#globalwitness — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #globalwitness, aggregated by home.social.
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Bericht: 142 Umweltschützer im vergangenen Jahr getötet
Mindestens 142 Umweltschützer sind 2024 weltweit ermordet worden - das geht aus einer Bilanz der Nichtregierungsorganisation Global Witness hervor. Am schlimmsten ist die Situation in Lateinamerika.
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Bericht: 142 Umweltschützer im vergangenen Jahr getötet
Mindestens 142 Umweltschützer sind 2024 weltweit ermordet worden - das geht aus einer Bilanz der Nichtregierungsorganisation Global Witness hervor. Am schlimmsten ist die Situation in Lateinamerika.
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#HunSen fears collapse of ‘criminal’ regime
"Previous #investigations — by #Reuters in 2019 & #GlobalWitness in 2016 — hv documented how te #Hunfamily & its associates hv amassed vast personal #fortunes to te detriment of te #country #Cambodia.. With traditional sources of revenue such as te exploitation of #naturalresources & granting of land #concessions depleted by years of #systemic #corruption, te #regime has grown increasingly reliant on these #criminal enterprises"
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3059798/opposition-leader-says-hun-sen-fears-collapse-of-criminal-regime -
"In just the last few months, the NGO Global Witness put Meta’s policies to the test by submitting ads containing fraudulent election-related information ahead of the 2022 Brazilian elections. All were approved, in direct violation of the company’s election ad policies. Global Witness found similar patterns in Myanmar, Ethiopia, and Kenya."
#ToussaintNothias, 2022
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/how-to-fight-digital-colonialism/
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"In just the last few months, the NGO Global Witness put Meta’s policies to the test by submitting ads containing fraudulent election-related information ahead of the 2022 Brazilian elections. All were approved, in direct violation of the company’s election ad policies. Global Witness found similar patterns in Myanmar, Ethiopia, and Kenya."
#ToussaintNothias, 2022
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/how-to-fight-digital-colonialism/
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"In just the last few months, the NGO Global Witness put Meta’s policies to the test by submitting ads containing fraudulent election-related information ahead of the 2022 Brazilian elections. All were approved, in direct violation of the company’s election ad policies. Global Witness found similar patterns in Myanmar, Ethiopia, and Kenya."
#ToussaintNothias, 2022
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/how-to-fight-digital-colonialism/
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"In just the last few months, the NGO Global Witness put Meta’s policies to the test by submitting ads containing fraudulent election-related information ahead of the 2022 Brazilian elections. All were approved, in direct violation of the company’s election ad policies. Global Witness found similar patterns in Myanmar, Ethiopia, and Kenya."
#ToussaintNothias, 2022
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/how-to-fight-digital-colonialism/
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À la veille des élections du 23 février en Allemagne, Global Witness a ouvert des comptes sur TikTok, X et Instagram pour mesurer les effets de leurs algorithmes de recommandation. Dans le fil dont le contenu est sélectionné par un algorithme, toutes les plateformes testées ont placé des messages politiques, dont la majorité supportait des personnalités ou partis de droite. La proportion était de plus de 70% sur X et TikTok, et de 59% sur Instagram.
Les comptes de test n'avaient pas de profil politique particulier et suivaient les profils officiels des principaux partis ainsi que leurs dirigeants. Parmi les comptes suivis, ceux de l'AfD étaient les plus fréquemment choisis par l'algo sur X et Instagram. Parmi les comptes non suivis, X et TikTok ont fortement mis en avant les messages issus de l'AfD. En outre, la plateforme de Musk a amplifié des contenus haineux, qui auraient dû être modérés.
Post de Global Witness sur LinkedIn, "TikTok and X recommand pro-AfD content to non-partisan users ahead of the German elections“ : https://www.linkedin.com/posts/global-witness_globalwitnessinvestigationgermanelections2025-activity-7298220015902679040-JR7-
Compte rendu de TechCrunch, "Study of TikTok, X ‘For You’ feeds in Germany finds far-right political bias ahead of federal elections" : https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/19/study-of-tiktok-x-for-you-feeds-in-germany-finds-far-right-political-bias-ahead-of-federal-elections/
#GlobalWitness #TikTok #Instagram #Twitter #Élections #BTW25 #AfD
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AfD Inhalte werden auf TikTok und XTwitter massiv bevorzugt.
📢 #Studie: #TikTok und #XTwitter bevorzugen #AfD-Inhalte in Deutschland — Eine neue Untersuchung von #GlobalWitness zeigt, dass die #Empfehlungsalgorithmen von TikTok und XTwitter in Deutschland deutlich zugunsten der AfD verzerren. (1/3)
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Britain leads the world in cracking down on climate activism, study finds
Research shows UK police arrest environmental and climate protesters at three times the average global rate
Damien Gayle
Wed 11 Dec 2024 01.00 EST"British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, research has found, revealing the country as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism.
"Only Australia arrested climate and environmental protesters at a higher rate than UK police. One in five Australian eco-protests led to arrests, compared with about 17% in the UK. The global average rate is 6.7%."
Original article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/11/britain-leads-the-world-in-cracking-down-on-climate-activism-study-findsArchived version:
https://archive.ph/ukkvZ#CriminalizingDissent
#ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy
#Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy
#ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning
#CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists
#Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock
#ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Britain leads the world in cracking down on climate activism, study finds
Research shows UK police arrest environmental and climate protesters at three times the average global rate
Damien Gayle
Wed 11 Dec 2024 01.00 EST"British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, research has found, revealing the country as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism.
"Only Australia arrested climate and environmental protesters at a higher rate than UK police. One in five Australian eco-protests led to arrests, compared with about 17% in the UK. The global average rate is 6.7%."
Original article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/11/britain-leads-the-world-in-cracking-down-on-climate-activism-study-findsArchived version:
https://archive.ph/ukkvZ#CriminalizingDissent
#ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy
#Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy
#ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning
#CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists
#Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock
#ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Britain leads the world in cracking down on climate activism, study finds
Research shows UK police arrest environmental and climate protesters at three times the average global rate
Damien Gayle
Wed 11 Dec 2024 01.00 EST"British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, research has found, revealing the country as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism.
"Only Australia arrested climate and environmental protesters at a higher rate than UK police. One in five Australian eco-protests led to arrests, compared with about 17% in the UK. The global average rate is 6.7%."
Original article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/11/britain-leads-the-world-in-cracking-down-on-climate-activism-study-findsArchived version:
https://archive.ph/ukkvZ#CriminalizingDissent
#ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy
#Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy
#ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning
#CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists
#Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock
#ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Britain leads the world in cracking down on climate activism, study finds
Research shows UK police arrest environmental and climate protesters at three times the average global rate
Damien Gayle
Wed 11 Dec 2024 01.00 EST"British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, research has found, revealing the country as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism.
"Only Australia arrested climate and environmental protesters at a higher rate than UK police. One in five Australian eco-protests led to arrests, compared with about 17% in the UK. The global average rate is 6.7%."
Original article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/11/britain-leads-the-world-in-cracking-down-on-climate-activism-study-findsArchived version:
https://archive.ph/ukkvZ#CriminalizingDissent
#ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy
#Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy
#ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning
#CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists
#Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock
#ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Britain leads the world in cracking down on climate activism, study finds
Research shows UK police arrest environmental and climate protesters at three times the average global rate
Damien Gayle
Wed 11 Dec 2024 01.00 EST"British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, research has found, revealing the country as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism.
"Only Australia arrested climate and environmental protesters at a higher rate than UK police. One in five Australian eco-protests led to arrests, compared with about 17% in the UK. The global average rate is 6.7%."
Original article:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/11/britain-leads-the-world-in-cracking-down-on-climate-activism-study-findsArchived version:
https://archive.ph/ukkvZ#CriminalizingDissent
#ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy
#Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy
#ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning
#CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists
#Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock
#ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Pioneering research reveals growing dangers and repression of climate activism globally
Press release issued: 11 December 2024
"A new report has uncovered the many risks of participating in climate and environmental protests across the world – and how more countries are criminalising and repressing this activity in a bid to keep it in check.
"The report, led by the University of Bristol, is the first to examine global statistics on this form of protest and identify alarming trends. It reveals that more than 2,000 climate and environmental protesters have been killed over the past 12 years and that a raft of new anti-protest legislation has been enacted.
"It calls for governments, police forces and the legal system to help protect people’s right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."
"Lead author Dr Oscar Berglund, Senior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy at the University’s School for Policy Studies, said: “This research sheds important light on how the growing pursuit of climate and environmental protest is being handled globally. Our evidence clearly shows a global crackdown in liberal democracies as well as autocracies.
"'This is worrying because it focuses state policy on punishing dissent against inaction on climate and environmental change instead of taking adequate action on these issues. It also represents authoritarian moves that are inconsistent with the ideals of vibrant civil societies in liberal democracies.'
"The findings showed murders and disappearances of climate and environmental activists are common in many countries, with international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness reporting at least 2,106 killings between 2012 and 2023. Brazil had the highest number with 401 fatalities, followed by 298 in the Philippines, 86 in India, and 58 in Peru.
"A significant proportion of climate and environmental protests involved arrests, according to the research. The highest proportion, one in five, was found in Australia, followed by 17% in the UK – much higher than the international average of 6.3%.
"Non-violent protesters were also found to be given lengthy prison sentences to act as a deterrent. For example, this year in the UK many climate activists have been sent to prison, with the longest sentence being five years.
"The report defines environmental protests as being aimed at stopping specific environmentally destructive projects, such as fossil fuel exploration and #extraction, #deforestation, dam building or #mining. #ClimateProtests are described as more urban-based events, which tend to have broader policy demands, such as ending oil exploration, or more overarching political demands, for instance enacting a #GreenNewDeal.
"The researchers analysed data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) and Global Witness to gather global data and explore trends as well as new anti-protest legislation introduced in countries in different parts of the world.
"Four main ways were identified to criminalise and repress climate and environmental protests. Anti-protest laws are being introduced, criminalising groups, introducing new crimes, making punishment more severe for existing crimes, increasing police powers, and giving officers impunity when harming activists. Protest is also being criminalised through prosecution and courts.
"Dr Berglund explained: 'This involves using existing legislation, including anti-terror or anti-organised crime laws, to curb protest. Climate protest is being de-politicised in the courts, prohibiting mentions of climate change or environmental damage in proceedings, or otherwise changing court processes in order to increase the likelihood of activists being found guilty.'
"The third category is through policing, which is carried out not only by state actors like police or military, but also private security and military or organised crime groups. This sees a range of attempts to prevent protests through using stop and search, arrests, physical violence, and threats and intimidation of protesters.
"Dr Berglund said: “Perhaps most shockingly, we found killings and disappearances to be common in some countries. In many ways, these are an extension of policing as they are either carried out or permitted by the same authorities, often following death threats and other forms of intimidation.”
"The report makes numerous recommendations, including for public authorities to conduct regular evaluations and publish data demonstrating how their actions help safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. It also calls for anti-terror and anti-organised crime legislation against climate and environmental activists to stop.
"Dr Berglund said: 'Human rights frameworks should be at the forefront of policing considerations and operations to ensure that the public can exercise their right to protest without impediment or fear.'
"'Climate and environmental protests are increasingly prevalent, for good reason as the climate crisis worsens, and responses to this activity are evolving at pace. Further research is needed to better understand the situation so suitable measures can be identified and implemented to protect human rights and keep protesters safe.'"
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/december/climate-activism.html
#CriminalizingDissent #ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy #Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy #ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning #CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists #Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock #ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Pioneering research reveals growing dangers and repression of climate activism globally
Press release issued: 11 December 2024
"A new report has uncovered the many risks of participating in climate and environmental protests across the world – and how more countries are criminalising and repressing this activity in a bid to keep it in check.
"The report, led by the University of Bristol, is the first to examine global statistics on this form of protest and identify alarming trends. It reveals that more than 2,000 climate and environmental protesters have been killed over the past 12 years and that a raft of new anti-protest legislation has been enacted.
"It calls for governments, police forces and the legal system to help protect people’s right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."
"Lead author Dr Oscar Berglund, Senior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy at the University’s School for Policy Studies, said: “This research sheds important light on how the growing pursuit of climate and environmental protest is being handled globally. Our evidence clearly shows a global crackdown in liberal democracies as well as autocracies.
"'This is worrying because it focuses state policy on punishing dissent against inaction on climate and environmental change instead of taking adequate action on these issues. It also represents authoritarian moves that are inconsistent with the ideals of vibrant civil societies in liberal democracies.'
"The findings showed murders and disappearances of climate and environmental activists are common in many countries, with international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness reporting at least 2,106 killings between 2012 and 2023. Brazil had the highest number with 401 fatalities, followed by 298 in the Philippines, 86 in India, and 58 in Peru.
"A significant proportion of climate and environmental protests involved arrests, according to the research. The highest proportion, one in five, was found in Australia, followed by 17% in the UK – much higher than the international average of 6.3%.
"Non-violent protesters were also found to be given lengthy prison sentences to act as a deterrent. For example, this year in the UK many climate activists have been sent to prison, with the longest sentence being five years.
"The report defines environmental protests as being aimed at stopping specific environmentally destructive projects, such as fossil fuel exploration and #extraction, #deforestation, dam building or #mining. #ClimateProtests are described as more urban-based events, which tend to have broader policy demands, such as ending oil exploration, or more overarching political demands, for instance enacting a #GreenNewDeal.
"The researchers analysed data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) and Global Witness to gather global data and explore trends as well as new anti-protest legislation introduced in countries in different parts of the world.
"Four main ways were identified to criminalise and repress climate and environmental protests. Anti-protest laws are being introduced, criminalising groups, introducing new crimes, making punishment more severe for existing crimes, increasing police powers, and giving officers impunity when harming activists. Protest is also being criminalised through prosecution and courts.
"Dr Berglund explained: 'This involves using existing legislation, including anti-terror or anti-organised crime laws, to curb protest. Climate protest is being de-politicised in the courts, prohibiting mentions of climate change or environmental damage in proceedings, or otherwise changing court processes in order to increase the likelihood of activists being found guilty.'
"The third category is through policing, which is carried out not only by state actors like police or military, but also private security and military or organised crime groups. This sees a range of attempts to prevent protests through using stop and search, arrests, physical violence, and threats and intimidation of protesters.
"Dr Berglund said: “Perhaps most shockingly, we found killings and disappearances to be common in some countries. In many ways, these are an extension of policing as they are either carried out or permitted by the same authorities, often following death threats and other forms of intimidation.”
"The report makes numerous recommendations, including for public authorities to conduct regular evaluations and publish data demonstrating how their actions help safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. It also calls for anti-terror and anti-organised crime legislation against climate and environmental activists to stop.
"Dr Berglund said: 'Human rights frameworks should be at the forefront of policing considerations and operations to ensure that the public can exercise their right to protest without impediment or fear.'
"'Climate and environmental protests are increasingly prevalent, for good reason as the climate crisis worsens, and responses to this activity are evolving at pace. Further research is needed to better understand the situation so suitable measures can be identified and implemented to protect human rights and keep protesters safe.'"
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/december/climate-activism.html
#CriminalizingDissent #ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy #Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy #ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning #CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists #Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock #ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Pioneering research reveals growing dangers and repression of climate activism globally
Press release issued: 11 December 2024
"A new report has uncovered the many risks of participating in climate and environmental protests across the world – and how more countries are criminalising and repressing this activity in a bid to keep it in check.
"The report, led by the University of Bristol, is the first to examine global statistics on this form of protest and identify alarming trends. It reveals that more than 2,000 climate and environmental protesters have been killed over the past 12 years and that a raft of new anti-protest legislation has been enacted.
"It calls for governments, police forces and the legal system to help protect people’s right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."
"Lead author Dr Oscar Berglund, Senior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy at the University’s School for Policy Studies, said: “This research sheds important light on how the growing pursuit of climate and environmental protest is being handled globally. Our evidence clearly shows a global crackdown in liberal democracies as well as autocracies.
"'This is worrying because it focuses state policy on punishing dissent against inaction on climate and environmental change instead of taking adequate action on these issues. It also represents authoritarian moves that are inconsistent with the ideals of vibrant civil societies in liberal democracies.'
"The findings showed murders and disappearances of climate and environmental activists are common in many countries, with international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness reporting at least 2,106 killings between 2012 and 2023. Brazil had the highest number with 401 fatalities, followed by 298 in the Philippines, 86 in India, and 58 in Peru.
"A significant proportion of climate and environmental protests involved arrests, according to the research. The highest proportion, one in five, was found in Australia, followed by 17% in the UK – much higher than the international average of 6.3%.
"Non-violent protesters were also found to be given lengthy prison sentences to act as a deterrent. For example, this year in the UK many climate activists have been sent to prison, with the longest sentence being five years.
"The report defines environmental protests as being aimed at stopping specific environmentally destructive projects, such as fossil fuel exploration and #extraction, #deforestation, dam building or #mining. #ClimateProtests are described as more urban-based events, which tend to have broader policy demands, such as ending oil exploration, or more overarching political demands, for instance enacting a #GreenNewDeal.
"The researchers analysed data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) and Global Witness to gather global data and explore trends as well as new anti-protest legislation introduced in countries in different parts of the world.
"Four main ways were identified to criminalise and repress climate and environmental protests. Anti-protest laws are being introduced, criminalising groups, introducing new crimes, making punishment more severe for existing crimes, increasing police powers, and giving officers impunity when harming activists. Protest is also being criminalised through prosecution and courts.
"Dr Berglund explained: 'This involves using existing legislation, including anti-terror or anti-organised crime laws, to curb protest. Climate protest is being de-politicised in the courts, prohibiting mentions of climate change or environmental damage in proceedings, or otherwise changing court processes in order to increase the likelihood of activists being found guilty.'
"The third category is through policing, which is carried out not only by state actors like police or military, but also private security and military or organised crime groups. This sees a range of attempts to prevent protests through using stop and search, arrests, physical violence, and threats and intimidation of protesters.
"Dr Berglund said: “Perhaps most shockingly, we found killings and disappearances to be common in some countries. In many ways, these are an extension of policing as they are either carried out or permitted by the same authorities, often following death threats and other forms of intimidation.”
"The report makes numerous recommendations, including for public authorities to conduct regular evaluations and publish data demonstrating how their actions help safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. It also calls for anti-terror and anti-organised crime legislation against climate and environmental activists to stop.
"Dr Berglund said: 'Human rights frameworks should be at the forefront of policing considerations and operations to ensure that the public can exercise their right to protest without impediment or fear.'
"'Climate and environmental protests are increasingly prevalent, for good reason as the climate crisis worsens, and responses to this activity are evolving at pace. Further research is needed to better understand the situation so suitable measures can be identified and implemented to protect human rights and keep protesters safe.'"
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/december/climate-activism.html
#CriminalizingDissent #ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy #Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy #ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning #CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists #Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock #ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Pioneering research reveals growing dangers and repression of climate activism globally
Press release issued: 11 December 2024
"A new report has uncovered the many risks of participating in climate and environmental protests across the world – and how more countries are criminalising and repressing this activity in a bid to keep it in check.
"The report, led by the University of Bristol, is the first to examine global statistics on this form of protest and identify alarming trends. It reveals that more than 2,000 climate and environmental protesters have been killed over the past 12 years and that a raft of new anti-protest legislation has been enacted.
"It calls for governments, police forces and the legal system to help protect people’s right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."
"Lead author Dr Oscar Berglund, Senior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy at the University’s School for Policy Studies, said: “This research sheds important light on how the growing pursuit of climate and environmental protest is being handled globally. Our evidence clearly shows a global crackdown in liberal democracies as well as autocracies.
"'This is worrying because it focuses state policy on punishing dissent against inaction on climate and environmental change instead of taking adequate action on these issues. It also represents authoritarian moves that are inconsistent with the ideals of vibrant civil societies in liberal democracies.'
"The findings showed murders and disappearances of climate and environmental activists are common in many countries, with international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness reporting at least 2,106 killings between 2012 and 2023. Brazil had the highest number with 401 fatalities, followed by 298 in the Philippines, 86 in India, and 58 in Peru.
"A significant proportion of climate and environmental protests involved arrests, according to the research. The highest proportion, one in five, was found in Australia, followed by 17% in the UK – much higher than the international average of 6.3%.
"Non-violent protesters were also found to be given lengthy prison sentences to act as a deterrent. For example, this year in the UK many climate activists have been sent to prison, with the longest sentence being five years.
"The report defines environmental protests as being aimed at stopping specific environmentally destructive projects, such as fossil fuel exploration and #extraction, #deforestation, dam building or #mining. #ClimateProtests are described as more urban-based events, which tend to have broader policy demands, such as ending oil exploration, or more overarching political demands, for instance enacting a #GreenNewDeal.
"The researchers analysed data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) and Global Witness to gather global data and explore trends as well as new anti-protest legislation introduced in countries in different parts of the world.
"Four main ways were identified to criminalise and repress climate and environmental protests. Anti-protest laws are being introduced, criminalising groups, introducing new crimes, making punishment more severe for existing crimes, increasing police powers, and giving officers impunity when harming activists. Protest is also being criminalised through prosecution and courts.
"Dr Berglund explained: 'This involves using existing legislation, including anti-terror or anti-organised crime laws, to curb protest. Climate protest is being de-politicised in the courts, prohibiting mentions of climate change or environmental damage in proceedings, or otherwise changing court processes in order to increase the likelihood of activists being found guilty.'
"The third category is through policing, which is carried out not only by state actors like police or military, but also private security and military or organised crime groups. This sees a range of attempts to prevent protests through using stop and search, arrests, physical violence, and threats and intimidation of protesters.
"Dr Berglund said: “Perhaps most shockingly, we found killings and disappearances to be common in some countries. In many ways, these are an extension of policing as they are either carried out or permitted by the same authorities, often following death threats and other forms of intimidation.”
"The report makes numerous recommendations, including for public authorities to conduct regular evaluations and publish data demonstrating how their actions help safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. It also calls for anti-terror and anti-organised crime legislation against climate and environmental activists to stop.
"Dr Berglund said: 'Human rights frameworks should be at the forefront of policing considerations and operations to ensure that the public can exercise their right to protest without impediment or fear.'
"'Climate and environmental protests are increasingly prevalent, for good reason as the climate crisis worsens, and responses to this activity are evolving at pace. Further research is needed to better understand the situation so suitable measures can be identified and implemented to protect human rights and keep protesters safe.'"
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/december/climate-activism.html
#CriminalizingDissent #ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy #Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy #ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning #CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists #Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock #ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Pioneering research reveals growing dangers and repression of climate activism globally
Press release issued: 11 December 2024
"A new report has uncovered the many risks of participating in climate and environmental protests across the world – and how more countries are criminalising and repressing this activity in a bid to keep it in check.
"The report, led by the University of Bristol, is the first to examine global statistics on this form of protest and identify alarming trends. It reveals that more than 2,000 climate and environmental protesters have been killed over the past 12 years and that a raft of new anti-protest legislation has been enacted.
"It calls for governments, police forces and the legal system to help protect people’s right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."
"Lead author Dr Oscar Berglund, Senior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy at the University’s School for Policy Studies, said: “This research sheds important light on how the growing pursuit of climate and environmental protest is being handled globally. Our evidence clearly shows a global crackdown in liberal democracies as well as autocracies.
"'This is worrying because it focuses state policy on punishing dissent against inaction on climate and environmental change instead of taking adequate action on these issues. It also represents authoritarian moves that are inconsistent with the ideals of vibrant civil societies in liberal democracies.'
"The findings showed murders and disappearances of climate and environmental activists are common in many countries, with international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Global Witness reporting at least 2,106 killings between 2012 and 2023. Brazil had the highest number with 401 fatalities, followed by 298 in the Philippines, 86 in India, and 58 in Peru.
"A significant proportion of climate and environmental protests involved arrests, according to the research. The highest proportion, one in five, was found in Australia, followed by 17% in the UK – much higher than the international average of 6.3%.
"Non-violent protesters were also found to be given lengthy prison sentences to act as a deterrent. For example, this year in the UK many climate activists have been sent to prison, with the longest sentence being five years.
"The report defines environmental protests as being aimed at stopping specific environmentally destructive projects, such as fossil fuel exploration and #extraction, #deforestation, dam building or #mining. #ClimateProtests are described as more urban-based events, which tend to have broader policy demands, such as ending oil exploration, or more overarching political demands, for instance enacting a #GreenNewDeal.
"The researchers analysed data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) and Global Witness to gather global data and explore trends as well as new anti-protest legislation introduced in countries in different parts of the world.
"Four main ways were identified to criminalise and repress climate and environmental protests. Anti-protest laws are being introduced, criminalising groups, introducing new crimes, making punishment more severe for existing crimes, increasing police powers, and giving officers impunity when harming activists. Protest is also being criminalised through prosecution and courts.
"Dr Berglund explained: 'This involves using existing legislation, including anti-terror or anti-organised crime laws, to curb protest. Climate protest is being de-politicised in the courts, prohibiting mentions of climate change or environmental damage in proceedings, or otherwise changing court processes in order to increase the likelihood of activists being found guilty.'
"The third category is through policing, which is carried out not only by state actors like police or military, but also private security and military or organised crime groups. This sees a range of attempts to prevent protests through using stop and search, arrests, physical violence, and threats and intimidation of protesters.
"Dr Berglund said: “Perhaps most shockingly, we found killings and disappearances to be common in some countries. In many ways, these are an extension of policing as they are either carried out or permitted by the same authorities, often following death threats and other forms of intimidation.”
"The report makes numerous recommendations, including for public authorities to conduct regular evaluations and publish data demonstrating how their actions help safeguard the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. It also calls for anti-terror and anti-organised crime legislation against climate and environmental activists to stop.
"Dr Berglund said: 'Human rights frameworks should be at the forefront of policing considerations and operations to ensure that the public can exercise their right to protest without impediment or fear.'
"'Climate and environmental protests are increasingly prevalent, for good reason as the climate crisis worsens, and responses to this activity are evolving at pace. Further research is needed to better understand the situation so suitable measures can be identified and implemented to protect human rights and keep protesters safe.'"
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/december/climate-activism.html
#CriminalizingDissent #ACAB #Autocracy #Corporatocracy #Fascism #CriminalizingDissentIsAutocracy #ClimateCrisis #GlobalBurning #CorporateFascism #HumanRights #CivilLiberties #ClimateActivists #Blackwater #NoDAPL #StandWithStandingRock #ClimateAction #PipelineProtests #WaterProtectors #BigOilAndGas #AntiProtestLaws #SLAPPs #ErikPrinceColonialism #Article20 #2023PublicOrderAct
#Project2025 #HR9495 #GlobalWitness #AntiTerrorLaws -
Why is violence against #EnvironmentalDefenders getting worse? Five things to know
Maxwell Radwin
11 Sep 2024"In January 2023, two men mysteriously disappear after speaking out against pollution from a controversial iron ore mine in Michoacán, Mexico.
"The following March, climate change protesters in Austria and Germany are beaten and pepper sprayed, and some have their homes raided by law enforcement.
"In September, a pair of youth environmental advocates are abducted by armed men and interrogated for days about their work fighting construction of a new airport in the Philippines.
"All across the world, environmental defenders continue to experience censorship, threats, physical attacks, kidnappings, disappearances and even death because of their work fighting climate change, deforestation, pollution and other environmental issues.
"Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, more than 1,500 environmental defenders have been killed for their work, according to Global Witness, a human rights and environmental NGO. The figures for 2023 look like more of the same. At least 196 people were killed last year defending the environment, up from 177 in 2022. And those figures are considered a low-end estimate."
#EnvironmentalActivists #WaterDefenders #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalWitness #Mongabay #ReaderSupportedNews
#IACHR #ExtractiveIndustries
#Mining #Logging #LandDefenders #WaterIsLife #HumanRights
#Capitalism #Greed #Corruption
#CorporateColonialism #LatinAmerica #Phillipines #India #Indonesia #Honduras #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo #PublicOrderAct #SilencingDissent #HR9495 #CriminalizingDissent -
Why is violence against #EnvironmentalDefenders getting worse? Five things to know
Maxwell Radwin
11 Sep 2024"In January 2023, two men mysteriously disappear after speaking out against pollution from a controversial iron ore mine in Michoacán, Mexico.
"The following March, climate change protesters in Austria and Germany are beaten and pepper sprayed, and some have their homes raided by law enforcement.
"In September, a pair of youth environmental advocates are abducted by armed men and interrogated for days about their work fighting construction of a new airport in the Philippines.
"All across the world, environmental defenders continue to experience censorship, threats, physical attacks, kidnappings, disappearances and even death because of their work fighting climate change, deforestation, pollution and other environmental issues.
"Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, more than 1,500 environmental defenders have been killed for their work, according to Global Witness, a human rights and environmental NGO. The figures for 2023 look like more of the same. At least 196 people were killed last year defending the environment, up from 177 in 2022. And those figures are considered a low-end estimate."
#EnvironmentalActivists #WaterDefenders #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalWitness #Mongabay #ReaderSupportedNews
#IACHR #ExtractiveIndustries
#Mining #Logging #LandDefenders #WaterIsLife #HumanRights
#Capitalism #Greed #Corruption
#CorporateColonialism #LatinAmerica #Phillipines #India #Indonesia #Honduras #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo #PublicOrderAct #SilencingDissent #HR9495 #CriminalizingDissent -
Why is violence against #EnvironmentalDefenders getting worse? Five things to know
Maxwell Radwin
11 Sep 2024"In January 2023, two men mysteriously disappear after speaking out against pollution from a controversial iron ore mine in Michoacán, Mexico.
"The following March, climate change protesters in Austria and Germany are beaten and pepper sprayed, and some have their homes raided by law enforcement.
"In September, a pair of youth environmental advocates are abducted by armed men and interrogated for days about their work fighting construction of a new airport in the Philippines.
"All across the world, environmental defenders continue to experience censorship, threats, physical attacks, kidnappings, disappearances and even death because of their work fighting climate change, deforestation, pollution and other environmental issues.
"Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, more than 1,500 environmental defenders have been killed for their work, according to Global Witness, a human rights and environmental NGO. The figures for 2023 look like more of the same. At least 196 people were killed last year defending the environment, up from 177 in 2022. And those figures are considered a low-end estimate."
#EnvironmentalActivists #WaterDefenders #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalWitness #Mongabay #ReaderSupportedNews
#IACHR #ExtractiveIndustries
#Mining #Logging #LandDefenders #WaterIsLife #HumanRights
#Capitalism #Greed #Corruption
#CorporateColonialism #LatinAmerica #Phillipines #India #Indonesia #Honduras #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo #PublicOrderAct #SilencingDissent #HR9495 #CriminalizingDissent -
Why is violence against #EnvironmentalDefenders getting worse? Five things to know
Maxwell Radwin
11 Sep 2024"In January 2023, two men mysteriously disappear after speaking out against pollution from a controversial iron ore mine in Michoacán, Mexico.
"The following March, climate change protesters in Austria and Germany are beaten and pepper sprayed, and some have their homes raided by law enforcement.
"In September, a pair of youth environmental advocates are abducted by armed men and interrogated for days about their work fighting construction of a new airport in the Philippines.
"All across the world, environmental defenders continue to experience censorship, threats, physical attacks, kidnappings, disappearances and even death because of their work fighting climate change, deforestation, pollution and other environmental issues.
"Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, more than 1,500 environmental defenders have been killed for their work, according to Global Witness, a human rights and environmental NGO. The figures for 2023 look like more of the same. At least 196 people were killed last year defending the environment, up from 177 in 2022. And those figures are considered a low-end estimate."
#EnvironmentalActivists #WaterDefenders #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalWitness #Mongabay #ReaderSupportedNews
#IACHR #ExtractiveIndustries
#Mining #Logging #LandDefenders #WaterIsLife #HumanRights
#Capitalism #Greed #Corruption
#CorporateColonialism #LatinAmerica #Phillipines #India #Indonesia #Honduras #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo #PublicOrderAct #SilencingDissent #HR9495 #CriminalizingDissent -
Why is violence against #EnvironmentalDefenders getting worse? Five things to know
Maxwell Radwin
11 Sep 2024"In January 2023, two men mysteriously disappear after speaking out against pollution from a controversial iron ore mine in Michoacán, Mexico.
"The following March, climate change protesters in Austria and Germany are beaten and pepper sprayed, and some have their homes raided by law enforcement.
"In September, a pair of youth environmental advocates are abducted by armed men and interrogated for days about their work fighting construction of a new airport in the Philippines.
"All across the world, environmental defenders continue to experience censorship, threats, physical attacks, kidnappings, disappearances and even death because of their work fighting climate change, deforestation, pollution and other environmental issues.
"Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, more than 1,500 environmental defenders have been killed for their work, according to Global Witness, a human rights and environmental NGO. The figures for 2023 look like more of the same. At least 196 people were killed last year defending the environment, up from 177 in 2022. And those figures are considered a low-end estimate."
#EnvironmentalActivists #WaterDefenders #EnvironmentalJustice #GlobalWitness #Mongabay #ReaderSupportedNews
#IACHR #ExtractiveIndustries
#Mining #Logging #LandDefenders #WaterIsLife #HumanRights
#Capitalism #Greed #Corruption
#CorporateColonialism #LatinAmerica #Phillipines #India #Indonesia #Honduras #DemocraticRepublicOfCongo #PublicOrderAct #SilencingDissent #HR9495 #CriminalizingDissent -
[01:01] TikTok approved Irish election disinformation ads - probe
An investigation by campaign group Global Witness has found that video-sharing platform TikTok approved ads containing disinformation about the upcoming Irish General Election.
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/1127/1483130-tiktok-general-election/
#GlobalWitness #TikTok -
Report highlights disproportionate killings of #IndigenousEnvironmentalActivists
PBSNewshour, Nov 16, 2024
"Leaders at the United Nations’ #COP29 #CimateChange summit are being pressed this year to address the rising threats to #environmentalists and defenders of #HumanRights. Ali Rogin looks at the challenges facing these activists around the world and speaks with Laura Furones, a senior adviser at the environmental watchdog and advocacy group Global Witness, to learn more.
Watch / read transcript:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/report-highlights-disproportionate-killings-of-indigenous-environmental-activists#GlobalWitness #Phillipines #SouthAfrica #Malaysia #Colombia #Brazil #IndigenousActivists #MurderedActivists #LandDefenders #WaterProtectors #MegaInfrastructureProjects #Mining #Megaprojects #Deforestation #HumanRightsDefenders #ProtectTheForests #WaterIsLife
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Missing voices: The violent erasure of land and #environmental #defenders
September 2024
"This report and our campaign are dedicated to all those individuals, communities and organisations bravely taking a stand to defend human rights, their land, and our environment.
"Last year [2023], 196 people were murdered for doing this work.
"We also acknowledge that the names of many defenders who were killed last year may be missing, and we may never know how many more gave their lives to protect our planet. We honour their work too."
Read their names here:
https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/missing-voices/#LandDefenders #WaterProtectors #HumanRightsDefenders #IndigenousActivists #EnvironmentalDefenders #EnvironmentalActivists #AfricanActivists #Indonesia #India #Phillipines #GlobalWitness
-
Honduras: Anti-mining activist Juan Lopez shot dead
#JuanLopez is the fourth member of an #environmental #activism group based in in #Tocoa to be killed since 2023.
President #XiomaraCastro condemned the murder and has ordered an investigation.
September 16, 2024
"An #AntiMining #EnvironmentalActivist in #Honduras who protested to preserve #TropicalForests and rivers was killed over the weekend, even after warnings to better ensure his safety.
"Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, police said on Sunday.
"Honduran President Xiomara Castro condmened the apparent murder of Lopez, a member of the Libre party she's allied to, in comments online.
"'We condemn the vile murder of our comrade and environmental leader Juan Lopez in Tocoa, Colon,' she said. 'I have ordered that all the capabilities of law enforcement be used to clarify this tragedy and identify those responsible.'
Multiple members of Lopez's enviromental organization killed
"Lopez belonged to the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods, an environmental organization in Tocoa on the country's Atlantic coast.
"Three other members of the group were killed last year in what the organization saw as retaliation.
"The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the #Guapinol and #SanPedro rivers, and the #CarlosEscaleras #Nature Reserve, as the presence of #mining and #hydroelectric companies increased.
"Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya said the 'reprehensible' murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's #activism.
"'His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources,' Zelaya said on X.
Lopez aware of risks of his activism
"An outspoken member of the ruling #LibreParty, Lopez had recently publicly called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.
"Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of president Castro, was caught up in that video. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.
"'If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return,' Lopez had said in 2021 when speaking of his activism with AFP.
"Lopez had also raised the alarm himself earlier in the year, saying he had noticed two people on motorbikes observing him in locations around his home.
Activist deaths high in Latin America
"Global Witness, a British NGO, says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
"#LatinAmerica accounted for 85% of all the world's environmentalists who were killed last year, with 18 deaths registered in Honduras, according to #GlobalWitness.
"The United Nations resident coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, said Lopez had been threatened for his activism and praised his determination to stand up to powerful interests.
"'We condemn the terrible murder of Juan Lopez, a human rights defender threatened for his work,' she said in a post."
km/msh (AFP, Reuters)
https://www.dw.com/en/honduras-anti-mining-activist-juan-lopez-shot-dead/a-70223466
#JusticeForJuan #GuapinolRiver #WaterDefender #SaveTheForests #DefendTheSacred
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #Greenwashing #WaterIsLife #SaveTheRivers #EMCO #InversionesLosPinares
#MunicipalCommitteeForTheDefenseOfCommonAndPublicGoods -
Honduras: Anti-mining activist Juan Lopez shot dead
#JuanLopez is the fourth member of an #environmental #activism group based in in #Tocoa to be killed since 2023.
President #XiomaraCastro condemned the murder and has ordered an investigation.
September 16, 2024
"An #AntiMining #EnvironmentalActivist in #Honduras who protested to preserve #TropicalForests and rivers was killed over the weekend, even after warnings to better ensure his safety.
"Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, police said on Sunday.
"Honduran President Xiomara Castro condmened the apparent murder of Lopez, a member of the Libre party she's allied to, in comments online.
"'We condemn the vile murder of our comrade and environmental leader Juan Lopez in Tocoa, Colon,' she said. 'I have ordered that all the capabilities of law enforcement be used to clarify this tragedy and identify those responsible.'
Multiple members of Lopez's enviromental organization killed
"Lopez belonged to the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods, an environmental organization in Tocoa on the country's Atlantic coast.
"Three other members of the group were killed last year in what the organization saw as retaliation.
"The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the #Guapinol and #SanPedro rivers, and the #CarlosEscaleras #Nature Reserve, as the presence of #mining and #hydroelectric companies increased.
"Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya said the 'reprehensible' murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's #activism.
"'His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources,' Zelaya said on X.
Lopez aware of risks of his activism
"An outspoken member of the ruling #LibreParty, Lopez had recently publicly called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.
"Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of president Castro, was caught up in that video. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.
"'If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return,' Lopez had said in 2021 when speaking of his activism with AFP.
"Lopez had also raised the alarm himself earlier in the year, saying he had noticed two people on motorbikes observing him in locations around his home.
Activist deaths high in Latin America
"Global Witness, a British NGO, says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
"#LatinAmerica accounted for 85% of all the world's environmentalists who were killed last year, with 18 deaths registered in Honduras, according to #GlobalWitness.
"The United Nations resident coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, said Lopez had been threatened for his activism and praised his determination to stand up to powerful interests.
"'We condemn the terrible murder of Juan Lopez, a human rights defender threatened for his work,' she said in a post."
km/msh (AFP, Reuters)
https://www.dw.com/en/honduras-anti-mining-activist-juan-lopez-shot-dead/a-70223466
#JusticeForJuan #GuapinolRiver #WaterDefender #SaveTheForests #DefendTheSacred
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #Greenwashing #WaterIsLife #SaveTheRivers #EMCO #InversionesLosPinares
#MunicipalCommitteeForTheDefenseOfCommonAndPublicGoods -
Honduras: Anti-mining activist Juan Lopez shot dead
#JuanLopez is the fourth member of an #environmental #activism group based in in #Tocoa to be killed since 2023.
President #XiomaraCastro condemned the murder and has ordered an investigation.
September 16, 2024
"An #AntiMining #EnvironmentalActivist in #Honduras who protested to preserve #TropicalForests and rivers was killed over the weekend, even after warnings to better ensure his safety.
"Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, police said on Sunday.
"Honduran President Xiomara Castro condmened the apparent murder of Lopez, a member of the Libre party she's allied to, in comments online.
"'We condemn the vile murder of our comrade and environmental leader Juan Lopez in Tocoa, Colon,' she said. 'I have ordered that all the capabilities of law enforcement be used to clarify this tragedy and identify those responsible.'
Multiple members of Lopez's enviromental organization killed
"Lopez belonged to the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods, an environmental organization in Tocoa on the country's Atlantic coast.
"Three other members of the group were killed last year in what the organization saw as retaliation.
"The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the #Guapinol and #SanPedro rivers, and the #CarlosEscaleras #Nature Reserve, as the presence of #mining and #hydroelectric companies increased.
"Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya said the 'reprehensible' murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's #activism.
"'His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources,' Zelaya said on X.
Lopez aware of risks of his activism
"An outspoken member of the ruling #LibreParty, Lopez had recently publicly called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.
"Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of president Castro, was caught up in that video. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.
"'If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return,' Lopez had said in 2021 when speaking of his activism with AFP.
"Lopez had also raised the alarm himself earlier in the year, saying he had noticed two people on motorbikes observing him in locations around his home.
Activist deaths high in Latin America
"Global Witness, a British NGO, says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
"#LatinAmerica accounted for 85% of all the world's environmentalists who were killed last year, with 18 deaths registered in Honduras, according to #GlobalWitness.
"The United Nations resident coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, said Lopez had been threatened for his activism and praised his determination to stand up to powerful interests.
"'We condemn the terrible murder of Juan Lopez, a human rights defender threatened for his work,' she said in a post."
km/msh (AFP, Reuters)
https://www.dw.com/en/honduras-anti-mining-activist-juan-lopez-shot-dead/a-70223466
#JusticeForJuan #GuapinolRiver #WaterDefender #SaveTheForests #DefendTheSacred
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #Greenwashing #WaterIsLife #SaveTheRivers #EMCO #InversionesLosPinares
#MunicipalCommitteeForTheDefenseOfCommonAndPublicGoods -
Honduras: Anti-mining activist Juan Lopez shot dead
#JuanLopez is the fourth member of an #environmental #activism group based in in #Tocoa to be killed since 2023.
President #XiomaraCastro condemned the murder and has ordered an investigation.
September 16, 2024
"An #AntiMining #EnvironmentalActivist in #Honduras who protested to preserve #TropicalForests and rivers was killed over the weekend, even after warnings to better ensure his safety.
"Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, police said on Sunday.
"Honduran President Xiomara Castro condmened the apparent murder of Lopez, a member of the Libre party she's allied to, in comments online.
"'We condemn the vile murder of our comrade and environmental leader Juan Lopez in Tocoa, Colon,' she said. 'I have ordered that all the capabilities of law enforcement be used to clarify this tragedy and identify those responsible.'
Multiple members of Lopez's enviromental organization killed
"Lopez belonged to the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods, an environmental organization in Tocoa on the country's Atlantic coast.
"Three other members of the group were killed last year in what the organization saw as retaliation.
"The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the #Guapinol and #SanPedro rivers, and the #CarlosEscaleras #Nature Reserve, as the presence of #mining and #hydroelectric companies increased.
"Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya said the 'reprehensible' murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's #activism.
"'His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources,' Zelaya said on X.
Lopez aware of risks of his activism
"An outspoken member of the ruling #LibreParty, Lopez had recently publicly called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.
"Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of president Castro, was caught up in that video. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.
"'If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return,' Lopez had said in 2021 when speaking of his activism with AFP.
"Lopez had also raised the alarm himself earlier in the year, saying he had noticed two people on motorbikes observing him in locations around his home.
Activist deaths high in Latin America
"Global Witness, a British NGO, says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
"#LatinAmerica accounted for 85% of all the world's environmentalists who were killed last year, with 18 deaths registered in Honduras, according to #GlobalWitness.
"The United Nations resident coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, said Lopez had been threatened for his activism and praised his determination to stand up to powerful interests.
"'We condemn the terrible murder of Juan Lopez, a human rights defender threatened for his work,' she said in a post."
km/msh (AFP, Reuters)
https://www.dw.com/en/honduras-anti-mining-activist-juan-lopez-shot-dead/a-70223466
#JusticeForJuan #GuapinolRiver #WaterDefender #SaveTheForests #DefendTheSacred
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #Greenwashing #WaterIsLife #SaveTheRivers #EMCO #InversionesLosPinares
#MunicipalCommitteeForTheDefenseOfCommonAndPublicGoods -
Honduras: Anti-mining activist Juan Lopez shot dead
#JuanLopez is the fourth member of an #environmental #activism group based in in #Tocoa to be killed since 2023.
President #XiomaraCastro condemned the murder and has ordered an investigation.
September 16, 2024
"An #AntiMining #EnvironmentalActivist in #Honduras who protested to preserve #TropicalForests and rivers was killed over the weekend, even after warnings to better ensure his safety.
"Juan Lopez, 46, was gunned down as he left church Saturday in the northeastern town of Tocoa, police said on Sunday.
"Honduran President Xiomara Castro condmened the apparent murder of Lopez, a member of the Libre party she's allied to, in comments online.
"'We condemn the vile murder of our comrade and environmental leader Juan Lopez in Tocoa, Colon,' she said. 'I have ordered that all the capabilities of law enforcement be used to clarify this tragedy and identify those responsible.'
Multiple members of Lopez's enviromental organization killed
"Lopez belonged to the Municipal Committee for the Defense of Common and Public Goods, an environmental organization in Tocoa on the country's Atlantic coast.
"Three other members of the group were killed last year in what the organization saw as retaliation.
"The group had suffered threats and harassment for years amid efforts to preserve the #Guapinol and #SanPedro rivers, and the #CarlosEscaleras #Nature Reserve, as the presence of #mining and #hydroelectric companies increased.
"Honduran Attorney General Johel Zelaya said the 'reprehensible' murder would not go unpunished, and paid tribute to Lopez's #activism.
"'His life was an example of struggle. He never gave up in his incessant battle, hand-in-hand with the people to preserve natural resources,' Zelaya said on X.
Lopez aware of risks of his activism
"An outspoken member of the ruling #LibreParty, Lopez had recently publicly called for the resignation of Libre officials caught on video negotiating bribes with drug traffickers in 2013.
"Carlos Zelaya, a brother-in-law of president Castro, was caught up in that video. He resigned his seat in congress after admitting he took part in that meeting with drug gangsters.
"'If you leave home, you always have in mind that you do not know what might happen, if you are going to return,' Lopez had said in 2021 when speaking of his activism with AFP.
"Lopez had also raised the alarm himself earlier in the year, saying he had noticed two people on motorbikes observing him in locations around his home.
Activist deaths high in Latin America
"Global Witness, a British NGO, says Honduras is one of the world's most dangerous countries for environmental activists.
"#LatinAmerica accounted for 85% of all the world's environmentalists who were killed last year, with 18 deaths registered in Honduras, according to #GlobalWitness.
"The United Nations resident coordinator in Honduras, Alice Shackelford, said Lopez had been threatened for his activism and praised his determination to stand up to powerful interests.
"'We condemn the terrible murder of Juan Lopez, a human rights defender threatened for his work,' she said in a post."
km/msh (AFP, Reuters)
https://www.dw.com/en/honduras-anti-mining-activist-juan-lopez-shot-dead/a-70223466
#JusticeForJuan #GuapinolRiver #WaterDefender #SaveTheForests #DefendTheSacred
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #Greenwashing #WaterIsLife #SaveTheRivers #EMCO #InversionesLosPinares
#MunicipalCommitteeForTheDefenseOfCommonAndPublicGoods -
“Another Appalling Year” of Violence Against #LandDefenders as Nearly 200 Killed Worldwide in 2023
via #DemocracyNow
September 12, 2024"At least 196 #environmental defenders were killed last year, most of them #Indigenous or #Afro-descendant. The deadliest country was #Colombia, where at least 79 land, water and climate defenders were killed. '2023 was yet another appalling year for those who want to protect their lands and their environment,' and this violence is likely to 'intensify as the consequences of the climate crisis become more apparent,' says Laura Furones, senior adviser to the land and environmental defenders campaign at #GlobalWitness, which published the numbers in a new report."
Read more:
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/9/12/global_witness_report_land_defenders#WaterDefenders #LandDefenders #ClimateDefenders #EnvironmentalActivists #IndigenousActivists
-
YouTube Approved Ads Promoting Disinformation on India’s Election
YouTube approved dozens of ads promoting voter suppression and incitement to violence ahead of the upcoming election in India, according to a new investigation by the rights groups Global Witness and Access Now, shared exclusively with TIME.
#youtube #elections2024 #disinformation #VoterSuppression #GlobalWitness #AccessNow #google #BigTech #india
https://time.com/6961504/youtube-ads-disinformation-india-election/
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" #HSBC and #NatWest accused of financing #NorthSea #oil #extraction despite pledge
Two major #UK high street #banks have been accused of continuing to finance #FossilFuel expansion in the North Sea despite signing a pledge to align their activities with the net zero #climate goal.HSBC and NatWest have provided tens of millions in finance to #Ithaca Energy, a #British oil and #gas company that is playing a key role in plans to exploit the controversial #Rosebank oilfield north-west of the #Shetland Islands. Another high street bank, #Lloyds, also provided finance but has since sold down the debt.
A group of more than 80 organisations including #GlobalWitness, #Greenpeace and the #RainforestActionNetwork have written to the banks’ chief executives calling on them to cease funding Ithaca and to end their relationship with the company."
#FossilFuels #Capitalism #UKPolitics #UK #Carbon #CO2 #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #Klima #Klimakrise #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange
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#Emissions connected to top #oil and #gas firms may cause millions of #HeatDeaths by 2100, study finds
#GlobalWitness analysis suggests 11.5 million deaths could be caused by burning of #FossilFuel produced by 2050
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/20/emissions-connected-to-top-oil-and-gas-firms-may-cause-millions-of-heat-deaths-by-2100-study-finds
#ClimateCrisis #DontLookUp -
Rinderzucht bedroht brasilianische Savanne
#Brasilien zählt zu den wichtigsten Exporteuren von #Rindfleisch weltweit – noch vor Australien und Indien. Die #Fleischproduktion gefährde aufgrund der – großteils illegalen – Abholzung ein für das weltweite #Klima wichtiges #Ökosystem, warnte eine am Mittwoch veröffentlichte Studie der #NGO #GlobalWitness. Im Fokus stehe nicht mehr der #Amazonas, sondern das Feuchtsavannengebiet #Cerrado.
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💰 The World’s largest #oil companies have made a quarter of a TRILLION dollars ($281bn) PROFIT since putin's invasion of #Ukraine
#GlobalWitness says the five ‘#Super_Majors’ are the ‘main winners of the #war’ while many struggle to heat their homes
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/19/worlds-largest-oil-companies-have-made-281bn-profit-since-invasion-of-ukraine #News
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#IndigenousActivists are risking their lives for #butterflies
In #CentralMexico’s forests, armed community members defend an iconic butterfly from cartel-backed logging.
By Anjan Sundaram Dec 20, 2023
"Every winter, northwest of Mexico City, the branches of the Oyamel fir trees ignite in orange, colored by the wings of #MonarchButterflies that have made the epic journey south from Canada and the United States.
"The forest is home to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, created by presidential decree in 1986 and designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008. The reserve shelters nearly 90 percent of the region’s over-wintering monarch butterfly population.
"Despite the fact that the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is internationally protected, decades of degradation of the forest have posed an existential threat to this fragile ecosystem. Over the past four decades, the number of winter roosting sites for the butterflies in the reserve has fallen by over 50 percent, driven in part by illegal logging.
"After researchers found that 10 percent of total canopy cover had been lost between 2001 and 2012, the Mexican government ramped up enforcement of laws prohibiting logging. Government raids on illegal sawmills in the reserve sharply reduced logging. Yet according to an analysis by the World Wildlife Fund, the rate of forest degradation in the reserve tripled in 2022.
"To protect these forests — one of the few remaining wintering refuges for migrating monarchs — the local #Mazahua Indigenous community in Crescencio Morales has established its own security force.
"As these self-described forest defenders from Crescensio Morales fight to protect the monarch butterfly’s refuge, Indigenous leaders took the global stage at the United Nations annual climate change summit in Dubai to wage this battle on a second front: to convince world leaders to recognize the dangers environmental land defenders, particularly in Latin America, face and to build stronger mechanisms to support them.
"Around the world, environmental activists face increasing violence
"As their weapons indicate, the world’s environmental defenders need defending. Every day, the councils of Crescencio Morales’ guardia comunales work in shifts, patrolling their community as well as the boundary of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve. They say they are threatened by #sicarios, cartel #hitmen, who also benefit from the #IllegalTrade, and are allied with clandestine loggers who camp in the surrounding forests. The guardia comunales run well-armed patrols through their territories to prevent the sicarios from expanding their territories and cutting down the precious Oyamel fir trees.
"These conflicts put environmental #activists at great risk. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised to stop such violence, but the country remains among the world’s deadliest for those defending its pristine ecosystems. In January 2020, the body of the anti-logging activist and monarch butterfly defender #HomeroGómezGonzalez was found in a community near Crescencio. Activists suspect his death was connected to illegal logging disputes, the Guardian reported.
"The pressures that Mexico’s Indigenous activists face are emblematic of similar conflicts arising globally. Communities like Crescencio Morales are on the front lines of a battle to protect their local environment from a mounting scramble for natural resources, amplified by corruption.
"Members of Crescencio Morales’s community told me that in addition to fighting the illegal loggers, they also protect their forested mountains from #mining companies seeking to extract #gold, #silver, and #copper — #minerals now in high demand as the world transitions to clean energy technologies.
Land defenders around the world — in countries including Mexico, #Brazil, The Democratic Republic of the #Congo, and the #Philippines — face increasing violence as they defend their territories, according to #GlobalWitness, an accountability nonprofit that studies the link between #NaturalResources, #conflict, and #corruption. A 2023 investigation by the organization found that nearly 2,000 #activists have been killed over the last decade for their efforts to protect the planet, many of them from Indigenous communities trying to preserve their ecological heritage."The majority of recorded killings of #LandDefenders in 2022 took place in #LatinAmerica, making the continent perhaps the most dangerous place for #EnvironmentalDefense.
"#IndigenousLands include some of the planet’s most threatened landscapes
"The Mexican constitution protects the right of Indigenous communities’ self-determination — which, among other forms of #sovereignty, allows them to govern their land communally. In 2023, more than 50 percent of Mexico’s land fell under these legal regimes, termed #TierraComunal or #TierraEjidal — which roughly translates to communal land. This, according to a study by the Rights and Resources Initiative, is the highest percentage of land collectively owned by Indigenous and local communities of any country in the #Americas.
"This unique aspect of #MexicanIndigenous heritage means that broad swaths of land in Mexico remain protected. Yet mounting effects from climate change as well as political and economic pressures mean that some of Mexico’s Indigenous communities have been forced to block highways in protest and appeal for help to protect themselves, their communities, their ecosystems, and their way of life.
"#Mexico’s unique legal regime is especially important for Crescencio Morales because it offers communities in the area, with deep historical and cultural ties to the monarch butterflies, the legal authority to protect the reserve. But the law can only do so much to protect the refuge and its migrating butterflies from illegal logging pressure.
"To prevent destruction of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve, Indigenous activists have taken their security and that of the butterflies’ precious trees into their own hands. When I visited Crescencio Morales earlier this year, I walked with a community policeman named Aurelio during an armed patrol along his community’s border. (We are withholding his identity and using a pseudonym to protect him from being targeted by local violence.) At the summit of one of the hills surrounding the community, Aurelio told me Crescencio Morales had been forced to arm itself to protect its people, butterflies, and #Forests.
"The security situation in towns such as #CrescencioMorales is complex. According to other community leaders I spoke with this year, who wished to remain anonymous due to security risks, the locals did not trust the army or the state police, which they often suspected of cutting business deals with the cartels. Armed security volunteers who protected the community from #taladores, the illegal loggers, patrolled their town in pickup trucks.
"These hyperlocal battles — on highways and in open warfare by the #GuardiasComunales — have larger stakes: Mexican Indigenous environmental activists are defending landscapes that have implications for global #biodiversity. Without their efforts, environmentalists fear systemic #deforestation from illegal logging, which would not only destroy habitat for vulnerable species but also increase the #GreenhouseGas emissions that further drive #ClimateChange. And without the preservation of the Crescencio Morales Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, an important chain in a migration that connects ecosystems from Canada to Mexico would be severed."
Full article:
https://www.vox.com/climate/24006471/cop28-rising-danger-environmental-activism#ForestDefenders #JusticeForHomero #DirectAction #CriminalizingDissent #DefendTheForest #IndigenousRights #Extinction #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #Fascism #DirectAction #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists
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#IndigenousActivists are risking their lives for #butterflies
In #CentralMexico’s forests, armed community members defend an iconic butterfly from cartel-backed logging.
By Anjan Sundaram Dec 20, 2023
"Every winter, northwest of Mexico City, the branches of the Oyamel fir trees ignite in orange, colored by the wings of #MonarchButterflies that have made the epic journey south from Canada and the United States.
"The forest is home to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, created by presidential decree in 1986 and designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008. The reserve shelters nearly 90 percent of the region’s over-wintering monarch butterfly population.
"Despite the fact that the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is internationally protected, decades of degradation of the forest have posed an existential threat to this fragile ecosystem. Over the past four decades, the number of winter roosting sites for the butterflies in the reserve has fallen by over 50 percent, driven in part by illegal logging.
"After researchers found that 10 percent of total canopy cover had been lost between 2001 and 2012, the Mexican government ramped up enforcement of laws prohibiting logging. Government raids on illegal sawmills in the reserve sharply reduced logging. Yet according to an analysis by the World Wildlife Fund, the rate of forest degradation in the reserve tripled in 2022.
"To protect these forests — one of the few remaining wintering refuges for migrating monarchs — the local #Mazahua Indigenous community in Crescencio Morales has established its own security force.
"As these self-described forest defenders from Crescensio Morales fight to protect the monarch butterfly’s refuge, Indigenous leaders took the global stage at the United Nations annual climate change summit in Dubai to wage this battle on a second front: to convince world leaders to recognize the dangers environmental land defenders, particularly in Latin America, face and to build stronger mechanisms to support them.
"Around the world, environmental activists face increasing violence
"As their weapons indicate, the world’s environmental defenders need defending. Every day, the councils of Crescencio Morales’ guardia comunales work in shifts, patrolling their community as well as the boundary of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve. They say they are threatened by #sicarios, cartel #hitmen, who also benefit from the #IllegalTrade, and are allied with clandestine loggers who camp in the surrounding forests. The guardia comunales run well-armed patrols through their territories to prevent the sicarios from expanding their territories and cutting down the precious Oyamel fir trees.
"These conflicts put environmental #activists at great risk. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised to stop such violence, but the country remains among the world’s deadliest for those defending its pristine ecosystems. In January 2020, the body of the anti-logging activist and monarch butterfly defender #HomeroGómezGonzalez was found in a community near Crescencio. Activists suspect his death was connected to illegal logging disputes, the Guardian reported.
"The pressures that Mexico’s Indigenous activists face are emblematic of similar conflicts arising globally. Communities like Crescencio Morales are on the front lines of a battle to protect their local environment from a mounting scramble for natural resources, amplified by corruption.
"Members of Crescencio Morales’s community told me that in addition to fighting the illegal loggers, they also protect their forested mountains from #mining companies seeking to extract #gold, #silver, and #copper — #minerals now in high demand as the world transitions to clean energy technologies.
Land defenders around the world — in countries including Mexico, #Brazil, The Democratic Republic of the #Congo, and the #Philippines — face increasing violence as they defend their territories, according to #GlobalWitness, an accountability nonprofit that studies the link between #NaturalResources, #conflict, and #corruption. A 2023 investigation by the organization found that nearly 2,000 #activists have been killed over the last decade for their efforts to protect the planet, many of them from Indigenous communities trying to preserve their ecological heritage."The majority of recorded killings of #LandDefenders in 2022 took place in #LatinAmerica, making the continent perhaps the most dangerous place for #EnvironmentalDefense.
"#IndigenousLands include some of the planet’s most threatened landscapes
"The Mexican constitution protects the right of Indigenous communities’ self-determination — which, among other forms of #sovereignty, allows them to govern their land communally. In 2023, more than 50 percent of Mexico’s land fell under these legal regimes, termed #TierraComunal or #TierraEjidal — which roughly translates to communal land. This, according to a study by the Rights and Resources Initiative, is the highest percentage of land collectively owned by Indigenous and local communities of any country in the #Americas.
"This unique aspect of #MexicanIndigenous heritage means that broad swaths of land in Mexico remain protected. Yet mounting effects from climate change as well as political and economic pressures mean that some of Mexico’s Indigenous communities have been forced to block highways in protest and appeal for help to protect themselves, their communities, their ecosystems, and their way of life.
"#Mexico’s unique legal regime is especially important for Crescencio Morales because it offers communities in the area, with deep historical and cultural ties to the monarch butterflies, the legal authority to protect the reserve. But the law can only do so much to protect the refuge and its migrating butterflies from illegal logging pressure.
"To prevent destruction of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve, Indigenous activists have taken their security and that of the butterflies’ precious trees into their own hands. When I visited Crescencio Morales earlier this year, I walked with a community policeman named Aurelio during an armed patrol along his community’s border. (We are withholding his identity and using a pseudonym to protect him from being targeted by local violence.) At the summit of one of the hills surrounding the community, Aurelio told me Crescencio Morales had been forced to arm itself to protect its people, butterflies, and #Forests.
"The security situation in towns such as #CrescencioMorales is complex. According to other community leaders I spoke with this year, who wished to remain anonymous due to security risks, the locals did not trust the army or the state police, which they often suspected of cutting business deals with the cartels. Armed security volunteers who protected the community from #taladores, the illegal loggers, patrolled their town in pickup trucks.
"These hyperlocal battles — on highways and in open warfare by the #GuardiasComunales — have larger stakes: Mexican Indigenous environmental activists are defending landscapes that have implications for global #biodiversity. Without their efforts, environmentalists fear systemic #deforestation from illegal logging, which would not only destroy habitat for vulnerable species but also increase the #GreenhouseGas emissions that further drive #ClimateChange. And without the preservation of the Crescencio Morales Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, an important chain in a migration that connects ecosystems from Canada to Mexico would be severed."
Full article:
https://www.vox.com/climate/24006471/cop28-rising-danger-environmental-activism#ForestDefenders #JusticeForHomero #DirectAction #CriminalizingDissent #DefendTheForest #IndigenousRights #Extinction #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #Fascism #DirectAction #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists
-
#IndigenousActivists are risking their lives for #butterflies
In #CentralMexico’s forests, armed community members defend an iconic butterfly from cartel-backed logging.
By Anjan Sundaram Dec 20, 2023
"Every winter, northwest of Mexico City, the branches of the Oyamel fir trees ignite in orange, colored by the wings of #MonarchButterflies that have made the epic journey south from Canada and the United States.
"The forest is home to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, created by presidential decree in 1986 and designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008. The reserve shelters nearly 90 percent of the region’s over-wintering monarch butterfly population.
"Despite the fact that the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is internationally protected, decades of degradation of the forest have posed an existential threat to this fragile ecosystem. Over the past four decades, the number of winter roosting sites for the butterflies in the reserve has fallen by over 50 percent, driven in part by illegal logging.
"After researchers found that 10 percent of total canopy cover had been lost between 2001 and 2012, the Mexican government ramped up enforcement of laws prohibiting logging. Government raids on illegal sawmills in the reserve sharply reduced logging. Yet according to an analysis by the World Wildlife Fund, the rate of forest degradation in the reserve tripled in 2022.
"To protect these forests — one of the few remaining wintering refuges for migrating monarchs — the local #Mazahua Indigenous community in Crescencio Morales has established its own security force.
"As these self-described forest defenders from Crescensio Morales fight to protect the monarch butterfly’s refuge, Indigenous leaders took the global stage at the United Nations annual climate change summit in Dubai to wage this battle on a second front: to convince world leaders to recognize the dangers environmental land defenders, particularly in Latin America, face and to build stronger mechanisms to support them.
"Around the world, environmental activists face increasing violence
"As their weapons indicate, the world’s environmental defenders need defending. Every day, the councils of Crescencio Morales’ guardia comunales work in shifts, patrolling their community as well as the boundary of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve. They say they are threatened by #sicarios, cartel #hitmen, who also benefit from the #IllegalTrade, and are allied with clandestine loggers who camp in the surrounding forests. The guardia comunales run well-armed patrols through their territories to prevent the sicarios from expanding their territories and cutting down the precious Oyamel fir trees.
"These conflicts put environmental #activists at great risk. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised to stop such violence, but the country remains among the world’s deadliest for those defending its pristine ecosystems. In January 2020, the body of the anti-logging activist and monarch butterfly defender #HomeroGómezGonzalez was found in a community near Crescencio. Activists suspect his death was connected to illegal logging disputes, the Guardian reported.
"The pressures that Mexico’s Indigenous activists face are emblematic of similar conflicts arising globally. Communities like Crescencio Morales are on the front lines of a battle to protect their local environment from a mounting scramble for natural resources, amplified by corruption.
"Members of Crescencio Morales’s community told me that in addition to fighting the illegal loggers, they also protect their forested mountains from #mining companies seeking to extract #gold, #silver, and #copper — #minerals now in high demand as the world transitions to clean energy technologies.
Land defenders around the world — in countries including Mexico, #Brazil, The Democratic Republic of the #Congo, and the #Philippines — face increasing violence as they defend their territories, according to #GlobalWitness, an accountability nonprofit that studies the link between #NaturalResources, #conflict, and #corruption. A 2023 investigation by the organization found that nearly 2,000 #activists have been killed over the last decade for their efforts to protect the planet, many of them from Indigenous communities trying to preserve their ecological heritage."The majority of recorded killings of #LandDefenders in 2022 took place in #LatinAmerica, making the continent perhaps the most dangerous place for #EnvironmentalDefense.
"#IndigenousLands include some of the planet’s most threatened landscapes
"The Mexican constitution protects the right of Indigenous communities’ self-determination — which, among other forms of #sovereignty, allows them to govern their land communally. In 2023, more than 50 percent of Mexico’s land fell under these legal regimes, termed #TierraComunal or #TierraEjidal — which roughly translates to communal land. This, according to a study by the Rights and Resources Initiative, is the highest percentage of land collectively owned by Indigenous and local communities of any country in the #Americas.
"This unique aspect of #MexicanIndigenous heritage means that broad swaths of land in Mexico remain protected. Yet mounting effects from climate change as well as political and economic pressures mean that some of Mexico’s Indigenous communities have been forced to block highways in protest and appeal for help to protect themselves, their communities, their ecosystems, and their way of life.
"#Mexico’s unique legal regime is especially important for Crescencio Morales because it offers communities in the area, with deep historical and cultural ties to the monarch butterflies, the legal authority to protect the reserve. But the law can only do so much to protect the refuge and its migrating butterflies from illegal logging pressure.
"To prevent destruction of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve, Indigenous activists have taken their security and that of the butterflies’ precious trees into their own hands. When I visited Crescencio Morales earlier this year, I walked with a community policeman named Aurelio during an armed patrol along his community’s border. (We are withholding his identity and using a pseudonym to protect him from being targeted by local violence.) At the summit of one of the hills surrounding the community, Aurelio told me Crescencio Morales had been forced to arm itself to protect its people, butterflies, and #Forests.
"The security situation in towns such as #CrescencioMorales is complex. According to other community leaders I spoke with this year, who wished to remain anonymous due to security risks, the locals did not trust the army or the state police, which they often suspected of cutting business deals with the cartels. Armed security volunteers who protected the community from #taladores, the illegal loggers, patrolled their town in pickup trucks.
"These hyperlocal battles — on highways and in open warfare by the #GuardiasComunales — have larger stakes: Mexican Indigenous environmental activists are defending landscapes that have implications for global #biodiversity. Without their efforts, environmentalists fear systemic #deforestation from illegal logging, which would not only destroy habitat for vulnerable species but also increase the #GreenhouseGas emissions that further drive #ClimateChange. And without the preservation of the Crescencio Morales Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, an important chain in a migration that connects ecosystems from Canada to Mexico would be severed."
Full article:
https://www.vox.com/climate/24006471/cop28-rising-danger-environmental-activism#ForestDefenders #JusticeForHomero #DirectAction #CriminalizingDissent #DefendTheForest #IndigenousRights #Extinction #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #Fascism #DirectAction #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists
-
#IndigenousActivists are risking their lives for #butterflies
In #CentralMexico’s forests, armed community members defend an iconic butterfly from cartel-backed logging.
By Anjan Sundaram Dec 20, 2023
"Every winter, northwest of Mexico City, the branches of the Oyamel fir trees ignite in orange, colored by the wings of #MonarchButterflies that have made the epic journey south from Canada and the United States.
"The forest is home to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, created by presidential decree in 1986 and designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008. The reserve shelters nearly 90 percent of the region’s over-wintering monarch butterfly population.
"Despite the fact that the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is internationally protected, decades of degradation of the forest have posed an existential threat to this fragile ecosystem. Over the past four decades, the number of winter roosting sites for the butterflies in the reserve has fallen by over 50 percent, driven in part by illegal logging.
"After researchers found that 10 percent of total canopy cover had been lost between 2001 and 2012, the Mexican government ramped up enforcement of laws prohibiting logging. Government raids on illegal sawmills in the reserve sharply reduced logging. Yet according to an analysis by the World Wildlife Fund, the rate of forest degradation in the reserve tripled in 2022.
"To protect these forests — one of the few remaining wintering refuges for migrating monarchs — the local #Mazahua Indigenous community in Crescencio Morales has established its own security force.
"As these self-described forest defenders from Crescensio Morales fight to protect the monarch butterfly’s refuge, Indigenous leaders took the global stage at the United Nations annual climate change summit in Dubai to wage this battle on a second front: to convince world leaders to recognize the dangers environmental land defenders, particularly in Latin America, face and to build stronger mechanisms to support them.
"Around the world, environmental activists face increasing violence
"As their weapons indicate, the world’s environmental defenders need defending. Every day, the councils of Crescencio Morales’ guardia comunales work in shifts, patrolling their community as well as the boundary of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve. They say they are threatened by #sicarios, cartel #hitmen, who also benefit from the #IllegalTrade, and are allied with clandestine loggers who camp in the surrounding forests. The guardia comunales run well-armed patrols through their territories to prevent the sicarios from expanding their territories and cutting down the precious Oyamel fir trees.
"These conflicts put environmental #activists at great risk. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised to stop such violence, but the country remains among the world’s deadliest for those defending its pristine ecosystems. In January 2020, the body of the anti-logging activist and monarch butterfly defender #HomeroGómezGonzalez was found in a community near Crescencio. Activists suspect his death was connected to illegal logging disputes, the Guardian reported.
"The pressures that Mexico’s Indigenous activists face are emblematic of similar conflicts arising globally. Communities like Crescencio Morales are on the front lines of a battle to protect their local environment from a mounting scramble for natural resources, amplified by corruption.
"Members of Crescencio Morales’s community told me that in addition to fighting the illegal loggers, they also protect their forested mountains from #mining companies seeking to extract #gold, #silver, and #copper — #minerals now in high demand as the world transitions to clean energy technologies.
Land defenders around the world — in countries including Mexico, #Brazil, The Democratic Republic of the #Congo, and the #Philippines — face increasing violence as they defend their territories, according to #GlobalWitness, an accountability nonprofit that studies the link between #NaturalResources, #conflict, and #corruption. A 2023 investigation by the organization found that nearly 2,000 #activists have been killed over the last decade for their efforts to protect the planet, many of them from Indigenous communities trying to preserve their ecological heritage."The majority of recorded killings of #LandDefenders in 2022 took place in #LatinAmerica, making the continent perhaps the most dangerous place for #EnvironmentalDefense.
"#IndigenousLands include some of the planet’s most threatened landscapes
"The Mexican constitution protects the right of Indigenous communities’ self-determination — which, among other forms of #sovereignty, allows them to govern their land communally. In 2023, more than 50 percent of Mexico’s land fell under these legal regimes, termed #TierraComunal or #TierraEjidal — which roughly translates to communal land. This, according to a study by the Rights and Resources Initiative, is the highest percentage of land collectively owned by Indigenous and local communities of any country in the #Americas.
"This unique aspect of #MexicanIndigenous heritage means that broad swaths of land in Mexico remain protected. Yet mounting effects from climate change as well as political and economic pressures mean that some of Mexico’s Indigenous communities have been forced to block highways in protest and appeal for help to protect themselves, their communities, their ecosystems, and their way of life.
"#Mexico’s unique legal regime is especially important for Crescencio Morales because it offers communities in the area, with deep historical and cultural ties to the monarch butterflies, the legal authority to protect the reserve. But the law can only do so much to protect the refuge and its migrating butterflies from illegal logging pressure.
"To prevent destruction of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve, Indigenous activists have taken their security and that of the butterflies’ precious trees into their own hands. When I visited Crescencio Morales earlier this year, I walked with a community policeman named Aurelio during an armed patrol along his community’s border. (We are withholding his identity and using a pseudonym to protect him from being targeted by local violence.) At the summit of one of the hills surrounding the community, Aurelio told me Crescencio Morales had been forced to arm itself to protect its people, butterflies, and #Forests.
"The security situation in towns such as #CrescencioMorales is complex. According to other community leaders I spoke with this year, who wished to remain anonymous due to security risks, the locals did not trust the army or the state police, which they often suspected of cutting business deals with the cartels. Armed security volunteers who protected the community from #taladores, the illegal loggers, patrolled their town in pickup trucks.
"These hyperlocal battles — on highways and in open warfare by the #GuardiasComunales — have larger stakes: Mexican Indigenous environmental activists are defending landscapes that have implications for global #biodiversity. Without their efforts, environmentalists fear systemic #deforestation from illegal logging, which would not only destroy habitat for vulnerable species but also increase the #GreenhouseGas emissions that further drive #ClimateChange. And without the preservation of the Crescencio Morales Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, an important chain in a migration that connects ecosystems from Canada to Mexico would be severed."
Full article:
https://www.vox.com/climate/24006471/cop28-rising-danger-environmental-activism#ForestDefenders #JusticeForHomero #DirectAction #CriminalizingDissent #DefendTheForest #IndigenousRights #Extinction #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #Fascism #DirectAction #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists
-
#IndigenousActivists are risking their lives for #butterflies
In #CentralMexico’s forests, armed community members defend an iconic butterfly from cartel-backed logging.
By Anjan Sundaram Dec 20, 2023
"Every winter, northwest of Mexico City, the branches of the Oyamel fir trees ignite in orange, colored by the wings of #MonarchButterflies that have made the epic journey south from Canada and the United States.
"The forest is home to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, created by presidential decree in 1986 and designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008. The reserve shelters nearly 90 percent of the region’s over-wintering monarch butterfly population.
"Despite the fact that the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is internationally protected, decades of degradation of the forest have posed an existential threat to this fragile ecosystem. Over the past four decades, the number of winter roosting sites for the butterflies in the reserve has fallen by over 50 percent, driven in part by illegal logging.
"After researchers found that 10 percent of total canopy cover had been lost between 2001 and 2012, the Mexican government ramped up enforcement of laws prohibiting logging. Government raids on illegal sawmills in the reserve sharply reduced logging. Yet according to an analysis by the World Wildlife Fund, the rate of forest degradation in the reserve tripled in 2022.
"To protect these forests — one of the few remaining wintering refuges for migrating monarchs — the local #Mazahua Indigenous community in Crescencio Morales has established its own security force.
"As these self-described forest defenders from Crescensio Morales fight to protect the monarch butterfly’s refuge, Indigenous leaders took the global stage at the United Nations annual climate change summit in Dubai to wage this battle on a second front: to convince world leaders to recognize the dangers environmental land defenders, particularly in Latin America, face and to build stronger mechanisms to support them.
"Around the world, environmental activists face increasing violence
"As their weapons indicate, the world’s environmental defenders need defending. Every day, the councils of Crescencio Morales’ guardia comunales work in shifts, patrolling their community as well as the boundary of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve. They say they are threatened by #sicarios, cartel #hitmen, who also benefit from the #IllegalTrade, and are allied with clandestine loggers who camp in the surrounding forests. The guardia comunales run well-armed patrols through their territories to prevent the sicarios from expanding their territories and cutting down the precious Oyamel fir trees.
"These conflicts put environmental #activists at great risk. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised to stop such violence, but the country remains among the world’s deadliest for those defending its pristine ecosystems. In January 2020, the body of the anti-logging activist and monarch butterfly defender #HomeroGómezGonzalez was found in a community near Crescencio. Activists suspect his death was connected to illegal logging disputes, the Guardian reported.
"The pressures that Mexico’s Indigenous activists face are emblematic of similar conflicts arising globally. Communities like Crescencio Morales are on the front lines of a battle to protect their local environment from a mounting scramble for natural resources, amplified by corruption.
"Members of Crescencio Morales’s community told me that in addition to fighting the illegal loggers, they also protect their forested mountains from #mining companies seeking to extract #gold, #silver, and #copper — #minerals now in high demand as the world transitions to clean energy technologies.
Land defenders around the world — in countries including Mexico, #Brazil, The Democratic Republic of the #Congo, and the #Philippines — face increasing violence as they defend their territories, according to #GlobalWitness, an accountability nonprofit that studies the link between #NaturalResources, #conflict, and #corruption. A 2023 investigation by the organization found that nearly 2,000 #activists have been killed over the last decade for their efforts to protect the planet, many of them from Indigenous communities trying to preserve their ecological heritage."The majority of recorded killings of #LandDefenders in 2022 took place in #LatinAmerica, making the continent perhaps the most dangerous place for #EnvironmentalDefense.
"#IndigenousLands include some of the planet’s most threatened landscapes
"The Mexican constitution protects the right of Indigenous communities’ self-determination — which, among other forms of #sovereignty, allows them to govern their land communally. In 2023, more than 50 percent of Mexico’s land fell under these legal regimes, termed #TierraComunal or #TierraEjidal — which roughly translates to communal land. This, according to a study by the Rights and Resources Initiative, is the highest percentage of land collectively owned by Indigenous and local communities of any country in the #Americas.
"This unique aspect of #MexicanIndigenous heritage means that broad swaths of land in Mexico remain protected. Yet mounting effects from climate change as well as political and economic pressures mean that some of Mexico’s Indigenous communities have been forced to block highways in protest and appeal for help to protect themselves, their communities, their ecosystems, and their way of life.
"#Mexico’s unique legal regime is especially important for Crescencio Morales because it offers communities in the area, with deep historical and cultural ties to the monarch butterflies, the legal authority to protect the reserve. But the law can only do so much to protect the refuge and its migrating butterflies from illegal logging pressure.
"To prevent destruction of the Monarch Biosphere Reserve, Indigenous activists have taken their security and that of the butterflies’ precious trees into their own hands. When I visited Crescencio Morales earlier this year, I walked with a community policeman named Aurelio during an armed patrol along his community’s border. (We are withholding his identity and using a pseudonym to protect him from being targeted by local violence.) At the summit of one of the hills surrounding the community, Aurelio told me Crescencio Morales had been forced to arm itself to protect its people, butterflies, and #Forests.
"The security situation in towns such as #CrescencioMorales is complex. According to other community leaders I spoke with this year, who wished to remain anonymous due to security risks, the locals did not trust the army or the state police, which they often suspected of cutting business deals with the cartels. Armed security volunteers who protected the community from #taladores, the illegal loggers, patrolled their town in pickup trucks.
"These hyperlocal battles — on highways and in open warfare by the #GuardiasComunales — have larger stakes: Mexican Indigenous environmental activists are defending landscapes that have implications for global #biodiversity. Without their efforts, environmentalists fear systemic #deforestation from illegal logging, which would not only destroy habitat for vulnerable species but also increase the #GreenhouseGas emissions that further drive #ClimateChange. And without the preservation of the Crescencio Morales Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, an important chain in a migration that connects ecosystems from Canada to Mexico would be severed."
Full article:
https://www.vox.com/climate/24006471/cop28-rising-danger-environmental-activism#ForestDefenders #JusticeForHomero #DirectAction #CriminalizingDissent #DefendTheForest #IndigenousRights #Extinction #EnvironmentalActivists #ClimateActivists #ClimateJustice #Fascism #DirectAction #SilencingDissent #CorporateColonialism #EcoActivists
-
Sounds like #China has fully embraced #CorporateColonialism! Welcome to the club?
#Africa: #LithiumMining in Africa Reveals Dark Side of #GreenEnergy
By Kate Hairsine
Deutsche Welle (Bonn)
16 November 2023“The new rush for lithium in Africa risks fueling #corruption and harming local communities and the #environment, investigations have shown.
“At a Chinese-run lithium mine in #Namibia, local workers have complained for months about squalid living conditions and #unsafe work practices.
“An August fact-finding mission by the Mineworkers Union of Namibia into the Uis mine -- which is operated by Chinese mining company #XinfengInvestments -- found the the local miners living in tiny and hot corrugated zinc shacks without proper ventilation.
“The union also faulted a lack of privacy in the sanitation blocks where toilets and showers are lined up without partitions between them.
“In contrast, the Chinese workers at the mine have comfortable air-conditioned rooms and decent bathrooms.
“The union also criticized Xinfeng for failing to provide protective clothing and ensure safety measures for local workers.
“This is not the only controversy surrounding Xinfeng Investments. A new investigation into lithium mining in Africa by UK-based nonprofit #GlobalWitness outlines accusations against the firm ranging from acquiring the #Uis industrial mine through #bribery to developing it using permits intended for artisanal miners.
“Developing the mine with small-scale licenses meant the company paid 'a staggering low amount for access' to the lithium deposit and allowed it to skirt some #EnvironmentalRegulations, the investigation says.
Concerning trend of #corruption
“As well as in Namibia, the report also documents human rights abuses, corruption, displacement and unsafe working practices in lithium mines the Democratic Republic of the #Congo and #Zimbabwe.
“Going back decades, the mining sector in Africa has often involved corruption and communities not really getting a share of the profits,' said Global Witness senior investigator Colin Robertson, one of the report's authors. 'What we found in the lithium sector is that this trend is set to continue. ... This is very concerning.'
Race for lithium
“Called the 'white gold' of the renewable energy revolution, lithium is a key component of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power everything from cell phones to electric cars (#EVs). Such #batteries are also vital for storing energy produced by clean energy like solar or wind if the world is to make the break from #FossilFuels.
“Globally, the lithium supply is currently dominated by #Australia, #Chile and China, who together produced 90% of the light metal in 2022. But with about 5% of the world's lithium ore reserves, Africa still holds enormous potential, most of which is untapped. Currently only Zimbabwe and Namibia have exported lithium ore, while projects in nations such as #Congo, #Mali, #Ghana, #Nigeria, #Rwanda and #Ethiopia are under exploration or development.
“With demand for the critical mineral expected to boom -- it could grow 40-fold by 2040, according to International Energy Agency projections -- major economies and international companies are racing to secure access to lithium on the continent.
“And many African nations are embracing the lithium rush.
Mineral of the future
“'Lithium is the mineral of the present and the future,' Zimbabwe's president #Emmerson Mnangagwa said recently.
“Zimbabwe, which has Africa's largest lithium reserves and is ranked sixth globally for lithium exports, earned $209 million (€193) from the mineral in the first nine months of 2023. That's nearly treble last year's earnings.
“The southern African country, along with Namibia and Tanzania, has banned the export of raw, or unprocessed lithium, as it seeks to get added value from the lightweight metal.
“Zimbabwe's ban is far from watertight. Global Witness' research discovered that large amounts of lithium ore are still being trucked out of the country.
“In addition, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, a military-linked company subject to US and EU sanctions, has been granted a special exemption to export lithium ore to China. The director of the Harare-based Centre for Natural Resource Governance, Farai Maguwu, is appalled by this.
“'Even though they don't own a single lithium mine,' he told DW, 'they were given an export permit.'
Lithium is a curse
“Maguwu is pessimistic when asked if lithium mining brings any benefit to Zimbabwe.
“’Not at all,' he answered. 'If anything, this abundance of lithium deposits in the current system of governance is actually a curse to the country.'
“If anything, it will bring the country down because there are no systems in place to ensure that the country can generate revenue for the benefits, first and foremost, of the host communities which must pay the cost of mine, loss of land, loss of #biodiversity and the social intrusion into their space.'
“He gives the example of the #SandawanaMine where a lithium rush saw thousands of locals digging out lithium. In early 2023 though, the mine was reportedly taken over by companies with links to Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party and military.
“'Even where the local people are able to mine and sell legally, the government sent troops armed to the teeth to stop people from accessing the lithium,' Maguwu said.
“There is 'no silver bullet' to the problem of corruption in Africa's mining sector, he said, but he would like to see more Western mining companies invest in extracting Africa's lithium, as they are often bound by stricter environmental, social and governance standards and practices.
Fear of Chinese monopoly
“China has a virtual monopoly on lithium extraction in Africa. More than four-fifths, or 83%, of Africa's forecast lithium supply this decade will come from projects at least partly owned by Chinese firms, estimates Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a consultancy.
“Three Chinese mining giants have acquired lithium mines and projects worth $678 million in Zimbabwe in the past year.
“'Domination [of lithium mining] by one country may led to undesirable results such as under-valuation of mineral resources, #TaxAvoidance and #HumanRights abuses in the sector,' according to a recent report by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
“The Global Witness researcher Robertson calls on the European Union and the United States to ensure increased transparency of lithium mining and more oversight by local activists in order to improve governance and combat corruption.
“'It can't just be about [the EU and US] trying to increase their own supply of minerals,' he said.
“As for Farai Maguwu, he stresses that the proceeds from extractive projects must be plowed back into the community in terms of public goods, such as roads, health clinics and schools.
“’We consider our unmined assets as our natural capital and the local people, even children, should enjoy the benefits of the extraction of their natural capital.’”
-
Sounds like #China has fully embraced #CorporateColonialism! Welcome to the club?
#Africa: #LithiumMining in Africa Reveals Dark Side of #GreenEnergy
By Kate Hairsine
Deutsche Welle (Bonn)
16 November 2023“The new rush for lithium in Africa risks fueling #corruption and harming local communities and the #environment, investigations have shown.
“At a Chinese-run lithium mine in #Namibia, local workers have complained for months about squalid living conditions and #unsafe work practices.
“An August fact-finding mission by the Mineworkers Union of Namibia into the Uis mine -- which is operated by Chinese mining company #XinfengInvestments -- found the the local miners living in tiny and hot corrugated zinc shacks without proper ventilation.
“The union also faulted a lack of privacy in the sanitation blocks where toilets and showers are lined up without partitions between them.
“In contrast, the Chinese workers at the mine have comfortable air-conditioned rooms and decent bathrooms.
“The union also criticized Xinfeng for failing to provide protective clothing and ensure safety measures for local workers.
“This is not the only controversy surrounding Xinfeng Investments. A new investigation into lithium mining in Africa by UK-based nonprofit #GlobalWitness outlines accusations against the firm ranging from acquiring the #Uis industrial mine through #bribery to developing it using permits intended for artisanal miners.
“Developing the mine with small-scale licenses meant the company paid 'a staggering low amount for access' to the lithium deposit and allowed it to skirt some #EnvironmentalRegulations, the investigation says.
Concerning trend of #corruption
“As well as in Namibia, the report also documents human rights abuses, corruption, displacement and unsafe working practices in lithium mines the Democratic Republic of the #Congo and #Zimbabwe.
“Going back decades, the mining sector in Africa has often involved corruption and communities not really getting a share of the profits,' said Global Witness senior investigator Colin Robertson, one of the report's authors. 'What we found in the lithium sector is that this trend is set to continue. ... This is very concerning.'
Race for lithium
“Called the 'white gold' of the renewable energy revolution, lithium is a key component of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power everything from cell phones to electric cars (#EVs). Such #batteries are also vital for storing energy produced by clean energy like solar or wind if the world is to make the break from #FossilFuels.
“Globally, the lithium supply is currently dominated by #Australia, #Chile and China, who together produced 90% of the light metal in 2022. But with about 5% of the world's lithium ore reserves, Africa still holds enormous potential, most of which is untapped. Currently only Zimbabwe and Namibia have exported lithium ore, while projects in nations such as #Congo, #Mali, #Ghana, #Nigeria, #Rwanda and #Ethiopia are under exploration or development.
“With demand for the critical mineral expected to boom -- it could grow 40-fold by 2040, according to International Energy Agency projections -- major economies and international companies are racing to secure access to lithium on the continent.
“And many African nations are embracing the lithium rush.
Mineral of the future
“'Lithium is the mineral of the present and the future,' Zimbabwe's president #Emmerson Mnangagwa said recently.
“Zimbabwe, which has Africa's largest lithium reserves and is ranked sixth globally for lithium exports, earned $209 million (€193) from the mineral in the first nine months of 2023. That's nearly treble last year's earnings.
“The southern African country, along with Namibia and Tanzania, has banned the export of raw, or unprocessed lithium, as it seeks to get added value from the lightweight metal.
“Zimbabwe's ban is far from watertight. Global Witness' research discovered that large amounts of lithium ore are still being trucked out of the country.
“In addition, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, a military-linked company subject to US and EU sanctions, has been granted a special exemption to export lithium ore to China. The director of the Harare-based Centre for Natural Resource Governance, Farai Maguwu, is appalled by this.
“'Even though they don't own a single lithium mine,' he told DW, 'they were given an export permit.'
Lithium is a curse
“Maguwu is pessimistic when asked if lithium mining brings any benefit to Zimbabwe.
“’Not at all,' he answered. 'If anything, this abundance of lithium deposits in the current system of governance is actually a curse to the country.'
“If anything, it will bring the country down because there are no systems in place to ensure that the country can generate revenue for the benefits, first and foremost, of the host communities which must pay the cost of mine, loss of land, loss of #biodiversity and the social intrusion into their space.'
“He gives the example of the #SandawanaMine where a lithium rush saw thousands of locals digging out lithium. In early 2023 though, the mine was reportedly taken over by companies with links to Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party and military.
“'Even where the local people are able to mine and sell legally, the government sent troops armed to the teeth to stop people from accessing the lithium,' Maguwu said.
“There is 'no silver bullet' to the problem of corruption in Africa's mining sector, he said, but he would like to see more Western mining companies invest in extracting Africa's lithium, as they are often bound by stricter environmental, social and governance standards and practices.
Fear of Chinese monopoly
“China has a virtual monopoly on lithium extraction in Africa. More than four-fifths, or 83%, of Africa's forecast lithium supply this decade will come from projects at least partly owned by Chinese firms, estimates Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a consultancy.
“Three Chinese mining giants have acquired lithium mines and projects worth $678 million in Zimbabwe in the past year.
“'Domination [of lithium mining] by one country may led to undesirable results such as under-valuation of mineral resources, #TaxAvoidance and #HumanRights abuses in the sector,' according to a recent report by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
“The Global Witness researcher Robertson calls on the European Union and the United States to ensure increased transparency of lithium mining and more oversight by local activists in order to improve governance and combat corruption.
“'It can't just be about [the EU and US] trying to increase their own supply of minerals,' he said.
“As for Farai Maguwu, he stresses that the proceeds from extractive projects must be plowed back into the community in terms of public goods, such as roads, health clinics and schools.
“’We consider our unmined assets as our natural capital and the local people, even children, should enjoy the benefits of the extraction of their natural capital.’”
-
Sounds like #China has fully embraced #CorporateColonialism! Welcome to the club?
#Africa: #LithiumMining in Africa Reveals Dark Side of #GreenEnergy
By Kate Hairsine
Deutsche Welle (Bonn)
16 November 2023“The new rush for lithium in Africa risks fueling #corruption and harming local communities and the #environment, investigations have shown.
“At a Chinese-run lithium mine in #Namibia, local workers have complained for months about squalid living conditions and #unsafe work practices.
“An August fact-finding mission by the Mineworkers Union of Namibia into the Uis mine -- which is operated by Chinese mining company #XinfengInvestments -- found the the local miners living in tiny and hot corrugated zinc shacks without proper ventilation.
“The union also faulted a lack of privacy in the sanitation blocks where toilets and showers are lined up without partitions between them.
“In contrast, the Chinese workers at the mine have comfortable air-conditioned rooms and decent bathrooms.
“The union also criticized Xinfeng for failing to provide protective clothing and ensure safety measures for local workers.
“This is not the only controversy surrounding Xinfeng Investments. A new investigation into lithium mining in Africa by UK-based nonprofit #GlobalWitness outlines accusations against the firm ranging from acquiring the #Uis industrial mine through #bribery to developing it using permits intended for artisanal miners.
“Developing the mine with small-scale licenses meant the company paid 'a staggering low amount for access' to the lithium deposit and allowed it to skirt some #EnvironmentalRegulations, the investigation says.
Concerning trend of #corruption
“As well as in Namibia, the report also documents human rights abuses, corruption, displacement and unsafe working practices in lithium mines the Democratic Republic of the #Congo and #Zimbabwe.
“Going back decades, the mining sector in Africa has often involved corruption and communities not really getting a share of the profits,' said Global Witness senior investigator Colin Robertson, one of the report's authors. 'What we found in the lithium sector is that this trend is set to continue. ... This is very concerning.'
Race for lithium
“Called the 'white gold' of the renewable energy revolution, lithium is a key component of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power everything from cell phones to electric cars (#EVs). Such #batteries are also vital for storing energy produced by clean energy like solar or wind if the world is to make the break from #FossilFuels.
“Globally, the lithium supply is currently dominated by #Australia, #Chile and China, who together produced 90% of the light metal in 2022. But with about 5% of the world's lithium ore reserves, Africa still holds enormous potential, most of which is untapped. Currently only Zimbabwe and Namibia have exported lithium ore, while projects in nations such as #Congo, #Mali, #Ghana, #Nigeria, #Rwanda and #Ethiopia are under exploration or development.
“With demand for the critical mineral expected to boom -- it could grow 40-fold by 2040, according to International Energy Agency projections -- major economies and international companies are racing to secure access to lithium on the continent.
“And many African nations are embracing the lithium rush.
Mineral of the future
“'Lithium is the mineral of the present and the future,' Zimbabwe's president #Emmerson Mnangagwa said recently.
“Zimbabwe, which has Africa's largest lithium reserves and is ranked sixth globally for lithium exports, earned $209 million (€193) from the mineral in the first nine months of 2023. That's nearly treble last year's earnings.
“The southern African country, along with Namibia and Tanzania, has banned the export of raw, or unprocessed lithium, as it seeks to get added value from the lightweight metal.
“Zimbabwe's ban is far from watertight. Global Witness' research discovered that large amounts of lithium ore are still being trucked out of the country.
“In addition, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, a military-linked company subject to US and EU sanctions, has been granted a special exemption to export lithium ore to China. The director of the Harare-based Centre for Natural Resource Governance, Farai Maguwu, is appalled by this.
“'Even though they don't own a single lithium mine,' he told DW, 'they were given an export permit.'
Lithium is a curse
“Maguwu is pessimistic when asked if lithium mining brings any benefit to Zimbabwe.
“’Not at all,' he answered. 'If anything, this abundance of lithium deposits in the current system of governance is actually a curse to the country.'
“If anything, it will bring the country down because there are no systems in place to ensure that the country can generate revenue for the benefits, first and foremost, of the host communities which must pay the cost of mine, loss of land, loss of #biodiversity and the social intrusion into their space.'
“He gives the example of the #SandawanaMine where a lithium rush saw thousands of locals digging out lithium. In early 2023 though, the mine was reportedly taken over by companies with links to Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party and military.
“'Even where the local people are able to mine and sell legally, the government sent troops armed to the teeth to stop people from accessing the lithium,' Maguwu said.
“There is 'no silver bullet' to the problem of corruption in Africa's mining sector, he said, but he would like to see more Western mining companies invest in extracting Africa's lithium, as they are often bound by stricter environmental, social and governance standards and practices.
Fear of Chinese monopoly
“China has a virtual monopoly on lithium extraction in Africa. More than four-fifths, or 83%, of Africa's forecast lithium supply this decade will come from projects at least partly owned by Chinese firms, estimates Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a consultancy.
“Three Chinese mining giants have acquired lithium mines and projects worth $678 million in Zimbabwe in the past year.
“'Domination [of lithium mining] by one country may led to undesirable results such as under-valuation of mineral resources, #TaxAvoidance and #HumanRights abuses in the sector,' according to a recent report by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
“The Global Witness researcher Robertson calls on the European Union and the United States to ensure increased transparency of lithium mining and more oversight by local activists in order to improve governance and combat corruption.
“'It can't just be about [the EU and US] trying to increase their own supply of minerals,' he said.
“As for Farai Maguwu, he stresses that the proceeds from extractive projects must be plowed back into the community in terms of public goods, such as roads, health clinics and schools.
“’We consider our unmined assets as our natural capital and the local people, even children, should enjoy the benefits of the extraction of their natural capital.’”
-
Sounds like #China has fully embraced #CorporateColonialism! Welcome to the club?
#Africa: #LithiumMining in Africa Reveals Dark Side of #GreenEnergy
By Kate Hairsine
Deutsche Welle (Bonn)
16 November 2023“The new rush for lithium in Africa risks fueling #corruption and harming local communities and the #environment, investigations have shown.
“At a Chinese-run lithium mine in #Namibia, local workers have complained for months about squalid living conditions and #unsafe work practices.
“An August fact-finding mission by the Mineworkers Union of Namibia into the Uis mine -- which is operated by Chinese mining company #XinfengInvestments -- found the the local miners living in tiny and hot corrugated zinc shacks without proper ventilation.
“The union also faulted a lack of privacy in the sanitation blocks where toilets and showers are lined up without partitions between them.
“In contrast, the Chinese workers at the mine have comfortable air-conditioned rooms and decent bathrooms.
“The union also criticized Xinfeng for failing to provide protective clothing and ensure safety measures for local workers.
“This is not the only controversy surrounding Xinfeng Investments. A new investigation into lithium mining in Africa by UK-based nonprofit #GlobalWitness outlines accusations against the firm ranging from acquiring the #Uis industrial mine through #bribery to developing it using permits intended for artisanal miners.
“Developing the mine with small-scale licenses meant the company paid 'a staggering low amount for access' to the lithium deposit and allowed it to skirt some #EnvironmentalRegulations, the investigation says.
Concerning trend of #corruption
“As well as in Namibia, the report also documents human rights abuses, corruption, displacement and unsafe working practices in lithium mines the Democratic Republic of the #Congo and #Zimbabwe.
“Going back decades, the mining sector in Africa has often involved corruption and communities not really getting a share of the profits,' said Global Witness senior investigator Colin Robertson, one of the report's authors. 'What we found in the lithium sector is that this trend is set to continue. ... This is very concerning.'
Race for lithium
“Called the 'white gold' of the renewable energy revolution, lithium is a key component of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power everything from cell phones to electric cars (#EVs). Such #batteries are also vital for storing energy produced by clean energy like solar or wind if the world is to make the break from #FossilFuels.
“Globally, the lithium supply is currently dominated by #Australia, #Chile and China, who together produced 90% of the light metal in 2022. But with about 5% of the world's lithium ore reserves, Africa still holds enormous potential, most of which is untapped. Currently only Zimbabwe and Namibia have exported lithium ore, while projects in nations such as #Congo, #Mali, #Ghana, #Nigeria, #Rwanda and #Ethiopia are under exploration or development.
“With demand for the critical mineral expected to boom -- it could grow 40-fold by 2040, according to International Energy Agency projections -- major economies and international companies are racing to secure access to lithium on the continent.
“And many African nations are embracing the lithium rush.
Mineral of the future
“'Lithium is the mineral of the present and the future,' Zimbabwe's president #Emmerson Mnangagwa said recently.
“Zimbabwe, which has Africa's largest lithium reserves and is ranked sixth globally for lithium exports, earned $209 million (€193) from the mineral in the first nine months of 2023. That's nearly treble last year's earnings.
“The southern African country, along with Namibia and Tanzania, has banned the export of raw, or unprocessed lithium, as it seeks to get added value from the lightweight metal.
“Zimbabwe's ban is far from watertight. Global Witness' research discovered that large amounts of lithium ore are still being trucked out of the country.
“In addition, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, a military-linked company subject to US and EU sanctions, has been granted a special exemption to export lithium ore to China. The director of the Harare-based Centre for Natural Resource Governance, Farai Maguwu, is appalled by this.
“'Even though they don't own a single lithium mine,' he told DW, 'they were given an export permit.'
Lithium is a curse
“Maguwu is pessimistic when asked if lithium mining brings any benefit to Zimbabwe.
“’Not at all,' he answered. 'If anything, this abundance of lithium deposits in the current system of governance is actually a curse to the country.'
“If anything, it will bring the country down because there are no systems in place to ensure that the country can generate revenue for the benefits, first and foremost, of the host communities which must pay the cost of mine, loss of land, loss of #biodiversity and the social intrusion into their space.'
“He gives the example of the #SandawanaMine where a lithium rush saw thousands of locals digging out lithium. In early 2023 though, the mine was reportedly taken over by companies with links to Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party and military.
“'Even where the local people are able to mine and sell legally, the government sent troops armed to the teeth to stop people from accessing the lithium,' Maguwu said.
“There is 'no silver bullet' to the problem of corruption in Africa's mining sector, he said, but he would like to see more Western mining companies invest in extracting Africa's lithium, as they are often bound by stricter environmental, social and governance standards and practices.
Fear of Chinese monopoly
“China has a virtual monopoly on lithium extraction in Africa. More than four-fifths, or 83%, of Africa's forecast lithium supply this decade will come from projects at least partly owned by Chinese firms, estimates Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a consultancy.
“Three Chinese mining giants have acquired lithium mines and projects worth $678 million in Zimbabwe in the past year.
“'Domination [of lithium mining] by one country may led to undesirable results such as under-valuation of mineral resources, #TaxAvoidance and #HumanRights abuses in the sector,' according to a recent report by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
“The Global Witness researcher Robertson calls on the European Union and the United States to ensure increased transparency of lithium mining and more oversight by local activists in order to improve governance and combat corruption.
“'It can't just be about [the EU and US] trying to increase their own supply of minerals,' he said.
“As for Farai Maguwu, he stresses that the proceeds from extractive projects must be plowed back into the community in terms of public goods, such as roads, health clinics and schools.
“’We consider our unmined assets as our natural capital and the local people, even children, should enjoy the benefits of the extraction of their natural capital.’”
-
Sounds like #China has fully embraced #CorporateColonialism! Welcome to the club?
#Africa: #LithiumMining in Africa Reveals Dark Side of #GreenEnergy
By Kate Hairsine
Deutsche Welle (Bonn)
16 November 2023“The new rush for lithium in Africa risks fueling #corruption and harming local communities and the #environment, investigations have shown.
“At a Chinese-run lithium mine in #Namibia, local workers have complained for months about squalid living conditions and #unsafe work practices.
“An August fact-finding mission by the Mineworkers Union of Namibia into the Uis mine -- which is operated by Chinese mining company #XinfengInvestments -- found the the local miners living in tiny and hot corrugated zinc shacks without proper ventilation.
“The union also faulted a lack of privacy in the sanitation blocks where toilets and showers are lined up without partitions between them.
“In contrast, the Chinese workers at the mine have comfortable air-conditioned rooms and decent bathrooms.
“The union also criticized Xinfeng for failing to provide protective clothing and ensure safety measures for local workers.
“This is not the only controversy surrounding Xinfeng Investments. A new investigation into lithium mining in Africa by UK-based nonprofit #GlobalWitness outlines accusations against the firm ranging from acquiring the #Uis industrial mine through #bribery to developing it using permits intended for artisanal miners.
“Developing the mine with small-scale licenses meant the company paid 'a staggering low amount for access' to the lithium deposit and allowed it to skirt some #EnvironmentalRegulations, the investigation says.
Concerning trend of #corruption
“As well as in Namibia, the report also documents human rights abuses, corruption, displacement and unsafe working practices in lithium mines the Democratic Republic of the #Congo and #Zimbabwe.
“Going back decades, the mining sector in Africa has often involved corruption and communities not really getting a share of the profits,' said Global Witness senior investigator Colin Robertson, one of the report's authors. 'What we found in the lithium sector is that this trend is set to continue. ... This is very concerning.'
Race for lithium
“Called the 'white gold' of the renewable energy revolution, lithium is a key component of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power everything from cell phones to electric cars (#EVs). Such #batteries are also vital for storing energy produced by clean energy like solar or wind if the world is to make the break from #FossilFuels.
“Globally, the lithium supply is currently dominated by #Australia, #Chile and China, who together produced 90% of the light metal in 2022. But with about 5% of the world's lithium ore reserves, Africa still holds enormous potential, most of which is untapped. Currently only Zimbabwe and Namibia have exported lithium ore, while projects in nations such as #Congo, #Mali, #Ghana, #Nigeria, #Rwanda and #Ethiopia are under exploration or development.
“With demand for the critical mineral expected to boom -- it could grow 40-fold by 2040, according to International Energy Agency projections -- major economies and international companies are racing to secure access to lithium on the continent.
“And many African nations are embracing the lithium rush.
Mineral of the future
“'Lithium is the mineral of the present and the future,' Zimbabwe's president #Emmerson Mnangagwa said recently.
“Zimbabwe, which has Africa's largest lithium reserves and is ranked sixth globally for lithium exports, earned $209 million (€193) from the mineral in the first nine months of 2023. That's nearly treble last year's earnings.
“The southern African country, along with Namibia and Tanzania, has banned the export of raw, or unprocessed lithium, as it seeks to get added value from the lightweight metal.
“Zimbabwe's ban is far from watertight. Global Witness' research discovered that large amounts of lithium ore are still being trucked out of the country.
“In addition, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, a military-linked company subject to US and EU sanctions, has been granted a special exemption to export lithium ore to China. The director of the Harare-based Centre for Natural Resource Governance, Farai Maguwu, is appalled by this.
“'Even though they don't own a single lithium mine,' he told DW, 'they were given an export permit.'
Lithium is a curse
“Maguwu is pessimistic when asked if lithium mining brings any benefit to Zimbabwe.
“’Not at all,' he answered. 'If anything, this abundance of lithium deposits in the current system of governance is actually a curse to the country.'
“If anything, it will bring the country down because there are no systems in place to ensure that the country can generate revenue for the benefits, first and foremost, of the host communities which must pay the cost of mine, loss of land, loss of #biodiversity and the social intrusion into their space.'
“He gives the example of the #SandawanaMine where a lithium rush saw thousands of locals digging out lithium. In early 2023 though, the mine was reportedly taken over by companies with links to Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party and military.
“'Even where the local people are able to mine and sell legally, the government sent troops armed to the teeth to stop people from accessing the lithium,' Maguwu said.
“There is 'no silver bullet' to the problem of corruption in Africa's mining sector, he said, but he would like to see more Western mining companies invest in extracting Africa's lithium, as they are often bound by stricter environmental, social and governance standards and practices.
Fear of Chinese monopoly
“China has a virtual monopoly on lithium extraction in Africa. More than four-fifths, or 83%, of Africa's forecast lithium supply this decade will come from projects at least partly owned by Chinese firms, estimates Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a consultancy.
“Three Chinese mining giants have acquired lithium mines and projects worth $678 million in Zimbabwe in the past year.
“'Domination [of lithium mining] by one country may led to undesirable results such as under-valuation of mineral resources, #TaxAvoidance and #HumanRights abuses in the sector,' according to a recent report by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association.
“The Global Witness researcher Robertson calls on the European Union and the United States to ensure increased transparency of lithium mining and more oversight by local activists in order to improve governance and combat corruption.
“'It can't just be about [the EU and US] trying to increase their own supply of minerals,' he said.
“As for Farai Maguwu, he stresses that the proceeds from extractive projects must be plowed back into the community in terms of public goods, such as roads, health clinics and schools.
“’We consider our unmined assets as our natural capital and the local people, even children, should enjoy the benefits of the extraction of their natural capital.’”
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"hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fuel, in part made from Russian crude, still ending up in American gas tanks.
"Last month, the Balzani arrived in the New Harbor carrying more than 500,000 barrels of fuel made in part from Russian crude oil. It turns out that U.S. imports are helping fuel Russia's war machine."
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMTEBoapjbYText:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-russian-oil-is-reaching-the-u-s-market-through-a-loophole-in-the-embargo
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#russia #ukraine #sanctions #oil #FossiFuels #gasoline #PBSNewsHour #GlobalWitness
