Greenpeace New Zealand Weblog

An old Philips TV at a scrap yard in Ghana

A Greenpeace Europe update:

Last week we broke the shocking story about what actually happens to electronic waste in Europe; instead of being safely recycled in the UK or Europe where it is bought, much of it is instead being exported as ’second-hand goods’ to places like Nigeria, China and India. Once there it’s either sold for scrap, illegally dumped, or broken apart for recycling by some of the poorest people in the country, with no safety measures to protect them from the dangerous toxic chemicals like mercury, cadmium and lead which the e-waste contains.
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Don't flush our climate down the John

“We will not gain anything today or in the months ahead if we become lost in hand-wringing and crystal-ball gazing about how bad things are or could be… What we do know is that we are in uncharted waters…Many words have and will be spoken about it… I’m here to do something about it…We are a gritty country with the smarts and determination needed to weather this storm. So let’s roll up our sleeves, pull together, and get going.”

So spoke Prime Minister John Key as he opened today’s much-heralded job summit in Auckland. One can only dream of the day he expresses the same sentiment over the even fiercer storm we face– climate change. Read more »

Most people probably know we’re living in extraordinary times. I am privileged enough to have a job where I get to speak to random people on the street from a whole range of backgrounds. I’m a Greenpeace Fundraiser and I help to empower individuals who’re concerned about environmental issues and social justice.

Fundraisers (we call them “Frontliners”) are those jolly people you may have seen on the streets or opened your door to. After five years doing this I am continually amazed and inspired by what I learn. Don’t get me wrong, it’s bloody hard work and we’re subjected to an interesting range of responses – from being ignored and rejected to occasional abuse and aggression.

But I’ve have always been passionate about this beautiful planet and having met thousands of people in my work, I realise I am not alone. I cannot count the numbers of people who’ve started a conversation with me along the lines of “you’ll never change it” or ‘is this about money?’ then ended up them thanking me for being persistent and positive. There are literally thousands of examples of how people power is a mighty force that we must not ever give up on. This is Nuclear Free New Zealand after all. Read more »

Mal Wren and the team in Aomori

Thanks for the messages of support following my update from last week…it is much appreciated. I pointed them out to my Greenpeace colleagues here in Aomori, and they were grateful as well. Knowing there is such solidarity out there gives the team a boost – sometimes it can feel like a little lonely and daunting working in an area where there is so much misunderstanding of what the organisation does and why. And particularly when those misunderstandings are of you as an individual – doubts over your actions and your motives, even thoughts of you as terrorist. Not nice.

It doesn’t take long having met the team here to understand they are committed and talented people, whose motivations are entirely about a healthy and sustainable environment. That’s what people in Aomori are discovering as the work of the communications centre unfolds.

Prejudices break down pretty quickly when they have a chance to meet and talk with the staff. Terrorist? Yeah Right, as beer drinkers in NZ might say.. The situation was summed nicely by the head of a local fishermans union here at our opening – “..i used to be wary of Greenpeace, and then I met Waka and realised we share the same goals and motivations – protecting fish for the future..”.
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Protecting and preserving the environment starts right in our own homes. With this blog we hope that we can all share some great ideas for greener living… to get you started here are some ideas that will not only save money, but they are also safer for you, those you care about, and for the environment.

It’s easy to whip up a few environmentally friendly products you can use around the home for cleaning. By using natural ingredients the products are healthier for you, kind to the environment and as effective as chemical based cleaners. To save time and money, make your cleaners in advance and by buying the ingredients in bulk you can avoid excess packaging. Store in labelled re-usable spray bottles or air tight containers. You can add your favourite essential oils or herbs to create your own fragrance.

Each of the ingredients listed below can be found in grocery or health food stores.

If you’ve got any other ideas that work please share them in the comments below! Read more »

Greenpeace China US Ad

This advertisement appears today in China’s biggest daily newspaper, to coincide with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Beijing.

The ad, and a series of other activities undertaken by Greenpeace China in the lead up to Clinton’s visit, all call for one thing – unprecedented cooperation between the US and China on climate change. Because time is fast running out, and if China and the US can’t work together, agree a way forward and lead by example, then we’re all a bit stuffed.

It’s now only nine months until UN climate talks culminate in Copenhagen. , There, the international community must agree on urgent and dramatic action to avert the looming climate disaster and put the world on a path to a sustainable, more survivable future. Strong leadership from the US and China, acting together, is essential if an agreement in Copenhagen is to be reached. They’re the two biggest players and all eyes are on them.

It won’t be easy. There have been eight years of mistrust between the two nations, with the Bush administration using every opportunity to trash and blame China for global emissions when it has been equally guilty itself. But Obama brings new hope, and Clinton is making the right noises. There have already been encouraging signs about cooperation between the two countries on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

By bringing their energy efficiency and renewable energy industries together, the USA and China can create a new development model that meets energy demands and generates millions of green jobs without sacrificing human health or the environment.

Greenpeace China Campaign Director Sze Pang Cheung: “Together, the Obama administration and China have an historic opportunity to take the decisive leadership needed to end both the serious economic crisis the world has faced in decades and the most profound environmental crisis humanity has ever faced – climate change. The current economic crisis provides an unprecedented opportunity to make investments in a way that creates jobs, rebuilds critical infrastructure and lays the foundation for a new energy economy in both nations.”

If China and the US take a leadership role, we have a chance.

It was indeed a black Friday last week. Two Greenpeace activists Junichi and Toru appeared in court for a pre trial hearing. They face the possibility of prison for their role in defending the whales – for exposing illegal whale meat trade in Japan.

Lawyers for two activists plan to use the case to expose corruption within Japan’s whaling industry. They say there are wider issues at stake and the activists’ actions have revealed a wide-spread rip-off of taxpayers’ money.
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I’m often humbled by the passion and dedication with which people support Greenpeace and the work we do. People show their support in different ways. Many are very active, many simply make a small regular donation and we love and appreciate them all — but every now and then we see someone who is a little more dedicated than most …

You don’t need to get a tattoo; just sign up to our email alerts!

Tatas vs Turtles

The latest in the campaign to stop the Tata industrial giant wiping out the Olive Ridley Turtle in India is this great new mobilisation site from Greenpeace India.

And if you dig it then Digg it!

Here’s a bit of history:

It’s hard to say when the story began, but it was certainly long before any one around today was even born… sea turtles have been nesting at Gahirmatha on the Orissa coast for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. But if we don’t act now, we could see this change within a decade – an eye blink in geological timescales. The Dhamra port near Gahirmatha will push the endangered olive ridley sea turtle closer to the slippery edge of extinction. Read more »

Corn Grenade

But we did, Greenpeace along with many environmental groups and the majority of Kiwis said we didn’t want genetically engineered (GE) crops and food. We said ‘don’t plant it outside of a contained laboratory because it would contaminate neighbouring conventional plants.’ We said ‘it can’t be controlled.’

And guess what? It turns out we were all correct. It was recently announced that the ’small’ field trial of GE brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale) growing at Lincoln near Christchurch was to be pulled out. The trial was ‘accidentally’ allowed to flower, breaching numerous conditions set by the government run Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) when it granted the application.
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