“Water for Sustainable Growth” — What are we talking about here?

Guest blog by Galen Hecht Report from World Water Week, Stockholm, August 28-September 2, 2016 “We need a circular economy,” a different model, one that defies the structures that our lawmakers are accustomed to. To achieve water security and sanitation, we need a model that will create self supporting systems, an economy based not on linear growth, but on natural cycles like that of water....

Credo

by Aneesa Khan (Originally posted on The Odyssey Online) Climate activism burn-out and rediscovering a sense of hope in the movement for food justice. “Sorry to say this, but as party negotiators, do you think we care about what civil society says or does at these conferences? We don’t have the time.” “Why are you upset? It’s not even a real fight, it’s one of the privileged”...

How the Paris Agreement FCCC’ed Us Over

by Aneesa Khan To be in a room for seven whole hours is arduous in itself. However, for that room to be one filled with painfully complacent idiots, the overpowering smell of corporate power, and sickeningly thundering applause? Well, that can only be described as torturous. Feelings along the lines of delirious levels of fury, profound misery and a fairly good amount of second-hand embarrassment...

Words, words, words: The Failure of the Paris Agreement

In reaction to the text that was released this afternoon, later passed tonight, the spirits today are all different. My heart is heavy and confused: torn between being part of a strong movement that is demanding climate justice while watching a plenary unfold that is delivering an unambitious and immoral deal made of false promises. The Paris agreement did not start here, or last year. Although...

Climate Chaos and the Externalities of Americanism

“The American way of life is not up for negotiations. Period.”   ~Pres. George W. Bush “To accept your rewriting of the Convention is to accept the destruction of our societies.”       ~The delegation of Malaysia to the UNFCCC, COP21 The Negotiator as Mythmaker American climate negotiators are the guardians of a precious, ridiculous, and destructive ideal. Therefore they must be at...