Vanuatu and other vulnerable states gave impassioned evidence – aided by a few European allies. Now they wait for the World Court’s opinion.
A landmark legal case to establish countries’ climate responsibilities is wrapping up in The Hague today after two weeks of hearings.
Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) heard from more than 100 countries and organisations between 2 to 13 December, making this the biggest ever legal case in terms of participation.
At its heart is an attempt by vulnerable countries to create a tighter framework of accountability that sets clear international legal obligations for climate action. The small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has led efforts to secure an advisory opinion from the ICJ, which is now due next year. https://bit.ly/3ZUa42W
My daughter, Shemai, and I have been on perhaps a thousand construction sites between us as professional contractors. Back in those days two beautiful women in coveralls, tape on hips, knee pads and sassy attitudes was way against the rules in a super-macho trade. Simply to make a living in an extremely competitive business we learned to “read” construction sites with psychic accuracy.
Working with this crew was a first for both of us.
We are more than impressed, we are honored to know Vets Off Grid and the volunteers who supported their leadership. Vets off Grid are deep, beautiful, humble, authentic, thoughtful, highly skilled people. I VOTE THEM THE BEST NON-PROFIT IN TAOS, and if I were not 83 none of them would be safe.
What they did was like a choreographed homage to team work, to community in action – making art, sanctifying the revolutionary and primordial process of building together. A dance, a prayer. Watching them I realized that the present construction industry conquered and colonized the natural, organic RIGHT to build as a united community. We have been robbed of the natural process of creating architecture according to one’s culture, ecosystem, and locally available materials.
Like the deadly touch of Midas, the profit motive permeates our entire system, and vernacular building (building by the people, for the people) has become a for-profit industry that is responsible for 37% of global pollution, and holds us hostage as captive consumers.
Everyone in this group picture understands that building together is a deeply revolutionary act of spiritual de-colonization on the most practical and essential of levels. More than a right – building together is part of surviving in the biosphere – even oysters, bees, bears and moles have housing!
But there is more, a backstory behind this work of art still in process. I am the alleged leader, it was my idea. On June 25 I got up to pee, passed out and woke up in a puddle of blood. ER, then 10 days in intensive care at Holy Cross, then to Odelia re-hab in Burque, while the foundations, Hyper-adobe and counter pouring are going on at the STAKEOUT, I have been moved to 8 beds in less than a month. From the frying pan to the fire and back to the pan, 8 times, from one hospital unit to another, never, ever coming home to roost with what I longed for more than anything else – peace and quiet in my own space.
After the accident, family and friends undertook to remodel my house, replace the beautiful sunken tub with a safer shower, put in ramps, and is still in process. The pinche insurance company kicked me out of Odelia for being too healthy but before the remodeling is finished! Thanks too for the titanic efforts of my son-in-law from heaven, John Fernandez. It has taken a team of about 7 family and friends to keep me alive, organized by my daughter who is ALSO running the CASA construction site, AND taking care of me – 24/7.
The world’s big banks have handed nearly $7tn (£5.6tn) in funding to the fossil fuel industry since the Paris agreement to limit carbon emissions, according to research.
In 2016, after talks in Paris, 196 countries signed an agreement to limit global heating as a result of carbon emissions to at most 2C above preindustrial levels, with an ideal limit of 1.5C to prevent the worst impacts of a drastically changed climate.
Many countries have since promised to reduce carbon emissions, but the latest research shows private interests continued to funnel money to oil, gas and coal companies, which have used it to expand their operations.
Democracy & Good Governance 