Blog
Lessons of the Occupy movement for the climate talks
With only two days left in the Durban climate negotiations, we are frighteningly close to locking in low ambition and inaction for the next decade. The US, a consistent and major impediment to progress, thinks that what the world agreed last year in Cancun is sufficient for the next… Read More
Protect the Green Climate Fund
Amid rallying cries of “Amandla! Awetu!” (“Power to the people” in Zulu), we stood in front of a giant octopus with outstretched tentacles. This octopus was greedily trying to suck up the money meant for developing countries. This backdrop framed the platform from which speakers at our rally spoke. Read More
A broken policy? Coalition calls for hearings on the renewable fuel standard
Due to an onslaught of recent critiques and a trading scandal involving the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a diverse coalition has called on Congress to hold hearings on the broken policy. Read More
World Bank: Clean up dirty energy financing
As negotiators from around the world gather in Durban, South Africa for the latest round of climate talks, Friends of the Earth and our allies released a report today titled Unclear on the Concept. The key question we explore is, “How Can the World Bank Group Lead on Climate… Read More
Dubious distinction: US banks are leading international funders of coal
As the international climate talks enter their third day, Friends of the Earth – South Africa, BankTrack, and other environmental groups released a scathing new exposé on the biggest banks funding the global coal industry. The report, Bankrolling Climate Change, finds that the top four financiers… Read More
Why we got behind failure
Now that the Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, better known as the super committee, has officially announced that they are not going to reach a deal we can let out a sigh of relief. That’s because, as Paul Krugman wrote, failure is good in this case. The… Read More
New Briefing Paper: The failed promises of forest carbon finance
Despite repeated promises that carbon markets would deliver significant sums of money to help reduce emissions from deforestation, the carbon market has largely faltered. The growth of the carbon market has stalled and declined in the past 12 months, with carbon recently declared the world’s worst performing commodity. Read More
Durban climate talks begin with tragic deaths
The night before international climate negotiations began here in Durban on the coast of South Africa, a violent storm whipped through the city, collapsing houses and flooding buildings. In a tragic foretelling of the climate chaos to come, six people died when their homes collapsed. Thirteen people have… Read More
Friends of the Earth testifies against corporate giveaways
On Friday November 18, 2011, Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica testified in the House Committee on Natural Resources hearing titled ANWR: Jobs, Energy and Deficit Reduction. The hearing was called by the Republican majority to promote drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in order to create jobs and generate revenue to help reduce the deficit. Read More
Occupy Wall Street: A new avenue for hope and change
Lately we’ve all been hearing a lot about Occupy Wall Street (or Occupy Oakland, DC, San Francisco, and many places in between). Many are calling it the Tea Party of the Left, with its focus on unemployment, corporate greed and crony capitalism. I just call it opportunity. I recently spoke… Read More