This week’s Earth Watch guest on the Sojourner Truth Radio Show was  
Dr. Rachel Smolker with Biofuelwatch, who discussed this week’s Bioeconomy Day of Action. 

Smolker is a co-director of Biofuelwatch, and an organizer with Energy Justice Network. She has researched, written. and organized extensively on the impacts of biofuels and bioenergy on land use, forests, biodiversity, food, people’ and the climate.

She also works with various coalitions including the Mobilization for Climate Justice, Climate Justice, Now and others opposing market-based solutions to climate change and other “false solutions.”

Biofuelwatch is part of an international coalition of more than 120 organisations from 40 countries today warns that the rapid global growth of the so-called bioeconomy poses a grave risk to the climate, nature, and human rights.

In addition to publishing an Open Letter, a petition was launched this week to coincide with the International Day of Action on Bioenergy which calls on governments around the world to support proven low carbon technologies, reduce overconsumption, and protect forests and other ecosystems.

See more about the Bioeconomy Day of Action here.

Bioenergy and the Migrant Caravan

The people from Honduras who are part of the migrant caravan moving slowly northward through Mexico are there, in part, because of the social and ecological impacts of bioenergy–particularly palm oil plantations.

After the Obama Administration-sanctioned coup in Honduras in 2009, a brutal wave of repression was unleashed against peasants in the Aguan Valley who were fighting to keep oil palm plantations from taking over their lands.  

This week’s Earth Minute looks at the migrant caravan, climate change and what comes next after the elections. Listen to the Earth Minute here.