This page lists recent changes made to this site. The "Find Out More" links will take you to the changes. If this jumps to the middle of a page, you can easily scroll up to understand the context of the new information a bit further.
Date of Update
Description
November 27, 2000
The sixth Conference of Parties (COP6) negotiations on climate change collapsed. The European Union were adamant that the United States should not get special concessions on the agreements. The voices from developing countries seem to have been remote. The mainstream media in the United States has provided hardly any coverage of the climate talks. The United States, with about 4 percent of the world population, emits around 21 percent of the world's carbon dioxide. Critics have said that the agreements they want would in effect allow them to avoid cutting back on emissions. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Global Warming / Environment Issues
A new section on food dumping has been added. We think about food aid as a noble cause, helping millions of hungry people get food. However, the way aid policies are working these days, they are destructive, because the dumping of surplus food undercuts local farmers and drives them out of business and into poverty. The local economies then become more dependent and the exporting companies in the rich nations benefit. Sites like the HungerSite.com may provide a quick way to seemingly provide relief at a click of a button, but read this section first! There is also a chapter from a book that has been posted here with permission, that deals with this issue in detail. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Causes of Poverty / Genetically Engineered Food / Population / Trade Related Issues
A new page on economic democracy has been added. This is a re-post of a great flyer that succinctly summarizes the multitude of issues that cause poverty. From the unfairness in the so-called free trade, to the continuation of imperial and colonial policies, this flyer summarizes it very well. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Causes of Poverty / Free Trade / Trade Related Issues
November 21, 2000
A week into the sixth Conference of Parties (COP6) negotiations on climate change, the United States and the European Union set to dominate the talks with their differences. While issues surrounding carbon sinks and reforestation are hotly debated, issues of climate equity and the perspectives of developing countries seem to be less presented by the mainstream media. Additional links to further information have been added to this section as well as others. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Global Warming / Environment Issues
Like the IMF and World Bank, the Asian Development Bank too has come under criticism for its structural adjustment-like policies in Asia. It is criticized for encouraging policies that have led to further dependency and poverty for various Asian nations, as it opens up nations to further exports and prioritizes away from the needs of the people in those countries. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Causes of Poverty / Trade Related Issues
Some additional links to more information on the Heavily In-debt Poor Country initiative has been added. In particular some harsh critiques on the HIPC have been provided. The scheme devised by the IMF and World Bank, which was supposed to improve the burden of debt for the poorest of countries has not (predictably) lived up to its promise. In some cases, countries may be in more debt than they were previously. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Debt / Causes of Poverty / Trade Related Issues
November 13, 2000
A new section on climate change negotiations has been added. This section provides a look at the various issues on climate change negotiation, from the main international conventions, the reactions of business, governments and more. Many links to reports and web sites are provided. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Global Warming / Environment Issues
Another new section on climate change negotiations has been added. This one is about the latest session on the Conference of Parties at the Hague (also known as COP6) where it is hoped that three years of negotiations will be wrapped up in signing the Kyoto protocol. However, there are still many issues, as with the previous conferences, on things like business interests, trading of emissions, climate justice and social equity and more. Many links to reports and web sites are provided. The Hague conference is taking place between November 13 and November 24. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Global Warming / Environment Issues
The recent taco fiasco in the United States highlights some concerns about genetically engineered food. Genetically engineered corn that was not approved for human consumption was found in many taco shells that had to be recalled. Corporate accountability and gene spills are just some of the issues that this latest incident raises. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Genetically Engineered Food / Biodiversity / Corporations
November 6, 2000
The conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis continue amidst failing attempts by leaders to call a cease-fire. Various links to additional information have been added. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Middle East / Foreign Policy / Geopolitics
As border clashes between Ethiopia and Eritrea have claimed more lives, so too has the drought. Throughout the Horn of Africa, millions of people have been affected by lack of rain for up to 2 or even 3 years in some places. Some additional sources on the drought-related crisis has been added. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Conflicts in Africa / Poverty and Hunger
Coral reefs are severely affected by climate change. Scientists have researched the impacts on coral reefs from the effects of climate change, and are pessimistic. Coral reefs are an import and rich source of biodiversity providing many functions such as protecting shore lines from storms, providing food and medicines and economic gains through tourism. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Biodiversity / Global Warming
A study of ecological footprints suggest that we would need two additional planets if all the people in developing countries were to consume in the same manner as those in the rich North. The consumption style of the wealthier countries and peoples have had a negative impact on the natural resources and the environment. More so than rising populations, which often gets the blame for environmental stress. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Population / Environment Issues / Trade Related Issues
Additional sources of information on the International Criminal Court has been added. The International Criminal Court (ICC) will be a permanent court for trying individuals accused of committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC will be formally established after 60 countries have ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Currently, 22 nations have sign and ratified, while 115 have signed. In Rome, July 1998, the ICC was given the go-ahead with a vote of 120 to 7. The seven who voted against were USA, China, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar and Yemen. All of USA's allies voted for the ICC, while the Unites States were surprisingly very vocally against it and left standing with a list of countries that included those that the U.S. itself has termed as rogue. Find Out More »
- Related Section(s): Geopolitics / Human Rights
Global Issues
A new section on food dumping has been added. We think about food aid as a noble cause, helping millions of hungry people get food. However, the way aid policies are working these days, they are destructive, because the dumping of surplus food undercuts local farmers and drives them out of business and into poverty. The local economies then become more dependent and the exporting companies in the rich nations benefit. Sites like the HungerSite.com may provide a quick way to seemingly provide relief at a click of a button, but read this section first! There is also a chapter from a book that has been posted here with permission, that deals with this issue in detail.