Greenpeace

As a result of the oil spill in the Gulf, people are beginning to question our dependence on oil. Though the massive leak was an catastrophic environmental tradgedy, it may have been the push we needed towards a renewable energy future. In the meantime, we personally, can take baby steps away from oil.

This entry comes by popular request. A lot of people have been asking what they can do to use less oil, and reduce demand for the sticky stuff ruining beaches everywhere. Here's my top ten, feel free to add to it in comments:

1. Carpool, cycle or use public transport to go to work.

2. Choose, when possible, products packaged without plastic and recycle or re-use containers.

3. Buy organic fruits and vegetables (fertilisers and pesticides are based on oil more often than not).

4. Buy beauty products (shampoo, soap, make-up) based on natural ingredients, not oil.

5. Choose when possible locally produced products (less transport involved).

6. Buy clothes made out of organic cotton or hemp - not from oil derivatives.

7. Use non-disposable items in picnics and summer festivals.

8. Quit bottled water.

9. Fly less.

10. Demand that your government encourage renewable energy instead of subsidizing oil.

Take action! Tell Congress that a ban on all new oil drilling is the only way to avoid another spill disaster

It’s been a month since the BP oil disaster in the Gulf and over 6 million gallons of oil has already spilled and is showing no sign of letting up. A WHOLE MONTH has gone by and the situation only seems to be getting worse! And yet BP is rebranding themselves as “beyond petroleum” claiming that it sums up their brand as a company that is moving towards a “lower carbon future”?

On BP’s website they claim that they are a company that is “exploring, developing and producing more fossil fuel resources to meet growing demand”. But how exactly can you develop and produce more fossil fuels when it’s not a renewable resource and is made from the organic remnants of prehistoric life. BP claims they are trying to “meet the challenges of our time in a sustainable way”, but our resources are being depleted fast and once they’re gone, they’re gone…

So I guess when BP says they are “exploring, developing and producing more fossil fuel”, they actually mean they are about to make a decision on whether to invest billions of dollars into the Canadian tar sands - the dirtiest oil currently being produced. The tar sands of Canada are roughly the size of Belgium and are currently the biggest industrial development and opencast mining operation on the face of the Earth. They are natural deposits of heavy oil mixed with clay and sand that lay beneath the wilderness of Canada for which the only access is clearcutting the Boreal Forest. To produce one barrel of oil, two tons of land must be unearthed and when the pits are producing 1.82 million barrels a day, habitats are destroyed and many species are being driven to the brink of extinction. Sounds sustainable, right?

If they are supposedly trying to use more sustainable approaches, is there any rational reason as to why they would choose to invest in the tar sands which produce about three times the emissions per barrel of oil than you would get from normal crude? The projections of oil in the tar sands will create enough carbon emmissions by the end of the century to raise the global temperature by six degrees. As I said before; sounds sustainable, right?

Greenpeace agrees. This morning our climbers scaled the corporate headquarters of BP in London to give them their own rebranding makeover that better suits their dirty business. BP, now aptly known as “British Polluters” for their investment in the dirtiest oil on the planet, needs something else than a nice shiny green flower as their brand identity.

Take action today and tell Congress that it’s time that we end our addiction to fossil fuels. It’s time to invest more in sustainable energy unless we are prepared for more loss of life, more ecological catastrophe, and more economic ruin.

 

 

With news of the oil spill spreading like wildfire, it seems as if the whales have been left in the dust. So I’m here to provide you with the latest in whale news. Last week there was a hearing on “U.S. Leadership on the International Whaling Commission and H.R. 2455, The International Whale Conservation and Protection Act of 2009” to discuss the upcoming 62nd annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

There has been much controversy since the United States Commissioner to the IWC appears to support a proposal that would lift the ban on commercial whaling by rewarding Norway, Iceland and Japan with commercial whaling quotas. Monica Medina, U.S. Commissioner to the IWC’ stated in her recent Congressional testimony, “We believe that the proposal represents a meaningful step forward, and is a possible foundation towards achieving a functioning IWC and improving the conservation of whales. We have encouraged other member countries to approach the upcoming discussions with open minds and constructive attitudes in the hope that a diplomatic solution can be reached.” In Commissioner Medina’s oral testimony she seemed concerned only about the “numbers”Japan will kill in the Southern Ocean with no mention that it would have to be zero whales killed in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary to be acceptable to the United States.

Justin Cooke, Scientific Consultant and Representative of International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to the IWC Scientific Committee also gave testimony. As a member of the IUCN he is required  by the IUCN charter to base his advice on scientific findings. He was quoted as; “I should emphasize that none of what I have said should be construed as criticism of the very sincere efforts of the US delegation to these negotiations, led by the US IWC Commissioner Monica Medina. I know that Monica has been highly motivated to achieve the best possible deal for the world’s whales. However, we need to appreciate that one is dealing here with very experienced negotiators from the whaling countries, who know the whaling issue inside out, who are on top of the science, and who have plenty of skill and practice in calving out deals that aren’t what they seem to be. Such negotiations require a thorough grasp of all aspects of the subject matter.” He advocates to keep the political and scientific aspects of the proposal separate.

While Monica Medina has her heart in the right place I have to question if she has the international negotiating experience to achieve the conservation goals the American public expect from the Obama Administration.

So, that’s the latest in whale news. If you want something to happen, then it is up to you.We have 110,000 signatures, help us reach 150,000. Take action and tell Obama that the legalization of commercial whaling would be a huge step backwards.

Do you live near Washington, DC? If so, we've got an Earth Day event for you! Please join Greenpeace staff and supporters on Earth Day (Thursday April 22nd) for a rally on the National Mall to show President Obama that Americans are opposed to any deal that would lift the ban on commercial whaling.

The Obama Administration is backing a deal with the International Whaling Commission that would back the restart of legal commercial whaling for the first time in over two decades. It would be a devastating blow for whale populations.

The rally is part of the Earth Day Network’s 2010 program of events and is in partnership with the WhalesNeedUS coalition. There will be a series of speakers including Greenpeace Executive Director Phil Radford and actress Kristin Bauer (HBO’s True Blood). So if you like the whales as much as we do and are in the D.C area, please come out and support us. The rally will be held at the Earthday stage which is set up in the middle of the mall at 12th St from 12:30 to 1 pm followed by a march by the White House. The blue and orange Smithsonian Metro stop is located directly next to the stage.

Though we hope to see you all out there, if you can’t make it please sign our petition and tell Obama that you do not want the whaling ban overturned.

 

If you happened to be at the White House yesterday afternoon, you might have noticed a couple of whales hanging around. Yes, the whales are back and they are not leaving until Obama rejects the Japanese proposal to resume the commercial slaughter of whales that is currently being considered by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Our whale friends are entertaining; they dance, they give out hugs and stickers, they wave, and they just make people smile. But, what if one day they just weren’t there anymore? The whales are running out of time and their voices alone aren’t enough. They are out there trying to get you to listen to them and help them tell Obama that overturning the whale moratorium could be the most devastating thing to ever happen to the whale populations.

As a candidate, President Obama said, “As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable.” (March 16, 2008 - Greenpeace candidate questionnaire). We should not be legitimizing whaling, we should be phasing it out.

 The whales need your help to give them a voice; Two whales at the White House may not be enough. If you want to help them out, there is going to be a rally to oppose commercial whaling on Earth day (April 22nd). From 12:30 PM to 1 PM our whales, and hopefully you, will be once again asking Obama to not overturn the ban on commercial whaling. You can find them on the National Mall at 12th street followed by a march past the White House.

If you can’t make it, please take action and help our beloved whales tell Obama to not overturn the whaling moratorium.