Tag Archives: Southern Ocean

~ 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

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

GREENPEACE …Philip Radford, Greenpeace


Killing whales is not science. Donate Now!Please join Greenpeace now with your end-of-year gift to stop the slaughter of whales and protect our planet.

Japanese whaling ships are closing in on whales in the Southern Ocean right now. They call their mission “science,” but no valid science is gathered from their hunts — it’s just a cover for their bloody activities.
It’s not science, it’s senseless killing, and it must end.

Make an urgent gift today to protect whales, the oceans, and our planet.  – will you step up and join Greenpeace now in fighting to stop this slaughter?

We’re only two days away from December 31 and so close to reaching our $125,000 goal. We need just 7 more donations from Washington to reach it and have the resources we need to save whales in the new year.
Whales are smart creatures — they know where they are and who they are. They feel loss and pain. They “talk” to each other. A growing body of evidence shows that whales are very similar to humans in intelligence and self-awareness. There is nothing scientific about killing nearly every whale you encounter and selling the meat for profit.
Commercial hunts by any name must end.
Please donate now to stop the killing and save whales from this deadly “science.”
With your help we’ll mobilize public support, run newspaper ads, lead a coalition of NGOs and pressure the Obama administration and the International Whaling Commission to close these deadly loopholes and put an end to commercial whaling once and for all.
We’ve already been successful in dramatically reducing the market for whale meat to the point where the industry is shutting down. But operations like Japan’s are being propped up by government subsidies.
Right now is the time to tip the scales and completely end commercial whaling. Now’s our chance, and Carmen, there’s not much time left — please join us in the fight to save whales.


For the whales,
Philip Radford Greenpeace
P.S. Please donate now through our secure website or at 1-800-722-6995 to help us reach our $125,000 year-end goal and save the lives of these magnificent whales — we need just 7 more supporters like you from Washington.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

One Step Closer to Saving the Whales …Phil Kline, Greenpeace


VICTORY! Send a letter to President Obama to thank him for his support for transparency at the IWC.

Japan’s annual whale slaughter in the Southern Ocean took a huge blow last week.

That’s because vote buying at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is history. Countries like Japan can no longer bribe poorer countries to support their pro-whaling stance. Whale conservation finally has a fighting chance.

The US delegation did the right thing and supported this measure. What a difference a year and a few million actions from whale lovers like you can make. This is your victory and a huge step in the right direction.

The Obama Administration deserves some credit as well. Please take a minute and thank them for their leadership.    Your letter will be sent to President Obama and his administration, thanking them for listening to the voice of the American people.

With supporters like you, we’ve brought the IWC into the 21st century. But we still have work to do. Next year, we need the IWC to allow Greenpeace and other conservation groups to have a voice. Conservation groups have always been at the forefront of whale protection, but have never been able to participate at the IWC meetings.   

Please take action now and thank the Obama administration. Thank you for all your good work in support of the whales.   

 

For the oceans,

Phil Kline
Oceans Campaigner
Greenpeace USA

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

How to save the whales once and for all


 

Greenpeace

 

Delivering Poll Results to White House

Tell President Obama to end commercial whaling once and for all by reforming the IWC. Click the button below to take action.
take action today

As you read this, the Japanese whaling fleet is busy killing whales in the Southern Ocean. Just like they did last year and just like they will again this time next year if nothing changes at the International Whaling Commission (IWC). But there’s hope.

Not only does President Obama have the power to make those changes; he’s already promised he would. Here’s what he told Greenpeace back in 2008:

“As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable.”

It’s time for President Obama to keep his word and save the whales. Tell him to end commercial whaling once and for all by reforming the IWC.

Yesterday, I personally paid a visit to the White House to drop off a letter from Greenpeace that outlined the results of a recent poll we conducted. The results speak for themselves. An overwhelming amount of Americans — 83%! — want the President to stand by his campaign pledge to strengthen the international ban on commercial whaling.

I thought it was important for the President and his administration to know just how strongly the American public feels about this issue. This isn’t something that can be ignored or that is going to go away.

You have an important role to play in this. The President has to hear your voice and the voices of everyone who wants to save the whales. Help make yesterday’s delivery even more powerful by sending the President a message today.

We have to break this cycle. To save the whales once and for all we need to end whaling once and for all. That means no Japanese whaling fleet heading to the Southern Ocean next year and that means reforming the IWC. President Obama has the power to make that happen. And, together, we have the power to hold him to his word.

It’s time to make the IWC work for whales and not whalers.

For the whales,
John
John Hocevar
Ocean Campaigns Director

 

P.S. Last spring, we got the President’s attention. We can do it again but it is going to take the same type of effort. Please forward this on to everyone you know who loves whales after you take action.