The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

UN, G-20 and Climate Change

WASHINGTON

Climate change is expected to play a central role in meetings of the United Nations and G-20 this week.

ANASTASIA PINTO, ORIN LANGELLE
HALLIE BOAS
In Pittsburgh until Wednesday, Pinto is executive director of the Center for Organizing, Research and Education in India. She said today: "We're already seeing climate devastation in India. Scientists are linking the floods India has experienced the last 30 years to climate change. We must treat this issue with the urgency it requires."

Langelle is co-director of the Global Justice Ecology Project. Boas is coordinator of the group's New Voices effort, which is focusing on indigenous and global analysts and activists.
They are participating in events around the Three Rivers Climate Convergence, which is being held in Pittsburgh to coincide with the International Coal Conference (Sept. 21 to 23) and G-20 summit (Sept. 24 and 25).

PATRICK BOND
Director of the Center for Civil Society in South Africa, Bond is co-editor of "Climate Change, Carbon Trading and Civil Society" (a PDF of the book is available upon request). His most recent article is "'Seattle' Copenhagen call, as Africans demand reparations." Past articles include "From False to Real Solutions for Climate Change."

RACHEL SMOLKER
Currently in New York City, Smolker is with Climate S.O.S.
She said today: "At the national and international level, special interest corporate lobbyists have held a stranglehold on climate policymaking. 'Solutions' being offered are those most profitable and convenient to corporate polluters and their acquiescent faux 'Green' NGO allies. The panoply of cap-and-trade, emissions offsets, genetically engineered organisms, and carbon capture and sequestration technology form a pipe-dream constellation of false solutions."

A nationwide consortium, the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) represents an unprecedented effort to bring other voices to the mass-media table often dominated by a few major think tanks. IPA works to broaden public discourse in mainstream media, while building communication with alternative media outlets and grassroots activists.