It’s been a busy year for Greenpeace environmental issues, not just in the UK but throughout the world’s governments. Obviously Greenpeace have been experts in this field for decades, putting them in the unique position of being able to address the world leaders at the U.N’s climate meeting last year. Now it seems that it’s the hot topic for politicians, but for Greenpeace the time for talk was years ago…

now is the time for action.

Greenpeace raised over £9million last year through subscriptions, donations and merchandising, with £8million being put back into the marketing and campaigning for global awareness. Here’s a breakdown of the Greenpeace expenditure-

 

 

These figures show that the majority of money raised by Greenpeace is ploughed back into the charity. Nearly all the money raised through subscriptions is put back into worthwhile campaigns, whilst administration and management run on less than 5% of the money raised. Over £1million was raised in donations alone, over 12% of their annual income. Donations can start from as little as £3 a month, with one off payments starting at £15. Why not start today in helping Greenpeace provide a safer future for our environment and the world.

Greenpeace actively try to stop global environmental abuse, whilst challenging the people who have the power and resources to make the changes happen. Non violent action is integral to the Greenpeace movement’s message, exposing environmental injustice to the politicians and general public. Here’s a summary of their sterling efforts to make a change in 2007.

ACTION

Ensuring the sustainable fishing debate became a major issue at last year’s Seafood Expo in Brussels.

Active disruption of low stocked Mediterranean Tuna fishing and North Sea Cod fishing.

Engaging the International Whaling Commission at this year’s ballot, with the voting against returning to commercial whaling upheld.

Giving evidence to World Bank on forest destruction in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Stopping soya sourcing in the Amazon stopping widespread rainforest destruction.

Clearing Woolworth’s shelves off energy sapping lightbulbs, causing the company to compromise and phase out all inefficient bulbs by 2010.

Exposing safety and finance problems in the construction of 2 new, nuclear power stations in Finland and France.

Exchanging train tickets for plane tickets for unnecessary journeys at airports across the UK.

Stopping oil companies from burning Indonesian swamp forest’s by building dams across drainage channels.

Halting the re-firing of an unused coal power station in New Zealand through legal challenges.

Blocking a Trident nuclear submarine from leaving the UK to patrol international waters.

Exposing Tony Blair’s involvement in developing nuclear weapons, causing a record number of MP’s to vote against new weapons of mass destruction.

Shutting down the coal feed at Kingsworth power station in Kent, the proposed site for the first coal power station in the UK for 33 years.

Just one of these coal power stations will pump more CO2 into the world than the 24 least polluting countries put together. 3 years ago the Government promised that no new nuclear power stations would be built without a full public review. Yet only a year later the Government began pushing nuclear power as the only viable solution to climate change. Last year saw Greenpeace take legal action against the Government’s first ‘review’, with their victory securing a second consultation.

In the UK we should be looking towards renewable energy sources like wind, solar and ocean power, not nuclear. We have the ability to be a world role model in how to tackle climate change and the usage of renewable fuels. By the year 2025, we could provide 25% of today’s electricity consumption with wind power alone. With advances in energy science, the UK has enough natural resources to power itself without the over consumption of fossil fuels.

The biggest power expenditure in Great Britain is gas, which we use to heat our homes and the country’s industrial requirements. Yet nuclear power can do nothing to help lessen gas usage and cut the UK’s CO2 emissions, as it can only be trafficked for electrical needs (of which it covers less than 4%). Since the 1970’s the Government have spent £13billion on nuclear power research, whilst another £70billion has been spent on cleaning up the 200 million metres of cubic waste produced. How much has been spent on the research and development into renewable energy?

£1billion.

There is enough renewable energy potential in the wind, sun and ocean to power the UK for years to come, we just need the facilities to maximise our natural resources The nuclear industry is looking to build 10 new reactors in the UK alone, at a cost of between £20-40billion. These reactors would not be ready till the earliest 2017, with some not being ready till 2030. Isn’t it about time the Government started channelling it’s time and money into the development of renewable, non CO2 emitting fuel sources?

The clock is ticking…

> > click here to make a monthly donation to Greenpeace

> > click here to help save an acre of rainforest with the World Land Trust 

 

The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch survey in January showed a massive rise in the number of Finches seen in UK gardens. Encouraged by warmer temperatures to stay in the UK as opposed to flying to Southern Europe, Finch sightings were at their highest for 5 years.

Sources at the RSPB mirror the rise in Finches with a startling drop in some of the more commonly spotted birds, like starlings and the sparrow. Milder climate change and more food available gave the Finch more feeding options than in Scandinavia, where seeding crops have been poor.

Almost 400,000 people counted more than six million birds across 228,000 gardens during the survey weekend of January 26th-27th. An average of 28 birds per garden were recorded this year, but whilst the Finches flourished, a lot more of the common UK birds floundered. Though Sparrows may still be the most frequently seen bird, there number are down by 64% in the last 29 years, whilst the Starling’s figures are down 77% since the survey began in 1979.

The top 10 species of birds in the UK for 2008:

• 1 House sparrow
  2 Starling
  3 Blackbird
  4 Blue tit
  5 Chaffinch
  6 woodpigeon
  7 Collared dove
  8 Robin
  9 Great tit
  10 Goldfinch

With conditions in the wild getting tougher for birds to survive, gardens are becoming vitally important in the feeding of many species. Plus with the climate change offering warmer winters in the UK, you can expect to see a wider diversity of bird in your back garden. You don’t have to be a member of the RSPB to join in the survey, but from as little as £2.67 a month you can help stop the UK’s endangered birds disappearing from our landscapes.

> > click here to join the RSPB

> > click here to find out more about wildlife charities

Eco Fishing On The Up

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Marine Stewardship Council and Greenpeace, the British fishing industry is about to become one of the most environmentally friendly in the world market.

The Council has so far persuaded 60% of all British fishing fleets to join their responsible fishing scheme, with a record number of fleets being awarded coveted “eco-labels” for their catches. The fact that the industry acknowledge that the practices of the yesteryear aren’t sustainable, and that eco friendly catches are good for all concerned, is a promising sign.

250,000 tonnes of fish caught next year will be carrying the blue eco friendly label, with the stamp currently only making it on to 4,580 tonnes of fish this year. The MSC have also persuaded the 2 major Scottish fleets to apply for the eco sticker, who’s North Sea catch is roughly 200,000 tonnes a year. Along with the change in attitudes from the fishing industry, welcome changes are afoot within the leading supermarkets, who retail a large proportion of the fish.

Supermarkets are now competing amongst themselves to be the ‘greenest‘ fishmongers in the UK. Having been forced into removing threatened species from their counters by Greenpeace campaigns. Asda have now promised that within 4 years ALL its fish will reach MSC requirements. Waitrose and Mark and Spencers have already banned unsustainable fish from their counters, whilst Sainsbury’s have pledged to double their ranges of eco friendly fish.

At the moment nearly all eco friendly fish sold in the UK is imported from as far afield as New Zealand and Alaska, but with these new plans in place the tide is turning. The British fishing industry seems to have grasped the concept that when the fish run out they won’t have an industry at all, and I for one am looking forward to ordering Pollack and chips in the very near future!

> > Click here to make a donation to Greenpeace

> > Click here to find out more about the Marine Stewardship Council