Blog
Groups ask Obama to stick with UN as site of climate negotiations
A coalition of organizations, including Friends of the Earth, have signed a letter asking President Obama to recognize that solutions to the climate crisis must be agreed upon at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as it is the only space that respects the sovereign and equal rights of all countries – those most responsible for climate change and those most affected by it – to protect their economies, their people, their territory and their planet from the threat of climate change. Read More
Ship Shape: Emerging Threat in the Arctic — Polar Shipping
After a recent and unprecedented victory to reduce shipping air pollution in North America with the adoption of an Emission Control Area -- precipitated by domestic and international advocacy from Friends of the Earth -- our organization is turning its attention to vessel pollution in the Arctic waters of the frozen North. Read More
The Battle of The Corn Ethanol Tax Credits Begins…
In late March, Representative Earl Pomeroy introduced a bill that would extend the tax credits for corn ethanol by five years. The cost of extending the tax credits for corn ethanol would be over $31 billion dollars, with practically no impact on ethanol production. Read More
Federal Court Rejects Patents of Human Genes, Friends of the Earth Asks Congress to Make Ruling Permanent
The U.S. District Court of New York held yesterday in Association for Molecular Pathology, et al. v U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, et al. that patents on human genes that correlate with increased risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer are invalid since genes and DNA sequences are naturally occurring. Read More
An Interview with Mike Mercredi, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations
Mike is a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations, an indigenous community located at Fort Chipewyan (or Fort Chip for short) in Alberta, Canada. European traders established an outpost here in 1821, and in subsequent years the tar sands industry has sunk its teeth into the land and the inhabitants.How has the tar sands industry changed life in your community? Read More
North American zone established to limit air pollution from ships
On March 26, 2010, an international body governing the shipping industry approved rules to limit harmful air pollution from ships in most U.S. and Canadian waters. The rules are expected to prevent millions of illnesses and 14,000 premature deaths by 2020. The rules will begin to take effect in 2012. By 2015, ships traveling within 200 miles of U.S. shores will be required to cut their air pollution by 80 percent or more. Read More
Who is the Biggest Biofool?
Biofools Day is rapidly approaching! We’re calling out some of the biggest promoters of harmful industrial biofuels. We’ve highlighted five major biofuels proponents, including corporate executives, industry lobbyists, and government representatives, and we’ve dubbed them Biofools. Now, we need your help to vote for number one. Vote below now! Take action and Vote Now! 2010 Biofool Nominees Read More
Subsidies for Bad Energy To Be Retroactively Reauthorized?
Happily, at the end of 2009 several environmentally damaging tax credits expired. These subsidies went to a range of dirty energy sources, including fossil fuels and bioenergy, at the expense of taxpayers. The various tax credits went to a long list of environmentally damaging energy sources, including: Read More
A 200,000-Strong Coalition Calls on the USDA to Prohibit Genetically Engineered Alfalfa
Hundreds of Friends of the Earth supporters joined a coalition of more than 200,000 NGOs, farmers, consumers, and organic producers in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prohibit genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa. We were also signatories of a letter with over 300 organizations asking USDA to deny approval of Monsanto’s GE alfalfa. Read More
Who Owns Your Genes? Gene Patents and the Threat to Public Health
Did you know that around 20 percent of the human genome has been patented? That corporations and researchers own hundreds of animal genes and thousands of plant genes? That even some DNA sequences of viruses like AIDS and SARS are patented, and a researcher could be violating the law if he or she uses them to create a new life-saving vaccine? Read More