It's the third edition of [ [link removed] ]Ekō News. We're going to send you the first
few editions just like we send other emails -- but if you want to keep
receiving them, [ [link removed] ]sign up for our new (and free) Substack, here! (For
more information see our original introduction email below.) If you're
also already receiving it via Substack, we apologize for the short-term
inconvenience.
In the meantime, enjoy the third edition -- and since we're just
developing it, please send along any feedback about what you'd like to see
more or less of (just reply to this email)!
Away we go...
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Ecuador protest movement wins over mining interests
[ [link removed] ]Protesters dressed in yellow coats stand on the street holding a banner
that reads, " La Salud Es Primero, La Mina Al Basurero." They are
protesting the Loma Larga gold mining project.
In a win for the environment and a grassroots protest movement, the
Ecuadoran government announced on October 4 that it is revoking a mining
license for a project that would have polluted waterways in the country.
The Loma Larga gold mining project would have affected the Quimsacocha
water reserve which provides drinking water to local communities and is
part of the UNESCO Macizo del Cajas Biosphere Reserve. Protests against
the project had been sustained for years but increased in urgency after
permission was granted in July to begin construction.
Operations were paused in August for an environmental review. That review,
as well as local technical reports, was cited by the Ecuadoran Environment
and Energy Ministry as the reason for the project’s halt. Canadian company
DPM Metals had already suspended operations due to the protests.
“Our water, a heritage that is encoded in the spirit of every citizen of
Cuenca, can’t just be put on pause.”—Cristian Zamora, mayor of Cuenca
[ [link removed] ](Reuters) ([ [link removed] ]Mining.com) ([ [link removed] ]Mongabay) ([ [link removed] ]The Guardian)
In other news
Tech money put a sycophant in control of a major media property on Monday
as billionaire David Ellison’s Skydance Media bought The Free Press and
placed the conservative site’s founder, Bari Weiss, in control of CBS
News.
Weiss in control of a network like CBS, with flagship properties like 60
Minutes, is likely to push the news operation to the right and promote the
interests of Silicon Valley and industry.
[ [link removed] ](the New York Times) ([ [link removed] ]The Intercept)
Moroccan Gen Zers are demonstrating against government spending priorities
as the nation pushes money into projects like football stadiums rather
than on the country’s health system and other social services. A
collective that calls itself Gen Z 212 is behind the protests, which
boasts chants like “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?”
“I am protesting because I want my country to be better. I don’t want to
leave Morocco, and I don’t want to resent my country for choosing to
stay.” —demonstrator Hajar Belhassan
([ [link removed] ]The Independent) ([ [link removed] ]BBC)
Activist Greta Thunberg is being held in unsanitary conditions in Israeli
detention and being abused by the military, she told Swedish authorities.
Thunberg is perhaps the most famous member of the Global Sumud Flotilla,
which tried to break the siege on Gaza and deliver food and aid to the
territory.
Thunberg said she was being held in a cell infested with bedbugs and not
given enough food and water. Other members of the flotilla, since
released, claim that she was beaten and forced to kiss the Israeli flag.
[ [link removed] ](The Guardian) ([ [link removed] ]Al Jazeera)
Here’s your campaign of the day.
Japan’s demand for ivory is one of the drivers of the trade.
But the country is reviewing its laws on ivory and the global public has
the opportunity to be heard.
Add your name to the petition below and let Japan know it’s time to
protect the world’s elephants.
[ [link removed] ]Tell Japan: No More Ivory!
Thanks for reading!
Eoin Higgins and the team at Ekō
PS: In case you missed it earlier, here's the original email about this
new project:
John,
Ekō is starting something new.
For more than a decade, we’ve kept you informed about ways we can use our
collective power to push back against corporate abuse and corruption. And
we’ve had a massive impact, filing shareholder resolutions, changing
policies, buying and protecting forests, and more.
Now, we’re offering a different way to keep up to date on Ekō’s campaigns
and mission. It’s called [ [link removed] ]Ekō News, and it’s a new project on the
newsletter platform Substack.
[ [link removed] ]Sign Up Now! (It's free)
To launch it, we’re working with Eoin Higgins, a US-based journalist whose
work has focused on corporate corruption and power. His book, [ [link removed] ]Owned:
How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left,
delves into how Silicon Valley’s conservative lean has led to a takeover
of alternative media—and offers a history of characters like Elon Musk,
Peter Thiel, and others.
[ [link removed] ]Ekō News will publish twice a week, giving a digest of stories we’re
following about corporate (mis)behaviour, and taking a deeper dive into
one story or character from the news. We’ll also interview people making
change and show you the impact of our work together.
Please [ [link removed] ]sign up today—we hope to see you there. (It’s free, but we’d
love support for the new initiative and there will be an option for a paid
subscription, too.)
Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.
Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]
