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Daily blogs from the frontlines of the Greenpeace planet down under. 

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  • G-Star commits to Detox

    Blogpost by Ilze Smit - February 1, 2013 at 8:30

    Sometimes the longest struggles can be the most rewarding.

    Today -- after ten months of #PeoplePowered activities and behind-the-scenes haggling -- G-Star has committed to eliminate all uses of hazardous chemicals from its supply chain and products by 2020.

    This means that the Dutch denim brand joins the likes of Uniqlo, Benetton and Victoria’s Secret in making a credible Detox commitment in 2013, making it the 15th global corporation to make clear its plans to banish toxic chemicals from the fashion sector.

    The announcement is all the sweeter if you consider that just weeks ago the brand was unwilling to improve upon its earlier – March 2012 - rather half-hearted “commitment”. This old offer lacked many of the elements that their new Detox commitment contains: namely, concrete date... Read more >

  • Sealord takes a step but still at the back of the pack

    Blogpost by Karli Thomas - January 31, 2013 at 13:32

    For close to two years we’ve been asking Sealord, New Zealand’s largest brand of canned tuna, to stop selling tuna which is caught using a method that destroys countless marine creatures, including sharks, baby tuna and turtles.

    Yesterday Sealord took a small step in the right direction but it’s still quite a few paces behind the growing number of brands, here and overseas, that are phasing out tuna caught using the destructive fishing method which combines fish aggregating devices (FADs) and purse seine nets.

    Sealord has just signed a pledge with WWF to try and reduce the bycatch levels in its supply chain. In other words it realises it’s not a good look to be buying tuna from vessels which are also hauling in the cast of Nemo and throwing most of them back into the ocean dead or dying. ... Read more >

  • Destination Auckland Islands

    Blogpost by Nick Young - January 31, 2013 at 9:35

    Rockhopper penguin, Auckland Islands (C) Andy Maloney

    Today we passed to the east of Stewart Island and continued sailing south towards an area of sea known to be amongst the wildest on the planet. So far it’s been relatively calm, which is a relief, but also, if dare I say so, slightly disappointing. I’ve heard tales of 10 metre swells and part of me wants to feel what that’s like!

    When we think of New Zealand we mainly think of the two or three biggest islands but there is more to New Zealand than meets the eye. If you look at this region on a map you can see a line of small islands running in a long curve starting 600 kms south of Stewart Island, starting with Campbell Island running through the Auckland Islands and up to the Chatham Islands. This line of islands is in fact the peaks of the highest mountains of the sunken continent known... Read more >

  • The clean green principled economy (2/3)

    Blogpost by Maya McNicoll - January 30, 2013 at 13:04

    “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and only five Minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently.” - Warren Buffet

    Yesterday we spoke about the 70% of export revenue that is directly attributable to New Zealand’s clean green principled reputation - worth $36.7 Billion to our economy each year.

    Today, before we really get into this, I just want to say a quick word about the timing of big oil coming to New Zealand…2012 brought Hurricane Sandy to New York, Floods to the U.K., and saw Australia burn.  In short 2012 brought climate change to the front doors of the developed World.  Obama even talked about it in his recent inauguration speech.

    “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and futu... Read more >

  • No escape from the glare of the public eye

    Blogpost by Ben Stewart - January 30, 2013 at 11:46

    Davos, where the 1% come to be among themselves.

    Black SUVs cruise the icy roads, snipers crouch on rooftops, bodyguards step out of hotel doorways and survey the scene before their charges follow them onto the pavement and billion dollar deals are discussed over fondue.

    The media are apt to call this place a fortress – and it's true that the armed police are ever-present. But you'd struggle to find any delegates here who feel truly besieged.

    And given that the 2,400 'white badges' – the invitees from the worlds of business and politics – can reasonably be said to have our common future in their hands, that is perhaps unfortunate.

    Because where any concentration of great power resides, so should the voices of the people whose lives it directs.

    Which is why Greenpeace was represente... Read more >

  • In Davos, Shell fuel station shut down in Arctic protest

    Blogpost by Ben Stewart - January 29, 2013 at 11:16

    I'm standing outside a Shell petrol station in Davos, looking at polar bears on the roof with a huge banner that says ARCTIC OIL - TOO RISKY.

    Twenty-five activists have shut down the station, some of whom are chained to the pumps. The place is surrounded by police, but it's also been surrounded by journalists who have ducked out of the Davos meeting to hear their message about the dangers of drilling for Arctic oil.

    Greenpeace came to Davos because Shell is here too.

    Shell chief executive Peter Voser signed a $10 billion deal here to exploit oil shale in Ukraine, but he'll also be trying to reassure investors that the company's huge investment in the Arctic is still a good bet, despite the huge problems Shell is having up there.

    So the hardy activists are bringing a different messag... Read more >

  • The clean green principled economy (1/3)

    Blogpost by Maya McNicoll - January 29, 2013 at 9:48

    New Zealand is a commodities exporter…okay okay, I know that’s not a super sexy opening line, but don’t worry this isn’t an economics lecture, well it kind of is, but I’ll try and keep it brief and on point.

    New Zealand makes her money from selling the ‘stuff’ we grow, design and build to overseas countries.  That ‘stuff’ is made up of things like our awesome wines, the milk powder which we sell to China, butter that we sell to Europe and lamb which we are famous for the world over. That’s our mainstay export business.  That export business succeeds in no small part on the back of the reputation New Zealand carries overseas for being a clean, green and principled Nation.

    Here’s the numbers…(skip to the next paragraph If numbers aren’t your thing)

    70% of our export business relies on our clean green reputationIn 2011 our Gross commodities exports (re... Read more >

  • Onwards with a shiny clean hull to the sub-Antarctic Islands

    Blogpost by Nick Young - January 28, 2013 at 15:46

    The Rainbow Warrior in Lyttelton dry dock

    In a moment we’ll be off again. The Rainbow Warrior is all ship shape, squeaky clean and ready to go south. And we really are heading South - next stop – the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands.

    The Warrior has been in a Lyttelton dry-dock for several days having the hull cleaned in preparation.  It’s a uniquely pristine and ecologically sensitive place down there and, wisely there are some good regulations to keep it that way. One of those is that boats must pass a hull inspection before being allowed to visit - and that’s why we’re having ours cleaned now. This is a little ironic given that the Government has opened huge areas just north of there for deep sea oil exploration, but we'll get to that in coming days.

    It’s amazing what can grow on a ship’s hull when it’s in sea water 24/7 trave... Read more >

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