2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumHRC Lobbied Funding for Giant Coal Plants in S. Africa; US Taxpapers IM-EX Financed, Friends Got Job
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?itok=1mUqDEIZ[div class="excerpt"]Hillary Clinton Showed Support, Associates Profited from Ex-Im Bank (The Importing-Exporting Bank) Financing Worlds Largest Coal Plants in South Africa
In 2009, the South African government announced a major energy plan to construct two new coal-fired power stations. The project, which aimed at building the worlds largest coal plants, came under intense criticism by various governments and climate activists, who saw it as a disastrous blow to the fight against climate change.
Yet newly released emails from presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during her time as Secretary of State, reveal that she acted in support of a World Bank loan for the construction of one of the plants.
Furthermore, a DeSmog investigation finds that the other plant, which received funding from a US government agency led by a close Clinton ally and fundraiser, is being built by an American construction firm tied to another associate of the former Secretary.
These actions seem contrary to Clintons tough campaign talk on curbing CO2 emissions and investing in renewable energy. They also raise new questions about Clinton's ties to the revolving door lobbying culture that connects major corporations to top officials in Washington, DC.
The Medupi Plant and World Bank Loan
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Located only 50 miles apart in the countrys northeast, the plants named Medupi and Kusile were set to each emit a staggering 25 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year.
To help finance the Medupi plant, the South African government turned to The World Bank, requesting a $3.5 billion loan. The loan application, coming around the time of the COP15 Copenhagen climate summit, generated an outcry from governments and activists in South Africa and beyond.
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In the cables, Ambassador Donald Gips provided the State Department with background information on the energy project and outlined some of the major environmental and economic concerns surrounding the project. Gips stated that he met with the World Bank team in South Africa, who confidentially shared with him the specifics of the governments plan. Gips asked that this detail be protected by recipients of the cable.
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According to newly released Clinton emails, the South African foreign minister contacted the State Department requesting to speak with the Secretary on the phone. The emails state that the minister was specifically seeking the US governments support for the loan.
An email chain ensued involving Clinton, several of her close aides, and a number of high-ranking officials. It culminated with Clinton speaking with the foreign minister the following day. Though parts of the email chain were redacted, it is still possible to make out some important points.
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On the following day, Secretary Clinton joined the email chain.....
Two hours later, Clinton wrote to Sullivan again, updating that she has now talked to South Africas Foreign Minister.......
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Seven days later, The World Bank approved the huge loan. The United States, along with the UK and Holland, abstained during the vote.
Climate activists blasted the Work Bank for the loan, but many also criticized the US for abstaining rather than trying to block the decision.
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The Kusile Plant Decision
To construct the Kusile coal plant, South Africa sought a different funding route, now eyeing private capital.
To this end, in 2010 Eskom solicited its main contractor for the plant, Kansas City-based infrastructure engineering and construction company Black & Veatch to apply for financing from the US Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) (The Importing-Exporting Bank) . As an independent government agency, the bank invests in projects that guarantee the employment of American workers and suppliers.
In April 2011, the Ex-Im Bank (Importing-Exporting Bank) approved the $850 million loan for the Kusile plant again to the great dismay of environmentalists. The decision came despite more than 7,500 public comments in opposition to the project. Activists were baffled as to why the governmental bank approved the loan for the controversial project.
Black & Veatch Director Parties with Hillary Clinton
A veteran Washington insider, Goldfield is a former Reagan-era administrator and ex-director at the Ex-Im Bank. He is currently the vice chair of Albright Stonebridge, the lobbying and advising firm of longtime Clintonite and former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. Goldfield is also a Senior International Affairs Advisor at the international law firm Hogan Lovells. One of the firms Partners, Howard Topaz, is Bill and Hillary Clintons personal tax advisor.
Seven months after the Ex-Im Bank approved Black & Veatchs financing for the project, Hillary Clinton attended an exclusive 60th birthday party thrown for H.P. Goldfield at the posh Hamptons home of investor George Hornig. In a photo from the party Clinton is seen in extremely good spirits, glowingly hugging a group that included Goldfield and former US ambassador and State Department official, Richard Haass.
During the time Ex-Im Bank considered Black & Veatchs request, Madeleine Albrights daughter, Alice Albright, served as the banks Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
The released Clinton emails show that at the time the bank was considering the Kusile loan, Clinton and Madeleine Albright maintained a close relationship.
According to a February 2011 email, sent two months before the Ex-Im Bank approved the loan, the two met in person. Then, two weeks prior to the banks deliberations, Albright sent a direct email to Clinton, suggesting she hire Wendy.
This presumably refers to Wendy Sherman, then Vice Chair at Albright Stonebridge a title she shared at the firm with H.P. Goldfield who later that year was appointed by Clinton to serve as Under Secretary for Political Affairs. ....
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Since the approval of the coal plants, several figures involved in the matter landed positions at Albright Stonebrige. Upon retiring form the Foreign Service in 2013, former Ambassador Don Gips was hired as Senior Counselor. Former State Department official Johnnie Carson, who was part of the Clinton team during South Africas lobbying for the World Bank loan, also became Senior Counselor for the firm.
Ex-Im Banks Ties to Hillary Clinton
The Ex-Im Bank is headed by Fred Hochberg, a longtime Clinton family associate, financial contributor, and campaign bundler. Hochbergs partner, Tom Healy, was nominated during Clintons tenure as Secretary to the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, a State Department body. Between 2012-2014 Healy served as Chair of the Board.
Hillarys emails during these years reveal her close connection to both Hochberg and Healy. In February 2012, one of Clinton's daily schedules includes attending Hochbergs 60th birthday party at the upscale DC dining spot, Sidras Home Restaurant.
A few months later Hochberg extended a personal invitation to Clinton to attend a friends book launch. Hochberg then sent a happy birthday wish to Hillary, signing with Much love, Fred. Tom Healy sent his own personal birthday note that year, adding I didnt get to say hello in Haiti on Monday because the rain started and we rushed to the airport.
In 2014, The Ex-Im Bank announced the appointment of new members to its Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee. Former ambassador Gips, and Shahid Qadri, Black & Veatchs Vice President and Regional Director Africa, were among them.
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http://desmogblog.com/2016/03/07/hillary-clinton-showed-support-associates-profited-building-world-s-largest-coal-plants-south-africa
eta: Remember how Bernie opposed funding the Importing-Exporting Bank in one of the debates? This is an example of how taxpayer funds get used.
(and, thanks to snagglepuss for pointing this out!)
Uncle Joe
(58,426 posts)Thanks for the thread, amborin.
yourpaljoey
(2,166 posts)CorporatistNation
(2,546 posts)#ShesWithWallStreet
If Hillary cared about the General Election, she would SUSPEND HER CAMPAIGN!
yourpaljoey
(2,166 posts)Cut a deal with the FBI and just walk away.
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)she is going to get absolutely clobbered in the GE.I can't believe the party I've voted for for 40 years is going to nominate someone this corrupt.
CorporatistNation
(2,546 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)MisterP
(23,730 posts)he'll just go "you say we're xenophobic warmongers, you've repeatedly started wars even south of the border, bragged about deportations, and are the only one in this room who voted for the border wall! your economic team is packed with people who say retirement should be at 70 or 75! you say Trump Industries, Trump Vacations, Trump Construction, Trump Airlines, Trumpagne, and Trump Rump Meat hire illegals? your policies have sent millions and millions of jobs overseas? you say I'm a huckster? you've bled hardworking whites dry and come to town with the same carny act! I'm racist? you cheerlead polices that jailed a third of (slur redacted) men and took credit for that as a fall in unemployment! I'm greedy? your underlings are trying to keep loan sharks from getting a hair on their head mussed! your whole campaign is based on voters not knowing a damn thing you've done" (give or take some slurs)
the only thing her campaign can come back with issue-wise is, like, CHIP and a DoS women's office
arcane1
(38,613 posts)"Hey, we shut down a local coal-fired plant, and opened a new one overseas, so we are Champions of the Environment!"
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Sid
MelissaB
(16,420 posts)Got it!
amborin
(16,631 posts)Kittycat
(10,493 posts)Who cares about tomorrow, as long as the the Clinton Clan can party today. Right?
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)How can true Dems support this? Coal it's the fuel of the future.
think
(11,641 posts)Mnpaul
(3,655 posts)Choosing the party that gets to reward their friends.
think
(11,641 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)vintx
(1,748 posts)And one 'rah rah rah' post.
Beautiful.
Jitter65
(3,089 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)CorporatistNation
(2,546 posts)WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?
amborin
(16,631 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)Electric Monk
(13,869 posts)riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)You're really going to stick with that?
There's no sun, wind or hydro sources anywhere there?
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)amborin
(16,631 posts)riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)What are you, amborin? Some kind of Miss Hodgenist?
amborin
(16,631 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)Madeleine K. Albright is Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group and Chair of Albright Capital Management, an affiliated investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets. She was the 64th Secretary of State of the United States. Dr. Albright received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, from President Obama in 2012.
-- http://www.albrightstonebridge.com/team/madeleine-k-albright
"We think the price was worth it."
Like a nightmare that never ends for an Empire of Greedhead Stooges.
amborin
(16,631 posts)sociopathy is a requirement for the position
Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, thats more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the pricewe think the price is worth it.
60 Minutes (5/12/96)
Then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albrights quote, calmly asserting that U.S. policy objectives were worth the sacrifice of half a million Arab children, has been much quoted in the Arabic press. Its also been cited in the United States in alternative commentary on the September 11 attacks (e.g., Alexander Cockburn, New York Press, 9/26/01).
But a Dow Jones search of mainstream news sources since September 11 turns up only one reference to the quotein an op-ed in the Orange Country Register (9/16/01).
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....Albright and the terrorists may have shared a common rationalea belief that the deaths of thousands of innocents are a price worth paying to achieve ones political ends....
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....chlorine is embargoed under the sanctions....
....Combined with the fact that nearly every large water treatment plant in the country was attacked during the Gulf War, and seven out of eight dams destroyed, this suggests a deliberate targeting of the Iraqi water supply for postwar leverage, a concept U.S. government officials admitted was part of military planning in the Gulf War (Washington Post, 6/23/91).
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http://fair.org/extra/we-think-the-price-is-worth-it/
amborin
(16,631 posts)Renewable energy in Africa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Africa
Overview
Contents
Avoiding fossil fuels
Renewable energy resources
Finance
Renewable energy use
The developing nations of Africa are popular locations for the application of renewable energy technology. Currently, many nations already have small-scale solar, wind, and geothermal devices in operation providing energy to urban and rural populations. These types of energy production are especially useful in remote locations because of the excessive cost
.See more on en.wikipedia.org · Text under CC-BY-SA license
.
Renewable Energy in Africa - African Development Bank
www.afdb.org/.../post/renewable-energy-in-africa-8829
Renewable Energy Ventures This is a very powerful piece and its exposure of Africas wealth is dizzying. I hope, in the current rage of Africa powering programs on ...
.
[PDF]
Renewable Energy in Africa: Prospects and Limits
sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/nepadkarekezi.pdf
Executive Summary: Africa has substantial new and renewable energy resources, most of which are under-exploited. Only about 7% of Africas enormous hydro potential