Outing The Oligarchy: Billionaires Who Benefit From Today’s Climate Crisis

Climate Justice Now!
Dec 7, 2011

The International Forum on Globalization (IFG) release a special report today, “Outing the Oligarchy: Billionaires Who Benefit from Today’s Climate Crisis", which identifies the world’s wealthiest 50 individuals whose investments benefit from climate change and whose influence networks block efforts to phase out pollution from fossil fuels.

IFG’s report comes as global debates intensify on how best to protect the climate and how best to counter the corrupting power of extreme wealth over politics. The report draws the links between the two debates and identifies the emerging, ultra-rich tycoons who are deepening the world’s climate crisis.

The world’s richest corporations and capitalists have been branded by the Occupy Wall Street movement as the “one percent,” yet there has been scant attention to the individuals within the “one percent” who have greatest responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions. Little information has been publicly available about the identities of the industrialists, investors and ideologues who are most responsible for the decisions over carbon-intensive activities that drive greenhouse gas emissions far past danger levels.

Environmentalists call for climate justice as COP 17 appears doomed to failure

By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com 
December 6, 2011 

MANILA – Leleng Zarsuela, 73, shook with rage when she spoke of the urban poor Filipinos’ indignation at the injustices buried within the issue of climate change. “We, the urban poor, are always blamed for flooding,” she said as an example, “when the real group to blame comes from those few rich whose factories keep churning out wastes and whose vehicles belch dangerous emissions.” Through its massive greenhouse gas emissions, these factories and vehicles have been the biggest contributors to global warming which, in turn, results in extreme weather conditions or what is generally called as ‘climate change.’ Globally the advanced capitalist countries contributed the most.

The poor are in fact the hardest hit by this climate change, said Nanay Leleng as she called other protesters who marched Saturday to the US Embassy in Manila but were barred at Kalaw Ave. by the police. Nanay Leleng is also the national president of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay).

Video: Activists Challenge COP17 Climate Talks

Environmentalists chant "Down With Canada" as expectations are low for COP17 climate talks 

The Real News

Denmark: New Red/Green gov't aims for 100% renewables

By Simon Leufstedt
GreenBlog
5 December, 2011

The new red and green government in Denmark wants to end the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. In a proposal presented to the parliament last week the Danish government laid out their new and bold energy plan. By 2050 Denmark should get 100% of their energy from renewable energy sources.

The proposed energy plan would have four central deadlines. Under the new plan the government wants to see Denmark generate 52% of its energy from renewable sources, such as wind power, as early as 2020. This target alone would cut Denmark’s greenhouse gas emissions with 35% based on 1990 levels. By 2030 all coal-fired power plants in Denmark will be phased out and replaced by biomass and other renewable energy sources. And in 2035 the Danish government expects that all of the country’s power and heat will come from renewable energy sources. And if their plan is followed, the country’s entire energy supply could come from renewables in 2050.

COP17’s fossil awards: Week One, Canada in the lead

Money Web
December 4, 2011

And the worst offenders are…

DURBAN – After six days of deliberations at the United Nations COP17 climate change conference in Durban, Canada has the dubious honour of being awarded the “fossil of the day” award twice in a row. It has also notched up a second and third place, making it the most “capped” of the some 196 countries attending the forum.

For those of you new to “all things climate”, the fossil of the day awards originated at climate change talks in Bonn, Germany in 1999. While the dictionary version of fossil means relic or remnant, the reference in this instance is to fossil fuel – a swearword at any gathering of environmentalists and lobbyists for a reduction in greenhouse gases.

Scenes from the Durban Ecosocialist Conference

Ecosocialist Horizons


Conference on Ecosocialism from Ecosocialist Horizons on Vimeo.


Joel Kovel from Ecosocialist Horizons on Vimeo.

Developed Countries and the Climate Change Convention: a long history of broken promises

By Nele Marien
WPCCCRME
December 4, 2011

The history of climate change negotiations is a long history of failed promises, and mandates that were not followed. It will probably not be possible to keep track of all the failed promises, but here a brief recount of the most important ones:

Convention promises

The mitigation promise: Developed countries committed themselves to take the lead in mitigation, and return by the end of the decade of the 90’s to earlier levels of GHG emissions. (cf art 4.2(a) of the Convention)

The reality: up till today, most of the developed countries that are not economies in transition not only didn’t reduce their emissions, but they actually increased them substantially.

Secret U.S.-Canada Border Deal Hides GMO Takeover

Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council under border deal coverage would put Canada under draconian Food Safety Modernization Act, fast track GMO approval.

By Aaron Dykes
Infowars.com
December 3, 2011

Our report sounding the alarm that Obama and Harper’s secretive border deal, due to be signed next week, would be used to fast track GMO acceptance has been confirmed. The details have been kept under wraps, but recent reports revealed that the ‘Beyond Borders’ security and law enforcement deal would also seek to ‘harmonize’ U.S. and Canadian regulatory standards for food, auto and other trade sectors.

The Globe and Mail confirms that the North American Union security perimeter initiative, sold to the public as new security measures at the border, has a second major component– the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council.

Mr. Harper… said there are two issues on the joint security and economic agenda of the two countries. One, he said, is the border and perimeter initiative, and the other is Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council.

“We are seeking ways of ensuring security in North America while at the same time making sure that we continue strong Canadian access to the American market,” Mr. Harper told reporters.

China Digs Deeper Into Canadian Tar Sands During Durban Talks

By Brad Johnson
Think Progress
December 3, 2011

Although China boasts of its green progress, the booming nation is also making major bets on North and South American tar sands, one of the most carbon-intensive fuels on the planet. This play for civilization-threatening energy comes even as the world’s nations jockey over the fragile international climate accords in Durban, South Africa:

On Monday, China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) closed its acquisition of bankrupt Canadian tar sands producer OPTI Canada Inc. CNOOC gets OPTI’s 35 percent working interest in Long Lake and three other project areas located in the Athabasca region of northeastern Alberta, split with Canadian operator Nexen Inc. The deal cost $34 million for OPTI stock and $2 billion in debt. [Reuters]

On Wednesday, CNOOC and Nexen formed a joint venture, giving CNOOC a 20 percent working interest in the Kakuna, Angel Fire, and Cypress deepwater exploration wells in the Gulf of Mexico. [BusinessWeek]

‘Forests are not for carbon stocks’

By Yusuf Omar
The Mercury
December 2 2011

Bolivia came out swinging at its first press conference of the climate change conference yesterday, criticising the Green Climate Fund – which is meant to help developing countries adapt to climate change – and opposing the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation scheme (Redd).

“Bolivia is showing strongly against the mechanism of Redd. The role of the forest is not for carbon stocks,” said the head of the Bolivian delegation, Rene Orellana.

Native leaders vow to block Northern Gateway pipeline

By Wendy Stueck
Globe and Mail
Dec. 02, 2011

Describing their opposition to Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project as an unbreakable wall, native leaders say they will physically block the project if regulators allow it to proceed.

Ta' Kaiya Blaney, 10, speaks Thursday during a signing ceremony with other first nations members in Vancouver after an announcement on the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.

JOHN LEHMANN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

“I am going to stand in front of bulldozers to stop this project, and I expect my neighbours to join me,” Jackie Thomas, chief of the Saik’uz First Nation, part of the Yinka Dene Alliance, said on Thursday when asked what will happen if regulators approve the proposed pipeline.

Waking the Green Tiger