Ch. 64, NYT, WP

 Chapter 64 discusses the role of  NGOs like Greenpeace in shaping environmental policies in the world. The first thing that stood out to me is the complex system by which Greenpeace is organized. It is structured similarly to how a state's government would be, or to that of a large corporation. This is important because these are the two bodies that and organization like Greenpeace would be going up against over policy issues. Having a similar organizational structure means they can cover just as much, if not more ground and get their message across in a more efficient manner. The second thing that stood out to me was their aggressive marketing techniques, which center around media attention and the ue of stunts. I think that condcuting some sort of eye catching stunt like parachuting from a polluting smokestack is a great way to draw public attention to something that they otherwise may not want to pay attention to. It is even more effective when their stunts actively disrupt the operations of those they are fighting against, such as getting between the whalers and the whales in dinghies. The ability to draw the attention of people who aren't initially inclined to pay attention to pro-environemnt organizations is a very strong ability to have, especially in this day and age.

The NYT article discusses the financial troubles that Barbados has faced over time, especially in the wake of rampant climate change impacts. Barbados is a Caribbean country, meaning it is highly susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes, which bring flooding in turn. These natural disasters destroy the economy of the country, and have become more prevalent over time because of climate change. The part of this that stands out is that Barbados's economy is not one that makes climate change worse, yet they are the ones who feel its effects. The countries that do make it worse are the ones they have to turn to for financial help. Another thing that stood out to me was Mottley's willingness to cut the budget of the country and raise taxes if they were to receive support from the IMF. This is something we've seen other countries struggle to be willing to do in other cases we've read about so far this semester, and it usually doesn't turn out well. Hoowever, the inclusion of the hurricane clause was an important development because it means that Barbados could defer some of its payments in the wake of a major climatic event that cripples its economy. This is significant because it is an example of a country with a smaller economy being able to push back against the dominant forces that control and take advantage of those who struggle.

The Washington Post article talks about the Graphite industry in China. Graphite is a main component in the lithium-ion batteries that are used to make phones, vehicles, and other forms of technology. The byproducts of the inductry in Chinese towns is that their environments, homes, and bodies become contaminated. There is widespread environmental degradation that resulted from polluted water and air, and graphite gets in the food, which means people ingest it through eating, drinking, and breathing. The aspect of this problem that I found most significant was the unwillingness of both corporate and local authority in solving some of the problems. While the corporate responsibility issue is less surprising since they do not reside in these areas, I find it interesting where the local governments align with. The issues that come from graphite production are more close to home for them, yet they still choose to side with the corporations because they are economic proponents of the area. This is yet another example of people on the bottom of the totem pole having to bear the weight of mistakes made by people at the top.