As we fly out on our quest to highlight the real, our paths crossed with emerging Hip hop legend DJ Cavem. Based out of Denver, Colorado, DJ Cavem incorporates all aspects of hip hop culture to the cause he is most passionate about, Food Justice. Check out the trailer from the interview and Check the site out next week for the full interview.
Arrested Development brings a fresh green track from their new album STRONG, speaking on global warming, respecting our earth, not littering and honoring our history. The video is beautiful…. catch the sun & cloud moments at the end (hella cute). Much love to the AD crew for this one!
Produced by Speech, song written by the whole group. Chorus written by Tasha Larae.
350-400 people were arrested in the first mass protest in Copenhagen today, reaffirming that civil society groups are determined to stay loud and clear on their message for a fair, equitable agreement out of COP15. See this Democracy Now! summary of Week 1 in Copenhagen, which tells a good comprehensive story of what’s going on inside and outside. Featuring Kate Horner of Friends of the Earth.
From a post by Naomi Klein on The Nation:
A video interview by The Uptake, with African poet and activist Nnimmo Bassey about Obama on climate. Read Naomi Klein’s article about her discussion with Bassey here.
And tomorrow, African Parliamentarians and members of African Civil Society groups will be joined by representatives from US civil rights and environmental justice NGOs at a press conference in Copenhagen to make an urgent appeal to US President Barak Obama calling for leadership on the issue of climate justice. The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, an alliance of civil society organizations in 43 countries across Africa will issue an urgent appeal to Obama as he prepares to receive the Nobel Peace Prize tonight in Norway. ChecktheWeather’s own Kari Fulton will be representing!
For those of you in Copenhagen:
WHERE:Asger Jorn, NGO Press Conference Room, Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
WHEN: 8:30 a.m. Thursday, December 10, 2009
Almost 100 African youth and representatives from intergovernmental organizations stormed the halls of the Bella Center where the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The youth chanted “1 degree now, 2 degrees suicide”. This was reportedly in response to one of the lead negotiators of the Group of 77 least developed nations (G77) Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping of Sudan walking into a meeting of non-governmental organizations from Africa crying. Di-Aping stated that the current state of the international negotiations would mean suicide for Africans. Checktheweather co-founder Kari Fulton reported that the African representatives and youth in the meeting walked out and began chanting “1 degree now, 2 degrees suicide”. This is major because many of the developing and developed nations including the United States have stated that 2 degrees of increase in global warming was an acceptable increase. Currently global warming has caused the temperature of the earth to rise 0.6 degrees celsius since the beginning of the Industrial Age. Check out some exclusive clips clips from the action and an interview with one of the youth leaders at COP15.
Today, Annie Leonard, Director of the critically acclaimed documentary, The Story of Stuff released The Story of Cap and Trade
(you can watch the video below)
The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.
The Story of Cap and Trade is being billed as a “fast-paced, fact-filled look at the leading climate solution being discussed at Copenhagen and on Capitol Hill.”
What is Cap and Trade and is it really going to help slow down climate change? This ten minute documentary breaks it down and is a must see for anyone interested in saving the planet!
To learn more about the the director Annie Leonard and the Story of Stuff project visit www.storyofstuff.org
From Nigeria to Peru to Baton Rouge Louisiana, Big Oil is polluting the planet and the people. Recently, Shell gasoline settled with the Ogoni People of Nigeria for $15.5 million. The Ogoni people accused Shell of playing a role in the execution of Tribal leaders who were running a non-violent campaign to get Shell oil mines out of their village. In South America there is an on-going campaign to protect the Amazon rainforest from oil and natural resource extraction by big companies like Chevron. Checktheweather.net sat down with filmmaker and activist Han Shan to discuss his thoughts on the Ogoni Settlement and to catch a trailer from his new award winning documentary “Crude” by Joe Berlinger
CRUDE – official trailer from Crude The Movie on Vimeo.
CTW: What was your initial reaction about the settlement:
Han Shan: There was an initial shock, A little bit of dissapointment that Shell is not going to be on trial but as it sank in more I realize that this is a victory. We have been working on this for a very long time. For a true victory Shell needs to change it’s way of doing business all together.
CTW: what does this settlement mean for others fighting dirty oil around the world.
Han Shan: There are skeptics but by and large shell paid 15.5 million for crimes they say they didn’t commit. There is no gag order on the plaintiffs and the lawyers. They were able to get the word out through media to show the collusion with Shell and the Nigerian military. I hope it will be inspiring to continue their fight and use legal mechanism. This case also broadened the use of the alien tort statute since Brian Anderson- Head of Shell Nigeria during Ogoni Massacre was brought to trial. It is also a powerful opportunity to look into who Ken-Saro Wiwa was. There are so many facets to this case
Ken Saro Wiwa’s non-violent movement was successful in getting Shell out of Ogoni in 1993 there are still pipelines and illegal oil spills and even if they don’t have oil fields in Ogoni they have a triple standard (Shell) the way they act in the Niger Delta, the way the act in poor areas of the US and then how they act in the Suburbs of Dallas, Texas. The way Shell acts in the Niger Delta is shameful.
CTW: What can people do to support:
Move towards a sustainable energy future. Until we end our addiction to oil we will always have violence. Conflict over resources is universal. We need a much more radical solution than what oil companies are willing to deal with. Oil companies are now taking away from investing in renewable energy and more into tar sands in Canada
The best thing is to keep spreading the word of what the true price of Oil is. We need a real solution that is going to support indigenous groups. we need to revisit free trade because we as americans play a huge role in what’s going on in Peru and around the world. In Peru- Conoco-Phillips is the leading holder of exploratory license in Peru.
CTW: Now that this case is settled what’s next?
Han Shan: This is a crime that you are never going to end with police. How do you lock up corporations?
CTW: What would bold climate legislation mean to you>>
Han Shan: We need to change up the economic incentives. there is no incentive to investing into renewable energies. Groups are working on a report to showcase that Shell is one of the prime players in weakening the Waxman-Markey bill. it’s more cost -effective for these groups to invest in tar sands than renewable energy technology.
We need a Manhattan Project for renewable energy. I’m dissapointed that Obama has not used those funds to really re-imagine our country like the Manhattan Project or Marshall Plan. With the kind of technology that we have I am shocked we are not doing more.
One of the most important facets is local democratic control.There is a corruption that comes when you have big international companies coming in vying for control.
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