Press Centre

WORLD LEADERS: 12 DAYS LEFT TO AVERT CLIMATE CHAOS

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Twelve days before the critical UN Copenhagen Climate Summit, today Greenpeace activists shut down the export facilities of a major pulp and paper mill operated by Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) in the heart of Indonesia's rainforests. Sinar Mas, which owns APP, is a leading driver of global climate change due to its widespread role in forest destruction.

Indonesia's Rainforests and Climate Change

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Destruction and degradation of forests drives climate change in two ways. First, the clearing and burning of forests releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and second, the area of forest that absorbs carbon dioxide is reduced. Their role in regulating the climate is so crucial that if we destroy the last tropical forests, we will likely lose the battle against climate change.

Nuclear expert warns of safety flaws in Areva’s reactor designNuclear expert warns of safety flaws in Areva’s reactor design

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:53:28 GMT

An independent expert, commissioned by Greenpeace, has concluded that two nuclear reactors, currently under construction in Finland and France, suffer from serious safety flaws. The EPR (European Pressurised Reactor) design, which is supplied by the French company AREVA, fails to adequately separate different reactor control systems. Greenpeace is calling on the Finnish and French governments to immediately halt work at the EPR construction sites in Olkiluoto and Flamanville.

Defending our Pacific 2009 - summary report

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:39:36 GMT

Summary of findings by Greenpeace Esperanza “Defending Our Pacific” Expedition 23 August – 19 October 2009

Statement on the Separation of Safety I&C and Operational I&C

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:36:34 GMT

Statement from Dr Helmut Hirsch, Independent Consultant for Nuclear Safety regarding the design of the EPR Nerve Centre.

Indonesia suspends climate polluters’ licence to destroy rainforest - Greenpeace calls on Indonesian President Yudhoyono to end deforestation

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Greenpeace welcomed today’s decision by Indonesia’s Forest Minister, Mr. Zulkifli Hasan, to temporarily stop paper giant Asia Pacific Resources International Holding Limited (APRIL) from destroying the carbon-rich forest peatlands of Indonesia’s Kampar Peninsula, Sumatra, pending a review of the company’s permits.

Final voyage of the Japanese whaling fleet?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Following a week of potentially crippling budgetary reviews and a high-profile visit from US President Barack Obama to Japan, shortly after 10am today the so-called 'scientific' whaling fleet crept out of port, as Greenpeace called for today's departure to be the programme's last.

Update: Nuclear madness reaches Finland

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:18:29 GMT

The cargo ship Happy Ranger made port in Finland today, carrying its cargo of steam generators from France, intended for a nuclear reactor under construction at Olkiluoto. In addition, it is also carrying a protest camp, complete with eight Greenpeace activists from Finland, France, Germany and Sweden. Greenpeace is calling for the plant’s construction to be halted.

Greenpeace: French Nuclear Madness won’t save the climate

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:47:07 GMT

Today, six activists from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise boarded the cargo ship Happy Ranger in the Fehmarn Belt between Denmark and Germany. The activists are carrying banners reading “Nuclear Madness, made in France”. The ship is carrying steam turbines supplied by the French nuclear company AREVA to the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor currently under construction in Finland.

African human rights activist, Kumi Naidoo, takes over as Greenpeace International executive director

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:19:19 GMT

On becoming Greenpeace International Executive Director, prominent human rights activist Dr. Kumi Naidoo today warned world leaders that there can be no excuse for not attending the upcoming UN Copenhagen Climate Summit and agreeing a fair, ambitious and binding treaty to save the climate.

French Nuclear Madness won’t save the climate

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:05:44 GMT

Today six activists from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise boarded the cargo ship Happy Ranger in the Fehmarn Belt between Denmark and Germany. The activists are carrying banners reading “Nuclear Madness, made in France”. The ship is carrying steam turbines supplied by the French nuclear company AREVA to the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor currently under construction in Finland.

Tuna commission gets worse and fails on bluefin tuna, condemns sharks and endorses the use of illegal "walls of death"

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) has failed once again to act beyond the interests of a few tuna fishing and farming industries, warned Greenpeace today. Again it has approved recommendations which fail to ensure the recovery of Atlantic bluefin tuna, one of the most overexploited fisheries worldwide.

APEC “deal” on Copenhagen ignores the world’s most vulnerable - Greenpeace

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:31:42 GMT

Greenpeace today slammed the so-called “deal” made at the APEC leaders meeting this morning, to essentially relegate the Copenhagen UN Climate Summit outcome to nothing but a political agreement: postponing decisions on the legally binding agreement the world needs into an unclear future date.

Indonesian authorities cancel plan to evict Greenpeace climate defenders in face of overwhelming community support

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mass protest in support of Greenpeace by forest communities led police to cancel plans to forcibly shut down the Greenpeace Climate Defenders’ camp in the heart of the Indonesian rainforest today.

Paper giant pulls out of Indonesia rainforest destruction

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

While Greenpeace activists were detained by police overnight for taking direct action on Thursday to prevent Asia Pacific Resources International Holding Limited (APRIL) clearing Indonesia's rainforest, UPM-Kymmene announced that it will stop buying from the company (1), which is responsible for causing widespread rainforest and climate destruction. (2)

Smart Breeding

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

While genetically-engineered plants have gained much public attention, another modern breeding technique called MAS (marker-assisted selection) has gone through a silent revolution in recent years. MAS is a technique that does not replace traditional breeding, but can help to make it more efficient. It does not include the transfer of isolated gene sequences such as genetic engineering, but offers tools for targeted selection of the existing plant material for further breeding.

MAS has already proven to be a valuable tool for plant breeders: it requires less investment, raises fewer safety concerns, respects species barriers, and is accepted by the public. This report highlights dozens of examples of already marketed MAS-bred varieties, demonstrating its high potential to meet challenges such as a changing climate, disease resistance or higher nutritional qualities.

How the Japan ‘research’ whaling programme could be ended through the Japanese government current review of expenditure

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:10:47 GMT

The new Japanese Prime Minister has instituted a review of government spending. The review is being driven from the top by Prime Minister Hatoyama, and the Administrative Reform Minister, Yoshito Sengoku, has already indicated in media reports that its scope will be wide-ranging. It presents a significant face-saving opportunity for the new administration to cut the lethal whaling programme. The industry already runs at a loss, and its losses are set to increase despite receiving 795 million yen ($8.8 million US dollars) in government subsidies this year alone.

Greenpeace sends President Obama an urgent call to action from heart of South East Asia's rainforests

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As Barack Obama arrives in Asia for his first visit to the region as President and while the United States continues to block progress ahead of the critical UN climate negotiations at Copenhagen next month, a 50-strong international team of Greenpeace activists issued him an urgent call to action from the heart of Indonesia’s threatened rainforests.

Ecological-farming

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Greenpeace today released 'Agriculture at a Crossroads: Food for Survival', highlighting the ongoing food and climate crises and calling for a new ecological approach to agriculture.

Agriculture at a Crossroads: Food for Survival

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Climate change, hunger and poverty, loss of biodiversity, forest destruction, water crises, food safety – what all these threats have in common is that a principal cause for each of them is in the way we produce, trade, consume and discard food and other agricultural products. However, agriculture is not high on the agenda of media, politicians, financial institutions or many environmental organisations. Yet, none of the major global challenges ahead of us will be met without profound and lasting changes of today’s dominant agricultural practices and food policies.