Publications

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.

Climate, Old_Notes, Sustainability

climate change, farming, Food, Sustainability

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

climate change, education, Sustainability

Movie: Uranium: Twisting the Dragon’s Tail premieres SBS 9 August

robyn July 21, 2015

Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail

The untold story of the most controversial rock on earth.

Premieres in Australia on SBS 8.30pm Sunday 9th, 16th & 23rd of August

The untold story of the most wondrous and terrifying rock on Earth.

Legends say there’s a world beneath this one where a dragon lies sleeping. They say be careful how you wake the dragon. The year 2015 marks the seventieth anniversary of the most profound change in the history of human enterprise on Earth: the unleashing of the elemental force within uranium, the explosion of an atomic bomb, the unleashing of the dragon. Come on an epic journey with physicist and YouTube phenomenon Dr Derek Muller to discover the untold story of the most wondrous and terrifying rock on Earth.

Love it or loathe it, whatever your views on uranium, this series will challenge them.

Uranium – twisting the dragon’s tail is an Australian made series, an epic journey through nine countries and over a century of stories. Part science and part history, it’s an adventure brought to life by an exciting new personality in television science: Australian-born Canadian raised, Dr Derek Muller. Creator of the hit YouTube channel Veritasium, this is his first appearance as host of an international television documentary series.

In Uranium – twisting the dragon’s tail Derek unleashes a historian’s passion for detail, a physicist’s understanding of science, and a journalist’s nose for a good story. Derek takes a fresh path through the story of uranium, the most desired and the most hated rock on Earth.

Across three fascinating episodes, Derek follows uranium from its birth, forged in an exploding star six billion years ago, through the ancient dreamtime stories of Australia’s indigenous people, and into the laboratories of the first nuclear physicists. Derek takes us down medieval mines and across the arid beauty of a New Mexico desert where the power of uranium was unleashed in the first atomic bomb.

Mining

Protest against supertrawler overfishing and seal cull August 1st

robyn July 21, 2015

Join the protest against supertrawler overfishing and the proposed seal cull in the Coorong, Saturday 1 August 11am, SA Parliament House.

“Please join Animal Liberation SA and others for a peaceful protest against super trawlers, overfishing and the seal cull. The Geelong Star is permitted to catch 16,500 tonnes of redbait, jack mackerel and sardines. The removal of such species known as baitfish upsets the entire marine eco system. Bait fish is the food for many marine mammals, fish and sea birds including dolphins, seals, larger fish and sharks. With 90% of the earth’s fish stock gone, it is time to stop the plunder of our seas”.

Facebook event link

Actions, Old_Notes, Sustainability

Adelaide, community, Food, food sovereignty, Sustainability