Speakers from across the Pacific Islands and Australia came together on the 11th October 2019 at The University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute to discuss the specific human rights, including Indigenous rights, immediately challenged by the global climate crisis. The conference showcased stories of vulnerability, but also resilience; demonstrated via Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander experiences on the frontline of climate change impacts, but also as global leaders in charting responses that uphold human rights.

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.  

The Glyphosate controversy continues making news around the world and in Australia. The latest news being that the German Government has recently announced that it will phase out all uses for Glyphosate by 2023. Interestingly, the prime motivation for the decision in Germany was not so much human health concerns, but the damage the herbicide does to ecosystems, in particular insects critical for pollination of food crops.

The Victorian Government has recently been thwarted by community opposition in the Mornington Peninsula, to widespread insecticide application for mosquito control. The Government in conjunction with Mornington Shire Council were planning to spray 25 square kilometres of the Peninsula with insecticides Bifenthrin or Methoprene. This image shows the areas targeted with Bifenthrin spraying in March 2019 in suburban Rye.

The Federal Government has launched an 'Inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia' and are accepting submissions until 16 September.