Greenpeace

Greenpeace just released version 11 of their Guide to Greener Electronics. The guide began in 2006 with the goal of cleaning up the electronics sector and getting manufacturers to take responsibility for the full life cycle of their products, including the electronic waste that their products generate.

Check out the latest issue of the Green Guide and see how your favorite electronics companies stacked up. 

--Michelle

 

If you're on Twitter like me you'll know that there's a whole heap of s#!t out there. But despite all the noise it's a powerfully popular communications tool. I'm finding twitter more and more useful for engaging with people who can help make this world a better place.

Some folks like Jon Stewart might not be convinced (and we've got a few in our organization, too) but like it or not - twitter is here to stay. You might as well do something good with it.

Are you just twasting twime on twitter or are you using the twitterverse to make a difference in the real world?

Follow us on twitter! Hey -- hope you like the Greenpeace Twitter bird that I made. Isn't he cute?

-Michelle

 

Have you ever wondered what goes into your can of tuna fish? We've all heard about buying dolphin-safe tuna, but that isn't the only ocean creature that is affected by tuna fishermen. Turtles, smaller fish, marine mammals and even ocean habitats are endangered or destroyed by tuna fishermen who go to any length necessary to catch tuna. As more and more people get an appetite for tuna, less and less can be found in the seas.

When I was little, I thought tuna were small, like sardines. How else cuold they get them to fit into those tiny tin cans?

But, in reality tuna are quite magnificent. The Atlantic bluefin tuna, for example, are gigantic--growing to lengths of up to 10 feet and weights of up to 1,500 pounds. They are also really fast swimmers, swimming at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

Greenpeace has a new web page all about tuna. You can see what's really in each can of tuna with an interactive flash feature. You can also see what species of tuna are on the Greenpeace red list and why they are in trouble.

--Michelle

 

It might be kind of strange to string these three topics together, but I did so because Greenpeace just launched new, interactive seafood pages. You can plunge into the deep blue sea and discover why pirate fishermen are nothing like Johnny Depp playing Jack Sparrow in the movies. These modern-day pirates aren't funny or charismatic, they are dangerous and ruthless. They catch unlimited amounts of fish and they don’t discriminate, pillaging endangered fish and bycatch like sea turtles. You can help out by taking action and making your voice heard--tell the U.S. government to throw pirate fishing practices overboard.

If that's not enough fun for ya, I bet you'd love to see what is really inside a can of tuna. You might be surprised at what else that tiny tin can has sealed in it. Check out the cool interactive tuna can on the Greenpeace site. You'll be amazed.

And, for the activist-at-heart, Greenpeace has an awesome new toolkit. They gave the toolkit a major tune-up! If you are the type of person who is willing to take their activism a step further, away from your computer and into your supermarket, then, this toolkit is for you.

Yo, ho, ho!
--Michelle

Apple moves closer to eliminating toxics and reducing their carbon footprint. This is fantastic news! Apple has long been an innovative company. They set the trends that other companies follow. That is why Greenpeace has been pushing for Apple to become the greenest technology company out there. We know they can do it! And, that once they do, others will follow. Looks like Apple is on the right track!

Just this week Apple announced new products and took a step closer to meeting their goal of removing toxic BFRs and PVC completely. New iMacs and Mac minis are BFR free and PVC free internally. Whoo Hoo!

That seems to just leave Apple to get rid of the PVC in external power cords, a move which industry insiders tell us is coming soon. Infinite loop has a good analysis of the latest moves from Apple here:

"We have spent a tremendous amount of time and engineering effort and money in coming up with these kinds of solutions ahead of the rest of the industry," (David Moody, Apple VP of marketing).

On toxic chemicals elimination they are leading the industry, now it's time for Dell, HP, Lenovo and co to match Apple's effort and money they have put it to this since May 2007.

And, Apple says they are committed to reducing their carbon footprint and will continue to be transparent by publishing a life-cycle analysis for each of their products and how it contributes to environmental issues.

Well, hats off to Apple for taking yet another step towards a greener future!

--Michelle

My Greenpeace colleagues in the United Kingdom posted an excellent blog about a new book about the oceans. I've reposted it here:

Behind many a Greenpeace action and every campaign lies a large amount of science related work. Much of the analysis and some of the research backing our campaigns comes from the scientists of the Greenpeace Research Laboratories,  based at Exeter University. Over the years they have accumulated a vast amount of expertise and thousands of scientific papers on a wide range of issues including many that are related to the health of the worlds oceans. From bycatch to ocean acidification, the team has been uncovering the facts behind the changes we are now witnessing happening at sea.

Having worked on a wide range of marine conservation issues all over the globe, the team have recently pulled together their vast knowledge and written a book - State of the World's Oceans – which both catalogues the threats to our oceans and sets out a blueprint for reversing current trends and laying the foundations for a return to clean, healthy and biodiverse seas. In particular the book sets out the science behind Greenpeace's call for a global network of marine reserves covering 40 per cent of the oceans.

Written in a way that makes it accessible to anybody with an interest in the fate of the seas around us, Paul Johnston, the head of the Greenpeace science unit, hopes that it will be widely read by the up and coming generation of marine scientists. "What we hope we've achieved is paint the big picture of what is happening to the oceans and made the scientific case for an holistic approach to marine management with the protection of whole ecosystems and their functions at its core."