Category: save the planet

Corrupt Brazil Senate votes for Amazon slaughter.

In what may go down as one of the worst environmental crimes of the 21st Century, the Brazilian Senate voted on Wednesday to retain most of the bad changes to the national Forest Code that had passed the House of Deputies earlier this year.

Brazil’s international commitments to mitigating climate change, maintaining biodiversity and it’s status before the upcoming RIO+20 global environmental meetings are now on collision course with the insatiable demand of its agri-business sector. In the coming months the issue will be laid squarely before President Dilma Rousseff who has thus far avoided comment.

re-posted from JustMeans    A revised version of Brazil’s Forest Code, a piece of legislation that regulates the use of forest coverage on private properties in Brazil, and whose draft was approved in Congress on Wednesday (23), has sent shockwaves through the sustainability community in the country and abroad.

An incensed debate has gripped the country over the last year, which culminated in yesterday’s vote. The new draft, which is designed to meet the requirements of the rural business, has been rushed through the House and the Senate and did not take into account expert opinion from scientists, who object to the new version of the law vehemently.

“The report continues to pardon those who deforested illegally and will promote more deforestation. What used to be an environmental crime now has become fantastic business”, said Mrcio Astrini, Greenpeace’s head of Amazon campaign.

Scientists have warned the new law will open way for the clearance of more than 175 million acres, or roughly the size of Germany, Italy and Austria combined, which would be come mostly pasture for livestock and soy monocultures to feed cattle, mostly.

This volume of deforestation would release more than 25 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, or four times the goal for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol during 2008-12.
WWF, which has been campaigning against the revised legislation from the beginning of the debate, said the proposed changes severely contradict Brazil’s efforts to become an environmental and sustainability leader on the global stage.

“Brazil will be cutting itself off from a growing global market for responsibly sourced goods, in addition to forgoing the countless benefits provided by a healthy Amazon, such as clean air and water, stable weather patterns and various other environmental services”, it said.

“We are watching, just before Brazil hosts Rio + 20, a clear attempt to dismantle Brazil’s environmental legislation,” stated WWF-Brazil’s CEO Maria Cecilia Wey de Brito. “This is something unprecedented in our history.”

The bill will go back to the House before being sent to President Dilma Rousseff, who can still veto it. “In the next phase, she will have to keep her word to veto or break her campaign promises”, said Mr. Gasparini in reference to Ms. Rousseff’s promise to not pardon those who have deforested.

The current Forest Code was written in 1965 and requires landowners to keep a certain percentage of their land as untouched forest, from 20 percent in certain areas to 80 per cent in the Amazon. The new laws would give amnesty from heavy fines to landowners who cleared forest illegally between 1965 and July 2008.

Rules related to the clearing of hills would be relaxed and forest areas near rivers would have to be between 100 and 330 feet from the river bank, which conservationists say will are not enough.

A recent report compiled by Imazon and Proforest found that Brazil lags behind other BRIC countries in terms of legislation that protects forest coverage. Compared with China, Russia and India, Brazil loses the race towards sustainability by deforesting more than it reforests.

MORE INFO SEE HERE 

Belo Monte site OCCUPIED. Work still stopped..

Altamira, Brazil – Hundreds of indigenous leaders, fishermen and riverine people from the Xingu River basin have gathered to occupy the Belo Monte Dam construction site in a peaceful protest to stop its construction in Altamira, located in the state of Pará in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. They Poor barrio of Altimira to […]

On sat 20th Aug a massive demo took place against the ongoing Amazon destruction for the Belo Monte dam. Also against the new Forest Law, now in the Senate, which ‘relaxes’ the already unenforced deforestation  code. Brazil had been a constructive leader in Climate talks, which came to nothing due to the greedy demands of […]

The greedy corrupt Brazilian politicians are voting to give free rein to their fascist landlord colleagues  and the McDonalds backed Ranching industry to  destroy the Amazon Rainforest. The politicians appeal to nationalist sentiment.. saying we have already destroyed our forests and they have every right. But 79% of Brazilians are AGAINST the new laws going […]

BRAZIL Politicians Out of Sync with Public Sentiment on the Environment By Mario Osava* Trans-Amazonian Highway outside Altamira in the northern Brazilian state of Pará. Credit:Mario Osava/IPS with thanks BRASILIA, Jun 29, 2011 (Tierramérica) – The environmental movement continues to gain credibility and support as scientific findings confirm its warnings and natural disasters become increasingly […]

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from August 2009-May 2011.The analysis by Imazon suggests that the Forest Code debate may be a factor in rising deforestation. It found a 363 percent increase in forest degradation — logging and burning of forest that typically precedes deforestation — over the past 10 months, reaching 6,081 sq km. Most […]

”The surprise passing of the new Forest Law in the lower house of the Brazilian congress is due to a campaign by multinational  agribusiness and the big landlords who still own most of the country. The proposed amnesty for forest crimes has caused a 6 fold increase in deforestation already. The huge majority in favour […]

Dark Day for Brazil’s Amazon Jungle By Fabiana Frayssinet

foto. José and Maria. ‘They gunned them down and cut off their ears” An Amazon environmental activist and his wife were killed late on Monday and the crime is being investigated as a possible assassination to silence the outspoken forest defender, according to police. José Claudio Ribeiro da Silva, also known by his nickname of […]

URGENT AMAZON FOREST ALERT [UPDATE 20 May 2011: The Guardian UK reports, “Brazil forms ‘crisis cabinet’ following unexpected deforestation surge”.] Events are moving quickly in Brazil’s epic battle over a new national Forest Code. The struggle has has reached a critical stage full of both danger and opportunity. Please take action. EMERGENCY — BRAZIL’S NATIONAL […]

By Clarinha Glock* A solitary cow in a slash-and-burn clearing where there was once Amazon rainforest. C PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, May 16, 2011 (Tierramérica) – The adoption of a new Forest Code in Brazil could threaten efforts to curb Amazon deforestation, which was reduced 70 percent between 2004 and 2010. The proposal to amend the […]

Sat 26 Nov. Buy Nothing Day.//.Dia Sin Comprar NADA

in the US they celebrate it on'black Friday'. here on Sat 26th Nov

On its twentieth anniversary, Ad Busters plan to take it up a gear, marrying Buy Nothing Day with Occupy in order to #OCCUPYXMAS

En su 20 aniversario Ad Busters intentan casar el DIA SIN COMPRAR con el movimiento OCCUPY..para OCUPAR NAVIDAD

This year Ad Busters effectively merged Occupy and Buy Nothing Day to create Occupy Christmas, or for shoppers and shop keepers, a general nuisance. The havoc has already begun State-side as hundreds of people occupy store fronts and shopping malls with sit-ins and flash mobs. It will certainly be interesting to see how this translates across the pond and if the momentum will carry through to December 25th.

For those who want to take part in one of the most exciting anti-capitalist movements of recent times or just refrain from spending money for a day, there is a point to be made and pennies to be saved. Either way take solace in nothing and appreciate that you have something.

When: Friday 25th November (US only, but feel free to take part, or not) Saturday 26th November
Where: Everywhere and nowhere
Cost: nothing

Further information:

Occupy Xmas

AdBusters

Occupy Seattle, Occupy Everything

Building Occupied in Seattle!

by Estudiante Insurgente

From Tides of Flame

On Saturday, November 19th, a group of about 60 people marched from the occupation at Seattle Central Community College in solidarity with Occupy Oakland and against the police repression and evictions of occupations across the country. At the beginning of the march, it was announced that a building would be taken over at the end of the march.

The group moved through Capitol Hill chanting “Banks and landlords, we don’t need ‘em/ All we want is total freedom!” before plunging down 12th Avenue to the King County Juvenile Detention Center. The group stopped outside the main cell areas and made noise for the children and teenagers imprisoned inside. Marchers chanted “Our passion for freedom is stronger than their prisons,” and screamed that those on the inside would not be forgotten.

After the noise demo, the group marched into the Central District, one of the most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods in the country. The term ‘skid row’ was coined here at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Central District was 80% black in 1970. Now it is 15% black, with many new condo developments and apartments having sprung up within the last decade. As the march came closer to the soon-to-be-occupied building, the majority of the drivers passing by yelled and honked their horns in approval.

The group surrounded an abandoned building on 23rd and Alder. A banner reading “OCCUPY EVERYTHING – NO BANKS – NO LANDLORDS (A)” had been draped across the front façade. Someone opened the front door and everyone streamed inside, celebrating the occupation of this new space. People started redecorating with paint and other items while a group outside held an assembly to figure out what to do. At the time of this writing, people are still occupying the building. The current plan is to hold it until Sunday where a public re-furbishing of the building can take place.

 

Golf: Sick Mental Capitalist vs. The Planet

Saw a great documentary last night and was both horrified and inspired by it that I thought I would recommend itto as many as I can. It is about the environmental catastrophe caused by Donald Trump building his golf course in Aberdeenshire and the resistance of local residents.

They have a website for the film
and you can contact the director and producer to arrange showings for community groups.
It resonates with the occupy mood. You can see Trump in action in the film to make yourselves aware just in case he really runs for president one day and you can learn about the
campaign against the course which is still active.
Peace@Love
Miguel from
The Irresistible Urges

Fukushima: ”China Syndrome may cause huge explosion”

China syndrome inevitable says architect of Fukushima Reactor No. 3 — Warns of massive hydrovolcanic explosion — Melted fuel inevitably sank underground

Architect of Reactor 3 warns of massive hydrovolcanic explosion, Fukushima Diary by Mochizuki, November 19, 2011:


Nov. 17 interview with Uehara Haruo, former president of Saga University and architect of Fukushima Daiichi Reactor 3

  • “He admitted Tepco’s explanation does not make sense, and that the China syndrome is inevitable.”
  • “He stated that considering 8 months have passed since 311 without any improvement, it is inevitable that melted fuel went out of the container vessel and sank underground.”
  • “If the underground water vein keeps being heated for long time, a massive hydrovolcanic explosion will be caused.”

SOURCE: news.livedoor.com (Japanese)

DATE: 2011 November 18th 19:16

Babelfish Translation result for http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/6041353/

Relevant Excerpts

You think that….ETC

Ocupat un Banc/ Occupan otro Banco / Banks occupied in Barcelona

Ya son dos o tres los bancos ocupados por Barcelona en pocos dias.

Los indignad*s de La Floresta hacían una Cercavila por los Bancos de Sant Cugat, luego la Paella Popular

en la Plaza, y actuaron una pequeña drama que terminó..SORPRESA con la entrada en un banco anterior en La Plaza.

Participaron hasta 200 personas incluyendo l*s niñ*s.  El Banc Indignat está cerca al Castillo CSO, ocupado hace 10 dias,

así que hay movimiento, también una cooperativa de consumo y varias cosas más

 

in EEenglish

Now there are I think 3 ex banks OCCUPIED around Barcelona. And on Friday a big crowd played cat and mouse with the baffled police, before successfully occupying another huge building as a ‘home for evicted mortgage defaulters’.

The latest Bank was taken in the La Floresta suburb. After a leafleting and graffiti march around local banks the local  ‘Indignats’ cooked an enormous veggie Paella for up to 200 people. Finally they enacted a drama in the street which ended..SURPRISE in the occupation of an adjoining abandoned bank.(Still going strong). La Floresta is close to the new Occupied Castle Social Center (see post), begun just last week, so there’s plenty of local action, including a small consumers CoOp, an occupied  community garden.. and more stuff.

 

#spanishrevolution, Taking the Streets Today..

The Spanish OCCUPY movement, 15M, is re-taking 100’s of streets and squares today, despite a ban, to protest the ZERO CHOICE elections. Yesterday 1000’s gathered in Madrid and elsewhere to protest arrests in Thursday’s students General Strike. Health Centers and Hospitals have recently been occupied, and the law has decided NOT TO EVICT  buildings occupied after the massive Oct demos to house people evicted for mortgage arrears.…

El movimiento 15M está en plena acción, con centenares de actos ,  la toma Asamblearia de Plazas en todo el país por motivo de Las Elecciones, una mani de miles por los detenidos en la Huelga General Estudantil de Jueves 17 Nov, vigilias por la muerte del Sistema de Salud Pública,  y varios occupaciónes más….

The right wing Partido Popular are expecting a majority, while offering only blood sweat and tears to ‘make us competitive’ and ‘restore market confidence’. (Really to protect their own fortunes, mostly inherited from the fascist  40 year occupation or gained by  blatant corruption which is rife in the party.)