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112 documents from Friends of the Earth
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
Vote for the environment
Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica calls on 750,000 supporters to vote for candidates who prioritize environmental values. He argues that an environmental majority in the US government is necessary to repeal fossil fuel and nuclear subsidies, protect pollinators from chemicals, and uphold the Clean Power Plan.
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Document type: Statement
In solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica issued a statement condemning recent violence in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Falcon Heights, and affirming the organization's support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The organization pledges to reassess its activism to better address systemic racial oppression and calls on other environmental organizations to prioritize racial and social justice as part of the pursuit of a healthy and just world.
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Document type: Statement
U.S. Coast Guard sued for failing to release public records of shipping incidents in the Salish Sea • Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth has sued the U.S. Coast Guard for failing to provide records of shipping incidents in the Salish Sea from 2009 to 2014. The organization argues that this data is essential for an ongoing vessel traffic risk assessment, particularly as pressure increases to export more oil via the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which could increase tanker traffic from one per week to one per day.
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112 groups demand grants and honest accounting for rich countries’ promised $100 billion in climate finance
A letter from 112 global organizations argues that current accounting for the $100 billion climate finance goal is flawed. The groups demand that only public grants count toward the target, that private finance not be substituted for public funding, and that accounting be conducted through the inclusive UNFCCC forum rather than exclusive intergovernmental processes.
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Document type: Statement
The federal coal program must end or seriously reform
The author contends that the Bureau of Land Management's coal leasing process is non-competitive and fails to capture fair market value, resulting in a $28.9 billion revenue loss over 30 years. The text calls for a halt to coal lease sales until reforms are implemented, including closing royalty loopholes, incorporating the social cost of carbon into pricing, and updating bonding requirements to protect public health and the environment. It asserts that keeping coal in the ground is the only approach consistent with climate science and the goal of avoiding irreversible climate catastrophe.
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Document type: Statement
#flirtingwithdisaster on Valentine’s Day
The document details the vulnerability of agricultural and forest products to climate change, noting significant potential losses in cocoa, coffee, cotton, and wine production, as well as specific environmental pressures on flower exports from Kenya and silk production in India.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The trade-off of fossil fuels’ billions in subsidies
The article highlights the disconnect between public opposition to fossil fuel subsidies and congressional spending priorities. It introduces a 'fossil fuel subsidies tradeoff calculator' created by Friends of the Earth and 13 other groups to illustrate how funds given to 'Big Oil' could instead support social services like Pell grants, park rangers, and veteran healthcare. Specifically, it notes that a 2004 tax break for domestic manufacturers cost taxpayers $656 million last year, which could have funded medical care for 221,622 combat veterans.
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Document type: News article
Force Big Government to Kill Big Carbon
The document asserts that the climate movement should shift its focus from 'theories of change' to 'theories of power,' specifically targeting the federal government's existing judicial and regulatory capabilities to curtail the fossil fuel industry.
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Document type: News article
President Obama, listen to the people and reject Keystone XL
Friends of the Earth calls on President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline, citing widespread public opposition and the political failure of candidates who supported fossil fuel infrastructure.
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Document type: Statement
The country has greater renewable energy potential than the Clean Power Plan demands
The text asserts that the United States possesses renewable energy potential exceeding the requirements of the Clean Power Plan and advocates for a coordinated shift toward wind and solar technologies to prevent long-term dependence on fossil fuels.
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Document type: Statement
House GOP champions climate disaster Frankenbill
The House passed H.R. 2, a package of 13 energy bills that the author claims would expand offshore drilling, deregulate hydraulic fracturing, and support tar sands and oil shale. The document asserts that the bill prioritizes polluters over renewable energy and would likely be vetoed by President Obama.
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Document type: Press release
Open letter to DFA: I divested from forest destruction and so should you
Janet Thew, a client of Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), writes to CEO David Booth to announce her divestment of $100,000 and her call for the firm to stop investing in companies responsible for forest destruction. The letter highlights DFA's significant holdings in palm oil, timber, and pulp and paper producers, arguing that these investments contribute to global warming and biodiversity loss. The author urges DFA to move beyond a passive investment strategy to ensure its portfolios are deforestation-free and to use shareholder power to improve corporate human rights and environmental performance.
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Document type: Statement
To drill or not to drill? Obama’s offshore drilling dilemma
The document criticizes the Obama administration's 2017-2022 planning process for offshore oil and gas exploration, arguing that such activities contradict climate goals and threaten marine ecosystems. It highlights the potential for 60 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions from undiscovered reserves and the risk to marine mammals from seismic surveys. The author calls for a total moratorium on new offshore leasing to ensure the transition to low-carbon energy and to avoid the economic and environmental risks associated with oil spills.
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Document type: Statement
Friends of the Earth statement on President Obamas endorsement of Walmarts unsustainable practices
Friends of the Earth condemns President Obama's endorsement of Walmart's sustainability efforts, citing the company's low actual renewable energy usage, failure to meet emissions targets, and a significant criminal fine for toxic pesticide dumping.
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Document type: Statement
Friends of the Earth statement on EU-U.S. summit
Friends of the Earth expresses concern that EU-U.S. trade negotiations may weaken health and environmental safeguards, particularly concerning food safety, GM crops, and chemical regulations. The organization calls for the blocking of the Keystone XL pipeline and the implementation of the EU's Fuel Quality Directive to prevent the proliferation of tar sands. Additionally, it criticizes the 'EU 2030 package' as inadequate and argues that leaders are pursuing a corporate-driven agenda of deregulation rather than investing in energy efficiency and community-owned renewables.
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Document type: Statement
Keystone XL pipeline and corporate conflicts of interest
Friends of the Earth and members of Congress are seeking a Government Accountability Office review of the State Department's environmental impact assessment for the Keystone XL pipeline. The request follows allegations that the review vendor, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), failed to disclose financial and professional ties to TransCanada and other oil interests, thereby compromising the integrity of the review process.
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Document type: Statement
Don’t fast track a polluters’ bill of rights
Friends of the Earth opposes the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act (HR 3830/S 1900), arguing that its 'Fast Track' authority would shift power from Congress to the executive branch and rush the approval of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The organization contends that these agreements would allow corporations to sue governments for the costs of complying with environmental regulations and could undermine climate measures, such as efforts to block the Keystone XL pipeline or fossil fuel export terminals. Additionally, the document warns that the agreements could inhibit the use of the 'precautionary principle' regarding toxic chemicals and food safety, and potentially lead to the privatization of nature through patents on plants and animals.
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Document type: Statement
Friends of the Earth U.S. statement on COP19 Warsaw walkout
Friends of the Earth U.S. supports the walkout of climate activists from COP19 in Warsaw, arguing that developed countries, particularly the U.S., have failed to take necessary action to combat the climate crisis and are instead protecting corporate polluters.
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Document type: Statement
Statement on Brussels round of TTIP negotations
Friends of the Earth opposes the TTIP investment chapter, asserting that investor-state arbitration would allow energy companies to sue governments over climate and environmental regulations, thereby protecting fossil fuel interests and threatening democratic decision-making.
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Document type: Statement