NEWS: UN special rapporteur challenges ‘minority of countries’ for removing right to water in declaration
Earlier this week, the Council of Canadians and CUPE highlighted that Canada was one of the countries that had pushed for the right to water to be excluded from the ministerial declaration.
Friday
New report exposes Canadian connection to dams and mines in Chile
[06-Mar-12] New report exposes Canadian connection to controversial dams and mines in Chile
In the midst of a major mining conference in Toronto known as PDAC 2012, a new report sheds light on controversial projects in Chile involving Canadian mining companies. The Council of Canadians is releasing a report today entitled Chilean Patagonia in the Balance: Dams, Mines and the Canadian Connection. The report is available at www.canadians.org/Patagonia.
The report exposes the involvement of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, the Canada Pension Plan, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, as well as Canadian companies Barrick Gold, Goldcorp, and Kinross in highly controversial projects in Chile. These projects, while politically invisible in Canada have been met by fierce public opposition in Chile.
“Far away, on the southern cone of South America in Chilean Patagonia, exists one of the most beautiful, still-virgin territories on Earth. There, an intense struggle is taking place that most Canadians have never heard of, but that intimately involves the Canadian mining industry, the Canadian government, and millions of Canadian pensioners and investors. This report by Alex Latta and Kari Williams tells the story of this struggle and why every Canadian should care about it.”
In the midst of a major mining conference in Toronto known as PDAC 2012, a new report sheds light on controversial projects in Chile involving Canadian mining companies. The Council of Canadians is releasing a report today entitled Chilean Patagonia in the Balance: Dams, Mines and the Canadian Connection. The report is available at www.canadians.org/Patagonia.
The report exposes the involvement of the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, the Canada Pension Plan, and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, as well as Canadian companies Barrick Gold, Goldcorp, and Kinross in highly controversial projects in Chile. These projects, while politically invisible in Canada have been met by fierce public opposition in Chile.
“Far away, on the southern cone of South America in Chilean Patagonia, exists one of the most beautiful, still-virgin territories on Earth. There, an intense struggle is taking place that most Canadians have never heard of, but that intimately involves the Canadian mining industry, the Canadian government, and millions of Canadian pensioners and investors. This report by Alex Latta and Kari Williams tells the story of this struggle and why every Canadian should care about it.”
- The rising demand for more energy is driven by Chile’s rapidly expanding mining industry, in which Canadian companies are the single largest source of foreign investment. Canadian mining companies, such as Barrick Gold, Goldcorp, and Kinross, are aggressively moving into Latin America.
- Transelec, the only transmission company currently operating in Chile that is capable of building the project’s link to the market - likely to require an 80-metre wide, 2,300 kilometre long clear-cut corridor through 14 national parks, nature preserves and conservation areas - is owned by a Canadian consortium led by Brookfield Asset Management (the company which attempted to evict Occupy Wall Street in New York), with partnership from the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, both public sector investors.
- Major investments in the Chilean mining industry fueling demand for the Patagonia project are supported by loans and loan guarantees from Export Development Canada, Canada’s export credit agency. EDC’s financial services to Canadian exporters and investors in Chile quadrupled during the first decade of the new millennium and now involve some 300 Canadian firms.
alexandra morton - report from the hearings --
alexandra morton
People of this coast think it is important to communicate with the Norwegian delegation visiting BC and so we are taking this opportunity wherever we can. Yesterday Sabra Woodward and Elena Edwards met the Norwegian Parliamentarians in Victoria as they walked from the Empress Hotel to the Royal Museum handing them the letter below this blog. They said the delegates were eager to communicate and asked questions. I joined a group of people today prepared to greet the delegation as they boarded the ferry and ride with them to Quadra Island.
....While we were doing the best we could to communicate Chief Bob Chamberlin, who was not invited to this meeting between First Nations and the Norwegian government did not let that stop him. Chief Chamberlin went in and sat with the president of the Storting and Saami leadership. I wish his village of Gwayasdums could see how they were represented this day. Chief Chamberlin has filed a Class Action Suit against the Norwegian fish feedlot industry.
As Geoff Gerhart and I got on the ferry to return to Quadra Island, a woman in a pickup flipped us the bird. She was likely employed by the feedlot salmon industry. I am sure she saw us as a threat to her livelihood and I can understand that, but her comment was that Americans fund us. To this woman I say – whoever is telling you this, is lying to you. Americans do not fund us. We are people taking a stand for wild salmon, because we believe they are important. No one is paying us to do this, no one can pay us to stop. We are people from towns failing under the globalized economy; we are people who care about the future of all living things that come after us. We are so low on funds, some of us hitch-hiked to be here today. We are single moms, people in wheelchairs, fishermen. You can disagree with us, but do not allow these corporations to pit us against each other with lies.
People of this coast think it is important to communicate with the Norwegian delegation visiting BC and so we are taking this opportunity wherever we can. Yesterday Sabra Woodward and Elena Edwards met the Norwegian Parliamentarians in Victoria as they walked from the Empress Hotel to the Royal Museum handing them the letter below this blog. They said the delegates were eager to communicate and asked questions. I joined a group of people today prepared to greet the delegation as they boarded the ferry and ride with them to Quadra Island.
....While we were doing the best we could to communicate Chief Bob Chamberlin, who was not invited to this meeting between First Nations and the Norwegian government did not let that stop him. Chief Chamberlin went in and sat with the president of the Storting and Saami leadership. I wish his village of Gwayasdums could see how they were represented this day. Chief Chamberlin has filed a Class Action Suit against the Norwegian fish feedlot industry.
As Geoff Gerhart and I got on the ferry to return to Quadra Island, a woman in a pickup flipped us the bird. She was likely employed by the feedlot salmon industry. I am sure she saw us as a threat to her livelihood and I can understand that, but her comment was that Americans fund us. To this woman I say – whoever is telling you this, is lying to you. Americans do not fund us. We are people taking a stand for wild salmon, because we believe they are important. No one is paying us to do this, no one can pay us to stop. We are people from towns failing under the globalized economy; we are people who care about the future of all living things that come after us. We are so low on funds, some of us hitch-hiked to be here today. We are single moms, people in wheelchairs, fishermen. You can disagree with us, but do not allow these corporations to pit us against each other with lies.
Librotraficante ! Smuggle banned latino books BACK into Arizona!
Librotraficante | Houston, TX 77254-0181
from Marg! "Wetbooks" ! a great project to distribute 'banned books" by Latinos or on Latino Studies BACK into Arizona. (Sandra Cisneros - come on - how could they ban THAT?) Watch the video, and volunteer!
from Marg! "Wetbooks" ! a great project to distribute 'banned books" by Latinos or on Latino Studies BACK into Arizona. (Sandra Cisneros - come on - how could they ban THAT?) Watch the video, and volunteer!
Homophobic group to help award Diamond Jubilee Medals
Homophobic group to help award Diamond Jubilee Medals
A Canadian group whose homepage currently states that one of the biggest threats to families is the “homosexual lobby” and “the media” has been appointed to help government decide how to award Diamond Jubilee Medals to honour Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years of service to Canada.
REAL Women of Canada, a socially conservative, anti-feminist group that often acts as an intervenor in court cases that oppose queer rights, will recommend medals under the social and volunteer category. An article on the group’s homepage also dismisses bullying, saying it's a justified reaction on the part of youth frustrated by the “special treatment” granted to queer or non-Christian youth in schools.
The Canadian Queen’s Diamond Jubilee program is awarding medals to 60,000 “outstanding” Canadians, according to the governor general’s website.A spokesperson for the governor general’s program says a committee decided on partner organizations based on a number of different categories, such as health, multiculturalism, and arts and culture.
“I don’t think they reflect the general views of women in Canada,” says Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, which was not asked to participate. “I’m not saying they don’t have a right to be there; however, you need to balance the playing field a little bit, and if you’re going to appoint them, then you should appoint women from any number of women’s groups who are very progressive, aren’t homophobic and transphobic, and deserve to be at the table.”
Thursday
Iran: Release women’s rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh | Amnesty.Ca
Iran: Release women’s rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh | Take Action
Nasrin Sotoudeh is a lawyer, human rights campaigner and women’s rights activist.
Nasrin has defended the rights of many activists who have been arrested, tried unfairly and jailed, including Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi. Nasrin has spoken publicly about the shortcomings of the Iranian legal system and is famous for defending young offenders on death row. Her activities made her a target, and she was arrested in September 2010.
In January 2011, Nasrin was sentenced to 11 years in prison. In mid-September 2011, the Appeals Court reduced her prison sentence to 6 years and a ban against practising law from 20 years to 10. The charges against her include “acts against national security”, “anti-regime propaganda” and belonging to the Centre for Human Rights Defenders. You can write a letter here.
Nasrin Sotoudeh is a lawyer, human rights campaigner and women’s rights activist.
Nasrin has defended the rights of many activists who have been arrested, tried unfairly and jailed, including Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi. Nasrin has spoken publicly about the shortcomings of the Iranian legal system and is famous for defending young offenders on death row. Her activities made her a target, and she was arrested in September 2010.
In January 2011, Nasrin was sentenced to 11 years in prison. In mid-September 2011, the Appeals Court reduced her prison sentence to 6 years and a ban against practising law from 20 years to 10. The charges against her include “acts against national security”, “anti-regime propaganda” and belonging to the Centre for Human Rights Defenders. You can write a letter here.
the Senate defeated legislation to build the Keystone XL pipeline
(from Bill at 350.org)
Thanks to you, people power once more squeezed out a victory over oil money.
Today the Senate defeated legislation to build the Keystone XL pipeline. The vote was close, but given that this pipeline was a 'no brainer' a year ago, it's pretty remarkable that people power was able to keep working, even in the back rooms of the oil-soaked Senate. (See the full vote count here) Thanks to your hard work -- most recently sending 802,000 messages to the Senate in just 24 hours, not to mention all the calls to your Senators -- we have kept the pipeline at bay yet again. It's unlikely the Senate will take another vote on Keystone XL, but then again, one can't underestimate the corrupting influence of the money Big Oil is pumping into Capitol Hill.
Still, the news isn’t all good. Last week, TransCanada announced plans to build the half of the pipeline that runs from Oklahoma to Texas; and while it doesn’t let them get new tar sands oil across the Canadian border, it’s a blow for folks along the southern half of the route, who we’ll keep fighting side by side with. And TransCanada also announced plans to reapply for a permit to cross the border—so even the partial win we’ve got at the moment may turn out to be temporary. But for right now, there is pipe rusting in big piles across the heartland of the country, instead of sitting underground pumping dirty oil at 700,000 barrels per day. Our victory may not last forever. But today big oil actually lost something big.
Thanks to you, people power once more squeezed out a victory over oil money.
Today the Senate defeated legislation to build the Keystone XL pipeline. The vote was close, but given that this pipeline was a 'no brainer' a year ago, it's pretty remarkable that people power was able to keep working, even in the back rooms of the oil-soaked Senate. (See the full vote count here) Thanks to your hard work -- most recently sending 802,000 messages to the Senate in just 24 hours, not to mention all the calls to your Senators -- we have kept the pipeline at bay yet again. It's unlikely the Senate will take another vote on Keystone XL, but then again, one can't underestimate the corrupting influence of the money Big Oil is pumping into Capitol Hill.
Still, the news isn’t all good. Last week, TransCanada announced plans to build the half of the pipeline that runs from Oklahoma to Texas; and while it doesn’t let them get new tar sands oil across the Canadian border, it’s a blow for folks along the southern half of the route, who we’ll keep fighting side by side with. And TransCanada also announced plans to reapply for a permit to cross the border—so even the partial win we’ve got at the moment may turn out to be temporary. But for right now, there is pipe rusting in big piles across the heartland of the country, instead of sitting underground pumping dirty oil at 700,000 barrels per day. Our victory may not last forever. But today big oil actually lost something big.
Documents Show Cozy Relationship Between Blackwater, Canadian Troops | Common Dreams
Documents Show Cozy Relationship Between Blackwater, Canadian Troops | Common Dreams
Company was paid nearly $2.4 million to train Canadian soldiers last year
Company was paid nearly $2.4 million to train Canadian soldiers last year
The Canadian military has had a close relationship for years with Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, and was paid $2.4 million to train Canadian soldiers in 2011.
U.S. firm linked to civilian deaths hired to train Canadian soldiers
An American private security firm whose employees have been implicated in the killing of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan was paid nearly $2.4 million to train Canadian soldiers last year. [...]The report quotes Liberal defense critic John McKay, who questioned the awarding of the contract to Xe without competition:
The military has had a relationship with the security firm for years; the documents say 605 Canadian soldiers have received training at the company's North Carolina complex since 2006, as well as an unspecified number of special forces commandos.
In 2008, the federal government awarded the company a standing contract to provide training and access to its facilities on an as-needed basis. It was awarded without a competitive bid "because it was assessed that Xe Services had the only facility capable of meeting the operational requirements for specialized training of CF personnel," the documents say.
"Could the Canadian government find no one better to train Canadian soldiers?" he said. "A sole-sourced contract worries you at the best of times. But to sole-source Blackwater?"
That's Enough Politeness – Women Need to Rise Up in Anger
That's Enough Politeness – Women Need to Rise Up in Anger | Common Dreams
Critique of the UN Women's Commission by Laura Penny
Like the suffragettes and socialists who called the first International Women's Day over a century ago, women who believe in a better world are going to have to start thinking in deeds, not words. With women under attack financially, socially and sexually across the developed and developing world, with assaults on jobs, welfare, childcare, contraception and the right to choose, the time for polite conversation is over. It's time for anger. It's time for daring, direct action, big demands, big dreams. The men who still run the world from boardrooms and government offices have become too used to not being afraid of what women will do if we are attacked, used and exploited. We must make them afraid.
Critique of the UN Women's Commission by Laura Penny
Like the suffragettes and socialists who called the first International Women's Day over a century ago, women who believe in a better world are going to have to start thinking in deeds, not words. With women under attack financially, socially and sexually across the developed and developing world, with assaults on jobs, welfare, childcare, contraception and the right to choose, the time for polite conversation is over. It's time for anger. It's time for daring, direct action, big demands, big dreams. The men who still run the world from boardrooms and government offices have become too used to not being afraid of what women will do if we are attacked, used and exploited. We must make them afraid.
10,000 GM Customers Tell Auto Giant: Stop Funding Climate Deniers\
10,000 GM Customers Tell Auto Giant: Stop Funding Climate Deniers | Common Dreams
10,000 GM Customers Tell Auto Giant: Stop Funding Climate Deniers
General Motors, a company that has made strides to lower the carbon footprint of driving, is taking heat from 10,000 of its customers for a donation its charitable foundation made to an institute that casts doubt on climate science, according to a report from McClatchy.
The outrage stems from a leaked internal document from the rightwing Heartland Institute that was made public last month. A detailed strategy and funding memorandum, the document showed that GM had given the group $30,000 since 2010.
The campaign to press GM on their funding of a group well known for its campaign to deny global warming was organized by Forecast the Facts, a public advocacy group that has historically aimed to cast light on how meteorologists coverage of severe weather and climate change impacts public perceptions of how those phenomenon are related to man-made global warming...
McClatchy points out the long history of Heartland's climate denial and how completely detached it is from the reality presented by the world's leading scientists:
Heartland contends that global warming has stopped, a view that's contradicted by global data and reports from many scientists, including those at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, for example, has reported that each of the last three decades has been warmer than the decade before.
Heartland, however, sees global warming as part of a "liberal political agenda," according to its website. It argues that warming rose mostly from natural causes and has stopped, and that the benefits of "moderate warming" will probably outweigh the costs. The organization plans to fund a K-12 curriculum saying that climate science is controversial.
10,000 GM Customers Tell Auto Giant: Stop Funding Climate Deniers
General Motors, a company that has made strides to lower the carbon footprint of driving, is taking heat from 10,000 of its customers for a donation its charitable foundation made to an institute that casts doubt on climate science, according to a report from McClatchy.
The outrage stems from a leaked internal document from the rightwing Heartland Institute that was made public last month. A detailed strategy and funding memorandum, the document showed that GM had given the group $30,000 since 2010.The campaign to press GM on their funding of a group well known for its campaign to deny global warming was organized by Forecast the Facts, a public advocacy group that has historically aimed to cast light on how meteorologists coverage of severe weather and climate change impacts public perceptions of how those phenomenon are related to man-made global warming...
McClatchy points out the long history of Heartland's climate denial and how completely detached it is from the reality presented by the world's leading scientists:
Heartland contends that global warming has stopped, a view that's contradicted by global data and reports from many scientists, including those at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA, for example, has reported that each of the last three decades has been warmer than the decade before.
Heartland, however, sees global warming as part of a "liberal political agenda," according to its website. It argues that warming rose mostly from natural causes and has stopped, and that the benefits of "moderate warming" will probably outweigh the costs. The organization plans to fund a K-12 curriculum saying that climate science is controversial.
Sunday
Enbridge Canada-U.S. Pipeline Closed After Crash
Enbridge Canada-U.S. Pipeline Closed After Crash
Enbridge shut down a pipeline running from Canada to the United States after a fatal two-vehicle crash southwest of Chicago. Two vehicles plowed through a fence around a pumping station in New Lenox County, Ill. just after 2 a.m. Saturday, causing a massive explosion and fireball, according to local reports.
Enbridge, in a statement Sunday, called the incident a "tragic vehicle collision unrelated to our operations." Enbridge shut down the pipeline after sensors detected a leak. It's unclear at this point how much oil has spilled, or when the pipeline will reopen. The company has sent its own investigators to the scene.
Local police say all the men were in their mid-20s, and are trying to figure out why and how the crash happened. It is the second time in less than three weeks that the Calgary company has had to shut down part of its system in the U.S. Upper Midwest because of a leak.
Enbridge shut down a pipeline running from Canada to the United States after a fatal two-vehicle crash southwest of Chicago. Two vehicles plowed through a fence around a pumping station in New Lenox County, Ill. just after 2 a.m. Saturday, causing a massive explosion and fireball, according to local reports.
Enbridge, in a statement Sunday, called the incident a "tragic vehicle collision unrelated to our operations." Enbridge shut down the pipeline after sensors detected a leak. It's unclear at this point how much oil has spilled, or when the pipeline will reopen. The company has sent its own investigators to the scene.
Local police say all the men were in their mid-20s, and are trying to figure out why and how the crash happened. It is the second time in less than three weeks that the Calgary company has had to shut down part of its system in the U.S. Upper Midwest because of a leak.
Thursday
Pre-Emptive Strike: Shell Sues Environmental Groups
Pre-Emptive Strike: Shell Sues Environmental Groups
Royal Dutch Shell has launched a pre-emptive strike against environmental groups by filing a lawsuit against groups likely to challenge the company's plan to drill in the Chuckchi Sea in the Arctic, the Los Angeles Times is reporting. The lawsuit, the Los Angeles Time reports, is Shell's way of beating the environmental groups to court, thereby avoiding delays in its drilling plans.
The Times reports that the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, the National Audubon Society and other groups that have challenged Arctic drilling are named in the lawsuit.
(This is Harper's plan in the deal with China) - and this from the comments:
I watched this debate on the Automatic Earth's new website:
http://theautomaticearth.org/Energy/world-oil-supply-debate-between-ex-s...
I could scarcely believe what I was hearing from the Shell Oil ex-CEO as he was explaining how the USA needs to do to energy what the finance industry did when they set up the Fed effectively taking all 'money' related authority away from the elected government and bestowing it upon themselves.
He is saying the USA desperately needs to set up an energy 'Fed' run by 'industry' just as the Federal Reserve is run by private banking interests.
Mr. Shell Oil blames energy 'scarcity' on environmentalists and the constraints they put on industry in the form of environmental legislation that has governments everywhere gridlocked.
To drill or not to drill, frack or not to frack, pipelines, environmental reviews or a lack thereof, nuclear reactors, nuclear waste storage - the decision to fund alternative energy sources etc etc - all these decisions and more in the hands of corporate 'Big Energy' (Oil, Coal, Nuclear) - (well, yes)
Royal Dutch Shell has launched a pre-emptive strike against environmental groups by filing a lawsuit against groups likely to challenge the company's plan to drill in the Chuckchi Sea in the Arctic, the Los Angeles Times is reporting. The lawsuit, the Los Angeles Time reports, is Shell's way of beating the environmental groups to court, thereby avoiding delays in its drilling plans.
The Times reports that the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, the National Audubon Society and other groups that have challenged Arctic drilling are named in the lawsuit.
(This is Harper's plan in the deal with China) - and this from the comments:
I watched this debate on the Automatic Earth's new website:
http://theautomaticearth.org/Energy/world-oil-supply-debate-between-ex-s...
I could scarcely believe what I was hearing from the Shell Oil ex-CEO as he was explaining how the USA needs to do to energy what the finance industry did when they set up the Fed effectively taking all 'money' related authority away from the elected government and bestowing it upon themselves.
He is saying the USA desperately needs to set up an energy 'Fed' run by 'industry' just as the Federal Reserve is run by private banking interests.
Mr. Shell Oil blames energy 'scarcity' on environmentalists and the constraints they put on industry in the form of environmental legislation that has governments everywhere gridlocked.
To drill or not to drill, frack or not to frack, pipelines, environmental reviews or a lack thereof, nuclear reactors, nuclear waste storage - the decision to fund alternative energy sources etc etc - all these decisions and more in the hands of corporate 'Big Energy' (Oil, Coal, Nuclear) - (well, yes)
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