Old_Notes

CANE update

roman July 26, 2015

We’ve put in the first two submissions to the Royal Commission on nukes (thanks to Robyn and Philip), and Nectaria, our anti-nuke campaigner, is busy working on the next two. Lots of dates for your diary this issue, and don’t forget the CANE meetings: Mondays at Kappys Tea & Coffee Merchants, in Compton Street near the market, from 5 to 6pm.

And a reminder: If you would like to give a one-off or ongoing donation to the Campaign Against Nuclear Expansion (CANE) you can use the online form at

https://www.givenow.com.au/foeadelaide

Donations are tax deductible.

Old_Notes

Making Solar Thermal Happen: wed 5th Aug

roman July 26, 2015

Join the Repower Port Augusta Alliance for an evening discussing why and how we can make Solar Thermal happen in South Australia.

When : Wednesday the 5th of August. Doors open 6pm for 6:30 start.

Where : Allan Scott Auditorium (H2-16), Hawke Building, City West Campus, University of South Australia (55 North Tce, Adelaide)

With Dr Keith Lovegrove a solar thermal expert with the Climate Change Institute at ANU (Canberra); Dr. Peter Burdon a Senior Lecturer at the Adelaide Law School; Gary Rowbottom the Chairperson of Repower Port Augusta, and technical officer at Alinta Energy’s Pt Augusta Power Stations. Plus Darrin Spinks the Executive Director of Heliostat SA.

Entry by donation to support the campaign.

RSVP on the Facebook event.

Old_Notes

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

Make a submission to the Senate Inquiry on the Murray River

robyn July 26, 2015

The Murray needs water, not politics

Submitted by Cam Walker on Sat, 25/07/2015 – 15:45

Opposition to the Murray Basin Plan is mounting, and the stakes are very high. Rogue Senators and angry irrigators from the South Basin have managed to mount a Senate Select Committee Inquiry into the Basin Plan. The Inquiry will look into the social and economic impacts of the Plan’s implementation. Essentially, though, it is about attacking the river-saving buyback of water for the environment. Some farmers and Irrigators believe that water buybacks are destroying communities and, somewhat surprisingly, hurting the environment.

A Public Meeting was held in Barham NSW on July 8^th and was just the beginning of what could be another protracted political argument over how our largest river system is managed. But while the politics roll on, Basin ecosystems continue to face threats, including a looming drought and a Federal Government proposal to cap water buybacks.

The Basin Plan already represents a huge political compromise. The 3200GL of environmental water promised in the Plan is barely enough to keep the iconic ecosystems of the Basin alive, especially given the uncertainties of climate change.

Can we risk more meddling in this historic agreement? Please consider making a submission to the Senate Inquiry on the Governments proposal to cap water buybacks for the environment.

Submissions close 31^st July 2015.

Water Amendment Bill 2015 – Brief guide to writing a submission.

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New website/enewsletter – One Step Off the Grid

robyn July 22, 2015

FOE members and friends who are interested in renewable energy and off grid living might be interested in this new website being set up by the excellent RenewEconomy – One Step Off the Grid. Enjoy!

Introducing our new sister site – One Step Off The Grid

“RenewEconomy is proud to announce the launch of One Step Off The Grid, our sister site that will focus on the consumer side of the energy market, and how the uptake of rooftop solar, battery storage and other technologies will usher in a dramatic transformation of our energy system”.

“Australia is at the cutting edge of this revolution. Already, it has more “pro-sumers” – consumers that produce at least some of their own electricity needs – per head of population than any other country. The advent of battery storage will offer even more choice. For some, it will mean the ability to leave the grid.

“But what are the social, economic, and business impacts of this transformation? How do consumers navigate their way through the complexity of tariffs, policy changes, and new technologies, and make the choice that suit their needs? Do we really want suburban households to quit the grid? Will the utilities evolve their business models?

“That is why we have created One Step Off The Grid. It is a free website and will have a weekly newsletter (click here to sign up for the newsletter), although it will be updated daily.

“It will provide information to consumers – in households, business and communities – on all of the latest developments, such as these new projections on commercial solar uptake, and the latest on solar, battery storage, tariff and policy changes.

“It also will focus on stories of what families, businesses, communities and townships have done, and are doing”.

Clean Futures, Climate, Divestment, Old_Notes, Renewables, Sustainability

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