All articles
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A Pacific Islander mother’s letter to her children about climate justice
My little darlings, on 28 July 2016 as you slept with the sound of the ocean keeping you both company, there was a big commotion on the other side of the ocean. The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines asked 47 fossil fuel companies, including BHP Billiton, Shell and BP, to respond to a 60-page legal petition alleging…
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The rise of Pacific power: From small island states to large ocean states
The Pacific region consists of 24 island states scattered across a quarter of the earth’s surface – a vast area of some 30 million square kilometres. By description alone, the vast area should command the respect and attention of the international community. The countries make up almost 10 percent of United Nations votes and are…
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You’ve just lost your right to protest
Last week, while I was asleep in bed, the New South Wales government took away one of my most cherished rights. Protest is something that few people like doing, but we do it when we are pushed to our limits. When I went to the People’s Climate March last December, it wasn’t because I had…
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Seven Reasons why Environmentalists (should and do) care about Refugees
Across the world, around sixty million human beings are currently displaced from their homes. It is a number so enormous it is hard to visualise, but it is as if roughly the entire population of the UK was violently tipped out on to the roads and oceans of the world. The loss of humanity from…
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The Good News
Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Let’s be honest, reading mainstream media at the moment will give you plenty of bad news, so let’s talk about the good stuff. I left the business world to join the non-profit sector because I believe people can change the world for the…
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Protesters demand justice for Brazilian mining disaster victims at BHP AGM
Despite forewarning and a global trend of similar catastrophes, BHP and Vale S.A. – two of world’s largest mining companies – didn’t act to prevent disaster. Activists disrupted BHP Billiton’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) to demand justice for the thousands of victims of the mining waste spill that destroyed the historic Brazilian town of Mariana in…
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30 years on from Rainbow Warrior bombing environment voices are still needed
By David Ritter – Posted in ABC Environment 10 July 2015 Today marks the 30th anniversary of the bombing of protest vessel, the Rainbow Warrior. As much as ever, small voices need to join a chorus to show our leaders what is right. IF A POLITICIAN were to suggest testing nuclear weapons in the…
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Where in the world is all the water? 8 facts about coal and water
Why do we so rarely talk about coal’s impact on already scarce water resources in Australia and around the world? This World Water Day, let’s take a good look at one of the most important questions facing the human population right now: Where is all the water? The global water crisis is the biggest…
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Inspired by History
It was 29 years ago today that the Rainbow Warrior came to rest at the bottom of the port of Auckland after her bombing by French secret service agents. She took Fernando with her. We will always remember both. I was not there, but I remember the shock. It was the day when Greenpeace realized…