Archive
Stopp uthenting av fossil energi før det er for sent
Kull er en av de fossile energikildene med størst klimaavtrykk. Fortsatt eller økt utvinning av kull er ikke forenlig med et bærekraftig klima og konsekvensen av en slik kurs vil være katastrofale klimaendringer. Australia vurderer nå å sette i gang flere store prosjekter med kullutvinning som både vil ramme klimaet og Great Barrier Reef knallhardt. Dette må stoppes om vi skal ha utsikter til en framtid vi ønsker å leve i. Vær med å signer på oppropet gjennom Avaaz for å legge press på den australske regjeringen slik at de stopper kullutvinningsprosjektet. Les mer om dette nedenfor.
Samtidig har Norge og den norske regjering lagt en tilsvarende kurs i Norge. Oljefeltene bygges ut i høy hastighet. Norge må derfor også gjøre store tiltak for å stoppe den storstilte utnyttingen av fossil energi – før det er for sent. Regjeringen har vist i løpet av årene som har gått at de ikke gjør nevneverdige tiltak på denne fronten. Høyre ser ut til å sette en tilsvarende kurs, mens de øvrige partiene i stor grad har bundet seg til enten Arbeiderpartiet eller Høyre. Det trengs derfor en uavhengig politisk kraft som trosser dette og ikke bøyer av for press for videre oljeutbygging. Miljøpartiet De Grønne er en slik kraft og er nå i ferd med å gjøre sitt inntog på Stortinget. Dette Stortingsvalget gir derfor en mulighet til å starte på det som skal bli framtiden og du kan bidra.
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Dear Avaazers,
 The Great Barrier Reef is at risk of being dredged to make way for a mega coal project. In days the Australian Government will decide whether to approve the plan, and a massive international outcry could tip the balance by putting PM Rudd’s reputation on the line. But we have to act fast —sign this urgent petition to save the Great Barrier Reef:
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The Great Barrier Reef is at risk of being dredged to make way for a mega coal project. But if the Australian Government steps in to block the plan, the dredging will be dropped and this world heritage site will be protected.
There are just weeks until a knife’s edge Australian election, and Prime Minister Rudd has been looking for ways to shore up his green credentials. But major mining companies have local voters scared and the Prime Minister thinking twice.Rudd cares deeply about his international reputation and a huge global outcry can tip the balance and get him to save the Great Barrier Reef.
The decision will be made in days — let’s stop this disastrous plan before the reef is rubbished. Sign the urgent petition now and send this to everyonebefore it is too late. When 1 million have signed we’ll take our message and the media right to the PM’s doorstep:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/australian_coal_disaster_r5/?bRuKtbb&v=27483
Australia is already the 2nd biggest coal exporter in the world — and there are enough new mines proposed to roughly triple the amount they produce! If all the coal from the proposed mines were burned, it would be three times Australia’s current climate pollution — with global implications. This coal bonanza is precisely what the Prime Minister, who claims to be committed to stopping climate change, should be stopping.
UNESCO is up in arms that Australia is considering devastating this precious site. When you read the details of what this project will entail — it is extraordinary that it is even being considered. It will require extending a massive port in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef so it can accommodate huge ships and then dredging three million cubic metres of seabed and dumping all of the rubble within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This global treasure once devastated cannot be replaced.
If we can get the Prime Minister to block the proposal, it’ll block the cheapest route out for the coal exports — the reef will be protected and the entire mega mining project will be delayed and possibly shelved for good. The government is considering the dredging application right now. Let’s ensure he says no. Sign now and share this widely:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/australian_coal_disaster_r5/?bRuKtbb&v=27483
The Avaaz community has been fighting to save the unparalleled beauty of the reef for years. Last year, Avaaz members threatened a public US Bank when they were set to invest in Reef destruction. And hundreds of thousands of Avaaz members sent messages to the Australian Environment Minister to help win the largest marine reserve in the world. Let’s do it again and put the reef out of reach of these profiteering plunderers.
With hope and determination,
Alex, David, Emily, Lisa, Oli, Marie, Ricken, Alice and the whole Avaaz team
PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community. It’s easy to get started – click to start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917
SOURCES:
Great Barrier Reef Under Threat (TIME)
http://world.time.com/2013/07/22/great-barrier-reef-under-threat/photo/dugong-dugong-dugon-feeding-on-sea-weed-golden-trevallys-gnathodon-speciosus-pilot-fish-great-barrier-reef-unesco-world-heritage-site-queensland-cairns-australia-pacific-ocean/
‘Death By a Thousand Cuts’: Coal Boom Could Destroy Great Barrier Reef (Spiegel)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/australia-debates-how-to-protect-the-great-barrier-reef-a-900911.html
GVK’s Australia coal project ‘a quagmire, not an investment’ says report (The Times of India)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/GVKs-Australia-coal-project-a-quagmire-not-an-investment-says-report/articleshow/20651363.cms
Report- Stranded: Alpha Coal Project in Australia’s Galilee Basin (IEEFA)
http://www.ieefa.org/report-stranded-alpha-coal-project-in-australias-galilee-basin/
GVK rejects claim Alpha is ‘stranded’ (The Age)
http://www.theage.com.au/business/carbon-economy/gvk-rejects-claim-alpha-is-stranded-20130619-2oj96.html
Abbott Point Coal Mine Map (Greenpeace)
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/climate/resources/reports/Cooking-the-climate-Wrecking-the-reef/
Stop potential genocide in Burma
There is now a substantial risk for a tragic genocide of the the Rohingya group in Burma. To stop this, we must all put pressure on the leaders in Burma to prevent such tragedies from happening. Sign the Avaaz petition to send the message to the leaders in Burma to prevent the potential genocide in Burma by clicking here. Read more about this from Avaaz:
Dear friends,
 Most people didn’t know who the Rwandans were until 800,000 had been killed. Now, the fate of the Rohingya people of Burma is hanging by a thread as mobs attack them while the police look on. The Burmese President could stop the violence – all he has to do is approve a plan to protect them and ensure it is enforced, while granting them citizenship. Let’s appeal to European leaders to press him when he visits them in days, and stop the next Rwanda:
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Most people didn’t know who the Rwandans were until it was too late, and 800,000 of them were dead. Right now, the fate of Burma’s Rohingya people is hanging by a thread. Racist thugs have distributed leaflets threatening to wipe out this small Burmese minority. Already children have been hacked to death and unspeakable murders committed. All signs are pointing to a coming horror, unless we act.
Genocides happen because we don’t get concerned enough until the crime is committed. The Rohingya are a peaceful and very poor people. They’re hated because their skin is darker and the majority fear they’re ‘taking jobs away’. There are 800,000 of them, and they could be gone if we don’t act. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya.
Burmese President Thein Sein has the power, personnel and resources to protect the Rohingya, all he has to do is give the word to make it happen. In days, he’ll arrive in Europe to sell his country’s new openness to trade. If EU leaders greet him with a strong request to protect the Rohingya, he’s likely to do it. Let’s get 1 million voices and plaster images of what’s happening in Burma outside his meetings with key EU heads of state:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Torture, gang rape, execution style killings — human rights groups are using the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the brutality in Burma. Already more than 120,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee, many to makeshift camps near the border, while others have fled in boats only to drown, starve, or be shot at by coastguards from neighboring countries. Reports show that violence is escalating — earlier this year President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency after another round of deadly attacks, and it’s just a matter of time until there is a large scale massacre.
Genocides don’t happen when governments oppose them, but the Burmese regime has been leaning the wrong way. Recently, a government spokesperson admitted that authorities were enforcing a rule that limits the Rohingya population to having only two children and forces couples seeking to get married to obtain special permission. And experts report that government authorities have stood by or even participated in acts of “ethnic cleansing.” President Sein has finally been forced to acknowledge what’s happening to the Rohingya, but he has so far refused to implement plans to stop the violence and protect those at risk.
Until he does, the risk of genocide hovers like a dark cloud over not just Burma, but the world. Through their trade relations, UK PM Cameron and French President Hollande have massive leverage with Sein — if they press him to act when he meets with them this month, it could save lives. Let’s make sure they do. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya. Join the call now and share this with everyone:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Time and again, the Avaaz community has stood with the people of Burma in their fight for democracy. When the regime brutally cracked down on Buddhist monks in 2007, Avaazers donated hundreds of thousands of dollars/euros/pounds to provide technical support and training to activists to fight a communications blackout. In 2008, when a devastating cyclone killed at least 100,000 Burmese, but the venal military regime stopped all official international aid from coming in, our community donated millions directly to monks on the front line of the aid effort.
Our community didn’t exist when genocide was committed in Rwanda, 20 years ago. Would we have done enough to stop it? Let’s show the Rohingya our answer to that question.
With hope and determination,
Luis, Jeremy, Aldine, Oliver, Marie, Jooyea and the whole Avaaz team
PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917
MORE INFORMATION
Burma riots: Video shows police failing to stop attack (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22243676
Burma: End ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims (Human Rights Watch)
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/22/burma-end-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims
Video shows Burmese police standing by as Buddhists attack Muslims (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/22/burmese-police-buddhists-attack-muslims
The unending plight of Burma’s unwanted Rohingyas (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23077537
Dalai Lama Pleads for Myanmar Monks to End Violence Amid Damning Rights Report (ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/dalai-lama-pleads-myanmar-monks-end-violence-amid/story?id=19013148#.UXV3vCt4a5w
Thein Sein to visit Britain, France in July (AFP)
http://www.dvb.no/news/thein-sein-to-visit-britain-france-in-july/28815
Stopp folkemord i Burma
Det er nå en stor risiko for et tragisk folkemord av folkegruppen Rohingya i Burma. For å unngå dette, må vi alle sette press på lederne i Burma for å hindre at en tragedie lignende til det som skjedde i Rwanda igjen skjer i Burma. Dette kan du gjøre ved å signere Avaaz sin underskriftsaksjon som sender beskjed til lederne i Burma om at de må beskytte folkegruppen som trues av folkemord. Les mer om dette fra Avaaz:
Dear friends,
| Most people didn’t know who the Rwandans were until 800,000 had been killed. Now, the fate of the Rohingya people of Burma is hanging by a thread as mobs attack them while the police look on. The Burmese President could stop the violence – all he has to do is approve a plan to protect them and ensure it is enforced, while granting them citizenship. Let’s appeal to European leaders to press him when he visits them in days, and stop the next Rwanda:
|
Most people didn’t know who the Rwandans were until it was too late, and 800,000 of them were dead. Right now, the fate of Burma’s Rohingya people is hanging by a thread. Racist thugs have distributed leaflets threatening to wipe out this small Burmese minority. Already children have been hacked to death and unspeakable murders committed. All signs are pointing to a coming horror, unless we act.
Genocides happen because we don’t get concerned enough until the crime is committed. The Rohingya are a peaceful and very poor people. They’re hated because their skin is darker and the majority fear they’re ‘taking jobs away’. There are 800,000 of them, and they could be gone if we don’t act. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya.
Burmese President Thein Sein has the power, personnel and resources to protect the Rohingya, all he has to do is give the word to make it happen. In days, he’ll arrive in Europe to sell his country’s new openness to trade. If EU leaders greet him with a strong request to protect the Rohingya, he’s likely to do it. Let’s get 1 million voices and plaster images of what’s happening in Burma outside his meetings with key EU heads of state:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Torture, gang rape, execution style killings — human rights groups are using the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the brutality in Burma. Already more than 120,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee, many to makeshift camps near the border, while others have fled in boats only to drown, starve, or be shot at by coastguards from neighboring countries. Reports show that violence is escalating — earlier this year President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency after another round of deadly attacks, and it’s just a matter of time until there is a large scale massacre.
Genocides don’t happen when governments oppose them, but the Burmese regime has been leaning the wrong way. Recently, a government spokesperson admitted that authorities were enforcing a rule that limits the Rohingya population to having only two children and forces couples seeking to get married to obtain special permission. And experts report that government authorities have stood by or even participated in acts of “ethnic cleansing.” President Sein has finally been forced to acknowledge what’s happening to the Rohingya, but he has so far refused to implement plans to stop the violence and protect those at risk.
Until he does, the risk of genocide hovers like a dark cloud over not just Burma, but the world. Through their trade relations, UK PM Cameron and French President Hollande have massive leverage with Sein — if they press him to act when he meets with them this month, it could save lives. Let’s make sure they do. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya. Join the call now and share this with everyone:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Time and again, the Avaaz community has stood with the people of Burma in their fight for democracy. When the regime brutally cracked down on Buddhist monks in 2007, Avaazers donated hundreds of thousands of dollars/euros/pounds to provide technical support and training to activists to fight a communications blackout. In 2008, when a devastating cyclone killed at least 100,000 Burmese, but the venal military regime stopped all official international aid from coming in, our community donated millions directly to monks on the front line of the aid effort.
Our community didn’t exist when genocide was committed in Rwanda, 20 years ago. Would we have done enough to stop it? Let’s show the Rohingya our answer to that question.
With hope and determination,
Luis, Jeremy, Aldine, Oliver, Marie, Jooyea and the whole Avaaz team
PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917
MORE INFORMATION
Burma riots: Video shows police failing to stop attack (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22243676
Burma: End ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims (Human Rights Watch)
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/22/burma-end-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims
Video shows Burmese police standing by as Buddhists attack Muslims (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/22/burmese-police-buddhists-attack-muslims
The unending plight of Burma’s unwanted Rohingyas (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23077537
Dalai Lama Pleads for Myanmar Monks to End Violence Amid Damning Rights Report (ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/dalai-lama-pleads-myanmar-monks-end-violence-amid/story?id=19013148#.UXV3vCt4a5w
Thein Sein to visit Britain, France in July (AFP)
http://www.dvb.no/news/thein-sein-to-visit-britain-france-in-july/28815
Seier for biene er en seier for verden
Når EU nå har vedtatt forbud mot bruk av neonicotinoide sprøytemidler, er dette god grunn til å feire. Dette er en stor seier for biene som har vært svært hard rammet de siste årene med kraftig reduksjon i antall. Kraftige reduksjon i biebestandene er ikke bare et tap for biene – det er også et tap for verden. Biene har en svært viktig rolle i pollinering av planter. Albert Einstein sa derfor
“If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.”
Det er derfor gledelig at EU har trosset mektige selskapers interesser og lyttet til forskere.
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Dear amazing Avaaz community,
We did it — Europe just banned bee-killing pesticides!! Mega-corporations like Bayer threw everything they had at this, but people-power, science and good governance came out on top!!
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| Bee “die in” at Bayer’s headquarters, Cologne |
Vanessa Amaral-Rogers from the specialist conservation organisation Buglife, says:
“It was a close vote, but thanks to a massive mobilisation by Avaaz members, beekeepers, and others, we won! I have no doubt that the floods of phonecalls and emails to ministers, the actions in London, Brussels and Cologne, and the giant petition with 2.6 million signers made this result possible. Thank you Avaaz, and everyone who worked so hard to save bees!”
Bees pollinate two thirds of all our food — so when scientists noticed that silently, they were dying at a terrifying rate, Avaaz swung in to action, and we kept on swinging until we won. This week’s victory is the result of two years of flooding ministers with messages, organizing media-grabbing protests with beekeepers, funding opinion polls and much, much more. Here’s how we did it, together:
- Keeping France strong. In January 2011, 1 million people sign our call to France to uphold its ban on deadly neonicotinoid pesticides. Avaaz members and beekeepers meet the French agriculture minister and fill the airwaves, pressing him to face down fierce industry lobbying and keep the ban, sending a strong signal to other European countries.
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| Bernie, the huge inflatable bee, helps deliver our 2.6m strong petition to Brussels |
- Tackling industry head on. Bayer has faced Avaaz and allies protesting at its last three annual meetings. The pesticide giant’s managers and investors are welcomed by beekeepers, loud buzzing, and massive banners with our 1 million plus call on them to suspend use of neonicotinoids until scientists reviewed their effect on bees. Avaaz even makes a presentation inside the meeting, but Bayer says ‘no’.
- Making the science count. In January the European Food Safety Agency finds that three pesticides pose unacceptable risks to bees, and we jump in to ensure Europe’s politicians respond to their scientific experts. Our petition quickly grows to 2 million signatures. After many talks with EU decision-makers, Avaaz delivers our call right to the EU HQ in Brussels. Later that same day, the Commission proposes a two-year ban!
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| Beekeepers help deliver our massive petition to Downing Street |
- Seizing our chance. The battle to save the bees heats up in February and March. Across the EU, Avaaz members are ready to respond as all 27 EU countries decide whether to welcome or block the proposal. When farming giants UK and Germany say they won’t vote yes, Avaaz publishes public opinion polls showing huge majorities of Brits and Germans in favour of the ban. Avaaz members also send almost half a million emails to EU Agriculture Ministers.Apparently afraid of dealing with citizens rather than industry lobbyists, UK minister Owen Paterson complains of a “cyber-attack”, which journalists turn into a story in our favour! And then comes Bernie — our 6 metre bee in Brussels — a powerful visual way to deliver our petition as negotiations enter the final stages.Journalists flock to Bernie, and we hear we’ve helped get the Spanish ministry to look harder at the science and shift position . But we didn’t get the majority we needed to pass the ban.< /li>
Bernie the bee featured in The Independent - Turning the red light green. In April the bee-saving proposal is sent to an Appeals Committee, giving us a glimmer of hope if we can switch a few more countries’ positions. In the final sprint, Avaaz teams up with groups including Environmental Justice Foundation, Friends of the Earth and Pesticides Action Network, plus beekeepers and famous bee-loving fashion designers to organise an action outside the UK Parliament. In Germany, beekeepers launch their own Avaaz petition to their government, signed by over 150,000 Germans in just two days and delivered in Cologne soon after. More phone calls rain down on ministries in different capitals as Avaaz responds to a last-minute wrecking amendment by Hungary, and positions Bernie the bee again in Brussels. Pesticide companies buy adverts in the airport to catch arriving officials, and take to the airwaves suggesting other measures such as planting wild flowers. But their slick messaging machine is ignored, first Bulgaria then — the big prize — Germany switch their stances and this week we win, with over half of EU countries voting for the ban!
“Thanks to millions of Avaaz members who mobilised online and in the streets. Without a doubt Avaaz’s massive petition and creative campaigning helped push this over the edge, complementing our work and that of other NGOs.”
It’s time to celebrate this breathing space for one of the earth’s most precious and important creatures. But the EU ban is only in place for 2 years pending further review. And around the world bees continue to die from the pesticides which weaken and confuse them, as well as from loss of habitat as we plough up and build over the countryside. In Europe and across the world there’s lots of work to do to ensure sound science guides our farming and environmental policies. And we’re just the community for the job. 🙂
With hope and happiness,
Ricken, Iain, Joseph, Emily, Alex, Michelle, Aldine, Julien, Anne, Christoph and the rest of the Avaaz team
PS: Let’s keep this going — chip in to ensure we can launch rapid-fire, multi-tactic campaigns on the issues we all care about: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/bees_victory/?bRuKtbb&v=24665
PPS: Many Avaaz campaigns — like the German beekeeper one this month — are started by individuals or groups of members. Just click here to see how easy it is to start yours right now: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?rba13
SOURCES
The bees story, and Avaaz’s role, have been mentioned in hundreds of articles. Here’s a small selection:
EU bans pesticides over bee fears (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/video/2013/04/29/eu-bans-pesticides-over-bee-fears?videoId=242537247&videoChannel=5
Bee-harming pesticides escape proposed European ban (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/15/bee-harming-pesticides-escape-european-ban
EU says it will push through better bee protections after members disagree over pesticides (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/eu-says-it-will-push-through-better-bee-protections-after-members-disagree-over-pesticides/2013/04/29/eea31ecc-b0d4-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946_story.html
Save the bees: Protesters swarm around Parliament in support of pesticides ban (Mirror)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/save-bees-protesters-swarm-around-1855996
Historic vote to ban neonicotinoid pesticides blamed for huge decline in bees (The Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/historic-vote-to-ban-neonicotinoid-pesticides-blamed-for-huge-decline-in-bees-8591807.html
EU to ban pesticides linked to bee decline (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/04/2013429133837540126.html
European Union imposes ban on pesticides linked to bee deaths (RFI)
http://www.english.rfi.fr/environment/20130429-european-union-imposes-ban-pesticides-linked-bee-deaths
EU to ban bee-killing pesticides (EU Observer)
http://euobserver.com/environment/119979
Vær med å hindre store ødeleggelser i Ecuador
Det utkjempes nå en drakamp i Ecuador mellom oljeselskaper som ønsker storstilt oljeutbygging i sårbare naturområder i et stort naturreservat og sårbare befolkninger som også bor i og nær området. Naturødeleggelser vil være en enorm trussel for både mennesker, planter og dyr.
Ønsker du også å være med å hindre ødeleggelse av Ecuador, kan du støtte denne underskriftsaksjonen på Avaaz.
Se mer om dette på engelsk nedenfor:
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Dear friends,
Ecuador’s Sani Isla Kichwa people have asked for our help to stop the government turning their forest home into an oil field. A massive scandal in the global media challenging President Correa to act on his environmental principles could persuade him to pull back and stop the Amazon oil rush. Sign the petition now:
There is one area of the Ecuadorian Amazon that is so pristine that the whole ecosystem has been preserved and even jaguars roam free! But the government is now threatening to go in and drill for oil.
The local indigenous people have been resisting, but they are afraid that oil companies will break up the community with bribes. When they heard that people across the world might stand with them and make a stink to save their land, they were thrilled. The president of Ecuador claims to stand for indigenous rights and the environment, but he has just come up with a new plan to bring oil speculators in to 4 million hectares of jungle. If we can say ‘wait a minute, you’re supposed to be the green president who says no one can buy Ecuador’, we could expose him for turning his back on his commitments just as he is fighting for re-election.
He doesn’t want a PR nightmare right now. If we get a million of us to help this one community defend their ancestral land and challenge the president openly to keep to his word, we could start a media storm that would make him reconsider the whole plan. Sign the petition now and tell everyone — let’s help save this beautiful forest:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/oil_in_the_amazon_8/?bRyKtbb&v=21318
After Texaco and other oil companies polluted Ecuadorian waters and irreversibly devastated precious ecosystems, Correa led his country to be the world’s first nation to recognize the rights of “Mother Earth” in its constitution. He announced Ecuador was not for sale, and in Yasuni National Park promoted an innovative initiative where other governments pay Ecuador to keep oil in the ground to protect the rainforest rather than destroy it. But now he’s on the verge of selling out.
Shockingly, the Sani Isla Kichwa land is partly in Yasuni National Park. But even more shocking is Correa’s bigger plan — in days government officials begin a world tour to offer foreign investors the right to drill across 4 million hectares of forest (an area larger than the Netherlands!) Ecuador, as any country, may argue it has the right to profit from its natural resources, but the constitution itself says it must respect indigenous rights and its amazing forests, which bring millions in tourist dollars every year.
Right now, Correa is in a tough fight to win a second term as president. It’s the perfect time to make him honour his environmental promises and make this green constitution come to life. Sign now to stand with the Kichwa people and save their forest:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/oil_in_the_amazon_8/?bRyKtbb&v=21318
Our community has fought year after year to protect the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia, and won many victories standing in solidarity with indigenous communities. Now it’s Ecuador’s turn — let’s respond to this urgent call for action and save their forest.
With hope and determination,
Alex, Pedro, Alice, Laura, Marie, Ricken, Taylor, Morgan and all the Avaaz team
More Information:
Ecuadorian tribe gets reprieve from oil intrusion (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/17/indigenous-ecuadorian-tribe-oil-intrusion
Ecuador adopts rights of nature in constitution (Rights of Nature)
http://therightsofnature.org/ecuador-rights/
How oil extraction impacts the rainforest (Amazon Watch)
http://amazonwatch.org/news/2013/0107-oil-extraction-how-oil-production-impacts-the-rainforest
Drilling for oil in Eden: initiative to save Amazon rainforest in Ecuador is uncertain (Scientific American)
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/03/17/drilling-for-oil-in-eden-initiative-to-save-amazon-rainforest-in-ecuador-is-uncertain/
Ecuador’s indigenous leaders oppose new oil exploration plans in Amazon region (Earth Island Journal)
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/ecuadors_indigenous_leaders_oppose_new_oil_exploration/
“As concerned citizens, we call on you to take urgent steps to immediately stop officials pushing for oil exploitation in Sani Isla. We urge you to protect the Amazon from the devastation of oil exploitation. It is a serious threat to this pristine habitat and the survival of Ecuador’s indigenous people, who are struggling to resist the oil companies and hold onto their lands. We call on you to uphold Ecuador’s inspiring Constitution.”
Tid for å gjøre opp for syndene
Olje anses av mange som synonymt med velstand. Dette er i svært mange områder langt fra sannheten. Nigeria er et av eksempel på et område som lider hardt under oljeproduksjons følger. Enorme områder er ødelagte av en katastrofe som er mange ganger større enn den beryktede Exxon Valdez. Dessverre er det de fattige som må betale kostnaden. Nå har Nigeria fått nok og går til erstatningssak mot Shell som er en av selskapene som har bidratt til mest av skadevirkningene. Nigeria kommer til å møte motstand i sin kamp for å få ryddet opp igjen særlig fra rike og mektige oljeselskaper. Dagens oppfordring for deg som har medfølelse for et ødelagt Nigerdelta og ønsker å bidra til at det kan ryddes opp igjen er å signere på støttekampanjen fra Avaaz.
Det er også verdt å nevne at Statens pensjonsfond har store investeringer i Shell – som i 2011 utgjorde over 20 milliarder kroner norske statlige investeringer i selskapet. Det er derfor på tide at Statens pensjonsfond trekkes ut fra slike investeringer. Hvorfor ikke gjøre slik Miljøpartiet De Grønne foreslår, nemlig å gjøre om oljefondet til et framtidsfond.
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Dear friends,
In days, Nigeria’s Parliament could approve a $5 billion fine against giant oil polluter Shelland set in motion a law that would hold oil companies to account for the first time ever. The President endorses the penalty, but Big Oil are lobbying MPs like crazy to vote against reform. Our voices can drown them out to win justice for Nigeria’s people. Join the urgent call now! |
In days, Nigeria’s Parliament could approve a $5 billion fine against giant oil polluter Shell for a spill that devastated the lives of millions of people, and pass a law to hold all oil companies to account for polluting and plundering. This is a watershed moment, but unless we all speak out, oil giants will crush it.
Finally, Big Oil is having to pay for the wasteland and violence that they’ve created. President Jonathan supports the Shell fine, and progressive Senators are pushing for strong regulations, but oil companies are slick, and without huge international support MPs could buckle under the pressure.
Politicians are deciding their positions right now — sign the urgent petition for the Nigerian Parliament to fine Shell and support the bill, and then forward this to everyone — when we hit a million signers we’ll bring our unprecedented global call to the steps of Nigeria’s Parliament:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/make_shell_pay_rb/?bRyKtbb&v=19285
Experts say that every year Big Oil spills as much crude into the Niger Delta as an Exxon Valdez, but as it is Africa, it gets little media play. After a leak occurred at Shell’s Bonga oil facility last December, millions of gallons poured into the ocean and washed up on the densely populated coast — resulting in one of the largest African oil spills ever. The fine and bill on the table are a once in a lifetime chance to stand up to Big Oil.
Oil companies have made $600 billion in the last 50 years in Nigeria, but locals don’t see the benefits. Their land, drinking water and fishing grounds are ruined. And Shell has spent hundreds of millions of dollars a year on security forces,repressing protest against its harmful practices.
The oil industry is crucial to the economy, but companies have never been held to account for the devastation of drilling. Now, the Nigerian President and a few brave MPs are speaking out and they could finally slam the oil giants with tough fines and give fair pay outs to the victims. If we show MPs that the world supports these crucial steps, we can literally change the lives of millions. Click below to sign the urgent petition:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/make_shell_pay_rb/?bRyKtbb&v=19285
Avaazers have stood up to Big Oil all over the world, from Chevron in Ecuador, to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, to ending fossil fuel subsidies at the Rio Summit. Now let’s do it for Nigeria too. Make sure the politicians send a message to Big Oil: your days of impunity are over.
With hope and determination,
Pascal, Patricia, Alex, Ricken, David, Rewan, and the Avaaz team
Shell Faces $5 Billion Nigeria Fine (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303933704577532723563488122.html
Shell urged to pay Nigeria $5bn over Bonga oil spill (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18875731
Shell’s grip on Nigerian state revealed (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/dec/08/wikileaks-cables-shell-nigeria-spying
U.N. slams Shell as Nigeria needs biggest ever oil clean-up (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/04/us-nigeria-ogoniland-idUSTRE7734MQ20110804
Nigeria: Oil spill investigations ‘a fiasco’ in the Niger Delta (Amnesty International)
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/nigeria-oil-spill-investigations-fiasco-niger-delta-2012-08-02
Europa gir subsidier til oljeindustri men vil sabotere kinesiske subsidier til solcelleenergi
EU og USA forsøker å stoppe kinesiske subsidier til solcelleenergi fordi de hevder at dette ødelegger deres egen industri. Det de ikke sier, er at både Europa og USA gir store subsidier til oljeindustrien. Avaaz har nå en underskriftsaksjon for å hindre Europa og USA å sabotere kinesiske subsidier til solcelleproduksjon som du kan være med på (se nedenfor).
Det er tydelig at Europa har feilet i lakmustesten på klima. Ekspertene er derimot mer og mer enige om at konsekvensene av å utsette handling blir verre og verre. Da er det bare å håpe at grasrotsengasjementet kan få ledelsen til å vende inn mot en mer bærekraftig tankegang.
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Dear friends,
There’s new hope on climate change, with 20% of the world’s electricity being produced by renewables! China’s aggressively invested billions in solar energy, making it almost as cheap as fossil fuels. But, instead of meeting that investment, the EU and US may be about to slap tariffs on Chinese solar panels, preventing a green revolution. Sign the petition to stop a trade war, and hold talks to save solar:
Climate change is accelerating, but there’s a massive ray of hope: clean energy is booming, producing nearly 20% of the world’s electricity! Incredibly, the US and EU are threatening to stifle this breakthrough — but together we can stop them.
In the last decade the Chinese government has invested billions in solar, sending panel prices plummeting and making clean green tech almost as cheap as dirty fossil fuels. But the US and EU, who give billions in taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil and Coal, are about to drive solar prices back up by putting tariffs on China, and now China is threatening to retaliate. A full on trade war is brewing that could kill the crucial green energy revolution.
The EU and US are deciding right now. Most of the solar industry is against tariffs — and now massive public support could tip the balance. Sign the urgent petition to save solar – if we build a 500,000 strong petition, Avaaz will make a formal submission to the US International Trade Commission and EU trade Commissioner calling for talks not tariffs:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/a_ray_of_hope_on_climate/?bRuKtbb&v=17644
China has a poor human rights and environmental record, and its strategy of flooding the global market with subsidised goods could be found to be too aggressive. But the right response to this is not tariffs, it is investment. While China, the EU, and the US all funnel billions into Big Coal and Oil to destroy our planet, China is also providing huge loans and subsidies to the solar industry. And that’s exactly what other governments have failed to do.
Following the bankruptcy of a handful of US and EU solar manufacturers, some lobbyists are pushing politicians to blame China, instead of their own insufficient and inappropriate subsidies. Some claim that domestic jobs are threatened by low cost Chinese panels, but the truth is the opposite — experts predict that tariffs could cost 60,000 jobs in the US alone. The vast majority of jobs in the solar sector outside of China are in installing and servicing panels, not manufacturing them, so cheaper panels now means more work, and more jobs. And less climate change.
The EU trade Commissioner initiated the investigation into tariffs today and the US ITC proceedings are about to kick off. Written statements to both must be submitted in days to be considered. We’re in a race against the clock to green our economies and prevent catastrophic climate change, and Chinese success in green tech could be the perfect catalyst for the rest of the world to scale up the technology and sustainably bring down prices. Let’s make sure the EU and the US don’t kill our ray of hope:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/a_ray_of_hope_on_climate/?bRuKtbb&v=17644
In the world most of us everywhere want, our governments would incentivise clean energy, and not hand out our tax money to polluters making record profits from dirtying our land, air and water and destroying our planet. Today, we can save solar, and take one step closer to that future.
With hope,
Iain, Joseph, Alice, David, Julien, Emma, Ricken and the rest of the Avaaz team
PS – Avaaz has launched Community Petitions, an exciting new platform where it’s quick and easy to create a campaign on any issue you care strongly about. Start your own by clicking here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?do.ps.solar
More information:
BBC — “China solar panel imports investigated by European Union”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19498382
Forbes – “Solar Trade War Widens To Europe, SolarWorld Called ‘Crazed Agent Provocateur'”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/2012/07/24/solar-trade-war-widens-to-europe-solarworld-called-crazed-agent-provocateur/
CBS — “Chinese solar industry faces weak sales, price war”
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19337660/chinese-solar-industry-faces-weak-sales-price-war
NYT — “U.S. Slaps High Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/business/energy-environment/us-slaps-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-panels.html?pagewanted=all
Bloomberg – “U.S. Solar Tariffs On Chinese Cells May Boost Prices”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-17/u-s-solar-tariffs-on-chinese-cells-may-boost-prices.html
The Butler Firm — “Fighting Fair: A legal analysis of SolarWorlds trade dispute with China”
http://www.thebutlerfirm.com/fighting-fair-a-legal-analysis-of-solarworlds-trade-dispute-with-china/
Verdensomspennende underskriftsaksjon for å stoppe tjæresandprosjektene til Statoil
Norge forsøker å framstå som et land som tar klimaansvar. Det er imidlertid en svært oljesvart bakside som den norske regjeringen forsøker å skjule så godt de kan. En av de virkelig store syndene mot framtida er at regjeringen støtter opp under Statoils investeringer i tjæresand. Dette er noe av det mest destruktive som foregår og er en alvorlig trussel mot framtida. Det er i denne sammenheng startet en verdensomspennende underskriftsaksjon for å få Statoil til å trekke seg ut av tjæresandprosjektene.
Her kan du signere underskriftsaksjonen for å bidra til en mer bærekraftig verden.
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Her kan du lese infoteksten fra Avaaz:
Norway wants to be a world environmental leader at a key UN meeting next week — but the government is backing a dirty investment that could mean game over for the climate, and it’s up to us to stop them.
Norwegian giant Statoil is a major player in the Canadian tar sands, one of the dirtiest and most carbon-intensive fuels known. In fact, the tar sands contain so much carbon that extracting it would be a death sentence for the planet. But Statoil is two-thirds owned by the Norwegian state, and the government can order the company to stop this disastrous project.
In days, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg will arrive at a crucial meeting of heads of state in Rio de Janeiro to trumpet Norway’s climate leadership to the world. So let’s raise our voices before he gets there to ensure he stops this dirty investment and doesn’t tar our climate reputation. Sign the petition — it will be delivered to the media when 10,000 people have signed — and send this to everyone you know.
To Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg:
Stop Novartis from causing thousands of deaths in India
Stop Novartis from causing thousands of deaths in India
Sign the campagin on Avaaz (http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_novartis_in_india/)
Here is the call for action from Avaaz:
In days, a multi-billion dollar Swiss pharma company may get the Indian Supreme Court to shut down our supply of affordable medicines. Only we can stop this outrage.
Novartis is suing our government so it can squeeze more profits from the sick and needy. If Novartis wins, it will threaten Indian companies’ ability to produce low-cost medicines for malaria, AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening diseases, depriving millions around the world of the treatments they desperately need and threatening thousands of Indian jobs. But people power can push Novartis to drop the suit before the final ruling.
One man is masterminding this stealthy attack on the health of millions — Ranjit Shahani, who heads Novartis India and India’s massively powerful pharmaceutical lobby group. When 100,000 people have signed the petition we’ll stage hard hitting actions targeting Shahani by name and push him to drop the case!
Stop censoring of internet
European parliament are about to vote on whether to tighten censoring of internet. Speak out against SOPA now @Avaaz. Sign petition http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl
Read more on http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/23/if-you-thought-sopa-was-bad-just-wait-until-you-meet-acta/
green ubuntu 