Tuesday, 12 March: Greenpeace has been told to take down \u201cprovocative\u201d billboards about synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.<\/p>\n
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against a series of Greenpeace billboards reading: \u201cRavensdown and Ballance Pollute Rivers – #TooManyCows\u201d<\/p>\n
In its decision, the ASA accepts the scientific basis of the ads stating that the \u201cincreased use of fertiliser has played a part in the intensification of dairying in New Zealand, and there has been increased pollution as a result.\u201c<\/p>\n
But the advertising body ruled against the billboards, stating that \u201ctargeting individual companies is provocative and taking advocacy a step further than is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop has warned if the decision is upheld it could have a \u201cchilling effect\u201d on environmental and social advocacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cCivil society must be able to hold individual companies to account, especially when they are responsible for environmental destruction, like Ravensdown and Ballance are,\u201d says Toop.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very disturbing that the ASA has taken a position that companies which pollute the environment are above criticism. Free speech is a vital part of our democratic society.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public have a right to know the names of companies that are polluting our environment.\u201c<\/p>\n
The billboards, which were installed on arterial routes around the country are the first tactic Greenpeace has rolled out in its new campaign to ban synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.<\/p>\n
In a split decision the ASA ruled that the billboards were \u201cmisleading\u201d. Some of the reasons given include: \u201cThe font for the text \u201c#TooManyCows\u201d was much smaller and harder to read than the main message \u201cRavensdown and Balance Pollute Rivers\u201d, and, as a result, this additional text could easily be missed, thereby distorting the message. And that \u201cthe message is over-simplified and potentially unclear\u201d.<\/p>\n
The ASA board was not unanimous in this decision. A minority of board members found that the three complaints made against the billboards should be dismissed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe science is simple – synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is fuelling industrial dairying and polluting our rivers. We have every right to call out the two companies, Ravensdown and Ballance, who are selling this destructive product,\u201d says Toop.<\/p>\n
Greenpeace has lodged an appeal of the decision.<\/p>\n
ENDS<\/p>\n
Tuesday, 12 March: Greenpeace has been told to take down \u201cprovocative\u201d billboards about synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against a series of Greenpeace billboards…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":5148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"not set","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"not set","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[19,22],"p4-page-type":[7],"class_list":["post-5164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-greenpeace","tag-food-and-farming","tag-freshwater","p4-page-type-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n