(July 8, 2008) Experts and environmental activists have submitted a petition asking the Chinese government to reassess the safety of large-scale dam projects and make their findings public.
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Électricité du Laos: Increases imports from neighbouring countries
(August 12, 2008) The value of energy imported by Électricité du Laos (EDL) from neighbouring countries will increase by 27 billion kip this year.
PANEL: “Our planet, our country, and the environment: acknowledging reality and envisioning policy for the 21st century
Patricia Adams The Riley Institute, Furman University September 27, 2006 The National Conference on Environmental Policy “The Environment: Critical Issues of the 21st Century” The Riley Institute Furman University Greenville, South Carolina […]
Report: Olympic water diversions short-term solution for Beijing’s water crisis
(June 26, 2008) Plans to divert water to Beijing for the Olympic Games are shortsighted and will not ease the city’s severe water crisis, says a report released by Probe International.
Roundtable update: World Bank on odious debts
(August 7, 2008) The World Bank convened the roundtable in response to feedback from civil society groups (CSOs) to its September 2007 discussion paper, “Odious Debt: Some Considerations.”
Liberia comes clean-er
(August 7, 2008) Liberia has risen from the bottom ranks of the World Bank’s most corrupt country list to earn the distinction of graft’s most zero-tolerant post-conflict nation, reports Africa’s opinion journal, The Analyst. A recent report by the Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators Institute (WGI) indicates that at the current rate, Liberia has shown the largest improvement of any country in the world in controlling corruption.
Chilean tourism industry ready to battle Canadian investment
(August 7, 2008) In a recent story, Óscar Santelices, the director of Chile’s tourism bureau, SERNATUR, expressed concerns that the HidroAysén hydro electric project in Patagonia may hurt the region’s tourism business. He also said that he has expressed these concerns to the developers of the project.
At least in Bangladesh wrongdoers are encouraged to return the money
(August 6, 2008) The president of Bangladesh this month appointed a three-member Truth and Accountability Commission in an effort to claw back ill-gotten gains from corrupt businessmen and politicians who could receive clemency if they confess their wrongdoing and refund money obtained illegally. The country’s military-backed government, which launched a nationwide anti-graft campaign after taking power in January 2007, hopes the commission will help clear a massive backlog of corruption cases, Independent Online reports.
The Hydrolancang cascade: Fact box
(August 1, 2008) Information on eight Hydrolancang dams on the Lancang (upper Mekong) River in Yunnan.
Measuring the Clean Development Mechanism’s Performance and Potential
(August 1, 2008) The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol is the first global attempt to address a global environmental public goods problem with a market-based mechanism.
Green Olympics not so green for some
(August 1, 2008) As Beijing rounds the last turn in the final lap of its preparations for the Olympics, residents in other parts of China are left counting the cost of what the games means for them.
Carbon Offsets: The U.S. Voluntary Market Is Growing, but Quality Assurance Poses Challenges for Market Participants
(August 1, 2008) GAO was asked to examine (1) the scope of the U.S. voluntary carbon offset market, including the role of the federal government; (2) the extent to which mechanisms for ensuring the credibility of offsets are available and used and what, if any, related information is shared with consumers; and (3) trade-offs associated with increased oversight of the U.S. market and including offsets in climate change mitigation policies. This report is based on analysis of literature and data, interviews with stakeholders, and GAO’s purchase of offsets.
Study shows dams unnecessary
(July 31, 2008) This study shows that a national policy based on energy efficiency and non-conventional renewable energy could reduce Chile’s energy demand by up to 4,000 MW, eliminating the need for large hydroelectric projects.
World Bank funds Brazil’s ethanol craze
(July 31, 2008) The World Bank is a leading financier and political promoter of Brazil’s campaign for sugar cane based ethanol. Currently, the Bank’s private sector arm, International Finance Corporation, is lending about US$200 million for three ethanol projects in Sao Paulo state.
World Bank funds Amazon slaughterhouse
(July 31, 2008) The World Bank’s private sector arm, International Finance Corporation, is providing Brazil’s cattle industry with US$9 million to expand their slaughterhouse operations in the southern Amazon, depite an environmental study showing the expansion would lead to the loss of up to 300,000 hectares of forest.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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Probe International 