FoE – Page 25 – Friends of the Earth Adelaide

Media Release: PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS BASED ON MISINFORMATION:

robyn August 10, 2015

MEDIA RELEASE

23^rd July 2015

PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS BASED ON MISINFORMATION:

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE FAILS TO CORRECT FACTUAL ERROR IN ISSUES PAPER

Friends of the Earth Adelaide have recently informed the Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle of a factual error in Issues Paper 1, concerning the regulation of Aboriginal Heritage matters in South Australia. Issues Paper 1, which deals with the exploration, extraction and milling of uranium, states that Aboriginal sites of significance are protected by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.

“The Royal Commission was informed in writing that this is not the case for BHP Billiton, South Australia’s biggest miner,” said Nectaria Calan of Friends of the Earth Adelaide. “Under the Indenture Act, which applies solely to BHP Billiton, the company’s Olympic Dam mine and some

15, 000 square kilometres of the surrounding Stuart Shelf are exempt from the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988. This exemption would carry through to any future expansion of uranium mining by BHP Billiton at Olympic Dam or in the surrounding area.”

In his recent response to Friends of the Earth Adelaide Royal Commissioner Kevin Scarce insisted that in the event of an expansion of uranium mining Aboriginal Heritage matters would be regulated by the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.

“This is simply not the law throughout the state,” said Ms Calan. “Friends of the Earth Adelaide have supplied the Royal Commission with referenced information regarding the Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) (Amendment of Indenture) Amendment Act 2011, which amends the current Indenture Act to apply to any expansion formally announced by the company up until October 2016. If it was an honest mistake to begin with, it is negligent not to correct it.”

“At one point, the Royal Commissions reply almost acknowledges the inaccuracy by suggesting that it is the substance rather than source of legal protections that is important. … Read more >>

Clean Futures, FoE, Media releases, Mining, Nuclear, Sustainability

anti-nuclear, clean futures collective, Mining

Historic Progress Towards Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights

roman July 26, 2015

Notes from Cam Walker

GENEVA, July 10 — The first session of UN negotiations on legally binding rules for transnational corporations (TNCs)[1] concluded today, with hopes high for the process towards a treaty that could finally bring justice and protection to millions.

Talks convened in Geneva on July 6th to begin elaborating a treaty on business and human rights. Civil society organizations from all over the world took part, demonstrating coordinated work, a wealth of proposals and thorough analyses of the urgent need for an international legally binding instrument to prevent TNCs’ human rights abuses and provide justice and remedy for affected people.

Preparatory work of civil society at national and international level was strong. Movements from Indonesia and Brazil, for example, combined proposals for the treaty built on the voices of affected peoples, on concrete cases of human rights violations by TNCs and on advocacy work to push national governments to engage in a proactive way.

TNCs are often responsible for human rights violations. These crimes frequently go unpunished due to glaring gaps in the international legal system, the absence or weakness of enforceable national policies, or judicial corruption in TNC host and/ or home countries. Many corporations are also richer and more powerful than the states seeking to regulate them. Corporate campaign financing for political candidates also creates a layer of impunity for TNCs.

“UN member States and expert panelists made great progress tackling this difficult but vital work. We also applaud the formidable mobilization of civil society organizations, whose presence really spurred the talks forward,” said Lucia Ortiz, Economic Justice International Program Coordinator, Friends of the Earth International.

The EU and several other, mostly rich, countries were largely absent from the talks, allegedly claiming that negotiation of a legally binding treaty would distract from the implementation of the existing UN Guiding Principles — a set of voluntary guidelines for businesses.… Read more >>

Articles, FoE, Old_Notes

Pledge not to use Reflex paper made from Australian native forests

robyn July 2, 2015

Friends of the Earth Adelaide have joined the 2,037 organisations who have pledged not to buy Reflex paper until they stop destroying native forests to make it.

Our comment: The decimation of Australian native forests has to stop. Our climate and native animals deserve more. Shame on you Reflex, source your wood from plantations.

Sign the pledge here.

Source ethical paper from this list.

Oxford University has found one of the most effective way to combat climate change is to plant more trees – companies like Reflex need to be planting plantation wood for their future products.

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Actions, Clean Futures, Divestment, FoE

climate change, community, education, Sustainability

FoE at Students of Sustainability next week

robyn July 1, 2015

Fair Food Adelaide’s Kim Hill is delivering two workshops at next week’s Students of Sustainability conference at Flinders University – “The End of Agriculture” on Thursday 10th and “Edible Weed Walk” on Satuday 11th. Clean Future Collective’s Dr Philip Smith is delivering a nuke free workshop on Friday with FoE Australia’s Dr Jim Green.

Come and say hi at our FOE stall on Saturday – incorporating Fair Food Adelaide, March Against Monsanto and the Clean Futures Collective with a focus on the nuclear royal commission.

Details here.