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Col and Bill’s most excellent climate adventures
88-year old war veteran, Bill Ryan, and his son, Colin, 62, are committed climate activists. Although they’d prefer a peaceful retirement at home in Sutherland, they say the call for change is too strong. Between their busy schedule of community meetings and court preparations for taking direct action, we found a quiet moment for tea…
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Western Australia sets the tone for Victoria
You know how sometimes you can be surprised by your own surprise of something? I saw last week that the Western Australian Environment Protection Authority has rejected a coal mine for a power station proposed for about 300 km north of Perth. The decision took me by surprise mainly because although the state-based EPAs have…
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Fossil fuel subsidies: a waste of taxpayer’s money
Is the Australian Government subsidising the fossil fuel industry? That’s the question posed in a recent ABC Unleashed article from the Institute of Public Affairs. At a time when Australians are rightly concerned about rising energy costs as well as the need to shift to an economy powered by clean energy, where our taxes get…
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The last chapter in Japan’s whaling program
Post by Junichi Sato, Executive and Programme Director Greenpeace, Japan On December 22, 2010 the Fisheries Agency of Japan (FAJ) acknowledged and publicly apologised for embezzlement within the whaling industry. An official from the powerful agency gave a 90 degree bow of apology on national television (seen here on ABC Australia’s report and explained that…
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Exciting times in Taiwan – defending the Pacific
Bula again, this is Ron, a Pacific activist onboard the Greenpeace flagship, The Rainbow Warrior. We are currently moored in Kaohsiung City in Taiwan. The last few days have been really hectic but full of excitement and such an adrenaline rush! We left the island of Xiaoliuqiu last Wednesday afternoon bound for Kaohsiung and arrived…
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Calling for Pacific marine reserves in Taiwan
Bula, My name is Ronetava Ronaivakulua and I’m from an island in the South Pacific called Fiji. I’m currently onboard the Rainbow Warrior 2 on its East Asia Ocean Defenders tour in Taiwan, I’m here as a representative of Fiji and also the South Pacific to voice our concern on tuna overfishing and the protection…
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Extreme weather and climate change: How long must we sing this song?
Blog post by Dr. Paul Johnston, principal scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter and Head of the Greenpeace International Science Unit. Anyone reading the news about recent extreme weather events may understandably be confused by the varied statements regarding the attribution of these events to climate change. This debate seems…
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Two countries, worlds apart on renewable energy
I’ve just come home to Australia after working for Greenpeace in Europe during 2010. The incredible growth of renewables over there is so obvious, from farmlands dotted by wind turbines in Germany to solar panels on cottages in Holland and large-scale solar plants in Spain. European renewable energy success stories are becoming well known, but…
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‘QLDer and CEO Linda Selvey writes from the floods’
I’m writing this blog in Brisbane airport hoping to fly back to Sydney, to my great sadness, leaving behind my family and friends in my home state of Queensland. It just didn’t seem appropriate to stay here and contribute to the demand for services/food/water etc, when they become stretched after the flooding peaks. For us…
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What drives me to jump? (Part Two)
As a new year breaks and my hangover subsides, like many people, I like to think of some goals to work towards in the coming year. To build a meaningful list that is not just based on the token ‘get fitter’, ‘learn an exotic language’ ambitions, I think it’s good to reflect on the year…
