Greenpease East Asia - Press Releases

Greenpeace court case seeks to end suppression of anti-nuclear voices in Korea

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:48:00 +0200

Seoul, 1 May 2013 – Greenpeace East Asia and Greenpeace International today sought to reverse a decision by Korea's Ministry of Justice (MOJ) during the Lee Myung Bak administration to deny entry to six of the organisations’ staff into the country. At the trial presided over by Seoul Central District Court, the legal counsel representing the plaintiffs argued that the MOJ's decision to deny such entry is a violation of legal principles and an abuse of discretionary powers.

Greenpeace says this denial of entry also illustrates the improper influence of the nuclear industry on Korea's political system, and represents a violation of the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Korean constitution.

"At the heart of this case is freedom of expression and democracy in Korea. The Park Gyeun Hye government should move away from the heavy-handed approach by the previous administration on people who oppose nuclear energy. Greenpeace campaigners have been silenced for trying to raise awareness about the tremendous risks nuclear power poses to the Korean people, as shown by the Fukushima nuclear disaster's devastating impact on the people and the environment in Japan," said Pino Lee, Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

In 2011, Greenpeace East Asia opened an office in Seoul to run its environmental campaigns. Since then, Greenpeace has been raising public awareness that a Fukushima-type disaster could happen in South Korea due to safety issues in the country's nuclear power plants. Greenpeace, along with national environmental movements, has conducted seminars, protests and public awareness campaigns on the dangers of nuclear energy.

Following the Fukushima disaster, and after a series of scandals and malfunctions at the country’s nuclear plants, public opposition against nuclear energy in South Korea has dramatically increased. Last year alone, the country faced malfunctions at 16 nuclear plants.

Millions of Koreans who live within the 30 kilometer radius of nuclear power plants are at risk from a nuclear accident.

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the environment, and promote peace. Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments or corporations but rely on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants.

Greenpeace paints 'illegal' on South Korean ship Premier in Mauritian port protest

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0200

Port Louis, Mauritius, April 21, 2013 – Seven Greenpeace International activists peacefully demonstrated in a Mauritian port on Sunday against a South Korean vessel accused of unlawful fishing in West African waters, demanding the Seoul government order the ship's recall.

The activists painted the word "illegal" in Korean and English on the hull of the FV Premier, owned by South Korea's largest tuna company, Dongwon Industries. Activists also held flags and banners calling the ship "criminal" in response to accusations of wrongdoing off the West African coast. The nationalities of the activists are Fijian, Taiwanese, US, Spanish, Indian, French and Italian.

"There is no place in the Indian Ocean or any other ocean for illegally operating vessels like the Premier. The South Korean government must immediately recall Dongwon's ship for a full investigation," said Greenpeace France oceans campaigner Francois Chartier in Port Louis.

"The longer this vessel is allowed to roam the seas, the more damage is done to the reputation of Dongwon and the South Korean government for failing to clampdown on illegal fishing."

The Premier is accused of illegal fishing off the coast of West Africa and faces criminal charges in Liberia for forging government documents. In March 2013, the ship was denied permission to enter Seychelles and several countries in the region, in response to the allegations made against the Premier, have refused to give the ship a fishing permit.

Following a request from Greenpeace International and other parties, the Mauritian authorities have prevented the Premier from off-loading its catch in Port Louis. The Mauritian authorities must now be congratulated for refusing the Premier permission to unload.

Mauritius will host a meeting next month of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). The region's tuna stocks currently hang in the balance due to a lack of data and widespread illegal and unreported fishing by both foreign fleets and smaller vessels across the region. Greenpeace is calling on the IOTC to take swift action at the upcoming meeting to crackdown on non-compliance and unsustainable fishing practices.

The peaceful protest in Port Louis coincides with the Greenpeace International Indian Ocean Ship Tour. The Greenpeace team on the ship MY Esperanza is promoting sustainable fishing while investigating illegal, destructive or wasteful operations in the region.

Greenpeace is calling for Indian Ocean tuna fisheries to be better managed to protect tuna stocks and the wider marine environment. Greenpeace also wants fisheries to shift their focus from distant nations to coastal states.

Phosphate mining in earthquake-stricken area increases risk of further disaster and impacts native panda population

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0200

Beijing, 16/04/2013: Greenpeace and Chengdu-based environmental NGO Hengduan Mountain Research Society have released a joint report on the hazards of phosphate mining activities in Longmen Mountain, an area severely stricken by the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

The studies have found that phosphate mining in Longmen Mountain greatly exacerbates the risk of landslides and other geological disasters, threatening the safety of miners and residents downstream. In addition, phosphate mining has encroached on the region's nature reserve, impacting a native giant panda population. The environmental groups call on the Sichuan Provincial Government to immediately halt mining activities in high-risk disaster areas and giant panda habitats.

"The 2008 earthquake has rendered this area a disaster zone, which means development activities should be restricted. The government and mining companies have to respect the laws of nature and recognize the catastrophe that is unfolding," says Greenpeace actions campaigner Lang Xiyu.

This assessment of the geological stability of Longmen Mountain was carried out by Hengduan Mountain Research Society, through field investigations and an analysis of geological structural changes. Surveying has revealed that the Wenchuan earthquake triggered a host of ongoing dangers beyond the initial damage, which have now been further aggravated by large-scale phosphate mining.

"Any phosphate mining in Longmen Mountain must first take into account the risk of secondary disasters. And this area has already suffered major mudslides, landslides and floods in both 2009 and 2010," says Hengduan Mountain Research Society's senior geological engineer Yang Yong. "This is a disaster-prone area, and further exploitation by mining groups will only increase the threat of geological disasters."

Beginning March 2012, Greenpeace also conducted a number of field trips to the Nine Mountain Nature Reserve in Sichuan, in order to investigate threats to a protected nature reserve that is currently housing eleven pandas in the wild. Field surveys in the Mianyuan River valley found that phosphate mining has destroyed much of the vegetation located in the hinterland of the panda habitat. Furthermore, in August 2012, the Sichuan Provincial Government changed the boundary of the nature reserve in order to award exploration rights to a mining company.

Lang Xiyu added, "Mining and road construction has forced this local giant panda population into an ever smaller and fragmented area. The panda is supposed to be one of China's most loved animals. How can we be willing to let their lives fall wayside in the name of economic development?"

The Greenpeace and Hengduan Mountain Research Society are hereby making a joint appeal to the Sichuan Provincial Government to immediately halt mining activities in high-risk areas of geological disasters and giant panda habitats, and in the long run restrict development in such major geological hazardous areas and revise its development strategy of the mining industry.

Download the report summary.

Media Contact:

Damin Tang,
Media Relations, Greenpeace East Asia
Tel: +86-10-65546931-185
Mobile: 86-13911526274
Email: dtang@greenpeace.org

Fishing industry scandals threaten South Korea's international fish trade

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0200

Seoul, April 11, 2013 – Illegal fishing scandals and human rights abuses linked to South Korea’s fishing industry have earned the country a bad reputation that is jeopardising its fish trade with the US and the EU, Greenpeace East Asia said.

Greenpeace is urging the Korean government to bring its fishing industry under control and adopt a policy that ensures legal and sustainable fishing or risk a global backlash on its fisheries exports.

The Greenpeace East Asia report, Korea's Distant Water Fisheries: IUU Fishing, International Violations and Human Rights Scandals, (2) was discussed today in the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Korean National Assembly. This report details 34 cases in which Korean fishing companies engaged in practices including illegal fishing, non-compliance with international fishing standards and human rights abuses in their fleets.

"The South Korean government must rein in an industry that operates outside of the law. Wide-ranging reforms in South Korea’s distant water policies are urgently required to rebuild the country's international reputation and ensure the sustainable future of its fishing industry," said Jiehyun Park, Greenpeace East Asia Oceans Campaigner.

Korea is a leading distant water fishing power with 359 vessels operating in every ocean in the world (3). In recent years, however, the Korean fleet has been linked to scandals involving exploitative practices in the Southern Ocean, overfishing of toothfish in Antarctica, pirate fishing and forgery in Africa and cruel abuses against fishing crews in the Pacific Ocean.

Instead of acting decisively and holding thorough investigations, the Seoul government has tolerated and covered up the industry’s wrongdoing and sanctions have not matched the seriousness of the crimes.

Korean parliamentarians reacted swiftly to the report, calling for policy reforms and a transparent monitoring systems. MP Jae-kwon Shim, a member of the Standing Committee, also raised the issue about IUU activities at the Standing Committee meeting.

"The government should prioritise stopping illegal fishing activities, unsustainable fishing practices and human rights abuses by Korean fleets. Unless action is taken we expect an international backlash with market-related and other measures by both the US and EU to sanction these destructive and unethical practices based on their progressive legislations and increasing demand for sustainable and ethical seafood products," Jiehyun Park said.

Greenpeace is campaigning for an end to illegal and unsustainable fishing including destructive fishing methods and for a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans, both necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health and to maintain living oceans and ample fish for future generations.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1) Official statement by US National Oceaninc and Atmospheric Administration and EU warning on illegally sourced fish from West Africa

2) www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/briefings/oceans/2013/Korea-fisheries-scandal-briefing.pdf

3) KOFA yearbook

Huge piles of hazardous solid waste dumped in Sichuan Province

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0200

Beijing, April 2, 2013 - Investigations made by Greenpeace East Asia have exposed the dumping of massive amounts of hazardous waste in the Southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. The stacks of phosphogypsum, a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer production, were found much closer to residential areas than the minimum required distances set forth by Chinese regulations on hazardous waste storage.

Greenpeace East Asia calls on the Chinese government to suspend production at enterprises found in violation of regulations, and provide health and legal aid to affected residents.

"Our discovery indicates an environmental time bomb created by an overblown phosphate fertilizer industry, producing far more fertilizer than needed. China has now accumulated at least three hundred million tons of phosphogypsum, or more than 200 kg for every citizen in China. What's worse is that phosphogypsum commonly contains a variety of extremely harmful substances," said Greenpeace East Asia actions campaigner Lang Xiyu. "Sichuan province has been the most seriously affected, along with several other large phosphorus producing provinces."

Not only is China the world’s largest phosphate fertilizer producer, but also the largest producer of the industry’s byproduct phosphogypsum. The huge amounts of phosphogypsum currently being stockpiled across the country usually contains a range of harmful impurities such as fluoride, heavy metals, and free acids, and can also lead to dust pollution, groundwater and soil pollution and other environmental problems.

Greenpeace East Asia visited some of the largest phosphate fertilizer production enterprises in Sichuan Province, a major phosphorus producing province, between May 2012 and January 2013. These visits led to the discovery of huge phosphogypsum slag heaps, with the biggest covering 33 hectares of land, and in close proximity to residential communities. A total of nine phosphogypsum samples from five companies were sent to a third party laboratory for testing of fluoride and a variety of heavy metals.

The test results showed that all nine samples included arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury and other harmful heavy metals. Of serious concern were the four samples from Lomon Group, Sichuan Hongda Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. and Yingfeng Industries Limited. Each turned up inorganic fluoride content far exceeding 100mg/L, thereby qualifying as hazardous waste according to levels set by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. All four failed to meet national requirements that state such kinds of hazardous waste must sit 800 meters away from any residential areas.

"These samples we've collected are just the tip of the iceberg. We've lifted the lid on a serious problem that's been plaguing this country for decades. It's critical the government addresses this issue and assists the victims of corporate selfishness. We can no longer afford to continue ignoring 300 million tons of phosphogypsum polluting our soil, water and air," said Lang Xiyu.

Greenpeace calls on the government to take immediate action, including a thorough investigation into these piles of hazardous waste and the affected communities. In addition, Greenpeace also recommends the government establish a more stringent phosphogypsum management system, and rectify the overcapacity of the phosphate fertilizer in order to see a reduction of phosphogypsum from its source.

Download the report here.

Media Contact:

Damin Tang, Media Relations, Greenpeace East Asia
Tel: +86-10-65546931-185
Mobile: 86-13911526274
Email: dtang@greenpeace.org

Push to export US coal to China: "Motivated by a desperate industry, not sound economics"

Joe Smyth — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0100

Washington DC - February 27, 2013 - The Chinese market for US coal exports may dry up before major new US coal shipments ever reach its ports, according to a new Greenpeace report. The report, "The Myth of China's Endless Coal Demand: A missing market for US Exports" identifies several factors that cast doubt on the future of Chinese demand for US coal, including new national and local policies in China aimed at reducing air pollution and capping coal use, slowing economic growth, surging renewable energy growth, and increased public concern about air pollution.

"Many of the same factors that are causing coal to be phased out of the US market - sluggish economic growth, a rapidly developing renewable energy sector, government policies and social opposition to coal - are conspiring to make the Chinese market for US coal exports economically unviable as well," said Greenpeace East Asia Energy Analyst and report author Lifeng Fang.

The report also details earlier coal export proposals that failed in part because of unstable Asian demand, and argues that the current push to export US coal by companies like Arch Coal, Cloud Peak Energy, and Australian upstart Ambre Energy are motivated by a desperate industry, not sound economics. Among the report's findings:

The Chinese government's 12th five year plan for the coal industry caps domestic coal production and consumption at 3.9 billion tons by 2015. As China begins to decouple economic growth from coal consumption, coal is piling up in record amounts at ports and power plants.

According to the China Electricity Council, investment in the coal power sector dropped by over half from 227.1 billion RMB ($36.4 billion USD) in 2005 to 105.4 billion ($16.9 billion USD) in 2011, and this trend is continuing.

China's third largest city, Guangzhou, recently announced that it won't allow new coal power capacity within the city, and other major cities also plan to limit coal expansion in order to meet air quality standards.

Public resistance and protests against pollution are increasing, and new air pollution standards for thermal power plants from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection will bring Chinese power plant regulations in line with developed world standards.

Renewable energy is growing rapidly in China, and the government plans to increase the share of non-fossil fuels to 30% of installed electricity generating capacity by the end of 2015.

###

The report is available here.

Contact: Joe Smyth, Greenpeace Communications, 831-566-5647, joe.smyth@greenpeace.org

Lifeng Fang, Greenpeace East Asia Energy Analyst, 202-462-1177 ext 182

China acknowledges 'cancer villages', unveils breakthrough chemical plan

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 22:30:00 +0100

Greenpeace hailed China’s commitment to clean up chemical pollution with a breakthrough chemical management plan that acknowledges for the first time the existence of ‘cancer villages’ and will blacklist 58 chemicals and have an elimination chemical list by 2015.

“China has been the world’s largest chemical producer since 2010. The Plan indicates that the massive pollution found across the country, caused by large-scale chemical production and the release of hazardous chemicals, urgently needs to be tackled,” said Yixiu Wu, Toxic Campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia based on Beijing.

“It’s our hope that this announcement is quickly implemented and enforced – about half of China’s rivers are not suitable for domestic use, and around 20% are deemed useless even for industrial purposes. We simply cannot wait any longer.”

The Five Year Plan highlights the risks that toxic chemicals have posed to the nation’s environment and health.

“The setting up of a blacklist for priority actions, which includes DEHP, BPA and Nonylphenol (NP) indicates strong political will. But most importantly, it sends a clear message to industry that these hazardous chemicals, which are banned in various other parts world, will have no place in the future of China,” said Wu.

The Ministry of Environment’s Five-Year Plan states that the government will come up with phase-out and restriction lists by 2015, which indicates that China’s chemical management has shifted from pollution control -- once the norm in Chinese environmental policy -- to elimination.

Seven industries are listed for priority pollution prevention and control, including the textile industry, which has the focus of Greenpeace’s global Detox campaign.

“Greenpeace has long documented and exposed the role of the textile industry in hazardous water pollution scandal. It’s about time all chemical intensive industries, including the textile sector, clean up their act and eliminate the use of all hazardous chemicals from their products and production processes,” said Wu.

Greenpeace has been campaigning for the restriction and elimination of hazardous chemicals in China since 1997.

Media contacts:

Tristan Tremschnig, Media Relations Specialist, Greenpeace International, email: tristan.tremschnig@greenpeace.org, phone: +31 6 43 78 7393

Yixiu Wu, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace East Asia, email: wu.yixiu@greenpeace.org phone: +86 158 1046 0835 (Beijing)

Notes

1. 58 kinds of chemicals are for the first time listed into the priority risk prevention and control “blacklist”, which includes endocrine disruptors such as DEHP, NP, etc.

2. The textile industry, as a downstream consumer industry, is classified as one of seven major risk prevention and control industries. They include petroleum refining, coking and nuclear fuel processing industry, chemical materials and products manufacturing industry, pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, chemical fiber manufacturing industry, nonferrous metal smelting and calendaring industry.

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Yunnan: Only 9% of the Forest Is Primary Forest

Monica Tan — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:00:00 +0100

Greenpeace has published its latest report "Yunnan Natural Forests in Crisis". According to the report, in the Southern Chinese province of Yunnan, the quality of natural forests is much lower than originally thought. Only 9% of the total is primary forest. A massive area of natural forests has clearly been cut and then converted into plantations.

Greenpeace calls on the Yunnan provincial government and the forestry department to adjust the policy to protect the primary forests, to close the gaps on the conversion policies, and to tighten up the supervision of them, and finally ensure the ecological security of southwest China.

“Primary forests make Yunnan a hotspot of biodiversity for the world. Although some forests in areas such as Xishuangbanna are well preserved in line with the relevant laws and regulations, those in other areas are being destructed and converted. Therefore prompt action for preservation is needed,” says Wu Hao, Greenpeace Forests Campaigner.

Via remote sensing interpretation, spatial analysis, and field trips, Greenpeace found that only 9% of the forests in Yunnan are primary forests, about one quarter of the world’s average. Moreover, most of them are scattered in complex terrains and less traversed places, such as Gaoligong Mountain, Nujiang Valley, and Xishuangbanna.

Furthermore, Greenpeace found that a large area of the primary forests surrounding the National Reserve of Gaoligong Mountain - one of the most biologically diverse areas in China – have been logged because of highway construction, which poses great threats to the unique habitats of the White-Browed Gibbon (Hylobates hoolock).

“Currently, there are less than 100 White-Browed Gibbons in China. According to plans, a highway will be built across the core area of Gaoligong Reserve during the second phase of construction. It will certainly be detrimental to the biodiversity in that area,” says Wu Hao. “The destruction and fragmentation of these primary forests will lead to a rapid decrease in the number of species. We must step in on time; otherwise, one quarter of the species in Yunnan could be extinct by the end of the century.”

The current policy to reconstruct low-function forests in Yunnan has several loopholes. Vast tracts of the natural forest have been categorized as low-function, and thus have been cut and replaced by plantations based on that policy. Greenpeace found that clear cutting and conversion are the main tactics for reconstruction in Tengchong County, Baoshan, and many of the high-quality natural forests have vanished and been converted into plantation. Such tactics are highly destructive to the local ecological environment.

“Some local governments in Yunnan have not set the standards of low-function forests with reality, and there is huge room for improvement in terms of management and supervision. The conversion creates short-term economic benefits, and sacrifice long-term ecological benefits,” says Wu Hao. “The twelfth five-year plan for forestry development states that there should be clear specifications for low-function forests, and that strict control on conversion of natural forests into plantation should be in place. Evidently some local authorities have not worked in line with this statement.”

Greenpeace calls on local governments in Yunnan to draw the baseline map for the primary forests and issue a protection plan, as well as to write the line: "end clear cutting of natural forests and no conversion of natural forests into plantation" into the policy "Plan of Reconstruction of Low-function Forests in Yunnan 2010-2012". Campaigners also ask for an improvement of management and supervision, which will lead to better preservation of the natural forests in Yunnan.

Study on premature deaths reveals health impact of PM2.5 in China

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:30:00 +0100

December 18, Beijing – An estimated 8,572 premature deaths occurred in four major Chinese cities in 2012, due to high levels of PM2.5 pollution, a joint study by Greenpeace East Asia and Peking University’s School of Public Health has concluded. The report also estimates PM2.5 pollution caused the cities of Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an and Beijing to suffer a combined total of US$1.08 billion in economic losses over the past year. Greenpeace is calling for an urgent policy adjustment, including capping regional coal consumption, De-NOx retrofiting for existing coal-fired power plants, and shutting down inefficient coal-fired industrial boilers.

The report “PM2.5: Measuring the human health and economic impacts on China's largest cities” states that if these cities can effectively lower their PM2.5 levels to meet the World Health Organization’s Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQG), such deaths would be reduced by at least 81%, and the economic losses for these four cities could be reduced by $US868 million. Unfortunately no cities currently have a timeline to meet WHO AQG.

“PM2.5 is putting public health at high risk every day, but worse still, if we follow the current official plans we would need to wait 20 years to get to the national standard, which is still risky compared to the WHO guidelines,” said Greenpeace campaigner Zhou Rong. “Who can afford the wait?” Greenpeace is calling for a concrete and ambitious timetable to tackle PM2.5 pollution, thus improving the air quality to reach the health standard set out by WHO AQG.

For the report, researchers from Greenpeace and Peking University’s School of Public Health studied the impact of PM2.5 in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi’an, which represented major urban centres in China’s north, east, south and west respectively.

“Besides saving a lot of human lives, combating PM2.5 can also significantly reduce the national cost on health care,” said Zhou Rong. Taking Beijing as an example, the report found the Chinese capital experienced a loss of US$328 million in 2012 because of PM2.5 pollution. But had it reached WHO AQG, US$283 million could have been saved. (For details please refer to the media briefing paper section three).

Recent statistics from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) show cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region suffered over 100 hazy days a year with PM2.5 concentration two to four times above World Health Organization guidelines. The effects of PM2.5-related air pollution extend beyond hazy days, also leading to systematic damage to human health.

PM2.5 is small in particle size but as pollution can reach a large surface area. It is more prone to carrying a variety of toxic heavy metals, acid oxides, organic pollutants and other chemicals, as well as microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses in the air. When inhaled, it can enter a person’s blood stream. Exposure to PM2.5 can contribute to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as greater cancer risks, all leading to a significantly higher mortality rate.

Studies have shown PM2.5 is most prevalant in the combustion of coal. Since the majority of China’s energy comes from coal plants, Greenpeace is urging regional governments to cap coal consumption.

Greenpeace is also calling on the local governments in key regions to go beyond requirements raised by recent MEP plans, and to take ambitious steps to set up specific air quality improvement plans, including detailed PM2.5 pollution reduction timelines.

Downloading the English Briefing

Photo download: ftp://gpea_photo_out:gpea201212@202.152.178.205 (Folder20121218-air pollution photos for media).

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Esprit commits to make toxic-free fashion – but where’s Levi’s?

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:00:00 +0100

Hong Kong, 7 December 2012 – Fashion brand Esprit today committed to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals throughout its entire supply chain and products by 2020, following public pressure in response to Greenpeace’s Detox campaign.  

“Today Esprit has shown Levi’s and other big brands what a credible and ambitious commitment to stop making toxic fashion looks like,” said Ada Kong, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

“Right now, rivers in China, Mexico and elsewhere are being polluted with hazardous chemicals, and we need brands like Levi’s – who have been caught contributing toward the problem – to take urgent action in order to stop these environmental crimes. Nice words are not enough.”

The commitment from Hong Kong-based Esprit comes just four days after Greenpeace launched its report “Toxic Threads: Putting Pollution on Parade” in Beijing on 4 December. The report exposed how facilities in China’s biggest textile base, some of which produce textile for major high street brand including Levi’s and Calvin Klein, are exploiting complex wastewater systems to prevent scrutiny of their manufacturing processes.

“Esprit is beginning to take responsibility for its entire supply chain. Their commitment to require 30 of their suppliers in China to disclose discharge data by the end of 2013 is a major breakthrough for communities who are forced to share their waterways with industry. If Esprit can commit to disclose pollution data for so many of its suppliers, then why can’t Levi’s – as a self-proclaimed leader – beat this number?” said Ada Kong.

Esprit becomes the tenth brand to make a credible commitment to eliminate releases of all hazardous chemicals throughout its supply chains and products since Greenpeace launched its Detox campaign in 2011.

NOTES:

1. Esprit’s commitment can be viewed here: www.esprit.com/press/news/news_detail?identity=106

2. The report “Toxic Threads: Putting Pollution on Parade” can be viewed here: www.greenpeace.org/international/putting-pollution-on-parade

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tristan Tremschnig, Media Relations Specialist, Greenpeace International, email: tristan.tremschnig@greenpeace.org, phone: +31 6 43 78 7393

Big fashion brands hide toxic pollution scandal in China

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:30:00 +0100

Beijing, 4 December 2012 – Greenpeace International investigations have revealed dumping of industrial waste water with a wide range of hazardous substances from two Industrial Zones located in China’s most important textile manufacturing base.

The investigations were published today in a report “Toxic Threads: Putting Pollution on Parade” [1], which details how facilities, some of which produce textiles for major high street brands including Levi’s and Calvin Klein and GAP, are exploiting complex wastewater systems to hide scrutiny of their manufacturing processes.

“Of all the factories we have been to over the past few years, we have never before seen such large-scale pollution. The samples of wastewater taken on site have proven to be some of the most toxic testing results we have seen throughout our campaigning. This pollution must be stopped,” says Yifang Li, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

Greenpeace investigated two of China’s biggest communal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), in coastal Zhejiang Province. Testing on water samples taken from near the pipe mouths revealed that processed effluent from both Shaoxing WWTP (China’s largest in terms of daily processing capacity) and Linjiang WWTP contained toxic chemicals that are cancer-causing and chemicals that are toxic to reproductive systems. Some of these chemicals are persistent and bio-accumulative.

Greenpeace investigators have testimonies from local communities whose soil and water are being polluted. Many of these locals are concerned about their health [2] so much so that in a typically water-abundant area, some communities have even been relying on the local government to deliver drinking water.

“Many international brands, such as Levi’s, source their products from facilities within such Industrial Zones, yet identifying whether individual suppliers are responsible for releasing hazardous substances in their effluent is almost impossible. This provides a convenient smokescreen for unacceptable environmental practices at individual facilities, including the use and discharge of hazardous chemicals, by the global textile industry,” said Li.

The dispersal of hazardous chemicals into water systems, both when clothes are manufactured and after they are sold – such as when chemical residues in the products are washed out – can only be addressed by the rapid and transparent elimination of their use at their source.

"Along with setting short term timelines to eliminate the worst hazardous chemicals, brands must require their suppliers to publicly disclose releases of these chemicals. Both are key steps to achieve zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020 and Greenpeace will continue to expose brands that do not take responsibility for every stage of their supply chain,” said Li.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tang Damin, Media Officer, Greenpeace East Asia, email: dtang@greenpeace.org, mobile: +86 13911526274

NOTES:

1. The report “Toxic Threads: Putting Pollution on Parade” can be viewed here: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/putting-pollution-on-parade

2. The Greenpeace documentary “Textile Towns In The Shadows of Pollution” can be accessed here: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/videos/. A video of Greenpeace East Asia activists bearing witness to the hazardous discharge can be viewed here: http://www.greenpeace.org/china/livestream/

Greenpeace exposes hazardous chemicals in clothes sold by Zara, and other leading fashion brands

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 02:00:00 +0100

November 20, 2012, Beijing – Clothing from the world’s largest fashion retailer Zara tested positive for hormone-disrupting chemicals and dyes that release cancer-causing substances, according to a Greenpeace report. The environmental group investigated a total of 20 world leading fashion brands, including industry leaders Zara, Levi’s and Calvin Klein, and local brand Metersbonwe [1], and found that all were selling clothing contaminated with chemicals harmful to the environment and human health.

“These are the big potatoes in the fashion industry – Zara alone churns out 850 million clothing items a year. You can imagine the size of the toxic footprint it has left on this planet, particularly in developing countries like China where many of its products are made,” said Li Yifang, Toxics Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

In 2012, Greenpeace purchased more than one hundred garments sold in 29 countries and regions by 20 global fast fashion brands, and had them tested for several hazardous chemicals. Samples included jeans, trousers, t-shirts, dresses and underwear. All items were tested for hormone disrupting NPEs; some were also tested for Phthalates, which are toxic to the reproductive system, and cancer-causing amines from azo dyes.

The testing results show that all the brands had at least several items containing hazardous chemicals. About two thirds of the 141 samples contained NPEs, four samples had high levels of toxic phthalates, and traces of cancer-causing amines from the use of azo dyes were detected in two products from Zara.

NPEs are banned for textile production in Europe due to concerns over its negative impact on the aquatic environment, but in much of the Global South, including China, their manufacture, use and release are not regulated. In addition, the EU has set phase-out dates for four types of commonly used phthalates. The investigation found that almost all problematic pieces with identifiable places of manufacture were made in the Global South, including 21 made in China, the world’s biggest textile manufacturer and exporter.

"The testing results reveal how much toxic chemicals these brands are dumping in China and other developing nations where products are made and regulations are loose. As the world’s biggest fashion retailers, the likes of Zara have no choice but to change their practices, not only for its consumers but also for the communities affected by its irresponsible suppliers,” Li continued.

“The worst part is, as fashion gets faster and more globalized, more and more consumers worldwide are becoming fashion’s victims while contributing to the industry’s pollution. But it doesn’t have to be so. We’ve already witnissed commitments from sportswear giants such as Adidas, Nike and the Chinese brand Li-Ning, to elliminating the use of all hazardous chemicals in the entiety of their supply chains,” said Li.

Greenpeace demands fashion brands commit to zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals by 2020 and require their suppliers to disclose all releases of toxic chemicals from their facilities to communities at the site of water pollution.

Download the report.

Media Contact:

Tang Damin
Greenpeace East Asia Media Officer
Mobile: +86 13911526274
Tel: +86 65546931-185

[1] The clothes were sold by the leading fashion companies Benetton, Jack & Jones, Only, Vero Moda, Blažek, C&A, Diesel, Esprit, Gap, Armani, H&M, Zara, Levi’s, Victoria’s Secret, Mango, Marks & Spencer, Metersbonwe, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Vancl.

[2] Amines are used in the manufacture of azo dyes and can be released when they are chemically broken down. Some amines can break down into cancer-causing chemicals.

Global Wind Power Market Could Triple by 2020

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 04:31:00 +0100

Beijing, 14 November. Greenpeace International and the Global Wind Energy Council released their bi-annual report on the future of the wind industry in Beijing today. The fourth edition of the Global Wind Energy Outlook shows that wind power could supply up to 12% of global electricity by 2020, creating 1.4 million new jobs and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 1.5 billion tons per year, more than 5 times today’s level. By 2030, wind power could provide more than 20% of global electricity supply.

The Global Wind Energy Outlook paints a picture of three different futures for the wind industry, looking at scenarios out to 2020, 2030, and eventually to 2050; and then measures these scenarios against two different projections for the development of electricity demand: the first based on the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook, and another, more energy efficient future developed by the ECOFYS consultancy and researchers at the University of Utrecht.

“It is clear that wind energy is going to play a major role in our energy future”, said Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council. “But for wind to reach its full potential, governments need to act quickly to address the climate crisis, while there’s still time.”

In addition to being a major source of emission reductions, wind energy also uses no fresh water to generate electricity, a unique attribute (along with solar PV) which makes it an attractive option in an increasingly water-constrained world. Wind power is by definition an indigenous energy source, which is particularly useful to countries burdened with large fossil fuel import bills; and wind power is now competitive in an increasing number of markets, even when competing against heavily subsidised ‘conventional’ energy sources, with little or no financial compensation for its environmental and social benefits: zero CO2 emissions, zero water use, and no air or water pollution.

“The most important ingredient for the long term success of the wind industry is stable, long term policy, sending a clear signal to investors about the government’s vision for the scope and potential for the technology”, said Sven Teske, Greenpeace senior energy expert. “The Global Wind Energy Outlook shows that the industry could employ 2.1 million people by 2020 – 3 times more than today, given the right policy support.”

Wind energy installations totalled 240 GW globally by the end of 2011, and the industry is set to grow by at least another 40 GW in 2012. By 2020, the IEA’s New Policies Scenario suggests that total capacity would reach 587 GW, supplying about 6% of global electricity; but the GWEO Moderate scenario suggests that this could reach 759 GW, supplying 7.7-8.3% of global electricity supply. The Advanced scenario suggests that with the right policy support wind power could reach more than 1,100 GW by 2020, supplying between 11.7-12.6% of global electricity, and saving nearly 1.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions.

Download full report: Global Wind Energy Outlook 2012

For further information:

Sven Teske, +49 171 878 7552, sven.teske@greenpeace.org

Lauha Fried, +32 477 364 251, lauha.fried@gwec.net

Greenpeace activists occupy Taiwan shipbuilding yard to protest overfishing

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:00:00 +0200

Kaoshiung, Taiwan, October 12, 2012 – Ten Greenpeace activists occupied the largest shipbuilding yard in Taiwan on Friday, accusing the Taiwanese government of undermining international fishing agreements set up to combat the global overfishing crisis.

Activists unfurled a large banner saying “Overfishing Starts Here” at the facility where massive industrial fishing boats destined to fish across the globe's oceans are built.

The peaceful protest coincides with the Save Our Oceans East Asia Tour in which the Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza is in Taiwan, raising awareness of the impacts of overfishing on the oceans and the communities dependent on them.

"Our oceans and the billions dependent on them for food and jobs need fewer massive boats and more fish. The Taiwanese government is cheating international agreements and Greenpeace is taking peaceful action today to demand it adhere to scientific advice and help end overfishing,” said Yu Fen Kao, Greenpeace East Asia senior oceans campaigner.

“In the end, it is the small-scale fishing communities and the people of Taiwan that will suffer most from empty oceans and collapsed fish populations."

Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency (FA) had agreed in 2008 to follow the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission’s advice to reduce fishing effort by limiting the number of fishing days for its purse-seine tuna fleets (1).

The regulation is meant to allow Pacific tuna stocks to recover from overfishing, as three of the four main tuna species are already threatened with commercial extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (2).

Instead, the FA has sidestepped the regulation and is allowing its industry to build bigger ships with larger storage capacity, directly undermining efforts to rescue tuna populations.

Taiwan's Fisheries Agency approved 22 new big purse seine ships between 2007 to 2012. And the total new purse seine tonnage is 38,988 tons (3).

Taiwan's distant water fishing fleet mainly operates in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, home to more than 60 percent of the world's tuna. Taiwan has the most fishing vessels in the region – 72 purse seiners and 1,600 long liners (4). In addition, half of the US purse seiners are owned and operated by Taiwanese companies.

Other fishing powers currently building more industrial-scale fishing boats include France, Spain, China and South Korea.

"We have too many boats in our oceans chasing too few fish. Government and business leaders must end the madness and stop building these gigantic boats from fishing the industry out of existence,” said Sari Tolvanen, Greenpeace International oceans campaigner.

“We need action from consumers, who will refuse to no longer buy fish from companies that are adding more unsustainable fishing capacity into our oceans and instead demand fish for the future.”

Greenpeace is campaigning for responsible fishery management to end overfishing and to support a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans. Both are necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health and to maintain living oceans and ample fish for future generations.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Kao Yu Fen, Greenpeace East Asia oceans campaigner +86 939 386 874
Renee Chou, Greenpeace East Asia communications +86 936 333 199
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications +31 643 787 359
PHOTO AND VIDEO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

NOTES
1) Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) limiting the total effort in the purse seine fishery and for purse seine owners to purchase and trade fishing days at sea in places subject to the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) exclusive economic zones. This is an agreed measure to be followed by all the members in WCPFC: http://www.ffa.int/book/export/html/37
2) IUCN Red List of Endangered Species: http://www.iucnredlist.org
3) Calculated from http://www.wcpfc.int/record-fishing-vessel-database
4) In both categories, Taiwan tops the region in terms of total tonnage for operating Purse Seiners and in the number of operating Long Liners that are either owned or invested by Taiwanese. http://www.wcpfc.org

South Korea again bars Greenpeace staff from country to silence nuclear critics

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 08:01:00 +0200

Seoul, South Korea, 8 October 2012 - Greenpeace International nuclear campaigners have again been denied entry to South Korea, making it crystal clear the government in Seoul is trying to silence nuclear critics.

Jan Beranek, Greenpeace International energy team lead, and Dr. Rianne Teule, Greenpeace International nuclear campaigner, were stopped at Seoul's Incheon airport today and not allowed into the country, where they were due to present at a seminar on nuclear power and meet journalists.

Both of them had been allowed into South Korea in the past and no official reasons were given for today’s denial of access. In total, six staff from Greenpeace International and Greenpeace East Asia have been denied access to South Korea since last November.

Beranek is a long-time critic of nuclear power, while Teule is an expert on the risks of radiation and contamination. She has overseen several operations near the Fukushima nuclear disaster site in Japan to independently measure and sample radiation contamination.

“By not allowing us into the country to share our information on the Fukushima disaster and nuclear risks in other places, the South Korean government is making it crystal clear that it is targeting voices critical of nuclear power and silencing opposition to its nuclear plans,” said Beranek.

Beranek and Teule were invited into South Korea by the group Joint Action for a Nuclear-Free Society, which represents about 40 Korean civic groups, to present at a seminar on the danger of operating the Canadian CANDU nuclear reactor.

The Korean government is pursuing an extension to the operating life of the CANDU in Wolsong, one of the oldest reactors of this type in the world. The seminar was to be followed by a joint news conference.

“The South Korean government has again tarnished its image as a democracy by silencing nuclear opposition," said Teule. “Once again, we see that nuclear power and democracy don't mix.”

The denial of access comes just days after two 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactors at separate South Korean plants were shut down for systems malfunctions. The shutdowns sparked demands for a safety review.

In addition, South Korea will host a pre-meeting later in October of the UN climate conference in Doha, and at the same time a meeting of the Global Green Growth Institute. The government is expected to use these stages to greenwash its nuclear industry.

“The refusal to allow Greenpeace nuclear experts to attend and present at an anti-nuclear meeting raises the question: What is the South Korean government trying to hide from the Korean public about its nuclear program,” said Pino Lee, nuclear campaigner in Korea with Greenpeace East Asia.

“The catastrophic impacts of a nuclear accident, such as Fukushima, and the constant risk posed by nuclear reactors must be discussed. People are at risk, including South Korean citizens, and they must know about the dangers they face from reactors.”

South Korea aspires to expand its role in the world nuclear industry. The country has 23 reactors with four more under construction. In addition, the government recently officially designated two new sites for eight more reactors. It is contracted to build four reactors in the U.A.E., with the first expected to come on line in 2017. It has targeted Turkey, Jordan, Romania, South Africa, Indonesia and Ukraine as candidates for its reactor technology. South Korea is also marketing its technology in other African, Middle East and South East Asia nations.

“Korea is investing in dangerous nuclear technology when it could be replacing nuclear with renewable energy,” concluded Beranek. “Instead of allowing a full discussion of the terrible risks of nuclear power, the government chooses to silence critics and try to hide the concerns.”

In April, Greenpeace East Asia released a renewable energy scenario for Korea, the Energy [R]evolution, that shows how Korea can phase out nuclear energy by 2030, while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions, creating jobs and saving $4 billion US a year in investment and fuel costs.

Last year, media reported that South Korea would spend $9 million US to counter the work of Greenpeace and other non-governmental organisations.

Contacts:

International media: Greg McNevin, Greenpeace International Communications, greg.mcnevin@greenpeace.org +81 80 5416 6507

Korean media: Junghoon Choi, Greenpeace East Asia Communications, Seoul, junghoon.choi@greenpeace.org + 82 10 4089 6980

Jan Beranke, Greenpeace International Energy Team Lead,
jan.beranek@greenpeace.org +31 6 51 109 558

Rianne Teule, Greenpeace International nuclear expert,
Rianne.teule@greenpeace.org +31 6 2883 3207

Pino Lee, Greenpeace East Asia Climate and Energy Campaigner, Seoul,
pino.lee@greenpeace.org +821091860326

Greenpeace International Press Desk Hotline, Amsterdam +31 20 7182470

Notes:

South Korean reactors shut down: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=535009&version=1&template_id=45&parent_id=25

Lessons from Fukushima report, for an analysis of the industry and governmental failures that led to the disaster: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports/Nuclear-reports/Lessons-from-Fukushima/

Energy [R]evolution: The Energy Revolution E[R] is a science-based energy outlook that provides a detailed practical blueprint for cutting carbon emissions while achieving economic growth by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and energy efficiency. A special E[R] report for Korea was launched in April 2012: http://bit.ly/HkcTsp International version: http://www.energyblueprint.info

Spending on surveillance of Greenpeace and other non-governmental organisations: “The announcement that it would open its Korean office and anti-nuclear protests seemed enough to make the authorities here watchful of future Greenpeace actions. According to local news media, the Korea Nuclear Energy Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy will seek to set aside 10 billion won ($9.3 million) next year to beef up the publicity of nuclear energy safety.” http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110819000786

Fukushima discussion: On 4 October, Beranek also took part by video conference in a discussion about nuclear power with Korean parliamentarians, students and activists. He outlined the impacts of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the nuclear industry and the related decline in investments, especially in contrast with the increase in investments in the already much larger market for renewable energy technologies.

Greenpeace staff denied access to South Korea:

Jan Beranek, Greenpeace energy team leader, 8 October 2012

Rianne Teule, Greenpeace nuclear campaigner, 8 October 2012

Gavin Edwards, Greenpeace East Asia Climate and Energy manager for the Seoul office, 20 April 2012

Dr. Mario Damato, Executive Director of Greenpeace East Asia, 2 April 2012

Fung Ka Keung, organisational support and regional development director, Greenpeace East Asia, November 2011 and April 2012

Rashid Kang, organisational development manager for Seoul office, Greenpeace East Asia, November 2011 and April 2012

Greenpeace confronts Dongwon's destructive fishing in Korea

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 03:00:00 +0200

Yeosu, South Korea, 23 September 2012 — Activists from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza today occupied the dry dock where one of Dongwon's purse seine ships, MV Granada, is being repaired. The activists closed the dock with a large banner saying "Dongwon's Destructive Fishing Starts Here".

Greenpeace has escalated its campaign against Korea's leading canned tuna brand for its unsustainable fishing policies. Just last week, Greenpeace protested at Dongwon's headquarters in Seoul.

Dongwon, which has more than a 50 percent market share of canned tuna in South Korea, also owns the biggest purse seine fishing fleet in the country – with 16 purse seine vessels in total.

MV Granada is part of Dongwon's Pacific fleet, which uses fish aggregating devices (FADs), a fishing method that causes high levels of bycatch of sharks, rays, turtles, whales and juvenile tuna.

More than half of the company's tuna catch is destined for western markets, including the US. The company’s fishing targets include yellowfin and bigeye tuna, two species that are designated as near threatened and vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Because of this, Dongwon is listed at the bottom of Greenpeace's canned tuna ranking in Korea.

"Dongwon can choose to lead the Korean fishing industry in sustainable fishing, or will continue to be Korea’s number one tuna destroyer. The Korean public deserves to know that their most famous tuna brand is emptying the Pacific of tuna and needlessly killing other ocean life," said Yuen Ping Chow, Greenpeace East Asia Senior Oceans Campaigner.

Five out of eight tuna species are already in trouble due to overfishing and the widespread catching of juvenile tuna, which does not allow stocks to recover. Despite declining tuna populations, the number of vessels fishing for tuna is still increasing.

Korea currently ranks second globally in terms of distant water tuna catch (1). The South Korean government has been accused of undermining global efforts aimed at protecting the oceans in order to prop up its fishing industry.

The government has also earmarked funds for the tuna industry to build new fishing vessels, ignoring scientific advice calling for a global reduction in fishing fleets.

"The Korean fishing industry must support conservation efforts if they want to continue harvesting profits from commercial fisheries. Companies like Dongwon should support government policies to better manage our oceans and reduce fishing capacities. Instead, it is just fishing itself toward extinction," Yuen Ping added.

The Greenpeace ship MV Esperanza, is currently on its Ocean Defenders Tour in South Korea to raise awareness about the negative impacts of overfishing on our oceans.

Greenpeace is campaigning for better fishery management to end overfishing and to create a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans, both necessary steps to help restore our oceans to health and to maintain living oceans with ample fish for future generations.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Yuen Ping Chow, Greenpeace East Asia Senior Oceans Campaigner, +82 (0)10 8693 1986
Arthur Dionio, Greenpeace International Communications, +66814451398
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications, +31643787359

(1) "Riding A Wave of Fishlation - Tong Yang Research, Tong Yang Securities Inc. March 2011".

China’s Wind Power Market Remained the World No. 1, with Developing Pattern Diversified, Says Report

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 03:30:00 +0200

September 18, 2012, Beijing – China continued to be the world’s leader in installed wind power capacity in 2011 with an increasingly diversified wind power market, according to the report China Wind Power Outlook 2012. The report was jointly issued by Greenpeace, the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

“If everything goes well, within one generation wind power has the potential to become a prominent player in China’s energy portfolio,” said Li Junfeng, Secretary General of CREIA. “It will take on a key role in saving China from the current water crisis, air pollution issues and massive GHG emissions caused by a reliance on coal.”

The annual industry analysis predicts that China’s installed wind power capacity will be between 200 and 300 GW by 2020 and over 400 GW by 2030. And that by 2030, wind power will make up about 8.4% of China’s total electricity generation, and 15% of China’s installed capacity. It estimates that in 2011 China’s wind energy sector generated 71.5 billion kilowatt hours, equivalant to the annual electricity demand of over 47 million households. (1)

“There is every reason that China should support wind power: resources are abundant, production costs are lowering, and the technology is maturing, all of which make commercial development very promising,” said Li Yan who heads the climate and energy campaign of Greenpeace East Asia.

“After years of development in the country’s north, northeastern and northwestern areas, where wind resources are abundant but power consumption is relatively low, wind power now is also spreading in densely-populated areas,” Li Yan continued. “Eastern and southern China are accelerating their steps and a diversified development pattern is taking shape.”

According to the report, non-traditional markets such as Guangxi, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Henan, Tianjin, Yunnan and Anhui doubled capacity growth in 2011. Meanwhile, Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong and Fujian surpassed their 1 GW milestone.

Li Yan points out that the report attributes bad connectivity to the grid and curtailment as the major hurdles to the development of wind power in China in 2011 – at least 5 billion yuan, or half of the accumulated profits of the sector, were lost due to curtailment.

“An effective mechanism must be in place to clearly identify the grid’s responsibilities and effectively minimize curtailment of wind-generated electricity,” added Li Junfeng of CREIA.

“Globally speaking, Asia will become the world’s biggest wind power market, topping Europe and North America,” says Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council. “Apart from China being the world leader, other Asian countries such as India, Japan and South Korea will also see a booming wind power sector in the coming five years.”

Media Contact:

Tang Damin
Media Officer
Mobile: +86 13911526274
Tel: +86 65546931-185

(1) This is based on assumption that the average Chinese household uses 1,500 kWh of electricity every year.

Illegal trade and scientific whaling undermine whale protection in Korea

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 06:00:00 +0200

Seoul, 17 September 2012 — Greenpeace today urged the Korean government to ensure protection of whales in Korean waters and totally abandon further plans to reconsider scientific whaling in 2013, after backtracking from it this year due to strong international criticism.

In front of the government complex in Seoul, Greenpeace activists demonstrated with a 15-meter long inflatable whale and banners saying "Korean gov't, don't kill whales anymore".

The new Greenpeace report “Disappearing Whales: Korea’s Inconvenient Truth” shows how poor management by the government have perpetuated illegal whaling and trade, with as many as 400 to 500 Minke whales killed yearly (1) in stark contrast to official Minke bycatch count of around 90 cases per year. Minke whales in the Korean waters belong to the protected J-stock Minkes found in Northern Pacific.

"The population of Minke whales in Korean waters is not recovering as the government claims. In fact, according to data submitted by their own scientists it is decreasing by 5-7% annually (2). On top of that, the high rate of bycatch and illegal whaling could threaten the population further,” said Jeonghee Han, Greenpeace East Asia Oceans Campaigner.

Greenpeace also called the Korean government's scientific whaling plans as nothing but thinly disguised commercial whaling, identical to the much-maligned Japanese scientific whaling activities.

“Scientific whaling is unnecessary as there are non-lethal methods such as biopsy sampling and satellite tagging that are widely used to study whale biology. The Korean government should abandon its plan to introduce scientific whaling,” she added.

Whales are iconic representatives of marine biodiversity. By protecting these flagship species and their habitat other oceanic creatures can also be conserved.

Greenpeace ship, MY Esperanza, is currently on its Ocean Defender's Tour in South Korea to raise awareness on the negative impacts of overfishing to our marine ecosystem.

Greenpeace is campaigning for better fishery management to end overfishing and to support a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans, both necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health and to maintain living oceans and ample fish for future generations.

DOWNLOAD the full report

MEDIA CONTACTS

Arthur Dionio, Greenpeace International Communications, +66814451398
Jeonghee Han, Greenpeace East Asia Oceans Campaigner, 010-96160209 jeonghee.han@greenpeace.org

1) Figures are from Kim, Ma Seon (2010), War against illegal whaling in order to secure whaling quota from the IWC., BusanIlbo.

http://news20.busan.com/controller/newsController.jsp?newsId=20100721000058

2) IUCN

http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iucn_position_on_scientific_whaling_in_korea_13_july_2012.pdf

Greenpeace accuses top Korean fishing company of unsustainable fishing practices

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:00:00 +0200

Seoul, 11 September 2012 — Greenpeace today accused Dongwon Industries, South Korea's largest fishing company, of using unsustainable methods in its tuna fishing operations. In a non-violent protest, Greenpeace climbers covered the entrance of Dongwon's headquarters with a fishing net and image of a big fishbone with a slogan that says “Dongwon Korea's No.1 Ocean Plunderer”. The protest coincides with the Ocean Defender's Tour of Greenpeace ship MV Esperanza in South Korea to raise awareness on the negative impacts of overfishing to our marine ecosystem.

Greenpeace representatives also handed company officials a giant tuna can with messages from hundreds of consumers urging the company to change its destructive fishing practices and commit to sustainable fishing.

According to Greenpeace, Dongwon continues to sell yellow fin tuna in its product line despite scientific warnings that the species is threatened by overfishing. Dongwon also uses fish aggregation device (FAD) with its purse seine fleets that result in the indiscriminate scooping of all types of marine animals congregating under such device -- thus resulting to a large amount of unwanted bycatch.

“Dongwon is the biggest tuna company in South Korea in terms of fishing capacity and dominates the canned tuna market in the country with more than 50% market share. However, their business methods and policies are not sustainable. We are here to show the public that the company's fishing prowess is done on the back of overfishing and indiscriminate bycatch, which contributes to tuna species depletion," said Yuen Ping Chow, Greenpeace East Asia Senior Oceans Campaigner.

Greenpeace is calling on Dongwon to commit to stopping the use of FADs in its purse seine fishing, stop selling Pacific yellowfin and bigeye products, and support the set up of marine reserve in the Pacific ocean where it relies for a large portion of its tuna supply.

Last week, Greenpeace released its canned tuna ranking in South Korea that ranked Dongwon last place due to its destructive fishing practices and a refusal to commit to sustainable fishing.

“People are now concerned about the environment. Consumers want to buy products from sustainable sources. As the number one tuna brand in Korea, Dongwon should listen to its customers, then take the lead in sustainability, both nationally and internationally,” On this page Yuen Ping Chow added.

Greenpeace is asking tuna brands globally to implement policies that support the conservation of tuna species and reduction of destructive fishing. Already, due to Greenpeace pressure, major tuna retailers in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Italy have improved their sourcing policy and provided consumers with sustainable products they have demanded.

Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans and for a more sustainable fishing industry, both necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health for future generations.

Greenpeace shows the hidden secret of canned tuna

Monica Tan — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 03:30:00 +0200

Seoul, 5 September 2012 — Greenpeace released its first-ever sustainability ranking of 3 major canned tuna brands sold in Korea, called “The hidden secret of canned tuna.” The ranking exposes the destructive fishing practices and bycatch problems of tuna fisheries.

In the ranking, Dongwon, the biggest tuna brand in Korea ranks at the bottom, lagging behind Sajo and Ottogi. Greenpeace is urging all tuna brands in Korea to improve their fishing and sourcing policies and to not use destructive fishing methods such as purse seine fishing with Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs).

Korea currently ranks second globally in terms of its tuna catch. According to KOFA Yearbook 2010, the total catch of Korea’s purse seine tuna fishing fleet in 2010 was 278,227 tonnes, 95% of which came from the Pacific. Korean tuna fisheries are plagued by overfishing and destructive Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) that capture ocean life along with tuna, including turtles, sharks, whales and rays as well juvenile tunas and other species at risk of overfishing.

“As the largest canned tuna brand in Korea with more than 50% of market share, Dongwon is lagging behind global leaders on sustainability in the tuna sector.” said Yuen Ping Chow, Greenpeace East Asia senior oceans campaigner. “If consumers knew about the wasted ocean life and imperilled fish caught to produce their can of tuna, they would think twice at the supermarket. Canned tuna is a Korean staple, found in every supermarket chain, but our children may not be able to eat tuna gimbap anymore if the industry does notchange.”

Greenpeace sent out questionnaires to the three big Korean tuna brands in August to ask about the sustainability, traceability, legality, equity, sourcing policy and transparency in their supply chains. This ranking is based on the replies from the companies themselves. Dongwon provided no information on the sustainability of its tuna - the only company that did not respond to the Greenpeace tuna survey. In contrast, Sajo has taken positive steps to improve their products’ sustainability and have a plan to increase fairness of their products by increasing the percentage of tuna sourced from locally owned and operated fleets in the Pacific.

Both Sajo and Ottogi are in our orange category which means their sustainability policies are weak, especially in comparison to leaders elsewhere. Greenpeace is campaigning for tuna brands to abandon destructive fishing methods including FADs, set on purse seine nets and to support a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans, both necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health and to maintain living oceans and ample fish for future generations.

Greenpeace Report Predicts Widespread Water Crises Caused by China’s Northwestern Coal Power Bases

Monica Tan — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:00:00 +0200

August 14, 2012, Beijing – At least some 10 billion cubic meters of water – equivalent to about one sixth of the annual total water volume of the Yellow River – will be consumed by 16 new coal power bases in China in 2015, triggering severe water crises in the country’s arid Northwest, a new Greenpeace report claims.

“The truth is, in this part of the country, even a single drop of water is too precious to be squandered. China is basically trading water rights of millions for energy,” says Li Yan, Greenpeace East Asia Climate and Energy Campaign Manager, also citing a statistic that says per capita water supply in China’s coal-rich areas is one tenth of the national average. “It’s plain sad to see these coal power bases add another layer of meaning to their dirty nature.”

Greenpeace commisioned the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources under the Chinese Academy of Sciences to carry out the study, which calculates the least amount of water required by the total of 16 coal power bases that China plans to construct during the period of its 12^th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015). View the report here.

The conclusion is: if finished as planned, these coal bases, while providing the majority of China’s coal output and over one third of coal power generation capacity in 2015, will consume at least 9.975 billion cubic meters of water. As a result, arid Northwestern provinces such as Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Ningxia, where 11 of these coal bases are situated, will see their water supply capacity severely challenged in three years time.

“Two years into the five year plan, it’s time to rethink the pros and cons of this westward coal expansion, and acknowledge the profoundly painful heritage they will leave: huge carbon emissions, horrible air pollution, and now, a grim future for vast arid areas," adds Li.

About two thirds of this huge amount of water will be used for water-intensive coal extraction, with the pumping out of ground water a prelude to extraction. As Greenpeace witnessed in the country’s biggest coal power bases, located in Eastern Inner Mongolia, such unchecked depletion of ground water resources in the arid grassland has already accelerated grassland and wetland degradation, forcing herders to seek alternative livelihoods.

“For China, energy is vital, but water is life. While energy can and is already being generated via renewable sources, the depletion of water is irreversible,” Li continues. “The Chinese government must find a way out of this dilemma and protect the one truly indispensible resource.”

Greenpeace strongly urges China’s authorities to immediately carry out a strict and robust water-demand assessment on China’s coal power bases and their overall environment impact on the respective regions. More importantly, it demands China's energy and development authorities take the lead in adjusting the development plans of China's coal energy bases, so that those projects which threaten the environment or water security are urgently revised to ensure sustainable socio-economic development.

View the report: Thirsty Coal: A Water Crisis Exacerbated

Media Contact:

Tang Damin
Media Officer
Mobile: +86 13911526274
Tel: +86 65546931-185

Greenpeace found widespread unregulated chemicals in China's urban households

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 07:30:00 +0200

July 31, 2012, Beijing – A Greenpeace investigation has found an alarming range of hazardous chemicals in dust collected from households in various Chinese cities. These synthetic substances most likely come from materials used in making consumer products, such as electronics, and fashion. This indicates that China’s poor regulation of industrial chemicals is leaving a deep environmental footprint, a chemical assault.

"In an indoor environment, household dust does more than indicate the levels of these hazardous chemicals; it is a means by which people are exposed to them. This means that the very dust that yielded these results represents a toxic danger to the people living in the households from which it was collected," said Wang Weikang, Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner.

In March and April, Greenpeace collected dust from a total of 11 households, located in 5 different Chinese cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Changsha. It then sent the samples to an independent laboratory in the Netherlands for testing of four groups of hazardous chemicals: Phthalates, Brominated Flame Retardants (PBDEs & HBCD), Organotins, and Perfluorinated Chemicals.

“There was no clean sample,” Wang said. The results show that all four groups of hazardous chemicals exist in each of the 11 dust samples. Scientific studies have linked these chemicals with disrupting the endocrine system, immune system, nervous system, and reproductive system.

“It’s frightening to realize that while the existence of hazardous chemicals seems to be rampant, China’s regulation of these chemicals is nothing more than minimal,” said Wang Weikang.

Chinese authorities have, so far, enacted almost no regulation of these chemicals, despite their apparent toxicity, except for a limitation of PBDEs in electronics. In contrast, some other countries are already committed to working towards “zero discharge” of them.

“China will accelerate its slide into a toxic future if it does not start regulating the use of these chemicals now,” adds Wang Weikang. “Some countries in the developed world, such as the EU member states, already have a roadmap for phasing them out. It is vital that China catches up.”

Greenpeace strongly urges the Chinese government to embrace a toxics-free future by setting up a robust chemical management system based on the precautionary principle and the substitution principle (1). The plan must cover all chemicals known or suspected to be toxic to the environment and human health, and must emphasize the systematic elimination of the most hazardous ones. An information disclosure mechanism must also be established to ensure the public’s access to information about hazardous chemicals in consumer products and information about the environment in which they live.

Media Contacts:

Tang Damin
Media Officer
Mobile: +86 139 115 26274
Tel: +86 655 469 31185

(1) Precautionary principle: In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. (“Rio declaration” principle 15)

Substitution principle: hazardous chemicals should be systematically substituted by less hazardous alternatives or preferably alternatives for which no hazards can be identified.

Greenpeace ship sets sail to map sea ice and protect fragile Arctic

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:30:00 +0200

Svalbard, Norway – The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise will depart on Friday for a month-long expedition in the icy Arctic as part of the environment group’s new campaign to save the pristine region.

Carrying an international crew from every habitable continent including Girl Guides, Chinese celebrities, filmmakers, activists and Cambridge University scientists, the ship will depart from the remote Norwegian island Svalbard on June 29, for a two-leg sea voyage. The ship will be sailing in the Fram Strait between Svalbard and Greenland.

“The Arctic Ocean is at threat from climate change, oil drilling and destructive fishing. It’s time to draw a line in the ice and say you come no further to destructive industries profiting from a rapidly changing Arctic. The Arctic needs protection, not industry,” said Frida Bengtsson, Arctic Campaigner for Greenpeace Nordic.

Greenpeace is campaigning for a global sanctuary to be declared around the uninhabited area of the North Pole. After one million people have signed the Arctic Scroll, Greenpeace will plant on the seabed at the North Pole, 4km beneath the ice, an Arctic Scroll containing the first one million names who sign up to the campaign.

The spot will be marked by a Flag for the Future, designed by the world’s youth in a competition organised by the global Girl Guide movement. Two Girl Guides, Miryam Justo from Peru and Yvette Sena Blankson from Ghana, will now spend a week at sea on the Arctic Sunrise.

“The future of our world is in the hands of young people, especially girls and young women. We firmly believe that girls and young women must be at the centre of all policy and programme developments that aim to ensure our environment’s future,” said Nadine El Achy, Chairman, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Demonstrating the Arctic is for everyone and not just for the Arctic states, Chinese pop singer Hu Haiquan, a member of the highly popular duet Yu Quan from China, will also be on board, as will popular social activist and columnist, Fred Lam, from Hong Kong.

In the second leg, starting on July 9, scientists led by Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University will work together with 3D scanning experts and engineers to capture the true shape of Arctic sea ice for the first time.

Using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to measure the underside of the ice and surface laser scanners to measure its top, the group will obtain 3D models of entire ice floes, including pressure ridges.

“The emphasis on pressure ridges is because these ice deformation features – which can be as much as 50 metres deep – contain about half of the ice in the Arctic, yet have been shrinking in numbers and thickness much faster than the ice as a whole,” said Wadhams.

“We need to see if they are melting, or disintegrating, or both.”

Greenpeace is launching its “Save the Arctic” ship tour as oil major Shell plans to begin exploratory drilling at two offshore sites in the Alaskan Arctic in coming weeks.

Besides the Arctic Sunrise Motley Crew tour, the Greenpeace ship the Esperanza will sail along the US Pacific Coast to shadow Shell’s operations.

Contacts

Frida Bengtsson, Arctic Campaigner for Greenpeace Nordic, on board the Arctic Sunrise, +47 95281199
Jessica Wilson, Communications Manager, Greenpeace International, +44 7896 893 118
Aaron Gray-Block, Media Relations, Greenpeace International, +31 6 46 16 2026

Photos available from Greenpeace International, Alex Yallop on +31 (0) 624 94 19 65
Videos available from Greenpeace International, Dannielle Taaffe on +31 20718 22472

Customers join Greenpeace to call for clean-energy iCloud at Apple stores

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:30:00 +0200

5 May 2012 – Apple customers joined Greenpeace’s activities around the world today to ask Apple for a cleaner cloud as part of a campaign to get the company to power its massive data centres with renewable energy instead of coal. In Hong Kong Greenpeace activists played off the theme of Apple’s “genius bar” by setting up their own “Supergenius bars” near of store in Central, where they gave customers advice on how to ask Apple for a cleaner cloud. Besides Hong Kong, activists around the world visited Apple Stores in 20 other cities.

“The growing support from Apple’s customers – including the ones at stores today and the hundreds of thousands online – should send a signal to Apple that it’s time to catch up to companies like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo, who are taking steps to ensure that as the cloud grows, it grows in a clean way,” said Yeung Man-yau, Greenpeace Campaigner.

Over 200,000 people have signed Greenpeace’s petition calling on Apple to commit to powering its iCloud with clean energy, and over 100,000 people have viewed its “Apple – Introducing iCoal” video spoofing the company’s iCloud.

Greenpeace released a report, “How Clean is Your Cloud?” last month that evaluated 14 IT companies based on key elements needed to build a clean cloud, including the electricity supply chain of over 80 data centres associated with major brands. The report found that Google and Yahoo are showing commitment to clean energy while Apple, Amazon and Microsoft rely heavily on dirty, outdated coal and nuclear energy to deliver their clouds.

Apple has made an investment in solar energy to provide a part of the current power for its growing data centre in North Carolina, but they can do much more to clean up their rapidly growing iCloud. While Apple has stated that its Prineville, Oregon facility will be “100 % renewable” they haven’t disclosed enough information about how they will provide power for that data centre. The only known plans, disclosed by the utility there, are that Apple will buy renewable energy “credits,” which may help Apple’s reputation but won’t power the iCloud with one electron more of clean energy.

Apple should commit to greater transparency, follow the lead of Facebook, who has committed to power its data centres with renewable energy, and set a policy to build future data centres in locations that have access to renewable energy. Apple can also use their market power to encourage utilities like Duke Energy, which will partly power their North Carolina data centre, to provide clean energy options and stop the use of mountaintop removal coal.

Companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo are beginning to lead the sector down a clean energy pathway through innovations in energy efficiency, prioritizing access to renewable energy in siting their data centres, and demanding better energy options from utilities and government decision-makers. Greenpeace is calling on all IT companies with cloud services, including Apple, to:

Be more transparent about their energy usage and carbon footprint, and to share innovative solutions so that the sector as a whole can improve.

Commit to powering the cloud with renewable energy, and make access to renewable energy a key factor in deciding where to build future data centres.

Invest in or directly purchase renewable energy.

Demand that governments and electric utilities increase the amount of renewable electricity available on the grid.

Online Petition：

http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/cleanourcloud-actnow

Media Contact

Yeung, Man-yau, Greenpeace Campaigner
Phone： 2854 8337 / 9648 5995
Email：yau.yeung@greenpeace.org

Josephine Ng, Greenpeace Senior Communications Officer
Phone： 28548332 / 9704 6210
Email：jng@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace activists turned back at Daya Bay Nuclear Emergency Drill

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:45:00 +0200

April 26, 2012, Hong Kong - Today is the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It's also a day in which the Hong Kong SAR Government is holding a two-day inter-departmental nuclear plant drill at Tung Ping Chau. 17 Greenpeace activists, symbolizing the citizens of Hong Kong from 17 districts that were left out of the drill, arrived on the island to protest the government.

However the activists were turned back when demanding to participate in the drill. They then unfurled a banner saying ‘Save our home from nuclear risks’ amid the government’s safety drill. Greenpeace Senior Campaigner Prentice Koo points out that the security bureau by excluding the rest of Hong Kong from the event proves again that she cannot protect the whole of Hong Kong during a nuclear crisis.

Koo said, ‘If nuclear crisis in the scale of Chernobyl were to ever happen in Daya Bay, Hong Kong citizens have no place to hide. Yet the government keeps saying only Tung Ping Chau will be affected and had the audacity to vouch for the safety of radiation on recent TV commercials. They have taken the easy way out: evading nuclear crisis management and replacing it with nuclear propaganda.’ The drill was also carried out under the lowest level of possible crisis situations, Scenario 3, according to global standards. This is not enough to protect Hong Kong citizens from a serious disaster, Koo added.

After the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the Government reviewed the ‘Daya Bay Contingency Plan’ but failed to improve it. Greenpeace demands the new Chief Executive of HKSAR drop all nuclear expansion plans and phase out future plans for the Daya Bay nuclear plant.

Besides dropping the nuclear expansion plan, Greenpeace also demands the new Chief Executive of HKSAR phase out their Daya Bay nuclear plan by enhancing power interconnection between Hong Kong Electric and the China Light and Power, as well as further develop policies that achieve energy efficiency and renewable energy.

View full set of photos on Facebook.

Media Contacts:

Prentice Koo, Greenpeace Senior Campaigner

E-mail: wkoo@greenpeace.org

Josephine Ng, Greenpeace Senior Communications Officer

E-mail: jng@greenpeace.org

Fukushima must be a lesson to Korea's nuclear industry – Greenpeace report

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:48:00 +0200

Busan, Korea, 26 April 2012 -- While Japan is still investigating the Fukushima accident and has halted all but one of its 54 nuclear reactors out of safety concerns, Korea is further extending its nuclear fleet, Greenpeace said today.

On the 26^th Anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, Greenpeace today released its “Lessons from Fukushima” report (in Korean) at a press conference on the Esperanza in the port of Busan, close to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant that had an accident in February this year.

Greenpeace International’s Fukushima expert and nuclear campaigner Jan Vande Putte, led a radiation team to the scene in Japan not long after the Fukushima accident.

"The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident was not a natural disaster. Nuclear power is inherently dangerous. Japan was highly prepared for natural disasters – probably more than anywhere else in the world, but they could still not deal with Fukushima. This could happen anywhere in the world,” he said.

Greenpeace East Asia has updated the international organisation’s report with some lessons for Korea. It has looked in detail at the Kori plant near Busan - to see what lessons might be learned, and found some serious failings.

Kori 1 plant suffered a blackout in February, causing the cooling systems in the reactor to fail and temperatures to rise to 58.3 degC in just 19 minutes of power failure. The event wasn’t reported to authorities until one month later and led to the recent resignation of KHNP (Korean Hydro & Nuclear Power) President and CEO Jon-shin Kim.

Suh Hyung Lim, Climate and Energy Campaigner from Greenpeace East Asia’s Seoul office said:

"There are 4.01 million people living within 30km Kori Nuclear Power Plant - 20 times that of Fukushima. And 3.41 million live in the city of Busan. If an accident of a similar size occurred it would cause so much more damage in Korea."

"After Fukushima, the Japanese Government extended the emergency evacuation zone to 30km. But South Korea’s emergency planning zone remains at 8-10 km. We simply can never be ready for anything like this kind of accident,” said Lim.

“People in Busan would be trapped and exposed to very high levels of radiation, as the evacuation of millions of people would be practically impossible in a short time.”

“The Kori power plant, including the new site, Shin-Kori, is already bigger than Fukushima. Yet the Korean Government plans to keep on building reactors here. Ultimately, this massive plant would consist of 12 reactors: the biggest nuclear power plant in the world. All that massive amount of radiation near such a large population is extremely dangerous. The attitude of the Korean authorities is irresponsible,” added Jan Vande Putte.

Greenpeace’s ship The Esperanza is in South Korea for its 20 day “Hope Energy tour.” Last week saw the release of Greenpeace's Energy [R] evolution report showing that the country could get out of nuclear energy by 2030 and be better off economically, and create more jobs.

Greenpeace activists occupy HK Apple store with 'dark cloud'

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0200

25 April 2012 – Today 10 Greenpeace activists visited the Apple flagship store in Central with 4 gigantic “black clouds’ with the text ‘iClean?’ as part of the global campaign to get the company to power its massive data centers with renewable energy instead of coal. Greenpeace activists also visited Apple stores worldwide in Canada, the United States, demanding the brand to ‘Clean our cloud’.

“Of all the IT companies we’ve examined in our recent report ‘How Clean is Your Cloud?’ Apple has the greatest potential to lead the sector in renewable energy and innovation,” said Yeung Man-yau, Greenpeace Campaigner. “Their history of out-of-the-box thinking and huge cash reserves positions them as the best IT company to transform the sector.”

“How Clean is Your Cloud?” evaluated 14 IT companies based on key elements needed to build a clean cloud, including the electricity supply chain of over 80 data centres associated with major brands. The report found that Google and Yahoo are showing commitment to clean energy while Apple, Amazon and Microsoft rely heavily on outdated coal and nuclear energy to deliver their clouds.

Apple has made an investment in solar energy to provide a part of the current power for its growing data centre in North Carolina, but they can do much more to clean up their rapidly growing iCloud. Despite their claims, they haven’t disclosed enough information about how they will provide power for their data centre in Prineville to prove that it will be powered with renewables.

Companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo are beginning to lead the sector down a clean energy pathway through innovations in energy efficiency, prioritising access to renewable energy in siting their data centres, and demanding better energy options from utilities and government decision-makers. Greenpeace is calling on all IT companies with cloud services, including Apple, to:

Be more transparent about their energy usage and carbon footprint, and to share innovative solutions so that the sector as a whole can improve.

Commit to powering the cloud with renewable energy, and make access to renewable energy a key factor in deciding where to build future data centres.

Invest in or directly purchase renewable energy.

Demand that governments and electric utilities increase the amount of renewable electricity available on the grid.

Online Petition：

http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/cleanourcloud-actnow

Media Contact

Yeung, Man-yau, Greenpeace Campaigner
Email：yau.yeung@greenpeace.org

Josephine Ng, Greenpeace Senior Communications Officer
Email：jng@greenpeace.org

Lipton tea bags laced with toxic pesticides

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:12:00 +0200

April 24, 2012, Beijing – A Greenpeace investigation has found that Lipton, the world’s best-selling tea brand, sold tea bags to Chinese consumers that violated Chinese laws and failed EU safety standards.

In March 2012, Greenpeace randomly purchased several boxes of Lipton tea bags produced and sold in China at two Beijing stores. The samples, which included green tea, oolong tea, jasmine tea and black tea, were then sent to an independent third-party lab for pesticide residue testing.

“This was a random selection of Lipton products from the Chinese market, and the results were scary. It also puts a big question mark over the safety of Lipton products in other markets,” said Wang Jing, Greenpeace Food and Agriculture Campaigner.

The testing found that all four Lipton samples contained pesticides that exceeded the EU’s maximum levels of residue, while three samples contained pesticides unapproved by the EU, such as Bifenthrin, which scientists say could negatively affect male hormone production.

“As the world’s best-selling tea brand, Lipton is taking advantage of China’s loose pesticide control measures at the expense of its Chinese customers,” added Wang Jing.

Some of the detected pesticides are also banned for use in tea production by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, including highly toxic Methomyl, as well as Dicofol and Endosulfan that may affect fertility.

“The results are outrageous. Lipton has committed to minimizing toxic agrochemicals in its products, but it is doing the exact opposite in China. It either had no idea what was being sprayed on its tea farms, or simply didn’t care,” Wang Jing continued.

Lipton now joins the shameful ranks of nine top Chinese tea companies whom Greenpeace also found to be selling tea laced with pesticides. A previous Greenpeace report, released on April 11, showed that all 18 tea samples produced by the nine tea brands, when tested, each contained at least three kinds of pesticides.

“It will be a huge shame if Lipton’s global sourcing and marketing systems becomes an umbrella for substandard products,” added Wang Jing.

Greenpeace demands Lipton and other tea companies operating in China drastically reduce the use of pesticides, stop the use of banned and highly toxic pesticides altogether, and establish an effective traceability and supply chain control system that ensures the reduction of pesticide use and its compliance with the law.

Read the report: Pesticide testing on Lipton tea

Media Contacts:

Tang Damin, Media Officer
Mobile: +86 13911526274
Tel: +86 65546931-185

Korean Government deports another Greenpeace campaigner

Monica Tan, Web Editor — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:02:00 +0200

20th April 2012. On the day after Greenpeace released a renewable energy scenario for Korea that would see nuclear energy phased out by 2030 (1), the South Korean Government has deported yet another key staff member from the country.

Gavin Edwards, the Greenpeace East Asia Climate and Energy Manager for the Seoul office, arrived at Incheon airport today, but was stopped at immigration and is due to be deported later today (1).

Edwards is the architect of Greenpeace's campaign to oppose nuclear energy and advocate for the growth in renewable energy in Korea. He planned to lead the "Hope Energy" ship tour, onboard Greenpeace's ship M/Y Esperanza that will tour the country to promote the campaign.

His deportation comes on the back of the South Korean Government's ejection of three other Greenpeace staff two weeks ago (2). Yesterday, Greenpeace released its "Energy [R]evolution" scenario that shows Korea can get out of nuclear energy by 2030, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, creating jobs and saving US$4 billion per year in investment and fuel costs.

"The Korean government has decided to throw money away on dangerous nuclear energy, and deal with criticism of this by blocking anyone who does not support its view. This simply does not match its long established democratic tradition," said Edwards from the Detention Centre at Incheon airport.

The deportation also follows this week's resignation of the head of Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power in the wake of a safety-related incident at the Kori nuclear plant and the exposure of the shockingly lax safety regime around the plant.

Edwards was accompanying Greenpeace International Programme Director, Pascal Husting – former head of Greenpeace France, in his first visit to Korea to launch the "Hope Energy" ship tour campaign and to host VIP visits at Greenpeace's Esperanza. Husting was allowed in.

"Trying to stop dissent about nuclear energy is against Korea's best interests. All over the world, the nuclear industry is on the run - covering up accidents and incidents and fighting the growing realisation that this form of energy is too expensive," said Husting.

"The Korean Government kicking out our people is not going to silence us, and will not stop the inevitable demise of this industry."

He will be on board the Esperanza this evening for the opening ceremony of the Korean ship tour which will be joined by the Mayor of Incheon City, Song Young Gil.

(1) He will be put on an 8 pm flight to Hong Kong this evening.

(2) The three Greenpeace senior staff who were deported on 2 April are:

i) Dr. Mario Damato, Malta/ EU passport holder, Executive Director of Greenpeace East Asia, Representative of Greenpeace in Korea

i) Fung Ka Keung, British National (Overseas) passport holder, Organisation Support and Regional Development Director, Greenpeace East Asia

ii) Rashid Kang, Malaysian passport holder, Organisational Development Manager for Greenpeace Seoul

Greenpeace report gives choice to Korea: choose renewables - or get left behind

Cindy Baxter — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0200

Seoul - 19 April 2012 -- South Korea's energy supply could switch to nearly 60% renewable by 2050, phasing out nuclear power by 2030, creating jobs, reducing the cost of energy and generating massive savings in electricity supply, according to a new study done by Greenpeace International (1).

Greenpeace today launched The Energy[R]evolution scenario for Korea, an in-depth study and model of an energy future for South Korea, carried out by Institute of Technical Thermodynamics at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), with Greenpeace International and the European Renewable Energy Council (2). The local Korean partners were Energy Alternative Forum (EAF) and Korea Federation for Environment Movement (KFEM).

Today, around 80% of Korea's primary energy supply comes from fossil fuels and 16% from nuclear energy, with just 2% supplied by renewable energy. If current South Korea policies continue, by 2050 it would invest 74% of its energy spending into nuclear power and only 20% into renewable energy and co-generation. The Greenpeace scenario turns this around to see a 90% investment into renewables and cogeneration by 2050.

"South Korea has a massive potential in energy efficiency," said Sven Teske as he launched the report aboard the Greenpeace ship "Esperanza" in Incheon, near Seoul. "Esperanza means 'hope' – and this work gives hope to a clean, renewable energy future for Korea, which is currently going down an expensive and dangerous nuclear path."

Last night, to support the launch of the report, and the beginning of the M/Y Esperanza ship tour, Greenpeace projected a message saying "New Korea New Energy" onto the dome of the building of the National Assembly in Seoul (3).

Greenpeace Korea Climate and Energy campaigner team leader Hee-Song (Pino) Lee said the report should be a wake-up call for the Government, which not only had failed to look at alternatives to nuclear, but was also misleading the people.

"This report exposes the cheap nuclear lies our Government is selling the Korean people. If we dropped nuclear power we could save around $4 billion a year in energy investments – from now to 2050. This money could cut university fees almost in half (4), improving Korea's future
competitiveness in terms of the economy and our brainpower. We would all be better off under this scenario."

A US report released just last week (5) showed Korea ranked only 15th in the G20 for its investments in renewable energy, lagging behind all its Asian G20 partners, including Indonesia and India.

"It shameful that Korea's investment in renewable energy does not live up to its international reputation as a stronger promoter of the Green Growth paradigm. Korea sees itself as an innovative economy – but this is far from the truth for the energy sector. But it's not too late to change direction and our report shows this," said Lee.

He called on the Government of South Korea to immediately phase out all subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear energy, to introduce mandatory efficiency standards and establish legally binding targets for renewable energy.

Ahn Byung-ok, of the Energy Alternative Forum and the Institute for Climate Change Action said: "The future belongs to sun and wind, not nuclear. Greenpeace's Energy [R]evolution scenario clearly shows the future direction that Korean society should be headed."

Wonyoung Yangyi, Director of KFEM, added "A high efficiency society achieved through an expansion of renewable energy and a smart demand management is the only way to escape from the risks of nuclear energy. Since Korea has a huge potential for renewable energy and energy
efficiency, realising Greenpeace's Energy [R]evolution scenario is not that difficult. What will really make the difference is political will."

(1) The Korea Energy [R]evolution models three energy scenarios: The reference scenario (current policies – from 2009), the Energy [R]evolution scenario and the Advanced Energy [R]evolution Scenario.

(2) Greenpeace has published three global editions of the Energy [R]evolution, the latest being in 2010, and has carried out country-specific scenarios in over 30 countries or regions. The first
global edition, published in January 2007, projected a global installed renewable capacity of 156 GW by 2010. By the end of 2009, 158 GW had been installed. http://www.energyblueprint.info/

(3) The projection, in English and Korean, was carried out overnight. Images are available for media.

(4) Korean MP Yoo Won-il (Creative Korea Party) has calculated that cutting student university fees in half would cost about USD$5 billion. Under the Advanced Energy [R]evolution, investment in the energy sector would be much lower without nuclear – around USD$4 billion a year.

(5) The report was published on April 11 by Pew Charitable Trusts in the US can be found at http://bit.ly/HybYFx . Korea contributed just 0.1% of the total G20 investment into renewable energy, recording a 5-year growth rate of -9%, beaten by Japan which ranked 8 with a 3.8% shares of total G20 investment and 5-year growth rate of +22%. Korea even lags behind developing countries like Indonesia and India in all categories in significant figures.

Banned pesticides found in teas produced by popular Chinese tea brands

Damin Tang — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:00:00 +0200

A Greenpeace investigation has found pesticides banned for use on tea in the products marketed by some of China's top tea companies. Some of the firms, which include China Tea, Tenfu Tea and China Tea King, export tea products to Japan, the US and Europe.

In December 2011 and January 2012, Greenpeace bought 18 tea products from nine tea companies in China. The tea products, including green tea, oolong tea and jasmine tea, were purchased from stores located in Beijing, Chengdu and Haikou. The prices were between RMB120 (about 19 US Dollars) and RMB2000 (about 318 US Dollars) per kilogram.

"Seven of those firms are among China's Top 10 tea sellers, and they are all selling tea tainted with banned pesticides. It's a huge embarrassment for China's tea industry," said Wang Jing, Greenpeace Food and Agriculture campaigner.

Independent testing conducted by an accredited lab found that 12 of the 18 samples contained at least one pesticide banned for use on tea, such as methomyl and endosulfan (1).

"These companies have failed both their domestic and international consumers," added Wang Jing. "You don't know how many people – and for how long – have unknowingly been drinking toxic pesticides in their tea."

The testing also found that all 18 tea samples contained at least three pesticides, with 17 pesticides found in the worst sample. A total of 14 samples were found to have pesticides that may affect fertility, harm an unborn child or cause heritable genetic damage.

China is the world's biggest producer of tea, and it is also the world's biggest user of pesticides. China's Ministry of Agriculture says it aims to reduce nationwide pesticide use in 2015 by 20% (2), and has expanded its coverage of green pest management of vegetables, fruits and tea.

"Large tea producers have every reason to take action immediately and reduce pesticide use substantially," added Wang Jing. "They know how to solve this problem, but they must take action now."

Greenpeace demands China's tea companies stop the use of highly toxic pesticides altogether, drastically reduce the use of pesticides, and establish an effective traceability and supply chain control system that ensures the reduction of pesticide use and its compliance with the law.

Read the full report: Pesticides: Hidden Ingredients in Chinese Tea

Media Contacts:

Tang Damin, Media Officer
Mobile: +86 13911526274
Tel: +86 65546931-185

(1) Methomyl and endosulfan are banned for use on tea according to Announcement No.1586 issued by China's Ministry of Agriculture on June 15, 2011.

(2) MoA website http://www.moa.gov.cn/zwllm/zwdt/201106/t20110615_2030663.htm

Greenpeace staff blocked from entering South Korea as Government cracks down on nuclear opposition

Greg McNevin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 06:51:00 +0200

Seoul, South Korea, 2 April, 2012: Three Greenpeace senior staff members accompanying the organisation’s International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo were today denied entry and deported from South Korea, highlighting the Government’s growing willingness to suppress voices speaking out against its nuclear energy expansion ambitions.

With the environmental organisation’s ship M/Y Esperanza due to tour South Korea in mid April to launch its local Energy [R]evolution and no-nuclear campaign (1), Naidoo and Greenpeace East Asia Executive Director Mario Damato were visiting the country to promote the launch. The two were also to meet with the Mayor of Seoul Park Woon Soon, the Mayor of Incheon Song Young Gil, local politicians, media, and other NGOs. However, Damato and two other staff were stopped at immigration, and will be deported at 8pm today despite Naidoo being granted entry.

“Yet again we see that democracy and nuclear power don’t mix. The nuclear industry cannot stand public scrutiny, and the people of South Korea should be asking themselves what do the industry and government have to hide? What conversation would my colleagues from Greenpeace start that is so challenging that they deserve to be banned from the country? Are they concerned about Greenpeace’s finding in Fukushima and Chernobyl? Or is it our critique of nuclear economics?” said Naidoo.

The deportation of Damato and two senior Greenpeace staff overseeing development of its Seoul office (2) is the latest in a string of moves by authorities to quash criticism of its nuclear expansion plans. The first occurred in August, 2011, when following a Greenpeace announcement that it would be opening an office in Seoul, the Government declared it would be spending an additional 10 billion won ($9 million US) promoting nuclear energy (3).

“Our deportation is a wakeup call for the people of South Korea of what they can expect if their country expands its already unhealthy reliance on nuclear power and allows this kind of crackdown to continue,” said Damato from the detention centre inside Seoul’s Incheon International Airport. “It is absolutely unacceptable for the authorities to shrink the democratic space and pressure legitimate voices of concern. We will resist any attempt to silence us.”

Greenpeace is demanding a meeting with the relevant government authorities regarding the deportation of its senior staff members.

“Japan is now suffering the huge economic, environmental and social costs of gambling with nuclear power. South Korea cannot afford to go down the same path,” said Naidoo. “Greenpeace urges the Korean government to listen to the lessons of Fukushima (4), and to invest in a truly clean, safe, and sustainable energy scenario as laid out in Greenpeace’s Energy Revolution.”

ENDS

Greenpeace is an independent, non-profit organisation with a presence in 41 countries. To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments or corporations but relies on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants. www.greenpeace.org/korea

Contacts:

International media: Greg McNevin, Greenpeace International Communications, greg.mcnevin@greenpeace.org, +82 10 4836 3224

Korean media: Junghoon Choi, Greenpeace East Asia Communications, Seoul, junghoon.choi@greenpeace.org, + 82 10 4089 6980

Greenpeace International Press Desk Hotline, Amsterdam +31 20 7182470

Notes:

1) The Energy Revolution E[R] is a science-based energy outlook that provides a detailed practical blueprint for cutting carbon emissions while achieving economic growth by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and energy efficiency. A special E[R] report for Korea will be launched during the Korea “Hope Energy Ship Tour” http://bit.ly/HkcTsp

For international version: http://www.energyblueprint.info

2) The three Greenpeace senior staff who were deported are:

i) Dr. Mario Damato, Malta/ EU passport holder, Executive Director of Greenpeace East Asia, Representative of Greenpeace in Korea

i) Fung Ka Keung, British National (Overseas) passport holder, Organisation Support and Regional Development Director, Greenpeace East Asia

ii) Rashid Kang, Malaysian passport holder, Organisational Development Manager for Greenpeace Seoul

3) “The announcement that it would open its Korean office and anti-nuclear
protests seemed enough to make the authorities here watchful of future
Greenpeace actions. According to local news media, the Korea Nuclear
Energy Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy will
seek to set aside 10 billion won ($9.3 million) next year to beef up
the publicity of nuclear energy safety.” http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110819000786

4) Lessons from Fukushima report including executive summary: http://www.greenpeace.org/korea/news/publications/

Greenpeace ship Esperanza urges action to save Pacific tuna

Monica Tan — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:00:00 +0100

Kaohsiung, 23 March 2012 – The Greenpeace ship Esperanza arrived in Kaohsiung to kick start a two-week-tour calling for marine conservation measures. Having sailed all over the world to expose illegal fishing activities, document and survey our oceans, the Esperanza just finished a 3-month expedition in the Pacific. With the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting in Guam beginning on 26 March, Esperanza is urging Taiwan's Fisheries Agency to support sustainable fishing policies, including creating more fully-protected marine reserves, banning destructive Fish Aggregating Devices in purse seine fisheries, and reducing bigeye tuna fishing efforts by 50%.

"The futures of the Pacific tuna and the fishing industry are strongly connected. At the WCPFC, the Taiwanese Fisheries Agency should support the closure of the Pacific Commons to all fishing, if they truly care about sustainability," said Yu-fen Kao, senior oceans campaigner of Greenpeace East Asia.

Roughly 60% of the world's tuna comes from the Western and Central Pacific. With 1600 fishing fleets, Taiwan is the largest fishing power in the area in terms of both the number of vessels and fishing capacity.

On March 26, officials from the Taiwanese Fisheries Agency will be among the 25 governments attending the WCPFC meeting in Guam. A numbers of sustainable fishing policies enacted in 2008 will be reviewed, including the creation of marine reserves in the Pacific Commons, a ban on destructive Fish Aggregation Devices and a 50% reduction of bigeye tuna catches. Taiwan and other member governments play a pivotal role in this meeting to put aside short-term economic benefits, value the region's precious fisheries resource to help relieve over-fishing.

Before coming to Taiwan, Esperanza was engaged in a three month "Defending our Pacific"ship tour, investigating and confronting illegal fishing activities. The project leader from the "Defending Our Pacific" tour, Lagi Toribau, said "We found illegal activities are still rampant in the Pacific Commons. This shows that better management is urgently needed if the Pacific, its tuna and its people are to survive."

With the decline of tuna population in other regions, the Western and Central Pacific Ocean has become one of the last viable tuna fishing grounds. "The Pacific tuna is in dire straits as fishing fleets from Asia, EU and the US are literally fishing out the oceans. To some Pacific Island nations, tuna is the major source of protein and is a lifeline for their people. As a Pacific Islander, I am urging the Taiwanese government as well as other responsible players to support the urgently needed conservation measures in the upcoming WCPFC meeting, to restore our oceans to health."

Image © Elliot Hsiao / Greenpeace

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Renee Chou, communications officer, Greenpeace East Asia (based in Taipei).
rchou@greenpeace.org

Yen Ning, oceans campaigner, Greenpeace East Asia (based in Taipei).
ning.yen@greenpeace.org

Taiwan says: No more hot air on tuna conservation

Monica Tan — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:00:00 +0100

Taipei, March 3, 2012 – Greenpeace flew its famous hot air balloon over Taipei for the first time to urge the Taiwanese Fisheries Agency and other Asian fishing powers to protect the Pacific and its valuable tuna populations in the upcoming Western and

Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting in Guam later this month.

"The hot air balloon is here in Taiwan to tell people of the urgent need for changes in the way we manage Pacific fisheries at this year's Pacific tuna commission meeting in Guam. Greenpeace is urging Taiwan's Fisheries Agency and other commission attendees to defend our oceans, not the narrow fishing industry interests and support true conservation," said Yen Ning, oceans campaigner from Greenpeace East Asia.

This WCPFC meeting will revisit oceans conservation measures put in place in 2008 that were meant to rescue the region's declining bigeye tuna stocks. Scientists are calling for more far -reaching action to reverse the decline, which is why Greenpeace is demanding the Guam meeting expand the current fishing bans in place in the area known as the Pacific Commons. Many fishing powers are working to unravel these measures.

Roughly 60% of the world's tuna comes from the Western and Central Pacific. Due to overfishing, three of four major tuna species that live in those waters are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s red list as "threatened."

"Greenpeace is demanding that fishing powers to follow the lead of the Pacific island nations and protect the Pacific Commons, ban destructive Fish Aggregation Devices in purse seine fisheries and reduce tuna fishing efforts by 50%. These urgently needed changes will help secure a future for the millions of people dependent on Pacific tuna for food and jobs," added Yen Ning.

The hot air balloon activity marked the beginning of a series of Greenpeace oceans events in March across the region. The organization's ship MV Esperanza will arrive in Kaohsiung harbor on the 23rd of March, just three days before the opening of this year's WCPFC meeting. The Esperanza earlier this week exposed the abuse of Indian fishing license schemes by Taiwanese longline vessels in the Indian Ocean and late last year busted illegal shark fishing by a Taiwanese fishing vessel in a Palauan shark sanctuary.

"Taiwan has one of the largest and least regulated fishing fleets in the world, with fishing regulation violations and slaughter of endangered species happening too often onboard Taiwanese vessels. It is time Taiwan shows global leadership and protects the Pacific Commons once and for all, for the benefit of everyone," said Yen Ning.

Globally, Greenpeace is campaigning for a network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world's oceans and for a more sustainable fishing industry, both necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Renee Chou, communications officer, Greenpeace East Asia (based in Taipei).
rchou@greenpeace.org

Yen Ning, oceans campaigner, Greenpeace East Asia (based in Taipei).
ning.yen@greenpeace.org

For e-mail updates on defending our oceans: subscribe here.

It's time: China must kick-start its green transition in 2012

Monica Tan — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:30:00 +0100

Greenpeace has urged China's lawmakers and political advisers to place the issue of coal high on the agendas for the upcoming NPC and CPPCC annual plenary sessions. The environmental group says China must make up for lost time and act quickly and efficiently to address the problems it faces as it transitions into a green economy. It calls for the world's biggest energy consumer to put the brakes on its coal consumption and update its energy portfolio with more renewable energy solutions – and to do so quickly.

"The green transition is an extremely tough challenge, and China cannot afford to waste a day," says Li Yan, Head of Climate and Energy Campaign at Greenpeace. "China already failed to meet its target for emissions cuts last year and has let its coal consumption grow out of control. It simply mustn't fail again. 2012 is the year to reverse the downward trend and race against the clock."

China is already suffering multiple environmental problems from its over-reliance on coal, including severe air and water pollution, a lack of water resources and massive emissions of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, its people have become increasingly aware of these problems and do not hesitate to voice their concerns, putting unprecedented pressure on the government to take action.

"Coal lies at the heart of all these problems," added Li Yan. "Coal has grown into one of the biggest obstacles along China's path to a green economy. Unless China tackles its coal problem, it has no chance of realizing its 12th Five-Year Plan."

As China prepares for a leadership transition, we expect the government to demonstrate a strong commitment and political will to change the country's imbalanced energy portfolio.

We offer the following perspectives and suggestions on tackling the coal problem.

On the expansion of coal-fired power plants in western China

China, the world's biggest energy consumer, has seen its energy consumption continue to rise. In 2011, the country consumed the equivalent of 3.48 billion tons of coal, a 7% increase year-on-year, while coal consumption rose by an even faster 9.7%.

According to its 12th Five-Year Plan, China will try to meet its increasing energy needs by exploiting coal reserves in the west of the country. Five key integrated energy bases that will rely heavily on coal to generate their electricity have been launched, all in the country's ecologically-fragile western regions. Clearly, these energy bases, located in Shanxi province, the Ordos Basin, the eastern part of Inner Mongolia, the Xinjiang region and the southwestern provinces, will put huge burdens on their local environments.

Coal-fired power plants have already caused critical environmental problems for China, due to their extremely high water and carbon intensity, as well as the damaging pollutants they discharge. Their unchecked expansion in China's western regions, which are already suffering from scarce water resources and a fragile ecosystem, will certainly drain the area's precious remaining water resources and thus bring unpredictable social, economic and environmental problems to these areas.

We suggest the following measures should be taken to address the threat that coal-fired power plants put on the environment of western China:

1. We call for the state government to reassess and reconsider the current plan for developing these power bases and the coal-fired power industry in general, taking into account environmental risks and the sustainable development of the western regions. The feasibility study of power and coal chemical projects must include their potential impact on water resources, and local residents must be informed about the findings of these assessments.

2. We call for strict laws and regulations to be established to protect water resources in the areas. These laws and regulations must conform to the directive on "Implementing the Strictest Water Resources Management Scheme" recently issued by the State Council, while findings of the "Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Development of the Western Regions", compiled by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, must be presented to legislators. The issuing of administrative regulations must involve not only the Energy Ministry, but also the Ministries of Water Resources, Environmental Protection, Agriculture, and Industry and Information Technology.

On PM2.5 monitoring and treatment

The smog lingering over eastern China during much of the last winter has illuminated the urgency of monitoring and treating PM2.5 particles, defined as 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller. Under unprecedented pressure from the public, some Chinese cities have taken the initiative to release PM2.5 readings regularly. Greenpeace welcomes the move and calls for more cities to join the action.

Not only must cities let their people know about the air they breathe every day, they must also start addressing air pollution by controlling pollutants discharged into the air, particularly from coal burning, a major source of fine particles. China's long-term overdependence on coal has produced a severe adverse impact on air quality, and to rectify China's air pollution problem, the government must severely ease the nation's coal consumption, while decreasing its reliance on coal.

We propose governments in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Economic Zone, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta – areas suffering the most from air pollution – to set binding limits on coal consumption and link the approval of new industrial projects to those limits. There must also be effective measures to treat and mitigate the pollutants caused by the burning of coal.

On the introduction of a carbon tax

In 2011, the first year of the 12th Five-Year Plan, China failed to meet its annual goals for reducing both energy and carbon intensity by 16% and 17% respectively. This marks a major setback to its aim of implementing the Five-Year Plan and indicates that more players, both from the commercial and government sectors, need to be involved to change the situation.

Internationally, the introduction of a carbon tax has proved to be an effective tool in discouraging the over-reliance on fossil fuels, as well as controlling greenhouse gas emissions. A carbon tax would undoubtedly help China, one of the world's biggest fossil fuel consumers, to move away from its over-reliance on coal. The relentless progress of climate change has left China with no time to dwell on the matter. The time has come for the country to start collecting carbon taxes.

Greenpeace calls upon China's lawmakers and political advisers to include in their agenda a plan for introducing a carbon tax and suggests the tax should be imposed by 2015.

Conclusion

"The issue is all about time." says Li Yan. "A green transition is something that, sooner or later, every country will have to face, and letting it happen faster will benefit China in every possible way."

Image © Zhao Gang & Simon Lim / Greenpeace

Media Contact
Emmy Yuanyuan Guan Media Officer
Office: +86 (10) 6554 6931 ext. 123
Email: yguan@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace finds banned pesticides

Evan Brooks — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:16:00 +0100

How safe is your produce? That produce you buy at the big, shiny retailer stores? Greenpeace finds that there's a chance your produce contains pesticides, the real dangerous ones. But that's where our supermarket guide comes in handy.

Jan. 10, 2012: Beijing – According to a Greenpeace report released today, most produce found at five supermarkets in China contain residues of one or more pesticides, and in some cases, these pesticides are either banned or the amount of residues exceeds legal limits.

In November, Greenpeace randomly purchased 35 samples of fruits and vegetables from five supermarkets in Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou. Of the 35 samples, all but five contained pesticide residues.

Results from an independent, third-party lab showed 35 different kinds of pesticide chemicals; among them were found pesticides banned by the Chinese government, a pesticide defined "extremely hazardous” by the World Health Organization and endosulfan, a chemical that is being phased out globally after an international summit on its dangers for childhood development.

"One may think that going to a big, shiny supermarket means that these major retailers have taken care of food safety for their customers," said Greenpeace food and agriculture campaigner Wang Jing. "But Greenpeace’s tests again showed these supermarkets are being irresponsible and careless."

The testing is part of a larger campaign to rate safety of food in supermarkets.

Most samples taken from three stores in Beijing contained residues of one or more pesticides. One sample contained residues beyond the limit allowed by national regulations. Also among the samples, Greenpeace found that Chinese chives from a Jingkelong supermarket in Beijing contained residues of a particularly dangerous chemical called phorate.

Phorate is considered an "extremely hazardous" chemical by the WHO. According the United States Environmental Protection Agency, small amounts of phorate can cause nausea, confusion, dizziness, and at very high exposure levels, respiratory paralysis and death.

The sample of Chinese chives not only contained phorate but four other pesticide residues, among them endosulfan, which has been known to cause major physical deformations in newborn babies. Because of its serious risks, a global ban on the manufacture and use of endosulfan was negotiated under the Stockholm Convention in April 2011. The Chinese government announced in June that it would begin work to phase out the chemical.

According to the results, two of the samples taken from an Ito Yokado supermarket in Chengdu contained one or more residues of pesticides labeled "extremely" or "highly hazardous" by the WHO. One sample of bok choy (or Chinese cabbage) contained residues of triazophos, a pesticide considered "highly hazardous" by the WHO. Triazophos, although dangerous, has not yet been banned by the Chinese government.

Also in Guangzhou, Greenpeace found a sample of beans containing residues of 10 different kinds of pesticides at an Aeon-owned supermarket. Endosulfan was among those 10 pesticides. Carbofuran residues were also found on two different kinds of cabbage in a Vanguard supermarket. Carbofuran is considered "highly hazardous" by the WHO.

"With so many pesticides, it might seem impossible to find safe food," Wang said. "It's difficult, but not impossible.

"That's why Greenpeace has put together a guide for consumers to help them avoid supermarkets that sell dangerous food," Wang added.

The guide, released in December, can be found on the Greenpeace web site (see link below). It lists Carrefour and Auchan supermarkets as the best in the country for their transparency and for their efforts to ensure the least hazardous pesticides are used on the produce they buy. Tesco and Ito Yokado ranked as the worst for their obstinacy to change year after year.

"Consumers have a great weapon in the fight for safe food – choice," Wang said. "If we choose not to buy unsafe food, then supermarkets won't sell them."

Greenpeace calls on supermarkets all over China to launch a quality control system to trace and refuse unsafe food. It demands supermarkets ban the most hazardous pesticides such as those considered "extremely" and "highly hazardous" by the WHO.

Media Contact

Evan Brooks, international media officer, Greenpeace

Mobile: +86 139 1151 5405

evan.brooks@greenpeace.org

Web Link

Supermarket guide:

http://www.greenpeace.org/china/Global/china/publications/campaigns/food-agriculture/2011/supermarket-randing-guide-2011.pdf

Greenpeace and Palau bust pirates in Palau shark sanctuary

Monica Tan — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0100

Palau - Palauan fisheries officials have boarded and detained a Taiwanese fishing vessel suspected of illegal fishing activities during a joint patrol with Greenpeace of the Pacific Island nation's exclusive economic zone. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza and the Palauan patrol boat, PSS President H.I. Remeliik, are currently escorting the vessel Sheng Chi Hui to port.

A Greenpeace helicopter flight spotted the sharks and fins on board the Sheng Chi Hui on the morning of December 8^th, while the fishing vessel was inside Palaun waters – which were declared a shark sanctuary in 2009.

"The Sheng Chi Hui was in apparent breach of the law here in Palau's exclusive economic zone. Illegal fishing is costing the future of our people, our country's economic development and is a threat to the future of the legitimate fishing industry. It must be stopped," said Palau President Johnson Toribiong.

Greenpeace and the Government of Palau signed a joint agreement earlier this week to both enforce fisheries regulations and bring illegal pirate fishing operations to justice.

"We are honored to be working with Greenpeace in the protection of our fisheries resources and securing the livelihood and future of our people. Let this be a warning to illegal operators," President Toribiong continued.

Between 21 percent and 46 percent of all fishing in the Western Central Pacific Ocean is thought to be Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported. The illegal plunder of fish from the Pacific is putting the region's food security and economic prosperity at risk.

Like most Pacific Island countries Palau must patrol vast territorial waters with very limited capacity; it has one patrol boat and more than 604,000 km²of ocean to patrol.

"Illegal fishing carried on by vessels like the Sheng Chi Hui is rampant in parts of the Pacific, with the slaughter of sharks and the theft of tuna occurring on a daily basis", said Lagi Toribau, Greenpeace campaign leader on board the Esperanza. "If this continues, we will see a Pacific region with empty nets, empty plates and empty bellies. We applaud the Palauan government for taking a stand and enforcing its laws. Now we are calling on the Taiwanese government - as the responsible flag state - to better regulate its fishing industry".

The Sheng Chi Hui will undergo further investigation by Palauan officials on its arrival in the country. Yesterday, officials from the Remeliik boarded an unlicensed Philippine flagged reefer, F-B Yanreyd 291, confiscated its fishing gear and catch and escorted it out of Palau's waters.

Greenpeace's "Defending Our Pacific" tour is campaigning to prevent the plunder of Pacific tuna and for the restoration of the health of the world's oceans through the creation of marine reserves.

The international environment group is calling for marine reserves to be established in four high seas pockets of the Pacific Commons, and be declared off limits to fishing. The environmental group is also seeking a ban on the use of FADs in purse seine fisheries and a 50 percent reduction across the entire tuna fisheries. These measures are important to keep valuable fish stocks at a sustainable level.

Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world's oceans and for a more sustainable fishing industry, both necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health. Around the world, Greenpeace is working with retailers and tuna brands across Europe, Australia and the Americas to increase the market share of sustainably-sourced tuna.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Keiller MacDuff, Greenpeace communications (onboard the Esperanza) +47 2367 7986
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications (in Bangkok) +66 819 298 707

Photos available here and more information on Greenpeace's Defending our Pacific ship tour can be found here.

For e-mail updates on defending our oceans: subscribe here.

Durban climate talks: last chance for the big emitters

Monica Tan — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:30:00 +0100

Durban - On the eve of the opening of the latest round of UN climate talks in Durban Greenpeace today declared that it is time for our Governments to stop listening to the carbon-intensive polluting corporations and start listening to the people who want an end to our dependence on fossil fuels and real and immediate action on climate change.

This round of the climate talks, the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP), must be the point where our Governments adopt a clear roadmap towards a science based, fair, ambitious and legally binding global agreement, which will ensure that all countries take action to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that financial and technical support is delivered to the poor countries for adaptation and mitigation measures.

Africa is already bearing grave ecological and social injustices due to the impacts of climate change. South Africa, as the continent's highest CO2 emitter and the host country must show climate leadership to help reach a meaningful outcome over the next two weeks in Durban.

Africa is already bearing the brunt of the climate gone awry, but that does not seem to be enough to spur some countries to action, like the US. The US needs to step up now and help the world beat climate chaos. The talks in Durban need to be a new dawn for global climate change negations. One in which the interests of people everywhere are put before those of the polluters," said Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International Executive Director from Durban.

If the US still fails to engage in a global fight to stabilise the climate, its time for governments like the EU, and emerging economies including India and China to move on without the US.

"The entire global effort to reach agreement on tackling climate change must not be allowed to be held hostage by the US," said Tove Ryding, Greenpeace International Co-ordinator for Climate Policy.

Greenpeace is calling on governments in Durban to listen to the people and not the polluting corporations, and:

Ensure a peak in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2015

Ensure that the Kyoto Protocol continues and provides a mandate for a comprehensive legally binding instrument

Deliver the necessary finance to tackle climate change

Set up a framework for protecting forests in developing countries

Ensure global cooperation on technology and energy finance

Ensure international transparency in assessing and monitoring country commitments and actions

Greenpeace International in Durban:

Media: Susan Cavanagh +27 (0)765400493
Events media: Szabina Moses +27 (0)763799990
For interviews with Kumi Naidoo: Omer Elnaiem +27 (0)72720308
For Photo/video throughout the meeting: Maarten van Rouveroy +27 (0)713264981

For e-mail updates on climate change: subscribe here.

Hainan's rainforests, rare gibbons disappearing fast

Monica Tan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:28:00 +0100

Beijing – According to a Greenpeace study released today, Hainan province's rainforests in central mountain region have been disappearing at a rate of about 200,000 square meters every day for the past ten years because of illegal logging and plantation establishment.

That amount of deforestation is equivalent to losing 27 football fields of rainforest every day for the past 10 years.

Even more alarming: Hainan's rainforests are home to the world's rarest primate, the Hainan gibbon, of which it is believed that only 23 remain in the wild.

"When you have just 23 of a particular animal species left in the wild, that says we humans aren't being good stewards of the environment," said Greenpeace forests campaigner Yi Lan. "A lack of enforcement brought about this rapid loss of rainforest and it's about to bring about the extinction of a species."

The Greenpeace study – based on analysis of satellite images and field work in the central mountain region of Hainan – states that more than 72,000 hectares of Hainan's rainforests have been cut down and replaced with industrial plantations since 2001, which is a loss of almost 25 percent. Deforested areas are then converted by loggers into plantations.

"This illegal deforestation comes in response to market demand and disrespect for nature," Yi said. "In this case, the local government has the ability to stop the rainforests and the gibbons from disappearing from Hainan."

Chinese laws currently protect Hainan's rainforests and the gibbons that live in them, but these laws are not enforced enough to prevent the destruction of some of China's most precious treasures.

Greenpeace calls on the Hainan government to take action to stop the rainforests from being cut down and converted into plantations. Officials should strictly enforce laws meant to ensure that the forests are preserved and the gibbons protected.

Head to our China site for the full feature on the Hainan rainforests and gibbons (in Chinese).

Media Contacts:

Evan Brooks, International Media Officer
+86 139 1151 5405
evan.brooks@greenpeace.org

Yi Lan, Forests Campaigner
+86 10 6554 6932 ext. 119
yi.lan@greenpeace.org

For e-mail updates on protecting our forests: subscribe here.

Major brands set to execute promises to detoxify their clothes

Evan Brooks — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:39:00 +0100

Beijing – Greenpeace yesterday lauded a plan published by international clothing companies Adidas, H&M, Nike and Puma that sets out to realistically execute promises made earlier in the year for the elimination of all releases of hazardous substances from their products by 2020.

Greenpeace also praised moves by Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning and fast fashion retailer C&A to make similar promises in the past week and join the other four brands in implementing the same plan.

Several Chinese brands have been asked to commit to this detoxifying their products, but Li-Ning is the first.

"Having Li-Ning on board is a huge signal to the rest of the country," said toxics campaigner Zhang Kai. "There's no doubt that Li-Ning has set a clear precedent for all other Chinese companies to follow."

The plan signed by the six companies outlines details on the development of tools to monitor the release of hazardous chemicals, their intended and future use of environmentally friendlychemicals, and projects for eliminating highly toxic chemicals that currently go into the making of their products.

"Now that fashion leaders have sketched out their designs for a toxic-free future, they need to transform these into ready-to-wear collections that will bring about large-scale change in the fashion sector," Zhang said. "Toxic water pollution is an urgent problem for millions of people. So, there's plenty of work still to do for all of these brands."

Greenpeace challenges the six companies to respond with more urgency to the problem of toxic water pollution, by publishing shorter and more concrete timelines for the elimination of the most hazardous chemicals.

"We're calling on all of these companies to become more transparent and to provide clear timelines for the disclosure of pollution information," Zhang said. "The public needs to be able to quickly and easily monitor the progress of these six companies as they move towards zero discharges of all hazardous chemicals."

Media Contact:

Evan Brooks, International Media Officer
+86 139 1151 5405
evan.brooks@greenpeace.org

Also see:

Demonstrators from 29 global cities tell companies: detox China rivers

Detox investigative report: Dirty Laundry

Detox investigative report: Dirty Laundry 2

Tesco produce in China unsafe for three years now

Monica Tan — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0100

Beijing – After three years of independent testing, produce sold at Tesco supermarkets in China continues to show levels of pesticides far above the legal limit, according to new results released by Greenpeace.

This latest round of tests came in response to claims by Tesco in September refuting Greenpeace's previous findings. It is the fourth test run by Greenpeace since early 2009.

"Time and time again we've found illegal levels of pesticides in Tesco produce," said Greenpeace agriculture campaigner Wang Jing. "Ordinary Chinese people eat this food. It’s unhealthy particularly for children. When is Tesco going to change its standards for Chinese produce?"

Greenpeace filed a public interest law suit against the supermarket giant in early September because of its continuing violations of Chinese food regulations. Greenpeace is calling on Tesco to take responsibility and ensure its produce doesn't harm people and the environment. Tesco should at the least raise its produce standards in China to the quality used at other Tesco stores around the world.

"These results raise the question of double standards for food sold in Tesco stores in China compared to food sold in their stores outside of China," Wang said. "We're talking about food safety, and more importantly, we're talking about people's health. Chinese customers should receive the same quality and safety of produce that European customers do."

To date, Greenpeace has tested 21 fruits and vegetables at different Tesco stores throughout China. In early October, Greenpeace campaigners sampled five vegetables randomly from a Tesco store in Tianjin. Results from an independent laboratory found from the samples residue of at least three types of chemicals – carbendazim, dimethomorph and chlorpyrifos – existing on spinach and leeks. The leeks had levels of chlorpyrifos residue that were two times higher than China's regulations allow.

Greenpeace calls on Tesco to immediately ban the use of most hazardous pesticides from its produce, as urged by both the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Greenpeace is also asking Tesco to control its supply chain and ensure that it is not selling any food with highly hazardous pesticides or that has been genetically modified.

Media Contacts:

Evan Brooks, International Media Officer
+86 139 1151 5405
evan.brooks@greenpeace.org

Wang Jing, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner
jing.wang@greenpeace.org

Also see:

Greenpeace's past testing results find harmful chemicals in Tesco produce

Greenpeace files suit against Tesco

Indonesian Rainforest Destroyer Asia Pulp and Paper Loses More Contracts

Monica Tan — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:13:00 +0100

Jakarta – Greenpeace has called on Indonesian company Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) to commit to ending its destruction of the country's rainforests, in response to news that yet more companies around the world are cutting ties with the paper giant.

Greenpeace also warned that APP's continued forest destruction threatened the Indonesian President's own commitment to dedicate his remaining time in office to saving Indonesia's forest.

"Asia Pulp and Paper is bad for Indonesia's forests and bad for Indonesia's reputation, and is even threatening the Indonesian President's own commitment to save the forests", said Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace South East Asia forests campaigner. "APP must immediately commit to stop destroying rainforests".

The companies that recently announced they will stop buying from APP, include:

Hasbro, one of the world's largest toy manufacturers;

The Warehouse, New Zealand's largest group of department stores;

Delhaize, the second largest retailer in Belgium and owner of Food Lion in the US;

Metcash, one of Australia's largest supermarket chains;

Montblanc, the famous luxury pen maker;

Tchibo, the world's fifth largest coffee roaster;

Cartamundi, the world's leading maker of playing cards.

Banking group ING has also ceased providing banking services for an APP subsidiary this year, and have refused to do business with APP because the pulp and paper company is in contravention of the bank's forestry policy.

These companies have joined other large well-known businesses that have excluded APP from their supply chains. These include the stationary giant Staples which concluded that APP is a 'great peril to our brand' as well global consumer goods companies such as Kraft, Nestle and Unilever.

International retailers such as Carrefour, Auchan, Metro Group and Tesco have all dropped APP from their own-brand products in the last two years, and sportswear giant Adidas has stopped business with APP too.

Recently, Mattel, the toy company behind Barbie, announced that they were cutting ties with APP and introducing new policies to remove deforestation from their supply chain.

On October 28th, the Dutch Advertising Code Commission ruled that APP's TV and paper adverts, which attempt to position APP as a company that cares about the environment, are misleading the public.

Indonesia is the first developing country to set ambitious targets to reduce deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and to tackle climate change. But the President's plans continue to be undermined by APP activities. Over the last month, Greenpeace's "tiger eye" campaign found extensive clearance of rainforests inside APP concessions in Sumatra. Areas being cleared include those mapped as habitat for the endangered Sumatran tiger and peatland areas more than three metres deep. Land clearance fires were also identified inside two APP concession areas. Both the development of deep peat areas and the use of fire to clear land are prohibited under Indonesian regulations.

Earlier this year, APP's sister company, Golden Agri Resources, introduced new policies to tackle deforestation. It has since started to win back the customers it had lost in the international market place, including Nestle.

"APP must follow GAR's lead and immediately commit to an end to deforestation", concluded Maitar.

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.

Greenpeace launches a new Rainbow Warrior

Monica Tan — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:30:00 +0200

Amsterdam – Berne-Motzen, 14th October 2011 -- At a ceremony in Berne-Motzen, Germany, Greenpeace today launched the third version of its protest vessel the Rainbow Warrior. Purpose built as a campaigning vessel, the Rainbow Warrior carries state-of-the-art communications equipment, two fast boats and can carry a helicopter. Her unique A-frame masts carry 1260m2 of sail, helping keep her carbon footprint to a minimum and making her one of the most environmentally friendly vessels of her class.

A live stream of the ceremony will be visible here.

"The new Rainbow Warrior is the perfect ship with which navigate the perfect storm of ecological, economic and democratic crises lashing our world", said Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International Executive Director, at the ceremony.

"With an international crew on board, the Rainbow Warrior will confront environmental criminals across the world, investigate and expose destructive activities, but perhaps most of all will provide a beacon of hope and an inspiration to action wherever she goes."

From the moment, forty years ago, when our first campaign to stop a nuclear weapons test in the Aleutian islands set out, Greenpeace has sailed the sea – often in old, rusting, borrowed, or repurposed ships – the new Rainbow Warrior is its first purpose built vessel. Greenpeace ships have helped put activists in front of harpoons to save whales, stopped barrels of toxic and radioactive waste from being dumped at sea, blocked shipments of illegal timber and put an end to nuclear testing. Many of the greatest environmental victories have been won with the support of the Rainbow Warrior and other Greenpeace ships.

Melina Laboucan-Massimo, the Godmother of the new Rainbow Warrior, quoted the Cree Indian prophecy from which the ship got its name:

"There will come a time when the Earth grows sick and when it does a tribe will gather from all the cultures of the world who believe in deeds and not words. They will work to heal it ... they will be known as the 'Warriors of the Rainbow'."

The construction of the Rainbow Warrior was paid for by over 100,000 individual donations. Donors were able to sponsor specific parts of the vessel and items of equipment.

The ship will begin life with a thank-you tour of the European coast before making its first ocean crossing to begin active campaigning in the Americas.

Contacts:

Greenpeace International Communications, szabina.mozes@greenpeace.org, +31 646162023

Greenpeace Picture Desk, john.novis@greenpeace.org, +31629001152

Also visit here.

Greenpeace Video Desk, maarten.van.rouveroy@greenpeace.org, +31 646197322

Notes:

Click here more info and a virtual tour of the new Rainbow Warrior.

Barbie Drops Rainforest Packaging

Monica Tan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:05:00 +0200

International - Toy giant Mattel, the company behind Barbie, announced today that it will stop buying paper and packaging linked to rainforest destruction following a global campaign by Greenpeace. As part of its new commitments, Mattel is instructing its suppliers to avoid wood fiber from companies "that are known to be involved in deforestation." One such company is the notorious Asia Pulp and Paper group (APP), which Greenpeace investigators have shown to be involved in widespread rainforest clearance in Indonesia.

Responding to the news, Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace's campaign to save the forests in Indonesia, said:

"The rainforests of Indonesia should be for species like the Sumatran tiger, not for throw-away toy packaging. That's why it is such good news that Mattel has developed a new paper buying policy".

"This is more evidence for Asia Pulp and Paper that rainforest destruction is bad for business. Golden Agri-Resources, a sister company to APP, has already committed to clean up its act and has won back lucrative contracts. Now APP must do the same. In the last two weeks the Greenpeace "tiger eye tour" has been documenting continued forest destruction by APP.

While Greenpeace will watch Mattel closely to ensure it implements its commitments, we will encourage other companies, including Disney and Hasbro, to take similar action to protect rainforests."

Using a combination of research and forensic testing, Greenpeace investigators showed that packaging for the Mattel toys was being produced using timber from the rainforests of Indonesia, home to endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger.

Greenpeace activists dressed as "Ken" dolls abseiled down Mattel's headquarters in Los Angeles in June, hanging a giant banner which read "Barbie: It's Over. I don't date girls that are into deforestation".

Mattel's new policy also includes safeguards against buying wood fiber from tree plantations established in areas where natural forests once stood. The conversion of rainforests to pulp tree plantations is a leading driver of deforestation in Indonesia.

Their policy also aims to increase the amount of recycled paper used in their business, as well as to boost the use of wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Indonesia has one of the fastest rates of forest destruction in the world. The Indonesian government estimates that more than one million hectares of rainforests are being lost every year.

Mattel announcement is available here.

Greenpeace evidence dossier is available here.

Contacts:

Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace forests campaigner, Indonesia: +62 813 4466 6135
Rolf Skar, Greenpeace forests campaigner, USA: +1 415 533 2888
Andy Tait, Greenpeace forests campaigner, UK: +44 7801 212 980
Niall Bennett, Greenpeace communications, UK: +44 7717 704 577

H&M's "Detox" commitment set to be this season's hottest fashion trend

Monica Tan — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:17:00 +0200

Beijing/Stockholm – Fast fashion retail giant H&M committed yesterday to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals from all production processes associated with the manufacture of its products by 2020 at the latest, following pressure from Greenpeace.

H&M's decision comes after a week of activists in 12 countries urging the company to come clean by attaching "Detox our future!" stickers to H&M's shop-windows, and online activists around the world calling on the brand to commit to a toxic-free future. H&M, the world's second biggest clothing retailer, now joins Nike, Adidas and Puma as major international brands that have met Greenpeace's criteria for "Detoxing" their supply chains.

"By committing to 'Detox' its supply chain, H&M is not only setting the trend for this season and the future; it also sends a clear message to other brands that using toxic chemicals to make our clothing is no longer in vogue", said Marietta Harjono, Toxic Campaigner at Greenpeace International. "H&M's landmark commitment has the potential to be a catalyst for wider change across the fashion industry".

"H&M must now use its size and influence to lead the entire fashion industry towards a toxic-free future, by working with other committed brands to bring about cross-industry and systemic change," continued Harjono. "Other big brands who have yet to commit to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals risk losing the trust of their customers, and future business opportunities in key markets such as China, if they continue their polluting practices," she added.

The "Detox" campaign began when Greenpeace investigations revealed links between major fashion brands, including H&M, and factories that were found to be discharging a range of hazardous chemicals into rivers in China. Further research also revealed that branded clothing from 14 international companies, including H&M, contained nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) that break down into the toxic, persistent and hormone disrupting nonylphenol (NP).

As part of its commitment, H&M has agreed to address the principle of the "right to know" by ensuring public disclosure of all chemicals being released from its suppliers' factories, releasing the first data by the end of 2012.

"In countries such as China where we have hundreds of thousands of people living near factories, but not knowing what toxic and often invisible chemicals are being discharged into local water supplies, H&M's commitment to publicly disclose pollution information is the start of something truly important," commented Yifang Li, Toxic campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia.

"We will be following H&M's implementation closely and strongly encourage Chinese brands to follow this trend towards greater transparency, as people have a right to know this information," Li concluded.

H&M's commitment comes just ten weeks after the launch of Greenpeace's "Detox" campaign, which mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to successfully convince sportswear leaders Nike, Adidas and Puma to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals from across their entire supply chains and product lifecycles by 2020. All four brands are now preparing individual Detox Action Plans to show how they will concretely put the 'Detox' commitment into practice to bring about real change in the clothing industry. Greenpeace will continue to work with these companies to ensure they live up to their promises and will continue the campaign to encourage others brands to join the "Detox" revolution.

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Greenpeace is campaigning to stop industrial pollution of our water with hazardous, persistent and hormone-disrupting chemicals by demanding that companies and governments take action to "Detox" our future.

Media Contacts:

Greenpeace International Press Desk Hotline +31 (0) 20 7182470

Marietta Harjono, Detox Campaigner, Greenpeace International + 31 615 007 411

Martin Hojsik, Detox Campaign Coordinator, Greenpeace International +421 905 313 395

For images please go here or contact: Greenpeace Picture Desk, John Novis, +31 (0) 629 00 1152, jnovis@greenpeace.org

For video please contact: Lucy Campbell-Jackson, +31 6347 3879, lucy.campbell.jackson@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace testing finds illegal pesticide levels in Tesco's China produce

Monica Tan — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:46:00 +0200

Greenpeace has called on UK supermarket giant Tesco to sell safe food in China after testing revealed illegal levels of pesticides in agricultural products sold at Tesco's China stores. Greenpeace-commissioned testing of fruit, vegetables and rice showed traces of pesticide that the EU indicates can harm unborn babies, disrupt hormones and may be linked to male infertility. Samples of strawberries, for example, sold at a Tesco store in China contained levels of pesticides above China's national legal limit.

“I am sure British people expect the fruit and vegetables they buy at Tesco shops in the UK are safe to eat, so why shouldn’t this be the case in China?” said Greenpeace Food and Agriculture Campaigner Wang Jing. “Tesco is not complying with the law in China. It is shirking its responsibility to protect the wellbeing of its customers and the environment. Its negligence is in stark contrast to overseas retailers operating in China that have already committed to remove the more harmful pesticides from their produce, such as France’s Carrefour and Auchan, and Japan’s Aeon (Jusco) and Ito Yokado.”

Earlier this week, Greenpeace personally presented a letter to Tesco’s China headquarters in Beijing requesting the supermarket chain ensure its agricultural suppliers stop using harmful and, in some cases, illegal pesticides, and to make its produce supply chains are transparent. Testing found that a type of leafy spinach sold at a Tesco store contained two kinds of pesticides, methamidophos and monocrotophos, which have been banned in China since 2007. The World Health Organisation classifies these two pesticides as highly hazardous.

The disturbing Tesco test results were revealed as part of a wider Greenpeace study of pesticide residues on agricultural goods sold at Chinese stores owned by Tesco and two other major supermarket chains, Thailand’s Lotus and China’s Bailian Group. Greenpeace tested a total of 50 vegetable and fruit samples, along with 12 rice samples bought between April and July in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu and Hangzhou.

Wang said that among the tested 50 vegetable and fruit samples, 35 contained pesticides, many of which are proven to be harmful to shoppers and - even more so - to the farmers that use them. “Minor residues were found on the rice sample,” she said. “Since some of the grain tested was harvested more than a year ago, this indicates the persistence of these chemicals. It is worrying to see that there has been little improvement since Greenpeace last measured the pesticide levels of agricultural produce sold by major supermarket chains in China three years ago.”

Greenpeace is calling on all supermarket chains to immediately ban the use of the most harmful pesticides from food grown to be sold in their stores. According to its website, Tesco currently operates 93 hypermarkets and 12 Express stores throughout China.

Media Contacts:

Simon Pollock, International Communications Officer
simon.pollock@greenpeace.org
Mobile: +86 139 1151 5405

Wang Jing, Food and Agriculture Campaigner
wang.jing@greenpeace.org
Office: +86 10 6554 6931*153

Greenpeace says China's Li Ning detox offer not over finish line yet

Monica Tan — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:05:00 +0200

Beijing – Greenpeace said today an offer by Li Ning, one of China's leading sports clothing companies, to reduce its use of toxic chemicals is insufficient following commitments by some of the world's leading clothing brands to detox their production processes. The Chinese sports company announced it would reduce its use of hazardous chemicals the day before a Greenpeace report on Tuesday showed Li Ning clothes contained hormone-disrupting chemicals.

"Greenpeace welcomes Li Ning's statement as the first Chinese brand to take up the detox challenge," said Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner Li Yifang. "However, we still need more concrete details from Li Ning about how it will back up its promise to become more 'environmentally friendly.' Li Ning has said it will reduce its use of harmful chemicals, but we are calling for the total elimination of all such chemicals."

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, Greenpeace activists took a direct approach in getting their message across, holding up "Li Ning, go toxic free!" stickers outside an executive board meeting. They presented a letter to the meeting, which included company founder and former world-class Chinese gymnast Li Ning himself.

During the past few weeks, leading global clothing brands Nike and Puma have publicly committed to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from their supply chains and products by 2020 as a result of Greenpeace's global "Detox" campaign. Greenpeace is now calling on Li Ning to follow their lead in promising to present a public plan within eight weeks on how they will eradicate the use of hazardous chemicals in their supply chains.

Li said it is now time for Li Ning to join Nike and Puma, and meet its customers' desire to free China's waterways of hazardous chemicals. "Li Ning was one of 14 leading brands which our second Dirty Laundry report has found are selling products throughout the world that contain nonylphenol ethoxylates," she said. "These break down into nonylphenol, a toxic chemical which has persistent and hormone-disrupting properties that threaten people and the environment. Li Ning must join Nike and Adidas in cleaning up its act considering its base is in China, the world's factory."

Launched in Beijing on Tuesday, Greenpeace's Dirty Laundry 2 report presented the results of an analysis of clothing and fabric-based shoes sold internationally by major clothing brands. Of the 78 articles tested, 52 were found to contain nonylphenol ethoxylates, chemicals which breaks down into the hormone-disrupting nonylphenol.

Greenpeace's first Dirty Laundry report was released in July. Researched and investigated over a one-year period, it uncovered evidence that two factory complexes supplying major clothing brands are discharging toxic chemicals into China's Yangtze and Pearl River deltas. An estimated 70% of China's rivers and lakes are polluted.

Greenpeace is calling on all brands to remove hazardous chemicals throughout their supply chain to ensure that they do not end up in the rivers of countries where they are produced or in the products themselves.

Media Contacts:

Simon Pollock, International Communications Officer
simon.pollock@greenpeace.org
Mobile: +86 139 1151 5405

Li Yifang, Toxics campaigner
li.yifang@greenpeace.org
Office: +86 10 6554 6931*169

Greenpeace testing of leading brand clothes shows most contain hormone-disrupting chemicals

Monica Tan — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 05:00:00 +0200

Beijing – A new investigation by Greenpeace has found residues of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the products of 14 leading brands including Adidas, Li Ning, H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch. The presence of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) in clothes bought and manufactured in locations all over the world shows the use and release of hazardous chemicals is a widespread and pervasive problem.

"NPEs break down to form nonylphenol (NP), which has toxic, persistent and hormone-disrupting properties," said Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner Li Yifang. "It mimics female hormones, alters sexual development and affects reproductive systems. NP is known to accumulate in animals, and it can build up in food chains. Even at low levels, it represents a big threat to the environment and human health."

Li added that the use of NPs and NPEs in manufacturing is banned in the European Union, and that this year they were placed on China's list of toxic chemicals severely restricted for export and import. "This is not just a problem for the developing countries where textiles are made," she said. "Since residual levels of NPEs are released when clothes are washed, they are in effect creeping into countries where their use is banned."

Greenpeace commissioned an independent, scientific analysis of 78 products sold in stores across 18 countries. Launched today in Beijing, the study finds that two thirds contained NPEs. The results reinforce the findings of Greenpeace's Dirty Laundry report in July. The report, researched and investigated over a one-year period, uncovered evidence that two factory complexes supplying major clothing brands are discharging toxic chemicals into China's Yangtze and Pearl River deltas.

As a result of Greenpeace's global "Detox" campaign, which has included a global striptease and "re-branding activities" at the companies' stores, both Nike and Puma have publicly committed to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from their supply chains and products by 2020.

"The commitments made by Nike and Adidas prove that eliminating toxic chemicals is not only feasible but desirable," said Li. "If Adidas and Li Ning don't catch up in the Detox race, they will be left behind and disappoint their customers. The major brands can no longer avoid their responsibility to ensure that the environment, their customers and people across the world are no longer threatened by the release of toxic chemicals."

The full Dirty Laundry 2 report is available here.

Media Contacts:

Simon Pollock, International Communications Officer
simon.pollock@greenpeace.org
Mobile: +86 139 1151 5405

Li Yifang, Toxics campaigner
li.yifang@greenpeace.org
Office: +86 10 6554 6931*169

Nike leaps ahead of Adidas and Li Ning in commitment to end toxic discharge

Monica Tan — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:49:00 +0200

Beijing – The world's largest sportswear brand, Nike, has today committed to eliminate all hazardous chemicals across its entire supply chain by 2020 following a Greenpeace challenge to 'Detox'.

Nike's promise to remove hazardous chemicals from its supply chain comes five weeks after a Greenpeace report, "Dirty Laundry", revealed commercial links between major clothing brands – including Nike, Puma, Adidas, Li Ning – and Chinese suppliers discharging a cocktail of persistent, bio-accumulative and hormone-disrupting chemicals into the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas.

"Nike is giving rivals Adidas and Li Ning a good thrashing in the Greenpeace 'Detox' challenge by committing to cut hazardous chemicals discharges from its global supply chain", said Li Yifang, Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia. "Now we urge Adidas and Li Ning to get back in the game and fulfill their responsibility to protect China's rivers from toxic chemicals."

Following Nike's announcement, Greenpeace activists in Spain and Hong Kong engaged in actions challenging Adidas and Li Ning to detox. In Spain, during Wednesday night's FC Barcelona versus Real Madrid football match in Barcelona, Greenpeace activists publicly reprimanded Adidas by projecting the message "water pollution is not fair play" for the 100,000 fans at the Camp Nou stadium. The Real Madrid team is sponsored by Adidas.

In addition to its commitment to zero hazardous discharges by 2020, Nike has agreed to address the issue of the "right to know" by ensuring full transparency about the chemicals being released from its suppliers' factories. It has also promised to use its influence, knowledge and experience to bring about widespread elimination of hazardous chemicals from the clothing industry. Nike has said that it will publish a detailed implementation plan within eight weeks.

"Nike's announcement is especially welcome in China, which bears one of the largest environment burdens as the world's factory floor," concluded Li. "While we congratulate Nike for its commitment, this is just the start of a long race. Now, they must come up with an ambitious implementation plan that holds the mark of a true champion and shows how serious the company is about eliminating hazardous chemicals from its supply chain".

Media Contacts:

Simon Pollock, International Communications Officer
simon.pollock@greenpeace.org
+86 139 1151 5405

Li Yifang, Toxics Campaigner
li.yifang@greenpeace.org
+86 10 6554 6931 *169

Puma makes historic commitment to eliminate hazardous chemicals from its global supply chain

zshelley — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:11:00 +0200

Puma, the third largest sportswear company in the world, became the first company to publicly commit to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals from its entire product lifecycle and across its global supply chain by 2020 (1). The move comes less than two weeks after the launch of Greenpeace's “Dirty Laundry” report, which identified commercial links between a number of major clothing brands, including Nike, Adidas, Li Ning and Puma, and suppliers found to be releasing hazardous and hormone-disrupting chemicals into rivers in China (2).

“Greenpeace welcomes the vision and ambition shown by Puma with its commitment to work with suppliers to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from their manufacturing processes and products within the next nine years,” said Li Yifang, Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia.

“Round one of the Detox challenge belongs to Puma, who has sent a clear message to its competitors that allowing suppliers to use and discharge hazardous chemicals is simply not acceptable,” continued Li Yifang.

The commitment made by Puma incorporates many of the elements outlined by Greenpeace as being crucial to systematically greening the textile industry, including a precautionary approach to chemicals management, and a clear timeline for eliminating all discharges of hazardous chemicals throughout the supply chain and product lifecycle – including those coming from polluting production activities such as wet processing. Puma has also committed to publishing an action plan within the next eight weeks (by the end of September 13), detailing how it will deliver its commitment. Greenpeace will be keeping a close eye on developments, as Puma still has room to improve by disclosing the hazardous chemicals being released by all of its suppliers.

“Nike and Adidas risk falling behind in the race to create a toxic-free future if they cannot convert their lofty claims of leadership into concise commitments and credible actions,” continued Li. “There is still an opportunity for them to demonstrate their champion-pedigree by taking the commitment from Puma to the next level and by providing greater transparency on the hazardous chemicals released during the production of their products,” she concluded.

In the meantime, Greenpeace’s “Detox” challenge continues to build momentum. Last weekend, over 600 concerned consumers and volunteers – including nearly 40 volunteers in Beijing – joined Greenpeace activists in ten countries in an attempt to set the world’s largest simultaneous striptease and challenge Adidas, Nike and Li Ning to detox (3). At the same time, online petition signatures have been piling up, urging the CEOs of Nike and Adidas to use their power and influence to tackle the urgent issue of toxic water pollution (4).

Notes to editor:

Link to Puma statement: http://safe.puma.com/us/en/

A year-long Greenpeace investigation into toxic water pollution in China found links between a number of major clothing brands, including Adidas and Nike, and suppliers in China who were found to be discharging persistent and bioaccumulative hormone disruptors into Chinese rivers. The findings from the research provide a snapshot of the kind of toxic chemicals that are being released by the textile industry into waterways all over the world, and are indicative of a much wider problem that is having serious and far-reaching consequences for people and wildlife. To read the executive summary or full “Dorty Laindry” report visit: www.greenpeace.org/dirtylaundry

On Saturday 23^rd July 2011 over 600 people in over 10 countries and 29 cities set the record for the world’s biggest coordinated striptease. For the full story and press release please visit: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/Worlds-largest-striptease-challenges-Adidas-and-Nike-to-Detox/

To view the video and sign the petition please visit: www.greenpeace.org/detox

Media Contacts:

Emmy Yuanyuan Guan, Media Officer
yguan@greenpeace.org
Office: +86 (010) 6554 6931-123
Mobile: +86 186 1198 0736

Photo Download Link:

http://photo.greenpeace.org/

Photo Download FTP:

ftp://202.152.178.205
Username：gpc_photo_out
Password：gpc_downloadphoto

Video Download:

Video documentation of the event will be submitted to the team at Guinness World Records in the coming days for official acknowledgement. A video showing the global events will be released online early next week at: www.greenpeace.org/detox while a newsreel is available today

Full Report Download Link:

Chinese: http://www.greenpeace.org/china/publications/reports/toxics/2011/dirty-laundry/

English: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/Dirty-Laundry/