November 10 marked the 18th anniversary of the state execution of writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the ‘Ogoni 8’. Not long ago, the Governor of our state in Nigeria said to the Ogonis: ‘Why can’t you people move on?’ The simple answer is that since Ken’s death in 1995 nothing has been done to stop the devastation brought about by unwanted, dirty oil extraction in our homeland.
Source: Common Dreams
On the first day of the UN climate summit in Warsaw, Yeb Saño wept in his chair. Four days after Supertyphoon Haiyan had smashed into the Philippines—killing an estimated 4,000 people—the lead climate negotiator for the Philippines at the U.N. tearfully announced he would fast until meaningful agreements to deal with the climate crisis were reached. Specifically at issue are emission reductions and an international mechanism for losses and damages as a result of climate change. “We can fix this,” Saño pleaded, “We can stop this madness. Right now, right here.” The young Philippine delegate is circulating a petition (now with nearly three quarters of a million signatures) calling for meaningful agreements in Warsaw. He is still fasting. As we approach Thanksgiving, traditionally a time of feasting in the U.S., many have joined Yeb Saño in his fast.
Source: Truthout
Malia Chun lives just blocks away from the beach on the western shores of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. On a sunny November morning, local activist Josh Mori drives Chun and I down the beach in his truck. Children are surfing and swimming in the waves as fisherman wait for a tug on their lines. Hawaiian beaches are known for their sparking blue waters, but Chun worries that the water lapping on the beach in her small town of Kekaha is polluted.
The nearby residential neighborhood is a “homestead” area that is reserved for people of native Hawaiian heritage and boasts one of the highest numbers of native speakers of any neighborhood in the state. Chun calls the homestead “a gem.” She runs a cultural enrichment program for native Hawaiian students at a local community college, and she moved with her two daughters, ages 7 and 11, to the homestead community six years ago. As we ride past the men and their fishing poles, Chun explains that some locals are subsistence fishermen and their families rely on what they catch. Chun says there are rumors among fisherman that the offshore reef, a crucial habitat for fish, is dying.
In one of Colombia’s key strategic and resource rich areas, Eastern Antioquia, a nascent social movement is unifying disparate social issues under one banner – the defense of water.
It seems these days that whenever Mother Nature wants to send an urgent message to humankind, it sends it via the Philippines. This year the messenger was Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda.
Source: The Guardian Unlimited
Chevron, Exxon and BP among companies most responsible for climate change since dawn of industrial age, figures show
The climate crisis of the 21st century has been caused largely by just 90 companies, which between them produced nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions generated since the dawning of the industrial age, new research suggests.
The companies range from investor-owned firms – household names such as Chevron, Exxon and BP – to state-owned and government-run firms.
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