The humble aubergine has been the staple of Indian cuisine since antiquity. I can tell you that as I’ve grown up trying to avoid it but eventually it just makes its way on your dinner plate if you spend time in India. The Americans, who like to call the aubergine as ‘eggplant’ are trying to sell Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) bacterium Brinjal to Indians citing increased yields and the usual propaganda associated with genetically modified crops. Honestly though, anything injected with any kind of ‘bacterium’ doesn’t really sound safe, does it?

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Did you know that the area where Heathrow is now was covered with orchards? It's hard to imagine that now; standing on a small plot of land near Heathrow with planes hovering over my head waiting to land on the world's busiest airport. So as a tribute to the area's past, Airplot is now turning into an apple orchard.

Yukio Hatoyama - sticking to his pre-election pledge on emissions cuts

Two positive developments recently - the EU has called for an international ban on the trade of the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna - and the Japanese Prime Minister announces his plans to cut carbon emissions 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Whatever it is that makes an environmentalist is the same, fundamentally, as that which makes a human rights activist. I would have disagreed with this thought until not so long ago - before joining Greenpeace, in fact. Fresh out of University College London with a Masters in Human Rights, I was out to change the world. Only when I joined Greenpeace did I realize that there was no point changing the world if we cannot sustain one in the first place.

Stupid Shenanigans from clever crew on Vimeo

Spurred on by the excellent film the Age of Stupid, some enterprising types went about town last week naming and shaming climate culprits and heaping praises on one of Ecotricity's wind turbines. I think the likes of BP, Esso and Shell deserve much more derogatory labels than 'stupid' but in line with the film's theme it sounded right.

This time its coming from British Airways and not us. You'd have to assume that BA and BAA simply can't see the irony in this video - but showing Terminal 5 under water (given the amount of emissions their short haul flights are causing) looks like a glimpse of the underwater future that we'll all be swimming in if we don't start cutting back on CO2 emissions - starting with aviation. Maybe they're subconsciously admitting that they are a major cause of the problem...

The Rainbow Warrior in London. © Will Rose / Greenpeace

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I have never been on any Greenpeace ship. So when Greenpeace veterans would tell me stories of the Rainbow Warrior or of the Esperanza, all I could do was to listen in awe and imagine them in my head. But today was different, as I set out on my journey to see our ship, the Rainbow Warrior in action at South Quay in East London.

UK Climate Campers taking their message to E.ON's Munich headquarters

I hope you remember this year's Climate Camp in the shadow of Kingsnorth coal plant in Kent. All the police intimidation, direct actions and ultimately the acquittal of our Kingsnorth six. The events in the past few months should have been enough for E.ON to see the level of public unease at their plans for Kingsnorth. But the giant energy utility is still insisting on building Britain's first coal-fired power station in over 30 years there. So, this time climate campers decided to take their message to E.ON on its own turf in Munich, Germany.

Image by tuexperto_com5, licensed under Creative Commons

Google rules the virtual world but if it ruled the real one, would things be a bit different? Google.org which is the philanthropic arm of Google blogged that it wants to see America weaned off fossil fuels by 2030 for its electricity. Also, Google's own energy efficiency initiatives will be equivalent to shutting down 10-20 coal-fired power stations by 2010 if they are successful.

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First it was Heathrow, then Manchester and now it's time to flashmob London City Airport. Looks like the government still doesn't understand the danger posed to the climate from the plans to expand airports across the country. So join the next flash mob on October 8 at 5.45pm outside Newham Town Hall, East Ham wearing your red t-shirts to tell Newham Council to scrap airport expansion plans.

The flashmob will overlap with the planning meeting that will decide on increasing flights to and from London City Airport by up to 50 per cent. Pressure is mounting on Gordon Brown after the Conservatives boldly called for Heathrow's third runway plans to be scrapped. Come along and show your support for local group Fight the Flights.