Greenpeace Blog

We received an email from Harvey Parkes, one half of the film production company Balti and Havana, promoting their new short Scott of the Antarctics so I'm giving it a plug here. Not merely because they've kindly given Greenpeace a mention at the end (thanks guys!), but because it's a rather gorgeous little piece about penguins, swimming pools and the antarctic ice cap.

It's been entered for the Virgin Media Shorts competition, so if you feel inclined you can cast your vote or just enjoy the film.

Update July 1 2008: 23 days in custody without charge for Greenpeace Japan activists

Greenpeace supporters gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in London this lunchtime. They held a peaceful protest to express solidarity with the two anti-whaling campaigners currently being held without trial in Japan for their role in exposing a large scale embezzlement scandal within the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling program.

Among the ranks was Greenpeace UK Director John Sauven, who handed in a letter to Ambassador Shin Ebihara asking him to make urgent representation to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda for their immediate release, and to order a further investigation into the scandal exposed by Greenpeace.

Offshore wind - 3,500 new turbines by 2020?

Although the PM has taken a few verbal pastings from us over the past few months on key climate issues like airport expansion and new coal-fired power stations, in a new speech today he did much to redeem himself by announcing an ambitious plan to ensure Britain generates 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

To be sure, the government has promised as much in the past and failed to deliver, but there seemed to be something different about today's Renewable Energy Strategy Consultation - some meat on the bones which indicated that the plan might just be more than empty rhetoric. The government is consulting on ambitious plans designed to allow the UK to meet its share of an overall EU target to generate 20 per cent of energy (electricity, heat and transport) from renewables within 12 years.

So, we're here at Glastonbury and, after a few wrong turns on the way here and some hitches pitching my tent (I've never been the best camper), I'm starting to settle into the rhythm of working at the festival.

The Greenpeace field is almost complete and the garden design is quite amazing with covered walkways, vegetable patches and other examples of one planet living. As I write, music is blaring from the skateboard ramp behind me and I can hear the whoosh of wheels as the skaters do their turns.Last night, I was lured into the interactive light installation (another work by Jason Bruges, who created the installation at last year's 100% Light expo) which is quite addictive, especially after a few cans of Strongbow. Watch this video on our moblog to get some idea of what it's about.