Category: RT Newswire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Indigenous People from Panama travel to Washington to condemn the carbon market

“The Clean Development Mechanism could be used to finance the
destruction of our homelands,” say representatives of the Naso and Ngobe people.

A group of Naso and Ngobe Indigenous Peoples from Western Panama will arrive today
in Washington, D. C. to take part in a hearing at the Inter-American Human Rights
Commission (IAHRC) on Tuesday October 28. The indigenous representatives will give
evidence of the discrimination, abuse, and displacement that they have been
suffering from Empresas Publicas de Medellin (Colombia), AES Corporation (United
States), and the Government of Panama, who are together constructing four
hydroelectric dams on the land of the Indigenous Peoples in the La Amistad Biosphere
Reserve.

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SCIENCE
VOL 322 24 OCTOBER 2008

Risk Communication on Climate:
Mental Models and Mass Balance

Public confusion about the urgency of reductions in greenhouse
gas emissions results from a basic misconception.
John D. Sterman

Excerpts:

“Nearly two-thirds of the participants asserted that atmospheric GHGs  can stabilize
even though emissions continuously exceed removal–analogous to arguing a bathtub
continuously filled faster than it drains will never overflow. Most believe that
stopping the growth of emissions stops the growth of GHG concentrations. The
erroneous belief that stabilizing emissions would quickly stabilize the climate
supports wait-and-see policies but violates basic laws of physics.”

” …climate scientists should partner with psychologists,
sociologists, and other social scientists to communicate the science  in ways that
foster hope and action rather than denial and despair.  Doing so does not require
scientists to abandon rigor or objectivity.  People of good faith can debate the
costs and benefits of policies to  mitigate the risks of climate change, but policy
should not be based  on mental models that violate fundamental physical principles.”

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—– Forwarded Message —-
From: Jess at Witness for Peace <jess@witnessforpeace.org>
To: tahirih_alia@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 7:50:45 PM
Subject: Take Action Now–Indigenous Protesters and Striking Workers are Under Attack

Witness for Peace Updates 
   
Repression of Colombian indigenous protest.
Dear Tahirih,

Take Action Now–Indigenous Protesters and Striking Workers are Under Attack by the
Colombian Government
Reports indicate 19 indigenous people killed in the past two weeks while striking
sugarcane workers face repression. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe declares a
“State of Internal Commotion” to deal with protests and strikes.

Indigenous communities in northern Cauca and the sugarcane workers on strike in the
neighboring province of Valle de Cauca are asking for an honest dialogue with the
Colombian government to address the serious social problems they face. Rather than
listening to the concerns of these marginalized communities, the Colombian
government-backed by U.S. military funding-responds with repressive force.

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Climate change linked to Indian tiger attacks
Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:09am EDT   
By Sujoy Dhar

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) – The number of tiger attacks on people is growing in
India’s Sundarban islands as habitat loss and dwindling prey caused by climate
change drives them to prowl into villages for food, experts said Monday.

Wildlife experts say endangered tigers in the world’s largest reserve are turning on
humans because rising sea levels and coastal erosion are steadily shrinking the
tigers’ natural habitat.

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