9th March Abbot Point, Queensland. As the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) mission took a final flight over the controversial site of the proposed coal port, Abbot Point, they were reminded that the eyes of millions of Australians will be on them as they decide whether to pronounce the Great Barrier Reef ‘in Danger”.
Sydney 11th March 2012. Greenpeace was relieved to see Environment Minister, Tony Burke, is beginning to listen to the broader Australian community in deciding to extend the deadline approval of the massive expansion of the coal port at Abbot Point until December 2012. However we are concerned this delay doesn't go nearly far enough to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Gladstone, 7th March 2012: Greenpeace activists have painted the message “Reef in Danger” on the side of a coal ship - the Panamanian-flagged Chou Shan- berthed at Gladstone RG Tanna Coal Terminal, as a United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) team arrive to inspect the harbour.
If approved, it would result in an extra 550 coal ships passing through the reef each year – on top of the more than 10,000 coal ships expected each year.
Tuesday March 6, 2012, Sydney: In response to articles in today’s Australian Financial Review and The Australian, Greenpeace is welcoming a public debate on the need to protect the Great Barrier Reef and the global climate from the excesses of the mining industry.
Auckland, February 27th 2012 — The occupation of an Arctic-bound Shell drillship by six Greenpeace activists including actor Lucy Lawless ended this morning after police climbed the ship’s drilling tower and arrested the group. The protest was into its fourth day and the activists had spent 77 hours on top of the 53 metre drilling tower.
Auckland, 24 February 2012 — New Zealand actor Lucy Lawless — star of hit US TV show Spartacus and Xena: Warrior Princess — joined Greenpeace activists in stopping a Shell-contracted oil drillship from departing New Zealand for the Arctic, where its exploratory oil drilling programme threatens to devastate the Alaskan coastline.
Earlier this week the Chinese State Council released a draft proposal of a grain law that establishes legislation restricting research, field trials, production, sale, import and export of genetically modified (GM) grain seeds. The draft stipulates that no organization or person can employ GM technology in any major food product in China.