When coffee first came to Europe from Constantinople in 1615, Viennese priests warned it was "the drink of infidels." The warnings in recent times have come from scientists, pseudo-scientists, and governments.
Coffee markets, new paradigms in global supply and demand
A report from the World Bank on the global coffee crisis and the effect it is having on the developing world.
Corruption and Bribery as a Way of Life in Africa
(October 26, 2009) Corruption happens at many different levels of bureaucracy, and has become a way of life. According to Transparency International, in Africa, the informal sector amounts to more than 40 per cent of the economy in many countries, reaching well over 50 percent in Nigeria and Tanzania. The lack of legal protection and the desire to dodge regulations makes the informal sector easy prey for extortion and the solicitation of bribes by corrupt officials.
Belpo back in Court over muddy discharges from Chalillo Dam
(October 25, 2009) The Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy (BELPO) is back in court over the muddy discharges from the Chalillo dam into the Macal and Belize rivers.
October 2009 Campaign Letter
Probe International initiates a campaign to make Stanley Marshall and the Newfoundland-based Fortis Inc. accountable to the people of Belize and stakeholders in Canada regarding the pollution spewing down the Macal river from the Fortis-owned Chalillo dam.
Read the letter and take action.
China’s dams are sinking its relationship with India
(October 23, 2009) The operators of the Three Gorges Dam are continuing to export their hydro-power schemes to countries around the globe. The latest destination is Pakistan.
Reservoir-Triggered Seismicity in Armenian Large Dams
(Fall 2009) Reservoir-triggered seismicity (RTS) is a phenomenon, which has been observed in several large dam projects all over the world, especially for the reservoirs which are constructed in seismically active regions. Practically all the territory of the Republic of Armenia is characterized as the high seismic active area. A review of reservoir triggered seismicity in Armenia shows that it mainly occurs in large dams which are located near active faults. In this paper it has been shown that the number of microearthquakes increase after Tolors reservoir operation, cause changes of seismic regime in the observed regions.
Needed: Economists, not accountants, to manage the Philippine economy
(October 21, 2009) A recent article in the Filipino broadsheet Business Mirror by Walden Bello – a Member of the House of Representatives – suggests that one way to spur the country’s economy would be to renegotiate some of its debts with creditors. Mr. Bello says the mood for refusing to pay back odious debts or for declaring moratoria on debt repayments has never been higher. Because of this sentiment, the government should look for ways to either suspend debts payments, or seek ways to eliminate this debt, as some of it was taken under suspicious circumstances.
Banned writers slam book fair
(October 21, 2009) Chinese dissidents and officials clash at the storied Frankfurt Book Fair.
No time to relieve Sudan’s debt
(October 20, 2009) The global economic crisis has once again raised the issue of the sovereign debt of countries in the developing world. Sean Brooks from the Save Darfur Coalition talks about the current debt crisis facing Sudan, and what can be done about it.
UK taxpayers foot the bill for PR campaigns by foreign aid groups, says UK economic development think-tank
(October 20, 2009) Stimulus packages aside, the so-called “Great Recession” is forcing government leaders across the world to look for ways to cut back on the cost of public services. No sector, or service, will be spared they say. But Carl Mortishead, writing in The Times, reports there is one government office in the UK that—far from being forced to trim costs—will be given a larger budget: The Department for International Development (DfID), the British government’s foreign aid flagship.
Another Chinese government mega-project forces mega-relocation of citizens
(October 20, 2009) The Chinese government is once again making headlines for relocating its citizens—this time for the much-criticized South-to-North Water Diversion Project. According to Xinhua, the resettlement of 330,000 Chinese citizens in central China’s Hubei and Henan provinces has begun.
Water Quality Update for the Macal River
(October 15, 2009) The Belize government has issued a press release with the results from water tests on the Macal River. The tests were performed on August 18th, after photographs were released showing the Chalillo dam on the Macal River discharging sediment-laden water.
Chile: Patagonia senate candidates unhappy with Hiydroaysen dam projects
(October 19, 2009) A multi-million PR blitz by the owners of HidroAysen had little impact in making the project attractive to the region’s 11 Senate candidates.
China’s guest of honour status at fair debated by Chinese writers
(October 17, 2009) Frankfurt – Exiled Chinese authors attending the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany disagreed amongst themselves Wednesday about whether the invitation of China to the event as guest of honour was a good or a bad thing. This year’s fair has been unusually controversial after China tried to prevent critical authors attending, breaking an unwritten rule that free speech reigns at the annual book-publishing show.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
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Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
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