Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

This was originally published in ensia on the October 15, 2019. The article is by J ohn Vidal  @john_vidal  Environment editor —  “This is where I keep my weapon,” said Lolem, a young Karamojong cattle herder. Digging below the surface of the bone-dry ground in northern Uganda, he drew out an old AK-47 and some bullets, wrapped in plastic bags. “The last time I used it was nearly two weeks ago. We were attacked by some raiders from Kenya at night. We shot at them but no one was hurt. Now the Ugandan army wants us to give up our guns, but we need them to survive.” Pastoralists in this region have clashed for decades over water points and pasture lands, but in 2011 when I visited Lobelai, parts of Africa were facing their  worst drought in 60 years . The pastoralist Karamojong communities and their neighbors in northern Kenya and South Sudan were desperate for water and pasture for their vast herds. There were regular skirmishes, sometimes turning into fierce battles with p

In another indication that Liberal Democrats are succeeding at recruiting accomplished candidates and expanding the party beyond the established roster of traditional political affiliations, East Midlands Liberal Democrats have announced that international policy expert and environmental advocate Felix Dodds is returning to Derbyshire to stand for the Mid-Derbyshire constituency Member of Parliament in the next general election. A prolific author and editor, Dodds’ ability to communicate complex issues plainly and powerfully would make him a valuable asset to Lib Dems’ delegation in Parliament. Dodds, who was born in the Derby suburb of Allestree, has spent much of the past three decades negotiating policy in the corridors of the United Nations, helping coordinate sustainable policy initiatives, and working closely with governments, businesses and activists. He has worked on negotiations on issues ranging from plastics pollution to tourism, and from green financing to

Dear All: This Tuesday, October 22, Earth Day Network and thousands of partners will launch the six-month countdown to Earth Day with major announcements across some of our global campaigns for action. The urgency has never been greater, and the stakes have never been higher. As Earth Day reaches its milestone 50th Anniversary in April 2020, nature and the environment face enormous challenges from loss of biodiversity, pollution, degradation of our ecosystems, and climate change. For many reasons, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day will mark a  pivotal year  for our planet. Our campaigns are intended to activate at least a billion people worldwide to meet Earth Day’s 2020 theme, climate action: ·         EARTHRISE , an intergenerational global movement for climate action that will mobilize around the world on April 22, 2020 ·