U.S. Strategy on Water, Development a “Major Advance” Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 22 May (IPS) - U.S. officials Tuesday formally unveiled the government’s first comprehensive strategy aimed at integrating water into all U.S. development funding and programmes, a step long urged by advocates and development experts. more...   Kyrgyz Officials Outline Restructuring Plan for Lucrative Gold Mine David Trilling BISHKEK, 16 May (IPS) - As officials in Kyrgyzstan prepare to negotiate with their country’s largest investor in Bishkek this week, new details are emerging about how the Kyrgyz government wants to restructure the agreement covering operations at the country’s flagship gold mine. more...   Climate Change Is Happening… So What? Silvia Romanelli NEW YORK, 16 May (IPS) - Seven in 10 U.S. citizens believe climate change is real and happening now. Yet most have never even contacted a government official about the issue, let alone volunteered with an environmental organisation or taken other action. more...   U.S. Gov't Accused of “Corporate Diplomacy” for Biotech Industry Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 14 May (IPS) - A consumer protection group here is accusing U.S. diplomats of engaging in a concerted and at times forceful advocacy campaign on behalf of genetically modified seeds and even specific biotechnology companies, particularly aiming to influence governments in developing countries. more...   Critics Slam California “Forest Offset” Plan Katelyn Fossett WASHINGTON, 7 May (IPS) - More than two dozen environmental organisations are urging California Governor Jerry Brown to disregard recommendations from a United Nations task force to include so-called forest “offsets” in the state’s new emissions-trading scheme. more...   Rich Countries Drag Feet at Climate Talks Stephen Leahy UXBRIDGE, Canada, 7 May (IPS) - Another week of international climate negotiations ended in Bonn, Germany last Friday, but there was little mid-level bureaucrats could do when world leaders remain in thrall to the fossil fuel industry, say environmentalists. more...   U.N. Finds “Little Appreciation” for Human Rights among U.S. Businesses Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 4 May (IPS) - A United Nations expert group is warning that too many gaps remain in implementing new safeguards among businesses based in the United States, both in terms of their domestic and international operations, to ensure the protection of human rights of workers and communities affected by those operations. more...   U.S. Links Pesticides to Honey Bee Deaths, but Resists Ban Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 3 May (IPS) - A major study by the U.S. government’s environment and agriculture agencies has suggested a strong link between the use of certain pesticides and the widespread deaths that have afflicted honey bee populations around the world in recent years. more...   U.S. Cities Joining Push to Dump Fossil Fuel Investments Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 26 Apr (IPS) - Nearly a dozen U.S. cities have announced their interest in withdrawing municipal investments from fossil fuel companies, joining a fast-growing movement among colleges and universities that supporters say is allowing citizens concerned with environmental degradation and global climate change to act in lieu of federal action from the U.S. Congress. more...   U.S. Proposal Would Require Labelling on Genetically Modified Foods Carey L. Biron WASHINGTON, 24 Apr (IPS) - A decades-long push to require the labelling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients in the United States received a significant boost Wednesday, when bipartisan bills on the issue were simultaneously proposed in the House and Senate. more...