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Statement on the release of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
Friends of the Earth refuses to support the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, stating that the bill fails to implement the necessary national and international actions to mitigate climate change and promote a clean energy economy, attributing these failures to the influence of oil and coal interests in Congress.
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Document type: Statement
Negishi Welfare Weights: The Mathematics of Global Inequality
The paper argues that Negishi weighting is a critical but often opaque ethical assumption in climate-economics models that effectively freezes the current global distribution of income. By assigning higher weights to the welfare of richer regions, these models suppress the inherent tendency of utilitarian welfare functions to recommend income redistribution from rich to poor regions. The author contends that this creates a political bias in policy advice, as the resulting 'optimal' scenarios are only optimal in a world where income redistribution is considered impossible or forbidden. The document suggests alternatives, including increasing transparency, allowing for redistribution in models, optimizing for money rather than utility, or using non-welfare-optimizing IAMs.
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Document type: Research paper
Joint Statement on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Climate and Energy Bill
Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Public Citizen issued a joint statement expressing concern that reported compromises to the American Clean Energy & Security Act undermine the goals of addressing global warming and transitioning to a clean energy economy.
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Document type: Statement
letter-to-lisa-jackson-on-definition-of-solid-waste-rule-9b9e1737914aca4e.pdf
A coalition of environmental and health organizations argues that the EPA's 2008 rule exempting recycled hazardous waste from RCRA regulation creates significant public health risks, particularly for minority and low-income communities, and allows for the unsafe incorporation of toxins into commercial products, including those for children.
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Document type: Statement
Improper Interference in Pending CAO Case
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) alleges that the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Agribusiness Department improperly interfered in a Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) case concerning an IFC-financed ethanol plant and sugarcane fields in Nicaragua. CIEL claims the Department issued inaccurate public statements on January 29, 2009, which mischaracterized the CAO's findings on the link between Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited (NSEL) and an epidemic of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). CIEL argues these actions undermine the CAO process and jeopardize sensitive negotiations between local communities and NSEL regarding health services and epidemiological studies. The letter requests a retraction of the response, an inquiry into its preparation, and the appointment of an overseer for the Department's activities in this case.
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Document type: Statement
“¿Quién se beneficia con los cultivos transgénicos?”
This report by Friends of the Earth International examines the socio-economic and environmental impacts of GM crops, specifically focusing on the dominance of a few corporations like Monsanto. It argues that GM technology does not solve hunger, as most crops are used for animal feed or biofuels in wealthy nations. The document highlights a trend of increasing pesticide use and the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds in the US, Argentina, and Brazil. It further claims that GM crops often result in lower yields than conventional varieties and suggests that agroecological and organic farming are more effective alternatives for food security.
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Document type: Report
colombia
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) has withdrawn its membership from the IUCN, citing the IUCN's corporate partnership with Shell as the primary reason. FoEI argues that such partnerships serve as 'greenwash' for harmful corporate activities and undermine community struggles for environmental and human rights. The document highlights Shell's record on gas flaring, human rights abuses, and arctic drilling, and notes that a majority of IUCN non-government organizations and members voted to terminate the Shell agreement via Motion 107, though they were blocked by government delegates.
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Document type: Statement
Plantar S.A. CDM project: Global warming continues unabated
A group of Brazilian and international organizations opposes the approval of Plantar S.A.'s CDM project, "Cultivated Biomass as a Renewable Source of Energy for Pig Iron Production". The authors argue that the project lacks additionality because the company has already been planting eucalyptus since 2000 and that the operations cause significant environmental degradation and social injustices, including the displacement of indigenous and peasant communities.
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Document type: Statement
Nuclear Power: Climate Fix or Folly?
The report contends that nuclear power is economically unviable, citing soaring capital costs and a lack of private investment. It argues that decentralized 'micropower'—including wind, solar, and cogeneration—alongside end-use efficiency, provides a more cost-effective means of displacing CO2 emissions and enhancing energy security. The authors assert that nuclear power's slow deployment and high financial risk make it a liability for urgent climate action, suggesting that resources should instead be shifted toward distributed energy resources.
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Document type: Report
UCSVanguard 2009
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) developed the Vanguard blueprint to show that current technologies—such as cylinder deactivation, turbocharging, and continuously variable transmissions—can reduce global warming emissions across all vehicle classes. The report argues that while individual components are already used in many 2008 model year vehicles, automakers are resisting the implementation of full technology packages that would meet the 2016 clean car standard. Financial analysis indicates that for various vehicle types, the increase in purchase price for these upgrades would be offset by lifetime consumer savings, with payback periods ranging from 2.1 to 3.6 years.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The No-Nonsense guide to Communication, Climate Justice and Climate Change
The document argues that climate change is a profoundly ethical issue where the global North bears primary responsibility for emissions while the global South and marginalized groups suffer the most severe impacts. It advocates for 'climate justice'—a vision to alleviate unequal burdens through fair treatment and policies that address the structures creating inequality. The guide critiques market-based solutions like carbon trading and agrofuels, calling them 'false solutions' that allow rich nations to avoid responsibility. It highlights specific vulnerabilities, noting that women are disproportionately affected due to their roles in managing natural resources and limited access to decision-making. The text also introduces the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDRs) framework, which proposes a 'development threshold' to ensure the poor are not burdened by the costs of the climate transition. Finally, it provides practical advice for journalists to localize climate stories by amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable and comparing local environmental changes with global causes.
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Document type: Guide
Disappointing Inaction by Industrialized Countries at the Climate Talks
Friends of the Earth International expresses deep disappointment with the outcomes of the Poznan climate talks, arguing that Annex I countries have prioritized 'get-out-clauses' and offsetting schemes over genuine emission reductions. The organization calls for a minimum 40% reduction in emissions below 1990 levels by 2020 and warns that the REDD mechanism risks undermining the rights of Indigenous peoples and biodiversity if it fails to distinguish natural forests from monoculture plantations.
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Document type: Statement
Poznan Declaration: World vs. Bank
A declaration by various international organizations opposing the World Bank's role in the UNFCCC climate regime due to its continued financing of fossil fuels, contribution to deforestation, and undemocratic governance.
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Document type: Statement
Europa Global: los verdaderos intereses de la estrategia comercial de la UE para someter a los pueblos a la tiranía del “libre comercio”
The report analyzes the 'Global Europe' strategy as a political and economic tool used by the EU to secure access to raw materials, energy reserves, and open markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It argues that 'Association Agreements' go beyond trade in goods to include the liberalization of services, investments, and government procurement, which the author claims undermines the sovereignty of developing nations. The document highlights specific negative impacts, such as the promotion of agrofuels in Central America, the pressure on African nations to sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to maintain tariff preferences, and the role of European financial institutions like the European Investment Bank in funding extractive projects. It concludes that the strategy prioritizes corporate competitiveness over human rights and environmental sustainability.
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Document type: Report
SOTU Will Likely Cement Bushs Legacy as Worst In History
Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder argues that President Bush's plan to promote coal, oil, and nuclear power as energy solutions will cement his legacy as the worst president in history regarding the environment, while the planet approaches a global warming tipping point.
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Document type: Statement
Bush Energy Plan No Solution
Friends of the Earth argues that President Bush's energy plan is a 'non-solution' that would increase oil imports by 85 percent over 20 years. The organization criticizes the plan for omitting fuel efficiency standards and renewable energy requirements while instead promoting nuclear power and the expansion of liquefied natural gas terminals.
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Document type: Statement
Congressional Energy Plan Takes our Nation Backward
Friends of the Earth criticizes a proposed US congressional energy plan, asserting that it undermines environmental protections, fails to reduce oil dependence, and prioritizes polluting industries over renewable energy and efficiency.
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Document type: Statement
Hoffman Rewrite of National Park Policies Threatens Americas Heritage
Four conservation groups—Friends of the Earth, the National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, and The Wilderness Society—condemn a secret policy rewrite by Paul Hoffman, deputy assistant secretary of the Department of Interior. They argue the proposal departs from the stewardship ethic of the National Park Service and could harm parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
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Document type: Statement
Big oil benefiting from $14 billion in taxpayer handoutsdespite making record profits
Friends of the Earth argues that major oil companies are receiving billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies and tax cuts despite reporting record profits, which the organization claims hinders the transition to renewable energy and conservation.
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Document type: Statement
President Bush Still Clueless About Global Warming
Friends of the Earth argues that President Bush's claims regarding a debate over man-made global warming contradict IPCC findings and that his reliance on oil, coal, and nuclear power as solutions is ineffective and dangerous.
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Document type: Statement