Posts from — June 2008

Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. The bill was signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican. It requires the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010.

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In 1 year the cost of wheat has risen by a staggering 130% . The price of rice has doubled in 3 months. Oil, fruit and vegetables are similarly affected. Food riots have broken out in Bangladesh, Haiti and the Cameroon. Millions are facing severe shortages or even starvation.

So what’s going on?

• Bad weather spoiling crops and the harvest?
• Rising demand in countries like India and China?
• Use of crops for biofuels?
• Emphasis on feeding cattle to provide meat for the rich rather than producing food for people from developing countries?

….. and all of these are true to some extent but they totally miss the most salient factor. Profit!

With the threat of large scale famine on the horizon grain traders like Cargill, ADM and Bunge are raking in the money with increases in profits of 86%, 67% and 77% respectively.

But its not just the grain traders that are lining their nests; Tesco’s profits rose by 11.8% last year, Carrefour and Wal-Mart report that the sale of food is the number one factor contributing to increased profits.

With pressure from the IMF and the World Bank to open up their markets the developing countries have changed from net exporters of food to net importers. With prices as high as they are now they simply can’t afford to import and are not sufficiently in control of their own production to stop vital, life-sustaining food supplies from leaving the country.

Thanks to New Internationalist (July 2008) a truly great magazine

For further information check out www.grain.org especially “Making a Killing from Hunger”

According to media reports, climate scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado have been placing informal bets on the future of the North Pole. It seems the odds have been set at 50/50 for Santa and his elves to have to start treading water in September, as global warming continues to melt Arctic ice.


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As fuel prices soar, Alaskan officials announced the exploration of the state’s volcanoes, saying they could be exploited to provide energy for thousands of homes.

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The Chinese government has announced plans to ban 1 million vehicles from the streets of Beijing beginning July 20th. The intention is to reduce the city
’s air pollution in time for the 2008 Olympic Games, which start August 8th.

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In elections this March, the people of Zimbabwe sent a clear message: Morgan Tsvangirai, not Robert Mugabe, should lead their government.

Since then, through a campaign of violence, fraud, and intimidation, Mugabe’s government has undermined any hope for a legitimate run-off on June 27. The MDC has, appropriately, withdrawn. But this is not a concession of victory — it is an acknowledgment of reality.

Now, the world’s eyes turn to the leaders of Southern Africa — without whom even Mugabe cannot retain power. Please sign on to this message to Thabo Mbeki and other Southern African leaders, and Avaaz will deliver it this week in newspaper ads throughout the region (click the image on right to see a mock-up)!

Please follow the link and sign the petition asking the leaders of southern Africa to hold an emergency meeting, to work by all means necessary for a legitimate Zimbabwean government that reflects the will of its people, and to decisively isolate those who stand in the way of a peaceful, democratic future for Zimbabwe.

The situation in Zimbabwe is critical – its people need our help.

When it comes to the green debate, the blogosphere is, frankly, a scary place. With opinions ranging from the wise to the wacky, gaining an understanding of the current issues and debates can be an exhausting affair.

With this in mind, Green Central has spent countless hours, days and months scouring the web to bring to you our top 50 blogs.

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0 Trans fat cooking oils are on the rise, however new sustainable solutions must be implemented for the safety of our rain forests and endangered animals.

Raise awareness! Stop using palm oil!

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Tents, sacks of food and a replica of a burnt-out village hut appeared in Trafalgar Square on Tuesday as a tourist hotspot became a refugee camp to highlight the plight of millions of people displaced in Darfur and elsewhere.

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