World Bank
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The politics of palm oil
Revlon’s eyeliners. Nabisco’s Oreo cookies. Caress’ Tahitian Renewal Silkening Exfoliating Pomegranate Seeds & Tahitian Palm Oil Body Wash. These are a few of the hundreds of everyday products containing palm oil — products that Walmart announced last week it would soon require to prove used only sustainably sourced palm oil. Meanwhile, the World Bank stopped […]
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The polluters' newfound concern for the poor
Oil companies think they will deliver the masses from poverty and the World Bank seems to agree. But do their projects actually support the poor?
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White House approves solar for roof and California desert
Facing criticism over its environmental record, the Obama administration announced it will reinstall solar panels on the White House -- and approved California solar projects.
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The Climate Post: The Tea Party climate and the future of clean energy
Read about CO2 regulations, dueling country stars, geoengineering's effects, algae fuel, and more.
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A chat with Dan Kammen about his new job at the World Bank
Last Thursday brought the intriguing news that the World Bank would be bringing on energy expert Dan Kammen to coordinate its efforts on energy efficiency and renewables. Kammen is among the world's leading authorities on those subjects. He runs the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at UC-Berkeley, where he is a professor of both energy and public policy, was a coordinating lead author on the IPCC reports, and serves as a frequent advisor to political and NGO leaders. As of Oct. 4, he will be the bank's Chief Technical Specialist for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. I called on Friday to ask him about the new gig.
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Will the World Bank undermine the people of El Salvador in mining dispute?
Proposed site of Pacific Rim’s El Dorado mine.In a truly David and Goliath battle, the people of El Salvador are fighting against a Canadian mining giant that was lawfully denied permits for a gold and silver mine that would devastate the local environment and threaten the health and livelihoods of native residents. Next week, the […]
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World Bank bombs with decision to fund South African coal plant
Today the World Bank approved a loan to build the fourth largest power plant in the world. The project is to be financed with a $3 billion loan to Eskom — the South African electricity company — and is the largest coal-plant loan in the Bank history. The 4,800-megawatt Medupi power plant would emit 25 […]
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World Bank vote gives billions to coal
It's bad news for clean energy and our planet today, as the United States failed to follow its own global warming guidelines. The World Bank today approved a $3.75 billion loan to South African power utility Eskom to help build a 4,800 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Medupi. The funding would also facilitate plans for a second large coal plant in Kusile. The coal plants will be among the largest and most polluting worldwide.
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Stop Government Funding of Coal
This post was co-written by Mark Kresowik, Corporate Accountability and Finance Representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign. “How good will the business judgment of companies that make high-carbon choices now look in five, 10, 20 years, when it becomes clear that heavily polluting infrastructure has become deadly and must be phased out before […]