michellefrey

The North Atlantic right whale is very rare—there are only about 300 in existence today. Recent news that these magnificent whales may finally get a helping hand highlights the sad, sad state of the right whales. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials released a final analysis to slow down ship speeds and use shipping routes that avoid whale grounds along the U.S. east coast where the whales live.

But, what does this “final analysis” really do for the whales? Well, nothing right now.  In my mind it is like being engaged. There is the “promise” to get married, but also the possibility for the couple to go their separate ways. And, just how long will the engagement last? NOAA has promised to save the right whales, but how long will their “engagement” last? Will they elope and have the regulations enacted tomorrow, or will it drag on and on for months or years?

Did I mention that there were only 300 right whales left on the planet? Right whales have been fighting for increased protections for years and years. I remember going to a public testimony, probably about two or three years ago on this very same issue. NOAA had an open comment period and I was on hand to present thousands of public petitions in support of saving the right whales. But, sadly, there haven’t been any increased protections—just the promise that some day there might be. Is this good enough?

A 44-foot right whale washed up on a beach in Massachusetts on March 11th of this year. A ship strike is the probable cause of death.

Oh, and if these regulations do get implemented the U.S. government made some exemptions. The U.S. Navy is exempt from these rules about slowing down. And, the regulations will only be in place for five years—that is unless another round of “red tape” and bureaucratic analysis takes place.

While the government continues to use every stall tactic in the book, right whales continue to swim in harms way. Ship strikes are the largest known cause of death for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, particularly baby calves.

I have been lucky to see two right whales in my lifetime. One was during a whale watching adventure in New England (where I got insanely sunburned) and the other is a “squishy” toy that a colleague got for me. I hope my children will be able to see real right whales and not just the toy sitting up on my desk.

--Michelle

In certain regions of the Gulf of Mexico, there is not enough oxygen in the water to support marine life. Fish either suffocate or relocate to other areas. And, it’s not a tiny little area—it’s a big area we’re talking about. It is around 8,000 square miles, that’s about the size of New Jersey. But, what happened to the oxygen? Where’d it all go? Scientists point north, hundreds of miles up the Mississippi River to corn country.

Up in corn country, farmers use a boatload of chemicals to make their cornfields more productive. Two chemicals that are of particular concern are nitrogen and phosphorous. They are used in many fertilizers. But, when the rain shows up to nourish these crops, the water causes the fertilizers to runoff the farmland and into the mighty Mississippi River.

And, with this summer’s historic flooding in the Midwest, even more runoff from farms has been going into the mighty Mississippi. And, all of this creates a mighty mess once it gets to the Gulf of Mexico.

Just imagine how much fertilizer makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico? The Mississippi River collects all these chemicals throughout its entire length and all of it ends up in one place—the Gulf of Mexico.

Like I mentioned above, the fertilizers are used to help crops grow—well, the same is true for making algae grow in the Gulf of Mexico. These fertilizers land in the Gulf and the algae just love it. They go crazy for it and there are algae blooms and the algae grows like wild!

When all the algae die and fall to the bottom of the seafloor, this is where the story takes a turn for the worst. The algae dies and decomposes—but, since decomposition requires oxygen to make it “work” these huge masses of dying algae consume oxygen, and lots of it.

So much oxygen is taken from the sea that sealife suffocates and dies. The poor slow-moving creatures like clams, small crabs and snails have little chance to escape the oxygen-depleted waters.

Fishermen and environmentalists are actually on the same page and working together to fight this problem. Fishermen see their livelihood vanishing just like the fish in the Gulf and environmentalists want to restore the balance of the sea.

And, the Gulf of Mexico isn’t the only place where dead zones are occurring—these dead zones are scattered all across the globe.

--Michelle

 

 

When I hear a piece of news, I usually take it with a grain of salt. So, earlier in the week when I read an article about humpback whale populations making an incredible recovery, let’s just say I was very skeptical. The reason I was skeptical, is because time and time again we hear that animals are taken off the endangered species list—only to help developers build in a certain area or air quality standards get relaxed, not because of “so-called” improved air, but because industry wants to loosen emission regulations.

Recently, the IUCN (World Conservation Union) reported that humpback whales have downgraded from Vulnerable to Least Concern, meaning it is at low risk of extinction.

I am really happy that humpback whales are doing much better! And, the credit goes to conservation efforts and the fact that humpbacks have been protected from commercial hunting.

But, my worry is now that the humpback whale has been “down-graded” some of their protections will be lifted. They will receive less habitat protection and many will feel that they are now in the running for commercial hunting once again. Why waste all the good work protecting them, just to go back in and decimate their populations again?

It’s also interesting to note that while some species have started to recover, no whale population has reached the level it had before industrial whaling began. Whales species are either recovering very slowly, or not recovering at all. Clearly, commercial whaling is neither sustainable nor necessary in the 21st century.

I hope the news of the humpback recovery is just the beginning! If resources continue to be put towards recover efforts and commercial whalers can keep their “hands-off”—then, it truly will be a good day for the humpbacks.

--Michelle

In an exciting victory for children in the United States, President Bush signed into law national product-safety legislation that will ban certain chemicals from being used when producing toys. The new law ensures that toys and child-care products are free of brain-damaging materials like lead, and several types of phthalates, a chemical used to soften plastic that has been linked to hormonal problems in children.

Last month, this legislation passed in Congress. I am impressed that Congress was able to do the right thing and protect our children, even in the face of some very heavy lobbying against these new safety regulations by ExxonMobil who manufactures phthalates.

If you are a parent concerned about toxics in your children’s toys – there is a website you can check out for product safety guides --  www.HealthyToys.com

--Michelle

 

Growing up, I always loved listening to Bryan Adams. I think I may have even had a couple posters of him hanging up on my bedroom walls. So, when I found a YouTube video of him being interviewed by the BBC and wearing a Release Junichi and Toru t-shirt I just had to share it with everyone.

Junichi and Toru are Greenpeace anti-whaling activists who were being held for 23 days without charge for uncovering a whale meat smuggling scandal in Japan. Currently, the activsts are out on bail and awaiting trial. You can read more about their story on the Greenpeace website.

I'll post the video up here, but after watching the video for 8 minutes, the talk show hosts don't even ask him about the t-shirt. How upsetting. But, hopefully people will want to learn more and will be able to google it and find the Greenpeace information.

 

Yesterday, Ahold (aka Giant, Stop&Shop and Martin's Food Markets) announced they are going to stop selling orange roughy, Chilean sea bass and shark.  These 3 fish rank among the most imperiled on the Greenpeace seafood red list.

It was kind of wild to hear that people are still eating shark and it’s being sold in stores, but I’m excited that Giant Foods has committed themselves to removing these fish from their seafood counters. It’s a great step in the right direction for protecting the oceans.

In a ranking report released last month, Greenpeace called on the top U.S. supermarkets to improve their seafood purchasing policies and move towards sustainable seafood practices. It looks like Ahold got the message and is willing to improve their store practices to help the oceans.

You can encourage the other top U.S. supermarkets to get in the game by taking action today and writing them a letter!

-- Michelle

Last week I called out Apple on the lack of any environmental information on the new iPhone 3G. Pre-launch publicity and specs for the new MacBook Air and iMac included information on how Apple was making progress on eliminating the worst toxic chemicals by the end of 2008. There was none of this for the iPhone, but last night I noticed a late addition to the iPhone tech specs:

iPhone 3G embodies Apple's continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

- PVC-free handset
- PVC-free headphones
- PVC-free USB cable
- Bromine-free printed circuit boards
- Mercury-free LCD display
- Majority of packaging made from post-consumer recycled fiberboard and biobased materials
- Power adapter outperforms strictest global energy efficiency standards

On Friday, Apple unleashes its latest in wireless communications—the new iPhone 3G. I have seen pictures of people already lining up outside of electronic stores around the world waiting anxiously to be one of the first owners of this new phone.

I’m the first to admit that I’m not a technology junky. I only caved and got my first cell phone last fall. So, I won’t be one of those iPhone fans camping out with tents and food supplies for the new phone (that I probably wouldn’t know how to use in the first place).

Among all the hype about this new phone—it’s half the price and about twice as fast as the original iPhone—I haven’t seen any mention of the iPhone being any greener!

The first generation iPhone contained toxic chemicals that competitors like Nokia and Sony Ericsson have already removed from their new phones. What gives?

After the successful Greenpeace campaign, GreenmyApple, Steve Jobs promised all Apple products would be free of toxic PVC plastic and Brominated Flame Retardants.

While Apple has been making progress towards this goal by using less toxic chemicals in the latest MacBook Air and iMac, I haven’t seen any improvements in the iPhone. If engineers can figure out how to get wireless internet access and a touchpad screen on a tiny phone, I’m pretty sure they can figure out how to strip it of toxic chemicals and make it safer for users and the environment.

But, maybe the new iPhone is greener, and Apple is just keeping that information under the radar. I hope that’s the case. If so, I just might support the revolution and buy one for myself. If you read or hear anything about this—let me know!

If that’s not the case, I hope Apple can become greener sooner than later. So many people buy their products and it’d be awesome if Apple could become the first electronic company to completely eliminate PVC and BFRs. That's the sort of revolution that's needed.

--Michelle 

You may have noticed the news on the Greenpeace website about two activists that were arrested in Japan for their undercover work to expose a stolen whale meat scandal as part of Greenpeace's campaign to save the whales.

These two activists are still in jail and are being detained without a formal charge. In order to put pressure on the Japanese government to release these innocent activists, Greenpeace is having a demonstration at the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC. I'll be joining them. If you work in the DC area, I encourage you to take a couple minutes on your lunchbreak to join in too. The more people that show up, the better!

--Michelle

 

It’s no secret, I hate grocery shopping. It has turned into a weekly chore that I dread and try to get through as quickly as I possibly can. I know I need food to eat for the week, but there are ultimately too many food choices for me to make and too many people cluttering the aisles.

As a consumer, buying up products at the supermarket, I have a say in what kind of products do well or fail miserably. And, now a new Greenpeace report shines a light on how seafood purchases do just that. If supermarkets sell endangered fish, we buy these poor fish and the need to continue fishing for them continues.

It’s amazing how much seafood sales affect the oceans. Greenpeace put together a red list of fish that are in jeopardy. By encouraging supermarkets to keep these fish off the shelves, the oceans can become healthier and more robust. But, I’m sure that’s not an easy task. Supermarkets rely on the bottom line and need to stay profitable.

This is where us consumers can flex our muscles! Even if you hate grocery shopping, like I do, you can pass up the red list fish next time you’re at the supermarket. You can even badger the supermarket manager each time you visit to encourage them to stop selling seafood that is damaging the oceans. It’s worth a try.

Another cool thing I noticed on the Greenpeace site was the ability to check out (pun intended) how your supermarket stacked up in their new report. They looked at what kind of seafood each supermarket sold and how sustainable their purchasing practices were. It looks like all the stores failed, but some failed less miserably than others did.

The oceans seem so vast and limitless. But, when I hear about the destruction that’s going on, I wonder what the heck can I do to help! And, now I’ve found at least one way I can contribute to promoting healthier oceans and a more sustainable future.

-Michelle

 

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

 

As I was riding the metro into work this morning I noticed a very interesting article in the newspaper. The Vatican has just updated their list of deadly sins. For Catholics, that’s the “Thou Shalt Not” list you had to memorize in catechism classes.

So, for all you polluters out there, be warned--your soul may be damned for all eternity the next time you throw your cigarette butts on the ground or chuck a beer can into a nearby stream.

The Vatican modernized their seven deadly sins and I’m pretty psyched they added pollution to the list of no-nos. Whether you believe in God or even organized religion--many people adhere to it, well, religiously. It’s good to know that the environment will be discussed in bible circles, CCD classes and on the altar.

The point is keeping the planet we live on in good health should be a priority whether you plan on floating above it or just being buried in it.

Whatever your beliefs, if God did create the planet, I doubt she would appreciate us trashing her work and it is extremely positive that the church would finally officially recognize that.

So, the next time my neighbor throws his bag of McDonald's out his car window onto my lawn I will be forced to tell him that not only is he destroying the environment with his careless pollution, but he’ll also be destroying his chances of entering the pearly gates of heaven.

--Michelle 

 

On the last day of the Boston Seafood Show our school of fish gave out awards to those dealers with the most unsustainable fishery practices. After being at the show for three days, it was pretty clear who the worst ocean offenders were.

Our school of fish went up to each of the winner’s booths and congratulated them on their award and slapped the award up on their booth. “I’m a dying species,” said the bluefin tuna, “I give you this award on behalf of my fellow fish and ask you to improve your practices so my family will be saved.”

Many of the winners were really happy at first when they received their award. They smiled and thanked us. But, their faces quickly turned grim when they actually read the award and the offenses they were being charged with.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” said the orange roughy. “You better get a good look at us, take a picture even, because we won’t be around much longer.”

 
It was clear that we had gotten our message across. People took pictures and gathered around the booths while the awards were given out. Our activity is sure to have a ripple effect as the unsustainable seafood awards story makes its way around the offices of the seafood dealers and sellers.

Other than smelling like a giant fish stick by the end of three days at the Boston Seafood Show, I also took away some interesting information. We talked to many, many people from all corners of the seafood business. And, most, if not all of them agreed that sustainable seafood practices were absolutely the way to go. But, they insisted they were sustainable, themselves. They were quick to point the finger at other dealers and sellers and tell us how “green” they were.

But, that logic just didn’t make sense. The first step in a recovery process is to admit the problem at hand. We haven’t quite gotten there with the seafood sellers, but at least we started a dialog with them. And, now they know that Greenpeace (and it’s awesome supporters) are keeping an eye on them – holding them accountable to be better stewards for the ocean environment.

Ocean protection starts with all of us. We need to succeed because our oceans are in serious trouble and need our help to survive.

--Michelle

 

 

Yesterday, we pulled out the karaoke machine and our endangered fish sang their hearts out! They were singing to save their species from destructive fishing, tuning in to the seafood buyers and sellers as they walked by the Greenpeace booth.

As you can see from the photo, this orange roughy is giving the song all she’s got. As she tailored the words to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” to “Fish Just Wanna Stay Alive” visitors to our booth got the message loud and clear.

These fish also have a message for you… You can help too. Greenpeace needs to find out what seafood is being sold in your grocery stores. Are they selling fish from the Greenpeace Red List? Do they have a sustainable seafood policy? We need you to be our eyes and ears in you community.

I took the survey to my grocery store a couple of weeks ago and it was really easy. I just printed out the survey that we have posted online. I walked up to the seafood counter with my survey and my trusty pen. Then, I scanned the fish in the glass display, referencing the fish on my survey. If I saw a fish on the survey that was also in my store, I knew I had just obtained information that could help Greenpeace with their seafood campaign.

I even put the call out to my friends and family to help. My mom goes to the grocery store a couple times a week. So, she was excited to help out. She said she was nervous that someone was going to ask her what she was doing checking out their seafood, but no one actually did. She was a super sleuth and you can be a super sleuth too.

It really takes about 10-20 minutes to scan your seafood counter and frozen fish cases.

Our singing fishes will croon for you – if you can spare the time to help out!

 

 

 

On the second day of the Boston Seafood Show I decided to walk around to the other booths to see what was on display. To my surprise, one dealer had a banner advertising shark fin! I also found many examples of other fish from the Greenpeace red list including orange roughy, monkfish and swordfish.

So far, the people here have been very friendly to us. Our ocean campaigners are talking with them and seeing some common ground. The seafood sellers and dealers recognize the need for healthy oceans and sustainable practices. For the most part, they don’t disagree with us there. Where our campaigners are seeing a divide is on the way to get from how they are doing business now to how to get to a more sustainable business. We are trying to talk to them to bridge that gap. We are continuing to get our perspective out there and continue to push for more sustainable fisheries.

People are also really enjoying our fish costumes. Many have stopped by to ask if they can try it on and have their picture taken – glady!

Later on this afternoon our booth will be filled with a school of singing fish! That’s right, our fish are feeling musically inclined. They will belt out tunes on the Greenpeace karaoke machine, tailoring the words slightly to hit our target audience.

Stay tuned for pictures of the singing fish – you won’t want to miss that.

--Michelle

 

If you’re wondering where all the fish have gone – I think I might have found them here in Boston at the International Seafood Show. The convention center is filled with thousands of people and even more fish on display. As I sit here at Greenpeace’s booth at the show, I notice the people in the booth next to me are selling some sort of device that makes ice to help cool seafood once it’s caught from the ocean.

Everyone here is trying to sell something – whether it’s fish from their company or devices that will help chill, store or catch seafood. And, Greenpeace is here in the mix trying to get all these seafood buyers and sellers to really think about the big picture – saving the oceans they are profiting from pillaging.

While the sellers are trying to maximize their profits, Greenpeace is trying to educate them about the declining health of the ocean and how they play a big role in helping to turn the tide. We are encouraging them to stay away from Red List species and to adopt sustainable seafood practices in all their company operations.

What better way to get the attention of fish-heads, than to have some life-sized fish walking around and greeting them when they arrived at the seafood show? Our friendly fish handed out Greenpeace flyers and invited each person to come stop by our booth to chat with us more about sustainable seafood and how they can help protect the oceans by “greening-up” their seafood processes.

Will they be up for the challenge? We’ve got three days to find out… Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 
Every year, gung-ho people show they are not afraid of the cold by plunging into freezing cold waters and swimming around in little clothing.  I’m not a big fan of watching or partaking in these activities – but since these “polar bear” plunges may be the only “polar bears” around in the near future – I may have to start enjoying them more.

In case you haven’t heard, polar bears are in really bad shape thanks to the effect that global warming is having on their habitat. Polar bears live on the sea ice in the Arctic. It’s basically melting faster than anyone has predicted and the polar bears are left hanging without a home and starving for food.

 To come to their rescue, what has the United States done? Well, basically nothing. Instead of listing them as an endangered species – to give them greater protections – they have stalled and are moving ahead on a drilling project in their habitat.

There is something about the sad state of the polar bear that truly makes my stomach flip-flop. I am afraid that if drastic and immediate action isn’t taken to help them out -- it just may be too late for our polar bear friends.