Environmental Justice Articles

Women in Palestine are disproportionately affected by the lack of access to sanitation and adequate quantities of safe water. The research aimed to improve the empowerment of communities and individuals (mainly women) in the Palestinian urban areas on the acceptance of the reuse of treated wastewater. Research was carried out at Ein Qinyia village in Ramallah about whether or not training women can increase their awareness and accept the reuse of treated wastewater from the Al-Tireh Wastewater Treatment Plant.

On October 13th a large coalition of environment, climate and indigenous peoples organizations has posted a letter to the board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The group demands that the EITI’s principles, standards and procedures have to take into account climate change impacts, and the consequences of necessary legal and policy reforms and associated risks to the fossil fuel industry.

If the EU is serious about an ambitious agreement at the UN talks in Paris, it must prioritise adaptation and resilience to climate risk in the negotiations, write Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's President Barbara Unmüßig and Ralf Fücks and E3G's Chief Executive Nick Mabey.

Author: Svenja Oberender Traditional agriculture, with its strong connection to the land and understanding of its character, is an often cited part of Palestinian national identity. Unfortunately, the grave reality is that the profession is slowly but surely disappearing. In this interview, agronomist and environmentalist Saad Dagher explains the reasons for the decline that can be found not only in the political situation but also in social and economic developments. In addition, he talks about how abandoning peasant farming has in turn changed Palestinian society.

Healthy soils are crucial to human nutrition and the fight against hunger. But worldwide 24 billion tons of fertile soil is lost annually. Barbara Unmüßig calls attention to the growing threat to one of Earth’s most important resources.    

The rules of the global economy also remain untouchable, making it nearly impossible to restructure financial and trade policies to ensure that they do not result in more poverty, unchecked climate change, and irreversible resource destruction. The language agreed upon so far is not reassuring. A timeworn commitment to economic growth at all cost is no answer to the question of how development can be balanced against the limits of our planet and the fact that billions of people live in poverty. In a finite world, infinite growth is impossible, and rising output will not put food on everyone’s table if the benefits of growth are not fairly distributed.

The emissions from burning coal, oil, and gas are heating up our planet at such a rapid rate that increasingly volatile and dangerous climate conditions seem almost inevitable. Clearly, we have to reduce emissions fast, while developing alternative energy sources that allow us to leave fossil fuels in the ground.

Supported by the Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) and hbs, Sameerah Awawdeh and Dr. Yousef Daoud are carrying out a project investigating the economic and social impact of the use of solar energy instead of fossil fuels to generate electricity in Palestine. The study particularly looks at the impact on public finance, external trade and labor market. 

Factory-style livestock production is a critical driver of agricultural industrialization. Its remorseless expansion is contributing to climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and human-rights violations – all to satisfy Western societies’ unhealthy appetite for cheap meat. 

Those most vulnerable to climate change are often least responsible for its causes, and have the fewest resources to deal with its consequences. Contrast this with the carbon majors, which have made huge fortunes from the fossil fuels that are largely responsible for climate change. In 2013, the combined profits of just four majors – Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell – topped $94 billion. This colossal return was possible only because these companies externalize their products’ highest cost – the climate devastation borne by the poor and vulnerable.