Daily Archives: September 30, 2011

Environment, Water

Students lead move to rid campuses of bottled water

Star Tribune

JENNA ROSS , Star Tribune

St. Ben’s and Macalester join a nationwide move to ban the eco-unfriendly plastic bottles at schools. Americans currently spend about $12 billion annually on bottled water. When you give up a 12 pack a week you’d save about $75 a year and the savings in natural resources are even more impressive.  The College of St. Benedict used to like bottled water enough to affix its logo to the plastic and hand it out at alumni events. Macalester College did the same. Continue reading Students lead move to rid campuses of bottled water →

Environment

Wangari Maathai: Reclaiming the Earth

1 Comment

Pambazuka

Horace Campbell

The implantation of British rule was brutal across the continent, particularly in Kenya. Out of this brutality has emerged a society that is continuously seeking to repair itself and repair Africa. This is the promise and numerous Africans have stepped forward to keep this promise. Kenyans have used many forms of struggle to organise for a new society: Legal, political, intellectual, moral, environmental, economic and spiritual. It is in this process of repair that Kenya has continued to be one of the firm bases for Pan-Africanism and African renewal and for new healthy humans. Continue reading Wangari Maathai: Reclaiming the Earth →

Sudan

Push on to get Trafficking Victims Protection Act reauthorized

Catholic News Service

Dennis Sadowski

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are urging Congress to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act first passed in 2000.

The agencies teamed up under the Catholics Confront Global Poverty campaign to take their message to advocates across the country in a webcast Sept.28.
Last authorized in 2008, the act expires Sept. 30. But funding for programs aiding trafficking victims is expected to continue under a continuing resolution until a final vote in the both houses of Congress occurs in October. Continue reading Push on to get Trafficking Victims Protection Act reauthorized →

Brazil

Brazil judge halts work on Belo Monte Amazon dam

BBC

Protesters in Sao Paulo on 20 August 2011 Indigenous tribes have been protesting against the project for years

A judge in Brazil has ordered a halt to construction of a multi-billion-dollar dam project in the Amazon region.

Judge Carlos Castro Martins barred any work that would interfere with the natural flow of the Xingu river.

He ruled in favour of a fisheries group which argued that the Belo Monte dam would affect local fish stocks and could harm indigenous families who make a living from fishing. Continue reading Brazil judge halts work on Belo Monte Amazon dam →