Bluefin tuna
Due to uncontrolled overfishing, which would clearly put an end to bluefin tuna stocks, the European Commission called for a ban on international trade. Though not immediate (the ban will come into effect next year), "it is an important signal for the rescue of the Mediterranean tuna," according to Greenpeace. The final decision will soon be taken by EU fishery ministers after countries which opposed the ban, like Spain, Italy and France, changed their minds and decided to support it.
Greenpeace EU oceans policy director Saskia Richartz said: with a major reform of EU fisheries policy on the horizon, we hope that this U-turn by the Commission’s fisheries department on bluefin tuna is a sign of more to come. It's now or never for bluefin tuna and any setback at this point could threaten the survival of the species."
(Photo credit: © Greenpeace / Marco Care)
Greenpeace vs Facebook
Greenpeace's attack on Facebook's plans to open a coal powered data centre are beginning to create a debate in the press in the United States over whether the criticism is fair. Articles pose the question of whether Greenpeace is taking it too far. But PacifiCorp is the power company which Facebook has chosen to supply its data centre in Princeville, Oregon. PacificCorp’s is mainly powered by coal. In its defense Facebook has released the following statement:
"This climate [in Princeville, Oregon] enables us to design what we believe to be one of, if not the most, energy efficient data centers in the world. Specifically, most data centers use mechanical chillers or large air conditioners for part, if not all, of the year to cool the computers within the facility....Because of the climate around Prineville and our unique design, we won't use any mechanical chillers."
But huge data centers, such as the one Facebook is planning to build, consume massive amounts of energy, which if run of fossil fuels, will definitely have a negative effect on the environment.
Japan's whale hunting go-ahead
In the middle of the anti-whaling atmospheric pressure which has been building up over the past months, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has today revealed a proposal to allow Japan to keep on hunting in the Antarctic. In an article on the Australian news website News> John Frizell, Greenpeace International Whales Campaign Coordinator, was quoted saying that "the proposal rewards Japan for decades of reprehensible behavior at the IWC and in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary."
Yesterday Greenpeace's Executive Director Kumi Naidoo raised awareness of the issue during his visit to Japan and expressed his support for the Tokyo Two (the two Greenpeace activists who are currently in trial for exposing corruption in the heart of Japan’s government-funded whaling program). The move of the International Whaling Commission is “sending shock waves” which destabilizes efforts of preserving endangered species (such as tuna) .