climate change

Google Earth launches a new layer

Images have a way of penetrating the mind and conveying information more immediately and powerfully than reams of words and, as far as images of our planet go, they don't come much more powerful than Google Earth.

The application - which has already done its fair share of enabling people to use technology for the good of the planet - has launched a new Outreach programme, encouraging us at Greenpeace and other organisations to use the application to spread global awareness.

Welcome to our very first Greenpeace podcast! It's going to be a fortnightly affair, so make sure you subscribe.

In this episode, we head down to Aldermaston's nuclear weapons factory on the 50th anniversary of the first legendary march - and meet a few of the folks who were there the first time around. Greenpeace's James Turner joins hundreds of flash mobbers at Heathrow's Terminal 5 on its opening day to find out why so many people are saying "enough's enough" when it comes to airport expansion. And climate change writer and campaigner Mark Lynas tells Joss Garman what he thinks of new runways, new coal, new mayors and the need for mass action. The podcast is presented by our very own James Turner.

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Want to find out more about the issues in this podcast?

Aldermaston, 50 years on »
Terminal 5 flash mob »
The new coal rush »
Mark Lynas »
Stop Heathrow expansion »
Say no to new coal »
Take action for peace with CND »

Greetings from the black hole: protesters at Ffos-y-Fran open cast pit in South Wales

Climate change campaigners marked the third annual "Fossil Fool's Day" on Tuesday with a series of protests around the world highlighting the need for us all to reduce the amount of carbon we burn. Here in the UK the focus was very much on coal, and sending a message to ministers that if new coal plants like Kingsnorth are built, they'll ruin any realistic chance that we have of meeting our commitments to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and represent a devastating failure of the government's resolve to tackle climate change. Key events included:

• the shutting down one of Europe's largest open cast coal mines at Ffos-y-Fran in South Wales;
• Earth First! activists blockading the UK's largest gas Terminal at Bacton in Norfolk;
• People and Planet building a 12ft high model of a coal-fired power station in Parliament Square;

Roll up, roll up! The climate circus is in town. Confronted with melting ice caps, unprecedented species extinction, droughts and extreme weather, climate change threatens our very survival. The fools at the head of the fossil fuel empire continue to plunder the earth, with the governments as willing court jesters at their side.

They would have us believe that we can escape climate change with techno-fixes, market mechanisms and offset schemes - all technocratic acrobatics that distract us from the truth: the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Actions will be happening all over the world. Here in the UK there'll be a protest against new coal-fired power stations. From 8am London World Development Movement groups are co-ordinating a protest outside the Department for Enterprise Business and Regulatory Reform (or Dberr) to laugh at the minister for business, John Hutton. Hutton is currently set to make a right fool of the government's climate policy if he signs off on EON's new Kingsnorth power station.

This week the Rainbow Warrior marked the start of a six week 'Target Climate Change' tour of New Zealand with an action against the Hellenic Sea, a 60,000 tonne bulk carrier owned by coal exporter Solid Energy. While it trades on NZ's clean green credentials the government is making millions of dollars from Solid Energy peddling coal on the world market - quite literally stoking the fires of climate change.

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Flashmob at Heathrow's Terminal 5 this morning

This morning saw the opening of Heathrow's new Terminal 5 to the public. Unfortunately for the aviation industry and government - who wanted this to be a chance to promote their case for airport expansion - a large section of that public is vehemently opposed to unsustainable aviation growth, and not afraid to show it.

So at exactly 11am this morning, hundreds of people stripped down to reveal identical "Stop Airport Expansion T-shirts", and to highlight the problems caused by airport expansion and unsustainable aviation growth. Pictures of the flashmob are coming in to our Moblog thick and fast. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see video footage of the event.