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Arctic melting: The science behind the ice
Two of the scientists travelling with Greenpeace on the Arctic Sunrise are Dr Julienne Stroeve, a research scientist at the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC), and Nick Toberg, an ice scientist at Cambridge University. I asked them what research they would be able to do on the ice, and for some insight…
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Mega mine, mega catastrophe
When Minister Burke described the environmental assessment of Gina Rinehart’s controversial Alpha Coal Project as “shambolic”, he wasn’t joking. But now he has given his own rubber stamp to the project, revealing the profound failure of the regulatory system in Australia. Blogpost by John Hepburn The project is big by global standards, with a 30…
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Macken Sense: And the winner is….
Last week produced two powerful stories that define the perimeters surrounding the increasingly contested space in Australia’s economic and energy future. Just as history is written by the victors, there’s little doubt the future is in part created by the stories that prevail today – but which one will win the day? The first…
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Munmorah made me the criminal I am today
This week saw a small step taken towards the energy revolution in Australia as Munmorah, one of the oldest and dirtiest coal power stations in the country, announced its closure. Munmorah is near the New South Wales central coast and has been burning black coal since 1967, before Greenpeace was even founded. It had already…
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Macken Sense: How change happens…..
Everyone from the fossil fuel industry to Greenpeace’s own Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo, has conceded Rio + 20 was a total waste of space. Naidoo’s take on it was pretty simple: ”Rio has turned into an epic failure. It has failed on equity, failed on ecology and failed on economy.” Apart from that it was…
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Towards an Environment of (Gender) Balance
I was recently humbled to accept an invitation from UN Women Executive Director, Michelle Bachelet, to join her Global Civil Society Advisory Group. In reflecting on the appointment, I’d like to call to your attention the passionate environmentalist and politician Wangari Mathaai. Blog by Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International It’s almost a year since Wangari’s passing;…
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Spotlight on Newman as Bligh saves Nature Refuge from Palmer Mine
Press release – 26 March, 201223.03.12: Greenpeace today welcomed the announcement from Anna Bligh that she would protect nature refuges from mining, including the stunning Bimblebox nature refuge in the desert uplands region of central Queensland.“This is welcome act of leadership to protect some of Queensland’s natural living treasures from the devastating impacts of open-cut…
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Will brooms and shovels clean up the Arctic?
New Zealand and Finland are practically on opposite sides of the planet, and quite a long way away from Alaska. Yet, they are the two starting points for Shell’s fleet of rented and commissioned ships that are preparing to get together and start drilling for oil in the Arctic this summer. They’re not getting away…
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Green groups unite to support landowner against Palmer mine
Press release – 21 March, 2012Australia’s largest environmental organisations have today united in support of landowner Paola Cassini in her opposition to plans by Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal to build an open cut coal mine on the Bimblebox Nature Refuge.Paola Cassoni, owner of the Bimblebox Nature Refuge said: “As a landowner, I’ve tried everything to…
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David vs Goliath
Last week Greenpeace launched a vital new campaign for Australia. We’re taking on the massive coal mining and coal export expansion plans particularly in Queensland. These mega coal mines, coal port infrastructure and increases in coal shipping traffic not only spell disaster for our climate but for Australia’s national treasure – the Great Barrier Reef.…