Your 5 Minute Activist Links for April 29, 2008

** Human Rights First **
Ten years ago, famous Guatemalan human rights defender Bishop Juan Gerardi was murdered. Bishop Gerardi was killed just days after publicly releasing a report that documented more than 200,000 killings during Guatemala's 36 year civil war. The report laid blame on the Guatemalan government for over 90 per cent of the conflict's human rights violations.

While individuals have been convicted for the murder of Bishop Gerardi, there has been no justice for the victims of Guatemala's 422 documented massacres. None of the former military or police officials allegedly responsible for committing the worst atrocities during the conflict have been held accountable.

Through his courageous efforts to reveal the truth, Bishop Gerardi left Guatemala an important legacy. However, without action by the authorities, that legacy will never be fully realized.

Urge the Guatemalan Attorney-General to immediately act on the criminal petitions filed by victims almost a decade ago. Those petitions allege that former police and military leaders committed crimes against humanity and genocide during the civil war.

** NRDC **
The 2007 energy bill includes a provision that prevents federal agencies from contracting to purchase liquid coal and other "dirty fuels," such as tar sands and oil shale, that produce more global warming pollution than conventional gasoline. But now dirty fuel supporters in Congress have introduced legislation that would repeal this important provision that will help fight global warming, and energy companies are poised to market dirty fuels to the government at the first opportunity. The Air Force, for instance, is already pushing for a new liquid coal plant on its Malmstrom base in Montana.

Liquid coal produces twice the global warming pollution of conventional gasoline. Relying on liquid coal fuel also would increase the harmful effects of coal mining, which means more mining in the Rockies and more mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia. Investing in liquid coal is also financially unsound: while even under the most optimistic scenarios liquid coal could replace no more than 10 percent of our oil use, these plants would cost over four billion dollars each to build.

Tell your representative not to reverse important protections against dirty fuels.

** Avaaz **
Petition to G8, UN and EU leaders:
We call on you to take immediate action to address the world food crisis by mobilizing emergency funding to prevent starvation, removing perverse incentives to turn food into biofuels and managing financial speculation, and to tackle the underlying causes by ending harmful trade policies and investing massively in sustainable agricultural productivity in developing nations.


** Center for Biological Diversity **
Take action now to protect critical habitat for some of the world's most imperiled coral reefs. A federal proposal to protect coral habitat is making its way through the government channels, and your voice counts.

** The Wilderness Society **
The West Tavaputs Plateau in Utah, which includes Desolation Canyon, Jack Canyon, and Nine Mile Canyon, has it all: spectacular canyons and mesa tops, a diverse range of vegetation, rivers, a ruggedness that truly allows enjoyment of wildness and solitude, and one of the greatest concentrations of rock art in the world.

This is all under threat as the BLM is proposing to approve a massive natural gas drilling plan that can harm these amazing places and values unless we act now.

The BLM is currently wrapping up its public commenting stage on the West Tavaputs Plateau Natural Gas Full Field Development Plan Draft EIS, which allows drilling more than 800 new natural gas wells among rugged canyons and internationally recognized rock art. This is your chance to tell the BLM that you don't want to see this wild and important Utah environment spoiled. Comments must be submitted by May 1, 2008.