Shell Shocked

Following injunctions and court room battles with Greenpeace, Shell’s most serious violation against one of the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems seems to be going ahead.  Groups of Greenpeace activist are braving adverse conditions to bring the world’s attention to Shell’s actions as Finnish Icebreakers leave harbours in Finland and Sweden.  A Finnish Icebreaker is already situated in Alaska showing that this situation spans across several countries and large territories.

An oil spill in the Arctic would be devastating as the area is so remote and difficult to reach.  Global warming has made it possible for Shell to enter this region, as the ice blocks melt over summer and icebreakers further destroy the habitat of arctic animals, I have to ask if our dependence on oil is going to lead us to our ultimate destruction.

This is the single most significant moment in saving the Arctic and possibly the wider planet.   The remote idyll of our Frozen Plane is about to be crossed, not in the name of science but in the name of greed.  I have never witnessed anything so serious in my life time and it’s no wonder that my peers and I are supporting Greenpeace. 

Thankfully, the world’s media has been covering this story.  Activist delayed the Finnish icebreaker Nordica in Helsinki Harbour on 1st May and today the brave activist have boarded an icebreaker off Sweden’s S.E. coast allowing all of us to bear witness to Shell’s actions.

Protest against oil and gas exploration in the Arctic Ocean is gaining speed with 415,594 people having signed the petition as I write this. 

http://act.greenpeace.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=18&ea.campaign.id=13413

Greenpeace are aiming for half a million people to sign the petition but I think we will see a far bigger outcry by people everywhere.  We are all more environmentally aware and tired of a lack of ethics demonstrated by big corporations.  After all we have witnessed the Exxon disaster and BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  We cannot stand by and let this happen on our watch any longer.

@papilion_oidea

For further information on #Greenpeace, please visit

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/arctic-impacts/

 

 

 

Apple promises a "Green" data center after receiving complaints

Hey Apple - Clean our Cloud

If you happened to be on Regent’s street on Wednesday or have since seen the #CleanourCloud campaign, you know that #GreenpeaceUK visited the Apple store to bring awareness to the way the iCloud is fuelled. It’s an antiquated and dirty form of energy, one that you wouldn’t expect a tech innovator and market leader to be using: Coal.

We know the devastating effects of emissions from coal power stations on our health and the environment. It’s just a matter of time before airborne carcinogens and greenhouse gases take their toll on the residents of North Carolina and neighbouring States.

It’s also time that big organisations like Apple listened to their customers and realised that transparency and communication with customers is vital. We don’t want Green Wash.

The fact is that energy from coal is a big worry and offsetting its use with other renewables is not good enough. We want a stop to the use of coal as fuel. Coal-fired power stations are the largest single source of global warming pollution in America. Data centres in western North Carolina are supplied by Duke Energy one of the largest energy providers in the US. IT companies have a choice in where to buy their energy from but they mustn’t forget that customers also have a choice in where to store their data!

With this in mind, a group of lobbyist visited the apple store’s Genius Bar some hours before the #iCoal makeover by the Greenpeace activist.

The lobbyists were people like you and me, people who use iPads, iPods, iPhones and other wonderful iGadgets that Apple makes. The Genius Bar staff were as shocked as we were to learn of how the iCloud was powered. We would further encourage them to visit the Greenpeace website and sign this petition, http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cleanourcloud/petition/

We hope that our conversations with the Geniuses are relayed to the top tier/decision makers of Apple and that Apple commits to setting an example in becoming the market leader in the use of renewable energy sources for all stages from inception to sale point and, as highlighted by this campaign, in the running of their data centres.

I wouldn’t take a bite of the charcoal apple, would you?

By Ecowarrior @Papilion_oidea

Science and Photo courtesy of Greenpeace

For more information please visit:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cleanourcloud/petition/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cleanourcloud/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llv6rtuK36I

 

My new friends: Storm Trouper and Orangutan

My first ever Greenpeace meeting with the West London Group -

 

It was the cosiest meeting on record.  I was happy to recognise a few faces namely the Storm Trouper (VW campaign) and Orangutan (Nestle campaign) from the 40^th Birthday Bash who were disappointingly dressed as civilians.  (Although they were just as lovely as their costumed selves.)

 

We chatted politely about the weather, (had been caught in a freak hail storm earlier) and more passionately about the Chancellor’s Budget and Obamacare.  We also spoke about the Shetland Isles and translated a phrase into Farsi/Persian until another member arrived and we started the meeting in earnest!   There was an agenda which we didn’t strictly adhere to, but the atmosphere was great.  I missed the energetic girls with the painted faces and am hoping to see them soon.

I am looking forward to our meeting in May.. itching to dive straight in, but it was just as good to dip my toes in..

40 years of Greenpeace

The Arctic can now be accessed due to the melting ice and Shell wants to drill there for oil. Ironic isn’t it? Let’s stop them!! Please sign this petition, http://act.greenpeace.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=18&ea.campaign.id=13413