May, 19 2010, 08:05am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Isaac Rojas, Friends of the Earth International
Forest and Biodiversity Program coordinator –
Email: isaac@coecoceiba.org or
Tel: + 598 2604 2840 (in Uruguay)
Friedrich Wulf, Friends of the Earth Europe
Head of International Biodiversity Policy–
Tel: +41 613 179 242
Biodiversity Lost at Unprecedented Rate
On the Upcoming Day of biodiversity Friends of the Earth International Calls for Urgent Action to Tackle Biodiversity Loss
GENEVA
On May 22, the Day of Biological Diversity, during the International
Year of Biodiversity, 2010, Friends of the Earth International warned
that biodiversity continues to be lost at an unprecedented rate and
that forest-dependent peoples, fishing communities and the poor are
suffering the consequences the most.
The rate at which biodiversity is being lost increases daily. Since
1970, the global animal population has reduced by 30%, mangrove forests
and marine pastures by 20%, and living coral reefs by 40%, according to
a recent joint report by the UN and the Cambridge University [1].
38% of all assessed species are under imminent threat, and of 15
indicators for biodiversity loss, 9 are still deteriorating, while only
2 are improving [2].
An EU-wide assessment of key species showed that only 17% were in a favourable conservation status despite protection [3].
Friends of the Earth International calls on all governments to not only
comply with goals and targets they agreed upon under the UN Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD) but also to strengthen biodiversity
policy, adopt ambitious targets at the global level, and start acting
immediately.
2010 will not be remembered as the year when biodiversity loss was
stopped, but it could be a turning point for biodiversity policy.
Friedrich Wulf, Friends of the Earth Europe's biodiversity expert said:
"Every human being is affected by biodiversity loss in one way or
another. Biodiversity is critical for sustaining life on Earth.
Communities that depend on forests and jungles, and their biodiversity,
are already experiencing the destruction of their habitats and
livelihoods due to biodiversity loss. These communities hold collective
rights and traditional knowledge that must be respected.".
Isaac Rojas, Friends of the Earth International forest and biodiversity
program coordinator from Costa Rica, one of the most biodiverse
countries in the world said:
"The structural causes of biodiversity loss must be addressed. If we
don't address the root causes, biodiversity and life on Earth will
disappear at an even quicker rate. Biodiversity is being destroyed by
the expansion of oil and mining developments, plantations and
agribusiness projects."
"At the same time free trade and investment agreements and market based
mechanisms as well as the WTO and some UN bodies help multinational
corporations to privatize biodiversity for their own profits. This
process contributes to biodiversity loss and is a real threat to rural
and indigenous communities as they loose their natural resources."
"In my country, Costa Rica, President Arias scandalously declared
gold-mining a public-interest activity, at the expense of biodiversity.
Destructive businesses such as large scale mining have severe impacts
on people and biodiversity and should be opposed," added Isaac Rojas.
Friends of the Earth International is the world's largest grassroots environmental network, uniting 74 national member groups and some 5,000 local activist groups on every continent. With over 2 million members and supporters around the world, FOEI campaigns on today's most urgent environmental and social issues.
LATEST NEWS
Amid Forced Starvation in Gaza, NGO Coalition Decries Israel's New Registration Rules
"Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers are obligated to facilitate impartial humanitarian assistance and ensure the welfare of the protected population."
May 06, 2025
A coalition of 55 international humanitarian groups operating in Palestine on Tuesday denounced Israel's new rules for registering foreign-based nongovernmental organizations, a move that came amid the Israeli government's forced starvation and "complete siege" of Palestinians deprived of lifesaving aid in the embattled Gaza Strip.
In March, a new law on the registration and visa issuance process for international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) took effect. Israeli and international critics condemned the new rules—which dozens of European lawmakers called "purposely vague" and "highly discretionary"—as aimed at barring INGOs from helping Palestinians, who are suffering from a genocidal invasion and siege in Gaza and decades of illegal occupation, apartheid, and colonization in the West Bank including East Jerusalem.
"Under the new provisions, INGOs already registered in Israel may face de-registration, while new applicants risk rejection based on arbitrary, politicized allegations, such as 'delegitimising Israel' or expressing support for accountability for Israeli violations of international law," the 55 groups said in an open letter.
"Other disqualifiers include public support for a boycott of Israel within the past seven years (by staff, a partner, board member, or founder) or failure to meet exhaustive reporting requirements," the letter states. "By framing humanitarian and human rights advocacy as a threat to the state, Israeli authorities can shut out organizations merely for speaking out about conditions they witness on the ground, forcing INGOs to choose between delivering aid and promoting respect for the protections owed to affected people."
"INGOs are further required to submit complete staff lists and other sensitive information about staff and their families to Israel when applying for registration," the signers noted. "In a context where humanitarian and healthcare workers are routinely subject to harassment, detention, and direct attacks, this raises serious protection concerns."
"These new rules are part of a broader, long-term crackdown on humanitarian and civic space, marked by heightened surveillance and attacks, and a series of actions that restrict humanitarian access, compromise staff safety, and undermine core principles of humanitarian action," the letter adds.
In addition to blocking or delaying aid shipments to Gaza under a siege and targeted starvation policy that United Nations experts have repeatedly called genocidal, Israeli forces have killed, wounded, kidnapped, tortured, and otherwise abused at least hundreds of aid workers; banned the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees; falsely accused humanitarian workers of being terrorists; obliterated Gaza's healthcare infrastructure; and much more.
Israel has also suspended the visas of foreign humanitarian officials and suspended the work permits for Palestinians in the illegally occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli lawmakers are debating legislation that would impose a tax of up to 80% on foreign government funding to INGOs and bar them from seeking legal redress.
In the United States, the administration of President Donald Trump has eliminated or dramatically reduced humanitarian funding, including via the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This has forced numerous aid agencies to cut back or halt operations in Palestine.
"Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers are obligated to facilitate impartial humanitarian assistance and ensure the welfare of the protected population," the 55 INGOs said in their letter. "Any attempt to condition humanitarian access on political alignment or penalize organizations for fulfilling their mandate risks breaching this framework."
"The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to allow unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in three legally binding provisional measures orders in 2024," the letter adds. Israel has been accused of ignoring the orders by the ICJ, which is currently weighing a genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are also fugitives from the International Criminal Court, which last year issued arrest warrants for the pair for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the 19-month assault on Gaza that has left more than 185,000 Palestinians dead, injured, or missing and most of the coastal enclave's population forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened.
In a Tuesday interview with Al Jazeera, Bushra Khalidi, policy lead at the Jerusalem branch of Oxfam—one of the 55 groups that signed the letter—said that "Gaza is in the worst possible phase" since the beginning of Israel's onslaught, as mass starvation worsens amid a tightened blockade and pledges by Israeli leaders to conquer and ethnically cleanse the coastal enclave.
"We've not been able to operate, basically, since the second of March," she added. "Our food distribution has completely halted. We have nothing in the warehouses... Catastrophic doesn't even describe the situation in Gaza. It's hell."
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House Dems Launch Effort to Thwart GOP Evisceration of Medicaid, SNAP
"Will any House Republican join us, or will they all support taking healthcare and food from millions of Americans?" asked Rep. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
May 06, 2025
A group of House Democrats launched an effort Tuesday to force a vote on a measure that would prevent Republicans from slashing Medicaid and federal nutrition assistance in their forthcoming reconciliation package, which is expected to include massive tax breaks for the wealthy.
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said his discharge petition is "an opportunity for every member of Congress to show where they stand."
If the petition receives at least 218 signatures, the House would be required to vote on a bill that would prohibit cuts to Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are using to advance President Donald Trump's legislative agenda.
"The Republican budget includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in our nation's history—cuts that would jeopardize healthcare and food assistance for millions of Americans," Boyle added. "We intend to gather 218 signatures from both parties, and I sincerely hope my colleagues across the aisle will join us. If they truly believe in protecting these essential benefits, this is their chance to prove it."
The petition currently has seven signatures listed, and several other leading Democrats—including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus—have endorsed the petition.
"House Democrats oppose taking food and healthcare from working people to pay for tax cuts for billionaires," said Casar. "Now the question is: Will any House Republican join us, or will they all support taking healthcare and food from millions of Americans?"
"Republicans should join Democrats in signing this discharge petition to bring our bill to the House floor to ensure Medicaid will not be cut to pass tax breaks that help the rich get richer."
To succeed, Boyle's petition needs the support of every member of the House Democratic caucus and at least five Republicans.
Some GOP swing votes, such as Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, have expressed concerns about the $880 billion in Medicaid cuts that the party has voted to allow in the reconciliation package. Bacon has proposed a ceiling of $500 billion in spending reductions over a decade, which would still be the largest Medicaid cut in U.S. history and remove millions from the program.
Republican hardliners, meanwhile, are clamoring for "structural Medicaid reform," according to a letter that 20 far-right GOP lawmakers sent to their colleagues last week. The letter was led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), but Politicoreported that the letter's true author appears to be the president of a policy organization funded by the Koch network.
Medicaid cuts are broadly unpopular with the American public. According to one recent survey, 76% of U.S. voters oppose "major cuts" to the program.
Trump has publicly claimed to oppose Medicaid cuts, but one top House Republican said over the weekend that the president has expressed "openness" to imposing work requirements on enrollees—most of whom already work.
In the states where they've been tried, Medicaid work requirements have caused many to lose benefits without boosting employment.
"Republicans have repeatedly claimed they're not going to take away people's healthcare by cutting Medicaid," Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement Tuesday. "If they're telling the truth, Republicans should join Democrats in signing this discharge petition to bring our bill to the House floor to ensure Medicaid will not be cut to pass tax breaks that help the rich get richer."
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Trump Tariffs Seen as 'Baby Tax' as Costs Soar for Parenting Essentials
"His tariff policies are making it harder and more expensive to prepare for a new baby or raise kids, and his solution is to tell parents to buy fewer toys for their children," said the head of the Groundwork Collaborative.
May 06, 2025
The progressive think tank Groundwork Collaborative on Tuesday highlighted how U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs are effectively a "baby tax" paid by parents, given rising prices of everything "from car seats to sippy cups."
"President Trump's economic policies are an affront to young families," said Groundwork Collaborative executive director Lindsay Owens in a statement. "His tariff policies are making it harder and more expensive to prepare for a new baby or raise kids, and his solution is to tell parents to buy fewer toys for their children."
"While the president works overtime to give his billionaire donors a massive tax giveaway, he's placing a baby tax on every parent across the country," added Owens, referencing an effort to get a package containing more tax cuts for the rich—paid for by gutting the social safety net—through the GOP-controlled Congress.
"He's placing a baby tax on every parent across the country."
Citing the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA)—which has directly pressured Trump to "exclude all juvenile products" from tariffs on Chinese imports—The New York Timesreported Friday that "about 90% of durable baby and children's products sold in the United States are manufactured overseas, with the vast majority produced in China."
Noting that statistic, Groundwork focused on the costs of some essentials for babies and young children, including clothes, cribs, high chairs, sippy cups, and toys. For example, the group pointed out, the car seat and stroller companies Evenflo, Nuna, and UPPAbaby have recently announced price hikes.
"This represents a major challenge for parents, as car seats—which can run over $400—are required by law in all 50 states and should be bought new due to safety concerns," Groundwork said. "New parents spend, on average, $1,000 on baby safety gear."
As for strollers—or, as Trump put it, "the thing that you carry the babies around in"—UPPAbaby's Vista "just increased from $900 to $1,200," Groundwork continued. "Or, for a cheaper option, Bombi's flagship stroller now costs $225 instead of $199."
Some companies, including UPPAbaby, have made clear that the price increases are a direct result of Trump's evolving tariff policy.
"Due to rising import tariffs, updated pricing will go into effect on May 5th, 2025 across most UPPAbaby products," the company explained in a blog post last month. "If tariffs are reduced or lifted, we'll reassess pricing as quickly as business operations allow."
UPPAbaby is also among 13 U.S.-based companies that launched an advertising campaign calling tariffs a "baby tax," as The Washington Postreported last week. The ad declares that "becoming a parent is one of life's greatest joys, one our country should champion, not tax."
In addition to UPPAbaby chief executive Bob Monahan, the ad is signed by the CEOs of Babylist, Ergobaby, Frida, Guava Family, Hatch Baby, Lalo, Million Dollar Baby Co., Mockingbird, Munchkin, Nanit, Owlet, and Willow Innocations.
Groundwork highlighted Tuesday that "the CEO of popular baby accessory brand Munchkin, Steve Dunn, said the company will increase prices on about 90% of products, likely by at least 20%. Their cheapest high chair is currently $170."
Crib costs are also a concern. "Three-quarters of all baby furniture is made in China," Groundwork noted. "Get ready for some sleepless nights: the popular smart bassinet SNOO is manufactured in China and might soon cost more than its current $1,695 price tag."
Additionally, the clothing giant "Carter's has already raised prices on many items," which often come from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, and Vietnam, and "Mattel CFO Anthony DiSilvestro has warned of possible price hikes as 40% of Mattel toys come from China," the think tank added.
Groundwork's statement was released as a bipartisan group called the Cost Coalition officially launched on Tuesday. Its goal, according toThe Associated Press, is "to highlight Trump's struggle to control rising costs."
"In 100 days, Donald Trump put the best-performing economy in the world on a crash course toward recession. Trump's tariffs—the biggest middle class tax hike in modern history—are making everyday prices skyrocket and wreaking havoc for businesses large and small," said Terry Holt, a former spokesperson for Republican leaders, and Andrew Bates, who was a Democratic spokesperson, in a joint statement to the AP.
"Next up are grossly inflationary tax cuts for the wealthy that will only saddle future generations with staggering debt," Holt and Bates continued. "Whether you're a Republican, Democrat, or anything else, Donald Trump's agenda is an economic crisis threatening your livelihood and standard of living."
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