Direct action for climate change

Vanuatu makes historic call for treaty to end the fossil fuel era

NEW YORK CITY - 23 September 2022

Today, Vanuatu called on other nations to join them in establishing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a proposed international mechanism that aims to explicitly address the source of 86% of CO2 emissions that cause climate change: fossil fuels. 

The President of Vanuatu His Excellency Nikenike Vurobaravu made the historic call on the floor of the UN General Assembly, making Vanuatu the first nation-state to call for an international mechanism to stop the expansion of all new fossil fuel projects, and manage a global just transition away from coal, oil and gas. The President of Vanuatu will also launch their call for a Treaty to phase out fossil fuels on stage at the 2022 Global Citizen Festival in Central Park this Saturday.

In his speech, President Nikenike Vurobaravu said: “Every day we are experiencing more debilitating consequences of the climate crisis. Fundamental human rights are being violated, and we are measuring climate change not in degrees of Celsius or tons of carbon, but in human lives. This emergency is of our own making. Our youth are terrified of the future world we are handing to them through expanding fossil fuel dependency, compromising intergenerational trust and equity. We call for the development of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase down coal, oil and gas production in line with 1.5ºC, and enable a global just transition for every worker, community and nation with fossil fuel dependence.”

The call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty has already been endorsed by more than 65 cities and subnational governments around the globe, including London, Lima, Los Angeles, Kolkata, Paris and the Hawai’i State Legislature. Recently the proposal has also been supported by the Vatican and the World Health Organisation.

Significant momentum has built behind the proposal in recent months and Vanuatu’s call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a pivotal step toward building formal diplomatic support for the proposal. Similar moments were pivotal in the legal pathway toward treaties to manage the threats of nuclear weapons and landmines.

This historic call doubles down on Vanuatu’s commitment to climate action, following their submission earlier this month of one of the world’s most comprehensive climate targets under the UN. Vanuatu has also been leading a campaign to have the International Court of Justice issue an opinion on climate justice and human rights, which paves the way for a new era of international climate policy focused on equity and justice and addressing the biggest drivers of the climate crisis - coal, oil, and gas.

Vanuatu, an already carbon-negative country that absorbs more emissions than it produces, is rated the country most at risk of natural disasters according to the United Nations. Countries on the frontlines of this crisis have been calling for urgent, tangible action on climate as they face the impacts of climate change and sea level rise in real-time. 

Brianna Fruean, a Pacific Climate Warrior and 2022 Global Citizen Prize Winner said: “Vanuatu’s call today is a vital investment in our future. They’ve heard the call from our youth that there’s no future for us in fossil fuels and listened. It’s time for other world leaders to do the same”.....

In Climate Victory, Manchin Drops Proposal to Ease Energy Permitting Rules

In other news from Capitol Hill, Senator Joe Manchin has abandoned — at least for now — his proposal to speed up the federal review of energy projects including the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Manchin wanted to shorten public comment periods on proposed fossil fuel projects, while weakening environmental and public health laws. On Tuesday, Manchin requested the proposal be removed from a stopgap funding bill after it became clear it didn’t have enough votes to pass. Manchin’s proposal had faced fierce opposition from climate justice groups. Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter said, “Tonight’s turnaround represents a remarkable, against-all-odds victory by a determined grassroots climate movement against the overwhelming financial and political might of the fossil fuel industry and its Senate enablers.”

U.K. Protesters Throw Soup on Van Gogh Painting to Demand Climate Action

In Britain, two climate activists glued their hands to the walls of London’s National Gallery Friday to call out the U.K. government’s role in fueling the climate catastrophe. The activists from the group Just Stop Oil first flung two cans of soup onto Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting, which was protected by a glass screen.

Just Stop Oil activist: “What is worth more: art or life? Is it worth more than food, worth more than justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?”

It’s the latest climate protest involving prestigious artworks and museums. Last week, two people glued their hands to a Pablo Picasso painting in Melbourne, Australia, as activists seek to disrupt normal life in unexpected settings to call attention to the climate crisis.

Meanwhile, protesters from the group Animal Rebellion poured milk onto the floors of grocery stores across the United Kingdom on Sunday, calling for a shift to a more sustainable, plant-based food system. Their protest came as the British government unveiled plans to further crack down on climate activists through a new “public order” bill that could also be used to break labor strikes.

Penn Student Protesters Disrupt Football Game to Demand Fossil Fuel Divestment

In Philadelphia, at least 19 University of Pennsylvania students were arrested after they stormed a football field and disrupted the school’s homecoming game to demand UPenn divest from fossil fuels. The group Fossil Free Penn is also urging the university to pay property taxes to support the funding of city public schools, and help save a low income housing complex located near the university.

..i wonder if it works the way they are saying it works.  

Rooftop wind energy invention is 16 times more efficient than solar panels

A much smaller footprint means a single unit can also provide the same amount of power as up to 16 solar panels.

The motionless design, created by Texas-based startup Aeromine Technologies, replaces the blades found in traditional wind turbines with an aerodynamic system that harvests energy from the airflow above a building.

This makes them virtually noiseless and safe for birds and other wildlife.

“This is a game-changer adding new value to the fast-growing rooftop power generation market, helping corporations meet their resilience and sustainability goals with an untapped distributed renewable energy source,” said Aeromine CEO David Asarnow.

“Aeromine’s founders have created a much more effective way to harness even moderate wind to create energy for large, flat rooftop buildings such as warehouses, data centres, office, and apartment buildings.”.....

Just Stop Oil Activists Take Aim At U.K. Gov’t Buildings to Highlight Climate Crisis

In Britain, campaigners with the group Just Stop Oil blocked the gates to Downing Street, home to the office and residence of the prime minister, as some glued their hands to the street during an act of civil disobedience Tuesday. A day earlier, activists sprayed orange paint onto four buildings in Central London: The Bank of England, the Home Office, the MI5 domestic intelligence agency and the headquarters of News Corp. The protests capped a month of action aimed at disrupting daily life to demand immediate action on the climate crisis.

Protester: “It’s criminal inaction, criminal inaction on the climate crisis. The U.N. say you need to act. The IPCC say you need to act. The IMF, the World Bank all say you need to act. And yet the government does nothing. What does it do? It issues new fossil fuel licenses. It says we need to drain every last drop of oil out of the North Sea.”