(November 6, 2009) A recent article by scientists in the U.S. provides further evidence that the Zipingpu dam’s reservoir may have triggered the devastating May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. The Wenchuan earthquake killed nearly 90,000 people and unleashed a chorus of speculation that the Zipingpu reservoir may have contributed to the severity of the earthquake, or helped to trigger it.
Carbon accounting challenges: Are you ready?
(November 3, 2009) The development of carbon markets worldwide has created a host of challenges for companies – and of these challenges, accounting is perhaps one of the least understood. After all, even Europe (a four-year veteran of carbon trading) still has not come to consensus on how to account for emission allowances.
Pakistan needs taxation with representation, not U.S. aid, says Finance Minister
If Pakistan’s government fixed the nation’s broken tax system, it would not be forced to accept foreign aid from Western countries, says the country’s Federal Minister for Finance and Revenues, Shaukat Tareen. His remarks come in the wake of street protests by citizens and heated debates by lawmakers in the country against a $7.5-billion aid package, known as the Kerry-Lugar bill.
Carbon credit fraud: The white collar crime of the future
(November 1, 2009) Austrailia’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) will soon require the largest emitters of greenhouse gases to offset their carbon footprint. Such schemes have already been subject to fraud, misstatement and the involvement of organised crime in the UK and Europe. Deloitte Forensic is now warning Australian companies and regulators to prepare for the potential fraud risks.
Out with the old, in with the new: report calls for decentralized electricity generation in Cambodia
(October 30, 2009) The Cambodian government should shelve its plans to construct massive hydro electric dams, and instead implement and enforce policies that promote decentralized electricity generation, says a new report by Probe International and the NGO Forum on Cambodia.
Powering 21st Century Cambodia with Decentralized Generation: A Primer for Rethinking Cambodia’s Electricity Future
(October 28, 2009) This report by Probe International challenges the assumption that large-scale power imports and large-scale hydro dams are the cleanest and most efficient way to bring electricity to more people.
Local residents say Three Gorges dam aggravating drought
(October 30, 2009) Three Gorges dam officials are defending their plan to continue to raise the project’s reservoir level, saying a higher reservoir will help residents living downstream face a potentially more dangerous drought in the upcoming dry season. But local residents say the dam is making an already severe, and deadly, drought even worse.
China’s Export of Censorship
(October 12, 2009) The Chinese government’s effort to prevent dissident authors from taking part in the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair, an international showcase for freedom of expression, has offered Germany a close-up view of China’s intolerance of dissent.
Political fictions
(October 29, 2009) Eric Abrahamsen reports from the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world’s largest publishing trade event, where China was this year’s guest of honour – and competing narratives of the nation were the order of the day.
Government Power Policy should be rethought, report says
(October 29, 2009) High-efficiency gas-fired power plans to supply urban areas and micro hydropower, off-grid solar power, and biomass technologies in remote areas are a better power supply alternative to large hydropower projects, according to the report, which was drafted by NGO Forum together with Probe International, a Canadian advocacy group working on energy and development.
Did the Zipingpu Reservoir trigger the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake?
(October 28, 2009) A new study published in the journal of Geophysical Research Letters provides more evidence that the deadly Wenchuan earthquake may have been triggered by the Zipingpu dam’s reservoir.
Sustainable coffee at the crossroads
Coffee is one of the most powerful and universal commodities in the world today. It is the second most traded commodity after petroleum and a vital source of export earnings for many of the developing countries that grow it.
The U.S. Organic Market: Size, Trends, and Implications for Central American Agricultural Exports
A review and analysis of what is known about the U.S. organic market and expectations for its growth and development.
Discussion on organic coffee in the year 2000
This document examines the world organic coffee scene by following up and expanding on what was said in the round table discussion. It is based on a compilation of information from a variety of unofficial sources with links to the organic coffee market. The statistical value of the data presented should, therefore, be treated with caution and should only serve as a rough guide.
Rapid commodity assessment series: Coffee production in Haiti
A look at coffee production in Haiti, prepared for the USAID-funded Haiti hillside agricultural program.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
Other News Sources
Probe International 