February 2: More nuclear waste arrives in Russia for dumping; Countries' half-hearted emission targets draw criticism; and the Amazon receives a double-blow with planned hydro-electric plant and Shell-biofuel deal
This is part of a trial series.
Indigenous people from Altamira at a rally protesting the construction of dams on the Xingu river, Brazil. Photo: Monti Aguirre.
The Brazilian government has granted an environmental license for the construction of a controversial hydro-electric damn in the Amazon rainforest. It comes however with the condition that the company awarded the contract will have to pay $800 million to protect the environment. Indigenous tribes say the Belo Monte dam poses a threat to their way of life, and 40,000 people could be affected by the flooding of 500 sq km of land. Also in Brazilian news, Shell has made a deal with Cosan - a biofuel producer - worth $1.2 billion. This will make Shell the biggest investor in biofuels (see The Guardian or Times Online)
A ship carrying 650 tons of uranium waste arrived yesterday in St Petersburg, Russia, RIA Novosti and AFP reported Greenpeace Russia saying yesterday. The dangerous cargo of uranium hexafluoride (UF6), which belongs to the French nuclear energy group Areva, was then loaded onto railway cars to be transported to the Siberian Chemical Combine in the Tomsk region, the statement added. The ship Kapitan Kuroptev was made famous by activists in 2005 trying to blockade it from the port. Russia's state-controlled civilian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom maintains that shipments of uranium hexafluoride will be halted by the end of 2010 but Areva plans to continue the shipments until 2014, Greenpeace said on its Russian website. The French company together with Britain's Urenco have shipped around 140,000 tons of nuclear waste in the last 15 years to Russia.
The UK's Telegraph reported on the failure of countries to meet the post-Copenhagen emissions targets deadline with ambitious pledges. The UN received only 55 submissions (out of 190), with no bold moves from major polluters, especially China and the US. Wendel Trio from Greenpeace International was quoted saying "these commitments will raise global temperatures above three degrees which is way above the target for Copenhagen and the threshold for dangerous climate change. It shows that Copenhagen is a political declaration and to try and make more out of it is wishful thinking." The UN's Yvo de Boer also said greater ambition is required. Bernhard Obermayr from Greenpeace's Central and Eastern European office was quoted by the BBC saying "it is the start of Copenhagen 'greenwash' ".
AFP reported Canada has downgraded its emissions targets, aligning itself with the US, which has picked up international criticism. Meanwhile in Australia climate skeptic and politician Tony Abbott has been garnering support for "simpler and cheaper" climate plan, in opposition to the proposed climate legislation.
Dana Spector takes part in a demonstration to protest a new coal-fired plant in Israel.
Photo: Shir Levi
There have been a number of other stories in the news on the issue of coal and nuclear power. In Poland, Greenpeace responded to the coal power producer CEZ which is claiming that emissions from its planned coal plants would be "the same as for alternative scenarios."
Israeli celebrities have teamed up with GP to campaign against a planned coal-fired power plant in Ashkelon. Eli Finish, Mosh Ben-Ari, Dana Spector and Liraz Czech agreed to be buried up the neck in coal, calling on government ministers to oppose the new development, which it is estimated will add about 10% of Israels' CO2 emissions.
In the Phillipines, news reported that rehabilitating the old Bataan nuclear power plant (BNPP) will cost about $1 billion, while Greenpeace argued the funds should be devoted instead to renewable energy projects. "That should instead be redirected to RE projects, which is available now unlike nuclear which takes time to develop. And more so because now we have the RE law which provides various incentives for investors," said GP's Mark Q. Dia. The BNPP, built from 1976 to 1984 for $2.3 billion, was moth-balled after the 1986 "People Power" revolution which overthrew the Marcos regime and remains the country’s single biggest debt item, though taxpayer money finally paid it off in 2007.
The Guardian reported ExxonMobil has seen profits slump in 2009 - which is the first time in seven years for the fossil fuel industry's number one company. Ironically, Greenpeace US' Kert Davies said, Exxon still spent $27.4m lobbying federal lawmakers in Washington last year over energy policy. (This was only a slight drop on 2008's expenditure of $29m, according to figures compiled by the non-partisan Centre for Responsive Politics). "While their profits may be down, their efforts to change the policy debate in Washington DC are as high as ever." Elsewhere The Guardian reported Royal Dutch Shell is also expected to announce a profit slump from 2009.
Danish news had another story on the Red Carpet Action, talking to GP's Mads Christiansen on the issue of wire-tapping by the police. "We get the feeling that the police have used the same tools against us as police used against hard-boiled crime. I think it is worrying, " he said, as speculation over ongoing charges continues.
In the UK, a BBC documentary on the British fishing industry, has sparked anger from two large fishing organizations in the country. The film quoted Greenpeace saying that fisherman were mainly fishing endangered species; adding that stocks could be depleted in 50 years. An industry spokesman said scientific data showed the world's fish supply had been "boringly stable" for the last 35 years. In contrast, the UN says 71 to 78 percent of the world's fisheries are "fully exploited", "over exploited" or "significantly depleted. (Read more about our Oceans campaign here).
Research in the US has found that some trees are growing faster, which seems to be linked to rising CO2 levels. Although scientists warned it was no panacea, there is a chance forests may dampen or delay some impacts of climate change at least for a while, by soaking up some of the greenhouse gases that most scientists believe are warming the planet.
Indian GE tomatoes have been tested, according to stories in German, Indian and Spanish news. Meanwhile, the Pubjab unit of CPI(M) has said commerical cultivation of BT brinjal should not be allowed to go ahead (also see The Hindustan Times on the debate over BT brinjal).
AP reported researchers from New Zealand have set sail for the Southern Ocean to study whales, in an open challenge to Japan's killing of 1,000 whales a year in the name of science. Australian, French and New Zealand scientists will take part in the first six-week voyage.
(Photos: Brazilian protest against hydro-electric dam, by Monti Aguirre; coal protest, by Shir Levi)
Follow Greenpeace »
