November 2010

What's the opposite of greenwash?

Posted by jamess — 5 November 2010 at 3:35pm - Comments

Why are car companies hiding their progress? Photo: drinksmachine

It's not often you see car companies trying to hide their green achievements. We're more used to seeing them worn boastfully on the outside. The way Superman wears his underpants.

So why would they hide them now?

The Corporate Social Responsibility guys must be choking on their almond croissants. Today's news is something they want to shout about: fast, tangible progress on vehicle efficiency technology that reduces emissions. Greener cars, greener company. This time they don't have to make it up. But they're being hushed up by the lobbyists in the boardroom, who know that talking about these gains is going to counter their main argument with politicians: that their companies can't comply with proposed CO2 targets in time.

Article tagged as: climate change, emissions, EU, europe, go beyond oil, phillip hammond, vans

What the green movement got right

Posted by jamess — 4 November 2010 at 7:26pm - Comments

Wind turbine construction in Butterwick

Channel 4 has broadcast another film bashing environmentalists, including Greenpeace.

We put science and practical solutions at the core of everything we do, which is why we're dismayed that Channel 4 would commission a programme littered with bad science and factual errors.

It's not just us saying it. Earlier this week statistics about climate change opinions from MORI had to be removed because they were misleading. Now one of the main contributors, Adam Werbach, is publically saying he was badly misled by Channel 4. If you'd like to read our response to the Channel 4 claims, go here.

Article tagged as: channel 4, climate change, nuclear power

Ever wanted to stop an oil rig?

Posted by jamess — 3 November 2010 at 2:01pm - Comments

Now's your chance to stop an oil rig. Well, quite a few really.

Right now, in the corridors of Brussels, our politicians and civil servants are haggling over our future. Specifically the future of our oil consumption.

We know the vast majority of oil is used in transport, and that's why the forthcoming European decisions on emissions targets for vans and cars are so important to our Go Beyond Oil campaign.

Article tagged as: climate change, deep water, go beyond oil, oil

Sayonara, Nagoya: UN biodiversity summit closes

Posted by jamie — 1 November 2010 at 1:47pm - Comments

Nathalie Rey (pictured above briefing journalists) is an Amsterdam-based Oceans Policy Analyst who led Greenpeace's delegation in Nagoya for the CBD. She is the proud mother of two daughters, an avid coffee drinker and a surprised fan of Japanese food.

After two weeks of negotiations, this Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has concluded and not without some last-minute drama. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the contentious issues were left to the last day. Delegates, media and observers were told that the Friday afternoon plenary discussion was to begin at 3pm. That meant that the 197 nations gathered here would have to agree a new Protocol, decide the future of protected areas on land and at sea and sign off on a new Strategic Plan for the CBD all in less than three hours.

For all of you out there who haven't sat through these talks for the past two weeks, I assure you that this seemed like an impossible feat when they announced it on Thursday.

Article tagged as: biodiversity, CBD, japan, marine reserves, oceans

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