The Clear Act (Cap & Dividend)

So I read the Clean Act, also known as Cap and Dividend,  is gaining momentum in the US thanks to Senators Maria Cantwell (Democratic Washington State) and Susan Collins (Republican Maine). Through this plan the government will (a) cap the carbon supply, then (b) auction permits to companies, and out of this (c) Pay back dividends to citizens. Every year there is a reduction in permits so supply declines and prices increase. The idea is that once this begins clean technology will become c...

Tricks and Toxic Waste in Ivory Coast

Is this for real? I cannot find any other sources than Wiki leaks. UPDATE: Its real. Also covered (and solicited by Trafigura's lawyers) on UK's Guardian, BBC NewsNight, Huffington Post,and Greenpeace. According to Business Respect, Trafigura has offered 1,000 British Pounds ($1624 USD) as compensation to each of the 30,000 people affected. SOURCE: WIKILEAKS This file contains a deleted BBC news article on the toxic-waste dumping of commodities giant Trafigura. According to a Septe...

Breno’s COP15 submission

The request is to Raise Your Voice and be part of COP15 to contribute to a meaningful discussion about our world’s future. The most popular video submissions are to be aired globally during the COP15 CNN YouTube debate on December 15, and the top two submissions will win a trip to Copenhagen. With only 14 days left and little positive news from world leaders, we have to do our best to not only spread awareness but to encourage all global citizens to raise their voices and tell world l...

The Climate Board

With global warming already affecting us, we continue to be in danger of losing people, places, and things we love to climate change. The Climate Board is a UN Foundation initiative for you to show world leaders just how much we need a climate change agreement by telling them what you'll miss most. Follow the link below to visit the board and see what others have said. If you have thirty-seconds, show the world that climate change is a part of your life, too. Tell them what you fear ...

Understanding COP15

The United Nations Framework Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) will occur from December 7th through 18th of 2009. This Conference has been waited with great expectation by different governments, NGOs, industries and interest groups looking for a world-wide solution to the threat of Global Warming and in effect, the survival of the human race. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fourth report published in 2007, the Earth´s temperature cannot ra...

Global Resources for Global Priorities: Implementing a Currency Transaction Tax

Recently the UK Prime Minster Gordon Brown made clear his support for a Global Transaction Tax (also known as a Tobin Tax) as a means of insuring that any future financial crisis could be met quickly and effectively by pumping the accumulated funds back into the financial sector. Such a concept has been contemplated in the past on several occasions by not only the United Kingdom, but Canada, the United States and the EU as well.  However, despite the seductive nature of a tax with the pot...

Kirsty in South Africa

Fellow UN Citizen Ambassador Kirsty Matthews recently posted a new video to her YouTube account (Kirsty on YouTube) that touches on the hope of a uniquely African form of development, what it means to be human, and of course beautiful footage of her trip. The video is a response to the Cop15 Initiative to combat global warming: Raise Your Voice and be part of COP15 Submit your video now and contribute to a meaningful discussion about our world’s future. Be Thoughtful: Climate change is...

Sahara Solar Belt – Good for Africa?

Inhabitat » $555 Billion Sahara Solar Energy Belt Takes Giant Step Forward. So what do you think? This $555 Billion dollar investment into northern Africa will feed power hungry Europe and most importantly offer desalinization plants and fresh-water, allow for agriculture along the belt, and also create local jobs in Africa. But of course there are dangers. Moving sands, of course being my first concern. Secondly, the project runs through the entire northern coast of Africa, along t...