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Trends in sustainable development

This report looks at progress in sustainable development, focusing on four areas: energy for sustainable development, industrial development, atmosphere and pollution, and climate change. (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, April 2006)

http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/publications/trends2006/trends_rpt2006.pdf

(Added: Tue Jun 06 2006   Modified: Fri Aug 18 2006   Hits: 227)

Activists win symbolic victory at Exxon meeting

A majority of Exxon Mobil Corp. investors voted in favor of a proposal opposed by the oil company, as fury over fat CEO compensation helped give activists their first such victory in Exxon's history. All this comes alongside consumer fury over soaring gasoline prices and growing anger among environmentalists over Exxon's controversial stance questioning the science behind global warming. (Deepa Babington, Reuters AlertNews, 31 May 2006)

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/36605/newsDate/1-Jun-2006/story.htm

(Added: Thu Jun 01 2006   Modified: Mon Sep 11 2006   Hits: 102)

Arundhati Roy on India, Iraq, U.S. Empire and Dissent

In this interview with Amy Goodman, the Indian writer speaks about nuclear weapons, the crisis in democracy, the war in Iraq, dissent and empire. (Democracy Now, 23 May 2006)

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/23/1358250

(Added: Thu May 25 2006   Hits: 434)

Nepal's biogas initiative gets major funding boost

The Nepal Biogas Project promotes the use of underground 'digesters' that use bacteria to generate methane gas from cattle dung. This provides clean, efficient energy to rural communities in Nepal.The project received a major boost this month in the form of a deal that rewards it for reducing the country's greenhouse gas emissions. (Arjun Adhikari, SciDev.Net, 19 May 2006)

http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2852&language=1

(Added: Tue May 23 2006   Hits: 76)

The Climate of Poverty: Facts, Fears, and Hope

Climate change is now threatening development goals for billions of the world's poorest people - with a clear danger that recent gains in reducing poverty will be thrown into reverse in coming decades. A staggering 182 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone could die of disease directly attributable to climate change by the end of the century. Many millions more throughout the world face death and devastation due to climate-induced floods, famine, drought and conflict. This report calls on the UK government to lead rich countries in taking urgent action to curb global warming. It offers the vision of a different future - a revolution in development thinking that could see poor regions using renewable energy to power a new, and clean, era of prosperity. (John McGhie, Christian Aid, May 2006)

http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/indepth/605caweek/index.htm

(Added: Tue May 23 2006   Hits: 142)

What next? Carbon markets and clean development

The European Union announced last week that in 2005 it had emitted about 60 million tonnes of greenhouse gases - or 3.3 per cent - less than projected. Although this may seem positive, it is potentially bad news for the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which has helped to fund hundreds of 'green' projects in the South. (Catherine Brahic, SciDev.Net, 19 May 2006)

http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=523&language=1

(Added: Tue May 23 2006   Hits: 75)

The Scramble for Oil

According to this article, the Bush Administration's warm embrace of the Equatorial Guinea's despotic President Teodoro Mbasogo demonstrates how low it will go in pursuit of oil. (Cora Currier, The Nation, 18 May 2006)

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060605/currier

(Added: Mon May 22 2006   Modified: Tue Jun 27 2006   Hits: 297)

Energy Services for the Millennium Development Goals (pdf)

While much of the world focuses on the expense of fueling its cars and jet aircraft, there is a energy crisis with greater human impact in developing nations. Worldwide, 1.6 billion people lack electricity at home. For many, cooking a meal over a smoky three-stone fire in a poorly lit and ventilated kitchen and spending an hour each day collecting firewood is a constant reality. Changing this reality, however, is both feasible and affordable. According to this report, it would cost approximately US$15 to US$20 per person per year to provide access to modern energy services to enable the poor to meet fundamental human needs. Furthermore, providing basic cooking, heating and lighting services would not significantly impact climate change. (UN Millennium Project, UNDP, World Bank, 2005)

http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/MP_Energy_Low_Res.pdf

(Added: Tue May 16 2006   Modified: Mon Jul 02 2007   Hits: 174)

Taking The Wind Out Of Nuclear Power

Advocates have long seen nuclear power as the saviour of industrial society, delivering unlimited energy, cheaply and safely. It's now being promoted as the answer to the growing global energy crisis, apparently providing an attractive alternative to fossil fuels, while also reducing their damaging influence on global climate. However, this article argues that it is time to give up the dangerous, costly pursuit of nuclear energy. Instead, renewable energy - wind-power, tidal and wave power, solar heating and photovoltaics are thought to be the truly promising options for a viable, safe, sustainable future. (Peter Bunyard, Pacific Ecologist, 2005/2006)

http://www.pacificecologist.org/archive/windofnuclear.html

(Added: Tue May 09 2006   Hits: 62)

Chernobyl's death toll: twisting the facts

Twenty years after the world's worst nuclear accident, Rob Edwards assails official attempts to diminish the human impact of the disaster. Published on OpenDemocracy.net - 26.4.06

http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/chernobyl_3477.jsp

(Added: Wed May 03 2006   Hits: 100)

Clean Energy and Development: Towards an Investment Framework

This 157 page report comes in response to a request made by the eight most industrialised nations at last year's G8 summit. It discusses the issues underlying the development of an Investment Framework for Clean Energy and Development, and suggests a shift in policy in order to provide more funding to help developing countries generate power more cleanly and efficiently. To this end, the report asks the bank's development committee to approve new types of loans and grants, and proposes a venture capital fund to help develop 'clean energy' technologies and bring them to market. The proposals would help developing nations reduce their emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The report also discusses the need to help developing countries adapt to the effects of climate change. (Development Committee, World Bank, 5 April 2006)

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DEVCOMMINT/Documentation/20890696/DC2006-0002(E)-CleanEnergy.pdf

(Added: Wed May 03 2006   Hits: 157)

A Fury Building Up Across India

In this interview, Arundhati Roy updates her essay on the Narmada issue, The Greater Common Good, published in 1999. Roy talks about how the battle in the Narmada Valley has raised radical questions about the top-heavy model of development India has opted for. But also how it has raised very specific questions about specific dams. Though much of the noise now is centered on the issue of displacement and resettlement, Roy argues that the really vital questions that have not been answered are the ones that question the benefits of dams.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=66&ItemID=10174

(Added: Mon May 01 2006   Hits: 121)

Defiance in the land of the free

For over 30 years, Carrie and Mary Dann have fought the US government for Western Shoshone rights to 60m acres of land that stretch through Nevada into neighbouring states. Until now, the harassment has hardly scratched the conscience of America, but that might be about to change. In March, in an unprecedented document, the UN demanded that the US government halt all actions against the Shoshone and find a solution acceptable to them and in accordance with their rights. This landmark decision could force the government to transform antiquated federal Indian law. (Nicola Graydon, The Sunday Times, 23 April 2006)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-2142374.html

(Added: Fri Apr 28 2006   Modified: Wed Jun 21 2006   Hits: 126)

Darkness in the Lesotho Highlands: Promises for Power Go Unfulfilled

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a massive, multi-dam scheme built to divert water from Lesotho's Maloti Mountains to South Africa's industrial Gauteng Province. In an effort to prevent the permanent impoverishment of these people, the governments of South Africa and Lesotho promised in the LHWP Treaty that affected people "will be enabled to maintain a standard of living not inferior to that obtaining at the time of first disturbance." Now, ten years after the pledge was made, affected people's hopes of electricity have faded. It is just another promise not kept. (Ryan Hoover, International Rivers Network, October 31, 2000)

http://www.irn.org/programs/lesotho/index.php?id=001031darkness.html

(Added: Thu Apr 27 2006   Hits: 99)

Doing More with Less: An EC Green Paper on Energy Efficiency [pdf]

Even without high and volatile oil prices, which have led to a downgrading of the prospects of economic growth in Europe, there would be very good reasons for the European Union to make a strong push towards a re-invigorated programme promoting energy efficiency at all levels of European society. These include environmental protection and the EU's Kyoto obligations, competitiveness and the Lisbon agenda, and security of supply. This Green Paper seeks to act as a catalyst, leading to a renewed energy-efficiency initiative at all levels of European society - EU, national, regional and local. In addition, this Green Paper seeks to make a significant contribution, by way of example and leadership, to kick-start an international effort to contribute to addressing climate change through energy efficiency. (European Commission, 22 June 2005)

http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/efficiency/doc/2005_06_green_paper_book_en.pdf

(Added: Thu Apr 13 2006   Hits: 196)

Soya is not the solution to climate change

In a Guardian article on March 7 Brazil's President Lula recognised that one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is reducing our dependence on climate-polluting fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and promoted his own country's biofuel policy. But, says Giulio Volpi in this article, clearing large areas of Amazonian rainforest to grow soybeans is too high an environmental price for this policy to be sustainable. Volpi argues policymakers should only promote biofuels whose overall environmental effect is positive. (Guilio Volpi, Guardian, 16 March 2006)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1731881,00.html

(Added: Tue Mar 28 2006   Hits: 128)

Renewable Energy Toolkit (REToolkit)

REToolKit provides a broad set of tools to assist World Bank staff and country counterparts to improve the design and implementation of renewable energy (RE) projects, incorporates best practices and lessons learned from RE projects supported by the WBG and others, and is operationally oriented to address practical implementation needs at each stage in the project cycle. REToolKit will help you to identify and design feasible RE projects, determine appropriate promotional policies, identify sustainable business models, finance mechanisms and regulatory frameworks - and utilize the best available project tools, including technical standards and generic terms of reference.

http://www.worldbank.org/retoolkit

(Added: Wed Mar 01 2006   Hits: 152)

Pacific Ecologist issue 11 summer 2005/2006

The Pacific Ecologist magazine summer 2005/6 issue is available now. This issue is entitled "Will Unchecked Global Warming Destroy Civilisation?" and looks at the issue of climate change, nuclear vs renewable energy, and appropriate development. $10 from PIRM, PO Box 12125, Wellington, New Zealand. - email pirmeditor@paradise.net.nz

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00308.htm

(Added: Thu Feb 02 2006   Hits: 80)

Energy Efficiency Guide for Industry in Asia

This Guide has been developed for Asian companies who want to improve energy efficiency through Cleaner Production and for stakeholders who want to help them. The Guide includes a methodology, case studies for more than 40 Asian companies in 5 industry sectors, technical information for 25 energy equipments, training materials, a contact and information database, and much more...

http://www.energyefficiencyasia.org/

(Added: Thu Jan 19 2006   Hits: 260)

Energia

ENERGIA is an international network on gender and sustainable energy which links individuals and groups concerned with energy, sustainable development, and gender. ENERGIA's goal is to contribute to the empowerment of rural and urban poor women through a specific focus on energy issues. Founded in 1995, ENERGIA is now active in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania, as well as in Europe, North America and Australia.

http://www.energia.org/

(Added: Wed Sep 21 2005   Hits: 476)

Gender and Energy for Sustainable Development: A Toolkit and Resource Guide

This toolkit has been designed for use development practitioners, energy planners, community groups and gender experts on ways to address energy issues at the project and policy level. This publication builds on the ongoing analysis of UNDP, ENERGIA and a host of international and national experts. Its contents can be used to enhance energy projects, gender focused projects, or indeed development projects at large.

http://www.undp.org/energy/genenergykit/index.html

(Added: Wed Sep 21 2005   Modified: Thu Jul 20 2006   Hits: 153)

Financing Dams in India: Risks and Challenges [pdf]

International Rivers Network, 2005. In 2003, the Government of India proposed to double the current electricity generation in the country, proposing 162 new Hydroelectric Projects. The government endowed India's National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) with the largest number of projects. This Briefing Paper informs financial institutions about the risks of doing business with NHPC.

http://www.irn.org/pdf/india/FinancingDams2005_text.pdf

(Added: Mon Jul 18 2005   Modified: Thu Feb 08 2007   Hits: 226)

Alternative energy and women in Rural Nepal [PDF]

The Rural Energy Development Programme in Nepal aimed to take a holistic and participatory approach to development, including the empowerment of women. This article looks at the impact of the programme on women in Kavre district, including some of the factors which influenced the outcome of the programme for women in two villages where it has had varying degrees of success.

http://www.leisa.info/FritZ/source/getblob.php?o_id=72639&a_id=211&a_seq=0

(Added: Wed May 11 2005   Modified: Fri Dec 02 2005   Hits: 569)

SHWE Gas Movement

In cooperation with Burma's military junta, a consortium of Indian and Korean corporations are currently exploring gas fields off the coast of Arakan State in Western Burma. Discovered in December 2003, these fields--labeled A-1, or "Shwe" (the Burmese word for gold)--are expected to hold one of the largest gas yields in Southeast Asia. These Shwe fields are destined to become the Burmese military government's largest single source of foreign income. However, for the people of Burma this project will likely bring more suffering than benefits. Key concerns are the exploitation of the voiceless, human rights abuses, destruction of environment and culture, and the entrenchment of the dictatorship. Learn more and take action via this website.

http://www.shwe.org/take-action

(Added: Sat Mar 12 2005   Modified: Fri Feb 09 2007   Hits: 241)

"The Opacity Of Oil: Oil Corporations, Internal Violence, And International Law" [PDF - 94Kb]

Robert Dufresne Journal of International Law & Politics. Volume 36, Numbers 2-3 Report which argues that "there is serious evidence that oil corporations' interests and power reach far beyond [mainstream politics]... and often touch the very core of the most fundamental problem in political theory, i.e., the legitimate use of violence and of the coerced imposition and preservation of order."

http://www.law.nyu.edu/journals/jilp/issues/36/36_2_3_Dufresne.pdf

(Added: Thu Mar 03 2005   Modified: Wed Oct 18 2006   Hits: 177)

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