Also by saunvedan

Sustainable plywood and how to find it

Posted by saunvedan - 8 August 2008 at 2:00pm - Comments

Plywood ReportThe UK is flooded with illegal and unsustainable plywood made from tropical hardwood from the world's last remaining ancient forests, commonly used on construction sites. With this in mind, we have released a new report Setting A New Standard, which provides practical advice to companies on how to get it right on timber, by specifying wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Poisoning the poor - electronic waste in Ghana

Posted by saunvedan - 5 August 2008 at 9:16am - Comments

Ghana

Do you know what happens to your old telly once it conks out and you chuck it away? Well, it gets dumped onto developing countries in Asia and Africa as 'second hand goods' where unprotected workers (often kids) dismantle computers and TVs in search of metals that can be sold. The remaining plastic, cables and casing is either burnt in an e-waste pyre or simply dumped. Let me take you on a virtual journey to the 'scrapyards' of Ghana where some of the electronic waste from the western world ends up.

Fake triggers to start real wars

Posted by saunvedan - 4 August 2008 at 5:47pm - Comments

We're called Greenpeace for a reason. Not only do we defend the natural world but also promote world peace. Hence, the Bush administration is a major cause for concern; it clashes with both of our objectives by trashing the environment and warmongering.

As if the wars on Afghanistan and invasion of Iraq weren't enough, the bloodthirsty US government looks desperate to wage war on Iran - even if that means staging an incident to start it, as you'll see from this video.

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh reveals one disturbing proposal, discussed in Vice President Dick Cheney's office, that might make you question the Bush administration's credibility (if you haven't already).

Day out with the Climate Camp Caravan

Posted by saunvedan - 1 August 2008 at 5:15pm - Comments

Climate Camp caravan

See all Climate Camp updates.


Yesterday I joined the Climate Camp Caravan on their East London leg - from Tower Bridge to Greenwich Park. Unlike last year, when activists simply descended upon Heathrow to protest against airport expansion, this year protesters are walking from Heathrow to Kingsnorth coal plant in Kent. So yesterday morning I walked under Tower Bridge and joined the Caravan on the green opposite City Hall.

Government gets it wrong on UK’s real emissions levels

Posted by saunvedan - 1 August 2008 at 12:58pm - Comments

Plane

You will often find climate campaigners at loggerheads with the government's claim of reducing emissions, and for good reason. Two reports from the Stockholm Environment Institute based at the University of York show that the government hasn't taken into account emissions from aviation, shipping and importing goods from overseas. If these three are included to calculate our emissions levels which they should be, then our carbon emissions are increasing as opposed to the government's claim that they are decreasing.

Conning the Congo

Posted by saunvedan - 30 July 2008 at 10:39am - Comments

Conning the CongoAs if Carving up the Congo wasn't enough, logging companies are also evading paying taxes and cheating the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) out of millions of euros in revenue. A new report we have released today called Conning the Congo shows how the logging company Danzer has avoided paying approximately €8 million in tax from its logging operations in the DRC and the Republic of Congo. Just to put €8m in context in this part of the world, that is more than fifty times the DRC Ministry of Environment's annual operating budget.

The Congo rainforests of Central Africa form the second largest rainforest block on Earth after Amazon. They are of great importance for the global climate, the planet's biodiversity and the forest-dwelling communities who depend on them for resources and livelihoods.

Full story on Greenpeace International website

Canadian activists in action against Syncrude’s toxic tar sands

Posted by saunvedan - 25 July 2008 at 3:46pm - Comments

What do you do when oil prices rocket?

  1. Swap the car for public transport?
  2. Burn more energy to extract oil from sand while leaving behind toxic wastelands?

Well, if you are Syncrude Canada Ltd operating near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta, Canada, you choose option B. But since Greenpeace would rather go ahead with option A; we decided to show Syncrude how wrong their tar sands project really is.

Gordon's sticky moment with Plane Stupid

Posted by saunvedan - 23 July 2008 at 3:49pm - Comments

An airport activist glues himself to Gordon Brown in Number 10

Gordon Brown's been in some sticky situations over his Heathrow expansion policies but yesterday he found himself super-glued to the sticky hand of Plane Stupid activist Dan Glass.

Ban on illegal logging of timber in the Brazilian Amazon State of Pará

Posted by saunvedan - 21 July 2008 at 11:43am - Comments

Amazon

Following the success of the soya moratorium extension, illegal and destructive logging of timber is in the spotlight in the Amazon. A new agreement signed in the State of Pará is set to ban trade in timber that isn't from legal and sustainable sources. What makes this ban significant is that almost half the timber logged in the Amazon comes from the state of Pará.

Apple releases iPhone 3G’s Environmental Status Report

Posted by saunvedan - 17 July 2008 at 9:31am - Comments

iPhone 3G Environmental Status Report I don't know what's made Apple post the iPhone 3G's Environmental Status Report but it's definitely a step in the right direction. Maybe Apple Chief Steve Jobs read my blog and decided to act before our scientists got their hands and screwdrivers on his latest phone. While the new iPhone has less polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR) than the original one, Apple has yet to eliminate these and other harmful substances like antimony, beryllium and phthalates.

Making phones without any PVC or BFR isn't a problem for Sony Ericsson and Nokia so why is Apple lagging behind? The iPhone in my opinion is a very stylish handset that scores high on usability and enjoys a cult following judging from the queues to buy it. It's a pity that it's not as green as the others when there's no reason why it couldn't be. Apple has promised to get rid of PVC and BFRs by the end of this year though. Let's see if they fulfil it.

Follow Greenpeace UK