friends of the earth in the media in 2008
In 2008, a broad and growing spectrum of media organizations, spanning from the world's leading newspapers to niche websites, carried Friends of the Earth International's messages to audiences around the world.
“Just as Africa is emerging from a horrible debt trap, we could be re-indebted by developed countries and told to use loans to deal with the horrible damage that has been done to us. We are opposed to [the] re-indebting of the African people by way of climate adaptation loans.”
Omokaro Osayade of Friends of the Earth Nigeria in the Zambia Daily Mail, 21 June 2008.
"Industrialized countries are failing to live up to their historical and current responsibilities by not committing to steep, immediate binding emission reduction targets. Many are trying to deflect blame on to major developing nations."
Stephanie Long, FoEI climate program coordinator, in Agence France Presse at the conclusion of the UN climate talks in Poland, 12 December 2008.
"The World Bank is not a credible institution to play any role in addressing the climate crisis. Its climate investment funds are irreparably flawed and should be shut down. The funds must come through a mechanism controlled by the UN climate convention "in which all parties have equal say."
Karen Orenstein, Friends of the Earth United States campaigner quoted by the UPI news agency during UN climate talks in Poland, 10 December 2008.
"Greater opening up of Latin American economies to food giants would have a disastrous impact on the continent's agriculture. We might have to go for single crops like coffee, bananas and biofuels. It is not going to be good for family crops."
Sebastian Valdomir, Friends of the Earth Uruguay, quoted by IPS news agency on 5 December 2008.
"We need to tackle consumption of agrofuels, meat and timber products which drive deforestation."
Joseph Zacune, FoEI climate coordinator, in The Guardian newspaper at the launch of a FoEI report on deforestation, 25 November 2008.
"The government must introduce a windfall tax on vast oil company profits and invest the money in green initiatives. Oil is an expensive, dirty and finite resource – we need a green industrial revolution to lead us to a safe and prosperous future."
Mike Childs, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland campaigns director, quoted on www.businessgreen.com, 30 October 2008/
"War will not generate water. But peace can."
Nader Al-Khateeb, Palestinian director of FoEI affiliate group FoE Middle East, in a TIME magazine interview in which FoE Middle East was announced as a “Hero of the Environment 2008”, 25 September 2008.
"Using crops to feed cars is a false solution to our climate change problems and could lead to irreversible loss of wildlife and misery for millions of people in the South."
Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe climate campaigner, in Spiegel magazine, 9 November 2008.
"The conversion of forests into oil-palm plantations in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia is technology gone mad."
S.M. Idris, Friends of the Earth Malaysia chairman, in The Economic Times of India, 7 April 2008.
"Clean coal is a false solution, It has nothing to do with renewable energy."
Janneke Bruil, Friends of the Earth International campaigner, IPS news agency, 6 June 2008.
“GM crops still fail to deliver the long-promised benefits. The majority of GM crops are used to feed the animals of rich countries, produce industrial products like agrofuels, and overall don’t yield more than conventional crops. They are not good for the environment, as they are increasing pesticide use. In addition, they do not benefit small farmers or consumers in terms of quality or price."
Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria, in Africa Science News Service, 13 February 2008.
"Instead of increased biofuel use, green organizations want to see the development of public transport networks, more energy-efficient buildings and the production of engines that consume less fuel."
Robert Fidrich, Friends of the Earth Hungary, in Hungarian news agency MTI and Budapest Times, 15 January 2008.
“There is a finite amount of land for food, and using it for the expanded production of fuel is driving deforestation, which accounts for one-fourth to one-third of our global [greenhouse gas] emissions.”
Kate Horner, Friends of the Earth US climate and energy campaigner, in the New York Times, 4 May 2008.
