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Environment & human rights: Mar. 2002 |
Mar. 2002:
A glimpse of the future - Factory life in the "new China" - [China] has become a "capitalist paradise" of low wages, long hours, no member-controlled unions, no environmental or occupational health regulations, and no problem that cannot be solved with the discreet use of influence peddling and/or bribery. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)
Ecuador Police Detain, Deport Anti-Pipeline Activists: Ecuador's police have detained 17 environmental activists who tried to block construction of a controversial oil pipeline through an ecologically unique Andean rainforest and plans to immediately deport the 14 foreigners in the group (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 29 Mar. 2002)
Government Failing on Carbon Emissions [UK]: Friends of the Earth demanded that the Government take urgent action to tackle carbon emissions, following the publication today of the latest provisional carbon emission estimates,showing an increase for the second successive year (Friends of the Earth, 28 Mar. 2002)
Businesses are called to account: A new initiative should make it possible to compare companies' impact on society and the environment - Next week in New York an extraordinary coalition of companies, governments and pressure groups will launch an ambitious attempt to harmonise the way businesses report their impact on society and the environment. The Global Reporting Initiative hopes to break through the fog surrounding "green" and ethical accounting and bring transparency and comparability to this fledgling form of corporate disclosure. If it works, it could become the international standard for non-financial reporting. (Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 28 Mar. 2002)
{···español} Mapuches demandan a Repsol [la empresa Repsol-YPF] por 445 millones [Argentina]: Presentan hoy ante el juzgado federal un reclamo civil por esa suma (en dólares) a raíz los daños producidos por la explotación de hidrocarburos. (Diario Río Negro [Argentina], 27 marzo 2002)
{···español} Caso OCP: demandan libertad de 17 ecologistas [Ecuador] - El grupo de activistas ecológicos se encontraba desde el dos de enero en una de las zonas más frágiles del bosque protector de Mindo Nambillo, para impedir el avance de la construcción del Oleoducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP). (La Hora [Ecuador], 27 marzo 2002)
Earthjustice Hails Court Decision Rejecting Industry’s Five-Year Campaign Against Clean Air [USA] (Earthjustice, 26 Mar. 2002)
New Website Supports Corporate Accountability in India: The US-based corporate accountability group CorpWatch today launches a new website -- www.CorpWatchIndia.org -- to expose the social and environmental impacts of corporate investment in India. (CorpWatch India, 26 Mar. 2002)
Energy Task Force [Bush administration's energy policy task force] Courted Industry, Excluded Green Groups [USA] (Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service, 26 Mar. 2002)
{···español} Adelanta Sheinbaum plan contra emisiones: La Ciudad de México será la primera urbe del mundo que cuente con un programa para reducir las emisiones de contaminantes que produce el cambio climático, informó la titular de Medio Ambiente, Claudia Sheinbaum. (Tatiana Adalid, Reforma [México], 26 marzo 2002)
US reaches cleanup deal at Alabama PCBs site:...Under the settlement, Solutia and Pharmacia have agreed to continue the emergency cleanups of area residences that are the worst contaminated. (Reuters, 26 Mar. 2002)
British companies warm to greenhouse gas trading (Reuters, 26 Mar. 2002)
The Winds Of Liability in Bhopal [India] [refers to Union Carbide and Dow Chemical] (Dilip D'Souza, special to CorpWatch India, 25 Mar. 2002)
Trashing Water is Good Business For Water Companies [India]: In Chennai, a major port city in southern India, two sister companies, French multinationals Onyx and Vivendi, are working at cross-purposes. While Vivendi is in partnership with civic authorities to convert scarce fresh water from a public service to a commercial product, Onyx collects the city's garbage and dumps it in one of the most important freshwater ecosystems in the city. (Nityanand Jayaraman, CorpWatch India, 25 Mar. 2002)
Bt Cotton: Seeds of Discontent -...U.S. chemical giant Monsanto's efforts -- through its Indian partner Mahyco -- to seek approval for commercializing the controversial transgenic Bt Cotton seeds in India has come under intense criticism. (Meena Menon and Nityanand Jayaraman, CorpWatch India, 25 Mar. 2002)
Germany seizes Amazonian mahogany shipment: The German government said last week it had seized a shipment of Amazonian mahogany because it had suspicions the timber had been logged illegally. (Stefano Ambrogi, Reuters, 25 Mar. 2002)
Toxic Trade? A Canadian chemical firm says California's pollution controls violate NAFTA rules...In Santa Monica...the groundwater is poisoned... a pollutant has leaked from the underground tanks of gasoline stations. The culprit: methyl tertiary butyl ether...As lawsuits against 18 oil companies drag on, California has ordered a phaseout of the chemical, and a dozen other states have followed suit...METHANEX, the Canadian company that makes a key ingredient of MTBE, is challenging California's ban under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement. (Margot Roosevelt, Time Magazine, 25 Mar. 2002)
Open Letter to Nitin Desai: An open letter of protest against UN Under Secretary General Nitin Desai's embrace of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and their self-proclaimed "commitment to sustainable development." (from Corporate Europe Observatory, numerous other NGOs, Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, 23 Mar. 2002)
Nike greenwash over sweatshop labour - Following years of criticism over its poor labour and environmental standards, Nike claims to have cleaned up its act, even signing onto the Global Compact to prove it. But the truth is rather different, and the company’s recent behaviour is a textbook study in greenwash. (Sharon Beder, Ecologist, 22 Mar. 2002)
Piles of poisons: Despite NAFTA's green promises, hazardous waste problems are deepening in Mexico; Sustaining Livelihoods (Jennifer Clapp, Alternatives Journal, 22 Mar. 2002)
How to develop win-win partnerships in developing markets: Established in 1998 at the initiative of the World Bank, Business Partners for Development/Natural Resources (BPD/NRC) has conducted a three-year exercise to see if business, government and civil society can get better results by partnering up in developing countries. [report on a project in India involving Integrated Coal Mining Limited, community leaders in the affected villages and local government officials] (Michael Warner, in Ethical Corporation Magazine, 22 Mar. 2002)
KPA, Sweden, joins UNEP [U.N. Environment Programme] Insurance Industry Initiative: KPA, Sweden, a pension fund with $1.5 billion in assets has become the latest signatory to the UNEP FI Statement of Environmental Commitment by the Insurance Industry Initiative, a commitment by companies to incorporate environmental principles into their internal and external business activities. (U.N. Environment Programme, 22 Mar. 2002)
Uzbek east suffers man-made famine [Uzbekistan]:...The babies are among thousands of victims of an agricultural policy, fashioned by the Soviet Union and pursued enthusiastically by independent Uzbekistan, which is creating a desert, destroying the Aral Sea, poisoning land, and cutting harvests. And killing people. Cotton is the main culprit. (Sebastian Alison, Reuters, 22 Mar. 2002)
Vehicle pollution major killer: Vehicle emissions are killing around 400 New Zealanders aged 30 and over every year, a report shows. (NZPA, in New Zealand Herald, 22 Mar. 2002)
Time to consider environmental ethics [remarks by Richard Evanoff, an associate professor of environmental ethics in the department of international politics, economics, and business at Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan] (Takeshi Suzuki, special to The Daily Yomiuri [Japan], 22 Mar. 2002)
course (including syllabus): Environmentally Benign Manufacturing (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spring 2002)
Women plantation workers poisoned by toxic pesticides [Malaysia]: study - Two non-governmental organisations today called for a ban on paraquat and other toxic pesticides as plantation workers exposed to them suffered poisoning and developed serious medical conditions. Tenaganita and Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN-AP) said those affected were women plantation workers who sprayed these toxic pesticides. (Kevin Tan, Malaysiakini, 21 Mar. 2002)
Forest Policy Will Alleviate Poverty: Uganda's new policy on forestry can be best described as a the voice of the people. This is because it has evolved out of consultations and is expected to bring about poverty alleviation and enhance conservation. (Gerald Tenywa, New Vision [Uganda], 21 Mar. 2002)
Clinton, Nevada's Reid seek link between disease, environment [USA]: Concerned about the unexplained growth in the rate of some chronic diseases, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Harry Reid on Thursday proposed creating a national tracking system to study the link between a person's health and their environment. (AP, in Las Vegas Sun, 21 Mar. 2002)
DJIBOUTI: Toxic leak "not a public health concern" - A toxic leak in the port of Djibouti is confined to the port area itself and has not become a public health concern, an environmental expert said on Wednesday. (IRIN - U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 21 Mar. 2002)
Green protesters target Morgan Stanley meeting: Pro-environment activists attended the annual meeting of U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley this week to protest against the bank's financing of certain projects in Asia. The campaigners have criticised the bank for backing projects such as the Three Gorges Dam in China and the Golud-Lhasa Railway in Tibet, which they say have huge environmental and social impact. (Reuters, 21 Mar. 2002)
Don't use banned chemical, Thai shrimp farmers told:...The EU bans the use of nitrofuran in food-producing animals because of the risk of causing cancer in humans. (Reuters, 21 Mar. 2002)
MYANMAR [Burma]: Grim outlook for Asia's final frontier of biodiversity - The very existence of the regime rests upon the exploitation of natural resources. The generals have allowed massive logging -- particularly of teak -- and the construction of gas pipelines and other development projects that have caused serious environmental damage. Uncontrolled fishing by Thai companies, to whom the junta gave concessions, has led to the impoverishment of people in fishing villages. The exploitation of natural gas and minerals and the implementation of large dam projects continues with little concern for the effect on the environment or on the populations in the areas being exploited. (Cesar Chelala [author of "Impact of the Environment on Children's Health," a publication of the Pan American Health Organization], in Japan Times, 20 Mar. 2002)
Efforts made to reduce acid rain: China pledged to strictly control the country's emissions of sulphur dioxide yesterday in a bid to reduce acid rain, which is threatening more than 30 per cent of Chinese territory...All coal mines containing sulphur are required to set up desulphurization facilities by 2005. (Zhang Yong, China Daily [Beijing], 20 Mar. 2002)
Walhi blames destruction of Medan forests on six firms [Indonesia]: A leading environmental watchdog based in North Sumatra blamed on Tuesday at least six plantation companies for the destruction of around 300,000 hectares of forest in Mandailing Natal regency...The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said the six concessionaires were PT Gruti, PT Mujur Timber, PT Keang Nam Development Indonesia (KNDI), PT Inanta Timber, PT Rimba Mujur Mahkota and PT Supraprimoris Corporation...Walhi said the six plantation firms had for years slashed and burned forests. (Apriadi Gunawan, Jakarta Post, 20 Mar. 2002)
press release: Morgan Stanley Exposed Over Controversial Asian Projects - Share Value Threat From Growing Consumer Concerns - Human rights and environmental campaigners will highlight the growing threat to investment bank Morgan Stanley's shareholder value at the company's annual general meeting in London today (19th March). Efforts to pressure Morgan Stanley are being led by Friends of the Earth, the International Rivers Network, Students for a Free Tibet and Free Tibet Campaign. The groups are all engaged in campaigns targeting Morgan Stanley for its lack of environmental and social risk management policies, which have led the company to underwrite some of the most controversial projects in Asia. These include the Three Gorges Dam in China, resource extraction projects in Tibet and rainforest destruction in Indonesia. (Friends of the Earth, International Rivers Network, Free Tibet Campaign, Students for a Free Tibet, 19 March 2002)
{···español} Turismo Responsable: una visión homeostática (Jesus M. Delgado, EcoPortal.net, 19 marzo 2002)
Mining expert calls for enviro improvements: Environmentally and socially conscious development is the only way forward for the mining industry. This was said by Anita Roper, deputy secretary-general of the International Council and Mining and Metals, who spoke at an official function of the Chamber of Mines in Windhoek last weekend...Roper acknowledged that mining's poor reputation was, in some cases, well-deserved. [refers to Romania, Spain, Namibia, South Africa] (The Namibian, 19 Mar. 2002)
EPA to ease coal plant rules, pollution suits - Post [USA]: The Bush administration has decided to shift from a Clinton-era clear air enforcement initiative that led to dozens of lawsuits against aging coal-fired power plants, The Washington Post reported yesterday. According to U.S. Environment Protection Agency officials, the administration plans to unveil new rules that would offer incentives for reductions in toxic emissions without threatening legal action against plant operators, the newspaper said. (Reuters, 19 Mar. 2002)
Government and Ferro Corporation settle Clean Air Act claims [USA]: Company violated new source review at its former flame retardant manufacturing operations - The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Indiana, and the city of Hammond, Ind. today jointly entered into a $3 million settlement of claims against Ferro Corporation for the company's violations of the federal and state "new source review" provisions of the Clean Air Act (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 18 Mar. 2002)
Norway to halt oil leaks, urges UK nuke closure: Norway said it wanted to stop leaks from its oil and gas platforms by 2005..."Our main goal is that one multi-billion industry should not kill off another," [Norway's] Environment Minister Boerge Brende said, referring to the threat to fisheries from oil and gas. (Alister Doyle, Reuters, 18 Mar. 2002)
{···español} Instancia decisiva en litigio con la Texaco [Ecuador]: La justicia de Estados Unidos deberá fallar esta semana sobre la procedencia de una demanda iniciada en 1993 por indígenas de Ecuador contra la compañía petrolera ChevronTexaco, a la que acusan de contaminar la selva amazónica. (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, in La Hora [Ecuador], 17 marzo 2002)
Billowing Rage [India]: The Sukruli cauldron threatens to boil over if the Orissa government does not act against the smoke-spewing sponge iron plant in the area...tribal women have held three demonstrations in Bhubaneswar and Baripada against Shiv Shakti Sponge Iron Limited (SSSIL), whose carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions have become a nightmare for the 15,000-odd villagers residing in the Sukruli block of Mayurbhanj district. (Satyasundar Barik, in Down to Earth, Centre for Science and Environment [India], 15 Mar. 2002)
US failing to comply with international accord to protect forests: Conservation Groups Say Bush Administration Rolling Back Forest Protections While Reducing Public Involvement (American Lands Alliance, 15 Mar. 2002)
New French Law Mandates Corporate Social and Environmental Reporting: French social and environmental rating agency offered both kudos and criticism for a new law requiring French companies to disclose social and environmental performance. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 14 Mar. 2002)
Chile's fruit growers phase out methyl bromide to save ozone layer: Chile has launched an initiative to eliminate the use of methyl bromide in its orchards and vineyards by 2007, substituting other products that do not damage the ozone layer in the atmosphere. (U.N. Development Programme, 14 Mar. 2002)
Construction giant drops controversial Turkish dam plan: One of Britain's leading construction companies pulled out of the planned Yusufeli dam in Turkey yesterday after environmentalists said it would be the target for protests. The move by Amec avoids a big embarrassment for the Government, which has been asked to underwrite the firm's involvement in the £590m scheme...Critics say the new dam would displace 30,000 people by flooding the area around Yusufeli in north-east Turkey. (Saeed Shah, Independent [UK], 14 Mar. 2002)
Greenpeace to appeal UK mahogany ruling: Greenpeace said this week it would appeal against a High Court decision to allow a shipment of Amazonian mahogany to enter Britain. (Stefano Ambrogi, Reuters, 14 Mar. 2002)
Gardening Supplier to End Sale of Chemical Pesticides: Canadian food distributor Loblaw Companies Limited has announced that it will stop marketing chemical pesticides in its 440 garden centers across Canada by next spring. (GreenBiz.com, 13 Mar. 2002)
U.S. and Boise Cascade reach Clean Air Act settlement...Air pollution to be reduced by 95 percent [USA]: The U.S. Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency today announced a comprehensive Clean Air Act (CAA) agreement with wood products industry giant Boise Cascade Corporation that will require reductions of up to 95 percent of the harmful emissions from the company's eight plywood and particle board plants. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 13 Mar. 2002)
Ecuador Amazon Indians appeal Texaco-case ruling: Rainforest Indians of Ecuador and Peru urged a U.S. appeals court to reinstate nine-year-old litigation against Texaco, alleging that toxic dumping devastated their environment and exposed residents to cancer-causing pollutants (Gail Appleson, Reuters, 13 Mar. 2002)
EPA reaches consent agreement with DuPont on plan to supply drinking water: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a consent agreement with E. I. Dupont de Nemours & Co. (DuPont), which would require the company to provide an alternate drinking water supply to residents in communities surrounding its Washington Works facility near Parkersburg, W. Va. if water supplies show high levels of Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate (or C8), an unregulated contaminant. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 12 Mar. 2002)
CA Pulp Mill to Manufacture Tree-Free Samoa Cane Source [USA]: Samoa Pacific Cellulose, LLC., a California-based pulp mill, has produced the first commercial trial run of bleached pulp from the Arundo Donax plant, a reed that grows wild in southern California. The company plans to market the new pulp as a “tree-free” fiber for papermaking applications such as printing and tissue papers. (GreenBiz.com, 12 Mar. 2002)
Pollution constricts blood vessels, study finds: Air pollution causes the blood vessels of healthy people to close up, which helps explain why high levels of pollution are linked to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, researchers said Monday. (Maggie Fox, Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002)
Greens say plan new protest against Esso in UK: The StopEsso campaign said last week it would organise a second round of demonstrations at over 300 UK Esso petrol stations on May 18 to persuade motorists to boycott the oil giant over its stance on climate change. (Neil Chatterjee, Reuters, 12 Mar. 2002)
The Uructu-Porto Velho Gas Pipeline: At What Cost to Indigenous Peoples? [Brazil]...Indigenous peoples and representatives of the gas pipeline company Petrobas have been recently involved in discussions initiated by environmental organizations. (Cultural Survival, 11 Mar. 2002)
Romanian villagers oppose Canadian gold mine at Rosia Montana: A new citizens' organization called Alburnus Major has been organized in Romania to oppose an open pit gold mine being promoted by Canadian company Gabriel Resources...Gabriel intends to relocate their town and build a gigantic open pit gold mine on the site. (MiningWatch Canada-Mines Alerte, 11 Mar. 2002)
Non-Permitted Polluters Given Secret Free Ride [USA]: New England is the worst and the Rocky Mountain region is the best, but across the country nearly one third of all factories, power plants and other major sources of air pollution do not have permits required under the Clean Air Act. (Environment News Service, 11 Mar. 2002)
Rainforest Indians [from Ecuador] in New York for major showdown with Chevron-Texaco: Billions at stake as tribal leaders press groundbreaking lawsuit before Appeals Court - Assert Texaco ruined their rivers and land, destroying their centuries-old way of life...and dramatically increased the risk of cancer for tens of thousands of people. (Frente para la Defensa de la Amazonia, 11 Mar. 2002)
Bitter taste of Starbucks' success: Starbucks has become a target for environmental pressure groups partly because its socially responsible image makes it an easy target, writes Alison Maitland (Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 10 Mar. 2002)
Shell to Stand Trial for 1990s Human Rights Abuses in Nigeria: A U.S. Federal Court rejected Shell's plea to dismiss a case charging the company with human rights abuses in Nigeria dating back to 1995. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 8 Mar. 2002)
INTERVIEW - Shell set for rapid growth in wind power: Anglo-Dutch Energy giant Shell is poised for three years' of rapid growth in wind power as part of a billion dollar push into green energy, a senior executive told Reuters this week. (Stuart Penson, Reuters, 8 Mar. 2002)
Workers Demand Independent Health Assessment [India]: Employees from the now-closed controversial Hindustan Lever Thermometer thermometer factory in Kodaikanal today condemned the company's efforts to stifle their right to demand an independent medical and health evaluation for the mercury contamination caused due to mercury exposure at the thermometer factory. (United Citizens Council of Kodaikanal, Palni Hills Conservation Council, and Greenpeace India, 7 Mar. 2002)
{···español} TC define caso Texaco [Ecuador]: La suerte del juicio que los colonos e indígenas amazónicos plantearon en contra de la petrolera Texaco desde 1993 por perjuicios al medio ambiente en una corte de la ciudad de Nueva York, se definirá en los próximos días en el Tribunal Constitucional. (La Hora [Ecuador], 7 marzo 2002)
UK stalls on EU directive for recycling old cars: Britain has made little progress in solving a gridlock between car makers and recyclers on how to dispose of scrapped cars under a new European law. (Reuters, 7 Mar. 2002)
Court rules against seizure of Amazonian timber: Greenpeace says its bid to force the [UK] government to impound an imported cargo of Amazonian mahogany has failed in the High Court...The importing agent in Britain, Alan Thomas Craig, declined to comment on the case. (Stefano Ambrogi, Reuters, 7 Mar. 2002)
Major Canadian business groups take aim at Kyoto: Two influential Canadian business groups [Canadian Chamber of Commerce & Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers] urged Ottawa not to ratify the Kyoto protocol on global warming, saying that to do so would cost thousands of jobs and billions of dollars. (David Ljunggren, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002)
Greenpeace seeks seizure of Amazonian timber [UK]: Greenpeace has taken the [UK] government to court in a bid to force it to seize a cargo of Amazonian mahogany which it says has been imported illegally. (Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002)
UK firm suspected in chemical leak: Hundreds of tonnes of a toxic chemical leaking from shipping containers at Djibouti port in East Africa pose a serious threat to human health and the environment, the United Nations world food body said. (David Brough, Reuters, 6 Mar. 2002)
Greenpeace says 40 percent of Japanese plywood imports illegal: Environmental group Greenpeace Tuesday accused Japan of being a "partner in crime" in the destruction of ancient forests by importing illegally felled plywood. (Agence France Presse, 5 Mar. 2002)
Forest Watch slams review [Papua New Guinea]: The World Bank funded Independent Forest Review failed to identify specific recommendations for action to remedy the abuse and corruption in the forest sector, PNG Forest Watch has claimed...“The logging will cause massive detrimental social, environmental and economic effects that will severely impact on the quality of life for the local people" (Post-Courier [Papua New Guinea], 5 Mar. 2002)
Lawsuit Against Shell for Human Rights Violations in Nigeria to Proceed: A U.S. Federal Court has ruled that a civil lawsuit [Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co.] charging multinational oil giant Shell with complicity in human rights violations will go forward. (EarthRights International, 5 Mar. 2002)
Does caring boost the bottom line? Businesses are under increasing pressure to embrace community concerns. Michael Skapinker and Alison Maitland begin a four-part series by examining whether ethics and environmentalism are just a PR exercise or whether they can help improve profits (Michael Skapinker and Alison Maitland, Financial Times, 5 Mar. 2002)
CLIMATE CHANGE: European Environment Ministers Endorse Kyoto Protocol (UN Wire, 5 Mar. 2002)
Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development: Project Draft Report for Comment - All comments on the Report are welcome until 17 April 2002 (Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Project, IIED - International Institute for Environment and Development, 4 Mar. 2002)
{···español} Indígenas burlados por compañías petroleras [Ecuador]: Las comunidades huaorani de Ecuador aceptaron unos pocos alimentos, medicinas y utensilios a cambio de permitir a la petrolera italiana Agip Oil explorar su territorio, lo cual constituye "una burla a los derechos colectivos" de los indígenas, afirmó la organización ambientalista Acción Ecológica. (La Hora [Ecuador], 4 marzo 2002)
Swedish global development policy: Executive Summary: A new Swedish policy for global development [final report of the Parliamentary Commission on Sweden's policy for global development (GLOBKOM)] [excerpts from page 9, section entitled "The business sector": "The experience and expertise of the Swedish business sector and trade unions should be put to better use in Swedish development assistance by including them to a greater extent in the formulation of country assistance strategies." "The Committee proposes to study further whether a need exists for legislation requiring companies and pension funds to render social and environmental accounts and, secondly, whether there is any need to make export credits conditional on the assumption of social and environmental responsibility."] (Parliamentary Commission on Sweden's policy for global development - GLOBKOM, on the website of Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2002)
Mexico's 'devastating' forest loss: Deforestation - which environmentalists say is one of the most pressing concerns affecting the planet - will top the agenda at a United Nations meeting of environment ministers in New York on Monday. (Nick Miles, BBC News, 4 Mar. 2002)
Nigeria sets $176 million fine for oil spills: Nigeria said oil tankers or production companies responsible for oil spills in its territorial waters could face a fine of up to $176 million. (Reuters, 4 Mar. 2002)
Cargill farm to pay $1.55 mln for polluting river [USA]: A Cargill pig farm in Missouri agreed to pay $1.55 million in fines after admitting it illegally polluted a local river with hog waste (Reuters, 4 Mar. 2002)
ENVIRONMENT: Australia Hit for Backing PNG Logging Seminar - The Australian government's support for a trade fair at a seminar this month, organised to promote an expansion of Papua New Guinea's controversial logging industry, has angered environmentalists (Bob Burton, Inter Press Service, 3 Mar. 2002)
A Rights Based Approach to Development: Presentation to the World Social Forum Seminar on Globalization and Human Dignity - Porto Allegre (Jorge Daniel Taillant, Executive Director of CEDHA - Centro de Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente/Center for Human Rights and Environment, 2 Mar. 2002)
The World Bank’s ‘Extractive Industries Review’ - The Extractive Industries Review (EIR) is an initiative of the World Bank, undertaken mainly at the prompting of US-based NGOs and members of Friends of the Earth-International, to work out how it should deal with the oil, gas and mining sectors. (Marcus Colchester, Director, Forest Peoples Programme, 1 March 2002)
Desperately seeking a sustainable vacation [Arizona, USA]: Phoenix begins to meet the challenge - Several hotels and resorts [& golf courses] are slashing their water use and employing innovative strategies to lessen the strain they put on Phoenix's over-taxed desert environment. (Koren Capozza, Environmental News Network, 1 Mar. 2002)
Sustainable slopes [Colorado, USA]: Aspen skiing company makes the environment its business (Katherine Kerlin, E/The Environmental Magazine, on Environmental News Network website, 1 Mar. 2002)
Is the United States a Pollution Haven?...The question arises from a look at agriculture under NAFTA, particularly the trade in corn...Corn production is moving from Mexico, where it was more sustainable, to the United States, where it involves serious environmental impacts. (Frank Ackerman, Americas Program, 1 Mar. 2002)
Oil: A Life Cycle Analysis of its Health and Environmental Impacts [includes reference to case studies in Nigeria, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru] (Paul R. Epstein & Jesse Selber, eds., Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School, Mar. 2002)
Whose Business? A Handbook on Corporate Responsibility for Human Rights and the Environment -...Produced primarily for use by North American educators, students, and activists...The central theme of this handbook is that the institutions and regulatory frameworks now governing the global economy have not adequately protected human rights, the environment, and labor rights. (California Global Corporate Accountability Project, Mar. 2002)
Mounting pressure for a global law for multi-national corporations (Chris Albertyn, Groundwork Newsletter, Groundwork: Environmental Justice Action in Southern Africa, Mar. 2002)
Food for thought: Corporate Social Responsibility for food and beverage manufactures - An introduction for policy-setters and operational managers, featuring best practice from eight leading companies in the food and beverage sector. [includes reference to social & environmental issues; cocoa, coffee, tea & banana sectors; Tea Sourcing Partnership in the UK; Chiquita/Rainforest Alliance's 'Better Banana Project'] (Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, Mar. 2002)