Myanmar: Timber demand fuels illegal logging
The problem of illegal logging in forests in the developing world represents a microcosm of the phenomenon of exploitation of natural resources by corrupt governing elites that wreak environmental damage while simultaneously diverting government revenue away from public goods.
Extractive industries: Oxfam wins against SEC
On September 2, a federal district court judge ruled in favor of Oxfam America, Earth Rights International, and a team of pro-bono lawyers who sued the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for dragging its feet on implementation of a critical piece of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reforms.
Trade: Update on TPP
On July 31, another Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement deadline passed.
Catholics active in support of Iran nuclear deal
Maryknoll, Pax Christi and many other Catholic and Christian groups were deeply involved with the recent efforts to preserve the Iran nuclear agreement.
Climate change: New report on CEO pay
Excessive CEO pay at the 30 largest U.S. public fossil fuel corporations rewards short-term actions, with disastrous results for the world’s climate, a new report finds.
Resources from September-October 2015 NewsNotes
Resources published in the September-October 2015 NewsNotes.
El Salvador: Instability foments violence
In recent months, violence in El Salvador has spiraled, with the daily death rate now higher than during the peak of the civil war.
El Salvador: Gangs defined as “terrorists”
In an unsurprising decision, El Salvador’s Supreme Court has decreed that gangs and their “apologists” are now legally defined as terrorists under El Salvador’s Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism (LECAT).
Honduras: Proposal for impunity commission fails
While protesters in Guatemala City celebrated the resignation of their country’s president and vice president, their compadres in Honduras have been less successful in their efforts to bring reform and justice.
Guatemala: Pérez Molina resigns
The arrest of Guatemala’s President Pérez Molina on charges of corruption on September 3 was a surprising turn of events that brings a ray of hope to a long-suffering country where Maryknoll missioners have served for decades.
Road to Paris: Issues unresolved in Bonn
In December, the UN conference on climate change in Paris will be the center of the world’s attention as 190 participating nations attempt to agree to what hopefully will be a robust agreement. From August 31-September 7, negotiators from these governments met in Bonn, Germany to lay the groundwork for a successful Paris conference.
Road to Paris: EPA offers Clean Power Plan
On August 4, President Obama unveiled the final version of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), a set of national standards to reduce carbon emissions from U.S. power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2030.