The Big Fights at COP23

Written by Thule van den Dam, Aura Silva Martinez, and Rachael Goldberg   COP23 (Fiji) in Bonn officially started today and we are caught between a rock and a hard place. The Paris Agreement is a watery, empty promise, and a Polish presidency for COP24 is promising to be as dark as the ‘Coal Summit’ that will be hosted at the same time. To hold developed countries accountable to...

International Divestment – Nordic Banks Defunding DAPL

by Sara Löwgren Two Nordic banks are divesting from companies which contribute to the continuous violations of indigenous rights at Standing Rock through their direct involvement in DAPL. The divestment is following a special UN report on indigenous rights and the cancellation of an Environmental Impact Statement after Trump’s inauguration, and strongly supported by Nordic Arctic indigenous...

Bears Ears National Monument: The Argument Continues

by Sara Löwgren The designation of Bears Ears national monument was viewed as a major victory for indigenous rights and environmental conservation. But many local politicians remain skeptical and after the inauguration they are now trying to rescind the designation. Tribes, local people, NGOs and the outdoor industry are fighting back to protect the national monument. The conflict is growing...

Diversification for Sustainability – Lobster fishing and Aquaculture in Maine

By Zebadiah Campbell My name is Zebadiah Campbell. I am an eighth generation lobster fisherman and a second generation oyster farmer from North Haven, Maine. North Haven is an island 12 miles out to sea in Penobscot Bay. The island is home to a year round population of 350 people and 45 of these islanders are licensed commercial fisherman. This small number of fishermen make for a close knit, and...

Animal Agriculture and Climate Change

By Elaina Burress and Hana Bracale Today I sat in on one of the few (if not only) COP22 side events on the impacts of animal agriculture in driving climate change. Speakers came from Brighter Green (a US non-profit action tank with a focus on food policy and equity), Humane Society International, and the Global Forest Coalition (an organization working for socially-just forest policy, with a...