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New coal power plant approved in Victoria
Friday afternoon syndrome* has been at full strength at Greenpeace over recent weeks. It has become the time of the week where all planned work should be just set aside so we can react to whatever appalling or bizarre decision is announced, usually by a government body. Last Friday it was the Victorian EPA keeping…
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Friday the 13th a horror day for solar
It’s Friday the 13th and the New South Wales Government has just managed to come out with an announcement that perfectly captures the date’s reputation for doom and misfortune. Today, the newly elected O’Farrell Government announced that it was immediately ending the main policy that had supported the solar panel industry for the past two…
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Nuclear Banks: No Thanks!
Exactly two months ago an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. Together, they not only resulted in a huge natural disaster, but also triggered an unprecedented man made tragedy. The Fukushima nuclear power plant is still out of control, threatening thousands of people’s health and livelihoods. If making mistakes with nuclear energy is bad enough –…
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We must embrace a clean energy future
Between 2000 and 2002, I was part of a Greenpeace team that mounted a global campaign to stop the transport of mixed oxide (MOX) plutonium based nuclear fuel and radioactive waste across the world, and through the Pacific. Protests against various transports happened in the UK, France, South America, South Africa, in the Tasman Sea…
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3 billion reasons to be hopeful
We’re getting into the meaty end of Professor Ross Garnaut’s papers and presentations on carbon pricing. Today he released the seventh of eight papers, after which he will report to Prime Minister Gillard with recommendations about how to structure a carbon price policy. Today’s presentation was all about low-carbon technology innovation: basically, how we should…
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Shining a light on the ladies leading change
It’s International Women’s Day today and so from all of us at Greenpeace, a big shout out of acknowledgement goes to the millions of women who are working to make this world a better place for current and future generations. By Claire Parfitt and Julien Vincent Disparities in economic, social and cultural equality are still…
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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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Linda Selvey attends NGO Roundtable on Climate Change
Here’s what happened when our CEO Linda Selvey travelled to Canberra to attend the NGO Roundtable on Climate Change. Last Friday I made the trek to Canberra to participate in the NGO Roundtable on Climate Change. Like the Business Roundtable on Climate Change, this was set up by the Government to advise Ministers (including the…
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Are the banks starting to walk away from coal?
On Friday it was revealed that for the first time, a bank had insisted on a confidentiality clause as part of a finance deal for a coal power station — so that its name could not be revealed for fear of reputational damage. Yesterday, Westpac announced in its annual sustainability report that they “will avoid…
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Kiribati : the frontline of Climate Change
This week 40 officials from around the world will fly to the tiny atoll nation of Kiribati to attend The Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC) Blog post by Daniel Loo, Greenpeace Activist born in Kiribati Officially known as the Republic of Kiribati, it is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. It…