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New reports question World Bank's coal investments
As the climate talks in South Africa approached, the World Bank continued to be overshadowed by past and prospective loans for fossil-fuel power plants. See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11332&l=1
Sweden: Saami Communities take on foreign miners
An Australian company's proposal to mine on Saami land in Sweden "would leave 20,000 reindeer without grazing lands, and Saami families and communities without access to their customary lands". That's according to a statement issued by the communities at Scandinavian...
Rio rough rides (again) into Canadian uranium
Rio Tinto is set to “rough ride” over a promising eponymous uranium deposit in Canada’s Athabasca Basin. This will mark a re-entry by the UK mining giant into uranium exploitation in Canada – the world’s second largest source of the nuclear fuel (after Kazahstan). In...
Energy colonialism in the Congo
The Congo River embodies an immense amount of energy – enough to supply a significant portion of Africa’s electricity requirements. The river is being touted as a perpetual source of clean, green power that could “light up Africa” and solve many of the continent’s...
Rio Tinto, Chinalco finalize exploration joint venture
The new company’s priority will be exploring in China for copper, with plans to expand into coal and potash. See http://www.mining-hub.com/2011/11/rio-tinto-chinalco-finalize-exploration-joint-venture/
Rio Tinto associates to increase coal production in Mongolia
International commodities trader Noble Group has formed an alliance with Australia's Aspire Mining to market Mongolian coking coal. Aspire's biggest shareholder, SouthGobi Resources, is majority held by Canadian miner Ivanhoe Mines. Vancouver-based Ivanhoe is itself...
Canadian First Nations sue Shell for tar sands destruction
London, November 30th, 2011 On the eve of the 17th UNFCCC, the world’s climate summit, the UK Tar Sands Network will serve papers to Shell UK executives on behalf of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN). ACFN plans to sue Shell for failure to meet contractual...
CoAL faces community wrath over water
Just as concerned citizens of South Africa mobilise around the international Climate Conference in Durban (COP-17), several communities, supported by NGOs, are battling to save a critical part of Limpopo province from the threat of coal mining. Coal of Africa Ltd...
The hidden human cost of the 2012 Olympic medals
For the elite athletes of the world it’s a moment to dream of – standing on the podium to be crowned an Olympic champion. In all, 4,700 medals will be draped around the necks of competitors when the greatest show on Earth arrives in Britain next year. Yet – as the...
Human rights of women and girls at ‘extreme risk’ in nearly half the world
Companies operating in resource-rich countries risk complicity in actions by security forces against women. The results of the Women’s and Girls’ Right Index (WGRI), released by risk analysis and mapping company Maplecroft, reveal that the rights of women and girls...