between the EU and the US (officially the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement, or TTIP), the Center for International Environmental Law and ClientEarth issued a detailed critique of a document submitted to TTIP negotiators by … Read More.
We are launching an exciting new campaign calling on negotiators not to undermine progress on safer chemicals in the EU-US trade agreement. “Thunderclap” is an exciting new crowd-sourcing platform that allows people to sign up to be part of a social media surge… if enough people sign up before the deadline. It’s a way to … Read More.
A leaked joint proposal by US and EU chemical lobby groups, the ACC and CEFIC respectively, released during the latest round of negotiations for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) shows that ACC and Cefic aim to slow and alter the pace of chemicals regulation in the EU. None of the ideas in this … Read More.
On December 4th, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) – the independent accountability mechanism for the private-sector lending arm of the World Bank Group – announced its decision to audit the International Financial Corporation’s (IFC) investment in Ficohsa, Honduras’ third largest bank. In April 2012, the CAO had triggered an audit of Corporación Dinant in response … Read More.
**This blog post is the second in a series discussing the chilling effects TTIP will likely have on laws to better protect people and the environment from toxic chemicals in both the United States and European Union. The Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is not a conventional trade agreement. TTIP is, at its heart, … Read More.
**This blog post is the first in a series discussing the chilling effects TTIP will likely have on laws to better protect people and the environment from toxic chemicals in both the United States and European Union. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is not a conventional trade agreement. TTIP is a regulatory agreement … Read More.
The World Bank Group has a new Strategy, which outlines how it will tackle its two goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity for the bottom 40 percent of the population in developing countries. As part of that Strategy, World Bank Group President Jim Kim highlighted the central role of the … Read More.
Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Inspection Panel of the World Bank. The idea for the Panel—sprung from the imagination of CIEL heroes David Hunter and Dana Clark—was then and remains now revolutionary. It marked the first time local communities possessed an avenue to raise their concerns to the highest levels … Read More.
Today, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) meets for its 5th board meeting in Paris, France. Established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010, the GCF promised to be the main vehicle for channeling billions of dollars pledged by developed counties to support climate mitigation and adaptation activities in developing countries. … Read More.
As negotiators prepare for the next round of negotiations between the U.S. and EU on a new trade agreement, an ‘investor’ has filed a lawsuit against Canada under an old one. Lone Pine Resources filed suit under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) seeking $250 million Canadian dollars in damages due to Quebec’s moratorium … Read More.
A new article in The Huffington Post starts with the question, “Whatever happened to innovation in America?” and concludes by hinting that American innovation is not what it once was. According to studies cited by the authors, the United States is second to last in terms of progress over the past decade. So, who are … Read More.
Today, CIEL and other environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the US Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) challenging the federal government’s financing for coal exports from the United States. In 2012, the Ex-Im Bank ─ a federal agency that has been funneling billions of US tax dollars into polluting energy projects abroad ─ provided a $90 … Read More.
In June 2013, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) around the world gathered at Vienna for the 20th anniversary of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights and its Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The CSOs held a two-day conference to precede the Vienna+20 Advancing the Protection of Human Rights Conference on June 25th organized by … Read More.
On June 13th 2013, the Environment and Economy subcommittee in the US House of Representatives held a hearing to discuss the 1976 U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The House hearing was motivated by a recent bi-partisan bill in the Senate by Senator Vitter (R-LA) and the late Senator Lautenber (D-NJ). Deeply flawed and under … Read More.
I have been to Gezi Park/Taksim Square in the European side of Istanbul over the past few days during the protests here. This demonstration began over the government’s plan to destroy Gezi Park — essentially the only green area in the heart of Istanbul and a long-time gathering place. The government plans to replace Gezi … Read More.
Alyssa Johl (CIEL), Abby Rubinson (Earthjustice) and Weni Bagama (Ngabe activist from Kiad community in Panama) co-authored the following post for Climate Action Network’s ECO publication. After this weekend’s CDM reform workshop, ECO has new hope for the CDM’s ability to address human rights. For the first time in the history of the CDM, Parties … Read More.
This week and next, CIEL’s Climate & Energy Team is in Bonn, Germany to participate in the UN Climate Change Conference. This conference is an interim meeting between the main negotiations where decisions are made (referred to as the COP) that take place every December. Bonn has become a second home to the Climate & … Read More.
World Bank President Jim Kim has challenged the world with a new campaign, #whatwillittake to end poverty? But it’s not just what you do, it’s how you do it. Economic development will not improve the lives of people unless it is accompanied by the guarantee of the full enjoyment of their human rights. Projects financed … Read More.
What are the drivers of innovation? This was the question behind new research CIEL released this week, which clearly illustrates that stronger laws to regulate chemicals are a driver of innovation, and also create a safer marketplace. Forbes broke the story on Wednesday and the report has received attention from policymakers, industry leaders and environmental … Read More.
It’s a truism in environmentalism that the farther you are from the impact of your action, the less you know and, for the most part, the less you care. That’s just what the International Finance Corporation (IFC)—the private sector lending arm of the World Bank—has done through its investments in so-called financial intermediaries (FIs). A … Read More.
Now that the dust from Doha has settled and 2013 is off and running, we’ve had a chance to reflect on how the UN climate talks have, once again, left us asking… What have we achieved? How have we advanced the debate? Where do we go from here? Like many other civil society groups, our … Read More.
And now for some good news. Today, France adopted a ban on certain uses of two widely used hormone disrupting chemicals: Bisphenol A (BPA), and the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP for short. Both BPA and DEHP are primarily used to make plastics—polycarbonate and PVC, respectively. Millions of tons of each chemical are produced and … Read More.
(This article originally appeared Oct. 11, 2012 at blog.saferchemicals.org) Recently, the global community kicked it up a notch by issuing a simple statement on hormone disrupting chemicals during negotiations on a process intended to achieve the sound management of chemicals globally by 2020 (called “SAICM”). Despite seeming like an innocuous statement, it lays the groundwork to … Read More.
As we arrive in La Puya, an enormous banner spans the breadth of the roadway: “The extraction of our natural resources only means progress for the foreigners. NO TO MINING.” Past the banner at the entrance to the “El Tambor” project, owned by U.S.-based Kappes, Cassidy and Associates, more than 50 people are gathered in … Read More.
By Alyssa Johl and John Crump* This week, community leaders from two small villages in very different parts of the world will meet on Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to discuss a common problem: their need to relocate as a result of climate change. The communities of Newtok, Alaska, and the Carteret Islands, … Read More.
Next week, negotiators from over 150 countries and other stakeholders will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss the future of global chemicals management. These critical negotiations come at decisive juncture for the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM), with only eight years left on its ambitious mandate to ensure sound chemicals management—eight years in which … Read More.
For the first time in 36 years, the U.S. Congress took a significant step towards fixing the ineffective law that primarily governs the use of toxic chemicals in America’s workplaces, homes, schools, and almost every other facet of our everyday lives. This is a monumental step, not just for the U.S., but for public health … Read More.
By Marcos Orellana, Rio de Janeiro, 22 June 2012. On June 20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) officially started in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Conference opened with a documentary, Welcome to the Anthropocene, which was introduced by the UN’s Secretary-General. The documentary visually portrays the alteration in Earth’s natural cycles induced … Read More.
By Amanda Rude, former CIEL legal intern As several CIEL attorneys and alumni head south to participate in the much-anticipated Rio+20 Conference, I wanted to share some of my insights as the “greenest” (i.e. youngest) member of the CIEL delegation…
CIEL and Earthjustice, working closely with Maldives, Costa Rica and Switzerland, obtained from the UN Human Rights Council a resolution on Human Rights & Environment that establishes an Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment.
On Thursday, January 12th, 2012 CIEL scientist Matt Finer presented as part of Amazon Watch’s GreenBag Lunch series with this auspicious title, riffing off Stephen Colbert’s rhetorical question he poses to anyone that might not agree with his hyperbolic categorization. However, even Colbert would find few, if any, who would call the region of Loreto, … Read More.
Following the UN climate talks in Durban can be a tedious business. Even for a conference junkie like me. There are times when the discussions get so mired in petty political bargaining that it’s hard to keep the bigger picture in mind. People seem to forget why they’re actually there: to find a solution to … Read More.
By Kristen Hite Director, Climate Change Program In recent years we’ve seen global predictions on climate change becoming increasingly dire. In recent weeks it’s gone from bad to worse: The International Energy Association, often criticized for how its future projections of energy production rely too heavily on fossil fuels and nuclear energy just issued a … Read More.
Over the past two decades, the urgent need for global action on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has become undeniable. A little-known global agreement—SAICM—might provide the best opportunity for global action to prevent further health and environmental harm from EDCs.
Nanomaterials are those tiny materials (1 nanometer is about 1/100,000 of the width of a human hair) that behave radically differently than would expected, relative to their bulk counterparts. Examples include carbon nanotubes and nano silver. Promoters of nanotechnology promise life-changing and civilization-saving applications, while scientific institutions and citizen organizations across the world argue for … Read More.
Hundreds of government delegates will join representatives of intergovernmental organizations, health and environmental advocates, as well as business groups in Belgrade, Serbia November 15-18 to improve the management of toxic chemicals. The Belgrade meeting, known as an Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG), sets the stage for the Third International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM3) in September … Read More.
My very first COP experience, the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention in Cartagena, Colombia, was hailed by delegates, observers, and the UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner as the most successful Basel COP in the history of the Basel Convention. I was fortunate to have joined CIEL’s delegation that participated in such … Read More.
Last week, the Associated Press reported that the international treaty being negotiated to address mercury pollution could ban vaccines that use mercury as a preservative. The preservative, thiomersal (also known as thimerosal), is widely used in vaccines that are distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions where refrigeration may not be available. The AP article … Read More.
The Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP10) will be held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia from October 17-21, 2011. Adopted in 1989, the Basel Convention now boasts 178 State Parties. The overall objective of the treaty is to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects … Read More.
What does the new blockbuster hit Cowboys and Aliens (starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig) have in common with the Marlin Mine in Guatemala? Or rather, what do cowboys, aliens and Goldcorp all have in common? An unquenchable thirst for gold. My most recent trip to the box office promised action, aliens, and Harrison Ford. … Read More.
After six days and 322 arrests (and counting), the Tar Sands Action is in full effect. This two-week long protest is being staged on the sidewalk in front of the White House in Washington, DC, plainly visible to government employees, diplomats and tourists alike. Concerned citizens have travelled from all 50 states and Canada to … Read More.
The global food system is broken. Worldwide, 925 million are undernourished. The Asia-Pacific region ranks highest in terms of number of people that are hungry and sub-Saharan Africa leads on a percentage basis. In Niger, for example, one in two children suffers from malnutrition and one in six dies before the age of five. In … Read More.
By Alyssa Johl and Hana Heineken At the end of Wednesday’s Security Council open debate on the security implications of climate change, Council members reached consensus on a Presidential Statement recognizing the link between security and climate change (see our July 19 blog for background on this issue). While this statement fails to call for … Read More.
Tomorrow, the UN Security Council will host an open debate on the international peace and security implications of climate change. CIEL’s Hana Heineken will be attending and tweeting live from the debate (follow Hana’s updates @ciel_tweets). While most people think of global warming as an environmental issue, the climate crisis is expected to have far-reaching … Read More.
BASEL, CITES, CBD, CMS? Remembering the acronyms of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) is challenging enough, much less trying to recall their technical details. Thankfully, the MEA Information and Knowledge Management Initiative, facilitated by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), just launched a user-friendly information portal called InforMEA to help navigate the complex landscape of international environmental … Read More.
By the CIEL Climate Team Despite growing evidence that the effects of climate change are occurring earlier and more dramatically than foreseen just a few years ago, the UNFCCC negotiations continue to demonstrate how difficult it is to reach agreement on a broad-based binding framework for collective international action on climate change. The two weeks … Read More.
Proposed federal legislation to revamp the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) could pave the way for the United States to join three important international treaties, according to a new CIEL publication. “U.S. Law and the Stockholm POPs Convention: Analysis of treaty-implementing provisions in pending legislation,” reviews the Safe Chemicals Act (S. 847), a bill … Read More.
By the CIEL Climate Team Climate negotiations resume in Bonn, Germany this week with a full agenda and against a backdrop of reports that last year’s global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were at record levels despite the global economic downturn. While the meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Cancun, Mexico last December … Read More.
We’re off to Vancouver! As I type this post at 30,000ft flying over Ontario, we are in crunch time preparing for Goldcorp’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Vancouver, BC this Wednesday, May 18th! CIEL is a member of the International Coalition Against Unjust Mining in Guatemala (CAMIGUA), which works to defend the rights of the … Read More.
The ocean is vital to the survival of all life on this planet: it is the source of our rainfall, it regulates are climate, it provides us with food, and it serves as the home of countless marine animals. I think we can all agree that the ocean is fundamental to our enjoyment of life. … Read More.
By the CIEL Chemicals Team Over the past ten years, CIEL has helped to shape the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). From April 25-29, 2011, our Chemicals Team is in Geneva for the Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5). The Stockholm Convention, a global accord ratified by over 170 countries, … Read More.
In reflecting on his revolutionary achievements, Sir Isaac Newton explained, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Implicit in this statement is the recognition of information as an essential part of the foundation for technological innovation. In the 21st century, information has captured the attention of a broad … Read More.
Last time I blogged, I wrote about how coal-based power projects are not as cheap as they seem. This is because coal projects have a number of hidden social and environmental costs or externalities that are either under-valued or excluded from the typical economic costs calculus. Today, I’d like to highlight a recent case that … Read More.
Today, CIEL, along with Amnesty International, Bretton Woods Project, and International Accountability Project, submitted a letter to the Vice President and CEO of the IFC, Lars Thunell, urging the IFC to respect and protect human rights. What is the IFC? The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector lending arm of the World Bank, lends … Read More.
On March 1, 2011, activists will hold rallies in cities around the world to mark a Day of Action, calling on the World Bank to phase out lending for fossil fuel generated power. For those who can’t attend in person, there will be virtual actions on the same day, which is very exciting! Most often, … Read More.
As the muted colors of the Guatemalan altiplano blurred by the tinted windows of the van, something in the valley caught my eye: an enormous, nearly glowing chartreuse-colored body of water. Closer inspection revealed this unnatural color emanated from the residual waters in the tailings pond of Goldcorp Inc.’s Marlin Mine in San Marcos, Guatemala. … Read More.
By Daryl Ditz, Chemicals Program Last month, the feisty lame duck Congress heeded a bipartisan chorus of advice, from Henry Kissinger to Hillary Clinton, in voting to ratify a new nuclear weapons treaty to reduce the risks of dangerous materials falling into the wrong hands. Could the new Congress find bipartisan agreement to ratify a … Read More.
One of my daughters just returned from a one-week trip sponsored by SmileTrain to provide free medical care to underprivileged Colombians. As expected, many of the patients had cleft palates. Unexpectedly, many of the children had disfiguring and immobilizing burns suffered while working with hydrochloric acid processing cocaine. Some children could not bend their elbows … Read More.
By Daryl Ditz, Chemicals Program December 1, 2010 marks the beginning of a new chapter for REACH, the flagship European Union (EU) law affecting thousands of industrial chemicals … with important implications for the United States and other countries. Beginning today, companies operating in the EU cannot make or import high-volume, or certain high-hazard, chemicals … Read More.
By Glenn Wiser, Chemicals Program I was fishing a mountain stream at my friend John’s place in Chilean Patagonia recently when I hooked a 27-inch wild rainbow trout. After chasing the fish halfway down the river, I succeeded in hauling it onto the gravel bank, where I quickly did some mental math: rainbow trout is … Read More.
In a recently filed amicus brief, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) departed from long standing US case law and policy that allows for the patenting of isolated genes, arguing that isolated genes are part of nature and thus not patent eligible. Both biotechnology and medical industry trade associations argue that these patents continue to … Read More.
UPOV is entering a new era of transparency & inclusiveness. The decision of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) to grant observer status to civil society and farmers’ organizations at its annual ordinary session on October 21, 2010 suggest the possibility of a new era of transparency and inclusiveness … Read More.
Nagoya, 16 October 2010 At 6.15 p.m. Friday here in Japan, a new international treaty, “the Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety”, was adopted at one of the largest intergovernmental meetings ever held on the safe use of modern biotechnology. The adoption of the new … Read More.
It is beautiful. Ten days ago, a NASA satellite took this image, a reminder that we are blessed to live on a planet rich with water and green with abundant life. Seen from 440 miles above the Arctic Circle, the earth seems peaceful, perfect and unchanging. Yet, there are other, hidden stories in this image—important … Read More.
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), a leading non-profit that uses international law and institutions to defend the right to a healthy planet, has selected Carroll Muffett as its new President and Chief Executive Officer
On Tuesday, the US Dept. of Energy announced it was distributing $575 million USD in grants to 22 projects in 15 states, in an effort to deploy Carbon Capture and Storage / Sequestration (CCS) technology within the next 10 years. The money was allocated under the Economic Stimulus package (ARRA 2009). The Washington Post reports … Read More.
Government energy ministers gathering in Washington, D.C., today launched 11 energy-efficiency and renewable energy initiatives around the world, which they claim will avoid the need to build 500 midsize power plants during the next 20 years. via www.nytimes.com Of particular note is that “the United States and a dozen other nations will create what is … Read More.
During Colombia’s periodic review by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, specifically the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, several recommendations were made relating to intellectual property (IP) rights. The official UN report can be found here and CIEL’s publications relating to Trade Agreements and IP can be accessed here. … Read More.
The test is meant to see if the trees, eucalyptuses with a foreign gene meant to help them withstand cold weather, can become a new source of wood for pulp and paper, and for biofuels, in the Southern timber belt. Eucalyptus trees generally cannot now be grown north of Florida because of occasional freezing spells. … Read More.