As South Africa clings to coal, a struggle for the right to breathe

YaleEnvironmnt360

A small coal Mine, Highveld, South Africa. A Sierra Club photo.

Close ties between the ruling elite and the coal industry have helped perpetuate South Africa’s dependence on the dirtiest fossil fuel for electricity. But now residents of the nation’s most coal-intensive region are suing to force the government to clean up choking air pollution. Story here.

End the criminalization of land rights defenders. (Video)

New report exposes horror of working conditions for millions of sanitation workers in the developing world

World Health Organization

A community sanitation worker adds water purifying tablets to the
 jerry cans of water just filled by the children at the Pagak Reception Centre. 
UNICEF/Ethiopia/2014/Thompson

Millions of sanitation workers in the developing world are forced to work in conditions that endanger their health and lives, and violate their dignity and human rights, according to a report released today.

‘You can’t drink money’: Kootenay communities fight logging to protect their drinking water

The Narwhal

In Glade, BC, where clear-cutting could begin any day, determined residents are pulling out all the stops in an effort to protect their local creek — even though a judge ruled they have no right to clean water. Story here.

The south end of Kootenay Lk.
Photo by Shawn from Airdrie, Canada.

UNITED NATIONS LEADERS CALL ON THE SAUDI-LED COALITION TO FULLY LIFT BLOCKADE OF YEMENI RED SEA PORTS

UN warns of a "massive humanitarian tragedy."

The partial lifting of the blockade of Yemen’s Red Sea ports by the Saudi-led coalition in recent days is allowing humanitarian organizations to resume the provision of life-saving assistance to people in desperate need. Given the massive scale of Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, however, all this does is slow the collapse towards a massive humanitarian tragedy costing millions of lives. It does not prevent it. Without the urgent resumption of commercial imports, especially food, fuel and medicines, millions of children, women and men risk mass hunger, disease and death.

Supreme Court rules in favour of Yukon First Nations in Peel watershed dispute

CBCnews

Unanimous decision returns planning process to earlier stage, requires additional consultation. Story here.

Boreal forest in the broad valley of the Hart River, (Peel Watershed). Photo: Juri Peepre

THE CLOCK IS TICKING ON SITE C

SIERRA

CLUB BC

The results of the BC election are finally in, and the message is clear: Almost sixty per cent of voters called for a review or cancellation of the Site C dam. Their concerns must be honoured by the incumbent government. Details here.

In Honduras, Defending Nature Is a Deadly Business

YaleEnvironment360

Berta Cáceres fought to protect native lands in Honduras — and paid for it with her life. She is one of hundreds of victims of a disturbing global trend — the killings of environmental activists who try to block development projects. First in a series.

Two richest Canadians have wealth equal to 11 million poorest

David Thomson (l.) and Galen Weston Sr. (r.) are as wealthy as the poorest 30 per cent of Canadians, combined, Oxfam calculates. Story here.

Half-a-billiion children living in crisis-hit countries – UNICEF

• UN News Centre  
  
• Refugee children in Afghanistan. UN photo.
• Despite significant progress, too many children are still being left behind, with nearly 535 million of them living in harsh conditions, lacking access to decent health, education and protection services. Story here.
• 
  
• 
  

Obama Administration: Dakota Pipeline 'Will Not Go Forward At This Time'

inside

climate

news

Brushing aside a fresh court ruling, three federal agencies said they are withholding a permit on a portion of the project near Sioux Land. Story here.

Dakota Access Construction Will Continue, Pipeline Corp CEO Vows

CommonDreams

As corporate head promises to go ahead with controversial pipeline project, nonviolent water protectors halt construction at one North Dakota site. Story here.

There Is an Arrest Warrant Out for Jill Stein (Leader of the Green Party in the U.S.)

THE

Nation

Why? Because she protested with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Story here.

This Momentous Event - a Huge Indigenous Protest Over an OIl Pipeline, Predictably Got Precious Little Coverage in Major US Media. (Video)

(And what coverage there was, was distorted. - Video by Democracy Now.)

OVER 200 LEADING SCHOLARS CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO SUSPEND SITE C DAM

The Royal Society of Canada

                      

An engineer's "wet dream" of another, useless mega-project.  

A BC Hydro image.

A group of leading Canadian scholars has raised serious concerns regarding the process used to approve the mega dam called Site C. The Royal Society of Canada has taken the unusual step of issuing a separate supporting letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. To read the letter, please click here.

Colombian Popular Tribunal to Try Canadian Oil Company

PR Newswire

Representatives of Canadian and Quebec's civil society organizations are in Colombia this week as part of a delegation to support and observe a popular hearing on the actions of Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales Energy in Colombia. Story here.

Petroperu: Stop Using Children to Clean Up Your Spill! PLEASE SIGN!

ThePetitionSite

Amazon regions of Peru have suffered several catastrophic oil spills since January this year. And due to Petroperu's failure to contain the spills, at least 3,000 barrels of oil have polluted two important rivers. According to Oil Change International, the Chiriaco and Morona rivers have been plagued by at least 11 oil spills since 2010. Please sign here.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BETWEEN JOBS OR THE ENVIRONMENT

IRON

EARTH - Trades Workers for Renewable Energy

We can create new jobs while reducing our impact. DO YOU AGREE?

Death of Honduran Activist Berta Cáceres Underscores the Need for Environmental Democracy

World Resources Institute

Berta Cáceres, a Honduran indigenous and environmental leader and Goldman Environmental Prize Winner has been assassinated. Story here.

Lessons From Flint Michigan And The Price of Water Privatization

Common Dreams

U.S. communities are shifting toward keeping their water infrastructure public, and that’s a good thing. But stopping water privatization is only the first step. Details here.