Also by tracy

Greatest investment is in the future of the planet

Posted by tracy - 24 November 2008 at 10:11am - Comments

It’s pre-budget announcement day, and there is already a lot of talk about the details and how Labour’s plans to reinvigorate the economy are going to shake out. As I tumbled out of bed Radio 4 was discussing the impact this announcement will have on the next election - it could make or break the Labour party.

But while most are focusing on the short term measures to get us through the toughest months, we also need to look at investment that will ensure a better quality of life in the long run and a healthy planet. We’ve published ads in the Guardian, Times and Independent today focused on the longer term investment needed to refocus the economy, provide jobs and protect the most valuable asset we have – the planet.

First certified palm oil shipment just a bit of public relations lubrication?

Posted by tracy - 18 November 2008 at 1:22pm - Comments

Lake Suwakai in Runtu Indonesia

This is part of Lake Suwakai, Runtu, where United Plantation's contractor constructed a road and stacked wood debris in the lake, presumably when the tidal lake was at its lowest. © Greenpeace

The making of a supervillain - Coalfinger

Posted by tracy - 30 October 2008 at 2:35pm - Comments

Coalfinger

Before you do anything else, watch Coalfinger. I’m just going to babble on about how much fun it was to make it which isn’t nearly as amusing as watching the animation. While you’re at it, share it with your friends because we need to expose the real coalfingers of the world and their carbon cronies and the threat they pose to our climate.

Images of the Rainbow Warrior at Kingsnorth

Posted by tracy - 29 October 2008 at 3:30pm - Comments

Rainbow Warrior and canoes at Kingsnorth

Rainbow Warrior and canoes at Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent. © Kristian Buus/ Greenpeace.

volunteer coming up ladder

One of the volunteers coming up the ladder on the jetty © Will Rose / Greenpeace.

Check out the Rainbow Warrior webcam for the live images

Posted by tracy - 29 October 2008 at 2:41pm - Comments

webcam image from the bridge of the Rainbow Warrior

Image from the Rainbow Warrior webcam

I’ve been sitting back in the office watching all of Bex’s updates come through on Twitter, Moblog and this blog, but have to admit I forgot to watch all the excitement live on the webcam on the bridge, kicking myself (thanks for the twitter ecotist).

The Rainbow Warrior is still alongside the Kingsnorth jetty and you can follow what is happening on deck here.

Breaking news - another nuclear consultation was fixed

Posted by tracy - 17 October 2008 at 10:02am - Comments

It's official, Brown's personal pollsters tried to fix another public consultation on new nuclear power.

Late yesterday we received an astonishing response to our complaint to the Marketing Research Standards Board about the government's second public consultation on nuclear power. The board sets the standards for opinion research and found that the market research company Opinion Leader Research breached the Code of Conduct. The board said Opinion Leader "information was inaccurately or misleadingly presented, or was imbalanced, which gave rise to a material risk of respondents being led towards a particular answer."

Greenpeace ship in Indonesia to investigate forest destruction

Posted by tracy - 8 October 2008 at 12:06pm - Comments

Esperanza arrives in Jayapura Indonesia

We're going to be a bit short staffed on the blog over the next couple of months - Jamie has joined our ship the Esperanza in Indonesia to help document forest and peatland destruction and collect evidence about the palm oil companies that are driving the devastation.

Petrol stations are pumping out bad biofuels

Posted by tracy - 7 October 2008 at 3:12pm - Comments

Land clearing in Sumatra Indonesia

We knew the government's plans on biofuels were a bit of a mess, but figures released today by the Renewable Fuel Agency show just how bad the situation is.

First off, the agency reports that 80 per cent of biofuels used in the UK don't meet government sustainability targets. In fact several companies, including BP and Esso, admitted that they didn't produce a single litre of biofuel that met the government's qualifying environmental standard.

Where cattle herds go, deforestation follows

Posted by tracy - 3 October 2008 at 11:08am - Comments

Forest fires in the Amazon August 2008

This week the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research published their latest figures on Amazon rainforest deforestation and the trees are falling as fast as the FTSE.

According to the institute, deforestation in August was three times higher than the same period last year. Using satellite imagery they have reported that 756 km2 were destroyed – that’s twice the rate of deforestation in July.

How much would you pay for rainfall and carbon sinks?

Posted by tracy - 9 September 2008 at 5:10pm - Comments

Panorama examines the value of our living forests

After this summer I would be willing to empty my account for some sunshine, but rainforest are rarely seen has having value beyond the commodities they produce. Last night Panorama looked at the important issue of the value of our rainforests to the planet. Known as ecosystem services, forests "influence weather systems on a vast scale, produce rainfall and capture CO2 from the atmosphere, reducing global warming".

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