California Drought: A Harbinger of Things to Come?

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

Washington DC, United States of America – The US Drought Monitor recently stated that 58 percent of California is currently experiencing “exceptional drought,” which is the most serious category on the agency’s five-level scale. California is now experiencing its third year of severe drought with no end in sight. The drought has devastated the region economy costing an estimated $2.2 billion dollars in economic losses and costing more than 17,000 seasonal and part-time job, mostly in the agricultural sectors.  The drought has devastated crop production and contributed to massive wildfires over the past three years. Nearly half a million acres, approximately 5 percent of irrigated cropland, is going out of production in three of the key agricultural regions of the state. A new study indicates that California’s massive drought may be an indicator of things to come in the Southwestern United States if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current levels.

Depleted water sources have become a common sight in California; this image shows Enterprise Bridge at full water levels on July 20, 2011. This year, the same section of Lake Oroville was nearly dry by Aug. 19. (photo courtesy of USA Today)

According to a new study published in the Journal of Climate Science the southwestern United States faces an 80-90% chance of experiencing a decade-long mega-drought by the year 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current levels. According to the study regions of California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico will face deep dry spells if climate changes continues to accelerate meaning that “A drier Southwest is also a Southwest at risk of a megadrought,” said study author Toby Ault, a climate scientist at Cornell University.

“A megadrought is a drought that’s just as bad, in terms of severity, just as dry as the big droughts of the 20th Century, so think 1930s Dust Bowl, think 1950s drought, but much longer lasting,” said Toby Ault, a professor at Cornell University. “I think we’d really have to change the way we think about water and the way that we can use water because right now we’re on a path that would be unsustainable if we had a drought of 35 years,” Ault said. While activists and local officials have called on citizens to conserve water there is still a concern that over-use of water is contributing to the drought, especially in the industrial sectors where corporations such as Nestle bottled water operations have continued to deplete the state’s water supplies. Water theft has also become a problem, local officials across the state have reported water theft from fire hydrants sparking concerns that firefighters may not have enough water to put out fires.

The drought has forced agricultural business and other industries dependent on water to drill deeper into the surface in search of fresh sources of groundwater, depleting the states finite groundwater reserve. Since the beginning of 2013, close to 63 trillion gallons of groundwater have been depleted from the Western State’s groundwater reserves because of drought. While officials in California are trying to curve private water drilling in the state, historically state water law has favored industries with the greatest ability to access water reserves.

This tremendous loss of groundwater has had an immense environmental impact on the region. According to researchers at the University of California at San Diego and the United States Geology Survey this water loss has lifted the earth’s crust by an average of about one-sixths of an inch over the past 18 months. “The effect we’re looking at is that if you take weight off a spring, the spring goes up,” said Duncan Agnew of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

The data presented in the Journal of Climate Science study suggests drought could become a new norm in the Southwestern United states unless action is taken to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The past three years of drought in California and the devastating effect it has had on the region and its economy have demonstrated the increasing importance of climate change mitigation and adaptation policy.

For more information please see:

ABC News – Water Wars: Californians Stealing From Hydrants amid Drought – 3 September 2014

USA Today – California’s 100-Year Drought – 3 September 2014

The New York Times – Desperately Dry California Tries To Curb Private Drilling for Water – 31 August 204

Al Jazeera America – what Should California do about its Drought? – 26 August 2014

Three More Officers Charged in Killing of Folk Singer Victor Jara

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile–On Wednesday, a judge in Chile charged three more people in the murder of folk singer Victor Jara.  Jara was murdered during the country’s 1973 military coup.  The murder occurred during the opening days of the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

Folk musician Victor Jara. Photo courtesy of instrumental.com

 

 

A judge charged former military officers Hernan Chancon Soto and Patricio Vasquez Donoso in Santiago.  The killing occurred Sept. 16, 1973.  Ex-army prosecutor Ramon Melo Silva was also charged as an accomplice.  The list has grown from eight former army officers who were charged in late 2012 and early 2013 in the killing of Jara.  Jara was a communist supporter, singer and songwriter.

“This decision has to be celebrated and we hope this investigation can continue,” Jara’s widow, Joan Jara, stated at a press conference.  “We know this marks a milestone.”

Jara’s songs were known for tackling social and political issues.  Jara was an open supporter of communism and was a member of the Communist Party of Chile.  During the coup he was swept up with thousands of other supporters of socialist President Salvador Allende.  The military coup was led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

In 2013, Jara’s family filed a civil lawsuit in the United States accusing former Chilean army Lt. Pedro Barrientos Nunez of ordering soldiers to torture Jara.  The lawsuit also detailed that Barrientos personally fired the fatal shot while playing a game of “Russian roulette.”  At that time some 5,000 supporters of former President Allende were being detained inside of a locker room in Santiago’s Estadio Chile.

Following his murder, Jara’s body was thrown out onto the street of a town in Santiago.

The locker room where Jara was tortured and killed remains in its original state and currently operates as a shelter for the homeless at night.

Barrientos, who left Chile in 1989 and is currently living in the U.S., is part of the group of officers who also face criminal charges in Chile related to the singer’s killing.  Barrientos continues to deny all involvement in the murder, stating that he wasn’t there and didn’t even know who Jara was at the time of the coup.

The Chilean government estimates 3,095 people were killed during Pinochet’s rule, including an estimated 1,200 people who were forcibly disappeared.

Currently, about 700 military officials still face trial in Chile and about 70 have been jailed for crimes against humanity.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Chile: 3 More Charged in Victor Jara Murder –  3 Sept. 2014

National Post – Chile Charges Two Army Officers in ‘Russian Roulette’ Style Execution of Folk Singer Victor Jara in 1973 – 4 Sept. 2014

The Prince George Citizen – Chile Charges 3 More People for Torture Death of Folk Singer Victor Jara in 1973 Coup – 3 Sept. 2014

Cuba Si – Three Chilean Officers Charged with Murder of Victor Jara – 4 Sept. 2014

U.N. Conference on Small Island Developing States Takes place in Samoa

By Max Bartels

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania 

 

Apia, Samoa 

This week the U.N held the Third Annual Conference on Small Developing States in Apia, Samoa. This year the conference focused on the development of small island nations mainly in Pacific but also in the Caribbean and the Atlantic. The conference was centered on the many challenges faced by developing island nations such as food security and scarcity, safeguarding and harnessing aquatic resources, climate change and environmental degradation.

Opening Plenary of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States
U.N Secretary- General Ban Ki- Moon (2nd from left) at the Conference for Small Island Developing States in Samoa.
(Photo curtesy of U.N News Centre)

The conference represents a renewed political effort to confront the problem faced by these island nations. By the end of the conference $1.9 Billion had been pledged to sustainable development projects for island nations across the world. These partnerships are between governments, businesses and U.N entities. The projects they have agreed on range from sustainable development, climate change to risk management.

The nations across Oceania showed overwhelming support for the results of the conference. The Samoan President has been vocal about the need for action on many of the issues that plague island nations, the conference was an important step toward real action, especially in the area of climate change. Island nations face the brunt of the damage related to climate change, Samoa is one of them, suffering from an earthquake and a tsunami in 2009.  Samoa and other island nations face rising sea levels that cut down on square mileage and cause overcrowding and food scarcity.

Many of these Island nations opportunities for renewable energy development but most are entirely dependent of fossil fuel imports. Climate change and its effects was certainly a focus of the conference. The U.N Secretary- General has outlined a goal for nations to be achieving sustainable energy by 2030; he stated that all that is needed is corporate stakeholders to support these initiatives.

A corporation called FAO is one of these stakeholders and has invested $40 million dollars to initiatives in island nations. Its flagship initiative is called Global Blue Growth and focuses on the fishing industry, which contributes up to 10% of the GDP in Pacific island nations. The initiative focuses on industrial as well as small- scale family fisheries to increase the production and wealth of this important part of an island nations economy. The fishing industry will only become more important as these islands continue to slip into the ocean, there will be less room for land based agriculture. According to the U.N and many island nations the conference was a success. The U.N now looks toward the Climate Change Summit later this month in New York to continue the progress made in Samoa.

For more information, please see:

U.N News Centre — Conference Leaves “Legacy with Impact” — 4 September, 2014

Thomson Reuters — UN Conference on Small Island Developing States Opens in Samoa — 1 September, 2014

U.N News Centre — Small Island Developing States can Lead Transition to “Green Energy” — 1 September, 2014

U.N News Centre — Samoa: Urging Sustainable Action, UN Officials Link Small Islands to Global Issues at Conference Opening — 31 August, 2014

 

 

Talks of Peace Begin Between Ukraine and Russia Following a Tense Week

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – Amid all the chaos that has ensued in Eastern Ukraine over the past week, there may finally be a sign of light. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have reportedly agreed to a cease-fire between the two nations.

A pro-Russian tank flies the flag of ‘New Russia’. (Photo courtesy of NBC).

This reported cease-fire follows a week of high escalation in fighting. Anywhere from 1,000 to 15,000 Russian troops have reportedly entered into Ukraine and stormed the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, bringing along tanks and artillery, prompting Kiev to change their tactic from chasing out pro-Russian rebels in the east to now falling back and attempting to hold off against a Russian incursion.

While Russia continues to deny any sort of invasion, the Kremlin does not deny that Putin told Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, that Russia could take Kiev in two weeks.

The escalated fighting has caused particular concern to NATO, as Baltic nations like Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are nearby and feeling particularly threatened by a now-militaristic and invasive Russia. To curb their concerns, NATO has taken the step of creating a “readiness force” of several thousand troops that can quickly respond if needed. President Obama further pleads support to the Baltic nations through NATO, stating: “We’ll be here for Estonia. We’ll be here for Latvia. We’ll be here for Lithuania. You lost your independence once before. With NATO, you’ll never lose it again.”

The United States has also scheduled a military exercise for next week to take place in Poland near the Ukrainian border. This exercise will also include military personnel from Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Britain, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Spain. The United States will also be moving troops and 600 troops to Poland and the Baltic states for further military exercises to take place next month.

Australia and France have also acted out against Russia in response to this week’s invasion. France has halted the sale of a French battleship to Russia, and Australia has halted the sale of uranium to Russia. Australia also opened an Australian embassy in Kiev in support of Ukrainian sovereignty.

The increased pressure on both parties, via Russian incursion on Ukraine and via the rest of the world’s actions in response to Russia’s behavior, seems to have finally reached a breaking point. In the face of all-out warfare, both Ukraine and Russia have allegedly agreed to a cease-fire and to work towards peace. Whether the deal will become permanent or fall apart remains to be seen, but for the moment it appears possible that an end may be in sight for a conflict that has claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

For more information, please see:

RT – US prepares military drill in W. Ukraine for mid-September – 3 September 2014

LA Times – Obama reassures Baltic allies of NATO support amid Ukraine conflict – 3 September 2014

The New York Times – Obama Calls Ukraine a ‘Moment of Testing’ for NATO – 3 September 2014

The Australian – Australia considers aid to Ukraine, opens Kiev embassy – 3 September 2014

The Washington Post – Putin says he and Ukrainian president agree on outlines of a peace deal – 3 September 2014

CBS – Ukraine says it is now battling the Russian military – 2 September 2014

The Guardian – Putin claims Russian forces ‘could conquer Ukraine capital in two weeks’ – 2 September 2014

NBC – Baltic States Fear Putin Amid Escalation in Ukraine – 2 September 2014

The Wall Street Journal – Ukraine Shifts to Defense Against Russian Incursion – 1 September 2014

BBC – Ukraine crisis: Nato chief Rasmussen announces new force – 1 September 2014

International Center for Transitional Justice: A Wrong Turn for Human Rights

 

A Wrong Turn for Human Rights
Op-Ed by David Tolbert, President, ICTJ

NEW YORK – The world has plunged into a period of brutality, with impunity for the perpetrators of violence. Syria is suffering untold civilian casualties as a divided United Nations Security Council sits on the sidelines. Gaza was pummeled to dust yet again with the world watching on. Iraq is in flames, with no end in sight. Atrocities are mounting in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, which are also being swept by an epidemic of sexual violence. Even Europe is not immune: a civilian aircraft was shot down over a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, and officials were prevented from investigating.

Twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and more than a decade after the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), shockingly little is being done to stop these abuses, and the prospects of the victims ever getting justice, let alone bringing the perpetrators to account, seem ever more remote.

For many years, the world seemed to be progressing toward greater recognition of human rights and demands for justice. As democracies emerged in Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe in the 1980s and 1990s, these issues assumed increasing importance. Although wars, conflicts, and atrocities continued, the global powers tried, and occasionally managed – albeit chaotically and usually late – to stop the killing.

Moreover, the international community created frameworks for justice to deal with the consequences of violence, a move that was scarcely imaginable during the Cold War. New UN-backed international and hybrid tribunals were created to bring to account perpetrators of atrocities in the Balkans, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia. The ICC, with jurisdiction over atrocities committed in 122 member states, was established to try cases referred to it by state parties or the Security Council (even though three permanent members – the United States, Russia, and China – have not ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, which places parties under ICC jurisdiction).

In addition, many governments, with UN support, created mechanisms for transitional justice at home, including more than 40 “truth commissions” (such as in Argentina, El Salvador, East Timor, Morocco, and South Africa), reparation programs, and prosecutions. None of these efforts has been perfect, but they have given victims a voice and recognized their suffering, while signaling to culprits that their crimes will not be forgotten. Such measures have also deeply affected, and in some cases transformed, public discourse for the better.

Today, however, the international community appears to be backsliding on its human-rights commitments. The world’s emerging powers lack any sense of urgency in addressing abuses, preferring the pursuit of narrower, short-term interests to investing in long-term peace and justice.

Without robust support from the international community, the institutions of justice are coming under pressure – and losing their momentum. Several countries have attacked the ICC; African Union members want heads of state to be immune from prosecution, thus undermining a fundamental principle of the court.

To be sure, many states undergoing political transition are doggedly pursuing some form of justice. For example, justice and human rights are at the heart of the historic peace talks in Colombia. Despite the collapse of the Arab Spring, Tunisia is pressing ahead with reforms, including the creation of a Truth and Dignity Commission.

But these societies may find it difficult to address adequately their troubled pasts without the support of international institutions. Elsewhere, the fight for human rights might become virtually impossible. Indeed, it will be hard enough to defend the human-rights gains made since the end of the Cold War, much less to expand them.

Fortunately, governments’ growing reticence about progress on human rights – if not outright obstruction – will not stop civil-society groups from continuing their fight for justice. Groups like is Argentina’s Mothers of Plaza de Mayo and the Mothers of Srebrenica have always bravely led the way; they will, no doubt, continue to do so.

But the absence from this process of key governments, especially the emerging powers, threatens to end the world’s all-too-brief era of accountability. It is time for the international community to redouble its resolve, regain its sense of purpose, and reaffirm, in both word and deed, its commitment to human rights and a more just world.

Originally published on September 3, 2014, on Project Syndicate