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  • Why DOES the Esperanza have a diesel electric motor?

    Once again the Esperanza is ‘fuelling’ debate about Greenpeace sustainability. It’s a question we’re often asked on open boat days: “why does the Esperanza run on diesel? Isn’t that hypocritical?” The question has stimulated a lively debate at the Herald Sun. There are a few important points to note here. First and foremost, the Esperanza…

    Greenpeace Australia Pacific
  • Community protest stops coal trains all day

    10am Sunday 13th July: 1000 people gathered at Islington Park in Newcastle for a rally and march to the Carrington Coal Terminal. It was a colourful and eclectic crowd of local residents, parents and children, percussionists, clowns, students, and concerned citizens from every state in Australia. Their message was simple and clear: let’s see renewables…

  • Time for climate change action

    As dawn broke over Swanbank Power Station this morning, 4 Greenpeace activists stirred from their cold, uncomfortable resting place at the top of one of the smokestacks and started painting “Go Solar” down the side. Meanwhile, 800 kilometres to south, 250 people woke to a field of frost at the Camp for Climate Action and…

  • Turning The Tide

    An editorial in the Newcastle Herald yesterday suggested that demonstrations like Greenpeace’s action at Eraring last week and the Camp for Climate Action which kicked off in Newcastle today merely “state the obvious”, because “most Australians now appear to accept the inevitability of industrial and lifestyle change”. This is music to the ears of those…

  • G8+ Summit: Will Kevin Rudd Show Global Climate Change Leadership?

    Despite the G8 countries’ announcement this morning of their ‘vision’ to halve global emissions by 2050, there is a continuing reluctance on the part of the developed nations to take decisive action to reduce emissions and shift away from the global reliance on fossil fuels to renewable technologies. Kevin Rudd is speaking at the G8+…

  • Garnaut’s Urgent Message Lost In Emissions Trading Hysteria

    Someone should explain to Michael Costa that the point of an emissions trading scheme is to reduce greenhouse pollution. It’s not a PR exercise so that it looks like we’re doing something about climate change. Because in the meantime, as Professor Ross Garnaut pointed out in his draft report on Friday, increased temperatures will wipe…

  • Only 4 days until the Camp for Climate Action

    Hundreds of Novacastrians visited the Esperanza this weekend to “get on board” the Energy [R]evolution. We’ve had so many conversations with residents of the Hunter Valley since we arrived here several days ago, and are amazed at the overwhelming support in the region for a shift to renewable energy. A Newcastle Herald poll last week…

  • Don’t leave all the action to Greenpeace!

    If you check out the comments on the live feed from our action yesterday, you’ll see we’ve received overwhelming public support for locking down Australia’s most polluting coal-fired power station. Australians recognise the urgency of the situation and the window of opportunity that’s available to us in making a timely shift away from coal-fired power…

  • Greenpeace activists blockade Eraring Power Station

    Before dawn today 27 Greenpeace activists walked into Eraring Power Plant in the Hunter Valley to stop work on the coal-fired power station and halt its greenhouse gas pollution. Why would ordinary people want to leave themselves open to arrest and possible conviction? For most activists the reason is a passion for their cause and…

  • The Esperanza arrives at the 'coalface' of climate change

    Majestic humpback whales escorted the Esperanza as she sailed through the Sydney Harbour heads this morning, heading up the eastern seaboard to spread the message that it’s time for clean, renewable energy to be powering Australia. With 33 crew on board, from the captain to campaigners, deckhands and office volunteers, we are an excited and…

    Greenpeace Australia Pacific