Greenpeace press releases

Free Speech Isn't Just for Your Friends

tnichols — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:46:00 +0200

Action follows open letter volunteering to testify in IRS investigation in light of Bush-era audit

Lexington, May 17, 2013 —Today Greenpeace placed a full-page ad in the Lexington Herald-Leader reminding Senator McConnell that “Free Speech Isn’t Just for People You Agree With.“ The Kentucky Senator has stated he is “deeply disturbed” by the recent allegedly politically motivated audits of tea party groups by the IRS, though he was notably silent during similar activities targeting progressive organizations during the Bush years.

The ad comes on the heels of Greenpeace Executive Director Phil Radford publishing an open letter to the Congressional Committee leading the investigation into the audits. The letter called on the committee to widen the scope of its investigation to politically motivated investigations from years past, including those that targeted Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, and the NAACP.

The letter states, in part:

“In the past dozen years, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) were subject to politically-motivated tax investigations by the IRS and Congress. Greenpeace is offering to testify about being the target of politically motivated audits in 2004, because regardless of which party holds power, these abuses are egregious and must stop.”

The ad is part of Greenpeace’s continued work to promote good governance, regardless of the party in power.

"While Mitch McConnell's constituents clearly care about the First Amendment and the environment, the Senator continues to show he cares only about politics,” Radford said. “Sadly, it doesn’t come as a shock that he would leap to defend the Tea Party while ignoring the rights of groups like Greenpeace. The true test of any politician’s commitment to free speech comes when the rights of the people that he votes against are being trampled, not when he simply wants his friends to win.”

Read the full letter here: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/Global/usa/planet3/PDFs/politically-motivated-IRS-audits.pdf

See the full ad here: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/Global/usa/planet3/PDFs/lexington-herald-ad.pdf

Read the blog, What do Greenpeace and the Tea Party have in common?

For further comment, contact Travis Nichols, 206.802.8498, tnichols@greenpeace.org

21 groups call for moratorium on Powder River coal in letter to new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell

Joe Smyth — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:37:00 +0200

Washington DC - The leaders of 21 organizations welcomed Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to her first day on the job with a letter calling for “an immediate moratorium on new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin and a comprehensive review of the federal coal leasing program.”

The letter emphasizes the huge quantities of carbon pollution unlocked by federal coal leasing in the Powder River Basin of northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, and how that is undermining President Obama’s climate commitment and record; “Between 2011-2012, BLM leased over 2.1 billion tons of coal in the Powder River Basin, unlocking nearly 3.5 billion metric tons of CO2 that will be released when this coal is burned. In comparison, EPA's newest passenger vehicle emissions standards will reduce an estimated 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of cars made from 2017-2025.”

The letter also points to growing controversy over the federal coal leasing program in the Powder River Basin. The Government Accountability Office and the Department of Interior’s Inspector General are investigating the federal coal leasing program because of concerns that it has amounted to a major taxpayer subsidy to coal mining companies. Those concerns have intensified as coal mining companies hope to export increased quantities of federally owned coal, which is supposed to be managed “in the best interests of the nation.”

Groups signing the letter include national environmental, health, and consumer rights organizations, along with community organizations concerned about coal export proposals in Oregon and Washington and the impacts of strip mining coal in Wyoming and Montana.

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

The text of the letter is below, and available at http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/Global/usa/planet3/PDFs/Coal/SecJewell.pdf

350.org – Center for Biological Diversity – Clean Energy Action – Climate Solutions – Coloradans for Fair Rates and Clean Energy – CREDO – Earthjustice – Environment America – Friends of the Earth – Greenpeace – Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment – North Sound Baykeeper – Northern Plains Resource Council – Powder River Basin Resource Council – Physicians for Social Responsibility – Public Citizen – RE Sources for Sustainable Communities – Sierra Club – Washington Environmental Council – Western Organization of Resource Councils – WildEarth Guardians

15 April, 2013

The Honorable Sally Jewell

Secretary of the Interior

18th and C Streets, NW

Washington, DC 20240

Dear Secretary Jewell,

Congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of the Interior.

As you are aware, you inherit this Agency at an important crossroads. The urgency of climate change and a recent surge in proposals to lease and export federally-owned Powder River Basin coal have created unprecedented challenges for the Department of Interior. As Secretary, you now have the responsibility to bring the federal coal leasing program in line with President Obama’s call to “respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations,” and to ensure taxpayers are not unfairly subsidizing the coal industry’s export ambitions.1

We urge you to put an immediate moratorium on new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin and to conduct a comprehensive review of the federal coal leasing program. The Department of Interior must ensure that coal companies do not cheat U.S. taxpayers, existing mines do not endanger our air, water and wildlife and are properly reclaimed, and the greenhouse gas emissions from federal coal leases do not conflict with the Administration’s stated commitment to reduce the country’s contribution to climate change.

The urgency of climate change requires bold action

Recent extreme weather events remind us that climate change is not just a problem for future generations, it is a problem now, and the Administration must act swiftly to control the greenhouse gas emissions that are threatening lives and livelihoods. Hurricane Sandy devastated the Eastern shore, causing more than $70 billion in damage and leaving families without power, water, and essential services, while much of the country continues to experience the worst drought in a generation, covering more than three-quarters of the U.S. at its peak.

Coal remains the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States. Coal mined in the Powder River Basin alone (80 percent of which is federal coal) is the source of 13 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions. 2 As the steward of one of the world’s largest coal reserves, Department of Interior can no longer ignore the enormous climate impact of new and existing coal leases.

We are encouraged by President Obama’s commitment to address climate change in his inaugural and State of the Union addresses. The federal coal leasing program, however, undermines efforts by citizens, businesses, and the Administration to reduce carbon pollution. Between 2011 and 2012, BLM leased over 2.1 billion tons of coal in the Powder River Basin, unlocking nearly 3.5 billion metric tons of CO2 that will be released when this coal is burned.3 In comparison, EPA's newest passenger vehicle emissions standards will reduce an estimated 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of cars made from 2017-2025.4

Absent a moratorium and reform, Interior is poised to approve 3.5 billion tons of new coal mining, which would be an unprecedented expansion of federal coal extraction.5 DOI cannot facilitate these massive extraction projects without undermining President Obama’s commitment to address climate change.

As domestic coal demand shrinks, coal producers eye foreign markets

In 2012, domestic coal use dropped 12%. Once the source of nearly half of US electricity, coal supplied only 37% of U.S. electricity last year.6 And this trend is expected to continue.

More megawatts of new wind energy were added to the grid in 2012 than any other energy source.7 In January of 2013, 100% of new electricity generation infrastructure was from renewable sources.8 New EPA health standards and competition from other sources of energy are making aging coal-fired power plants uneconomic.

As coal becomes more expensive to mine and burn, coal companies are proposing to dramatically increase leasing and export of taxpayer-owned Power River Basin coal to foreign markets. Companies such as Peabody, Arch, Cloud Peak, and Ambre are attempting to export more than 140 million tons of Powder River Basin coal through the Pacific Northwest annually, while others seek to expand coal export capacity in the Gulf and on the East Coast.

Despite the reality of shifting coal markets, BLM still operates under the assumption that new coal leases will serve domestic demand. On June 26, 2012, BLM leased the 721 million ton North Porcupine tract in Wyoming to Peabody Energy for the artificially low price of $1.11 per ton, under the justification of providing “a reliable, continuous supply of stable and affordable energy for consumers throughout the country.”9

Coal companies, however, are increasingly transparent about their desire to sell public coal overseas for a price five to seven times higher than the domestic delivered price. On a March 6 webcast, Cloud Peak CEO Colin Marshall said, “It’s fair to say, domestically, there isn’t any growth in the Powder River Basin that I can see.” In January, Arch Coal CEO John Eaves told the CoalTrans USA conference, “I think port capacity on the West Coast is important, because over time we think more Western coals will be going into Asian markets." 10

Not surprisingly, these new developments have cast doubt on whether Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management are managing this resource in the best interests of the nation.

As you know, DOI is facing three government investigations over its coal leasing and royalty programs. 11 A 2012 report from the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis revealed that BLM’s inaccurate assessment of the “fair market value” of coal has cheated taxpayers out of almost $30 billion over the last thirty years, 12 a massive subsidy to the coal industry. After the release of this report, the Government Accountability Office launched an investigation at the request of Representative Markey. Following a Reuters investigation and the requests of Senators Wyden and Murkowski, former Secretary Salazar created a task force to investigate whether coal companies are cheating royalty payments by selling coal to in-house affiliates before selling it to foreign markets. 13 The Department of Interior’s Inspector General is investigating both fair market value and royalty valuation.

New and existing mining projects threaten local communities

Coal mining activities have contributed to local air quality violations and overall degradation of air quality in the region. Coal mining has also led to complete dewatering of local aquifers and significant changes in hydrogeology. Additionally, less than 4% of the 160,000 acres that have been impacted by coal mining in Wyoming and Montana have been released from reclamation bonds. This has tied up land in defiance of BLM's mandate to manage public lands for a combination of uses, taking into account the long-term needs of future generations for renewable and nonrenewable resources. Increased mining because of new leases will only exacerbate these impacts.

Landowners living near coal mines and communities along rail lines have historically shouldered the brunt of the costs to public health and the environment. New proposals to increase coal exports through the Pacific Northwest are facing deep opposition from communities concerned about an increase in coal dust and diesel pollution, as well as impacts to local waterways, wildlife, and outdoor recreation.

With so much at stake, we urge you to suspend auctions of taxpayer-owned coal, and establish a moratorium on new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin. A comprehensive review of the federal coal leasing program is needed to ensure that the public has a clear answer to how the federal coal leasing program will be reformed to serve the public interest.

Sincerely,

[CEOs of groups signed on to the letter]

Cc: Neil Kornze, Director, Bureau of Land Management

Nancy Sutley, Council on Environmental Quality

Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe

Representative Ed Markey

Senator Ron Wyden

Senator Barbara Boxer

Governor Jay Inslee

Governor John Kitzhaber

Endnotes to letter:

1. Quote is from President Obama's second inaugural address.

2. http://www.wildearthguardians.org/support_docs/report_powder_river_11-23-09.pdf

3. http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wy/programs/energy/coal/comp_lease-1990.Par.9731.File.dat/successful_sales_08_07_12.pdf

4. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regs-light-duty.htm#new1

5. This calculation includes the North and West Hilight leases, West Jacobs Ranch lease, Maysdorf II lease, and Hay Creek II lease.

6. http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_1_1

7. http://www.awea.org/learnabout/publications/reports/upload/AWEA-Fourth-Quarter-Wind-Energy-Industry-Market-Report_Executive-Summary-4.pdf

8. http://www.eenews.net/assets/2013/02/25/document_pm_01.pdf

9. http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wy/information/NEPA/hpdo/Wright-Coal/s-porcupine.Par.96234.File.dat/S-PorcROD.pdf

10. http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Coal/6102632?sf156441=1

11. http://democrats.naturalresources.house.gov/sites/democrats.naturalresources.house.gov/files/documents/2012-04-24_GAO_Coal_Exports.pdf

12. http://ieefa.org/study-almost30-billion-in-revenues-lost-to-ta

13. http://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=94316913-27c1-4152-a272-7cabff2010c8

William Shatner Calls for Bering Sea Protection

tnichols — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:52:00 +0200

The world’s largest underwater canyons under imminent threat from industrial fishing

For further information, contact Travis Nichols, 206.802.8498 tnichols@greenpeace.org

To watch the video, CLICK HERE.

April 3, 2013 Washington D.C. - Today, Greenpeace launched a new video featuring the voice of William Shatner calling for the North Pacific Marine Fisheries Council to protect the Bering Sea canyons from industrial fishing.

The “Save Kipper” public service announcement features a happy menagerie of domesticated animals--a fish named Kipper, a dog named Sparky, a bird named Boozer, and a cat named Fluffy--all of which have their homes shockingly destroyed by methods ranging from fire to a power saw.

“We wouldn’t let this happen to Kipper, Sparky, Boozer, or Fluffy,” Mr. Shatner says in the video, “In the ocean, it’s worse.”

“In the ocean, especially in the Bering Sea,habitat destruction by industrial fishing fleets is even more shockingly ruinous than a flaming cat tree or demolished dog house,” Jackie Dragon, Greenpeace USA senior oceans campaigner said. “There’s no rebuilding the ancient habitat that is being destroyed.”

“Alaska’s Bering Sea is home to one of the most remarkable places in the world, an area so rich with life scientists call it ‘the Green Belt.’ Here, the ‘Grand Canyons of the Sea’ support an extraordinary ecosystem that includes fish, crab, skates, endangered sea lions, orcas, and humpback whales, but it all starts with the fragile corals and sponges on the sea floor.”

“Tragically, this amazing ecosystem is under serious threat from industrial fishing fleets that carve up the corals and sponges with their trawl nets. Bottom-tending fishing gear--especially trawl nets--destroys fragile corals and sponges that provide essential habitat, including spawning and nursery areas for fish, crab, and other marine species.”

Despite repeated requests from conservationists to protect this canyon habitat from fishing impacts, the governing body responsible for the Grand Canyons of the Sea, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, has so far taken no action to curb fishing here or conserve this vital Green Belt ecosystem. The council has blamed its past inaction on a lack of scientific evidence, so Greenpeace has twice gone to the canyons with state of the art submarines equipped with high definition video cameras to bring back the science the council has asked for.

The council is expected to decide how it will proceed in a vote this June.

“This will be the year the council decides either to consider the science and create a pathway to protect the canyons, or to ignore the science and continue the destruction,” Dragon said.

For further information, visit beringseacanyons.org

For further comment, contact Travis Nichols 206.802.8498

Department of the Interior report calls for paperwork instead of Arctic protection

kmacduff — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:16:00 +0100

Commenting on the Department of the Interior’s review into Shell’s failed Arctic attempt and the Government lassitude that allowed it to happen, Greenpeace US Executive Director Phil Radford condemned the Report as weak.

The review, which details the cavalcade of disasters that plagued Shell’s adventures in the Arctic, makes a series of recommendations that would require better paperwork from Shell before they go up North again.

“The Government should be embarrassed for granting Shell the permits it did this year, but instead the report blithely congratulates agencies for working together so well. Secretary Salazar hit the nail on the head today when he bluntly characterized Shell as screwing up in the Arctic. That this Government gave them an official blessing could well be Secretary Salazar’s legacy. He will be remembered for presiding over one oil disaster in the Gulf Of Mexico and setting the scene for one in the Arctic.

“This Report merely gives Big Oil a slap on the wrist, leaving it to the new head of the Department of Interior to stand up to Shell and ConocoPhillips and get the U.S. firmly on the path to a clean, spill-free future. We hope that soon-to-be Secretary Jewell will exhibit a new kind of leadership, centered on making principled choices today to avoid passing problems on to future leaders and future generations.”

“What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic. Allowing the world's richest companies to drill for the very oil that is causing the Arctic to melt will only lock us into a future with more superstorms, more droughts, and more resource conflict around the world.

“Certainly the Obama administration has all the evidence it will ever need that drilling in the Arctic is a recipe for disaster,” Mr Radford said.

For further information, contact: Keiller MacDuff 202 679 2236

StarKist Tuna Parent Company, Dongwon, Faces Criminal Charges in Africa

tnichols — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:34:00 +0100

Troubled brand also under litigation for short-weighting canned tuna in US

Seoul, 13 March 2013 -- StarKist Tuna’s parent company, Dongwon Industries, is facing criminal charges in Africa for forging government documents, including a fake fishing license and doctored official correspondence. Greenpeace is calling on the South Korean government to call the company’s fleet home, conduct an investigation into their vessel’s activities, and prosecute as necessary.

African authorities caught a Dongwon-owned purse seine tuna fishing vessel, F/V Premier, using a fake fishing license in Liberia in 2011 and 2012. The company then sent a letter, forged to appear from the Liberian Bureau of National Fisheries, to the Korean government implying that the allegation of illegal fishing was a misunderstanding. The same forged letter was also sent to African governments seeking new fishing licenses for the Premier.

The government of Liberia has asked the Korean government to investigate the Premier violations. Eight member countries of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission have already refused Dongwon's ship entry into their waters, and the United Kingdom and European Union have issued warnings against entry of illegally caught fish.

"StarKist will clearly do anything to make a profit, whether it’s faking official documents or slaughtering tens of thousands of sharks, turtles, and other animals through its unsustainable fishing practices. Consumers deserve better than this," said Casson Trenor, Greenpeace USA’s senior seafood markets campaigner.

Dongwon Industries has a history of illegal fishing and ranked at the bottom of Greenpeace’s Korean sustainable tuna guide last year. Under Korean law, a vessel caught fishing illegally can have its license revoked, and in case of repeated offense its highest executive can face up to 3 years in jail and millions in penalties.

Greenpeace is campaigning for the tuna industry to abandon destructive fishing methods, reduce industrial fishing capacity and to support a global network of marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans. These are necessary steps to restoring our oceans to health and to maintaining ample fish for future generations.

These troubles comes on the heels of a lawsuit recently filed in California that accuses StarKist of fraud for misrepresenting the amount of tuna in its products.

CONTACT:
Jeonghee Han, Greenpeace East Asia oceans campaigner (in Seoul), +82 2 3144 1995
Travis Nichols, Greenpeace USA communications (in Washington D.C.), 206 802 8498
Steve Smith, Greenpeace International communications (in Amsterdam) +31 643 787 359

Activists plant cherry trees in Fukushima anniversary memorial at nuclear plant

Joe Smyth — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:56:00 +0100

Raleigh, NC March 7, 2013 —Greenpeace activists planted cherry trees outside of Duke Energy’s nuclear power plant near Raleigh in a memorial to the Fukushima nuclear meltdown that happened two years ago. Activists also created cherry tree memorials at the sites of planned nuclear reactors Duke hopes to build in South Carolina and Florida.

The activists planted the cherry trees outside the front gate of the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant in New Hill, NC, about 20 miles from Raleigh, where Duke is attempting to build a new reactor. They held a placard reading “Duke: Remember Fukushima. End Nuclear Power.”

Photos available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeaceusa09/sets/72157632920796853/

“The nuclear disaster at Fukushima two years ago reminded the world there’s no such thing as a safe nuclear power plant. While other countries have responded by investing in cheaper, safer wind and solar energy, Duke Energy insists on going down the dangerous path of nuclear power. Duke should remember Fukushima by canceling its plans to build new nuclear reactors,” Greenpeace Nuclear Power Analyst Jim Riccio said.

Monday, March 11 will mark the second anniversary of the day that the Japanese earthquake and tsunami were exacerbated by the manmade triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Tens of thousands of people in Japan still cannot safely return to their homes as a result of the disaster.

Greenpeace also released a report today outlining Duke’s risky nuclear plans, including dangerous parallels to Fukushima, which is available here: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/Two-Years-after-Fukushima-Duke-Energy-still-making-risky-nuclear-bets/

Unlike many other companies and countries that have deserted nuclear ambitions since Fukushima, Duke is plowing forward with its three proposed projects, which are located at the Harris plant; in Gaffney, SC about 50 miles from Charlotte; and in Levy County, Florida.

Costs for the three proposed new reactors are soaring over their budgets, with the latest projections ranging from two to six times higher than original projections at all the locations. (1)

Laws in all three states allow Duke to charge its ratepayers for nuclear construction costs before the reactors are ever completed. Consumers throughout Duke’s service territory are revolting against having to pay in advance for over-budget, risky nuclear plants. A bipartisan group of Florida state senators – including former nuclear supporters – is now decrying the law there and calling for its repeal. (2)

“The most offensive part of Duke’s nuclear gamble is that it expects consumers to write a blank check for plants that will put them at greater risk of a Fukushima-like disaster,” Riccio said.

Risks that echo Fukushima plague Duke’s existing fleet of nuclear power plants: Duke recently retired the Crystal River nuclear plant near Tampa, FL due to a cracked containment dome. (3) The two reactors at Duke’s Brunswick plant near Wilmington, NC have the same General Electric design that melted down in Japan. And Duke’s Oconee nuclear plant in South Carolina is vulnerable to a meltdown if a dam looming over the plant fails. According to calculations from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the risk to Duke’s Oconee reactors from a dam failure is far higher than the odds were of an earthquake-induced tsunami causing a meltdown at the Fukushima plant. (4)

NOTES TO EDITOR:

Photos of today’s memorials available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeaceusa09/sets/72157632920796853/

Report on Duke’s risky nuclear bets and Fukushima parallels available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/Two-Years-after-Fukushima-Duke-Energy-still-making-risky-nuclear-bets/

(1) http://www.iaumc.org/console/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/2011NuclearPower-EstimatingCosts_QFZL5NXD.pdf

(2) http://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-legislators-hope-to-fix-controversial-advance-fee-law/1275992

(3) http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/duke-energy-announces-closing-of-crystal-river-nuclear-power-plant/1273794

(4) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/nuclear-plant-flood-threat-leak_n_1983005.html

###

CONTACT:

Kat Clark, Greenpeace press officer, 415-308-0487, kat.clark@greenpeace.org

Shell Abandons its 2013 Arctic Drilling Program

kmacduff — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 20:15:00 +0100

February 27, Washington, DC - Greenpeace today welcomed the announcement by Royal Dutch Shell that the company will not attempt to pursue offshore drilling in Alaskan Arctic waters in 2013. Phil Radford, Greenpeace USA Executive Director said in response:

“This is the first thing Shell’s done right in Alaska - calling it quits. Shell was supposed to be the best of the best, but the long list of mishaps and near-disasters is a clear indication even the ‘best’ companies can’t succeed in Arctic drilling. Secretary Salazar and President Obama gave drilling a chance; now the responsible decision is to make Arctic drilling off limits, forever.

“Taking the lead on saving the Arctic from dangerous exploitation will not only protect the fragile Arctic ecosystem and the communities that depend on it, it will send a powerful signal to other nations that it’s time to kick our addiction to fossil fuels. Drilling in the Arctic will propel us towards catastrophic climate change, so it needs to end now.

“Shell’s announcement today is an admission that the millions of people around the world were right to urge Obama to keep the company out of the Arctic. Now Obama needs to listen to the 2.7 million people who have signed on to #SaveTheArctic and make Arctic drilling off-limits forever.”

For further comment, contact Travis Nichols 206.802.8498 tnichols@greenpeace.org

New Report: The Myth of China's Endless Coal Demand: A missing market for US Exports

Joe Smyth — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:04:00 +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 at http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/reports/Myth-of-China-Endless-Coal-Demand/

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

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

Senators Boxer and Sanders show climate leadership

Joe Smyth — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:42:00 +0100

Washington DC - On the heels of President Obama's call to action in his State of the Union address and the arrest of more than 40 environmental, civil rights, and community leaders at a protest of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Sanders (I-VT) have introduced the first serious climate legislation since cap and trade failed to pass the Senate in 2009. The bill would put a $20/ton fee on the dangerous carbon pollution driving climate impacts like Hurricane Sandy, raising trillions of dollars to offset any impact on consumers and create new investment in renewable energy sources.

Greenpeace Climate Campaign Director Gabe Wisniewski remarked, "After years of our leaders in government failing to even acknowledge the overwhelming threat of climate change, this bill restarts critical momentum toward solutions. The legislation on its own would not be sufficient to address the rapidly unraveling climate system, but it represents the kind of leadership that we so desperately need in Washington. We hope other leaders in Congress will wake up to the reality of the climate threat, and the huge economic opportunities before us if we take action now."

Additional measures are being considered that would roll back some of the billions of dollars in subsidies that have flowed to the fossil fuel industry, keeping it afloat despite the economic competitiveness of energy efficiency and renewable resources like wind and solar.

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

Greenpeace Exposes Hazardous Chemicals in Popular Fashion

nsands — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:30:00 +0100

Beijing, Nov. 20th, 2012 – Popular fashion brands are selling clothing contaminated with hazardous chemicals that break down to form hormone-disrupting or even cancer-causing chemicals when released into the environment, according to a report released today by Greenpeace.

“We found that 20 of the world’s favorite brands are making and selling clothes containing hazardous chemicals which contribute to toxic water pollution where the clothes are made and washed” said Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner John Deans. “The use of these toxic chemicals is an industry wide problem that is turning us all into fashion victims.”

The new investigatory report, “Toxic Threads - The Big Fashion Stitch-Up,” reveals the results of tests done on 141 clothing items and exposes the links between textile manufacturing facilities using hazardous chemicals and the presence of chemicals in final products.

The Greenpeace investigation found hazardous chemicals in clothes from all 20 of the leading fashion brands that were examined [1]. Zara, the leading brand of worlds largest fashion retailer, is alone in the study for having clothes that contain chemicals from certain dyes which can break down into cancer-causing amines [2].

One of the key findings is that all tested brands had at least several items containing NPEs, which break down into hormone disrupting chemicals, with the highest concentrations – above 1,000 ppm – in clothing items from Zara, Metersbonwe, Levi’s, C&A, Mango, Calvin Klein, Jack & Jones and Marks & Spencer (M&S). Other chemicals identified included high levels of toxic phthalates in four of the products, and traces of a cancer-causing amine from the use of certain azo dyes [3] in two products from Zara. The presence of many other types of potentially hazardous industrial chemicals were found in many of the items tested.

“As the world’s largest fashion retailer Zara can lead the industry in change by taking urgent, ambitious and transparent action to Detox their clothes and supply chains,” Deans said. “H&M and Marks & Spencer have committed to zero discharge of toxic chemicals by 2020. There is no reason Zara can’t do the same.”

The items tested were manufactured mainly in the Global South, and included jeans, trousers, t-shirts, dresses and underwear designed for men, women and children and made from both artificial and natural fibers. Hazardous chemicals are incorporated deliberately within the materials or left as unwanted residues remaining from their use during the manufacturing process.

“The textile industry continues to treat public waterways as little more than their private sewers. But our fashion doesn’t have to cost the earth: Our clothes don't have to be manufactured with hazardous chemicals,” said Yifang Li, Detox campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia.

Greenpeace demands fashion brands commit to zero discharge of all hazardous chemicals by 2020 - as seven brands including H&M and Marks & Spencer have already done - and require their suppliers to disclose all releases of toxic chemicals from their facilities to communities at the site of water pollution.

For media inquiries:
Myriam Fallon, Media Officer, Greenpeace: 708.546.9001, mfallon@greenpeace.org
Tristan Tremschnig, Media Relations Specialist, Greenpeace (based in Beijing):
+31 6 43 78 7393 (int’l) / +86 13 718 448 663 (China), tristan.tremschnig@greenpeace.org

The report and factsheets can be downloaded at: www.greenpeace.org/international/big-fashion-stitch-up

Photos and graphics can be accessed at:
http://photo.greenpeace.org/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox_VPage&ALID=27MZIFVVONQT&CT=Album

Video/b-roll: Contact Dannielle Taaffe, Greenpeace International Video Producer on: Email: dannielle.taaffe@greenpeace.org, Mobile: +31 6347 38790

NOTES:
[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 the dyes are chemically broken down. Some amines (that come from the breakdown of certain dyes) are carcinogenic. Phthalates were found in all 31 items that were tested: high levels in 4, and traces in the other 27. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) were identified across all brands. Some phthalates, and chemicals released when nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) break down (in water treatment plants or in rivers), are hormone-disrupting chemicals. Some phthalates are toxic to the reproductive system.
[3] The release of amines were detected in two of the articles, above the detection limit of 5 ppm; both products were manufactured in Pakistan for Zara and sold in either Lebanon or Hungary.

Is BP Getting Away with Murder?

tnichols — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:25:00 +0100

November 15, 2012 - According to various news reports, BP Plc has reached a deal with the Department of Justice and agreed to pay a record U.S. criminal penalty totalling billions of dollars in addition to pleading guilty to gross misconduct in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon gulf oil disaster.

The AP reports BP will also plead guilty to obstruction “for lying to Congress about how much oil was pouring out of the ruptured well.” The agreement was reportedly made in exchange for a waiver of future prosecution on the charges, and sources say it will not cover outstanding federal civil claims.

It remains to be seen whether BP will plead guilty to felony counts, or if the Department of Justice will grant a deferred prosecution agreement. Deferred prosecution would fail to address the company’s willful negligence in the deaths of 11 people, permanent damage to the gulf ecosystem, and the ongoing impact on the residents of gulf states.

Greenpeace senior investigator Mark Floegel issued the following statement in response to the reports:

“Today's announcement of a proposed settlement between BP and the US government fails every aspect of the commonly accepted notion of penalty.

“This proposed settlement would not hold the guilty accountable for their actions. This fine amounts to a rounding error for a corporation the size of BP. It is far less than Shell Oil has already spent in the Arctic, without yet commencing serious operations.

“BP management is clearly hanging low-echelon technical and engineering staff out to dry while making no significant changes to their disastrous business model.

“This proposed settlement would not protect the innocent. Nothing in this proposed settlement gives any oil company incentive to be more careful in future operations. Cutting corners and skimping on safety will still be the rule of the day.

“This proposed settlement would not deter future crime. As the other oil giants have resources similar to BP's, this proposed settlement would give a green light for more reckless behavior in environments across the globe. Shell will now be eager to return to the Arctic Ocean in 2013, knowing that its inevitable oil spills will be met with similar slaps on the wrist.

“Indeed, if one looks at the fate of BP's stock price - the only metric of value in the corporate world - it's clear that far from a penalty, this proposed settlement would be a reward to BP.”

Earlier this year, Greenpeace released previously unseen photos of endangered Gulf species covered in BP oil, as well photos of a dead sperm whale found 77 miles from the site of the disaster.

“The price of one sperm whale in the gulf is immeasurable,” John Hocevar, director of Greenpeace US oceans campaign said, “and we still don’t know the full ecological story of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster. This settlement would buy off further government silence about the full impacts. The Gulf deserves a full accounting for the damage BP has done, and this proposed settlement is simply BP trying to buy its way out of responsibility.”

Greenpeace Uncovers Illegal Tuna Laundering in the Pacific Ocean

tnichols — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:34:00 +0100

Pacific Ocean, 15 November 2012 – Greenpeace has uncovered a large-scale illegal transfer of fish at sea between one ship from Cambodia, one from the Philippines, and two from Indonesia in the Pacific Commons.

None of the boats are on the official record of vessels authorized to operate in the area and they are therefore not allowed to fish or transfer fish at sea according to the rules of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

Greenpeace collected photo and video evidence showing MV Heng Xing 1, a reefer sailing under the Cambodian flag, transshipping fish catches with two Indonesian tuna purse seine vessels (KM Starcki 10 and KM Starcki 11) and one Filipino reefer (Sal 19).

The Indonesian and Philippine vessels are bound by WCPFC rules and their involvement in the transshipment is therefore illegal. (1) Cambodia is not a member of the WCPFC and the reefer is therefore considered unregulated.

In addition, an oil slick, stretching a mile long, was also observed during the transshipment. Greenpeace will share this evidence with enforcement authorities at NOAA and other relevant governments, as well as the WCPFC.

Greenpeace activists boarded the MV Heng Xing and examined the fish hold, which was full of mostly frozen skipjack tuna and some yellowfin, likely destined for canned tuna markets. Yellowfin tuna was recently assessed under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria for threatened species and is now classified as near threatened (2).

“This illegal and unregulated activity is a stark reminder of the urgent need to close the Pacific Commons to all fishing and increase enforcement,” said John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA. “In order for people to be confident that their canned tuna is legal, never mind sustainable, we need stronger traceability standards so retailers can track seafood from where it is caught all the way to the shelf.”

The Pacific is the source of 70% of the world’s tuna, providing coastal communities not only with food but also economic prosperity. For years, Greenpeace has been working with Pacific governments to address overfishing and prevent foreign fishing nations from plundering their fishing grounds.

Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of fully protected marine reserves covering 40% of the world’s oceans, including in four high seas areas known as the Pacific Commons (3). The environmental group is also seeking a ban on the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) in purse seine fisheries and a 50% reduction in the catch of bigeye tuna.

These measures are important to keep valuable fish stocks at a sustainable level and will be reviewed at the upcoming meeting of the Western and Central Fisheries Commission in Manila from 2-7 December. Around the world, Greenpeace is working with retailers and tuna brands across Europe, the Americas and the Pacific to improve their traceability and shift to more sustainable tuna sourcing.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Renee Chou (Communications Officer on board of MY Esperanza)
renee.chou@greenpeace.org

Farah Obaidullah (Oceans Campaigner on board of MY Esperanza)
farah.obaidullah@greenpeace.org

NOTES

1) WCPFC Conservation and Management Measure 2009-01:, para. 16: “any vessel not included in the WCPFC Record of Fishing Vessels shall be deemed not to be authorized to fish for, retain on board, transship or land highly migratory fish stocks in the Convention Area beyond the national jurisdiction of its flag State.” According to footnote two, this measure applies to cooperating non-members too, such as Indonesia.

2) http://lenfestocean.org/press-release/increased-protection-urgently-needed-tunas

3) Map of the Pacific Commons http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/marine-reserves/pacific-tuna-need-marine-reserves/

Duke books $594m in utility profits in three months at the expense of ratepayers and the environment

kmacduff — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 16:32:00 +0100

Duke Energy’s strong profit, announced in a third quarter earnings call this morning, is an insult to North Carolina ratepayers who are being asked to foot the bill for Duke’s costly and dangerous portfolio, according to broad group of organizations fighting Duke’s rate hike requests and its dirty energy addiction.

“Given that Duke has already announced rate hikes for Progress Energy customers, and is about to ask the same for Duke customers, this announcement will come as slap in the face for consumers. On the back of the enormous pay out handed to deposed Progress CEO Bill Johnson, and Duke’s ongoing commitment to out dated, polluting and dangerous fuels it’s apparent that Duke has no regard for its customers or its community,” said Greenpeace field organizer Becky Ceartas said.

Duke, the country’s biggest investor owned utility since its recent controversial merger with Progress Energy, announced third quarter earnings of $1.47 per share.

More than 30 statewide and national groups are coordinating to fight Duke’s proposed rate hikes and its dirty business model, including social justice, environmental and faith groups.

“Duke Energy’s 3rd quarter earnings report tells people of faith that Duke’s business model is out of touch with an energy portfolio that serves the needs and welfare of our citizens. Duke Energy’s out of date business plan relies on polluting, inefficient fossil fuel technologies, which primarily serve short term profitability. North Carolina Citizens need Duke to move aggressively to a 21st Century Energy plan based on energy efficiency and renewable energy, which will create meaningful work for tens of thousands of North Carolinians, while protecting us from climate change consequences that are getting worse year after year.” said Richard Fireman, Public Policy Advisor, North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light.

Duke's earnings have increased about 70% between 2009 and 2011, despite expensive coal plant cost over runs, a huge payout to deposed Progress CEO Bill Johnson and numerous legacy issues with Progress’s former nuclear fleet.

“It’s a matter of fairness,” says Carley Ruff, Policy and Outreach Coordinator for the NC Housing Coalition. “Even while Duke sees record profits, residential customers and small businesses are being asked to sacrifice. Low and fixed income North Carolinians are struggling to keep up with their housing costs as it is, and a 14% increase in power bills will only make matters worse. This potential rate increase also comes during the coldest time of year - when families typically spend a much greater portion of their income on utilities.”

“There are thousands of people in NC that cannot afford electrical service already. We can’t consider rate hikes without adopting programs to ensure that all people in NC can afford electric power and without an effective plan for dramatically reducing environmental damage from current practices. Until these two issues are addressed, proposed rate increases are unacceptable” said Al Ripley, from North Carolina Justice Center.

A recent Greenpeace report, Charting the Correction Course, details how Duke could save ratepayers in the Carolinas more than $100 billion dollars over the next twenty years by switching to clean, renewable energy.

“Currently, Duke’s business plan is based on upping rates on North Carolina energy consumers twenty fold over the next twenty years, and doubling down on dirty energy. Returning money to shareholders off the back of the people of this state, our environment and our climate is simply unacceptable. We look forward to seeing Duke redirect it’s focus towards a cleaner, safer and cheaper energy future” said Greenpeace Field Organizer Becky Ceartas.

For more information: - Becky Ceartas, Greenpeace Raleigh Organizer, becky.ceartas@greenpeace.org, 919 260 4766

Carley Ruff, Policy and Outreach Coordinator, NC Housing Coalition, CRuff@nchousing.org, 919.827.4496

Richard Fireman, Public Policy Advisor, North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light- firepeople@main.nc.us, (828) 206-8877

Al Ripley, Director of Housing and Consumer Affairs, NC Justice Center – 919-856-2573. al@ncjustice.org

Whale FOIA

tnichols — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:42:00 +0200

Greenpeace Uncovers Disturbing Images of Dead Sperm Whale in Gulf

Government Documentation Raises Questions About BP Accountability in Advance of Settlement

CONTACT: Travis Nichols, 206 802 8498, tnichols@greenpeace.org

WASHINGTON, DC - Greenpeace today released photos and emails from U.S. government offices that raise serious questions about how the government has handled whales and other endangered Gulf species affected by the 2010 BP disaster. The documents, received in late September via a Freedom of Information request filed in August 2010, show graphic photos of a dead sperm whale whose skin has been burnt black, as well as evidence of government officials removing references to the ongoing BP oil disaster in their public documentation of the finding.

The photos were presumably taken by government researchers on the NOAA research vessel Pisces, who found the dead whale floating about 77 miles from the site of the Deepwater Horizon on June 15, 2010. The civil trial that would assign damages for the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the worst marine oil accident in US history, is rumored to be near a settlement.

“Before the disaster, this area of the gulf had one of the largest and healthiest populations of sperm whales in the world according to biologists,” Greenpeace Research Director Kert Davies said. “These photos of a dead young whale remind us that we still don’t know the full ecological story of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster.

“The problem remains that we don’t know exactly what BP and the government scientists saw, what they documented, and how they kept their records. The systemic clamp down on information and consistent lack of transparency and images such as these continue to remind us to demand full accountability from the oil companies and the government, especially with the looming legal settlement between the company and the government.”

In May, Greenpeace published 300 new government aerial photographs received via FOIA, as well as additional gulf disaster photos of oil-covered sea turtles, whales, and dolphins.

Photos can be seen here.

To view the government documents or to set up an interview with Kert Davies or Claudette Juska, please contact Travis Nichols at 206.802.8498, tnichols@greenpeace.org

Rate hikes unnecessary, illogical and ill-timed

kmacduff — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 21:00:00 +0200

Greenpeace is condemning moves today by Duke Energy to file for a rate hike for North Carolina customers formerly served by Progress Energy. Today’s request comes soon after the controversial merger of Duke and Progress Energy, which made Duke the largest regulated utility in the nation.

“The revenue from this rate increase will go to pay for dirty coal power and dangerous, expensive nuclear energy instead of cheaper, cleaner renewable energy options that are all around us,” said Greenpeace Spokesperson Robert Gardner.

Greenpeace’s recently released report, Charting the Correction Course, details how the newly formed company can save the people of North Carolina more than $108 billion dollars by switching to clean, renewable energy.

“North Carolina is being locked into a bleak energy future that gives Duke Energy a blank check to continue raising rates for dirty energy. These rate increases are unnecessary, illogical and ill-timed,” Mr Gardner said.

“With the economy as it is, people can ill afford yet another rate hike from this energy behemoth. Duke and Progress need to reassess their out dated and costly business model, and take North Carolina towards a future it deserves.”

For more information, contact Keiller MacDuff 202 679 2236

Greenpeace condemns opening of country’s newest coal fired boiler; Urges Duke to switch to clean energy

kmacduff — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:51:00 +0200

On the eve of the opening of the newest coal fired boiler in the country at Cliffside Coal Plant, Greenpeace has again urged Duke Energy to make the switch to renewable energy, a move that stands to save North Carolina ratepayers more than $100 billion over the next twenty years.

Duke has already indicated they will be seeking rate hikes to pay for dirty and dangerous coal plant. Cliffside is currently responsible for 31 heart attacks, 340 asthma attacks and 21 deaths every year, and turning on the new boiler will only make it more lethal to the people of North Carolina.

“From the destruction of mountains in Appalachia, to the disposal of toxic coal ash, burning coal is dirty and dangerous. North Carolinians will continue to demand a brighter, cleaner future, and just like last year, will work together to block Duke’s offensive rate hikes for dirty energy,” Ms Embrey said.

CO2 pollution is the leading cause of global climate change, and by turning on this new boiler, Cliffside will be emitting twice as many CO2 emissions as it did in 2011. [Ventyx Velocity Suite, 2012]

“After a summer of historic heat across the Carolinas--when it got so hot that highway pavement actually buckled--it's hard to imagine that Duke Energy is taking this backward step into the 19th century. North Carolina, with its motherlode of brains and research capacity, could be on the leading edge of the clean energy revolution, instead of stuck with yesterday's technology,” said author and climate change activist Bill McKibben

Greenpeace’s recent report, Charting the Correction Course, details how Duke could save more than $100 billion by switching to clean energy and focusing on energy efficiency.

“The people of North Carolina are sick and tired of paying more and more for the same old dirty energy. As the largest utility in America, Duke Energy should be leading the way on clean energy, not lagging at the back of the pack,” said Greenpeace North Carolina Organizer Monica Embrey.

For more information, contact Keiller MacDuff 202 679 2236

Shell Cancels 2012 Arctic Drilling

tnichols — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:41:00 +0200

Greenpeace Response to Shell Abandoning 2012 Arctic Drilling

In response to Royal Dutch Shell’s decision to abandon its 2012 drilling program after failing to get the proper spill response equipment in place, Greenpeace US Deputy Campaigns Director Dan Howells said:

“Shell spent nearly $5 billion to exploit global warming for profit this summer, but the Arctic is proving to be the company’s Waterloo. History will show what a catastrophic miscalculation the company has made in the region, and that it has ignored the world’s top scientists as well as the nearly two million people around the world who have joined Greenpeace’s Save the Arctic campaign at its peril. Today’s news is vindication for the efforts of the global movement to stop Shell, but the fight continues. The fragile Arctic environment should be off-limits to industrial exploitation, and the worldwide Save the Arctic campaign won’t stop until the region wins protection.”

Duke Energy dropped from global Dow Jones Sustainability Index for dirty energy use

kmacduff — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:17:00 +0200

Greenpeace applauds the action taken today to remove Duke Energy from the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).

“We look forward to Duke Energy making the changes necessary for them to be "best in class" as required by the index. Until that time, the company will continue to meet greater public scrutiny of the real-world impacts of its fossil fuel and nuclear-heavy business practice. As the largest utility in the country, Duke Energy can be a leader in the sector by shifting its investments towards renewable energy,” said Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Robert Gardner.

“Unlike those companies on the index that distinguish themselves through a commitment to delivering a sustainable product with minimal environmental impact, Duke is setting itself apart with a profit model tied almost exclusively to dirty, polluting energy. Duke's most recent Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for North Carolina makes it clear that the company will generate just 3% of their energy from renewables by 2020,” said Mr Gardner.

In July, Greenpeace released Charting the Correction Course: A Clean Energy Pathway for Duke Energy. The report details how Duke Energy can save their customers $108 billion over 20 years by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The plan would benefit consumers, the environment and investors. According to the report, Duke could source 33 percent of its electricity from wind, solar and efficiency resources while saving ratepayers 57 percent on their bills over the next 20 years. The clean energy pathway proposed in the report would also reduce long-term debt for the company by 75 percent compared to Duke’s current plans.

“Duke Energy - now the country’s largest utility – can expect more of the same if it continues down it’s dirty energy course. It’s time for Duke to start delivering on it’s rhetoric by committing to a clean energy pathway,” Mr Gardner said.

Safeway Select

tnichols — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:54:00 +0200

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 13th, 2012 - This week Safeway stores in California began stocking a budget-friendly sustainable tuna that provides an alternative to environmentally destructive mainstream options such as Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea.

Soon, the company’s “Responsibly Caught” Safeway Select chunk light tuna will be available across the country, providing an environmentally responsible alternative for Safeway consumers and offering a roadmap to sustainability for other retailers.

“Chicken of the Sea, Starkist, and Bumble Bee needlessly slaughter thousands of sharks, rays, juvenile fish, and other animals as casualties of their quest for cheap tuna,” said Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner Casson Trenor. “Safeway’s new initiative gives American consumers a tuna option that is not only cheaper, but far more environmentally friendly. This is the direction the entire tuna industry needs to be moving.”

A 12 oz can of the responsibly-caught Safeway Select skipjack tuna is 51 cents cheaper than Bumble Bee tuna, and is sourced solely from tuna vessels that do not use Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). Environmentalists and conservationists deplore the use of FADs for their high incidence of bycatch, including juvenile tuna, sharks, sea turtles, and rays. Hundreds of thousands of these creatures are killed every year due to FAD-associated fishing.

This new version of Safeway Select skipjack marks the first time a major grocer has offered a FAD-free option at a price comparable to the leading tuna brands, a move that proves consumers and retailers both have a real choice over the practices of companies like Chicken of the Sea.

Earlier this year, Safeway took the top position in Greenpeace’s Carting Away the Oceans (CATO) report -- the environmental group’s annual ranking of twenty of the largest seafood retailers in the US -- partially due to the company’s work on sustainable canned tuna. In the first CATO report in 2008, all twenty major food retailers received a failing score. This year, sixteen of the twenty achieved passing marks, with Safeway receiving the top score (7.1 out of 10) and a green rating.

“This kind of progress is just what we need if we are to have any chance of protecting our imperiled oceans,” said Trenor. “There’s still a long way to go, but things sure look a little brighter today than they did last week.”

For more information on Greenpeace’s work on seafood sustainability or to set up an interview with Casson Trenor, please contact:

Travis Nichols 206.802.8498 tnichols@greenpeace.org

Full the full Carting Away the Oceans Report: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/reports/Carting-Away-the-Oceans-VI/

Oakland Institute, Greenpeace expose investors’ land grab in Cameroon

Kat Clark — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 19:19:00 +0200

New report debunks investors’ effort to greenwash destruction of rainforest and livelihoods

Oakland, USA, 5 September, 2012 – An American owned company with a track record of illegality and links to private equity giant Blackstone Group threatens to destroy rainforests and dislocate local communities in Cameroon.

A new report (1) from The Oakland Institute, in collaboration with Greenpeace International, exposes how a New York-based agri-corporation, Herakles Farms, and its local subsidiary SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC), are involved in a land deal that is questionable under Cameroonian Law and opposed by locals since 2010. Herakles Farms has just pulled out of the industry’s sustainable certification scheme (2).

Claiming it is “addressing a dire humanitarian need,” Herakles Farms intends to establish a massive 73,000-hectares palm oil plantation – one of the largest on the continent – in Southwest Cameroon through a 99-year land lease. Being developed without the consent and adequate consultation of many local communities, this project exemplifies how the scramble for land in Africa threatens sustainable development and human rights. Evidence in the film “The Herakles Debacle” (1), produced by the Oakland Institute, documents the scope of community resistance and forest destruction that will result from the project.

“Bruce Wrobel’s crude attempt to greenwash his company’s palm oil project hides broad opposition and questions about the legality of the company’s contract with the government. They started operations in breach of national law and international standards. But their efforts to hoodwink the public are unsuccessful. Local communities are unimpressed with promises of infrastructure and jobs, and angry about their loss of land and livelihoods,” said Frederic Mousseau, author of the report and Oakland Institute’s Policy Director.

Herakles Farms project will not deliver the financial windfall it promises

The company negotiated conditions that are exceedingly favorable for the company, for example low rental rates and removal of all export duties for the next 99 years. The plantation project area is in the midst of a “biodiversity hotspot”. It would deforest an area roughly eight times the size of Manhattan that serves as a vital corridor between five different protected areas.

“If Herakles Farms was really about supporting development and environmental protection as it claims, then it would not be ripping off Cameroonians under a contract where they pay as little as US$0.50 to US$1.00 per hectare per year. It would not be converting valuable rainforests into large-scale palm oil plantations. This palm oil plantation would wreak environmental havoc and dislocate communities who rely on the forests,” said Greenpeace International Campaigner, Frederic Amiel.

Herakles Farms’ Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Wrobel has established a non-government organization, All for Africa, that he claims will bring additional development outcomes, through the use of palm oil revenues for the funding of development projects. While All for Africa claims its goal is to plant trees, it keeps silent on the fact that the plantation will result in major deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and the conversion of natural land and forests into a monoculture crop. The NGO is also quiet on widespread local and international opposition to the project.

Stop the project and establish a moratorium

The Oakland Institute and Greenpeace support the demand from Cameroonian NGOs for a moratorium on new agro-industrial concessions until the country has developed a new approach to the granting of land concessions.
“The Herakles Farms plantation project in Cameroon is an example of the wave of land investments in Africa that have previously been exposed by the Oakland Institute. Once again, the investor is deceiving the public into believing that forests must be cut down and small farms erased in order to alleviate hunger and poverty. International attention needs to be mobilized to support local opposition and prevent future resource grabs,” said Frederic Mousseau.
“The planned Herakles Farms project must be stopped now. On top of the legal issues, it is the wrong project in the wrong place. Greenpeace does not believe that palm oil produced from deforestation should ever reach the markets. We echo local opposition to this project – for the sake of communities who depend on the land and forests for their livelihoods,” said Greenpeace Forests Campaigner, Frederic Amiel.

CONTACT

Frederic Mousseau, author of the report and Policy Director of the Oakland Institute, ph: +15105125458; email: fmousseau@oaklandinstitute.org

Charlie Cray, Research Specialist, Greenpeace USA; ph: +12024973673; email: charlie.cray@greenpeace.org

NOTES

The report and documentary produced by the Oakland Institute

On September 4, 2012, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) - a palm oil certification body - released a letter from Herakles Farms announcing that the company was withdrawing its New Planting Procedures (NPP) application and its membership to RSPO. The company was seeking to get RSPO certified, however several NGOs filed complaints with RSPO citing breaches of RSPO criteria Herakles Farms in its letter explains its decision to withdraw claiming that the RSPO grievance process was “preventing the company from moving forward.”

U.S. Activist and Head of Greenpeace Board Gazprom Arctic Oil Platform

nsands — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:30:00 +0200

Pechora Sea, 24 August, 2012 — This morning a team of Greenpeace International

activists—including a U.S. activist and Greenpeace Executive Director Kumi Naidoo—

boarded Gazprom’s “Prirazlomnaya” Arctic oil platform to demand that the Russian

company abandon its dangerous Arctic drilling plans.

At 4am local time the activists set off in three inflatable speedboats from the Greenpeace
ship Arctic Sunrise and scaled the platform via mooring lines. Six climbers have taken up
positions on the structure and have interrupted the platform's operations. The activists are
out of reach and have enough supplies to last them for several days.

This is the second time Naidoo has engaged in direct action to oppose Arctic oil drilling.
The South African human rights activist boarded a drilling rig operated by British
company Cairn Energy off Greenland in June 2011.

Earlier this week, scientists at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center predicted that
Arctic sea ice would soon match 2007’s lowest ever recorded extent before setting a new
record in September.

Speaking from a “portaledge” slung below the platform, Naidoo said:

“We climbed Gazprom's rusting oil platform backed by over a million people who have
joined a new movement to protect the Arctic. We are here on their behalf. We are also
standing shoulder to shoulder with the Russian Indigenous Peoples, who just last week
signed a joint statement opposing offshore oil drilling in this area, which is near their
traditional territory.”

“Like Shell’s reckless plans to drill in Alaska, it’s not a question of if an oil spill will
happen, but when. The only way to prevent a catastrophic oil spill from happening in this
unique environment is to permanently ban all drilling now.

“This threat affects us all. In my home country of South Africa we are now facing a far
more dangerous climate because companies like Gazprom and Shell are pumping money
into politics and blocking clean alternatives so that they can extract the last drops of oil
left. We’re here in the Arctic to draw a line in the ice and say ‘you come no further.’”

An American climber named Basil Tsimoyianis, 25, from San Francisco, is one of the
climb team. He said:

“When people ask me why I'm going to the Arctic, I ask, why is anyone going to the
Arctic? The carbon logic doesn’t add up. Even if we exploit all the oil we’ve already

found, we’re still looking at serious impacts of climate change. The fact is, oil is running
out, and instead of going to the ends of the earth to suck out every drop of oil, we need
to leave some places alone and start to switch to renewable energy. We’re going in that
direction whether we like it or not. So I'm here taking action in the Arctic because I think
it's time that we rise to this challenge and start exploring other options now.”

Russian energy giant Gazprom looks set to begin full commercial drilling operations by
early next year, becoming the first ever company to start commercial oil production in the
offshore Arctic.

Last week Greenpeace discovered that the Gazprom platform is operating without an
official oil spill response plan. Gazprom’s response plan was approved in July 2007 for a
period of exactly five years. The Russian Ministry of Emergency admitted to Greenpeace
in a letter that a new spill plan has been neither submitted nor approved.

The Arctic is one of the most extreme and hostile environments to drill for oil on the
planet. The Gazprom drill site is covered by thick sea ice for nearly two-thirds of
the year, whilst temperatures as low as -58˚F are not uncommon. The Pechora Sea is
often battered by fierce storms and during the long northern winter is plunged into
months of almost total darkness.

Despite such extreme conditions, Gazprom has only released a summary of its oil spill
response plan to the public. Yet even this document shows that the company would
be completely unprepared to deal with an accident in the Far North, and would rely
on substandard clean-up methods — such as shovels and buckets — that simply do not
work in icy conditions.

A full briefing on Gazprom's Arctic oil drilling program can be viewed here:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/briefings/climate/
GreenpeaceGazpromArcticBriefing.pdf

A live 'ticker' of signatories to Greenpeace's Save the Arctic campaign can be viewed at
www.savethearctic.org

ENDS

For more information or to arrange interviews with Kumi Naidoo, please contact:

Aaron Gray-Block, Greenpeace International media officer +31 64 616 2026
Myriam Fallon, Greenpeace US media officer 1-708-546-9001
Ben Ayliffe, Greenpeace International senior polar campaigner +44 7815 708 683
Vera Bakasheva, Greenpeace Russia head of pressdesk +7 903 219 3287
Greenpeace International Press Desk Hotline: +31 20 718 2470

Photo / video: Dannielle Taaffe, Greenpeace Video Desk, tel: +31 634 738 790
dannielle.taaffe@greenpeace.org
John Novis, Greenpeace International Photo Desk, tel: + 31 629 001 152
john.novis@greenpeace.org

NOTES:

On August 14, Greenpeace Russia and WWF Russia released an independent report
commissioned from experts at the Russian center Informatica Riska, who developed
a computerised risk model of oil spill scenarios on the platform Prirazlomnaya, the
same platform the activists are now occupying.

The experts reviewed tens of thousands of possible scenarios and concluded that the area
of possible contamination covers over 140,000 square kilometers of open water, as well
as over 3,000 kilometers of coastline.

Also last week, Greenpeace International, along with the Save the Pechora Committee
and Iz’vatas, hosted a conference in Usinsk, Russia, to explore the impacts of Arctic
oil drilling on Indigenous communities. After hearing from speakers from Greenland
to the Niger Delta, the group of 30 representatives wrote and signed on to a joint
statement opposing offshore Arctic oil drilling, and demanding the government
consult with them for rights to drill on their traditional land. The joint statement
can be found here: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/
Indigenous_Peoples_statement.pdf

Key fundraiser for DNC has close links to right wing bill mill

kmacduff — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 17:24:00 +0200

Greenpeace and ‘The March on Wall Street South’ Coalition has today released a letter sent to the Democratic National Committee querying their relationship by proxy with right wing policy group the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Key sponsor of the Democratic National Convention, Duke Energy, has strong connections to ALEC, including staff that work with the group and a history of large donations.

ALEC, while best known for its work on the infamous Stand Your Ground laws, is behind many of the current voter suppression laws. ALEC also promotes an array of anti-environmental policies, often to the benefit of the fossil fuel lobby.

“The DNC is shooting itself in the foot aligning itself with organizations that have such close ties to ALEC. ALEC is directly working to undermine the democratic process,” said Greenpeace spokesperson Monica Embrey.

ALEC is currently working to disenfranchise millions of voters in key states around the country. Thirty states have “voter identification” laws. Since ALEC’s “Voter ID Act” was finalized in August, 2009, at least 39 of the 62 voter suppression laws introduced at the state level have been attributed to ALEC. The primary function of such a law is to create a barrier to exercising the fundamental right to vote.

The Democratic Committee recently called these laws "unnecessary and suppressive"

ALEC regularly launches attacks on clean energy programs and regional climate agreements, efforts Duke claims to support in its corporate literature, but is clearly working to undermine behind closed doors.

“Duke Energy may be fronting up the money for the Democrats, but contrasting their work with ALEC clearly shows they are just playing political games to increase their own dirty influence at every turn. We encourage the DNC to end its relationship with Duke until it renounces its membership in radical front groups like ALEC,” Ms Embrey said.

Full text of the letter available here

For more information: Keiller MacDuff 202 679 2236
Monica Embrey 773 419 0963

Government Urged to Conduct New Review of Arctic Drilling After Coral Discovery in Shell’s Drill Zone

tnichols — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:38:00 +0200

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 16, 2012

Government Urged to Conduct New Review of Arctic Drilling After Coral Discovery in Shell’s Drill Zone

Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace Urge U.S. to Protect Keystone Species from Drilling

Contacts:

Travis Nichols, Greenpeace, (206) 802-8498, tnichols@greenpeace.org
Rebecca Noblin, Center for Biological Diversity, (907) 274-1110, rnoblin@biologicaldiversity.org

ANCHORAGE, Alaska— The Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace called on the U.S. Department of the Interior today to fully analyze the potential damage Shell’s Arctic drilling could have on newly discovered abundant cold-water corals in the Chukchi Sea. Earlier this summer, Greenpeace submarine researchers collected specimens of sea raspberry corals (Gersemia rubiformis) from the Chukchi seafloor, where Shell plans to drill in the coming weeks.

“Cold-water corals like those found at Shell’s proposed drill site play a significant role in ocean ecosystems and are particularly vulnerable to disturbance,” said Greenpeace Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar. “Coral impacted by industrial drilling could take decades — even centuries — to recover. We need a more complete understanding of this delicate ecosystem before we allow an oil company that has proven itself again and again to be reckless and ill-prepared to drill there.”

According to the conservation groups’ letter to Interior, drilling in the Chukchi may hurt not just the corals but the entire marine ecosystem where the corals live. As keystone species, cold-water corals play an integral role in maintaining the structure and diversity of an ecosystem by providing a three-dimensional habitat on the often-barren seafloor — a habitat that attracts and protects fish and other species. For example, Gersemia provides shelter for juvenile basket stars, one of the most important species on the Chukchi seafloor.

“Before letting Shell drill in the fragile Arctic, we ought to at least fully understand the risks to wildlife, including these corals,” said Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “If the Department of the Interior can overlook these keystone corals, who knows what else is down there that deserves independent analysis. This foolhardy rush to drill will leave behind a path of destruction that can’t even be measured.”

The letter from the Center and Greenpeace states, in part:

“Given the significance of corals such as Gersemia rubiformis to the Chukchi Sea ecosystem, as well as the corals’ extreme vulnerability to disturbance, the Department of the Interior must consider the impacts of Shell’s actions on these corals before allowing Shell to proceed with its Chukchi Sea exploration activities. Shell should not be permitted to undertake any activities in the Chukchi Sea until the Department of Interior has undertaken supplemental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act.”

For images of the coral go here.

For a video explaining the discovery click here.

For further comment:

Travis Nichols, Greenpeace, (206) 802-8498, tnichols@greenpeace.org

Rebecca Noblin, Center for Biological Diversity, (907) 274-1110, rnoblin@biologicaldiversity.org

Romney spokesperson Andrea Saul linked to climate science smear campaign

mdorozen — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:05:00 +0200

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Greenpeace released a briefing detailing Romney campaign operative and Press Secretary Andrea Saul’s involvement with DCI Group, a firm that was on contract to ExxonMobil at the height of the oil company’s campaign to attack global warming science and climate change policy.

“It’s clear that Saul was part of campaigns that spread anti-science misinformation that has had far-reaching effects on public understanding of climate change. Voters deserve to know if Saul’s views on climate and science are shaping Romney’s policies,” said Greenpeace Research Director Kert Davies.

Between 2004 and 2007, Saul helped orchestrate a major multifaceted campaign to undermine climate science, including a campaign to undermine Senator McCain’s climate change legislation. Some of Saul’s work included:

Advanced the opinions of contrarian scientists and corporate-funded pundits on the Exxon-funded Tech Central Station, a purported news web site;

Sought to promote contrarian voices into the debate over hurricanes and climate change in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina;

Promoted the views of a scientist who had no training in climate change to undermine a study on climate change effects on the Antarctic ice sheet;

Led a public relations campaign to undermine scientific consensus on the science of climate change;

And pushed out press releases for a front group linked to lobbyist Grover Norquist designed to undermine pending climate change legislation.

Climate scientist Michael Mann was a target of DCI smear campaigns during this period and writes about the events in his new book, The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars.

Dr. Mann said, "Andrea Saul and the others at DCI Group who carried out this attack on climate scientists and their work helped to delay any serious actions to combat climate change and its impacts, at great cost to society."

DCI Group is a top lobbying and public relations firm that has represented a range of clients including the Burmese junta and has orchestrated front group campaigns for Microsoft, Verizon and Exxon-Mobil. Two of the DCI Group founders, Tim Hyde and Thomas J. Synhorst, began their careers with the tobacco industry where they worked to undermine the science on the dangers of smoking. Mr. Synhorst oversaw field operations with the “smokers rights” groups, a phony movement designed to shift the discussion away from the dangers of smoking to the protection of smoking rights.

Andrea Saul has been Romney’s press secretary since 2011, and is frequently the public face and voice of the campaign, including articulating Romney’s contradictory positions on climate change.

Contact: Molly Dorozenski, Media Director, mdorozen@greenpeace.org, 646-862-1509

Kert Davies, Research Director, kert.davies@greenpeace.org, 202-413-8515

Abundant corals discovered at Shell’s Chukchi drill site

Joe Smyth — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 19:16:00 +0200

Chukchi Sea, Alaska - July 30, 2012 - Greenpeace submarine research at Shell’s proposed drill site in the Chukchi Sea has collected the first coral specimen from the region. With a Shell vessel nearby, Greenpeace marine biologist and submarine pilot John Hocevar collected two specimens of Gersemia rubiformis coral, also known as sea raspberry, and recorded video to document the presence of large numbers of corals during transects of the sea floor.

The corals were the third most common type of visible marine life on the bottom, after brittle stars and basket stars. While quantitative analysis of video transects will take time to complete, Hocevar estimates coral density is on the order of .5 per square meter. This is considerably higher than most areas of the ocean; coral density at study sites in the Weddell Sea, Atlantic Canada, and Norway was less than .2 per square meter.

“Discovering abundant corals in the Arctic waters right where Shell plans to drill this summer shows just how little is known about this fragile and unique region. Melting sea ice is not an invitation for offshore drilling in the Arctic, it’s a warning that this pristine environment should be protected and dedicated to science,” said John Hocevar, marine biologist and Oceans Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA.

Although Shell told the Washington Post that the company knew about corals at the Chukchi drill site, the environmental impact statement for its drilling program does not mention them. Deep sea corals provide critical habitat for fish and other marine life, and have been prioritized for protection by the United Nations and the US government. Corals are very long-lived, slow growing creatures that are highly vulnerable to disturbance.

“Why doesn't the environmental impact statement for Shell's Chukchi drilling program adequately discuss Arctic corals at the proposed drilling location? What else has the public not been told about the environment of the proposed drill sites?” said Rick Steiner, retired University of Alaska professor of conservation biology.

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza is in the Arctic with a Waitt Institute submarine to study the marine habitats threatened by Shell’s planned drilling program. The expedition is part of the environmental organization's "Save the Arctic" campaign, in which over 1 million people have joined together to call for a global sanctuary in the high Arctic, and a ban on offshore drilling and unsustainable fishing in Arctic waters.

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Contacts: Joe Smyth, on the Esperanza, joe.smyth@ greenpeace.org

Travis Nichols, in Washington DC, 206-802-8498

Photos available at:

http://photo.greenpeace.org/C.aspxVP3=ViewBox_VPage&ALID=27MZIFVYXF4L&CT=Album

Information about the Save the Arctic campaign is available at http://savethearctic.org/ and a detailed campaign briefing