Greenpeace

What I've learned this weekend is that neither unfavorable weather conditions, nor the threat of legal repercussions can discourage passionate environmental activists from supporting their cause. Last Saturday, participants in over 5,000 events worldwide joined 350 and Greenpeace in a united effort towards climate action. The creative demonstrations of International Day of Climate Action were as varied as the different weather conditions across the United States and the 180 other countries that participated.
Here in New York, we had rain, and while on any other typical gloomy Saturday afternoon I would have vouched to remain cozy and lethargic inside, I braved the outdoors for a good cause. I spent the afternoon upstate New York in New Paltz where I found that students from the University, and local residents and business owners had also chosen to embrace the muddy puddled Hasbrouck Park in order to partake in this epic opportunity. The day, filled with polar bear costumes, environmental raffles and displays, bands and public speakers, support for local agriculture, and the gathering of local green businesses, culminated in the human formation of "350" in the park, despite the the sticky mud.

Across the Brooklyn Bridge, activists, undaunted by the murky overcast, marched towards a better future. They held signs that demanded a strong climate treaty from our world leaders when they meet in Copenhagen.

In Chicago, eight activists from the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization were arrested during a peaceful blockade of the Fisk Coal Plant. Their actions demonstrated what they are willing to sacrifice in order to dissolve the deceitful term of "clean coal."

Rising sea levels due to Global Warming could cause devastation to coastal areas, so Bostonians expressed their concern by rallying behind a pseudo-sandbag wall on the harbor. The participants were geared up with goggles, water caps, and other scuba gear to survive the threat of underwater submergence.

Every event was unique and the participation around the world was far greater than I could have imagined. Uniting that many people on one day, for one cohesive cause was a powerful step towards our goals. International Day of Climate Action and everyone involved had a substantial influence in the future because we refused to be ignored. Check out this video which sums up the collaborative efforts of Greenpeace activists and other volunteers on October 24.

 

I am so excited for this weekend! My boyfriend and I are heading upstate to New Paltz, New York to enjoy the fall weather at its most comfortable, and the foliage of the Mohonk Mountains at the season's peak. I will be returning to my college town as a recent alumni with every intention of devouring the outdoor activities I've since been almost starved of: apple picking, drinking fresh local cider, scavenging pumpkin patches and kicking up the crinkled red leaves that blanket the ground. That crunch is so satisfying!

Sadly, New Paltz and the surrounding areas are not exempt from the devastating effects of climate change. The Smiley family has been working on the Mohonk Preserve for generations, keeping the oldest, most accurate and in-depth environmental and weather records. Not surprisingly, they've discovered a warming trend that could result in the extinction or migration of many inhabiting species.

That is why it is so appropriate that our weekend plans coincide with the much anticipated International Day of Climate Action! On Saturday, October 24, Greenpeace is joining up with 350 to host events across the globe in an effort to raise climate change awareness and inspire change. Groups scattered throughout over 140 different countries are participating in this unprecedented opportunity to send a global message to world leaders who will be held accountable for the fate of our environment.

In New York City, participants will be walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in a March for Climate Leadership.


In Tampa, volunteers and community leaders will be demonstrating the drastic effects of rising sea levels on the peninsula of Florida. Get on your scuba gear!

In Portland, Oregon, everyone will be using their artistic medium of choice to commmunicate their visions of a healthy environment during an ActionArt Fest.

In Columbus, activists will be rallying on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse, testifying on camera why climate change is important, and writing letters to President Obama.

In Ann Arbor, students at the University of Michigan will be conducting an aerial art photo representative of their environmental efforts.

In St Louis, Missouri hundreds of people will partake in a photo opportunity holding signs that express their need for President Obama to take action on Climate Change.

The list goes on and on, and the nationwide events are so numerous it is practically impossible to avoid getting involved. However, if you can't find an event near you, create your own!

Luckily, although I'm missing out on some great events taking place here in New York City, there is a Climate Action Fair being organized at Hasbrouck Park of New Paltz by NYPIRG and The Climate Action Coalition. There will be a green fashion show, face painting and storytelling, demonstrations from local farms and businesses, local bands will be performing, and environmental speakers will be addressing climate change. I'll be there in my Greenpeace t-shirt, supporting the global event. I can't imagine a better way to kick-start my nature filled weekend!

Where will you be?

The popular grocery store, Trader Joe's, known for stocking its shelves full of affordable products with natural and organic ingredients, has dodged many attempts by Greenpeace USA to discuss its less than satisfactory seafood buying policy. Despite the company's commendable evasive techniques, they have failed to silence deranged spokesman/ deviant pirate, Traitor Joe, who leaked some truly embarrassing seafood secrets in an exclusive interview with an official Greenpeace volunteer this week

Traitor Joe, who has lately been rumored to frequent The Reef in order to feed his growing addiction to karaoke and the age-old pirate tradition of gluttonous drinking, was discovered mid-musical number on stage in a state of discombobulation Monday evening. The intoxicated pirate, whose already encumbered sight due to the necessity of an eye patch appeared to be blurred, spilled a flask of rum down a ragged t-shirt bearing the Trader Joe's insignia. His speech was slurred and his voice was hoarse from the repetition of his favored melodic verse:

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We're shady, deceitful, so we can make loot,
Eat up me 'earties, yo ho.
We peddle red-list fish, and don't give a hoot,
Eat up me 'earties, yo ho."

 When he stepped down from the stage and sat back down at his regular stool at the bar, Traitor Joe appeared to be loose-lipped with the unconcerned bartender about certain red-list fish species that have made it to the frozen aisles in various Trader Joe's locations.

There are 22 species included in the Greenpeace Seafood Red List and according to Greenpeace, "they have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries or unsustainable aquaculture operations."

Greenpeace surveys have found that Trader Joe's sells 15 of these red-list seafoods including orange roughy, Alaskan pollock, Chilean sea bass, and Greenland halibut.

Joe, in his state of inebriation, fortunately failed to recognize his interested bar companion to be a member of Greenpeace and so did not bother to relent in his speech when approached by aforementioned environmental activist.

"Arghhh, Matey. My favorite snack is Trader Joe's lightly breaded fish sticks," Joe said. "They've got a secret ingredient in them that makes me think them a tasty treat. It's Alaskan pollock!" 

For the last five years, survival of juvenile Pollock has been recorded as below average in the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Chain and Bogoslof area due to overfishing. Pollock fisheries may also be responsible for the rapid population decline of endangered Steller sea lions and northern fur seals.

"But you'd never know that the ingredients in me favorite Trader Joe's products were unsustainable 'cause of our ambiguous packaging," Joe said.

Trader Joe typically labels its products to help consumers purchase vegan, gluten-free or other diet-specific foods, but the labels on their seafood products inadequately advise customers who would otherwise commit to sustainable shopping.

 

Joe, smacking his lips in delicious delight, continued to list various other seemingly innocent Trader Joe products such as the "Wild Sashimi Grade Ahi" which contains Yellowfin Tuna, and "Trader Joe's Seasoned Turbot" containing Greenland halibut. Both of these are red-list species.

"I just wish all 'em darn activists would stop sending those bloody Singing Billie the Chilean sea bass telegrams," Joe said. "They be gettin' on me last nerve!"

Traitor Joe then abandoned the conversation and approached the stage once again to commence in singing his own rendition of "Row Row Row Your Boat."

The interview, however brief, gave insight into Trader Joe's unsustainable seafood buying policy and should encourage Trader Joe customers to continue to put pressure on the popular grocery store.

Last Monday, I had the incredible opportunity to volunteer for Greenpeace at the world premiere of The Age of Stupid, a documentary about the dangers of global warming told from the perspective of a man fifty years in the future. He asks the question, "why didn't we stop climate change when we had the chance?"

Well, I am definitely in the present and we still have a chance. That's why I volunteer for Greenpeace. At the premiere I was tasked to parade around in a giant earth bubble alongside the environmental leaders and celebrities that graced the green carpet. The longer I remained in the massive people you-turn-the-earth globe, the more stifling it became. Strangely enough, it began to feel somewhat symbolic of global warming. However, despite the minor discomfort, the balls were attention grabbing, and since the premiere was intentionally synced with the arrival of United Nations leaders in New York City, that was our main intent.

The Age of Stupid World Premiere was one of several events planned for New York City's Climate Week which took place from September 20-26. The week was our prime opportunity to send a message to the leaders attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December and I hope our efforts will prove to be rewarding.

The film debuted in more than 400 theaters across the nation and in 32 countries around the world that day. For the New York event, the carbon emissions were calculated and controlled. The screen and the tent that the movie played in were solar powered, organic wine was served from eco-friendly containers, and even the workers weren’t allowed to drink from plastic bottles. Celebrities and politicians arrived by various means of low-carbon transportation. Moby performed live and Thom Yorke gave an exclusive performance via satellite. Heather Graham came by boat and even agreed to pose for a few photographs with the Greenpeace volunteers.

 

 

Similarly, on the previous Sunday, a demonstration in Central Park painted a clear picture from a bird's eye view. Hundreds of people gathered to demonstrate one unifying belief: the time for action is running out. Volunteers showed up, gave hours of their day, and formed a Human Countdown symbolizing the growing pressure needed to be placed on our political leaders to support an adequate climate treaty when they meet in Copenhagen.

 

On the same day, four women from around the world visited New York City to show UN leaders how Climate Change has affected their lives from Mississippi to Uganda. Their stories include survival struggles due to loss of jobs, drought, hunger and natural diaster.

Then on Wednesday, the week's events climaxed in Pennsylvania as world leaders of the G20 met in Pittsburgh. Greenpeace activists dangled from some of the city’s most iconic bridges yielding banners of a size too large to ignore. Their message: "Danger: Climate Destruction Ahead. Reduce CO2 Emissions Now."

 

  

At this point it may seem like the ability to stifle the environmental destruction that is now overcoming the planet is simply beyond our hands and futile efforts. Those of us who recognize the truth, who see the receding glaciers and the catastrophic weather changes as irrefutable symptoms of climate change, feel like we’re drowning in the sea, waving our arms and shouting at idle on-lookers on the shore. But, even as the tide pulls us in and under, our shouting seems to grow stronger, louder. Weeks like this one, that exhibit the passion and fearless dedication of activists like the fourteen who were arrested in Pittsburgh are a refreshing inspiration. Their actions express a need for attention and a demand to be heard! So maybe a week isn’t enough time to solve all the world’s problems, but it was the perfect time to make Greenpeace’s demands loud and clear. We are not backing down, and this kind of bold activity will not cease even as the memory of Climate Week recedes in the past.