Two days ago, UN’s general secretary Ban Ki-moon said it was time to “prove wrong” those who still have doubts about climate change at the climate talks in Doha.

Since it’s the festive season and you never know when you’ll wind up at the same holiday party as Donald Trump, we’ve answered Ban Ki-moon’s demand. Here are our tips for replies when you get hit with “it snowed in Wisconsin last year” or “It’s extremely cold in NY and NJ, where is global warming?”

You’ve probably heard that several times. Global warming is just a hoax invented by environmental extremists and liberals who want strong regulations and big governments. But all major scientific institutions working on climate, ocean and atmosphere recognize that human CO2 emissions are the primary cause of climate warming. ... Read more >

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The past few weeks have been slightly guilt inducing at Greenpeace for those of us who consider ourselves fashionistas. And since we launched our report "Toxic Threads" I’ve found it a little harder to slip into my jeans. It used to be that the random facts I knew about denim and jeans were their etymology (Pop quiz! What are the two Mediterranean cities that "denim" and "jeans" get their names from? Put the answer in comments!) but now I’ve learned some new facts about the hazardous chemicals which have been found in Levi's clothes, and the toxic pollution these chemicals are causing in the environment. It’s an ugly story.

But guilt doesn’t do much to fix a problem – and that's why a lot of us have been helping the Detox team challenge brands like Levi's to clean up their toxic addictio...

Fishing is not quite what it used to be. Even in the Pacific where images of sunny shores, palm tress and little canoes may prevail, reality underneath the waves is quite something else. Some of the biggest and most powerful fishing powers as well as those with most destructive gear in the world roam around these waters that were once were rich in tuna, sharks and marine life. Now many species have declined to such low levels we may never have them back in sufficient numbers.

One such species such as oceanic white tip sharks, one of the most evolved predators on the planet, that even if all fishing was stopped to protect them it could take hundreds of years to recover. It devastating to think we are emptying our oceans of it’s inhabitants, species after species, stock after st... Read more >

While world leaders struggle at UN talks in Doha to agree on measures to halt climate change, governments at home are facing difficult decisions on the austerity measures needed to tackle the current economic crisis.

It might appear like these two issues are pulling at the opposite ends of the same string, competing for scarce resources, but that does not need to be the case.

Addressing climate change can stimulate the economy, create jobs and pave the road to recovery and a sustainable future. Considering the economic crisis to be a priority, but ignoring the climate emergency will only lead to greater disaster.

Creating a green economy will require investments to reduce CO2 emissions and although this will involve initial up-front costs, these investments also represent a sti... Read more >

My head is in Doha, but my body is not. My inbox is overflowing even more than usual, as rumors picked up in the vast corridors of the Qatar Convention Centre are spread around electronically. The acronyms alone make it easy to make fun of the global climate negotiations. Sitting at my desk it´s hard not to smile at questions such as “what happened on ADP?” or “who has the KP non-papers on eligibility”? And no, that´s not about getting married ... 

If I were in Doha, these are the questions I would be asking. I would be part of what The Economist has quite aptly termed the UNFCCC “theatre of the absurd”. In the evening I would lament with colleagues that the Doha theatre is failing to alter the disastrous play that is our business-as-usual future. Some old hands would recount how ... Read more >

“From the way we make our products to how we run the company, we’re committed to restoring the environment. Consumers expect this from us, employees demand it, and the planet requires it.”

This is a very honourable statement from Chip Bergh, President and CEO of Levi Strauss and Co, the producer of the very famous Levi’s jeans.

No doubt good intentions were behind the statement, but the reality is that popular fashion brands like Levi’s are directly linked to the use and discharge of hazardous chemicals into Mexican rivers.

San Pedro River Pollution © Guadalupe Szymanski / Greenpeace

 
In Greenpeace International’s latest report, “Toxic Threads: Under Wraps”, we show the results of water samples that were taken at discharge pipes used by two manufacturing facilities supplying Lev... Read more >

It’s been a turbulent five months for the future of whales in South Korea after the Seoul government made a shock statement in July at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Panama, announcing that it was planning a ‘scientific’ whaling programme.

There was an uproar – ‘scientific’ whaling is just an excuse to kill whales for meat. Two weeks later, the day before my wedding, I was still doing media interviews about the plan and one of the guests brought a picket sign reading ‘No Whaling!’ to my wedding.

In September, the Greenpeace ship Esperanza went out to the East Sea with scientists from Australia and the US on board to demonstrate the non-... Read more >