Hi John,
Welcome back to the latest edition of your regular round-up, Stay Connected. We’ve got everything from campaign updates, important environment news to some creative ways that you can get involved in Greenpeace campaigns. The biggest takeaway though is that none of this would have been possible without your support.
From an Arctic ship tour to a DIY facemask activity you can do at home - please grab a cuppa and enjoy!
At the ice edge - the most northerly youth strike ever
Powered by your fantastic support, a crew of scientists and volunteers have travelled to the Arctic on board our ship the Arctic Sunrise. This was including Mya-Rose aka Bird Girl, who whilst on the expedition took part in the most northerly youth strike ever! You have enabled our crew to provide more evidence of how rapidly the sea ice at the top of our world is melting, as well as document and show the world what we need to save. Check out the recording of the literal wake up call we did with youth strikers from all around the world calling on governments to act.
Our crew timed their arrival in the Arctic so they could bear witness to the ice cover reaching its lowest level of the year – known as the ‘sea-ice minimum’. Sea ice levels have been falling for decades, and this year’s sea-ice minimum was the second-lowest on record.
This should come as a loud wake-up call to world governments. Our oceans, and all the amazing creatures that call it home, need your help now more than ever. They need you, me and the 3 million people who pledged to protect the oceans to demand governments protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
And we need them to act fast as the sea ice expert Dr Peter Wadhams said 'the Arctic could be free of summer sea ice by 2035’. We are living a climate breakdown!
Sign the petition to protect our oceans.
Activists create protected area in North Sea to stop destructive fishing
The government is failing our Marine Protected Areas even after months of public and political pressure. It's time to take action and protect these ecologically important places.
Right now Greenpeace activists on board our ship the Esperanza are carefully placing natural boulders onto the Dogger Bank seabed to begin to protect bottom trawling from wrecking the ocean floor. Catch up with the action on our live blog!
The Dogger Bank, which is one of the UK’s Marine Protected Areas, is crucial to the proper functioning of the North Sea ecosystem. Containing the largest sandbank in the UK, it is home to lots of wildlife, like starfish, flatfish and sand eels. These are an important food source for whales, dolphins and seabirds. But despite being officially ‘protected’, destructive bottom trawlers - industrial fishing vessels that drag weighted nets along the bottom of the seabed - are being allowed to fish in the area.
Citizens Climate Assembly
To help work out how to get the UK’s carbon footprint to ‘net zero’ by 2050, parliament created a Citizens ‘Climate Assembly’. The idea was to hear from a cross-section of British society, to understand how the public wants to approach this challenge. It’s been a fascinating democratic experiment, and if you’re used to the UK’s normal mud-slinging climate debate, the results might come as a surprise.
Parliament asked regular people what the UK should do about climate change – here’s what they said.
Could car-free cities become a reality?
22nd September was World Car-Free Day when all around the world towns and cities allowed people to experience streets free of cars. It's a great chance to re-imagine our roads and streets with a people-focus.
The coronavirus lockdown gave the UK a chance to experience low-traffic and clear streets – ideal for safe cycling and walking. So why is the government spending £27 BILLION on new roads for high-polluting private vehicles?
Lots of people want to go car-free (guest author Sarah Berry asked people what it would take for them to give up their cars and here’s what they said), but to make this a reality the government needs to give us good alternatives. Switching to electric cars is essential, but it’s not enough. Our transport system needs a rethink.
David Attenborough. Extinction.
“What happens next is up to all of us” - a stark warning of responsibility and the words David Attenborough used to close his heartbreaking new documentary on extinction, which aired recently on BBC One.
Sir David's documentary revealed how human activity is changing nature at a rate never seen before. Forests are being torn down to make way for industrial farming. Oceans are being drained of fish and aquatic life. Rivers are being poisoned by toxic chemicals.
After decades of showing us the beauty of the natural world, David Attenborough shined a light on an unprecedented crisis our planet is facing: one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction.
Sign this petition to ask Boris Johnson to lead by example in tackling the climate and nature crises to encourage other governments around the world to be ambitious at the crucial United Nations summits.
Tesco, are you listening?
Since launching our campaign to protect the Amazon and other South American forests, a massive 175,000 of you signed our petition telling Tesco to stop buying from forest destroying companies. Then over half a million of you watched our videos showing how the supermarket is turning a blind eye as forests are torched for industrial meat. A massive thank you to everyone who raced into action.
With Tesco clearly feeling the pressure, they hit the spin button and claimed it was on track to achieve ‘zero net deforestation by 2020 through certification’. Which we know is not true and misleading to the public.
So in true Greenpeace fashion, activists delivered a powerful video appeal from the heart of the Amazon to Tescos HQ. Indigenous leader Sônia Guajajara talks about the fires and forest destruction devastating Indigenous Peoples land and asks Tesco: “Which side are you on?”
Can you help us get Sonia’s message directly to Tesco? You can watch it here and let them know that we stand with Sonia in protecting the Amazon and other forests from industrial meat?
Write on Tesco's Facebook page
Share on Twitter
Write on Tesco's Instagram page
Plastic is still not fantastic
Facemasks are now compulsory in many public places around the UK, and pandemic-related plastic pollution is on the rise. We know how frustrating this can be but we wanted to help reduce the frustration by showing you two ways to make your own washable, reusable mask using an upcycled shirt – one without any sewing!
Over the years we've put supermarkets under massive pressure to reduce plastic, but still last year they produced more of it than ever. It doesn’t have to be that way. We have just released a plan showing how supermarkets can halve their plastic packaging by 2025. Here’s what they need to do.
A recent poll showed that 90% of UK customers support the idea of having products free from plastic packaging. And more than 2 million people have signed our petition calling on supermarkets to ditch throwaway packaging. Our report shows that single-use plastic packaging is a choice, not a necessity. So what will supermarkets do now? They can either be part of the solution or continue to be part of the problem.
Add your name to help show supermarkets that shoppers are tired of having to throw away so much plastic.
Remember, we want to stay connected with you; whether you have a question about Greenpeace's work or your support, we're here to help. My team is available to call on 0330 335 3632 Monday – Friday, 9am – 5.30pm, or feel free to email any questions you may have to [email protected].
Together we are Greenpeace and we can and will achieve many more amazing things.
Be safe and be well.
Carolyn Hoskin
Supporter Services
P.S. Ever wondered what a humpback whale song sounds like? Or maybe you own the best selling environmental album of all time. Either way why not take a trip to the ocean from your living room with this BBC Sounds program featuring musicians, a marine biologist and our very own oceans expert, Willie Mackenzie.
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