RSS Feed
Archive for June 20th, 2012
Big UN environmental summit opens in Rio
Posted by Associated Press: Bradley Brooks on June 20th, 2012
Associated Press: Leaders from around the globe gathered Wednesday to open three days of talks at the United Nations conference on sustainable development, where a sober, unambitious mood prevailed as negotiators produced what critics called a watered-down document that makes few advances on protecting the environment.
Negotiators worked for months to hammer out a document that many hoped would lay out clear goals on how nations could promote sustainable development -- making economic advances without eating up...
Posted in 
ALERT! Tell Brazil Rio+20 Host: The Future We Want Is Not 60 Amazon Rainforest Destroying Dams
Posted by Water Conservation Blog on June 20th, 2012
By Ecological Internet's Rainforest Portal
TAKE ACTION to protect the Amazon from industrial dam destruction with sustainable development based upon standing rainforests
Brazils government host of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development devoted to sustainable development and sustaining ecosystems is planning to build 60 dams on tributaries to the Amazon -- including the controversial $11 billion Belo Monte project. Industrial destruction of intact primary rainforest ecosystems based upon ecocide and genocide is not the future we want a motto of Rio+20. These plans for massive Amazon dam construction reveal Brazils meaningless rhetoric regarding environmental sustainability and sustainable development, as they hypocritically continue destroying key regional and global ecosystems. Brazils deceptive doublespeak regarding sustaining ecology must not be allowed to stand unchallenged during Rio+20. Stand with brave indigenous protestors who recently dismantled a portion of Belo Montes construction, as we call upon all Rio+20 delegates to demand Brazil cancel Belo Monte and other Amazon rainforest destroying dams, embracing instead a program of sustainable development based upon standing primary rainforests.
TAKE ACTION
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/sendsm.aspx?id=brazil_xingu
As climate aid sags, vulnerable nations foot the bill
Posted by AlertNet: Laurie Goering on June 20th, 2012
AlertNet: Worsening climate impacts are now "a reality, not a threat', but little of the aid promised to poor countries has arrived, leaving them to dig into their own pockets to cover the costs, climate change experts said this week.
Between 2009 and 2010, as "fast-start' aid for climate-vulnerable countries began to flow, global climate funding rose from $6.7 billion to $14.2 billion, according to DARA, a Spain-based organisation that tracks the effectiveness of international assistance.
But only $2...
Ancient North Carolina records show sea-level rise is related to warmer temperatures
Posted by ClimateWire: Evan Lehmann on June 20th, 2012
ClimateWire: Some North Carolina lawmakers have accused scientists of using "made up" estimates of sea-level rise. But a top researcher says some of the world's best evidence for climbing oceans comes from the ground beneath their feet.
Stefan Rahmstorf, a German climatologist whose research led scientists to reconsider accelerated sea-level rise, said an embattled report by North Carolina experts, recommending that the state prepare for a 39-inch rise by 2100, is a reasonable policy when building homes and...
Human canvas on Rio beach protests Brazil’s dam-building spree in the Amazon
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 20th, 2012
Mongabay: Nearly 1500 people formed a human banner on a beach in Rio de Janeiro today to protest plans to build dozens of dams in the Amazon basin, reports Amazon Watch, an NGO campaigning against Brazil's controversial Belo Monte dam. The image depicted a first nations member reaching toward the sun and included text reading "Rios para a vida" ("Rivers for life"). Organizers say the display "symbolized the important role of indigenous knowledge and a strong preference for meeting our collective energy needs...