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News at Brighter Green

Brighter Green & Global Forest Coalition Briefing Paper for International Day for Biodiversity 5/22/13

On the occasion of the International Day for Biodiversity and the start of UN talks on a possible sustainable development goal (SDG) on agriculture Brighter Green and the Global Forest Coalition have published a briefing paper to raise awareness of the negative impacts of rapidly expanding industrial livestock farming and large-scale cattle ranching on the world's forests and biodiversity. Industrial animal agriculture cuts across multiple sectors, affecting land use, water, food security, public health, and climate change. But too often these intersections are overlooked.
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Brighter Green at The Seed in NYC 5/19/13

Brighter Green's Executive Director Mia MacDonald spoke about climate change and animal agriculture, and the ecological impacts of the global spread of factory farm operations, at the Seed Experience in New York City on May 18, 2013. She also screened Green's short documentary, "What's for Dinner?" Find out more about the film, including how to show it, here.
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Blog Post on the U.S. National Climate Assessment in the Huffington Post and Civil Eats. 5/2/13

Executive Director Mia MacDonald's blog post on the U.S. National Climate Assessment and U.S. and global systems of food production was featured in the Huffington Post and was re-blogged on the American food system news website Civil Eats.

Brighter Green collaborates with Global Forest Coalition at the World Social Forum 3/29/13

Brighter Green collaborated with Global Forest Coalition on an event and paper on the risks of industrial livestock production for the environment, communities (including indigenous communities), and animals at the World Social Forum in Tunisia.

China Dialogue Publishes BG Blogs 2/13/13

Brighter Green guest blogger Wanqing Zhou's exploration of of the growing challenge of food waste in China ("Food Waste and Recycling in China: Too Easy, Too Hard"), including from animal agriculture, has been republished in English and Chinese on China Dialogue, an important, bilingual Web portal for global environmental news with a focus on China.

Katerva Award Winners Announced 2/12/13

The winners of the two Katerva awards for innovation in sustainability have been announced. Mia MacDonald of Brighter Green served on the judging panel for the food security theme, and the project finalist she ranked highest, Backpack Farm, piloted in East Africa, came first in its category.

Brighter Green Hosts a Successful East African Girls' Leadership Initiative Fundraiser 12/7/12

Brighter Green and Tribal Link hosted a successful fundraiser for the East African Girls' Leadership Initiative in December 2012. Over $3,000 were raised to help support two girls' education, living costs, rights training, mentoring, and leadership skill workshops for one year. Singer-songwriter Joy Askew performed at the event and Grace Koutimet, from SIMOO spoke about the role of Maasai women in the community and how educating Maasai women greatly assists the communities' progress.

Mia MacDonald's Blog Post on COP 18 Featured in the Huffington Post 12/6/12

Brighter Green's Mia MacDonald's blog post on COP 18 and the conference's failure to address the negative effects of industrial food systems, particularly industrial agriculture, on climate change appeared in the Huffington Post on December 6, 2012.

Brighter Green Participates in COP 18 Side Event 12/3/12

Brighter Green's Mia MacDonald participated in and moderated a side event to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18) in Doha, Qatar in December 2012. The side event entitled "Climate Change & Ensuring Sustainable, Humane, Equitable Food Systems: Views from the North and South" focused on climate change and livestock farming. Xie Zheng, featured in Brighter Green's short documentary "What's for Dinner?" also spoke at the event. For more information on Brighter Green's research on climate change and the globalization of farming click here.

Brighter Green attended COP 18 Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar 12/2/12

Executive Director Mia MacDonald attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 18) from November 26 to December 2, 2012. Mia shared Brighter Green's research on climate change and the globalization of intensive animal agriculture.

Brighter Green Joins Climate Action Network 11/16/12

Brighter Green has just become a member of Climate Action Network-U.S. (USCAN), in the lead up to the COP18 climate summit.
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What's for Dinner? in Veg News Magazine 11/5/12

What's for Dinner was mentioned in Veg News magazine's Media Lounge section in the November+December 2012 issue.
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Updates from COP 18, the Climate Conference in Doha

by Mia MacDonald
November 30, 2012 10:30am

Xie Zheng, Chinese environmentalist/musician, featured in "What's for Dinner?"

Brighter Green is attending COP 18 in Doha, Qatar. Here is some of the latest news from the conference:

Xie Zheng—Chinese musician, activist, and environmentalist—featured in Brighter Green's documentary What's for Dinner? traveled from Beijing to Doha to speak at our side event at COP18 co-sponsored with Humane Society International and World Society for the Protection of Animals. He has a punishing schedule: only spending two nights in Qatar before heading back to Beijing for several events he has planned for this weekend, including a vegan party on Sunday afternoon. We were really pleased he could come to the climate conference and share his views on farmed animals and climate change in China, as well as the work of his NGO, Don't Eat Friends.



Another big question at COP 18 that is not fully answered: What is equity? Brighter Green uses this concept in its research and policy recommendations on climate change and animal agriculture . But one of the U.S. lead negotiators said he couldn't "sell" equity back in the U.S. and that in his view, the U.S. was contributing to climate change equity by supporting some of the developing country negotiators to attend the COP. Even some, he added, that don't agree with U.S. positions. Does that sound like equity to you? What does in the context of climate change, food security, and animal welfare?


Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) chair and Tanzanian government environmental advisor Richard Muyungi came to our side event at COP18 last night, giving us some time amid a very busy schedule of meetings and drafting sessions (the agriculture text(s) was being hashed out last night). He urged us to make our views known to more delegates, because they are important, which was great. So, from his lips to the delegates' ears. The event went well -- with very good presentations by Geoff Evans of HSI, Sofia Parente of WSPA, Xie Zheng of Don't Eat Friends in Beijing; Mia MacDonald moderated. Here's the invite we shared:

Climate Change & Ensuring Sustainable, Humane, Equitable Food Systems
Views from the North & South

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012
20:15-21:45
Side Event Room 6

Agriculture can contribute to global warming by releasing GHGs (including methane & nitrous oxide) as well as help slow it by reducing/avoiding emissions. Speakers from North & South address ways to produce food using agricultural practices that are sustainable, humane, equitable & climate-resilient.

Speakers:
Richard Muyungi, Chair, SBSTA (invited; to be confirmed)
Sofia Parente, World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA-International)
Geoffrey Orme-Evans, Humane Society International (HSI)
Xie Zheng, Chinese environmentalist and musician
Moderated by: Mia MacDonald, Brighter Green