Syncrude Convicted, Yet More Crude Sin to Come

On Friday morning I attended the long awaited verdict of the Syncrude duck trial with high hopes and low expectations. After a two-and-a-half-month trial, Syncrude was found guilty of the criminal charges in connection with the deaths of 1,606 ducks in one of its mining tailings ponds in April 2008. Syncrude was found guilty and [...]

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G8 Madness

I spent the week of the G8/G20 in Edmonton following Twitter feeds, text messages, and Facebook updates as many of the people I have worked with over the years were being beaten, intimidated, arrested and having their civil rights eroded during the G8 in Toronto. I found myself feeling helpless wishing there was something more [...]

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World Bank and IFC: The Big Bucks Behind Indonesia’s Rainforest Destruction

With oil gushing in the gulf, activists locking down in boardrooms, the ball of financial reform being thrown from Wall Street to Washington and back again, and Indonesia announcing a two year freeze on the parceling out of its forests to international corporations, the world’s focus seems to be on corporations. But in the struggle [...]

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Royal Bank of Scotland Dodges Questions on Indigenous Rights

On April 28th in Edinburgh, Scotland the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) held their Annual General Meeting where shareholders met to discuss the future of RBS.  RBS was one of the UK banks bailed-out by the UK government in 2008, and now RBS is 83% owned by the UK public. Between 2007 and 2009, RBS [...]

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Getting to Maybe with RBC

After a year of campaigning, this afternoon RBC and RAN finally sat opposite the same table to talk tar sands (here’s the background for those just tuning in). In RBC’s corner was COO Barbara Stymiest joined by Sandra Odendahl and Shari Austin. We correspond with Sandra and Shari pretty regularly.  Barbara was a new contact. [...]

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Indigenous resistance gets the goods

If you haven’t already heard about Ontario’s huge announcement for the Boreal and Indigenous rights then you should REALLY check out this earlier post. Ontario’s Premier committed to protect 50% of the province’s Northern Boreal Forest from all industry, and to allow new logging and mining only with the support of First Nations through a [...]

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