News Feeds | ecology.iww.org (2024)

It's Going Down - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:59

Announcing a new issue of The Opening Statement, an abolitionist publication from so-called Michigan.

The Opening Statement is a free quarterly newsletter that features articles, poetry, political writing and opinion pieces, as well as other relevant pieces by non-incarcerated authors.

OPENING STATEMENT – WINTER 2024 (CLICK THE LINK TO DOWNLOAD PDF)ARTICLES AND AUTHORS LISTED BELOW:

• RICO Expanded by Supreme Court Ray Luc Levasseur (1994)
• RICO and Stop Cop City: The Long War Against the Left Dan Berger
• Statement from Victor Puertas
• A Word from Victor on Palestine Victor Puertas
• If I Must Die / Si He De Morir Refaat Alareer
• The Abolitionist Logic of “Everyone for Everyone” Dan Berger
• True Leap Press

Dear comrades,

With this first issue of 2024, you may notice some changes to the design of The Opening Statement—a little bit different style, same great content.

Happy New Year! At least as happy as we can be in these terrible times. 2024 begins in the midst of multiple ongoing genocides. We’ve been following the Israeli state’s ongoing genocidal campaign against Palestine, and this issue of TOS includes a couple pieces on that topic. You may have heard that South Africa recently presented a case at the International Criminal Court officially charging Israel with the crime of genocide. We don’t have much faith in the efficacy of international law, but hopefully the case will help to undermine Israel’s legitimacy and marginalize it on the world stage. And even as the mass killing, displacement, and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continue, genocide is also occurring in Sudan, the Congo, and West Papua. We hope to include information in future issues of TOS
on these cases as well.

Closer to home, we wanted to share a recent story out of Jackson, Mississippi, where 215 bodies were recently discovered in unmarked graves behind a state jail. According to a report on PBS, they were all buried there in the last eight years, and none of the families were notified. One case in particular seems to have been the one that led to the discovery of the site: that of a Black man named Dexter Wade, who was run over by a cop and later buried there, again without informing his family. Of course, this whole episode is just one piece of the more general phenomenon of police killings in the U.S. According to the organization Mapping Police Violence, cops killed 1,232 people in 2023, making it the deadliest year for police killings in more than a decade. Dexter Wade’s story, in which cops not only killed him but also tried to disappear his body, is a reminder that the numbers we have are almost definitely an undercount.

Next up, an update from the Michigan court of appeals: the new JLWOP law applies retroactively! We hope this brings some of you some hope that you can come home soon. We also want to share news of a package of reforms that will affect children caught in the juvenile legal system. In April 2020, staff tackled and asphyxiated 16-year-old Cornelius Frederick for 12 minutes in a Kalamazoo detention facility. Staff waited 12 more minutes before calling for help, and Cornelius died at the hospital two days later. His “crime” was throwing a sandwich in the cafeteria. He had been housed there because he was an orphan and the state failed to find him a foster placement. His death happened just a month before George Floyd was murdered by cops in Minneapolis in almost the same way. But since Cornelius was imprisoned, his homicide wasn’t captured on video and there was no international outcry.

A year after Cornelius’ death, the state formed a juvenile justice reform task force. A year after that, the task force published 32 recommendations. In December 2023, some of those recommendations were finally signed into law in the largest package of juvenile justice reforms in Michigan to date. If the 20 or so new bills are implemented as intended, they should lead to more consistency between counties, more community-based solutions, and less incarceration of youth overall. According to the Michigan Center for Youth Justice, “The comprehensive changes include increasing the Child Care Fund reimbursem*nt for community-based services [compared to reimbursem*nt for detention] and incorporating shelter and respite care. A significant step has been made in eliminating a majority of juvenile court fines and fees, which will alleviate undue burdens on countless families. The reforms also extend to expanding the Diversion Act, implementing risk screening and mental health screening tools, and strengthening the Office of the Child Advocate for enhanced oversight in juvenile facilities.”

The Detroit Free Press reported that one of the bills “would modify the factors a court would need to consider before trying a juvenile as an adult, only allowing previous delinquent behavior to be weighed if it would have also been considered a crime if committed by an adult. It requires considering the child’s developmental maturity, emotional health, and mental health, and the impact on any victim. If the juvenile is a member of a federally recognized Native American tribe, the court would also have to honor the culture and values of their tribe.”

It will be no surprise to abolitionists that promoting community-based solutions instead of detention for youth will actually save the state money. However, HB 4630 was one of the most important bills, and the senate failed to pass it because it would cost money. Did you know that not all counties guarantee qualified legal representation, or even any legal representation, for youth in the courts? The state prohibits the Indigent Defense Commission from giving the same legal services to children that they give adults, even though it’s a constitutional right for everyone. Poor children have fewer rights in Michigan courts than adults have! And Black children are over-represented in every aspect of the system. Even when youth do receive representation, the attorneys are not required to have any experience with youth or knowledge about adolescent development. This creates a multi-tiered system: different standards for children than for adults, and different standards for poor children than for wealthy children. Ironically, one of the bills passed does expand the State Appellate Defender’s Office to provide access to quality representation for youth at the appeals level, but they still don’t have it at the outset. The senators proved once again that they care more about money than about poor children—not to mention constitutional rights. Groups will continue to advocate for this bill.

None of this in any way eases the loss of Cornelius from the world, especially for those who knew and loved him. After all, he wasn’t even in the criminal legal system, he was an orphan without a community placement. Rest in power, Corn. Let’s fight on until all imprisonment, of youth and adults, is abolished.

We wanted to honor the life and memory of Sekou Odinga, the Black revolutionary who passed away on January 12, 2024. Odinga was an active member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army from the late 1960s into the ’80s. He was convicted on RICO charges for helping Assata Shakur move to Cuba and spent 33 years in state and federal prisons before being released in 2014. Rest in Power, comrade!

Speaking of RICO . . . we’ve been calling this issue of TOS “the RICO special.” That’s because our main focus is the latest episode in the state’s repression against the movement to Stop Cop City in Atlanta. But this story has significant implications for all of us. As you might remember, Atlanta’s political and economic elites have been pushing to destroy a large urban forest and replace it with a $90 million police militarization facility known as Cop City. According to the Stop Cop City website, the facility will contain “military-grade training facilities, a mock city to practice urban warfare, explosives testing areas, dozens of shooting ranges, and a Black Hawk helicopter landing pad.”

The struggle against Cop City has brought together a wide variety of organizers, comrades, and community members with many different though often overlapping concerns, from police violence and racism to climate change and land defense, and they’ve used a diversity of tactics to prevent the project from going forward. The state’s tactics have been diverse as well, from bureaucratic obstacles and liberal co-optation to police violence, arrests, and murder—last year, cops killed a forest defender named “Tortuguita” in a hail of bullets while they sat inside their tent.

The latest attack on the movement has taken a legal form. In September 2023, the Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr brought RICO charges against 61 people connected to the Stop Cop City movement in Fulton County, Georgia. RICO charges are significant because they can allow prosecutors to treat the actions of many different people—actions that often aren’t even illegal in and of themselves—as part of one big criminal conspiracy. As a result, if the state is successful with these RICO charges, it could become a model for the repression of leftist and revolutionary struggles across the U.S. Of course, this isn’t the first time RICO has been used against such movements. In order for us to be better able to protect ourselves, we’re including a classic essay from 1994 by Ray Luc Levasseur, the former leader of the United Freedom Front, who was convicted of RICO charges in 1986 after robbing banks to financially support the UFF. Levasseur’s essay describes the emergence of RICO charges as a technique of political repression and critiques the collaboration of mainstream liberal organizations in this process. What’s happening today to the Stop Cop City organizers is a consequence of this history. In addition to Levasseur’s original article from 1994, we are including an analysis comparing his RICO case with the current RICO case against Stop Cop City defendants, published in 2023 by the abolitionist historian Dan Berger.

We also include two statements by Stop Cop City defendant Victor Puertas, who has been held in ICE detention since his arrest at the Stop Cop City music festival in March 2023. Victor’s words link the violence of police and prisons to the militarized violence of the border and to the ongoing genocide in Palestine, shedding light on the structures of state violence and settler colonialism that join these seemingly disconnected sites of struggle.

Alongside Victor’s writings, we publish a poem by the Palestinian professor Refaat Alareer, who was murdered in a targeted airstrike by the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) on December 6, 2023. Alareer published a poem titled “If I Must Die” on Twitter on November 1, several weeks into Israel’s genocidal bombing campaign against Gaza. After he was killed, the poem went viral on Twitter and was translated into dozens of languages. The poem itself is a call back to a Claude McKay poem, one that has historic significance to the prison abolition movement in the US (rhymes with Schmattica). As a reflection of the poem’s wide circulation, we include a Spanish translation along with the original English version. We also included a companion piece, also by Dan Berger, on the abolitionist logic of the demand from the families of Israeli hostages captured in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood for the Israeli government to agree to Hamas terms and release the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons: “Everyone for everyone.” Berger’s essay reflects on the slogan’s political implications in the face of the unequal valuation of different people’s lives and points to a political horizon of genuine safety.

An update regarding the TOS book club: if you requested the latest round of books that were announced in the last issue, the orders have been placed. We’re not sure how long it will take for them to arrive, but feel free to follow up letting us know if you have or haven’t received them. Also, once you read either or both books, we are really interested to hear what you think! Send us your reviews or reflections, and let us know if it’s something you’d like to be shared in a public way (i.e. as a zine or blog post or posted on social media). As we mentioned in the original announcement, we are hesitant to publish prisoner writings in the newsletter because MDOC will block it, so we are trying to figure out other ways to share your writings. Last but not least, a few of you mentioned that you were interested in corresponding with a pen pal about the books. Unfortunately, the book club doesn’t have the capacity to organize this right now, but as always we are down to correspond as much as we can about the books and whatever else is on your mind. We also hope to engage our outside networks with the same books, and with your reflections on them. Maybe you’ll see their responses in a future TOS.

Finally, we are always interested in your observations, reflections, thoughts, criticisms, or whatever else you want to share with us about the situation at the prison you’re being held at. For example, has anything changed with the staffing issues? As we write this introduction, we’re experiencing some extremely cold temperatures and heavy snow. How is the weather affecting you? We’ve heard some prisons may have lost power—if that happened where you’re at, we’d be interested to hear more.

With love and rage,
MAPS

Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

Categories: D1. Anarchism

It's Going Down - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:55

An editorial from the Anarchist Union Journal about how anarchist formations in the past have organized to oppose wars.

For at least 100 years, most organized working-class anarchists have adopted pretty much the same approach to the anti-war movement. And nowadays, movements are living up to that again.

A century long anti-war anarchist narrative

In a 1919 speech in Erfurt, Germany, Rudolf Rocker suggested that the military industry needed to be stopped with a coordinated working-class boycott/strike/propaganda campaign.

This was also the approach behind the foundation of the International Anti-Militarist Bureau against War and Reaction (I.A.M.B.) in 1921:

[…] the IAMB fights militarism to make war and the oppression of classes and races impossible. It seeks to strengthen in the minds of workers the awareness of the determining importance of their economic power. The IAMB designates the most effective means of action to combat war as general strikes and mass refusal of military service. It advocates for the immediate cessation of all production intended for war. It vehemently opposes any attempt at armed intervention and strives to make the closest collaboration possible among all fighters of all races for a freer society. The more the means indicated by the IAMB are employed everywhere, the more violence decreases in all countries, and the more likely the idea of human personality is to penetrate the masses.’

For its part, the IWA’s statutes, from 1922, state pretty much the same thing, but add an exception for solidarity with revolutionary movements that would be engaged in armed struggle:

[…] revolutionary unionism fights against militarism and war. Revolutionary unionism advocates anti-war propaganda and the replacement of standing armies, which are only the instruments of counter-revolution at the service of capitalism, by workers’ militias, which, during the revolution, will be controlled by the workers’ unions; it demands, as well, the boycott and embargo of all raw materials and products necessary for war, with the exception of a country where the workers are in the midst of social revolution, in which case we should help them defend the revolution. Finally, revolutionary unionism advocates the preventive and revolutionary general strike as a means of opposing war and militarism.

“No workers in, no weapons out!”

Such was the slogan sung by 600 “Workers for a Free Palestine” unionists and activists gathered on a morning of December 2023 in Wimborne (South UK) to block Eaton Mission Systems factory that ships war plane parts to Israel. Palestine action has also been part of this anti-war direct action movement in the UK, with several property destruction actions. This comes as the anti-war movement learned that large demos don’t have the same impact as direct action does. Indeed, even though 1.5 million UK people marched in London against the war in Iraq, their government engaged militarily in Iraq.

“Together against capitalist wars and capitalist peace”

That’s the motto of the coming 2024 “Action Week” in Prague (starting May 20th) where a congress, some direct actions, a bookfair and a coordination of anti-war actions will take place. Their call for the event fits the 100-year-old anarchist narrative about revolutionary anti-war direct actions:

[…] let’s talk about how to sabotage the war, how to prevent the proletarians from being sent to the slaughter, how to block the supply and transport of weapons, how to organize desertions, mutinies and fraternization among the proletarians in uniform on both sides of the front line, how to turn our guns against the organizers of the massacre, i.e. against “our own” bourgeoisie and its lackeys…

Let’s talk about how to turn the imperialist war into a revolutionary war for the abolition of the class society of capital based on misery.

As we’ve seen previously in the IWA statutes, anarchists add the aim of revolutionary overthrow of oppressive structures, such as the State and capitalism, to anti-war direct actions. Both immediate improvements through workers’ direct action, along with revolutionary aims, are the answers anarchists have given to war for 100 years now. That needs to be applied today if we are to live free of war and oppression.

Photo by Hugo Jehanne on Unsplash

Categories: D1. Anarchism

Mining.Com - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:50

Gold prices rose by nearly 1.5% to a two-month high on Friday as disappointing US factory data and a drop in consumer sentiment reinforced bets on the possibility of interest rate cuts later in the year.

Spot gold gained by more than 1.4% to $2,075.03 per ounce by 11:30 a.m. ET, about $60 off the record high set in December 2023. US gold futures were also up by 1.4% to $2,083.70 per ounce.

[Click herefor an interactive chart of gold prices]

A measure of US factory activity shrank at a faster pace in February as orders, production and employment contracted, suggesting manufacturing is struggling for momentum, new data showed.

Separate data Friday showed US consumer sentiment fell in February for the first time in three months as current and expected views of the economy deteriorated.

Signs of a softening economy solidified expectations that the Federal Reserve will need to lower borrowing costs to help shore up the economy.

Treasury yields tumbled as a result, sending bullion on its way to the biggest intraday increase since mid-January.

Remarks from a slew of Fed officials also weighed on bond yields, which in turn boosted gold.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he would like the central bank to boost its share of short-term Treasuries. Also speaking Friday, Fed Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee told CNBC he believes the Fed funds rate is quite restrictive.

Separately, his Richmond counterpart Thomas Barkin said markets are pricing in fewer rate reductions in response to economic data. Dallas Fed chief counterpart Lorie Logan reiterated it’ll likely be appropriate to start slowing the pace at which it shrinks its balance sheet.

Analysts from JP Morgan said earlier this week that expectations of a US rate cut, along with a weaker US dollar, will continue to drive gold higher, taking the metal to new highs by 2025.

“Across all metals, we have the highest conviction on a bullish medium-term forecast for gold,” said Gregory Shearer, the bank’s head of base and precious metals strategy.

(With files from Bloomberg)

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry

North American Windpower - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:31

SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital and New Developments s.r.l. have agreed to collaborate on developing a hybrid 120 MW offshore floating PV (OFPV) farm integrated with a 420 MW floating offshore wind farm in ItalyThe Corigliano offshore hybrid wind-solar farm is set to be located in the gulf of Taranto off the coast of Corigliano-Rossano in Calabria and plans to feature 28 floating wind turbines. The OFPV part of the project will install SolarDuck’s platform PV technology.“With the current momentum, we believe this is a unique opportunity for the offshore renewable energy industry to help shape a favorable regulatory framework and facilitate the scaling of OFPV”, says SolarDuck CEO, Koen Burgers. “This is not just important for Italy, but also for other countries in the Mediterranean. Our collaboration with New Developments and Green Arrow Capital can also serve as a catalyst for OFPV in Italy.”The project is part of Green Arrow Capital’s Infrastructure of the Future Fund, which invests in renewable energy and digital infrastructure in Europe high-potential markets.

The post SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital, New Developments Collaborate on Italy Offshore Hybrid Project appeared first on North American Windpower.

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Utility Dive - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:27

The agency will “consider whether to adopt rules to require registrants to provide certain climate-related information” at a March 6 open commission meeting.

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North American Windpower - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:20

Masdar has completed its 49% shareholding acquisition in the 3 GW Dogger Bank South (DBS) project, located approximately 100 km off England’s northeast coast.

The £11 billion joint investment in the project, in partnership with RWE, builds on the £10 billion UAE-U.K. Sovereign Investment Partnership.

“The addition of the Dogger Bank South project demonstrates our commitment to developing Masdar’s offshore wind capacity and expertise as an important component in our pursuit of the target of 100 GW renewable energy portfolio capacity by 2030,” says Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Masdar CEO. “We look forward to a successful collaboration with RWE over the years to come.”

The project is set to be split across two 500 sq. km sites, DBS East and DBS West, each with a 1.5 GW capacity. Construction could start as early as the end of next year, with the company hoping to get the first 800 MW of electricity online by 2029 and fully commissioned by 2031.

The next step for the projects is the submission of applications for Development Consent Orders, expected during this upcoming quarter.

The post Masdar Completes Investment Share Acquisition in Dogger Bank South Project appeared first on North American Windpower.

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Break Free From Plastic - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:17

March 1st, 2024, Nairobi - Today concluded the sixth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 6), bringing representatives from 193 countries to Nairobi, Kenya, to consider proposals for “Effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.” After a week of discussions, #BreakFreeFromPlastic members on the ground continued calling for governments to push for an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty in preparation for the fourth round of negotiations that will take place in Ottawa, Canada, in late April.

Amid concern over attempts to limit the mandate of the plastics treaty during the week, Hellen Kahaso Dena, Project Lead of the Pan-Africa Plastics Project at Greenpeace Africa, said, "A few countries are attempting to water down the already agreed language on ending plastic pollution by 2040, reducing ambition on all fronts, and denying the link between chemicals and the climate crisis. We strongly urge member states not to undermine the mandate of the Global Plastics Treaty, and show courage and ambition as we continue the negotiations in Ottawa next month." –Read Greenpeace's full statement here.

David Azoulay, Director of the Center for International Environmental Law’s Environmental Health program, responded, “we welcome the renewed commitment to engage constructively in the ongoing negotiation of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. Unsurprisingly, the same Member States who have worked to derail and obstruct the plastics treaty negotiations resort to a backdoor effort to attempt to renegotiate the INC’s mandate. While this declaration has no legal bearing on the mandate for the INC’s work, reaffirming the mandate at UNEA-6 is a valuable political statement in the face of continued bad-faith engagement by the United States and petrostates who are trying every means to limit the ambition of the future treaty. Governments need to respect their previous commitments and listen to the independent scientists and communities around the world who are demanding ambitious action. They must right the ship ahead of INC-4 to ensure the negotiations in Ottawa do not end in failure.” –CIEL's statement is also available here.

Ana Rocha, Director of Global Plastics Program for GAIA, added, "UNEA6 was a clear representation of the world’s political complexity and imbalance. When it comes to the Plastics Crisis, a handful of countries constantly tried to isolate and reduce the significance of resolution 5/14 that originated the Plastic Treaty negotiations. Thankfully, the commitment to urgently eliminate plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastics was once again reinforced in the Ministerial Declaration. We leave Nairobi with hope that the upcoming fourth round of negotiations in Canada will move us towards an ambitious Plastics Treaty."

Additional BFFP's statements will be added as they become available.

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About Break Free From Plastic – #BreakFreeFromPlastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 2,000 organizations and 11,000 individual supporters from across the world have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. BFFP member organizations and individuals share the shared values of environmental protection and social justice and work together through a holistic approach to bring about systemic change. This means tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain—from extraction to disposal—focusing on prevention rather than cure and providing effective solutions.www.breakfreefromplastic.org

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry

Mining.Com - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:03

Delta Resources is drilling to expand its Delta-1 gold project in northern Ontario. Credit: Delta Resources

Delta Resources (TSXV: DLTA) says new drill results improve the economics of its Delta-1 gold project in northern Ontario.

Drill hole D1-24-90 cut 10 metres grading 15.94 grams gold per tonne from 113 metres depth including 1 metre at 57.80 grams and 0.9 metre at 99.4 grams, Delta said on Friday. Drill hole D1-24-87 returned 10.5 metres at 1.66 grams from 30 metres depth and drill hole D1-24-88 intersected 12.2 metres at 1.05 grams from 85 metres, the company said.

The results from the site 50 km west of Thunder Bay on Lake Superior come from a group of four holes, and one extension hole for a total of 1,371 metres in the company’s 5,000-metre drill campaign this year. It aims to fill in gaps from Delta’s previous drilling in a 2-km strike to a 250-metre vertical depth, and to expand that envelope east, west and deeper.

“Once more, the gold zones continue to show continuity and hom*ogeneity,” president and CEO André Tessier said in a release. “Drill hole D1-24-90 was especially excellent with high grades that are sure to help the economics of the deposit.”

Shares in Delta Resources were unchanged in Toronto on Friday, but they had risen 21% over the past five days to C$0.12 apiece, valuing the company at C$11.3 million. They’ve traded in a 52-week range of C$0.09 and C$0.61.

Last May, the company hit a market capitalization of C$39.2 million after reporting drill hole D1-23-38 cut 1-metre intervals of 1,636 grams and 697 grams.

Shebandowan belt

Delta is focusing on the 107-sq.-km project near the Trans-Canada Highway in the Shebandowan Greenstone Belt. It covers a 19-km strike of the Shebandowan structural zone. Gold mineralized zones form a 2.3-km strike, with a higher-grade segment of nearly 950 metres, to a depth of about 250 metres, the company said.

The Delta-1 project is to receive as much as $200,000 in Ontario government funding through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program when the company completes exploration, it said.

The company also holds the 194-sq.-km Delta-2 volcanic massive sulphide gold project in the Chibougamau area about 650 km north of Montreal. It’s betting on similarities to the area’s former Lemoine mine which produced 760,000 tonnes grading 9.6% zinc, 4.2% copper, 4.5 grams gold and 84 grams silver from 1975 to 1983.

Drilling

At Delta-1, the gold zone is dipping shallowly towards the south in contrast to the steep north dip in sections to the west, the company said. The gold zone might have been rotated along northeast-trending structures and drilling last year may have missed the zone, it added.

Hole D1-24-90 targeted the gold zone 50 metres up-dip from the intercept of hole D1-23-67 which cut 40.2 metres grading 0.66 gram including 20.2 metres at 0.95 gram, Delta said.

Last year’s hole D1-23-65 cut 35.5 metres grading 1.39 grams and the company targeted drill hole D1-24-88 at mineralization 60 metres up-dip from it. Drilling overshot the Beta gold zone but intersected the Gamma zone from 85 metres down hole, Delta said.

Drill hole D1-24-87 aimed to intersect the gold zone 50 metres up-dip from the intercept of drill hole D1-23-33 which returned 89.7 metres grading 1.15 grams gold, Delta said. The new hole intersected gold at 30 metres depth, the Gamma zone at 70 metres down and a narrow 0.8 metre zone at 22.3 grams from 130 metres, the company said.

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry

Clean Air Ohio - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:02

“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up-to-date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.

Image Source: WHYY

WHYY: Philadelphia Navy Yard begins autonomous, electric shuttle service – On Tuesday, Philadelphia’s Navy Yard launched its driverless shuttle one-year pilot program. This program aims to reduce congestion and carbon emissions. Initially, the shuttle will have four stops within the Navy Yard with the next phase extending trips down Broad Street to NRG Station. The shuttle will operate from 10 am to 2 pm and can carry 9 passengers, a wheelchair, plus the operator. While the electric shuttle is good for the environment, autonomous vehicles have a track record of safety concerns. Public feedback will be gathered throughout the year, but this new program is already attracting pushback from drivers’ unions.

Image Source: BillyPenn

BillyPenn: Could Indego reinstate single-trip option amid online clamor? – Approximately six years ago, the Indego bike share program removed its single-ride option due to a massive increase in bike theft. Since then users have complained on social media about the loss of the single-ride service. Currently, the cheapest service offered is a $ 15-day pass, creating a need for a cheaper single-trip option. With better security parameters, Indego plans to do some feasibility work to determine if they can bring back the single-trip pass.

Image Source: PhillyVoice

PhillyVoice: I-95 South to close overnight next week for highway capping project – As a part of the $329 million project to cap I-95 at Penn’s Landing, there will be multiple road closures on sections of I-95 including“between the I-676 and Callowhill Street exit in Center City and the Morris Street on-ramp in Pennsport,” along with the I-676 east on-ramp to I-95 South. Closures will begin Monday night from 11pm to 5am and will last for four days. There will also be a south lane closure on I-95 in Center City between Market and South Street from 7-11pm each night.

Other Stories

The Inquirer: Pictures of demolition on second weekend of I-95 closure

PlanPhilly: Why has SEPTA once again delayed its bus revolution?

WHYY: SEPTA considering regional rail service expansion this Fall

The Inquirer: License plate cameras coming to Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, and Commodore Barry bridges

Streetsblog USA: Pedestrian Deaths Are Down — But They’re Still Higher Than Pre-Pandemic

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Ontario Clean Air Alliance - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:40

Heat your home with electricity? Great news! You may qualify for a free heat pump– that can cut your heating costs in half– from Ontario’s Save on Energy program.

The post Heat your home with electricity? Great news! appeared first on Ontario Clean Air Alliance.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Institute for Local Self-Reliance - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:32

Yale Environment 360 - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:29

Indigenous people in southern Cambodia faced forced evictions and criminal charges after their ancestral lands were marked out for a carbon offset project, a new report alleges.

Read more on E360 →

Categories: H. Green News

Utility Dive - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:28

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La Via Campesina : International Peasant Movement - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:21

First published by CEALDES on January 31, 2024

From December 1st to the 8th, 2023, the 8th La Via Campesina (LVC) International Conference took place in Bogota, Colombia under the slogans “Facing the global crises, we build Food Sovereignty to ensure a future to the humanity!” and “Globalize the struggle, globalize hope!”. As part of the activities the Agroecological Fair Lee Kyung Hae was carried out, as a commemoration of the Korean peasant an militant who gave his life as a protest against the policies of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Different agroecological products around the world such as Colombian coffee, Chilean win, European tomato and arugula seeds and Ugandan peanut butter were exchanged there. This fair was organized as a small sample of the peasant agricultural diversity of the 185 organizations from the 83 countries that make up the organizational network of the LVC. With more than 30 years, this “movement of movements”, with anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and anti-patriarchal principles, this is, probably, the most vibrant political and agrarian internationalist movement in terms of the construction of alternatives of the current development model and the global food system. The alternatives proposed by the LVC include the food sovereignty, the agrarian reform and the peasant agroecology.

During the 8th Conference, Joao Pedro Stedile, Brazilian leader of the Movimiento de los Trabajadores Sin Tierra (MST) characterized the LVC as a “collective organic collective” of the peasantry and other rural working classes and he stated five political contributions as a historical balance: 1) the defense of the food sovereignty, 2) the life defense through the protection of the nature and the water, 3) the idea of the control of the peasants over the seeds and the use of agroecological methods as an alternative to the transgenic crops and agrochemicals, 4) la incorporation of the popular feminism as a life principle and guarantee of the women participation in the peasant organization, 5) the achievement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. These contributions are the foundations of the unity of the organizations of the LVC that have met personally in Bogota through their more than 400 representatives after near 6 years after the last Conference. On this occasion, the Colombian agrarian organizationsi were hostess of the 8th LVC Conference, the movement’s highest decision-making space and where the global action lines for the following years are established.

One line of action defined at the 8th LVC Conference, and mentioned in the Final Political Declaration, was “a radical change towards agroecology to face the challenge to produce enough healthy food and, at the same time, reactivate the biodiversity and cool the planet. The peasant agroecology is the only food production model that guarantees the continuity of life in the world”.ii The agroecology defined as science, practice and social movementiii is conceived as a promising alternative to the multiple crises of the food system; that is to say the set of social relations that determine what food is produced, how and for whom they are produced. The food system crisis is manifested in the global corporate control of the food production, with more than 828 million of malnourished people in the world,iv the widespread exploitation of the rural working classes and the rise of the global deforestation, the land degradation and biodiversity loss.v

As an alternative, the agroecology aims at moving towards an environmentally, sustainable and socially fair agriculture following the functional biodiversity principle, the recycling of nutrients, the use of local organic supplies and the equity between producers and consumers.vi The agroecological transformations range from the implementation of agroecological principles on the field and the landscape level, the link between producers and consumers through the food networks to the reconfiguration of food system completely.vii

La Via Campesina has adopted the agroecology as the productive model to realize the political principles of the food sovereignty, which is understood as the peoples’ right to decide on and control the food system.viii To Viviana Catrileo, Mapuche leader and member of the Asosciación Nacional de Mujeres Rurales e Indígenas (ANAMURI), the life and peasant identity are the foundations of the agroecological practices, because of that, they are a symbol of the LVC struggle: “The agroecology is part of the food sovereignty as a principle of the political struggle for the LVC. It is part of the plan of action in the different continents because it is the answer to the peasants’ need to promote their ancient model of production against the agribusiness that has moved forward fiercely, displacing and forcing the peasants, the communities and the indigenous peoples around the different territories of the world.” One of the LVC strategies to impulse the agroecology has been the “peasant to peasant” processes, a collaborative educational process where the rural workers co-produce “knowledge through the exchange of ideas, experiences and innovation in the agroecological productions”.ix Nowadays, the organizations belonging to the LVC have more than 60 educational courses in agroecology around the world. Especially, la Coordinadora Latino american de Organizaciones del Campo (CLOC), one of the 10 regional organizations of the the LVC, has promoted the Institutos Agroecologicos Latinoamericanos (IALAS) since 2005, as a pedagogical tool to expand and realize the food sovereignty. Nowadays, there are 12 IALAS, among them IALA Maria Cano in Colombia, which is led by the Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria (FENUSAGRO).

In spite of the energy invested by the LVC and its organizations to expand peasant agroecology, different challenges to achieve the “radical change towards agroecology” have been identifies during the 8th Conference. Among those challenges, Fausto Torres, from the Asociación de Trabajadores del Campo (ATC) from Nicaragua, has underlined how necessary is that the agroecology goes beyond the family agriculture and produces more decent employment for the young peasants. He also proposed to bring back the experiences of the IALAS to officialize the agroecological education in other regional organizations of the LVC bearing in mind the climatic, ecological and cultural particularities of each region. Together with this proposal, Margaret Eberu Masudio from Eastern and Southern Africa Small-scale farmer’s Forum (ESAFF) from Uganda, emphasized that unless the peasants are educated in agroecological educative processes, it is not possible to move towards the food sovereignty. On the other hand, Jaime Amorín and Joao Pedro Stedile from the MST, highlighted the importance of moving towards agroecological transformations beyond demonstration farms, integrating the agroecology with the agroindustrial processes of transformation managed by peasant cooperatives and to widen the exchange of agricultural products between the rural producers and the urban consumers.

Finally, Nury Martinez, the president of FENSUAGRO called to move forward to the comprehensive and popular rural reform to gain control over the access to the land as a necessary condition to massify the peasant agroecology. Within this look, the food sovereignty pillars, the agroecology and the agrarian reform are independent alternatives to achieve the transformations proposed by the LVC.

Despite the fact that, the lines of action of the LVC orientate the food system transformations globally, its realization requires to adapt it to the national and local scales. In the Colombian case, the political scene poses challenges and opportunities to massify the peasant agroecology. Gustavo Petro’s National Government has raised the agrarian reform symbols and the Zero Hunger policy hand in hand with the food sovereignty, in addition to expanding the recognition of peasant territories, as in the Zonas de Reserva Campesina (ZRC) – 6 out of 13 ZRC constituted in the country have been recognized during the current government. The ZRCs are fertile ground for the blossom of peasant agroecological alternatives due to the presence of practices and knowledge of the peasant agriculture, the strength of the political organization in these processes, the explicit objectives of sustainability in those territories and the “future projects” enshrined in the Planes de Desarrollo Sostenible (PDS). For example, the ZRC from the high part from Venencia (Cundimarca) and Güejar-Cafre (Puerto Rico, Meta) project in their PDS aspirations of agroecological transformations for their territories.

Pushing forward these agroecological transformations in the Colombian peasant territories should deal with the challenges and the projections identifies globally by the LVC: educative processes, trade, access to the land, job opportunities for the young peasants, cooperative work and agroindustrial transformation. That is why, it is of paramount importance the work of the peasant organizations of the ZRC, favour the exchange of experiences with international agrarian organizations, but also to guarantee the technical assistance and the funding of the PDS by the national government in the current political circ*mstances. That is way, the Colombian peasant territories will open paths towards the agroecological transformations to different scales of the food system and, like that, contribute to “Globalize the struggle, globalize hope!

This article was written by Daniel Ortiz Gallego.

Photo: La Via Campesina

i The organizations that belong to the LVC are: CNA, FENACOA, FENSUAGRO, ACVC, ASCOCAMPO, ANZORC, APEMECAFE, and PCN. https://viacampesina.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/List-of-members.pdf

ii https://viacampesina.org/es/8va-conferencia-internacional-de-la-via-campesina-declaracion-de-bogota/

iii Wezel, A., Bellon, S., Doré, T., Francis, C., Vallod, D., & David, C. (2009). Agroecology as a science, a movement and a practice. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 503-515. doi:10.1051/agro/2009004

iv FAO. (2022). World Food and Agriculture Statistical Yearbook. Rome: FAO.

v Weis, T. (2010). The Accelerating Biophysical Contradictions of Industrial Capitalist Agriculture. Journal of Agrarian Change, 10 (3), 315 341.

vi Rosset M and Altieri, M. (2017). Agroecology: Science and Politics. Canada: Fernwood Publishing.

vii Gliessman, S. (2015). Agroecology the Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems. London: CRC Press Taylor and Francis Group.

viii Nyéléni Declaration on food sovereignty. (2007). In Food Sovereignty, ed. R. Patel. The Journal of Peasant Studies 36(3), 673–675.

ix Rosset et al. (2019). Agroecology and La Via Campesina I. The symbolic and material construction of agroecology through the dispositive of “peasant to peasant” processes. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 43(7 8), 872 894

The post Agroecology in the 8th LVC International Conference: Reflections of the agrarian movements in Colombia appeared first on La Via Campesina - EN.

Categories: A1. Favorites, A3. Agroecology

Allegheny Front - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:18

A commission approved bids to frack under Ohio's largest state park, wildlife areas and other properties. An author of a new book on deer asks us to examine our relationship with these ubiquitous animals. And a new plant in Weirton is gearing up to make storage batteries for renewable energy plants. We have news about construction problems along the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a withdrawal of another gas pipeline in Westmoreland County and the state is capping abandoned gas wells, while companies keep abandoning new ones.

The post Episode for March 1, 2024 appeared first on The Allegheny Front.

Categories: G2. Local Greens

Pittsburgh Green New Deal - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 07:07

สมัครเว็บตรง สล็อตออนไลน์ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ เว็บหลักโบนัสแตกหนัก

สมัครเว็บตรง สล็อตออนไลน์ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ เว็บหลักโบนัสแตกหนัก โบนัสแตกง่าย ใช้ทุนน้อย ชนะรางวัลในการเล่นเกม ได้อย่างผู้เล่นมืออาชีพ รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้อย่างจุใจ ชนะรางวัลง่าย จ่ายเงินรางวัลสูงสุดคุ้ม กับเว็บไซต์คุณภาพดี การันตีได้เงินจริง ทันสมัย มาตรฐานสากลไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ 1688upx เว็บตรงอันดับ 1 ที่มีฐานการเงินในการเล่นเกมที่มั่นคง มีความปลอดภัย เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมได้อย่างมั่นใจ ลงเดิมพันได้อย่างต่อเนื่อง ไม่มีประวัติการโกง

เราคือผู้ให้บริการที่ดีที่สุดในเอเชีย มีผู้เล่นเข้ามาร่วมสนุกกันอย่างเพลิดเพลิน มีฐานผู้เล่นจำนวนมาก และมีการพัฒนาระบบ ให้ตบอโจทย์การเข้าใช้งานเล่นเกม ของผู้เล่นยุคใหม่ได้เป็นอย่างดี มีการบริการเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ที่หลากหลายครบวงจร ชนะรางวัลได้ไม่อั้น ลงเดิมพันได้อย่างอิสระ ไม่จำกัดทุน กับเบทเดิมพันในการเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ที่เริ่มต้นเพียงแค่ 1 บาทเท่านั้น

ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ได้เงินจริง บริการเกมลิขสิทธิ์แท้ ชนะรางวัลง่าย โอกาสในการรับเงินรางวัลสูงยิ่งขึ้น อัพเดทเกมใหม่ทุกวัน เลือกเล่นได้ทุกค่ายเกมดังชั้นนำทั่วโลก ทั้งค่ายใหม่ และค่ายเก่า ไม่มีการล็อคผลรางวัลในการเล่นเกม รองรับการเข้าใช้งานทุกแพลตฟอร์ม ทั้งระบบคอมพิวเตอร์ และโทรศัพท์มือถือ จะอยู่ที่ไหน ก็สามารถสร้างรายได้ ผ่านระบบออนไลน์ได้อย่างเต็มที่ เลือกเว็บตรงคุณภาพดี การันตีได้เงินจริง เลือก 1688upx

เกมทันสมัยทำกำไรง่าย สมัครเว็บตรง สล็อตออนไลน์ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ เว็บหลักโบนัสแตกหนัก

เกมสล็อตออนไลน์โบนัสแตกง่าย สล็อตออนไลน์โบนัสแตกหนัก ได้ถูกรวบรวมมาบริการ ให้ผู้เล่นทุกท่าน ได้ร่วมลงเดิมพัน รับเงินรางวัลสุดคุ้มในการเล่นเกมได้อย่างเต็มที่ บนเว็บไซต์คุณภาพดี มีเกมให้เลือกเล่นหลากหลาย มั่นคง ปลอดภัย ชนะรางวัลได้ไม่อั้น 1688upx เว็บตรง ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ ที่ถูกกฎหมาย และมีฐานการเงินที่มั่นคง ปลอดภัย สำรองเงินเพื่อจ่ายรางวัล ให้กับผู้เล่นทุกท่านแบบไม่อั้น

เปิดให้บริการมาอย่างยาวนาน พร้อมทั้งยังได้รับความไว้วางใจ จากผู้ใช้งานจริงทั่วโลก เว็บไซต์มาตรฐานสากลเข้าใช้งานง่าย ทำกำไรได้สูง บริการเกมลิขสิทธิ์แท้โบนัสแตกหนัก ให้ผู้เล่นทุกท่าน ได้ลงเดิมพัน รับเงินรางวัลกันได้อย่างจุใจ มากกว่า 1000+ เกม บริการเกมทุกค่ายครบวงจร หลากหลายรูปแบบเกม หลากหลายความสนุก ชนะรางวัลได้ไม่อั้น ถอนเงินรางวัลได้จริง

โอกาสในการชนะรางวัลสูงยิ่งขึ้น รับเงินรางวัลได้อย่างง่ายง่าย ลงเดิมพันได้อย่างอิสระ ไม่จำกัดทุน พร้อมทั้งยังมีการอัพเดทความสนุกของเกมใหม่ๆ มาบริการ ให้ผู้เล่นทุกท่าน ได้ร่วมสนุก ร่วมลงเดิมพัน รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกม ไปใช้ได้ด่อนใครทุกวันอย่างสม่ำเสมอ ไม่จำเป็นต้องมีทุนสูง ก็สามารถลงเดิมพัน ทำกำไร สะสมเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้อย่างอิสระ

โดยจะมีเบทเดิมพันขั้นต่ำ ที่เริ่มต้นเพียงแค่ 1 บาทเท่านั้น ผู้เล่นทุกท่าน สามารถเลือกเบท ปรับเพิ่มลดเบทเดิมพันในการเล่นเกม เพื่อร่วมสนุก ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมได้ตามต้องการ ชนะรางวัลได้อย่างต่อเนื่อง พิเศษสุดคุ้ม ยังมีการซื้อฟีเจอร์ฟรีสปิน เพื่อการันตีการเข้าไปลุ้นรับโบนัสรางวัลแจ็คพอต รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้ง่ายมากยิ่งขึ้น

แนะนำค่ายเกมดังทำกำไรง่าย

PG SLOT – ค่ายเกมสล็อตออนไลน์สุดฮิต ได้รับความนิยมสูง มีการบริการเกมสล็อตออนไลน์มากกว่า 80 เกม พร้อมทั้งยังมีการพัฒนาเกมใหม่ๆ มาอย่างสม่ำเสมอ โดยรูปแบบเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ จะตอบโจทย์การเข้าใช้งานของผู้เล่นยุคใหม่ เกมทันสมัย ไม่ซับซ้อน ธีมเกมสวยงามอลังการ ดนตรีประกอบสนุกสนาน แนะนำ 5 เกมดังสุดฮิต จากค่าย PG ที่ต้องห้ามพลาด Fortune Ox , Opera Dynasty , Thai River Wonders , Secrets of Cleopatra , Genie’s 3 Wishes

JILI – ค่ายเกมสล็อตออนไลน์น้องใหม่ โบนัสแตกง่าย จ่ายเงินราวงวัลคุ้มค่า ชนะรางวัลได้อย่างต่อเนื่อง มีทุนน้อยก็เล่นได้ แนวเกมทันสมัยแฟนตาซี เล่นได้อย่างเพลิดเพลินไม่มีเบื่อ แนะนำ 3 เกมดังที่ต้องได้ลอง จากค่าย JILI ดังนี้ Cricket King 18 , Ocean King Jackpot , Go Rush

1688upx เว็บดังชั้นนำยอดนิยม การันตีได้เงินไม่อั้น

เพลิดเพลินไปพร้อมกับความสนุก ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมได้อย่างมั่นใจ เล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ได้เงินไม่อั้น เลือกเว็บตรง 1688upx เว็บไซต์คุณภาพดี ทำกำไรง่าย ได้เงินรางวัลสูง โบนัสเกมแตกง่าย โบนัสเกมแตกหนักชนะรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้ไม่อั้น ถอนเงินรางวัลสุดคุ้มไปใช้ได้จริง

เล่นเกมได้ทุกค่ายเกมแบบครบวงจร การันตีเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ลิขสิทธิ์แท้ได้เงินง่าย ลงเดิมพันได้ไม่จำกัดทุน กับเบทเดิมพันที่เริ่มต้นเพียงแค่ 1 บาท มั่นคง ปลอดภัย ไม่ล็อคผลรางวัล ฝากถอนเงินได้อย่างสะดวก รวดเร็วทันใจ กับระบบออโต้ ที่มีการรองรับบัญชีธนาคาร และบัญชีทรูวอเลทอีกด้วย เข้าใช้งานได้อย่างครอบคลุม ทำกำไร สร้างรายได้ผ่านระบบออนไลน์ เลือกเว็บตรง 1688upx

Credit สล็อตเว็บตรง

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The post สมัครเว็บตรง สล็อตออนไลน์ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ เว็บหลักโบนัสแตกหนัก appeared first on climateworkers.org.

Categories: B3. EcoSocialism

Green European Journal - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 06:56

Després d’aixafar violentament les protestes de 2020, el dictador Aleksandr Lukashenko es va aferrar al poder, va il·legalitzar tota forma d’oposició i va recolzar la invasió a gran escala d’Ucraïna per part de Putin. Les perspectives d’un futur democràtic a Bielorússia depenen del fet que Europa continuï donant suport a la lluita contra l’imperialisme rus. Entrevista amb Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, líder exiliada de l’oposició democràtica bielorussa.

Green European Journal: El 25 de febrer se celebraran eleccions a Bielorússia per primera vegada des de la votació presidencial falsejada de 2020 que va desencadenar la revolució. Tenen aquestes eleccions algun valor democràtic?

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: El Parlament bielorús no és més que una farsa, un circ. El règim parla d’eleccions, però no tenen res a veure amb la democràcia. Els líders dels partit* de l’oposició estan a la presó, mig milió de persones han hagut de fugir del país per la repressió del govern, hi ha milers de presos polítics, no hi ha mitjans de comunicació lliures, les ONG estan de genolls i un govern il·legítim ho controla tot amb brutalitat i terror. En una realitat així, com es pot parlar d’eleccions?

Demanem als nostres socis internacionals que no donin cap legitimitat a aquesta votació, i demanem a la població de Bielorússia que no participi. No obstant això, en cas que els bielorussos es vegin obligats a participar, com sol ocórrer en una dictadura, els demanem que votin contra tots. Però també demanem als bielorussos que no organitzin concentracions ni aixecaments, perquè aquestes eleccions no canviaran res.

Quin objectiu pretén aconseguir Lukashenko amb la creació de l’anomenada Assemblea Popular, a la qual es va referir com “el màxim òrgan de la democràcia”?

Lukashenko tem pel seu poder. Sap que no té legitimitat entre el poble bielorús i que és un pària en el món polític. Però continua aferrant-se al poder. Així que probablement s’està preparant per a les eleccions presidencials, en cas que se celebrin en 2025. Com a president de la nova assemblea, li resultarà més fàcil continuar governant el país passi el que passi. A Kazakhstan, [el dictador] Nursultan Nazarbayev va governar durant tres dècades [entre 1991 i 2019], i de sobte ho va perdre tot. Suposo que Lukashenko intenta evitar aquest escenari.

Des de 2020, la repressió contra qualsevol forma de dissidència s’ha intensificat a Bielorússia. Continua existint algun tipus d’oposició dins del país?

No existeix oposició política dins de Bielorússia. La majoria de la gent s’oposa al règim, però són persones corrents, no un partit polític amb aspiracions a governar. Els bielorussos que viuen sota aquest règim l’odien. De moment no poden manifestar-ho, però segueixen aquí. Em comunico amb la gent de Bielorússia a través de Telegram, mitjançant trucades telefòniques, parlo amb ONG i organitzacions de mitjans de comunicació que tenen periodistes i treballadors sobre el terreny, i em diuen: “Volem reservar-nos per al moment oportú”. La gent continua creant iniciatives i organitzant-se en petites comunitats, però no poden parlar obertament d’això perquè el nivell de repressió és espantós.

Lukashenko ha estat un aliat incondicional de Putin en la seva agressió contra Ucraïna. Però, al mateix temps, molts bielorussos han mostrat la seva solidaritat amb Ucraïna, i fins i tot s’han allistat com a voluntaris en el seu exèrcit. Estan connectats el futur d’Ucraïna i el de Bielorússia?

Bielorussos i ucraïnesos s’enfronten al mateix enemic: les ambicions imperialistes de Rússia. Rússia no veu ni a Ucraïna ni a Bielorússia com a Estats separats que tinguin dret a triar el seu propi futur. Els bielorussos volen formar part de la família europea, igual que els ucraïnesos. Rússia ens mira com a nens entremaliats que volen separar-se del seu imperi, però és el nostre dret fer-ho; som pobles separats, nacions separades.

Rússia ens mira com a nens entremaliats que volen separar-se del seu imperi, però tenim dret a fer-ho; som pobles separats, nacions separades.

La victòria d’Ucraïna és vital per a Bielorússia. Afeblirà a Putin, per descomptat, i un Putin feble significa un Lukashenko feble, perquè el poder a Bielorússia es basa en el suport, la repressió i la corrupció econòmica de Putin. Creiem que el centre d’atenció del món democràtic ha de continuar sent Ucraïna, i que cal donar tot a Ucraïna perquè pugui guanyar la guerra. Però també estem intentant convèncer als nostres aliats democràtics que no cal passar per alt a Bielorússia, que no se la pot oblidar.

Saps el que espanta a la gent de Bielorússia? Que quan se celebrin les negociacions, Bielorússia pugui estar a la taula, però no participi a la taula. Que no s’escolti la veu bielorussa; que es lliuri Bielorússia a Putin com a premi de consolació. Per això recordem als nostres socis democràtics que Bielorússia ha de formar part d’aquestes negociacions i que la seva veu ha de ser escoltada.

Enguany se celebraran importants eleccions tant a la UE com als Estats Units. El seu resultat és important per a Bielorússia?

En els últims anys, hem assistit a un consens gairebé absolut entre els països europeus sobre la seva política cap a Bielorússia: estan convençuts que una Bielorússia democràtica, lliure i independent redunda en interès de tota la regió.

Si ara permetem que Rússia conquisti Ucraïna, llavors Rússia també trucarà a la seva porta: què faran llavors?

Als Estats Units, parlem tant amb els demòcrates en el poder com amb l’oposició republicana. Tots dos entenen la importància d’una Bielorússia lliure. Per descomptat, existeix el temor que Trump torni al poder i acabi amb el suport a una Ucraïna independent i a una Bielorússia lliure. En última instància, en les democràcies, és el poble el que decideix. Però crec -vull creure- que la societat democràtica no permetrà que la persona que arribi al poder canviï la política cap a Ucraïna. A Occident, la propaganda russa està sembrant la narrativa que “aquesta no és la teva guerra, és la seva guerra”, i si acceptes aquesta narrativa, llavors per què hauries de fer sacrificis per la guerra d’un altre?

Si ara permetem que Rússia conquereixi Ucraïna, llavors Rússia també trucarà a la teva porta: què faràs llavors?

La nostra tasca és explicar que si ara permetem que Rússia conquereixi Ucraïna, llavors Rússia també trucarà a la teva porta: què faràs llavors? Ja es parla de possibles provocacions russes a la frontera amb els països bàltics i Finlàndia. El món ha d’estar preparat. No ha de mostrar apaivagament davant els dictadors.

Quin paper pot exercir la diàspora bielorussa per a mantenir l’atenció internacional sobre la situació del país?

La diàspora bielorussa es va unir per primera vegada en 2020. Abans d’això, estava formada per ciutadans que havien abandonat Bielorússia en diferents onades i vivien per tot el món, sense comunicar-se molt entre si. Ara la gent s’organitza, crea noves iniciatives com les anomenades Ambaixades del Poble de Bielorússia. Ens sentim més capacitats per a parlar, per a actuar junts. Així que, per descomptat, el paper de la diàspora serà crucial, igual que el dels mitjans de comunicació que actualment operen a l’exili. El projecte europeu no estarà complet fins que Bielorússia, Ucraïna i Moldàvia en formin part plenament.

El projecte europeu no estarà complet fins que Bielorússia, Ucraïna i Moldàvia en formin part plenament.

El meu paper és ajudar la diàspora a coordinar-se i oferir-li una plataforma. Per exemple, cada vegada que faig una visita oficial a un país, intento convidar a membres de la diàspora bielorussa, perquè la meva tasca és obrir portes, però els bielorussos necessiten poder mantenir-les obertes i continuar parlant amb els governs i els parlaments. I crec que la diàspora ja ha aconseguit molt. No havíem tingut una experiència així abans, així que també estem aprenent sobre la marxa; però estem aprenent molt ràpid i molt eficaçment.

La revolució bielorussa de 2020 va tenir a les dones com a protagonistes, tant a nivell de lideratge com de base. Creu que la fi de la dictadura de Lukashenko coincidirà amb un gir feminista?

Crec que la societat bielorussa està madura per a un canvi democràtic. I quan es produeixi aquest canvi, no hi haurà dubtes sobre l’equilibri de gènere, sobre el paper de la dona. Nosaltres, les dones bielorusses, ja hem demostrat que podem ser fins i tot més poderoses que els homes. Per exemple, les dones bielorusses dirigeixen moltes organitzacions, i ho fan discutint menys entre elles que els homes. Per a nosaltres és més fàcil arribar a un acord; tenim una forma diferent de fer política. Per això crec que [quan acabi la dictadura] estarem a l’altura de tots els estàndards de les societats europees i democràtiques.

On desitja veure a Bielorússia dins de deu anys?

Realment vull creure -i estem lluitant per això- que Bielorússia serà lliure, independent, amb institucions democràtiques fortes i en vies d’adhesió a la UE. Ja estem treballant amb el Consell d’Europa com a primer pas cap a la Unió Europea. I estem sembrant entre els europeus la idea que Bielorússia forma part d’Europa. Al llarg de la nostra història, hem pertangut a Europa, excloent els dos segles de domini rus [entre 1795 i 1991]. Europa ha d’adonar-se d’això. I crec que el projecte europeu no estarà complet fins que Bielorússia, Ucraïna i Moldàvia formin part d’ell plenament.

Categories: H. Green News

Utility Dive - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 06:53

Categories:

Biofuel Watch - Fri, 03/01/2024 - 06:49

Foto: Stephan Roehl

Gemeinsames Informationspapier, veröffentlicht von NABU, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, ROBIN WOOD, Biofuelwatch, Greenpeace Berlin, BUND Landesverband Berlin, PowerShift und Bürgerbegehren Klimaschutz

Zusammenfassung:

Das Berliner Fernwärmenetz sowie neun Heizkraftwerke in der Stadt wurden bisher vom schwedischen Staatskonzern Vattenfall betrieben, bevor sie Ende 2023 an das Land Berlin verkauft wurden. Viel zu lange hat Vattenfall die anstehende Wärmewende in Berlin ignoriert und bei der Fernwärme auf Gas und Kohle gesetzt. Auch der Mitte 2023 vom Unternehmen vorgestellte „Dekarbonisierungsfahrplan“ ist ein Armutszeugnis. So soll der Ausstieg aus den fossilen Energieträgern in der Fernwärme vor allem dadurch gelingen, dass neue Holzheizkraftwerke errichtet werden und die Gaskraftwerke teuren und in der Verfügbarkeit stark begrenzten grünen Wasserstoff verbrennen. Bei dem angestrebten hohen Anteil an Holzbiomasse im Wärmenetz, fast einem Fünftel in 2030, würde in den Berliner Kraftwerken jährlich etwa 1,6 Millionen Tonnen Holz verbrannt – Holz, das nahezu komplett direkt aus Wäldern stammt. Mit diesen Plänen wäre dem Klima nicht geholfen, denn bei der Verbrennung von Waldholz wird im Vergleich zur Kohleverbrennung mindestens genauso viel CO2 freigesetzt und ohnehin schon geschwächte Wälder geraten durch den zusätzlichen Rohstoffbedarf weiter unter Druck. Für eine erfolgreiche Wärmewende braucht es echte erneuerbare Alternativen und nicht bloß einen Wechsel von einer klimaschädlichen Verbrennungstechnologie in die nächste. Nach Abschluss des Übernahmeprozesses muss der Berliner Senat sofort umsteuern.

Bitte klicken Sie hier für den Link zum Informationspapier

Categories: G1. Progressive Green

Having someone who walks you through the process, and helps you understand your eligibility, what to expect, and what to ask NCRS can make a big difference. That’s what RAFI and our partners Alliance for Agriculture, Green Heffa Farms, Fountain Heights Farm, and Virgin Islands Good Food Coalition are here to do in our Conservation Resources for Resilient Farms project.

The post WHY APPLY TO NRCS AND STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY appeared first on Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA.

Categories: A3. Agroecology