press releases
Last edited 7 August 2000 at 8:00am
August 2000. Six Greenpeace volunteers (including four Britons) today occupied a British Petroleum transport barge off the Alaskan coast as it was being towed to the construction site of the Northstar project - the first offshore oil development in the Arctic Ocean. The volunteers (from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise) boarded the massive sea barge at 9.00am GMT (midnight in Alaska). The barge carries the main operating and accomodation modules for Northstar.
Last edited 3 August 2000 at 8:00am
Greenpeace today attacked as irresponsible Government plans to plough ahead with open air GM trials despite the knowledge that GM pollen will inevitably contaminate surrounding countryside.
The Government announced 25 new sites to trial winter oil seed rape engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium, which is ordinarily banned for winter use. The announcement coincides with the release of a House of Commons Agriculture Select Committee report on the cross-contamination of non-GM crops by GM pollen in Canada earlier this year.
Last edited 28 July 2000 at 8:00am
Government set to shun dodgy forest products
The Government announced today a major change in policy over the official procurement of timber and a crackdown against the use of illegaly obtained wood in Government projects. The policy shift comes after sustained pressure from environmentalists including direct action by Greenpeace throughout Europe, the USA and Japan over the past six weeks and at the G8 Summit in Okinawa.
Last edited 27 July 2000 at 8:00am
Brussels, 26 July 2000. Greenpeace welcomed today's long-awaited publication of a Green Paper on polyviyl chloride (PVC) by the European Commission as an important step towards effective action against the many environmental hazards of PVC. Greenpeace demanded an immediate ban on PVC waste incineration and complete substitution of PVC material. A substitution would be fully in line with the Community waste management strategy as there is no safe disposal of PVC and reuse and recovery will not solve the problem.
Last edited 21 July 2000 at 8:00am
Okinawa, 21 July 2000. The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior attempted to deliver 8 logs from Russian forests today to G-8 leaders to highlight the elevated rate of illegal and destructive logging that continues to occur throughout the world's last remaining ancient forests. The logs of oak and ash are from Russia's Primorsky region where according to regional government statistics 80% of logging is illegal.
Last edited 13 July 2000 at 8:00am
Greenpeace responded with disappointment to Tuesday's announcement that despite an increase in renewable investement, BP's spend on oil and gas exploration and production would be 50 times greater than its investment in green energy technology.
Last edited 11 July 2000 at 8:00am
Today in Kobe Harbour, Japan, four Greenpeace activists from the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior boarded and occupied the ship 'Manzanillo'. The ship is carrying 11 containers of plywood from the Amazon rainforest exported by the Japanese wood-products giant Eidai Inc. The activists raised banners in Japanese and English saying "Eidai, don't buy illegally logged timber", and "G-8: Stop Illegal logging."
Last edited 11 July 2000 at 8:00am
Greenpeace has written to timber company WTK and its subsidiary Amaplac expressing serious concern over the company's failure to recognize their involvement in the illegal timber trade in the Brazilian Amazon.
The letter from Greenpeace was responding to claims by Amaplac that it has 'nevr purchased from unauthorised and illegal logging operations' (PTF release 5th July). This is clearly not correct. From 1998 to 1999, five of Amaplac's seven third party suppliers were fined for dealing in illegal timber and Amaplac itself has been fined three times.
Last edited 11 July 2000 at 8:00am
En-route nations at risk from nuclear transport
Greenpeace today condemned the announcement in Tokyo that the British Government has agreed to take back plutonium MOX fuel from Japan, saying it was unnecessary and threatened the environment and security of countries along the transport route.
Last edited 11 July 2000 at 8:00am
Brussels 7 July 2000. Greenpeace welcomed yesterday's European Paliament plenary vote to permanently ban the use of all phthalate-softners in all soft PVC toys and childcare articles which can be put in the mouth by children. This vote should pave the way for such a ban EU- wide; a ban which so far has been opposed by a few Member States such as the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands, against a majority of countries that have already taken national action to protect small children from such PVC products.