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FOLLOW UP TO REQUEST FOR REVIEW AND STRENGTHENING OF THE NATIONAL DUST CONTROL REGULATIONS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is calling for a review of South Africa's National Dust Control Regulations, arguing that current monitoring methods are inadequate and that the government is incorrectly treating fugitive dust as a 'nuisance' rather than a health risk. CER specifically highlights the danger of toxic substances like arsenic and uranium in gold mine residues in Gauteng and opposes a proposal to double the allowable 30-day average dust limit from 600mg/m2 to 1200mg/m2. The letter also demands that the scope of regulated activities be expanded to explicitly include gold mine tailings re-mining operations.
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Document type: Statement
Comunidad latina ignorada en la respuesta a la crisis del agua en Flint
The statement highlights the systemic failure to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate health warnings to the Latino community during the Flint water crisis. It notes that fear of deportation and a lack of Spanish-language information prevented many undocumented families from accessing safe water and medical services. The author advocates for a national lead prevention strategy and immediate federal funding of approximately 1.5 billion dollars to replace corroded water infrastructure in Flint.
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Document type: Statement
EU lawmakers fail to fix Europe’s broken carbon market
Carbon Market Watch argues that the European Parliament's industry committee has failed to fix fundamental flaws in the EU ETS, specifically regarding the oversupply of pollution permits and the continued provision of free allowances to heavy industry. While the committee strengthened exclusions for future coal investments and permanently cancelled a small portion of surplus allowances, the organisation contends these measures are insufficient to drive a low-carbon transition or meet Paris Agreement commitments.
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Document type: Statement
ENGOS and scientists challenge the Swedish Energy Agency: stop supporting false climate change solutions in Uganda
The document criticizes the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA) for supporting the Kachung Forest Project (CDM project #4653) in Uganda through a 20-year purchase agreement with Green Resources. The authors argue the project is flawed, causing environmental degradation through non-native eucalyptus and pine plantations and violating local community rights through evictions and livestock confiscation. They further challenge the project's carbon sequestration claims, suggesting it may be a net source of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite criticism, the SEA announced in March 2016 that it would remain engaged to improve community conditions, a move the authors claim supports a system of exploitation by the global North.
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Document type: Statement
Summary Notes: Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) Statement on The Transpacific Partnership to Canada’s Committee on International Trade
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) recommends against Canada ratifying the TPP, asserting that climate change is a global health emergency requiring a low-carbon transition and the retention of 80% of fossil fuel reserves. CAPE expresses concern that TPP 'Technical Barrier to Trade' provisions and the use of investment lawyer tribunals to determine 'legitimate' public welfare objectives could prioritize trade over environmental health. Additionally, the document warns that the extension of pharmaceutical patents under the TPP would hinder generic competition and increase costs for Canadians and people worldwide.
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Document type: Statement
Civil Society Statement, September 22, 2016 Concerns Regarding Green Climate Fund and Support for High Environmental & Social Risk Programs/Projects
More than 100 civil society organizations express deep concern over the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) lack of adequate policies for financing high-risk activities. The statement argues that the GCF Board should not approve high-risk projects—including large hydropower and infrastructure—until it adopts a full Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and a free-standing Indigenous Peoples' Policy aligned with international standards like UNDRIP. The groups demand more rigorous scrutiny for high-risk sub-projects, country-driven proposals, and strict adherence to public disclosure timelines for impact assessments.
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Document type: Statement
CATF Comments on Proposed New York City Biodiesel Heating Fuel Mandate
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) opposes New York City's proposed biodiesel heating fuel mandate, arguing that increasing demand for vegetable oil-derived biodiesel drives the expansion of palm oil production. This expansion leads to the destruction of tropical peatland forests, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia, resulting in significant carbon dioxide releases and public health crises. CATF contends that even soybean-based biodiesel contributes to these impacts through global market fungibility and that current USEPA lifecycle analyses underestimate these greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Statement
1.letter-to-ministers-mckenna-philpott-and-bennett-re-pacific-northwest-lng-health-impact-assessment-september-2016-1064f6bf1005b856.pdf
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other health professionals argue that the Pacific Northwest LNG Project should be rejected because its environmental assessment fails to fully consider human health impacts. They highlight that the project's emissions would consume a significant portion of British Columbia's 2050 carbon budget, contradicting the Paris Agreement. Additionally, they cite evidence of local health risks from hydraulic fracturing, including groundwater contamination and reproductive toxicity, and express concern over the psychological distress ('solastalgia') and treaty rights violations affecting Indigenous communities, specifically the Blueberry River First Nations.
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Document type: Statement
CHAMBER OF MINES RESPONSE TO CERs REPORT: ZERO HOUR: POOR GOVERNANCE OF MINING AND THE VIOLATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS IN MPUMALANGA
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) defends its 'Zero Hour' report against criticisms from the Chamber of Mines, asserting that the report's findings on environmental violations in Mpumalanga are based on extensive evidence. The CER rejects the Chamber's claim that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has a proven track record of regulation, instead citing a 'consistent failure' in compliance monitoring and enforcement. The CER calls for increased transparency, better protection of strategic water source areas, and improved DMR capacity to prevent further environmental degradation.
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Document type: Statement
Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C
Scientists for Global Responsibility argues against the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, citing unproven EPR technology, high costs, and the precarious financial state of EDF. The letter suggests that energy conservation, infrastructure improvements, and renewable energy are more cost-effective and secure alternatives to nuclear baseload power.
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Document type: Statement
COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT STRATEGY TO ADDRESS AIR POLLUTION IN DENSE LOW INCOME SETTLEMENTS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental justice organisations, submitted comments on the 2016 Draft Strategy to Address Air Pollution in Dense Low Income Settlements. While welcoming the document, the CER argues that it lacks measurable plans, adequate baseline data, and a strategy for community consultation to effectively address the health impacts of domestic fuel burning in South Africa.
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Document type: Statement
The World Bank Safeguards
The World Bank's Safeguard policy is criticized for devaluing community voices by failing to require that crucial project information be shared with local populations. A survey of civil society actors across 40 countries indicates that 79% of communities learn about projects from partner organizations rather than the Bank. Barriers to information include intermittent internet access, lack of native language translations, and the use of dense technical jargon. The author advocates for guaranteed access to Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Resettlement Action Plans, and Indigenous Peoples Plans to prevent forced evictions and ecosystem destruction, citing a recent $73.1 million funding withdrawal for a dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo as evidence that the Bank can act when standards are violated.
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Document type: Statement
catf_filings_biomass_engoresponselettersecretaryvilsack-97da7f21c3360d4f.pdf
The document argues that biomass energy, specifically wood pellets exported from the U.S. to the UK, does not provide significant greenhouse gas benefits and may actually increase carbon pollution. It disputes USDA claims regarding forest growth in the Southern U.S., attributing reported increases to changes in surveying and categorization rather than new planting. Additionally, it warns that the demand for wood pellets threatens southeastern bottomland hardwood forests and misrepresents modeling studies as retrospective evidence of forest growth.
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Document type: Statement
Open letter to Mr. Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament
The letter argues that the European Commission is ignoring European Parliament recommendations regarding public health, environmental protection, and democratic oversight in TTIP negotiations.
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Document type: Statement
Shielded from Oversight
The report analyzes the testing history of the Ground-based Midcourse (GMD) missile defense system, highlighting a low success rate and a lack of tests against realistic ICBM-range targets, salvo modes, and multiple targets. It notes that both CE-I and CE-II interceptors were deployed before successful intercept demonstrations and compares GMD's slow testing pace and high costs to the more rigorous testing of the Aegis BMD and THAAD systems.
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Document type: Report
Comments – Enefit American Oil Utility Corridor Project DEIS
A coalition of environmental groups argues that the BLM should deny rights-of-way for Enefit's oil shale project in Utah, citing severe risks to air and water quality, climate change, and endangered species, while alleging the project's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is legally deficient.
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Document type: Statement
Letter to Australian Prime Minister on charitable status of environmental organisations
Friends of the Earth International calls on the Australian Prime Minister to reject a House of Representatives Inquiry report that proposes restricting the activities and charitable status of environmental advocacy groups. The organization argues that the report's recommendations—including spending requirements for remediation and limits on advocacy—would create unnecessary burdens and undermine the role of civil society in addressing the global environmental crisis.
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Document type: Statement
Ceci n'est pas un agreement: the treachery of EU migration policies
The author criticises the EU-Turkey deal reached on 18 March 2016, asserting that it fails to end irregular migration and instead leads to human rights violations, including the forced return of migrants and appalling detention conditions in Greece. The text argues that the EU is using non-binding 'statements' to avoid democratic scrutiny and parliamentary oversight. It proposes alternatives such as the yearly resettlement of 500,000 refugees over six years, humanitarian admission programmes, and labour mobility programs to replace the current focus on deterrence and criminalisation.
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Document type: Statement
We cant count on the Paris Agreement to stop climate change
Friends of the Earth International asserts that the Paris Agreement fails to deliver the scale of action required to limit global warming to 1.5°C, noting that current national pledges could lead to warming of around 3°C. The organization warns that terms like 'climate neutrality' may justify the use of dangerous geoengineering, carbon markets, and nuclear energy. To achieve climate justice, the document advocates for a just global energy transformation characterized by community-owned renewable energy, the blocking of dirty energy projects, and financial support from developed to developing nations.
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Document type: Statement
Europe’s border crisis as an autoimmune disorder
The author critiques the EU's approach to 'irregular' migration, arguing that the contradiction between humanitarian rhetoric and security imperatives is not a 'gap' but a symptom of biopolitical governance. Using Roberto Esposito's concept of autoimmunity, the text posits that the EU's drive for maximal security has created a system that destroys the populations it claims to protect. The author suggests moving toward an 'affirmative biopolitics' through demilitarisation, on-shoring border practices, and creating legal labour migration channels.
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Document type: Research paper