10 things that are wrong with this approach to “equity”

Ever since our own Anjali Appadurai stood before world leaders at the 2011 Durban climate talks to demand “equity now,” echoing a longstanding demand of climate justice movements across the world, there has been an increasing use of the word in discussions on international climate change policy. The idea of equity is contested, as everyone from social movement leaders to former Heads of State...

From Petro-States to People-Power: Reflections on PowerShift Atlantic

By Nimisha Bastedo and Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Canada is a Petro-State – a prime example of a government that bows down to the oil industry while it turns its back on the land’s integrity and people’s basic rights. I’d been trying to keep tabs on my country’s dirty ways from across the border, but hearing it straight from those working on the front lines made it even more of a reality....

Enbridge’s Northern Gateway to Destruction

By Nimisha Bastedo The rally in Portland last Saturday does not and cannot stand alone. While we try to prevent Tar Sands oil from entering the Northeast, and the battle against the Keystone XL continues, the Alberta Tar Sands still show no signs of defeat. Over a million barrels of the world’s dirtiest oil continue to be extracted every day. Even if Canada can’t send its oil South, there’s...

We stand with the Philippines

Today in the AWG-KP closing plenary the Chair forwarded a contentious draft text to the next level of negotiations; the Phillipines gave this tearful intervention among applause from civil society Madam Chair, Thank you for giving me the floor. I wish to make a statement on behalf of my own country.   At the onset, let me fully support the statement made by Algeria on behalf of G77 and...

[earth] plans an outing

on a lighter note...  real life email thread  straight from Doha... where the weekend approaches. and we don't know how to react.  (photo cred: Cam Fenton) Chair's text:  Salaams, As Minister of Fun Times, I give you a brief update from home base. Down-time: Suben informs me that there is a town built for the movie 'Transformers', an epic tale of love and machinery starring Shaia LeBeef, a...