The Australian Government has removed regulations designed to keep us and our food safe. This means that from now, many genetically modified (GM) animals, plants and microbes will enter our environment and food chain with no requirement for safety testing or traceability.

Friends of the Earth have today welcomed the Victorian government announcement of protection of 96,000 hectares of forests in eastern Victoria and complete and immediate protection of 90,000 hectares of all remaining old growth forest, but say more details and maps are needed to ensure the announcement results in lasting and effective protection. 

Nations behave wisely, Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban observed five decades ago, "once they have exhausted all other alternatives".

David Noonan, a long time anti-nuclear activist, writes in Chain Reaction magazine about BHP's plans for its controversial Olympic Dam Mine in South Australia.

October 18, 2019   Over 250 organizations from around the world, including Friends of the Earth Australia, express their solidarity with Ecuadorians in a joint letter published today, opposing IMF-imposed austerity measures and the Ecuadorian government’s firm pro-extractivism agenda. Eleven days of mass protests led by Indigenous and labour organizations brought thousands to the streets and ended on Sunday October 14 when the government revoked its IMF-sponsored Decree 883. Photo: Reuters

Protests over the past week in Ecuador have seen indigenous people take over the nation's National Assembly in Quito, with the President, Lenin Moreno having to flee to the city of Guayaquil. The current uprising in Ecuador is led by Indigenous organisation CONAIE. Reports as of 11/10/19 suggest:  7 deaths (including an infant) have occurred,  95 people have been wounded and are in intensive care, with an additional 500 people reporting minor injuries. Nearly 1000 people have been arrested. 57 journalists have been injured with 13 being detained by police. 9 media sources have been closed and 26 politicians arrested. Image: https://twitter.com/CONAIE_Ecuador Protesters take over the National Assembly

Friends of the Earth Australia is proud to be among the 50+ groups to sign the following statement calling for a clean, green, nuclear-free future.

In November 2017, Friends of the Earth initiated a campaign to better understand drinking water quality issues in Australia. The Australian Drinking Water Quality Map was constructed by Dvize, with data entered by FoE. The Map hoped to shed light on drinking water problems across Australia. For some years, Friends of the Earth had concerns about contaminants, such as pesticides in drinking water. However, it became apparent that whilst pesticides are frequently detected in water supplies, albeit at low levels, there are a number of substances found more frequently and at levels far higher than most of pesticide detections.  Also of interest, was that similar to pesticides, there is no national or state authority in Australia that collates information from around the country concerning water quality issues. Image: Roma (Queensland). Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma,_Queensland

As Australia is poised to become one of the first countries in the world to deregulate several new genetic modification techniques in animals, a new report highlights the urgent need for safety assessment and regulatory oversight.