Citizens for Justice and Peace
A quest for Dignity and Justice Sonbhadra Forest Movement leader calls for protests on July 14
12-Jul-2019
Forest movement leader and Human Rights Defender (HRD) Sokalo Gond calls for July 14 to be commemorated in the memory of her son who died allegedly because of Hindalco doctors’ apathy. “The day he died, we went to buy school dress, pencils and everything else for the other children. He was getting fever for some…
Aarey Adivasi’s Roar at Public Hearing Mumbaikars urge a callous Tree Authority to save its Forest
09-Jul-2019
Apart from being the Green Lungs of the city, Aarey is also home to 27 Adivasi Padas or hamlets. The residents of these padas attended the Public hearing of the Tree Authority to oppose the felling of 2702 trees for a Metro Shed. They were overwhelmingly represented by women and their refrain was to protect…
South Korean court says ban on abortion is unconstitutional
12-Apr-2019
On Thursday, April 11, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled that the country’s ban on abortion is unconstitutional, and that the law must be changed by the end of 2020, BBC News reported. Abortion was banned in South Korea in 1953, and, per the law, women who undergo abortions can be subject to fines and imprisonment,…
In landmark judgment, UK Supreme Court says Zambian villagers can proceed with pollution claim in English courts
12-Apr-2019
On Wednesday, April 10, the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court ruled that more than 1,800 villagers in Zambia, who have alleged that their water supply has been polluted due to toxins from an opencast mine, can proceed with their claim in English courts, the Guardian reported. 1,826 villagers in Zambia’s Chingola region, in the Copperbelt province,…
Banjar Zameen: A Prayer to Save Aarey By Farhan Khan x BeatRAW x D-cypher
30-Mar-2019
Watch three young rappers take up the cause of the Aarey forest also called Mumbai’s ‘green lungs’. Aarey is now under severe threat owing to the metro car shed project. A human chain to protect the forest is being organised on March 30, 4:30 PM at Marine Lines, Mumbai. Related: How Adivasis in Aarey are…
The Mystery of the Aarey Fire and the Need for a Citizens’ Inquiry CJP investigation on the ground and related facts
13-Dec-2018
In the late hours of Monday, December 3, 2018, a fire blazed in Mumbai’s Aarey forest, the city’s last remaining major green area. Various news reports reported that the fire originated in a plot close to the IT Park that is located adjacent to Aarey. Reports indicated that the fire department struggled to control the…
20 million people in Yemen are hungry: UN official
12-Dec-2018
The United Nations’ Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock recently stated that “20 million Yemenis are hungry,” CBS News reported. Speaking after having traveled to the country, Lowcock said that there has been a “dramatic deterioration” of the situation in Yemen, and that compared to 2017, 15% more of Yemen’s…
UN official calls for stemming biodiversity loss
12-Nov-2018
“The loss of biodiversity is a silent killer,” Cristiana Pasca Palmer, executive secretary of the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), has told the Guardian, adding, “It’s different from climate change, where people feel the impact in everyday life. With biodiversity, it is not so clear but by the time you feel what is…
India saw most pollution-linked deaths of children under 5 in 2016: WHO
31-Oct-2018
According to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, India saw the highest number of deaths of children aged under five that could be tied to PM2.5 exposure, The Wire reported. Overall, the number of such deaths in 2016 was 60,987, with the death rate for the age group being 50.8…
UN rights expert calls for global recognition of the right to a healthy environment
31-Oct-2018
According to an announcement from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN rights expert David R. Boyd called for the UN to formally recognise the human right to a healthy environment in his recent report to the General Assembly. Boyd is the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and…
Latin American, Caribbean nations sign landmark environmental agreement
12-Oct-2018
14 Caribbean and Latin American countries recently signed the landmark Escazú Agreement that, according to an announcement from UN Environment, gives “environmental rights the same status as human rights”. The Agreement, which is officially called the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters, is the first environmental treaty for…
Climate change funding to developing nations falls short of Paris Agreement goals
04-May-2018
According to an Oxfam report, funding for poor nations to assist them in cutting greenhouse emissions and tackle climate change is falling short of pledges made by wealthier nations, the Guardian reported. The Paris climate agreement of 2015 reiterated the goal to supply $100 billion every year to developing countries by 2020 to tackle the issue.…
14 Indian cities among the world’s most polluted cities: WHO
02-May-2018
The World Health Organization (WHO) released a list of the world’s 20 most polluted cities, of which 14 are in India, NDTV reported. These included Varanasi, New Delhi, Kanpur, and Gwalior. Varanasi is the most polluted city in terms of levels of PM2.5, which includes pollutants like black carbon, nitrates and sulfates that pose the highest risk to…
CO2 emitted by ships at sea to be controlled for first time following deal
24-Apr-2018
Carbon dioxide emissions from ships at sea will be controlled for the first time after a deal that was agreed upon following two weeks of discussion in London, the Guardian reported last week. The agreement was orchestrated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO); under it, shipping firms will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050. The…
Colorado communities mount latest legal case against oil companies over climate change
24-Apr-2018
The city of Boulder in Colorado, as well as the counties of Boulder and San Miguel have filed a lawsuit against oil firms Exxon Mobil and Suncor to obtain damages to cover what they say are the expenses of adapting for climate change, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported. They have alleged that the companies created a…