Tag Archives: Antarctica

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Richard Page, Greenpeace International



Emperor penguins, blue whales, fur seals and 10,000 other species of wildlife live together in the near pristine waters around Antarctica.
In less than two weeks, world leaders will be meeting in Germany to decide whether to stop industrial fishing vessels from encroaching on two of the most important areas in the icy Southern Ocean.
Send a message to the members of the meeting: We want you to make history. 

         Greenpeace, in a coalition of environmental groups, has been working for several years to help the participants of this meeting (they are called the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources or CCAMLR) understand the value and importance of officially creating the largest protected ocean sanctuaries in the world. Some of the members of the meeting still aren’t convinced this is important, so they need to hear from us.
Say “yes” to creating the two largest protected ocean sanctuaries in the world.
What’s at stake are key areas in the Ross Sea and East Antarctica, covering more than 3.5 million square kilometres of waters around Antarctica that are teaming with life and as yet, still largely untouched. Let’s keep them that way.
The meeting starts on July 11th. Between now and then we will collect petition signatures and keep the dialogue going with CCAMLR members, but we need more. We need to keep the spotlight on this meeting. Please forward this message, sign the petition, share the petition everywhere and help us keep cheering for the CCAMLR members, so they will do what is right.
Sincerely,
Richard Page          Greenpeace International          Oceans Campaigner

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Wild West … John Hocevar, Greenpeace


Tell the State Department that you care about the health of our oceans and urge them to either take the lead on establishing a network of marine reserves or to get out of the way this summer.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.ORG

There’s almost no protection at all for the world’s oceans. And it shows… Companies like Chicken of the Sea are pushing some tuna and shark species to the brink of extinction in the Pacific Ocean with their destructive fishing practices.

Industrial fishing vessels are destroying the breathtaking coral habitats of the Bering Sea canyons and putting an entire ecosystem at risk.

Japanese, Icelandic and Norwegian whaling vessels continue to ignore international law and kill thousands of majestic whales from the Southern Ocean to the North Atlantic each year.

These challenges can be addressed together with a single solution — a network of fully protected marine reserves. So why is the State Department standing in the way?

It’s time they took action to protect our oceans. Urge them to take the lead in establishing a network of marine reserves before it’s too late.

WWW.greenpeaceusa.org

Right now, less than one percent of the world’s oceans are set aside as marine reserves. That’s why we’re working on a global agreement which would allow the international community to establish a network of marine reserves on the high seas. Unfortunately, the US government seems to be standing in the way of these efforts by refusing to join along with other countries who are in favor of developing a new agreement to create a network of marine reserves.

The high seas are like the Wild West at the moment. It might be good for the companies that are making billions off the destruction, but it is killing our oceans. If we don’t start protecting and managing our oceans they aren’t going to survive. Marine reserves are a proven and cost effective tool for protecting biodiversity, rebuilding fish populations, and enhancing fisheries in surrounding areas.

The best chance we have to get the international community on the right path toward creating a network of protected areas is this summer in Brazil. The US delegation is developing their position right now. It’s the perfect time to let them know you are paying attention.

A global network of fully protected marine reserves would benefit sea turtles, whales, tuna, seals, narwhals and any other creature (including humans) that you can think of. We’ll be at the meetings this summer working hard for this outcome. Without your support, it won’t matter.

Send your letter to the State Department today and tell them that we need the US to join the G77, the European Union, and most of the rest of the world in standing up for marine reserves.

Thanks for your help.

John Hocevar Greenpeace USA Ocean Campaign Director