Center for Safe Energy – News
2011 CSE Press Releases
CSE partner Natalia Manzurova awarded Nuclear-Free Future Resistance Award on April 10, 2011! See also her interview on ABC News during her tour in the Bay Area organized by CSE.
Preventing the Next Gulf Oil Disaster: From the Caspian Sea to the San Francisco Bay
Delegation from Kazakhstan to visit the Bay Area to study industrial pollution and oil spill prevention and response methods.
Berkeley, CA – Kazakhstan, the country with the world’s 11th largest proven reserves of oil and natural gas, which is being exploited by U.S. oil companies such as Chevron Oil, observed the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster with alarm. Because of the development of oil and gas reserves in the fragile ecosystem of the Caspian Sea, many governmental officials and nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders in Kazakhstan want to learn about the experience of countries like the United States in averting and dealing with environmental disasters. During the week of February 26th through March 6th, a group of six NGO and local government leaders will come to the San Francisco Bay Area to learn about how the Bay Area and California prevent, monitor and respond to disasters from environmental pollution.
“The Gulf oil spill disaster reinforces the need to share the lessons that US environmental advocates have learned so that other countries like Kazakhstan can avoid such catastrophes,” remarks John A. Knox, Executive Director of Earth Island Institute. “We are honored to host such a distinguished delegation from Kazakhstan and sharing our experiences with them will allow them to bring these lessons back home and make a difference.”
The delegation includes Kaisha Atakhanova, the winner of the 2005 Goldman Prize, the world’s most prestigious environmental award. The delegation will give a presentation about Chevron Oil’s impact on the Caspian Sea at the Brower Center (www.browercenter.org), Berkeley’s LEED Platinum building, at 2150 Allston, 4th floor, on Thursday, March 3rd, at 6:00 p.m.
Delegates will meet with and observe environmental regulation, monitoring and response programs of state agencies like the California EPA and Air Resources Board, the regional office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the City of Richmond, the Mayor of Berkeley, the NGO Global Community Monitor, the California Department of Public Health, and the NGO Tri-Valley CAREs.
The delegation is coordinated by the Berkeley-based Center for Safe Energy, a project of Earth Island Institute. They are sponsored by The Open World Leadership Program of the U.S. (www.openworld.gov), which is the only international exchange program funded by the U.S. legislative branch of government.
Since its founding by Congress in 1999, the Open World program has enabled some 16,000 current and future Eurasian leaders to experience American democracy, civil society and community life; work with their American counterparts; stay in American homes; and gain new ideas and inspiration for implementing change back home. More than 6,000 American host families and their communities in all 50 states have partnered with Congress and Open World to make this ambitious public diplomacy effort possible. Open World currently operates exchanges for political and civic leaders from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
The Center for Safe Energy (CSE) works on strengthening environmental movements in the former Soviet Union. It supports the growth of grassroots, independent NGOs focused on energy issues by linking them with like-minded organizations in the US and other countries.
For more information, please contact Melissa Prager or Do Lee at CSE at (510) 859-9161. For more information on the Open World program, please contact Maura Shelden at (202) 707-8943 or visit http://www.openworld.gov.
Summer 2009: Article-CSE and Russian Partner, Oleg Bodrov Film the Decomissioning of Yankee Reactor
http://www.boothbayregister.com/7_16_09_Maine_Yankee_Decommissioning.htm
2009: CSE Press Releases
Recycling: From Kazakhstan to Berkeley
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For Immediate Release |
Contacts: Melissa Prager |
Recycling: From Kazakhstan to Berkeley
Delegation from Kazakhstan to visit the Bay Area to study recycling and waste management methods
Berkeley, CA – Waste management is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our planet, and the world’s largest landlocked country, Kazakhstan, does not recycle its waste. During the week of May 9-17 a group of five NGO and local government leaders will come to the San Francisco Bay Area to examine recycling and waste management best practices.
The delegation includes Kaisha Atakhanova, the winner of the 2005 Goldman Prize, the world’s most prestigious award for grassroots environmentalism in the world. She will give a presentation at Berkeley’s new LEED Platinum Brower Center (www.browercenter.org), at 2150 Allston, 4th floor, on Wednesday, May 13, at 5:30 p.m.
Delegates will meet with and observe recycling programs with the City of Berkeley’s NGO partner, the Ecology Center, the City of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment, and San Rafael’s agreement with local business, Marin Hazardous Waste Management.
The delegation is coordinated by the Berkeley-based Center for Safe Energy, a project of the Earth Island Institute. Their trip is sponsored by The Open World Program of the U.S. Library of Congress (www.openworld.gov), and is the only international exchange program funded by the U.S. legislative branch of government.
Open World has introduced more than 13,000 current and future decision makers from Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union to American political and civic life, and to their American counterparts. In addition to Russia, Open World also operates dynamic programs in Ukraine and has expanded to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Tajikistan.
Open World’s mission is to enhance understanding and capabilities for cooperation between the United States and the countries of Eurasia and the Baltic States by developing a network of leaders in the region who have gained significant, firsthand exposure to America's democratic, accountable government and its free-market system.
The Center for Safe Energy (CSE) works on strengthening environmental movements in the former Soviet Union. It supports the growth of grassroots, independent NGOs focused on energy issues by linking them with like-minded organizations in the US and other countries.
For more information, please contact Melissa Prager or Elena Ilina at CSE at (510) 883-1177. For more information on the Open World program, please contact Maura Shelden at (202) 707-8943 or visit www.openworld.gov.
From Odessa’s Black Sea to the San Francisco Bay
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For Immediate Release |
Contacts: Melissa Prager |
From Odessa’s Black Sea to the San Francisco Bay
Ukrainian environmental leaders survey Bay Area environmental organizations and government agencies
Berkeley, CA – energy crisis, polluting rivers and seas, pesticides in schoolyards, radioactive contamination: these are all issues we grapple with here, in the eco-savvy Bay Area, as well as in Ukraine. The Open World Program of the U.S. Congress will bring a delegation of ten prominent Ukrainian environmental leaders to Berkeley September 19-27, 2009 to survey Bay Area approaches to tackling some of the globe’s most crucial environmental issues.
The delegation will meet with the City of Berkeley’s Climate Action Coordinator Timothy Burroughs, a team of research scientists from the California Department of Health’s Environmental Health Investigations Branch, the anti-nuclear grassroots organization, Tri-Valley CAREs, the Berkeley-based NGO, International Rivers Network, and numerous other agencies.
The Berkeley-based Center for Safe Energy, who is hosting the delegation, is conducting a round-table discussion with the delegation at downtown Berkeley’s David Brower Center (2150 Allston Way) on Thursday, September 24th from 11:30-12:30 p.m. This is free and open to the public.
The delegation includes leaders of various Ukrainian environmental NGOs which are all part of the Khortitsky Forum, Ukraine’s largest environmental NGO network. Alla Aleksandruk from the region of Cherkasy, (a sister-city of Santa Rosa) serves as a Deputy Head of the Regional NGO “Eco-world”, where she works on regional clean air and water campaigns. Also included in the delegation is a member of a regional environmental council, Serhiy Denisenk, Larysa Starodubtseva, Lead Engineer of the Water Resources Office, of the Kakhovka Inter-Regional Department of Water and the Deputy Head of the water resources office of the NGO “MAMA-86-N. Kakhovka”, Tetyana Stolyarenko, President of the NGO “Sozidaniye” which works on sustainable development of the city of Zaporizhzhye.
Open World has introduced more than 13,000 current and future decision makers from Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union to American political and civic life, and to their American counterparts. In addition to Ukraine, Open World also operates dynamic programs in Russia and has expanded to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Tajikistan.
Open World's mission is to enhance understanding and capabilities for cooperation between the United States and the countries of Eurasia and the Baltic States by developing a network of leaders in the region who have gained significant, firsthand exposure to America's democratic, accountable government and its free-market system. In the past four years, nearly 650 Ukrainians have participated in the Open World Program.
The Center for Safe Energy (CSE) works on strengthening environmental movements in the former Soviet Union. It supports the growth of grassroots, independent NGOs focused on energy issues by linking them with like-minded organizations in the US and other countries.
For more information, please contact Melissa Prager at CSE at (510) 859-9161. For more information on the Open World program, please contact Maura Shelden at (202) 707-8943 or visit www.openworld.gov.
Russian Pediatric Cardiologists visit Children’s Hospital in Oakland
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For Immediate Release |
Contacts: Melissa Prager |
Russian Pediatric Cardiologists visit Children’s Hospital in Oakland
Berkeley, CA –Congenital heart disease is a huge problem in Russia; 3,000 newborns die annually due to the disease. Six Russian pediatric cardiologists will travel to the Bay Area on October 17th through October 25th, 2009 to learn from their American counterparts about finding solutions to this and many other pediatric cardiac problems. During their stay, the Russian delegation will be hosted by pediatric cardiologists and co-founders of the Big Hands for Little Hearts Foundation, Andrew Maxwell, MD, and Paul Pitlick, MD., who have travelled to Russia with the foundation to help diagnose, manage and arrange pro bono surgeries for children with congenital heart disease.
While in the Bay Area, the Russian doctors will meet with medical professionals associated with the medical staff of the Oakland Children’s Hospital and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, at Stanford University. They will learn about pediatric cardiac care in the US, how public and private health care is funded and organized, gain knowledge of medical and administrative issues, as well as learn about American management strategies. The experience of the delegation in America will strengthen their network in Russia, as well as establish important ties with American doctors, hospitals and administrators.
Among the Russian delegation of six cardiologists: Julia Kalinicheva, Head of the Cardiology Department, Alvar Mustafin, Anesthesiologist-Resuscitation Specialist, Coronary Care Unit, Andrey Zakharov, Cardiovascular Surgeon, Denis Petrushenko, Deputy Chief of Staff of Surgery, Dina Sabirova, Cardiologist, and Radis Garayev, Radiography Surgeon.
The delegation is coordinated by the Berkeley-based Center for Safe Energy, a project of the Earth Island Institute. Their trip is sponsored by The Open World Program of the U.S. Library of Congress, and is the only international exchange program funded by the U.S. legislative branch of government.
Open World has introduced more than 13,000 current and future decision makers from Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union to American political and civic life, and to their American counterparts. In addition to Russia, Open World also operates dynamic programs in Ukraine and has expanded to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Tajikistan.
Open World's mission is to enhance understanding and capabilities for cooperation between the United States and the countries of Eurasia and the Baltic States by developing a network of leaders in the region who have gained significant, firsthand exposure to America's democratic, accountable government and its free-market system.
The Center for Safe Energy (CSE) works on strengthening citizen groups in the former Soviet Union. It supports the growth of grassroots, independent NGOs by linking them with like-minded organizations in the US and other countries.
For more information, please contact Melissa Prager or Olga Tretyakova at CSE at (510) 859-9161. For more information on the Open World program, please contact Maura Shelden at (202) 707-8943 or visit www.openworld.gov.
