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Welcome
to the monthly newsletter for journalists about the impact of subsidies,
produced in partnership by IPS
- Inter Press Service and GSI
- Global Subsidies Initiative.
THIS
MONTH'S FOCUS:
More Subsidies for Fossil Fuels
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In the past five years, 8 billion U.S. dollars of public money went to Europe's fossil fuel companies mainly to the natural gas sector. And in May the European Parliament approved an additional 3.35 billion dollars in subsides as part of Europe's 225 billion dollars economic recovery plan . |
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ABOUT
THIS NEWSLETTER
Subsidies — transfers of public money to private interests— are so
common that for the most part they go unnoticed; they can also be arcane and complex,
posing tremendous challenges for journalists. Yet, many experts believe that subsidies
are one of the most critical factors in determining the sustainability of a government’s
economic, social and environmental policies. By conservative estimates, over US$1
trillion is spent annually on government subsidies worldwide. That money has far
reaching effects, going well beyond the stated policy goals used to justify the
subsidy itself. This monthly IPS-GSI Subsidy E-newsletter is designed to help
journalists identify ways in which subsidies crucially affect efforts to achieve
a more sustainable future.
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Billions of dollars for fossil fuels in recovery plans
Despite the economic slow down, growing numbers of world leaders are calling for urgent action on climate change while many governments used their economic stimulus packages to increase subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.
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More
information about subsidies
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The Global Subsidies Initiative cooperates
with an international network of researchers
working on subsidy related issues. Journalists
working on stories that involve subsidies,
and who are in search of expertise,
information and support are invited
to contact Javed Ahmad, the GSI's Director
of Communications, at info@globalsubsidies.org.
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Stephen Leahy - BIO
An independent environmental journalist for 15 years, Leahy's writing has been published in dozens of publications around the world including New Scientist and The London Sunday Times. At IPS he is the international science and environment correspondent. His blog: http://stephenleahy.net and email id: writersteve@gmail.com
SUBSIDIES
STORIES FROM IPS - RECENT ARTICLES
CLIMATE CHANGE: Twilight of the Fossil Fuel Era?
By Stephen Leahy
UXBRIDGE, Canada, Jun 5 (IPS) - The world has turned a green corner toward a more sustainable future, with investments in clean energy outpacing fossil fuel power generation for the first time.
Q&A: "It’s Wrong to Burn Food of the Poor to Drive Cars of the Rich"
Ernest Corea Interviews ISMAIL SERAGELDIN, former World Bank Vice President
UNITED NATIONS, Jul 6 (IPS) - The world needs to overcome "the bizarre irony that rural areas, where food is grown, is home to cruel poverty and hunger," says Ismail Serageldin, former chair of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
ENVIRONMENT: Lavish US Lobbying Pushes Nuclear Energy
By Stephen Leahy
BERLIN, Jul 31 (IPS) - Climate change and the resulting need for low-carbon energy sources is driving the current interest in nuclear energy despite the industry's near universal legacy of staggering cost-overruns, technical difficulties and dependence on enormous government subsidies.
ENERGY:
"Nuclear Steals Billions from Other Technologies"
By Stephen Leahy
BERLIN, Jul 31 (IPS) - Why is nuclear energy back on the table?
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