The Durban UN climate talks - COP17 - are drawing to a close. Ministers and heads of state met through Friday night to thrash out some meaning from these talks.

Northern Rockies Rising Tide and Earth First! Activists Occupy Montana Capitol Building Demanding Governor Schweitzer Publicly Oppose Keystone XL Pipeline and Tar Sands Megaload Shipments

Related: Over 60 people occupy Montana capitol protesting tar sands, megaloads, and government collusion with Big Oil 

On the morning of July 12th, six activists from Earth First! and Northern Rockies Rising Tide occupied Governor Schweitzer's office in an act of non-violent civil disobedience. The activists locked their arms in a mock oil pipeline made out of PVC plastic pipe. In the wake of the Silvertip spill, Governor Schweitzer has publicly chastised ExxonMobil for their negligence and lack of transparency, while at the same time continuing to promote the construction of TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline, Exxon's megaload shipments bound for the Alberta Tar Sands, and other extreme fossil fuels projects throughout the state.

A report issued last week from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) has strongly warned of the damage to the health of the world's oceans and marine life from several factors including the impacts of climate change. The report warned that if the current business as usual trajectory of damage continues "that the world's ocean is at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history."

Related: International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) | The Ocean in a high CO2 world | Frontline - World's oceans in crisis: What can be done? | Takver: articles on climate change and oceans | NOAA: Major flooding on the Mississippi river predicted to cause largest Gulf of Mexico dead zone ever recorded

As the Bonn Climate Talks sputtered and choked past the finish line today, the general consensus was that immediate high level political intervention on the part of Northern developed countries is mandatory to the success of international climate negotiations tasked with cutting GHG emissions to less than 2 degrees by 2020.

Related: Ambassador of Bolivia on UN climate talks in Germany | Bonn: World Bank dirty investments fueling climate change claims report | Saudi Arabia delays talks say NGOs
Oxfam - Developing countries pledge bigger climate emissions cuts than world's richest nations | WWF cool on lukewarm outcome in Bonn climate talks

An estimated 10,000 people packed the lawns of the State Library on Swanston street Melbourne on World Environment Day to Say yes to a safe climate and support the introduction of a carbon price by the Gillard Federal Labor Government. About 8000 people also gathered in Sydney, 5000 people rallied in Adelaide's Victoria Square, 5000 in Brisbane, 3000 in Perth, 3000 in Hobart, and 2000 in Canberra. Organisors estimate up to 45000 may have attended rallies across Australia today to support climate action and pricing carbon.

Melbourne Protests weblog - Say ‘Yes’ to Action on Climate Change – rally in Melbourne 5 June 2011 |
Flickr photos: Melbourne | Adelaide | Canberra | Sydney

RT rocks E-day

Last week, Rising Tide rocked it. While the world celebrated Earth Day with corporate sponsored green hoopla, we and communities around the globe commemorated the anniversary of the BP Oil Spill with fierce direct actions across the world.

The last day in Cancun campaigners feared the worst, especially relating to the REDD agreement which actvists labeled as flawed and potentially planet-wrecking scam. The early hours of the morning saw the Adoption of Copenhagen Accord II Without Consensus - Bolivia was the dissenting state. While some NGOs like the WWF and Centre for Biological Diversity said tentative groundwork for a global agreement to fight climate change was made, the agreement fell far short of progress toward science based emission reduction targets.

Friends of the Earth summarised the Cancun meeting and final agreement or listen to the Radio Ecoshock summary on whether the talks were a step forward or fraud.

The 16th Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or better known as COP16, was held in Cancun Mexico from November 29th to December 10th. A Last minute agreement based on the Copenhagen accord resulted over the objections of one country - Bolivia.

The grassroots global climate justice movement attended Gearing up for Cancun with official negotiations initially teetering at the edge of a "legitimation crisis." On December 7 Protest Erupted at UN Climate Negotiations with Youth Delegates Ejected, but there were several grassroots actions including shutting down the tar sands, respect for indigenous peoples rights, and actions organised by La Via Campesina.

Flickr Photos: FOE COP16 Cancun | Adopt a Negotiator | Tcktcktck | Oxfam: Demonstration in Cancun

On the 27th of September, thousands of opponents of mountaintop removal coal mining converged on DC. Many were from West Virgina, Tennesee, and other areas devastated by this destructive mining practice. After blockading the EPA and PNC Bank, about 100 were arrested at the White House.

Photos: Rally, White House Sit In, PNC Bank Sit In |
Video: Appalachia Rising in DC | Audio: Speaker at Appalachia Rising rally at Freedom Plaza

Related: Appalachia Rising: Over 100 arrested at White House | RAN - Citizens Occupy PNC: The Bank of Mountaintop Removal | Speech by NASA climate scientist James Hansen at Freedom Plaza

Climate activists have closed down the three coal export terminals at Newcastle harbour, the world's largest coal export port, stopping all production and loading. "Urgent action against global warming is needed. We have been forced to make our dramatic protest today because the Federal government is failing to take any action." said Anika Dean from Rising Tide Newcastle.

True cost of coal

After two years of collaborative research, storysharing, metaphor crafting, and meticulous illustrating, the bees have completed an epic illustration about mountaintop removal coal mining!