EarthAction

Climate Scorecard Global Spotlight: National Climate Leaders of 2019

Climate Scorecard is pleased to announce our first annual National Climate Leader

Awards. These awards go to the men and women in leading greenhouse emitting countries

who are making a difference in the climate policies of their countries and the world. They

include wizened scholars, researchers, political leaders, and young climate change

activists. They are applauded for the work they are doing to prevent the catastrophe that

will occur if global warming goes unchecked.

 

Those on Climate Scorecard’s National Climate Leader Awards List were nominated by a

Climate Scorecard Country Manager in each of the 22 greenhouse gas emitting countries

that we cover. Our Country Managers tracked climate related events in their countries

over the past year and are well positioned to propose candidates for our list.

 

Read & download the full report here

 

 

Updates from Treaty Compliance Campaign

In the 01/02/2020 edition:

• Rep Ro Khanna Signs ICAN Pledge
• Business Aligns with Nuclear Ban Treaty

Rep Ro Khanna Signs ICAN Pledge

By Arbor Dahlin on Dec 30, 2019 01:45 pm

Nuclear Ban’s Timmon Wallis shows US Representative Ro Khanna his new report, “Warheads to Windmills,” during Khanna’s visit to Northampton, Massachusetts in October. Photo by Vicki Elson.

On October 24th, Representative Ro Khanna became the ninth current member of Congress to sign the ICAN Parliamentary/Legislative Pledge. Khanna was invited by Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern to speak in Northampton, and, when approached by Tim Wallis and Vicki Elson of Nuclear Ban at their meeting, he agreed on the spot to sign the pledge.

Ro Khanna represents California’s 17th congressional district and is first vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. CPC co-chairs Rep. Mark Pocan and Rep. Pramila Jayapal have also signed the pledge. Members of the Progressive Caucus heard ICAN’s Executive Director Beatrice Fihn speak about the nuclear ban treaty at a CPC meeting in April of this year. Since then, supporters around the country have been urging all 98 members of the caucus to sign the pledge.

Rep. Khanna is one of six members of the House of Representatives and ten members of Congress who do not accept donations from PACs or corporations. He was one of the few US Representatives to endorse Bernie Sanders for president in 2016, and early this year was named co-chair of Sanders’ 2020 campaign.

About the ICAN Pledge and the UN Treaty

Over 1300 parliamentarians and congresspeople in 32 countries, 25 of which have yet to sign and ratify the treaty, have now signed the pledge, which was created by ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, to commit elected representatives around the world to work towards the signature and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The treaty was adopted by 122 countries at the UN in July, 2017, and in October, 2017, ICAN won the Nobel Peace Prize for the treaty, which calls for the first comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons under international law. So far, 80 countries have signed the treaty and 34 have ratified it, with another 18 ratifications underway.

The post Rep Ro Khanna Signs ICAN Pledge appeared first on Treaty Compliance Campaign.

Read in browser »

Business Aligns with Nuclear Ban Treaty

By Tim Wallis on Dec 27, 2019 01:41 pm

Andrew Larkin of NCFF presents certificate to River Valley Market General Manager Rochelle Prunty/ Photo by River Valley Market

 

At the annual meeting of Northampton, Massachusetts food cooperative River Valley Market on December 6th, over 100 member-owners were present to hear management’s decision to align with the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Andrew Larkin, of Nuclear and Carbon Free Future (NCFF), presented a certificate of treaty alignment to the store’s General Manager.

To align with the treaty, the market implemented a new 401(k) retirement plan with more socially responsible investment options, which included screening out 26 nuclear weapons companies.

General Manager Rochelle Prunty said she hopes that River Valley will set an example of nuclear weapons divestment for other businesses in the area and for food co-ops around the country. River Valley joins several other businesses in the Northampton area who have declared themselves aligned with the treaty, including Herrell’s Ice Cream, Broadside Bookshop, Cornucopia, Glimpse of Tibet, Acadia Herbals, and Paradise Copies.

The text of the certificate is below.

River Valley Market does not hold investments in or make purchases from any nuclear weapons companies, and urges nuclear weapons companies to convert their resources to green technologies that address climate change, and is therefore in compliance with Article 1(e) of the Treaty.

The post Business Aligns with Nuclear Ban Treaty appeared first on Treaty Compliance Campaign.

Read more here

The State of the World's Children 2019: Children, Food and Nutrition

Poor diets are leading to alarming levels of child malnutrition worldwide, with millions of children who are stunted, overweight or lacking essential vitamins and nutrients. Overall, one-third of children under 5 aren’t growing well because they aren’t eating well. 

UNICEF’s latest report, The State of the World’s Children 2019: Children, food and nutrition: Growing well in a changing world, examines the issue of children, food and nutrition and provides a fresh perspective on this rapidly evolving challenge.

Read the report

Fast Facts

• 149 million children are stunted, or too short for their age
• 50 million children are wasted, or too thin for their height
• 340 million children – or 1 in 2 – suffer from deficiencies in essential vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin A and iron
• 40 million children are overweight or obese

At the centre of this profound triple burden of malnutrition – undernutrition, hidden hunger and overweight – is a broken food system that fails to provide children with the diets they need to grow healthily. 

In addition to new data and analyses of malnutrition in the 21st century, the report outlines recommendations to put children’s rights at the heart of food systems. 

Please share this report with your organizations and networks.

Exploe the special featureUNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives.
To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. And we never give up.
UNICEF, for every child.Donate now

Move the money from nuclear weapons to climate protection and SDGs

In less than 10 days, we will start counting out $1 trillion, the nuclear weapons budget for the next 10 years. We will 'reallocate this to climate protection and the sustainable development goals.'

The main counting will be in New York with satellite countings also in London, New Mexico, Philadelphia and Wellington.

This event will highlight the Move the Nuclear Weapons Money campaign and actionspeople can take to cut nuclear weapons budgets, end investments in nuclear weapons corporations and re-direct these budgets and investments to better things.

The campaign is building excitement amongst legislators, religious leaders, peace and disarmament campaigners, climate activists, artists, musicians, athletes, youth and others. Below are inspring words from a few supporters of the campaign. This update we feature:

• Cora Weiss (USA), UN Representative for International Peace Bureau, Co-organiser of the 1 million person anti-nuclear rally in Central Park NY 1982;
  
• Erika Simpson (Canada), President of the Canadian Peace Research Association;
  
  
• Bruno B. Vallelunga (Canada), Song-writer including 'Who will stop the Nuclear Clock?' (IglooSongs2018, Click here for Spotify version);
  
• Nicole Ponce (Philippines), Core team member of the I am Climate Justice movement;
  
  
• Anwarul K. Chowdhury (Bangladesh/USA), Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace;
  
  
• Mridul Upadhyay (India), Co-founder of Youth for Peace International, Asia Coordinator of UNOY Peacebuilders;
  
• Natasha Shokri (Malaysia/Iran), UNESCO Youth Peace Ambassador;
  
• David C. Hall (USA), Past-President of Physicians for Social Responsibility;
  
• Ravinder Kaur Nijjar (UK), Chair Religions for Peace UK Women of Faith Network, Former Co-Chair Religions for Peace European Women of Faith Network;
  
• Earl Turcotte (Canada), Chair of Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons;
  
• Shazia Rafi (Pakistan/USA), Convener AirQualityAsia, Former Secretary-General of Parliamentarians for Global Action.
  

The Cost of Climate Change

For Global Spotlight Report #18, Climate Scorecard asked our Country Managers to provide information on how climate change is impacting the most vulnerable population groups in the leading greenhouse gas emitting countries that we cover.

Read the Report

Extreme weather events, such as soaring temperatures, droughts, floods, and forest fires are the cause of much climate-related suffering among the vulnerable. From a health perspective, those most affected include the very young, the disables, and the elderly. The Climate Scorecard Country Reports paint a sobering picture of the impact of climate change on those most vulnerable in countries around the world.

Climate change is real and what governments do matters.

2020 Emission Reduction Campaign

Our Campaign is directed at getting governments to set new urgently needed short-term and long-term emission reduction targets. Learn More

Donate Today!
Every donation helps our work.

Our global, grassroots organization relies on the support of other committed individuals. Learn More.

Read more about Climate Scorecard here

Organizations Nominated to Support the 2020 Emission Reduction Campaign

Below is the latest Climate Scorecard Spotlight Report.

 

For Climate Scorecard Report #17 we asked our Country Managers to provide a list of organizations in their countries that might help support our 2020 Campaign.

Read the Report

Over the next several months we hope to explore whether the organizations listed in this report, as well as others, are interested in supporting the 2020 Campaign.

 

We also welcome expressions of interest by other organizations in participating or organizing such a Coalition. Please send expressions of interest to Marisa@climatescorecard.org.

 

Climate change is real, and what governments do matters.

 

2020 Emission Reduction Campaign

 

Our Campaign is directed at getting governments to set new urgently needed short-term and long-term emission reduction targets. Learn More

 

Donate Today!

Every donation helps our work.

 

Our global, grassroots organization relies on the support of other committed individuals.

 

Learn More about Climate Scorecard Here

Take Part in the Global Week of Action for Peace, the Climate, SDGs and Nuclear Abolition

The week of Sep 21-27 includes the UN International Day for Peace (September 21), UN Climate Summit (September 23),  UN Summit on SDGs (September 24-25) and the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (September 26).

Together these dates comprise a Global week of action on peace, climate, SDGs and nuclear abolition. Governments, parliaments and civil society are encouraged to take action on any of these days, and to highlight the connections between these key global issues in their action. 

Abolition 2000 has established a working group to promote the week and build cooperation beween peace, climate action, development and disarmament communities.

Sep 21: International Day for Peace

The theme for UN International Day for Peace this year is Climate Action for Peace. 

• Civil society organisations around the world are taking action on this day. List your peace event at Peace One Day.
   
• The United Nations will commemorate the day with a Student Peace Observance at UN Headquarters in New York on 20 September 2019 from 9am.Watch the event live on webtv.un.org.
   
• Peace One Day will hold a major commemoration event with civil society leaders and celebrities in London on September 21. The event will be livestreamed. Click here for information.

September 23: UN Climate Summit

July 2019: Hottest month ever: The earth is already heating up. According to the World Meteorological Organization July 2019 matched, and maybe broke, the record for the hottest month since analysis began.

There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society. To boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will host the 2019 Climate Action Summit on 23 September. 

Actions: 
a) Call on your government to commit in New York to deeper reductions in carbon emissions, a faster transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, and reductions in military budgets in order to fund climate protection.
b) Take action yourself to reduce your carbon footprint and reverse climate change. For more ideas see the Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World. 

Youth Climate Summit: 
The Youth Climate Summit, which will also take place on September 23, will involve youth leaders (18-29 years) sharing visions, campaigns and innovative ideas for reversing climate change.

September 24-25: Summit on Sustainable Development

On 24 and 25 September, Heads of State and Government will gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the SDG Summit 2019 to follow up and comprehensively review progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Action: Call on your government to highlight at the SDG Summit the importance of peace and demilitarisation in achieving the SDGs, and support the proposal of Kazakhstan that all countries redirect 1% of their military budget to the SDGs.

September 26: Nuclear Abolition Day

September 26 is the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. 

• UN event. The UN will hold a High-Level Meeting of government leaders to commemorate the day. NGOs can participate as observors with 2 NGO representatives invited to address the high-level meeting. To register click here (registration deadline is August 23). 
   
• Other events: Parliamentarians, religious groups and other civil society organisations are encouraged to commemorate the day with actions and events. UNFOLD ZERO is hosting a platform for listing events and promoting the day. Contact UNFOLD ZERO to list your event. 

Suggested actions:
a) Encourage your Prime Minister/President to attend the Sep 26 UN High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament and to use this occasion to call on all States to never launch a nuclear war, and to negotiate for the complete abolition and elimination of nuclear weapons;
b) Organise a screening of ‘The Man who saved the World’ or other action for Nuclear Abolition Day.

Taken from Basel Peace Office. Learn more here.

2020 Climate Change Emission Reduction Targets Campaign

The case for strong government action to combat climate change is becoming clearer each day. Extreme weather, rising seas, forest fires, pollution, and droughts are on the increase, serving as a dark reminder of the growing threat that climate change poses to the well-being of our planet. The recent report of the scientific Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change provides the data that tells us there is little time left and that we have to act soon.

While much admirable work is being done to address climate change at the sub-national level (e.g. by cities, states, the business and faith communities and others), little is being done by national governments.

 

Yet, a strong body of evidence exists that points to the need for efforts at the national level to lead and support what other groups are doing at the sub-national level. Every significant industrial and technological advance throughout history has required the support of government.

 

The 2020 Climate Change Campaign is directed at getting governments to set new urgently needed short-term and long-term emission reduction targets.

 

The short-term target is to strengthen pledges to the Paris Agreement by 2020 that aim at having countries be 1.5 degrees Celsius compliant by 2030. The long-term target is for countries to pledge by 2020 to be carbon-neutral by 2050, if not sooner.

 

Climate Scorecard, an international NGO, is coordinating this Campaign.

 

A list of recommended policies for strengthening Paris Agreement pledges for leading greenhouse gas emitting countries can be found in our Global Report #16.

 

Climate Scorecard urges existing and new country level climate coalitions and groups to join this campaign, advocate for their governments to agree to these two targets and put forward policies that governments can use to reach these targets.

 

If your organization is working towards either one of our two goals and wants to join our campaign please let us know by emailing Marisa Young: Marisa@climatescorecard.org.

 

Please tell us what you are doing. We will publicize your efforts and promote the campaign at a global level through our social media and print platforms.

 

Read more at Climate Scorecard

Today — and every day — tigers need your help

More tigers live in captivity in the United States than exist in the wild around the world. Last century, nearly 100,000 tigers roamed Earth. Today, only about 3,900 tigers remain in the wild, covering less than 5 percent of their former range. 

The tiger's descent toward extinction is driven almost entirely by humans. Increasing demand for tiger’s skin and bones — both for aesthetic and medicinal purposes — has sparked poaching, decimating tiger populations. 

And while the threats to tigers from poaching, illegal trade and habitat loss have been recognized for some time now, another unchecked crisis now threatens to wipe out one of the world’s largest tiger strongholds: climate change and sea level rise. 

Humans have caused this undoing — but we can also solve it! 

ACT NOW TO PROTECT OUR SPECIES!

July 29 is Global Tiger Day. Take bold action to protect our species and save tigers! Earth Day Network has partnered with Panthera to bring attention to the plight of tigers across the world and share ways you can help save this endangered species. 

Learn more about the threats to tigers and ways you can help — check out our guest blog authored by Jamie Zaccaria, communications and digital content manager at Panthera, that answers some of the most commonly asked questions about tigers. Also, read Earth Day Network’s newest blog post about the connection between dwindling tiger populations and climate change. 

With some subspecies of tigers already extinct, Global Tiger Day is the time to act:

• Download our Protect Our Species Primer and Action Toolkit and other Earth Day resources to learn everything you need to know about species loss and the steps you can take to help reverse it. 
• Use the hashtags #ProtectOurSpecies, #EarthRise and #VoteEarth, and tag EDN @EarthDayNetwork to join the global conversation. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. 
• Share your plans to protect species in your own neighborhood.
• Test your species knowledge by taking our Protect Our Species Quiz
• Get involved with Earth Day 2020 for the 50th Anniversary! 

Thank you for being part of our global movement to Protect Our Species.

Learn more about Earth Day Network here

Recommendations To Help Countries Make Paris Agreement Pledges That Are 1.5 Degrees Compliant

 

Below is the latest Climate Scorecard Spotlight Report.

 

For this report, we asked our country managers to provide a short-list of policy recommendations that their countries can follow to decrease the temperature of the planet and ensure 1.5 degree compliancy.

READ THE REPORT

 

We hope that these recommendations gain traction with NGOs, research organizations and the private sector who are in a position to advocate for their countries to strengthen their Paris Agreement pledge. 

 

Under the terms of the Agreement, countries are encouraged to strengthen the ambition of their 2015 pledge by 2020. 

 

We urge our readers and followers to review the policy recommendations in this Report. Adapt them, share with others, and give us feedback on how they can be improved. 

 

Climate change is real, and what governments do matters.

 

BECOME A PARTNER
We must save the Paris Agreement!

 

Our campaign is focused on raising public awareness and putting public pressure on leading greenhouse gas emitting countries. Learn More.

 

DONATE TODAY!

Every donation helps our work.

 

Our global, grassroots organization relies on the support of other committed individuals. Learn More