Happy New Year all readers.
Make it your new year's resolution to take action in 2012, and look forward to the most rewarding e-mail subject line, 'You did it!'. By working for Greenpeace, you don't have to sail the Arctic seas or chain yourself to railings, just as important are the many volunteers on the ground that take action in their community for Greenpeace. It's fun and it's really positive. Worthing Greenpeace may be small but here’s a roundup of 2011.
The biggest personal “You did it!” was for Laurence who ran the Brighton Marathon in April (remember the heat wave?) and raised well over his target of £500 for Greenpeace. Congratulations.
Elsewhere...
March: Deborah and Pam supported Rod’s organisation (on behalf of Worthing Fairtrade Town Steering Group) of the Fair Trade Fair in the Guildbourne Centre. There were about 20 stalls selling ethical goods and dispensing information by local charities, development and environmental groups. A stall promoted Greenpeace and the need for the new Rainbow Warrior III. East Worthing MP Tim Loughton was very surprised at the cost. Obviously not everyone realizes how professional you need to be when confronting the world’s plunderers.
June: the local Barbie Hunt! Laurence, Rod and Pam left a dozen Barbie dolls armed with chainsaws around the town, aiming to stop toy manufacturers Mattel using packaging from Asia Pulp and Paper, who are destroying Indonesia’s rainforests. Comments on the Barbie face book page followed and ...victory! Mattel changed their ways and supplier.
July: VW’s dark side. Rod rang VW’s general enquiries line. Why is VW blocking EU attempts to get stronger car efficiency targets? He expressed his surprise, widespread in the population, at VW making inefficient cars and asked why they don’t support stronger car efficiency targets. This was a lengthy conversation which must have been noted by VW and the campaign continues into 2012. Watch out for a storm trooper near you.
August: The Rotary Fair, Bank Holiday Monday. Rod organised sharing a stall at the fair in Steyne gardens.
September: At the second Fairtrade Fair of the year, organised again by Rod in the Guildbourne Centre, Deborah, Pam, and Laurence set up a stall supporting the Greenpeace Oceans and Hugh’s Fish Fight campaigns.
Seafront cycle. Later that month, joined by the 20s Plenty campaign, we had a sunny day to enjoy a seafront cycle ride as part of the 350.org international action promoting sustainable transport. This was preceded by a stall supporting the Fish Fight.
October: Laurence and Deborah attended the Skillshare Day organised by HQ in London.
November: Rainbow Warrior visit. Karen, Deborah, Pam and David joined over 6,500 supporters on board the brand new ship (not all at once!), docked in London for a weekend. It was really moving and a terrible shame that Laurence was prevented from going by a careless driver without the courage to stop after she had hit him off his bicycle.
December: Climate Justice March. Not organised by Greenpeace but linked to campaigns to promote renewable energy, Rod and Pam attended.
In addition throughout the year the group have been involved with other campaigns, such as getting tuna sellers John West and Princes to change their unsustainable fishing practices; carbon emissions targets from the government’s independent climate advisors surprisingly accepted by David Cameron; linking with the Campaign for Better Transport; insisting that Cairn energy reveal their clean-up plan in the event of an oil spill in the Arctic; letters to MEPs asking for support for Hugh's Fish Fight; querying the local plastic recycling policy.
All new members welcome. Please join us at our regular surroundings, The Beechwood in Wykeham Road.
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