friends of the earth in the media
In 2004, Friends of the Earth
International continued to increase its media
presence around the world. Throughout the
year, around 80 press releases were sent to
thousands of journalists covering all
continents.
Real World Radio (
www.realworldradio.fm
), a
collaboration between Friends of the Earth
International and the World Association of
Community Radio Broadcasters, broadcast in
Spanish, Portuguese and English at various
events throughout the year including the UN
Climate Change meeting in Buenos Aires in
December. Real World Radio news was picked up
by many community radio stations throughout
Latin America and the rest of the world, and
its website was visited by tens of thousands
of users in 2004.
on the december 2004 asian
tsunam
i “What we have seen in the
tsunami crisis is that the areas that were
protected naturally suffered less than those
that were more exposed. The full fury and
wrath of the tidal waves were felt in areas
where nature's green belts of coral reefs and
mangroves no longer exist or were never
present in the first place. It is only
through having such natural defenses that
coastal communities can be protected in the
long run.” Friends of the Earth International
Chair Meena Raman in a January 2005 Reuters
news agency report.
on foei patron wangari maathai,
2004 nobel peace prize winner
“We
environmentalists are sometimes portrayed as
anti-development, as anti-progress, but this
award is a great vindication that caring for
the environment is crucial to Africans who
live so close to the earth.” Nnimmo Bassey,
Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Associated
Press news agency, October 2004.
on genetically modified crops in
the united states
“The [ US ]
government is allowing the contamination of
our food supply with experimental material
they haven't tested.” Bill Freese, Friends of
the Earth United States, in a November 2004
Inter Press Service news agency report.
on mining in indonesia
‘”In Indonesia, multinational mining
companies including Rio Tinto, BP, Newmont
and Newcrest still seek mining concessions in
the country's critical conservation areas.
Some companies threatened to sue the
Indonesian government for revoking mining
concessions in the areas planned to be
declared protected forests. Indonesian bays
have been turned into dumping grounds for
mine tailings, and Newmont employs harmful
practices banned at home in the United
States.” Farah Sofa, Friends of the Earth
Indonesia, in a November 2004 report in The
Nation newspaper ( Thailand ).
on world bank plans to water down
loan conditions
“These flawed
proposals seriously undermine the World
Bank's duty to protect the environment and
affected communities. These new plans will
weaken already inadequate safeguards and must
be abandoned.” Hannah Ellis, Friends of the
Earth International, on OneWorld US news
service in September 2004.
on efforts to revive world trade
organization talks
“Now is the time
for the United States and the EU to realize
that they must give up their corporate-driven
trade agenda, exchanging it for a progressive
approach to developing fair and sustainable
economies that work for everyone.” Alexandra
Wandel in a January 2004 Inter Press Service
report.
on the world trade organization
and genetically modified organisms
“The WTO is effectively going to be
force-feeding the world GMOs. We don't think
that the WTO is the right place to be making
decisions about the food that people eat.”
Liana Stupples, Friends of the Earth England,
Wales and Northern Ireland in a May 2004
OsterDowJones report.
on the world bank's extractive
industries review
“The Buyat Bay
pollution disaster shows that instead of
benefiting poor communities, mining
operations destroy livelihoods and health.
The Buyat Bay pollution is an example of why
the Extractive Industries Review of the World
Bank Group's lending practices headed by
Indonesian environmental diplomat and
statesman Dr. Emil Salim should have been
taken more seriously by the [World Bank's]
International Finance Corporation.” Longgena
Ginting, director of WALHI/Friends of the
Earth Indonesia on Environment News Service,
August 2004
on trade talks at the world
economic forum
”While the WEF claims
to act in the public interest, behind the
closed doors and the WEF's public relations
gloss there is a different reality.
Prosperity for the WEF means prosperity for
the huge multinational corporations who write
the world trade rules that help them, but
often hurt the global environment and the
poorest people.” FoEI Vice-Chair Tony Juniper
in a January 2004 Inter Press Service report.
friends of the earth in the media
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