Greenpeace, Forest and Bird, Communities Against Fast Track (CAFT), Coromandel Watchdog, WWF-New Zealand, and Kiwis Against Seabed Mining have announced a ‘March for Nature’ on June 8 down Queen Street in Auckland to protest the Fast-Track Approvals Bill and the coalition government’s War on Nature”. Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman says, “The Fast-Track Bill is the most damaging piece of environmental legislation any Government has introduced in living memory. People are angry, and it’s time to march.” “New Zealanders care deeply about the natural world. Many of us have fo ..read more

One of the most extraordinary experiences I’ve had as a marine biologist was when we were tracking lobsters on Wolf Island in the Galápagos Islands in 2003. The work occurred at night, so I used to take a nap after lunch. One day, I was still asleep in my pyjamas when suddenly, someone came running to tell me there was a whale shark under the boat. I thought they were joking, and tried to ignore them, but they kept insisting, and when I looked over the deck, sure enough, there it was. I was so excited that I just jumped into the water. The crew passed me a diving mask, and I spent the next 45 ..read more

Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by the present government were extinguished by any future administration. Such a move would have real implications under the government’s proposed Fast-track Approvals Bill, which is designed to “enable faster approval of infrastructure and other projects that have significant regional or national benefits”. NZ First’s Jones is one of three ministers who could have sign-off powers under the new law. Offering investors prot ..read more

Summary After the world’s largest recorded campylobacteriosis outbreak occurred in Havelock North in 2016, the National-led Government established a formal inquiry into what went wrong and lessons for the future. This led to policy changes to strengthen the protection of source water and improve the country’s drinking water supply system. These changes included introducing Te Mana o te Wai, the central decision-making framework in the country’s national freshwater policy. Te Mana o te Wai formally prioritises the protection of drinking water over commercial interests and other activities that ..read more

Hannah Stitfall’s been getting updates from onboard the Arctic Sunrise, one of Greenpeace’s research ships, since the beginning of the series, from Panama where it set sail out into the Galápagos Islands marine reserve. We heard as it crossed the equator, and we’ve learnt about the pioneering research the scientists and volunteers have already done on seamounts in the area. And now, they’ve finally anchored and we’re joining them onboard for an episode all about Galápagos. You’ll meet Sophie Cooke the expedition lead; Captain Mike, the man behind the wheel; Andrea Vera, an Ecuadorian scientis ..read more

https://media.greenpeace.org/AssetLink/0vj0861341673wtu08t0i07mhps5kysy/Oral-submission-on-the-fast-track-approvals-bill.mp4 Greenpeace opposes the Fast Track Approvals Bill in its entirety because it is anti-democratic, anti-transparency and creates vulnerability to corruption. It lacks any semblance of environmental protection and in fact, removes existing protections ..read more

https://media.greenpeace.org/AssetLink/77anli47g8a86u620xp5v8102pm180b8/Why-we-need-cameras-on-boats.mp4 Mandy Kupenga explains why we need cameras on boats in New Zealand to protect the oceans. PETITION: Cameras on boats to protect the oceans Call on the NZ Govt to commit to implementing cameras on the whole commercial fishing fleet. I want to see a clear plan to meet this deadline and transparent reporting on progress of that plan. Take Action ..read more

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4) for a Global Plastics Treaty ended on a disappointing note as the negotiation caved-in to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry interests.  Graham Forbes, Greenpeace Head of Delegation to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, said: “The world is burning, and member states are wasting time and opportunity. We saw some progress, aided by the continued efforts of states such as Rwanda, Peru, and the signatories of the Bridge to Busan declaration in pushing to reduce plastic production. However, compromises were ..read more

Plastic pollution has managed to invade even the most remote areas of our environment and has also been reported in several tissues of the human body. Plastic production levels have exploded since the 1950s and continue to rise. The problem is so pervasive and daunting that we sometimes find ourselves placing a little too much hope in solutions that aren’t really solutions at all. As is often the case, industry and the major polluters (big brands, fossil fuel and petrochemical companies) are lying in wait to promote false solutions that allow them to continue busi ..read more

https://media.greenpeace.org/AssetLink/kqg6jx85k4kcd130qkj3n1b8c7711eu0/Snares-penguins-swimming.mp4 An underwater view of a colony of Snares penguins at the sub Antarctic Snares Islands 100 kilometers south of New Zealand. Snares crested penguins, the world’s rarest, are found only on the sub Antarctic Snares group. An estimated 23,000 breeding pairs live here, with more than 100 colonies on the main island alone. Documented by Greenpeace Aotearoa on the Rainbow Warrior in 2013 to highlight the extraordinary wildlife of the Auckland and Snare Islands that would be put at risk by deep sea oil ..read more