Blog
World Trade Organization veils meaty information
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A World Trade Organization tribunal ruled today that the U.S. law requiring country-of-origin labeling for meat violates international trade law, essentially denying Americans the right to know where their meat comes from. The United States is likely to appeal, but the WTO Appellate Body has in the… Read More
Climate change — whose security?
There is no doubt that climate change is going to cause widespread social disruption. Nevertheless, focusing too hard on the national security aspect probably isn’t the best idea. Higher walls are not a solution to climate change. Neither is demonizing refugees and other frontline victims as security threats. Unfortunately, this… Read More
Whole Foods to Roll out Rankings for Produce
Whole Foods plans to start rolling out a system that ranks fruits and vegetables as “good,” ”better” or “best” based on the supplier’s farming practices. Most notably, the supermarket chain says its “responsibly grown” labeling system for produce and flowers will prohibit the use of several common pesticides. The rankings… Read More
Nine reasons why REDD is a false folution: New Report from Friends of the Earth International
Friends of the Earth International has just released its most recent assessment of the suite of carbon-trading forestry policies known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, or REDD. The report, “The great REDD gamble,” is available for download here. One of the best websites out there documenting REDD… Read More
Letter to Departments of Interior and Agriculture: Account for the social cost of carbon
A coalition of environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth, sent a letter today to Secretary of the Department of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, calling on them to ensure the costs of carbon emissions are taken into account in their… Read More
Ebay Is the Latest Tech Giant Under Pressure to Cut Ties to Climate Denier
Over the last few weeks, several major tech companies and other corporate giants have cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the controversial conservative group that has come under fire for its opposition to climate change initiatives championed by environmental activists. Ebay is the latest corporate giant to feel the… Read More
Airlines Fly the Skies on a Sugar High
The red-and-white Boeing 737 looked like any other plane on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport. But on a clear day last July, the plane became the first commercial flight powered by a new jet fuel made from sugar cane. Airlines Fly the Skies on a Sugar High -New… Read More
Arrests and displacement rock villages in palm oil landgrab in Bengkulu, Indonesia
In April of this year, I visited a pair of villages in Bengkulu, Indonesia, where the Indonesian palm oil company PT Sendabi Indah Lestari (PT SIL) — a company that allegedly supplies palm oil to Wilmar International — was engaged in ongoing violence to dispossess the villagers of their land. Now,… Read More
How Ebola Impacts Oil Drilling
…AND GREENS PUSH BACK. Despite Obama’s attention to climate change in his speech, some environmental groups took issue with the remarks. Friends of the Earth climate and energy campaigner Kate DeAngelis had this to say: “By applauding natural gas, the extraction of which leaks methane 86 times more potent than carbon… Read More
Great-granddaughter of General Mills founder urges company to stop using GMOs
This blog post has been adapted from a statement made by Harriett Crosby, Friends of the Earth board member and General Mills shareholder, at the company’s shareholder meeting on Tuesday, September 23, 2014. Thank you, Ken. It’s so good to be here with you today. My great grandfather, John… Read More