elstel.org

The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is a climate killer treaty that has allowed corporations to sue states for billions like f.i. at a coal phase-out. Our politicians now want to reinstall this morally reprehensible and, according to a ECJ ruling, also illegal practice with a patched contract. From our point of view, however, there is nothing to be patched here: Politically necessary decisions can also reduce future profits of corporations and it is fundamentally wrong to let the taxpayer bleed for that. This is entrepreneurial risk and state leaders must therefore weigh up the actions to be taken. The company must not stand above the state, but the state has to set the framework. In many cases, however, the effect is a prevention of public measures under the treaty, not even their assumption, as these could simply be unaffordable. It is a travesty of justice if the corporations set up the rules for themselves. Measures such as price caps against inflation can also be grounds for complaint because they can reduce the future profit prospects of corporations. So urge our heads of state to reject the ECT on November 22nd!
» Petition Attac Austria, » Petition Attac Germany, see also: ISDS.

Since python2 is no more installed by default on many systems or not even available as on MacOS we have ported the vpngate-extract script to python3. The old python2 version can still be downloaded as in the brackets. VPNgate-extract can be used to extract .ovpn files from a list with download URL given by --help in order to connect to free VPNs around the world. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and it enables you to connect to another computer in some other country and see the internet as from there.

Nuestro llamativo artículo ha sido traducido al español. El hecho de que se trata realmente de un tema candente se puede ver de organizaciones ambientales como Greenpeace presionando por un acuerdo de conservación marina y de Global2000 que, a más tardar cada año, indique de nuevo la presencia de toxinas en los productos de plástico (último). Basta con mirar nuestro mensaje rss anterior al respecto (“Cada vez que probamos productos cotidianos para sustancias peligrosas, los encontramos en concentraciones tan terrible altas que nos somos obligados a contactar a las autoridades públicas”).

The EU plans that methods of new genetic engineering such as CRISPR/Cas should no longer be subject to labelling requirements in the EU in the future. With CRISPR/Cas, genes are also cut out or inserted from the genetic material, as in traditional genetic engineering. Although CRISPR/Cas is more targeted, the off-target rate of unwanted mutations is still around 50%, according to Wikipedia. Furthermore, we do not yet know nearly enough about gene loci and the interactions between genes to reliably and precisely apply changes with predictable effects.

For example, the signatories of a consultation questionnaire on the part of the EU were not even given the opportunity to opt for mandatory labelling of the so-called NGT. Furthermore, the questionnaire was full of misleading sustainability promises that the NGT would produce pest- and climate-resistant varieties. This promise has already not been fulfilled by previous genetic engineering, not at all. Global 2000 writes in the Global News 2/2022 that 6 out of 16 varieties in the NGT pipeline are trimmed for pesticide resistance and only two of them against pest or fungal infestation (like these experiments already existed in traditional genetic engineering). Not a single one of the new varieties will be resistant to drought or frost. Where pesticide resistance leads is already known from glyphosate: to resistance and increasing use of spraying agents. The fact that the new genetic engineering (NGT) would therefore be useful for climate protection or at least for arming against climate change is therefore just a plain lie. In contrast to further industrialization of agriculture, just a more environmentally friendly farming would help against climate change.

Global 2000 has launched a petition against the elimination of risk assessment and for the maintenance of traceability and labelling of genetically modified plants: on the petition of Global 2000

Steven´s home detention has ended on April 25. However he can still not continue to do his legal advocacy work of protecting the Ecuadorian people from the harm of Chevron´s propositional large scale toxic oil spill in the Amazon having poisoned local people dying of cancer. His passport got confiscated during his home detention and now the court is refusing to return it. Steven has only done his duty as an advocate and he needs a 100% restoration of his rights – including his right to erase his conviction, the right to travel outside of the US to meet clients, and the right to practice law. As far as now he remains degraded to a second class citizen, not being able to to travel freely and neither to practice his profession. It can not be true that he would depend on donations for his life. The first private law prosecution in history exercised by private law personnel from oil giant Chevron is corporate self-justice and thus unbearable and utmost illegitimate.

Good news from Australia: The climate denying cabinet of Scott Morrison has been deselected by the latest elections mainly because of its disastrous climate policy. The new government under lead of prime minister Anthony Albanese has strengthened the countries climate target by 40% reduction until 2030. However climate neutrality until 2050 was already promised before at the COP26 in Glasgow, that time certainly without any effort to keep the promise. Hopefully expecting the new government will also do better in saving the human rights of climate and environmental protesters. Under Scott Morrison Victorian police officers had struck peacful protestors with batons in the neck and head which can cause life threatening injuries. This was in 2019 at a mining conference, although Amnesty International did not tell us whether it was about the huge Adani Coal mine (We reported earlier).