Yesterday, the notorious rainforest destroyer Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), the parent company of New Zealand based Cottonsoft, made a grandstanding announcement that it was committed to protecting the natural forests of Indonesia.

Now you may recall that last year we released the result of scientific testing that conclusively showed that Cottonsoft products contained rainforest fibre. And needless to say, yesterday Cottonsoft issued a statement welcoming "a raft of new sustainability measures by its Indonesia-based supplier Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP)" which includes "a commitment to suspend the clearing of natural forest on its own pulpwood concessions in Indonesia".

Two very interesting things struck me about this. Firstly, there's nothing new about this statement. Back in 2006, Asia Pap... Read more >

What do you need most on an anchor chain in the middle of the Atlantic, when you’ve been there for over 24 hours, and it’s pouring with rain? Muffins.

Freshly baked by our chef, Walter, and put into waterproof tins ready for loading into speedboats. Speedmuffins. Pronto pastries. Two young Brazilians - Leonor and Elissama - are waiting across the water having been up most of the night and little things like this make all the difference. Fruit is great, but nothing beats that fresh-from-the-oven comfort of spongey goodness.

Occupying an anchor chain for over a day is a pretty challenging operation. Just getting off the Rainbow Warrior onto the inflatables is difficult, as the waves make stepping off the ship onto the moving boat like playing Super Mario Brothers for real. Then... Read more >

The news initially sounded  intriguing : Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) was inviting journalists in Jakarta to the launch of what the company grandly dubbed its “greatest commitment to natural forest protection.”

Discarding the PR gloss, however, leaves an announcement that exposes glaring gaps in APP’s ‘new’ policy and demonstrates that the company is still not serious about reform.

APP, which has been linked to illegal logging and the clearance of Sumatran tiger habitat, unveiled in in its press conference on Tuesday what it claimed were new measures to protect high conservation value forests (HCVF) in Indonesia.

Starting from June 1, the company said it would “suspend natural forest clearance while HCVF assessments are conducted” in areas “owned” by the company.

That of course so... Read more >

Right now a 20 year old Brazilian named Elissama de Oliveira Menezes is attached to the anchor chain of a massive cargo ship here in Sao Luis, at the mouth of the Amazon. She’s a small girl anyway, but next to the 175 meter ‘Clipper Hope’ she looks absolutely tiny.

As long as Elissama stays on the anchor it’s impossible for the ship to dock and load its cargo of pig iron which is destined for the USA. Pig iron is used in the production of steel and is exported from Brazil ready for processing.

She’s there because she wants to end a cycle of destruction which starts in the Amazon rainforest and ends in car showrooms all over the world. She’s also sending a message to Brazil’s President Dilma, who is preparing to host the world’s elite in Rio in a few weeks time. Dilma is currentl... Read more >

Last week, the Senegalese government cancelled all fishing permits for foreign“pelagic trawlers,” large fishing vessels that drag nets below the surface of the ocean.

This should remind leaders that with political will and courage, they can change things and shape the future of their people for the better. Our work to make this decision permanent in Senegal continues, as does our work to make sure that the European CFP (Common Fisheries Policy) reform process works for all Europeans, not just powerful fishing interests.

The timely decision by our government here is a huge step forward in the struggle to end overfishing by foreign ships in Senegal, and throughout the West African region, where foreign trawlers, especially from Europe, plunder our waters of fish having already exhauste... Read more >

This morning I attended the official launch of the Citizens Initiated Referendum - a citizen led campaign to ensure that New Zealand's important assets remain Kiwi owned. This follows hot on the heels of the vibrant, electric and deafening hikoi that strode in to Wellington last week to deliver the message: that Aotearoa is not for sale.

The breakfast launch down at parliament was standing room only as MP's from opposition parties, community groups, student organisations, unions and media all came to listen to the very eloquent and articulate speeches from Grey Power's Roy Reid and Arena Williams from the New Zealand Union of Students' Association. The very same pair who had the previous night defied the adverse conditions of a wet, wintry Wellington evening to project a Keep Our Assets lo... Read more >

The Rainbow Warrior is moored in the port city of Belem, here at the mouth of the Amazon river in Brazil. It’s a historic city, over 400 years old, which was established in colonial times and has become a thriving trade center ever since.

The name means Bethlehem in Portuguese and the cathedral, beautiful churches and bright blue buildings are a reflection of a devout and spiritual atmosphere. It’s still a market town as well, where the stalls creak under the weight of giant river fish, translucent shrimp and luscious exotic fruit.

As I write this I can see the line of supporters snaking back to the ice cream vendors and beyond, a great body of people in flip-flops and colorful vests waiting patiently to see Greenpeace’s most famous ship. We’re here for two days of ... Read more >