Greenpeace Blog

Greenpeace podcast: behind the scenes at the Kingsnorth Trial

Posted by bex — 24 September 2008 at 10:21am - Comments

In this special edition of our podcast, we take a behind the scenes look at the extraordinary events that have already gone down in legend here at the Greenpeace office. This month, six Greenpeace activists were acquitted of causing criminal damage to Kingsnorth coal-fired power station, because they were acting to prevent greater damage caused by climate change. The verdict has been hailed by some of the world's more hysterical media pundits as the official start of a state of anarchy in the UK.

I spent ten days with the defendants, finding out what was really happening, and how they were coping with the emotion, stress and drama of being at the centre of it all.

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Want to know more about the issues in this podcast?

The Kingsnorth trial »
Meet the defendants »
Witness statements in full »
The case against coal »
Closing the energy gap »
The real solution »

Article tagged as: climate change, coal, kingsnorth, kingsnorth six, legal, podcasts, trials

We're in ecological debt once again, and we haven't got long to repay the loan

Posted by jamie — 23 September 2008 at 2:07pm - Comments

A projection at the Labour conference shows how long we have to avert catastrophic climate change

One down, 99 to go: the clock is ticking at the Labour conference © Will Rose

Today might be your run-of-the-mill Tuesday with nothing more remarkable than the news that a rover on Mars will take two years to travel 11km, plus a slight smattering of rain. But according to the New Economics Foundation (NEF), today is more significant than you might expect because it's the point in the year when we've used up all of the resources the Earth can produce and we start going into ecological debt.

Article tagged as: 100 months, climate change, labour, party conferences

Science minister gets the hots for GM food

Posted by jamie — 23 September 2008 at 11:21am - Comments

Government wonks have once again been druming up support for GM food, the latest tub-thumping courtesy of science minister Ian Pearson. He's been saying that if engineered crops can be demonstrated to alleviate hunger around the world, then the great British public will be only too happy to see them being cultivated in our green and pleasant land as well.

Article tagged as: development, GM crops, GM food, politics, science

Broken promises in Papua New Guinea

Posted by jamie — 22 September 2008 at 5:31pm - Comments

Following the recent fun with a timber cargo ship in Papua New Guinea, the Greenpeace team on the Esperanza has sent through some more material which throws the spotlight on what's happening in the country's forests. The video below explains how local communities are being short-changed by logging companies, with things like schools and medical centres promised by these companies simply not materialising:

Article tagged as: audio, forests, papua new guinea, south east asia, videos

The truth about the energy gap: a response to John Hutton

Posted by bex — 22 September 2008 at 10:21am - Comments

John Hutton at the Labour Party Conference 2007

John Hutton committing to take action on climate change at the 2007 Labour Party Conference © Rose / Greenpeace

"No coal plus no nuclear equals no lights," said Business Secretary John Hutton (pictured above, proving he really has heard of climate change, honest) today.

Bearing in mind the findings of leading energy consultants Pöyry (pdf) that we don't need new nuclear or new coal to keep the lights on - we just need the government to meet its own, existing targets for energy efficiency and renewables - he might better have said "no vision plus no guts equals no chance of averting catastrophic climate change". Which at least has some basis in fact.

Article tagged as: climate change, coal, energy, nuclear power, solutions

11,000 nuclear reactors by 2100?

Posted by bex — 17 September 2008 at 12:27pm - Comments

Oh dear. From Nuclear Reaction:

Yesterday we brought you the fantastical tale of the Brazilian government announcing their ambition to build 50 new nuclear reactors by 2050. No sooner had the disbelieving laughter died down here at Nuclear Reaction, along came the World Nuclear Association (WNA) with an amazing fantasy of its own. Wait until you see this - it's amazing. There are comedians who would kill for this ability to make people laugh...

Article tagged as: nuclear power, nuclear reactors, WNA

Best Green Blogs - the People's Choice award

Posted by bex — 17 September 2008 at 10:27am - Comments

How embarrassing. Between the trial, a couple of bouts of flu in the web team and a period of general mayhem here at Greenpeace HQ, this one slipped through our fingers.

So, belatedly, we're extremely chuffed to be able to tell you that we've been voted the People's Choice for the Daily (Maybe)'s Best Green Blog 2008. Thank you to everyone who voted for us.

Jim Jay kindly says:

For me this is a really deserving choice and shows what group blogging for an organisation can be all about. It seems to be an extremely difficult trick to pull off sometimes, fusing together the conversational strengths of blogging with the needs and focus of an organisation. I've thought for some time that Greenpeace UK pull it off very nicely.

*Collective blush.*

He also says:

I'd also like to mention and congratulate Ecostreet and Transition Culture who came second and third respectively in the poll - excellent blogs the both of them.

Here's to that. And to all the other contenders - not to mention, of course, the excellent Daily (Maybe) itself.

Article tagged as: awards, blogging, blogs

Wake Up, Freak Out

Posted by jossc — 16 September 2008 at 1:55pm - Comments

Wake Up, Freak Out, Then Get a Grip is a short animated film about the feedback loops likely to lead to catastrophic climate change, by Leo Murray.

It turns out that the way we have been calculating the future impacts of climate change up to now has been missing a really important piece of the picture. It seems we are now dangerously close to the tipping point in the world's climate system; this is the point of no return, after which truly catastrophic changes become inevitable.

The script, with extensive peer-reviewed references and additional information and links, is available at wakeupfreakout.org.

Article tagged as: animations, climate change

Nokia tops latest Greener Electronics Guide

Posted by jossc — 16 September 2008 at 1:35pm - Comments

Ghana: boys burning electronic cables and other electrical components in order to melt off the plastic and reclaim the copper wiring. This burning in small fires releases toxic chemicals into the environment

Company scores plummeted in the previous edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, when new criteria on climate change were introduced. However, leading brands like Nokia and Samsung are now making significant progress in greening their electronics products, with improved environmental policies responding not only to these new energy criteria, but also to the more stringent chemical and e-waste criteria.

Article tagged as: china, e-waste, electronics, green electronics guide, nokia, samsung

It's flashmob time again: stop expansion at Manchester Airport

Posted by jossc — 16 September 2008 at 12:10pm - Comments

Flashmob detail
The battle to win hearts and minds on the critical airport expansion issue continues apace. The latest group to take the field is in Manchester, where a flashmob is being organised to protest against the expansion of Heathrow, Manchester and all UK airports.

It's being called to coincide with the Labour Party Conference in Manchester and, in true flashmob fashion, will mysteriously manifest in Albert Square outside Manchester Town Hall on Tuesday 23rd September at 12.45pm sharp!

Article tagged as: airport expansion, aviation, climate change, co2 emissions, flash mobs, manchester

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