Greenpeace - Making Waves: Tatas vs Turtles: What does India's biggest corporation have against sex on the beach?

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Consider this… Olive Ridley turtles rely on an inexplicable, in-built navigation system that guides them, when it’s time for them to reproduce, back to the precise coast on which they were born -- whether it's still there or not. And if it ain't there, baaaaad luck, turtle.

Now consider something else… The proposed port at Dhamra in India, being built by the giant Tata group and others, threatens a nesting site that is amongst the last honeymoon suites for the remaining Olive Ridleys, a highly-endangered species that swims all the way there from as far away as Australia.

Tata isn't just a car in India. It's an ubiquitous brand, which many in India believe does good things for the country. But when it comes to turtles, their plans to stop animal sex on the beach has just got to be stopped.

As our man in Bengaluru, "Gene Peace", wrote to us today, the online campaign they just launched has taken off like a hare:

The Greenpeace India website registered a 1000% increase in hits on the day of the launch. Our service provider took our site down -- our supporters were frustrated, while we all burst an artery -- but we had it back up in 15 minutes. The number of people reading our mails and actually doing something meaningful after it (clicking through) is 60% higher than our previous best.. We've organically increased the size of our cyberactivist database by 10,000 new people. And, a week later, the total number of letters written to Ratan Tata has exceeded 20,000 (that's one email every 30 seconds... we hope Ratan's a fast reader.) And we've managed to piss off everyone from top to bottom for "getting in bed" with a corporate criminal. While many of the said corporate criminal's customers are pissed off with us for taking them on. And people are writing in asking what ELSE they can do to help. And the Tatas have put up a special link on the port's homepage OVERNIGHT as a response. It's titled "REPLY TO GREENPEACE" ...this is from a company that's tried really hard and succeeded to a large extent, to disassociate themselves from the issue, by pointing at the fact that it's a joint venture. And offline media is picking this up and literally reprinting our cyberaction verbatim. Most important, our Oceans campaign is now like an ethically-challenged runner that's just discovered anabolic steroids.

You can help. Write to Tata!

Comments

Tata is also threatening to build a massive soda ash extraction plant at Lake Natron in Tanzania. This is the breeding ground for almost all of the lesser flamingos that are found in spectacular flocks throughout East Africa's Great Rift Valley. RSPB and BirdLife International partners are campaigning against it with support from Sir David Attenborough amongst others.

Posted by: Paul | April 9, 2008 8:59 PM

Get a port elsewhere?

Posted by: Abhijeet | April 11, 2008 4:43 PM

Dear Mr.Tata,

The Tata name is today omnipresent in India, through a choice of affordable products and has today grown from a national giant into an international financial player. At the same time, you insist that the TATA group has a firm commitment to environmental justice and sustainable development. I am writing to ask you to demonstrate that the TATA Group does indeed have such a commitment and it does not put profits above environmental and social well being.

I am disappointed with the way Tata Steel has conducted itself on the Dhamra port issue in Orissa. There has for some time been clear proof of the irreversible effects that this huge port will have on the highly-endangered endangered Olive Ridley turtles. What is even more distressing to me is that you had clearly promised to abandon the port if evidence of turtle presence was ever unearthed, yet this promise is now not being kept. Not just that, despite the simple fact that ports can be shifted while turtle nesting grounds can not, Tata Steel continues to build the Dhamra port.

I have been a follower of the Tata story and role you are looking to play in shaping modern India. Surely a decision to protect the Dhamra area and shift your port to an alternative environmentally-benign site will be more in keeping with the image that the Tatas project, and the legacy left by men such as JRD Tata, than the current position you have adopted?

I earnestly urge you to look at alternative locations for the Dhamra port. Such a decision will raise the Tata standing in my eyes and, I am sure, in the eyes of millions of Indians, not to mention an increasing global audience.

Posted by: Rockline Sanfrancisco | April 13, 2008 12:23 PM

Olive Ridley turtles are indeed one of the most primitive species on this planet, even much older than our own species.
I guess the time has come when human beings all over the world must realize that they just cannot live alone and it's the moral responsibility of each one of us to 'Live and let other's Live'.
TATA Group being always known as a company that belives in ethics and responsibility must realize 'THIS TRUTH' as soon as possible, before it's too late.

Posted by: Mrinmoy Chattaraj | April 13, 2008 5:28 PM

good thing green peace was built. They help save the environment. I hope that all the people in the world will recognize your doings and I hope they will help save the world from danger. thank you!

Posted by: Guia Angelica Esleta | April 14, 2008 2:38 AM

Iaorana Braveharts,
Do You have a picture of your Turtles ?
We will send one of ours.
Thank You

Posted by: Mata | April 19, 2008 6:05 AM