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Major US Cities Vulnerable to Drought June 14th, 2013
Major US cities, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, and San Diego are likely to face water scarcity as climate change increases the potential for drought, according to a study released by the Columbia University Water Center in May.
Along with the potentially 40 million Americans affected in these cities, several “breadbasket region” states such as Nebraska, Illinois, and Minnesota were also considered to be vulnerable areas.
The report, America’s Water Risk: Water Stress and Climate Variability, examines how climate could affect “vulnerability to short and long term droughts,”
The study also notes that population growth and increased demand for water in the future will further decrease water availability, if precipitation and water use patterns remain largely unchanged.
Click here to read more »
EU Parliament Adopts New Transparency Rules for Oil, Gas and Mining Companies June 13th, 2013
Ahead of the G8 Summit, the European Parliament adopted new transparency rules to require oil, gas, mining and logging companies to declare corporate payments to governments in countries where they operate – much like the Dodd-Frank Act Section 1504. At the G8 summit, leaders of the wealthiest nations are to consider reporting requirements for all multinational corporate payments made to governments. This kind of “country-by-country” reporting of profits and taxes can stem corporate tax avoidance to both poor and wealthy nations.
Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network, a faith-based antipoverty organization, released the following statement:
“Hats off to the European Union for promoting transparency and corporate accountability. Let’s hope it inspires ministers at the upcoming G8 meetings to curb corporate tax avoidance and promote transparency for all multinationals.
“The faith community believes that corporate tax avoidance constitutes a theft from the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. When the G8 addresses this issue in Northern Ireland, they can have a real impact on global poverty.
“It’s clear that the G8 host, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, wants multinational corporate tax avoidance to be addressed. Hopefully he’ll take the energy from the EU to the G8. We’ve got to act as every year poor countries lose more to tax dodging than they receive in aid.”
Read the EU transparency rules here.
Tax avoidance to be on agenda of 17-18 June G8 Summit June 12th, 2013
Senior Catholic bishops from all of the G8 countries urged G8 Ministers to tackle tax avoidance, saying that “paying a fair share of taxes” is a “moral obligation”. Cardinal Brady, the head of Ireland’s Catholic church organized a letter to the G8, urging leaders to make good on their pledge to tackle aggressive tax avoidance at a summit later this month.
Last month, US senators described Ireland as a “tax haven”, accusing it of facilitating a multibillion-dollar tax avoidance structure for Apple. Tax Justice campaigners have argued that Ireland’s ultra-low corporation tax rate of 12.5%, combined with a series of additional tax incentives, is having a corrosive impact on tax coffers elsewhere, particularly poorer nations.
“In terms of tackling hunger, nothing is more crucial…than tax justice”, says Oliver De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.
The Tanzania Energy and Minerals Minister says multinationals’ tax evasion and avoidance by companies and others is “crippling development and negatively affecting government budgets to cover…health, education and food production.” Many multinational companies operating in Tanzania are alleged to have accounts in British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda and several other places under Britain to avoid paying taxes.
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has created a resource on the subject: “Tax avoidance: An introduction”. Please visit their website for this resource and more information.
The Oblates belong to a coalition of non-governmental and faith groups – Tax Justice Network – that is campaigning for a more just international tax system.
Faith-Based and Socially Responsible Investors Urge U.S. Retailers to Back Bangladesh Accord June 7th, 2013
People and rescuers gather after an eight-story building housing several garment factories collapsed in Savar, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, April 24, 2013.
Used under Creative Commons license; photo courtesy of rijans on flickr
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), a group of socially responsible investors of which the Oblates are active members, has asked US retailers to be part of the Bangladesh Fire and Safety initiative, a global accord that promotes the safety of garment workers that would be legally enforceable. The initiative was proposed after more than 1,100 workers died in a building collapse on the outskirts of Dhaka on April 24. The collapsed building housed garment factories that supplied to several Western retailers.
At least 14 North American retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N), Macy’s Inc (M.N), Sears Holdings Corp (SHLD.O), JC Penney Co Inc (JCP.N) and Gap Inc (GPS.N) have declined to sign the accord.
They have said the accord gives labour unions too much control over ensuring workplace safety and have proposed the alternative “Safer Factory Initiative”.
ICCR, which was part of the Divestment from South Africa campaign in protest against Apartheid, said the alternative plan could dilute the impact of the accord and may not be legally enforceable.
Retailers such as Zara parent Inditex S.A. (ITX.MC), H&M (HMb.ST), PVH Corp (PVH.N) and Britain’s Tesco Plc (TSCO.L) have supported the Bangladesh fire and safety initiative.
Read the ICCR Statement on the issue…
The Pope launches “Missio”, an “App” created by an Oblate June 6th, 2013
A new smartphone application, called “Missio”, is expanding the Church’s footprint in a digital world. The App can be downloaded for free, and is available in eight languages. The service was inaugurated by Pope Francis during the Audience with the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies and with the staff of Fides Agency, on May 17, at the Vatican. Pope Francis clicked on an iPad, launching the application, which was created by Fr. Andrew Small, OMI National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.
The app “Missio” contains news posted on the site “news.va”, photos, videos and the Pope’s homilies, the news of the Church in the world. “Holy Father, we want to put the Gospel in the pocket of every young person in the world,” said Fr. Small to the Pope, who touched a button on which “Evangelizantur,” was written, which in Latin means “May they be evangelized.” On the very first day, the App was downloaded by 1,140 people in 27 different countries. “Our goal is to help people see the world through the eyes of faith,” said Fr. Small. The application can be downloaded for free on iTunes App Store and Google Play. The Apps’ eight languages are: English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic. The App was developed by the company Little iApps.
