Thanksgiving. It’s the one time a year that we take a minute to pause and remember all we’re thankful for.
This year, we witnessed the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and watched as it forever changed the environmental landscape. And, a new Congress is about to reshape environmental politics. It’s times like these that I’m truly grateful for Thanksgiving. It gives me the chance to sit back and reflect on the reason we fight so hard to save the environment and the beautiful planet we live on.
I’m thankful for the many victories we’ve won this year—
— The Obama Administration kept its promise to save whales at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) talks. As a result, the IWC was unable to lift the ban on commercial whaling;
— Nestle, Burger King and HSBC all agreed to drop palm oil products from notorious forest destroyer Sinar Mas;
— Greenpeace spent three months in the Gulf of Mexico uncovering the truth about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill;
— Target announced that all their stores will stop selling farmed salmon products;
— Trader Joe’s agreed to “green-up their stores” by implementing sustainable seafood policies;
— The Vermont Senate voted to retire the old, leaky nuclear reactor, Vermont Yankee; and
— Steller sea lions received some protection from overfishing in the western Aleutian Islands.
And I’m thankful for Greenpeace’s amazing supporters, like you. You’ve made these victories possible. Thank YOU.
This Thanksgiving, as I sit down with family and friends I will raise my glass to YOU. Thank you for your continued support, activism and courage.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Phil Radford
Executive Director
