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Moving Planet was amazing! September 26th, 2011

Moving Planet was a worldwide day to move beyond fossil fuels, with over 2000 events in more than 175 countries! Learn more…

Forest Peoples Programme Newsletter Available in Three Languages July 22nd, 2011

Given the increasingly urgent threat of climate change, efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from deforestation and forest degradation have led to sustained calls by indigenous peoples and concerned NGOs that forest peoples’ rights must be secured. These programs, known as REDD, are supposed to respect human rights and ensure the effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities. Funders are to ‘safeguard’ these principles and ensure countries observe their international obligations.

Learn more in the newsletter of the Forest Peoples Programme, available also in Spanish and French.

Puede leer nuestro boletín de noticias en español

Lisez notre e-newsletter en français

Forest Peoples Programme supports forest peoples to secure and sustainably manage their forests, lands and livelihoods.

Their strategies to achieve this include:

(a) promoting the rights and interests of forest peoples at local, national and international levels;

(b) creating space for forest peoples to have an effective voice in decision-making processes;

(c) challenging top-down policies and projects that deprive local peoples of resources;

(d) coordinating support among environmental organizations for forest peoples’ vision;

(e) supporting community-led sustainable forest management; and

(f) publicizing forest peoples’ plight through research, analysis and documentation.

For more information, visit the Forest Peoples Programme website.

 

 

 

 

Danger of Mass Extinction of Marine Species June 20th, 2011

Marine scientists at a high-level international workshop at the University of Oxford have warned that the world’s ocean is at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history.

Delegates called for urgent and unequivocal action to halt further declines in ocean health. Fish, sharks, whales and other marine species are disappearing at a far faster rate than anyone had predicted, a study by the group found. Mass extinction of species will be “inevitable” if current trends continue, researchers said.

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Vatican Issues Major Report on Science of Climate Change May 6th, 2011

Thanks to the Catholic Climate Covenant campaign for the information in this post.

A working group of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, one of the oldest scientific institutes in the world, has issued a sobering report on the implications for humankind of the melting of glaciers from human-induced climate change. In their declaration, the working group calls, “on all people and nations to recognize the serious and potentially irreversible impacts of global warming caused by the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and by changes in forests, wetlands, grasslands, and other land uses.” They echoed Pope Benedict XVI’s 2010 World Day of Peace Message saying, “…if we want justice and peace, we must protect the habitat that sustains us.”

The report, which now brings the moral authority of the Vatican to bear on this important debate, focuses on the global retreat of mountain glaciers which results from human activity and warns that, “Failure to mitigate climate change will violate our duty to the vulnerable of the Earth, including those dependent on the water supply of mountain glaciers, and those facing rising sea level and stronger storm surges. Our duty includes the duty to help vulnerable communities adapt to changes that cannot be mitigated. All nations must ensure that their actions are strong enough and prompt enough to address the increasing impacts and growing risk of climate change and to avoid catastrophic irreversible consequences.” (Emphasis added.)

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Fall 2010 Issue of the JPIC Report Available October 10th, 2010

Read the new issue of the JPIC Report. If you are not receiving a hard copy in the mail and would like to, please contact the JPIC Office by emailing Mary O’Herron.

Read the Fall 2010 JPIC Report (Download PDF)

G8 and G20 Summits in Canada June 27th, 2010

The Group of Eight (G8) and Group of Twenty (G20) summits were held in Ontario, Canada this weekend – June 25th through 27th. The G8 leaders met from Jun 25 through the 26th in Huntsville, Ontario. The G20 summit follows in Toronto, Jun 26-27.The gathering in Canada was to provide an opportunity to world leaders to show their resolve in keeping their promises on global poverty, climate change and deal with financial crisis.

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