First global warming lawsuit launched against Canada

On May 29, 2007, FoE Canada launched a landmark lawsuit against the Canadian government. Filed in the Federal Court in Ottawa by the Canadian environmental law organisation Sierra Legal, the lawsuit alleges that the federal government is violating Canadian law by failing to meet its binding international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

On April 26, 2007, the federal government announced its 'Turning the Corner' climate change strategy which set greenhouse gas reduction targets from industry and other sources to 20% below 2006 levels by 2020. This would leave Canada approximately 39% off target with Kyoto in 2012, and the Kyoto target would not be met until 2025, if at all.

More information: <www.foecanada.org>.

------------------->

Stop water privatisation: protest at the PPIAF

The Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) is a little known World Bank agency that funds consultants to advise governments in poor countries how to privatise key sectors such as water, energy and telecommunications. It is funded by 15 donors, including the UK government, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Dutch government.

On May 23, protesters gathered for an action in front of the hotel in the Hague where the PPIAF's annual meeting took place. They handed over a letter signed by 138 groups from 48 countries asking the donors to withdraw from PPIAF.

The campaign against the PPIAF in Italy has resulted in the government deciding to pull out. A few months ago, the Norwegian government stopped funding the PPIAF. However the Australian government is tipped to soon become a donor.

More information: <www.corporateeurope.org/ppiaf.html>. A short video clip of the action at the PPIAF meeting is posted at: <www.foei.org/en/campaigns/finance/privatization/ppiaf>.

------------------->

Biofuel gold rush continues in Brazil

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's call for Brazil to become a "green Saudi Arabia" over the next few years has investors giddy and environmental and workers' organisations panicked.

Environmental groups such as ActionAid Brazil warn that the ethanol industry could repeat the mistakes of the soy industry, which turned seven million acres of Amazon jungle into monoculture soy in five years.

Many also question the sustainability of biofuels. Research published in the July 25 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the production of biofuels creates a net energy loss, and that forested land absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the use of biofuels saves.

The Brazilian Landless Workers Movement warns that the expansion of sugar cane plantations is both concentrating land ownership and creating slave labour working conditions.

Full article by April Howard at: <www.mstbrazil.org/?q=aprilhowardonbiofuelsmst>

------------------->

Bujagali dam project suspended

In late May, it was announced that Uganda's Cabinet had suspended a proposal to give away part of a rainforest to a sugarcane grower, weeks after three people were killed in a protest against the plan. Friends of the Earth worked with many allies to draw attention to this project.

------------------->

Oil refineries emit smoke not flowers!

FoE International is filing simultaneous complaints to three European national advertising standards authorities regarding a shameless advertisement by oil giant Shell. The advertisement depicts the outline of an oil refinery emitting flowers rather than greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

More information and a link to the ad at the International Herald Tribune blog: <blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/business/green/?p=57>.

------------------->

Block G8!

The G8 meeting was again disrupted at Heiligendamm, Germany from June 6-8. Over 10,000 protesters blocked most of the routes into Heiligendamm, interrupting the arrival of hundreds of delegates. Another mass demonstration at Rostock attracted 50,000 protestors.

Several other decentralised actions called for equal rights, freedom of movement (migration), and an end to corporate capitalism and neo-colonialism. Police were very provocative and repressive, beating up even the most peaceful protestors and arresting hundreds.

The G8 Summit again failed to commit to serious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Summit made a non-binding commitment to consider a non-binding, aspirational target of halving emissions by 2050. Collectively the G8 nations are responsible for around 43% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions with only 13% of the population.

Reports, pictures, videos, and audio at <de.indymedia.org/en>; Real World Radio live broadcasting: <www.realworldradio.fm>.

------------------->

New reports and publications

"Barrick's Dirty Secrets: Communities Respond to Gold Mining's Impacts Worldwide". A new CorpWatch report details the operations of Barrick Gold in nine different countries, focussing on the efforts on communities to seek justice from this powerful multinational. <www.corpwatch.org>

"Goodbye Houston: conflict, climate change and catastrophe: An Alternative Annual Report on Halliburton". This new report by CorpWatch was prepared in association with Halliburton Watch and the Oil & Gas Accountability Project. <www.corpwatch.org>

"Where Energy is Women's Business: National and Regional Reports from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific", a book released by ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy. The book deals with the role that women play in these developing regions, and focuses on the benefits of sustainable energy programs not only for the environment but also for gender equality. To download the book: <www.energia.org/csd_book.html>.

"Swaziland: The Myth of Sustainable Timber Plantations", released by the World Rainforest Movement and South African Timber Watch. Although Swaziland has been repeatedly presented by some as a successful example of sustainable plantation forestry, this report presents clear evidence to demonstrate that monoculture tree plantations are just as destructive in Swaziland as elsewhere. Contact: WRM International Secretariat: <bookswrm@wrm.org.uy>.

"Trip to Repsoland: from Well to Well through Patagonia and Bolivia", a new joint publication from author Marc Gavalda and FoE Argentina. This is a diary filled not only with tales of the expansion of Repsol's corporate territories around the world, but also with stories of hope inspired by resistance. You can read about impunity, plundering, ecocide, ethnocide, and resistance in this explorer's diary. A printable Spanish version of the book can be downloaded at: <ftp://ftp.ourproject.org/pub/tierra/repsolandia.pdf>.

------------------->

Translators And Interpreters Wanted

Friends of the Earth Australia is looking for volunteer translators and interpreters who speak any of the following languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Korean and Japanese.

We are trying to improve our collaboration with FoE groups around the world who speak languages other than English. Volunteer translators are always able to work at the level at which they feel comfortable, and are under no obligation to take on any particular project.

If you are interested in being a volunteer translator, please contact FoE volunteer coordinator Arius: <arius.tolstoshev@foe.org.au>, ph. (03) 9419 8700.