Last night, as the sun was setting, I got my first glimpse of land in 3 weeks. When I woke up, I could see that we were passing islands. The Esperanza pulled into Honiara, Solomon Islands this morning. The ship and crew were greeted with a traditional welcome, which if I hadn't gotten a head's up earlier probably would have scared me, a little. In the challenge part of the welcome, island warriors wave long spears around and scream at you. The entire crew were led by the captain off the ship and the warriors continued screaming and waving the spears. The proper response to this challenge is to hold still and stare straight ahead without a reaction. After a few minutes of challenge, the warriors all walked to one side and the captain walked forward. We had passed the test. There was some press there and a group of men playing pan flute drums to greet us.

Gordon Darcey Lilo the Minister for Environment made a speech welcoming Greenpeace to the Solomons and recognized the work we have been doing in the Pacific Commons. And Joel (the Esperanza's Captain) also made a speech thanking the people of the Solomons for welcoming us.

Afterwards, all those that welcomed us came onboard for a press conference and a look around the ship. Photos from our work in the Pacific over the last few years hung in the helicopter hanger and people seemed to be really interested in them.

We're in Honiara for the rest of the week and there will be an official open boat on Saturday 10:00 to 5:00. If you are in the Solomons be sure to stop by and take a tour of the Esperanza!

For Earth Day, NBC, the station that changed its logo green to show how much they care, had a rather interesting piece on their nightly news last evening. To highlight and celebrate Earth Day, they decided to feature President Bush’s family and talk about how “green” they are. I found this to be a fantastic example of greenwashing and very accurately timed to go along with the site Greenpeace just launched – www.StopGreenwash.org.

I mean, COME ON, President Bush being highlighted as green. That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. So what if he has an organic garden out in Texas with a few solar panels on the barn. Does Brian Williams think his audience forgot what a terrible job President Bush has been on environmental issues?

Instead of praising President Bush, they should have been reprimanding him and urging him to do better where he actually has the power to make change and set a precedence that counts on a global scale, as the president of the U.S. This is like putting a piece of tape on a crack in the sidewalk when you are the one in charge of making concrete.

We only have one planet, and thanks to Bush we’ve done a hell of a job polluting it these past 7 years. Let’s look at some facts,

• In 2005, Bush admits humans cause global warming but refuses to take any action to prevent it.

• Polar bears, instead of listing them as an endangered species, the Administration continues to allow the approval of oil drilling leases in prime polar bear habitat,

• The Administration continues to push for drilling in the Arctic,

• Bush is a former oil company owner, Exxon is making record, billion dollar profits while prices at the pump sky rocket and carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels continue to grow.

• The list could go on, but I’ll try to keep this post short…

I am outraged that NBC chose to feature the most un-environmental president on Earth Day. Why not highlight the hundreds of environmental organizations striving everyday to reverse the damage done by his administration. Or, the school children who are cleaning up their communities and learning why it’s important to take care of the environment.

What a disappointment. And, a damn fine example of greenwashing.

Now that I’ve found this news clip online, I was easily able to add it to the www.StopGreenwash.org website, just by using the link provided to it on the NBC page. I just added the video to the Greenpeace library and now people can vote on it. I hope you’ll give it 5 stars for being the most egregious example of greenwashing.

And, next time you see some BS being thrown at you, post the video or ad up on the Greenpeace site for all to see!

 

 

 --Michelle

 

Tissue giant Kimberly-Clark is spending $100 million on advertising to sell more Cottonelle toilet paper.  They’ve got some problems though.  First, Cottonelle has no recycled content and is made from ancient forests.  Second, their advertising campaign is ludicrously silly.  Someone decided a weird-looking dog-bus wearing a fake cable knit sweater should tour cities across North America to encourage people to “be kind to their behind” and buy Cottonelle toilet paper.  Seriously.

I’m not the only one who thinks the toilet-paper peddling dog-bus looks like the “Mutt Cutts” van from the Dumb and Dumber movie.  Can you tell which one is which?  Hint: the Mutt Cutts van looks less goofy!  Here it is: Mutt Cutts vs. “Mutt Butts.”

 

If you read this blog, you’ll know that Greenpeace greeted the toilet paper dog-bus on its first tour stop in New York City.  When it showed up in Philly, we were there again!

This time the mutant dog-bus was parked across from Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  Cottonelle-hawking marketers were inviting passersby to come aboard the bus to sit in a fake beach scene, (complete with sand and plastic drinks) and engage with spandex-clad trainers about rump exercises.  Remember, I’m not making this up!

Our activists changed their plans, unfurling a bright yellow “Forest Crime Scene” banner in front of the dog-bus.  The activists then began outreach to passersby, beating Kimberly-Clark at its own game.  Hundreds of people learned about Cottonelle’s connection to ancient forest destruction.  Ouch!

GET INVOLVED!
As the “Mutts Butts” bus tour continues, you can be part of the fun.  If you see the bus on the road, or think it is coming to your town, click here and let us know!

So far it’s Greenpeace 2, Mutt Butts bus: 0.  Stay tuned to the Treehuggers blog for more news!

-Rolf

At 8:30 this morning, I stood on the deck of the Esperanza staring out at a ship in the distance. We had spotted a fishing vessel in international waters and had sent a team to see if they were actually fishing. As the information came in, we learned that it was a purse seiner from the U.S. and it just started to pull in the net. Purse seine vessels surround schools of fish with curtain-like nets to catch tuna. A rope along the bottom of the net is pulled like a drawstring and the whole catch is hauled onboard. A purse seine net can be over one hundred meters long and catch up to 3000 tons of fish in one trip.

We launched the boats immediately and set off towards the U.S. vessel, Cape Finisterre, to give them the same message we had given the Korean fishing vessel, Olympus just a few days earlier. It’s time for international commercial fishing vessels to stop overfishing the Pacific Commons. As we approached, I could see the net being pulled in and loaded on the deck of the ship, it looked massive.

Henry and I, both from activists from the U.S., deployed a banner demanding “Pacific Marine Reserves Now!” as Lagi, our oceans campaigner from Fiji delivered the message via radio to the U.S. purse seiner Captain. The Cape Finisterre continued to pull in their net and reload their skiff (a small boat used to set and retrieve the net when fishing with a purse seine) and seemed to go about their business. We learned over the radio that the vessel would not be leaving the Pacific Commons. Alain, our boat driver moved the boat closer to the Cape Finisterre and Henry and I painted the side of the vessel with the words “Tuna overkill.”

I looked at the hull of the Cape Finisterre with mixed emotions. I was embarrassed because every country that fishes in this region has the scientific data that shows that bigeye and yellowfin tuna are in trouble and they chose to ignore the warnings - including the U.S.. And I felt proud to be here with Greenpeace taking action against overfishing in the Pacific Commons. It’s time for the Cape Finisterre and other ships like it know that the world is watching. We will not let their destruction the tuna population of the Pacific Commons go unreported.

This morning I woke up still pretty sore from spending a whole day in the RHIBS on the open ocean Wednesday. I glanced over at the alarm clock and realized I had more than an hour before I had to get up for breakfast. I looked out the porthole of my cabin and I could see the sky starting to turn bright pink. I could tell it was going to be a beautiful sunrise. I decided to stay in bed a little longer and my mind drifted back to our day of action on the South Pacific.

I thought about how fast the Koren purse seiner was moving next to our boats (doing almost 13 knots), about the fishermen watching us from the deck, the salt water spray that was pelting me in the face but my mind kept flashing back to the flying fish that were escorting us to the Korean purse seiner.

We launched the boats from the Esperanza with almost a 30 minute ride ahead of us. About half way through, a flying fish shot out of the water, flew for what seemed like forever and then shot back into the water. A few seconds later, a few more flying fish came up for a flight and dove back into the ocean. This continued for a while with varying size to the groups that joined us on our trip to the fishing vessel.

It felt good to have a few of the locals accompany us that morning. Being in the middle of the ocean, you can go for hours and sometimes days without any visible sealife. That morning, the flying fish were a nice reminder that we aren't just fighting for the tuna. That we are fighting for the health of this ocean and all of the things that live in the delicate balance of these eco-systems.

Flying fish are found in all the major oceans, mainly in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Their pectoral fins are unusually large and what allows them to take flight above the water. The fish usually fly out of the water to escape from predators such as tunas, swordfish, mahi mahi and other larger fish.

 

Today I witnessed the kind of fishing practices that are threatening to drive the tuna fisheries in the South Pacific to near collapse. In a time span shorter than a normal day at work, I witnessed both a purse seiner and a FAD (Fish Aggregation Device) both set in international waters, both by foreign vessels.

At 9am, a Korean purse seiner appeared a short distance from the Esperanza. After Tweety went up to confirm the location and nature of the fishing vessel, we launched two boats and headed to the Korean purse seiner. Our Korean translator contacted the fishing vessel and informed them they must immediately leave the area we are defending as a no-take marine reserve. While the conversation appeared to be very polite, the only change I noticed was the vessel speeding up and the crew seeming to be getting their fire hoses ready. As the crew from the Korean ship came out on deck, we deployed banners demanding an end to the overfishing of the Pacific Commons. As we arrived back at the ship, the crew told us they had spotted a FAD while the boats were out with the Korean purse seiner. The boats were sent out once again, this time with a dive team ready to document the FAD.

Following the documentation, the Esperanza confiscated the FAD by hauling it onboard. This was no small feat as the FAD was more than 80 meters long.

While we have no idea how many of these devices there are out here, tonight we can all go to bed knowing there will be one less.

The seven hours I spent in the hot equatorial sun of the South Pacific have left me exhausted, a little bruised and very determined. I am grateful to be here in the South Pacific as the Esperanza fights to defend the Pacific Commons from overfishing.

Big news here in the South Pacific today. The president of Palau announced the Fisheries Protection Act of 2008. With an acknowledgment that large scale fishing operations are responsible for the decline of the world’s fish stocks, especially tuna, President Remengesau has proposed a bill that would protect migratory fish in Palau’s waters. The proposed bill would prohibit the commercial export of fish like tuna, billfish, and sharks from Palau and would ban foreign fishing vessels from Palau waters.

“If these activities are allowed to continue unchecked, the world faces the collapse of the marine ecosystem that supports the planet. It is Palau’s obligation as an international leader in environmental conservation to take this step,” the president said.

Catching these fish and exporting them on a non-commercial basis would still be allowed. And foreign fishing companies that already hold permits would be allowed to continue to fish until their agreements expire in 2012. Afterwards, no foreign fishing vessels would be allowed to enter Palau’s waters to fish.

President Remengesau hopes the bill will help leave these fish for the Palauan people and possibly develop the sport-fishing industry of Palau. But this is not the first time Palau has been a champion for oceans. In 2006, Palau signed into law a ban on bottom trawling and called for a moratorium on bottom trawling for the Pacific at the opening session of the United Nations Working Group on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.

While the president acknowledges that the government might lose money when it loses its revenue from commercial permits in the beginning of 2012, it seems he is hoping it can be made up in donations.He thinks that the money will be made up in donations by environmental organizations. The proposed piece of legislation even sets up a trust fund to accept these donations.

Actually published April 13, 2008

We have finally left the Lautoka Wharf. I've only been with the ship for a few days at dock but I think I'm so anxious to start sailing that it has felt much longer. We took a RHIB out to photograph the departure of the ship and I was able to be crew for the short trip. We were only on the water for about an hour but I was grateful to be able to watch the ESPY pull away from the dock. Sunday is supposed to be day off for the crew so most people will do their own thing today. My bag arrived 2 hours before we had to be on the ship for customs. I'm thinking it's about time for me to finally get settled in my cabin.

John Javna’s original 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, released in 1990, was a breakout bestseller. The book contained 50 eco-tips that were a revelation to many people who were just beginning to understand the severity of global warming and waking up to the environmental cause. But, according to Javna, the book ultimately might have been responsible for creating a certain sense of complacency about the problems we face:

Eco-tips alone can never have a significant impact on “saving the earth.” They’re baby steps—and if they don’t lead to something bigger, then we’re in a world of trouble. Literally.

The problem, as Javna saw it when he set out to remedy the situation in the 21st Century edition, which has just been released, was that the original 50 Simple Things “didn’t really educate people about the nature and extent of the environmental problems themselves.” Such a charge will never be leveled at this new edition of the book.

Javna partnered with 50 leading environmental organizations to create mini-primers on 50 of the most pressing environmental issues facing us today. He suggests that you don’t read the book straight through, but instead pick an issue you think you might be interested in working on and start there. The new 50 Simple Things lays out each problem, introduces you to the partner organization for that problem, and provides a basic road-map for action. (I just went ahead and read the book straight through anyway, because I really found it quite horrifying to read about all the problems we face and quite inspiring to read about all the dedicated groups working towards solutions. It was a good read.)

The new 50 Simple Things is still based on a pretty simple idea, and the book is easy to use. There’s really nothing simple about most of the solutions, of course, as the problems are fairly large and complex. And most of the solutions certainly won’t be easy to accomplish. But if even half the people who were inspired by the original 50 Simple Things are galvanized to action by the 21st Century edition, it could be a significant boon to the myriad organizations that make up the environmental movement today.

1Sky partnered with Javna to stop global warming.

Greenpeace partnered with Javna on the issue of pollution in our oceans:

The United Nations estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile in the world’s oceans. Plastic bags in oceans kill a million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals a year.

Visit www.50simplethings.com/ocean to learn more about the issue and how you can get involved with Greenpeace.

Help us protect our oceans!

I’ll be guest-blogging on the 50SimpleThings.com site very soon. I’ve also been promised a link to a site where Greenpeace members can get a discount on the book. To tide you over, check out the Greenpeace page on the 50 Simple Things site: “The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” And check out all the other fantastic organizations and causes as well. Like John Javna says: “Just pick a spot and jump in.”

Actually published April 13, 2008

Last night was my first night onboard the Esperanza.  I arrived to the ship around 4 pm, it turned out they had actually pulled in earlier in the day and had been in Lautoka for a few hours already.  It was really nice to meet the people that I will be living and working with for the next month and to see a few familiar faces from time I have spent on the ships before.  After dinner, I tried to keep my eyeballs open for a few more hours in an attempt to get over my jet lag.

This morning, I woke up, went out onto the deck for a bit and read. As ports go, Lautoka is beautiful and it was a really nice place to start my day. After breakfast, everyone that was just joining the ship met up for introductions and then we got a tour of the ESPY. The ship seems so big and kind like a maze to me at this point.

I've spent the last few hours on the phone trying to track down my luggage. The ship is set to depart on Saturday and I'm really hoping that I'm able to get my bag by then. Otherwise, I might have to spend some time tomorrow exploring my options for clothing in Nadi.

Actually published April 13, 2008 

I finally arrived in Fiji this morning! My flight was delayed a bit and wouldn't you know it, despite a 4 hour layover in LA my bag didn't make it onto the plane to Nadi. That aside, I was very happy to land here in Fiji and even happier to have one of my colleagues here in Fiji at the airport to pick me up. The Esperanza is set to pull into Lautoka this afternoon and I'm very excited to see her. I've spent a little time on the Arctic Sunrise but this will be my first time setting eyes on the Esperanza. I've been dreaming about her for weeks.

After a short drive to Lautoka, I was dropped me off at the hotel so that I could make an attempt at getting rid of my jet lag before the rest of the crew showed up. I had a small breakfast at the little restaurant they have at the hotel and then went back to room for some much-needed shuteye. I woke up a few hours later and decided to head into town. I was looking to see if I could exchange some money and maybe buy something a little lighter than a black dress to wear until my luggage arrives.The town of Lautoka is a busy town with plenty of places to shop, tourist centers, jewelry stores and restaurants. The people are incredibly friendly and it's not unusual for visitors to be greeted with a “Bula” as they pass on the street.

I'll be joining the Esperanza for the next few weeks. This is my first time onboard one of our ships for more than a week or so and I just can't wait. I can remember being in High School and my sister and I sitting on our beds thinking of ways we could convince Greenpeace to let us on one of their zodiacs.Fifteen years later, here I am about to join one of our ships. I can’t find the right words to describe exactly how I'm feeling but I promise to my best to describe it over the next few weeks.

If you’re concerned about global warming and want to do something about it, Joseph Romm’s Hell and High Water: Global Warming – the Solution and the Politics – and What We Should Do (HarperCollins, 2007), is a fantastic primer.

Romm starts off by discussing what the best scientific models predict will happen to our planet if global warming goes unchecked for the remainder of the 21st century – hence the title, Hell and High Water, since we’ll probably see rising sea levels and recording flooding coupled with record droughts and uncontrollable wildfires.

The second half of the book discusses global warming solutions. Romm clearly and concisely details the technologies and policies we need to adopt to avoid the worst consequences of global warming and, along the way, dissects the rhetoric used by Republicans and conservatives to continually deny global warming is a serious problem (and somehow still be taken seriously) in order to delay any kind of meaningful action.

Rather than rehash Romm’s arguments, since you can read them for yourself, I’d like to share a few ideas I had while reading the book. I found the chapters on global warming rhetoric to be the most interesting.

Even Republican messaging guru Frank Luntz admitted, in a 2002 memo, that “The scientific debate is closing” against the Republican position on global warming. Since they can’t possibly prove the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community is wrong, they have to rely on obfuscating and creating doubt around the issue. As long as the public has any doubt left in their minds, they are going to be okay with delaying action.

Here are some ideas for reframing the global warming debate that were suggested to me by Hell and High Water:

•    Skeptics = Deniers

“Skeptics” is a term that makes it sound as if the viewpoint that global warming is not caused by humans and/or is not a serious problem is actually legitimate. Romm prefers to call them Delayers and Denyers, which implies they are denying reality and delaying the inevitable, and I think that is a very valuable tactic. (Minor quibble: I would personally rather spell it Deniers; not sure if Romm’s spelling is the British version or what, but “deniers” is actually a word, whereas “denyers” isn’t.)

•    Climate Change = Global Warming

Luntz encourages his devotees to always use the phrase “Climate Change” because it “sounds less frightening than global warming.” Well, it is in fact a frightening situation. I’m not saying we should use fear to persuade the public – that is another Republican tactic – but Global Warming does indeed connote the severity of the situation. It denotes that something is being done to the planet, whereas Climate Change is more passive and sounds like something that would probably be happening anyway.

•    Sound Science = Politicized Science or Science Fiction

Republicans like to use the term “Sound Science” as often as possible in order to give the impression that that is what they are basing their views on. But there is no reason to deny the existence of global warming except for political or monetary gain. The arguments the Deniers are peddling are not based on science at all, they are pure fiction.

•    More research/New technological breakthroughs are needed = We can’t afford to wait

As far back as 2001, Donald Kennedy, editor-in-chief of Science, said: “Consensus as strong as the one that has developed around this topic [Global Warming] is rare in science.” There has been exhaustive research done on the causes and effects of Global Warming, and the overwhelming consensus is that humans are heating the planet and that this will have extremely dire repercussions for the planet and all of the creatures living on it. What’s more, we have the technology needed to begin drastically lowering the amount of greenhouse gases we are releasing into the atmosphere. What’s really needed is the political will to implement progressive emissions standards and clean technologies, because we can not afford to wait any longer before taking bold and decisive action. The truth is that if we don't implement some sort of emissions caps and cleaner energy standards now, far more restrictive and onerous regulations will be required in the future when the situation has become more dire.

The scientific community has been identifying the causes and predicting the effects of Global Warming for decades now. Those predictions have been consistently reliable. There is no longer any room for doubt and, unfortunately, no time left for debate.