By now, not much that oil companies say or do to profit off outdated fuel sources surprises me. But even if they aren’t surprising, it is still entertaining to watch just how wrong they can get it.  

Around the world, renewables are pushing fossil fuels out of the mix faster than most thought possible. And while our projections for an Energy Revolution were pretty close, we had no way of knowing how companies like Shell would react once they got nervous. One thing is for sure, in this case it is tragically funny. Have a look at Shell’s recent attempt at winning us over, called La Belle Relation (The Beautiful Relation).

Shell’s youtube description reads: "Renewable energy needs the perfect partner. See why the reliable and predictable natural gas can be one half of that beautiful relationship #makethefuture"

Fortunately, the global movement of folks saying #ShellNo is growing and includes some really talented people that recognize an opportunity for parody when they see it. Have a look at this response from some creative climate activists.

Thanks to the folks that created La Belle Solution (A Beautiful Solution) for showing us what a relationship between renewables and fossil fuels really looks like!

Jess Miller is the Managing Editor for the Americas at Greenpeace.

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The last few weeks have seen the best and the worst in terms of climate change.

Victories which pundits told us for years were “impossible” have been coming at a breathtaking pace. Coal demand is in terminal decline worldwide, after a dramatic - if not complete - change of course in China. Oil is also in trouble, with Shell and Statoil retreating from the Alaskan Arctic, President Obama rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline and Alberta putting a cap on tar sands oil. Meanwhile, cities and companies are signing up for a 100% renewable future. Many communities hit by extreme weather are rebuilding sustainably and hundreds of thousands worldwide are building people power to push forward with climate action now - and in the future.

At the same time the news is getting worse. This year will be the hottest year in recorded history. And Indonesia´s forest fires were a massive blow for climate action, emitting more than the entire United States of America - a powerful reminder of just how fast hard-won emission reductions can be jeoparized by greed. Also, despite the climate movement´s recent victories, too often polluters are still dictating policy in North and South. The energy revolution, which is now inevitable, is not going as fast as it needs to, if we’re to keep our climate safe.

The meaning of this year´s climate negotiations has been changed by the recent attacks in Paris, the host city. In response to these terrible crimes, the climate marches around the world this weekend are not just a call to action, but an expression of our shared humanity. Governments must hear this call and make the climate negotiations demonstrate that human cooperation can solve our common problems.

In order to do that, the Paris climate conference must be a starting point for faster and more decisive climate action. As Greenpeace, we have three key criteria that governments must meet:

1. Does the Paris climate agreement send a signal that the age of fossil fuels is over?

The world of energy is changing quickly. Governments in Paris must solidify the direction towards renewables that the world is already on, and state clearly that fossil fuels must be completely phased out by 2050. We need a just transition to a world run on 100% renewable energy for all; a world where workers, our health and our children win. This signal must be clear. It must not be stymied by delays. Therefore, we will ask:

2. Does the Paris climate agreement agree to soon - and continuously - improve national climate action?

We already know that the pledges governments are coming to Paris with are not good enough and will still lead to a very dangerous and destructive world (between 2.7 and 3.7 degrees warmer than in preindustrial times - the estimates vary). Governments and companies need to increase their ambition immediately after Paris. We simply cannot afford to be stuck with insufficient targets for the next 10-15 decisive years. The targets must be ramped up before the Paris agreement enters into force in 2020. And governments need to review and enhance their actions every five years after the Paris agreement comes into force in 2020.

3. Does the Paris climate agreement deliver global solidarity and ensure that polluters pay for the damage they cause?

Some impacts of climate change are with us already and we need sufficient and reliable funding and support for those affected. Greenpeace, for example, supports anchoring the “loss and damage mechanism” under the Paris Agreement, to help support the vulnerable. We expect governments to meet the growing adaptation needs. We will also continue to hold polluters accountable, as we are doing with our call on the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR). We need the culpability of big fossil fuel companies for fuelling catastrophic climate change to be addressed.

If the three criteria above are met, we’ll take an important step towards a world in which energy is clean, cheap and accessible to all. A world where air and water will be cleaner and where global warming avoids truly hazardous temperatures.

But even if governments take us this one step forward in Paris, it is still only one step. We are the ones that have to keep marching to get us to where we need to go. We need to keep up the pressure in the months and years after the Paris summit. The race between renewables and climate change will only be won if we keep winning like we have been doing on Keystone, coal and the Arctic. We must continue to build our power as a climate movement worldwide in 2016. This is how we force politicians across the globe to end the fossil fuel era and deliver a decent environment for all.

Are you in?

 

Daniel Mittler is the Political Director of Greenpeace International

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In the last few months, exposé after exposé has uncovered how Exxon knew about the dangerous reality of climate change before the media, politicians and just about everyone else. But instead of doing the right thing, or even just sitting on its evidence, Exxon did something much more insidious. It tried to hide the truth from all of us. 

As we approach COP21, a global meeting to address the climate crisis, let’s take a look back on four examples of how far Exxon has gone to stop climate action:

---

1. That time Exxon learned in 1982 that climate change would lead to environmental catastrophe

As early as 1977, Exxon’s own scientists were researching human-caused global warming. Exxon dedicated a substantial research budget to studying carbon emissions, developed sophisticated models and published its findings in peer reviewed journals. By 1982, an internal company report told Exxon management “there are some potentially catastrophic events that must be considered… Once the effects are measurable, they might not be reversible.”

So Exxon knew. But instead of acting to protect the planet, Exxon acted to protect its profits. It spent the next three decades funding and spreading climate denial. Exxon funded groups like ALEC, the Heartland Institute and the Advancement of Sound Science Coalition — all of which ran successful public climate denial campaigns. The Advancement of Sound Science got its start challenging the dangers of secondhand smoke, so climate denialism wasn’t a big stretch. And ALEC — a climate-denying front group that peddles its pro-corporate legislation to US statehouses — spread misinformation so egregious that Shell’s investors forced the oil giant to cut ties.

Now, the catastrophic events Exxon predicted are here. But Exxon continues to fund climate denialism to this day.

2. That time Exxon paid for a PR strategy to convince the world climate change wasn’t real

Of course, Exxon isn’t alone in funding and spreading climate denialism. In 1988, Exxon joined a group of fossil fuel companies and industry front groups organised by the American Petroleum Institute to create the Global Climate Science Communications Plan. The group spent $2 million dollars on a plan to get the average citizens and the media to “‘understand‘ (recognise) uncertainties” in climate science and for these uncertainties become part of the “‘conventional wisdom.’” That “uncertainty” set the planet back decades in terms of climate change policy — and it’s one reason people who don’t believe in science can run for president in the United States.

3. That time ExxonMobil got the US to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol

For decades, Mobil — and then ExxonMobil — ran a weekly “advertorial” on the opinion page of the New York Times. After the 2000 election, these advertorials practically became a guidebook for the new Bush administration.

In January 2001, an Exxon advertorial called the Kyoto Protocol “unrealistic” and “economically damaging” because of its “fundamental flaws.” When President Bush gave his now-infamous June 2001 speech on climate change, he echoed Exxon — calling the policy “unrealistic”, “fatally flawed in fundamental ways” and said it would have had a “negative economic impact.”

The harm this caused to the planet is undeniable.

 

4. That time Exxon called the current New York Attorney General investigation into its deception a “distraction”

 “I really don’t want this to be a distraction.” That’s ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson talking about the New York Attorney General’s investigation into Exxon’s “possible climate change lies”. Then there’s Exxon flack Dick Keil, calling Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s suggestion that Exxon be investigated for corruption “complete bullshit.”

Tillerson sounds a lot like Tony “I’d like my life back” Hayward in the midst of the BP Deepwater Horizon spill. We can all sympathise with beleaguered CEOs in the middle of a corporate PR disaster, but the Exxon investigation is more than a distraction. The Attorney General is looking into Exxon’s history of misleading statements on climate change, to investors and to the public. California and the Philippines might be next, and the public is clamouring for a federal Department of Justice investigation. Rex Tillerson and Dick Keil might be in denial, but Exxon’s woes aren’t going anywhere.

The truth is that ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel companies fuelled climate debate for years knowing the harm it was causing. Join us and support an investigation into Exxon and other Big Oil companies now.

Naomi Ages is a Climate Liability Campaigner at Greenpeace USA

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Contributed by PillPack. PillPack is a full service pharmacy that makes it easy to take the right medication at the right time.

Having to fill and refill prescriptions can be an arduous task. Whether you have one prescription, multiple refills, or are helping someone else with their monthly medications, getting to the pharmacy is one more errand on top of everything else you already have scheduled. Getting to the pharmacy can be especially difficult when dealing with lack of mobility, medical conditions, or limited access to transportation. We have a few suggestions for getting rid of this errand so you can make more time for the important things in life.

 

Bring the Pharmacy Home To You  

If you are looking for a simple, efficient method to fill and refill prescriptions, you may want to consider switching to an online pharmacy. Online pharmacies are a practical and convenient option for everyone. These days, some online pharmacies even offer more than your traditional retail pharmacy.

An online pharmacy such as PillPack has pharmacists who you can speak with 24/7, from the privacy of your own home. Their pharmacists check medications, recommended dose times, and answer questions over the phone. It’s basically like having a pharmacist in the family that will handle all of your prescription needs. They will do all of the legwork involved in transferring your medications and confirming all prescription information.

In addition, PillPack pharmacists proactively manage all of your refills for you, meaning they contact your doctor before your refills expire. All your prescriptions are conveniently delivered straight to your door, so you never have to worry about being without your medications, or having to rush to the pharmacy. Another plus is they package individual doses in clearly-labeled packs by the date and time for each dose, making it easy to keep track of when (and if) you took your medication. Filling prescriptions should be easy and efficient; using an online pharmacy can help to make the process more convenient for you. In addition, if you want to try PillPack now, use the gift code LHH and get a $10 credit good for vitamins and OTCs when you transfer your prescriptions to PillPack.

 

 

Schedule Carpooling

Arranging carpooling with friends or family members will not only help to get you to the pharmacy, but it will help you stay on schedule. Create a calendar (virtual or physical) and be sure to note when your prescriptions need to be refilled. Then, coordinate plans ahead of time to have someone drive you to the pharmacy. If you’re a caregiver picking up someone else’s medications, you can always create a Care Calendar on Lotsa Helping Hands to help with running errands and carpooling. It would be a good idea to call the pharmacy when you have about five pills left. This will ensure that the pharmacy will have the medication you need for your scheduled pick-up. Missing doses can be harmful to your health, so this is high priority.

Perhaps you could schedule a day to run errands together with your helper. If you need assistance getting to the grocery store, you may want to seek out a pharmacy that is located within a local supermarket which will save you a trip. You can coordinate errands so all your stops are covered. You can also check to see if there are any services or volunteer organizations in your community that provide rides to the pharmacy. If you are a senior citizen or have special needs, there may be an organization that can help you or connect you with appropriate resources.

 

Utilize Delivery and Convenient Transportation

If you have access to public transportation, that is an economical option. Be sure to check schedules to be sure that you will not be waiting and can arrive at a convenient location. Also, double check with your pharmacy that your prescription is there. However, sometimes it is physically demanding and time consuming to use public transportation due to wait time, bad weather or inconvenient pick-up locations. It may be a more convenient option to call a taxi or try a private company.

Modern private transportation companies are growing and changing the way people look at a once outdated, expensive mode of transport. Nowadays, a simple click of your mobile app can connect you with a driver. If non-drivers are already using a smartphone, learning to use an app would be an easy task to learn. Having an account on one of these apps means that you will not need to worry about a money transaction, as it is automatically charged to the credit card you provided when you created your account, making the process simpler.

 

Conclusion

You need to be diligent about taking medications. If you do not drive or have access to a car, it can be difficult to stay on top of every refill – especially if you take more than one medication on a daily basis. Having technology on your side and taking advantage of the latest conveniences in the world of transportation and pharmacy can save you time, stress, and give you peace of mind. Going without your prescription medications could be detrimental to your health. To ensure that you have everything you need, consider one of the previously mentioned options when it comes to filling your prescriptions.

 

The post Getting Your Medication Without a Car appeared first on Lotsa Helping Hands.

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The last time I bought something new to wear was July 2014: it was a pretty blue dress for my graduation. Since then, every piece of clothing that found it’s way into my closet has been bought second-hand, inherited or borrowed.

Swearing off shopping altogether might sound impressive, bordering on the self-righteous, but it’s really not. A large part of why I stopped buying new clothes was out of laziness, not just for the environmental high ground (although it does feel pretty great). You might say, “I could never do that”, but it’s much easier than it sounds!

Every purchase you make has implications far beyond your closet. Once you make that realisation it’s easy to consider never buying something new again. But of course, it’s a big leap from consideration to quitting consumerism all together, one that just isn’t possible for everyone.

Disposable fashion has made itself incredibly convenient, even addictive. But over-consumption fuels a toxic supply chain and stuffs landfill sites with impulse buys. We need to demand less from retailers, not more.

There are currently 31 items of clothing in my wardrobe, not including underwear. I am clearly not a minimalist, but I can still describe every piece of clothing that I own. Some I’ve had for years, and they’re still totally wearable, like the summer dress I bought for a picnic in 2010, or the sparkly disco shorts I’ve worn on innumerable nights out.

Fashion changes, but style doesn’t. I dare you to find me one old piece of clothing you own that couldn’t be restyled or altered to look great now. While it goes against the fast changing fashion world, it doesn’t matter; my old clothes suit me. I’ve been wearing them for so long that they’re part of who I am. 

Knits – inherited, thrift shop. Shirts – boyfriend's own. Dresses – borrowed or several years old. Skirts – second-hand. Jeans – ancient. Tops – roommate's, swapped, old. Outerwear – found, flea market. Shoes – second-hand, reheeled.

Fix up and look sharp

You probably shouldn’t be taking fashion advice from me; I’ve been wearing the same jeans since I was 18.

Not all of us are lucky enough to be the same size we were years ago though. But professionally altering your jeans costs about the same as buying a brand new pair, and they can be tailored to fit you perfectly, rather than the arbitrary sizes by shopping off the rack.

My clothes are old – they show the marks of the stories they’ve lived: buttons are missing and there are irremovable stains and holes everywhere. But if Kanye West can go out in a holey t-shirt, then so can I. Or I try to fix them. Upcycling is slow-fashion’s new buzzword and it’s helping to reform the industry for the better.

#ImKeepingThis – My favourite skirt has four holes in it. Some I've tried sewing up, the others I just let hang.

Thrift-shopping

Thanks to the rise of the hipster, vintage is growing astronomically. Historically the reserve of the older generation, second-hand shops, flea markets and thrift stores are now full of young fashionistas trying to find something cool. 

It helps that dressing like an 80-year-old seems to be back in style. The other day my friend commented that I look like “Hermione’s grandma”, which is not a bad thing when you’re wearing an oversized camel coat (€8 from Amsterdam’s Ij-Hallen flea market) and a hat you found on the floor of a bus. Style is about what makes you feel good. Look weird: you don’t need to blend in.

I’m lucky enough to live in Berlin, where there are flea markets every other day and second-hand clothing is easy to come by, but for those who don’t have the luxury of four different thrift stores in walking distance, there are lots of online communities where people trade vintage clothes.

Pros:

• It’s cheap!
  
  
• You’re automatically hip.
  
  
• You get to say the sentence “Thanks! It’s vintage.” whenever someone compliments your dress.

Cons:  

• You can’t always get what you want (but when can you ever? Disposable fashion is dictated by mass popularity, not necessarily by what’s fashionable).
  
  
• It’s rare that you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for so don’t go along with a vision in mind. Be open to finding something totally different.

#OOTD the statement summer skirt, brought to you by a second-hand store, teamed with an old pair of shoes.

SWAP team

Fashion recycles. A few years ago it was the 60s, now the 70s is seeing a revival. Current fashion trends revolve wearing exclusive, original clothes and looking a bit like your parents did when they were younger (plus iPhone). The best way to get this look is with authentic old clothes, and where better to get them than from someone who lived it?

If everyone shared their clothes with another person, we’d need to produce half as many clothes.

I have “accidentally borrowed” about a fifth of the clothes I now call mine: somehow I’ve acquired my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend’s jumper, his sister’s black top, some of his shirts, my mum’s old scarf and a couple of hats too.

Let's hope they don't ask for any of it back... #ImKeepingThis

I don’t necessarily recommend that method, but there are a bunch of social media groups and some wonderful websites dedicated to giving away and swapping your old stuff with other people.

Certain items are totally impossible to source second-hand – I draw the line at buying used underwear, but there are still options that don’t involve throw-away fashion. Set your own goals, find what’s right for you. Fashion has never been about what everyone is wearing. It’s about feeling amazing in your clothes, be they riddled with holes, six years old or a golden thrift store find.

Maybe you’ll reduce the amount of new clothes you buy, or maybe you’ll bite the bullet and vow to make everything yourself. Start small: this Black Friday, just buy nothing. 

Chiara Milford is a freelance writer living in Berlin. She tries to live an environmentally friendly existence.

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Annual freebie from the City will continue this holiday season

In an effort to encourage residents to dine and shop downtown during the holiday season, the City of Sacramento will offer free metered parking during modified hours. 

The City will offer free parking on weekdays after 4:30 p.m. and all-day on weekends starting Nov. 27 through Dec. 25 in midtown and Old Sacramento. 

Free meter parking zones will extend from I to L streets, and from Front to 29th streets, and will only apply to metered on-street parking spaces. All other parking violations are still enforceable as posted, such as time limits, street sweeping, and color zones.

The City also encourages drivers to use the East End Garage located on 17th Street between L Street and Capitol Avenue. The City offers a $2 flat rate after 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and all day on the weekends, excluding second Saturday (Dec. 12).

For more information see map below or visit sacpark.org.

The post City Continues Free Holiday Parking Program to Attract Downtown Shoppers appeared first on Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

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After nearly a decade, it appears the science museum will have the first of two phases of construction completed in fall 2017. The Sacramento Magazines reporting that of the $90 million needed to complete the project, $34 million has been raised from corporate sponsors, government grants and other sources; $7 million more is needed to pay for the first phase of construction. The project promises
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Today people slowed the beast again but this time we did it at the source.

After a string of pipeline victories and over a decade of campaigning on at least three different continents, the Alberta government has finally put a limit to the tarsands. Today they announced they will cap its expansion and limit the tarsands monster to 100 megatonnes a year (equivalent to what projects already operating and those currently under construction would produce).

As momentous an occasion as it is when an oil jurisdiction actually puts limits on growth, 100 million tonnes of carbon a year at a time when science is demanding bold reductions is still far too much. While historic, the government’s cap needs to be viewed as a ceiling rather then a floor, and a ceiling that we will need to work like crazy to ratchet down until it meets the science.

On the good side what the current cap does mean is that the two-to-five fold expansion the tar sands industry had planned will not happen.

It means the 2,270,820 barrels a day already approved will stay in the ground, the 1,890,850 barrels a day in the application process will never see the light of day, and the 1,923,00 barrels a day disclosed and announced will go no further then that. That’s 6,084,670 barrels a day that the government helped stop today and 154.07 million tonnes of carbon a year that we will be keeping from getting poured into the atmosphere.

All I have to say to that is BAM!

Investors better take note and start moving away from high carbon assets as soon as they can.

The Alberta government also started investing in solutions. By 2030 30% of Alberta’s electricity will come from renewable energy sources (the same year that the province just committed to phasing out coal). In addition the province also announced supports for energy efficiency, mass transit, and the start of an economy-wide carbon tax that will start providing the resources to make it all happen.

It was people power that did that.

People concerned about Indigenous rights, about health, about a growing climate crisis, and about the lack of sustainable solutions that came together, and worked for years, in some cases decades, to make todays victory possible.

 

It’s because we raised our voices, because we marched, danced, risked arrest and organized community to community that we were able to stand up to the largest corporations on the planet and win.

People did that.

However, it’s not the end of the battle. Alberta still has a lot of work to do to meet the demands of climate science, and the tarsands are still bigger that what the climate can handle.  More change is necessary and possible. We need to be ready in the days ahead to keep up the pressure and turn it up. We need to continue to stop the pipelines, continue to constrain production, and continue to push and mobilize for solutions till this plan meets the science and equity.

People will do this too.

Today is a historic moment for climate activism in Alberta and its one more win for the climate movement that continues to rack up victories right across North America.

Just two weeks ago the President of the United States rejected the Keystone XL tarsands pipeline ending a seven-year battle. Last week Prime Minister Justin Trudeau put the nail in Enbridge’s tarsands pipeline by directing his minister to implement a tanker ban on B.C.’s north shore. Add to that the growing successes of the fossil fuel divestment movement, the Keep It In the Ground bill 7 American Senators including Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders put forward, the Exxon climate investigation, and the global movement we’re building to go 100% renewable and you can see together we are building quite the resume.

And we aren’t done yet.

It amazes me sometimes that so much beauty has come from such a horrific place, but it is because of this project that we found each other. We learned that as much as pipeline routes were pathways of destruction they were also maps of resistance. They showed us the communities we could connect to, the perspectives we could learn from, and created lights of hope we could follow along the way. They taught us that when we worked together and supported each other, led by the original caretakers of the land, we could become an unstoppable force. And what a force we are.

I have no idea what victory will come next.

All I know is that today I will celebrate, toast to the power of people and social movements, and tomorrow I will get back to work preparing for our next big moment in Ottawa before coming back to Alberta to push the government to do more.

The road to climate justice is a long and hard one, but it’s a beautiful one too that’s getting a little easier by the day. It’s easier because now we know that when we work together with love for each other and the land we can beat the biggest of foes, turn the largest of tides, and make history in the process.

We already are.


Mike Hudema is a tarsands campaigner with Greenpeace Canada

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For months, forest fires raged across Indonesia bringing the world's attention to the country's devastating forest destruction. Both people and orang-utans were endangered as the fires raged and a thick, choking haze swept across Southeast Asia.

These forest fires were a legacy of decades of destruction by palm oil and paper companies. Despite 'no deforestation' promises held by companies, forests are still being trashed. 

Here are 10 shocking facts showing the scale of Indonesia's forest destruction, and why it needs to stop now.

1. Indonesia now has the highest rate of deforestation of any country in the world.

2. A quarter of Indonesia's forest has been destroyed in the last 25 years alone. That's a massive 31 million hectares, an area almost the size of Germany.

3. Plantation industries (that's palm oil and paper companies to you and me) are the main drivers of this destruction. Almost 40% of deforestation between 2011 and 2013 happened in land used by these industries.

4. Deforestation is pushing the orang-utan closer to the brink of extinction, with 4% of what remains of the animal's Indonesian habitat lost in just two years (2011 - 2013).

" 

5. Orang-utans aren't even safe in their remaining habitat, with half of this forest opened up for destruction by companies. 

6. This destruction shows no signs of stopping, with the Indonesian government identifying around 15 million hectares of forest available for trashing by companies.

7. This year's forest and peatland blazes highlight how Indonesia's forest are a global climate emergency, with the fires emitting more greenhouse gases on some days than the entire U.S.

8. Millions of people across South East Asia have been affected by the thick, choking haze emitted from the fires. Over 110,000 people die prematurely each year as a result of this toxic air pollution.

9. These fires threatened a third of the world's wild orang-utans.

...including orphaned Otan - whose heartbreaking story touched all of us. Sad, scared, alone. The baby orangutan orphaned by forest destruction.

10. There's a clear link between deforestation and Indonesia's forest fires. Around 36% of fire hotspots detected are located in areas used by palm oil and paper companies.

These shocking facts show why companies need to do more to protect forests. Take action now >> http://bit.ly/1I16E1X

Danielle Boobyer is a Digital Campaigner with Greenpeace UK. A version of this article first appeared on Greenpeace UK.

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The last time I bought something new to wear was July 2014: it was a pretty blue dress for my graduation. Since then, every piece of clothing that found it’s way into my closet has been bought second-hand, inherited or borrowed.

Swearing off shopping altogether might sound impressive, bordering on the self-righteous, but it’s really not. A large part of why I stopped buying new clothes was out of laziness, not just for the environmental high ground (although it does feel pretty great). You might say, “I could never do that”, but it’s much easier than it sounds!

Every purchase you make has implications far beyond your closet. Once you make that realisation it’s easy to consider never buying something new again. But of course, it’s a big leap from consideration to quitting consumerism all together, one that just isn’t possible for everyone.

Disposable fashion has made itself incredibly convenient, even addictive. But over-consumption fuels a toxic supply chain and stuffs landfill sites with impulse buys. We need to demand less from retailers, not more.

There are currently 31 items of clothing in my wardrobe, not including underwear. I am clearly not a minimalist, but I can still describe every piece of clothing that I own. Some I’ve had for years, and they’re still totally wearable, like the summer dress I bought for a picnic in 2010, or the sparkly disco shorts I’ve worn on innumerable nights out.

Fashion changes, but style doesn’t. I dare you to find me one old piece of clothing you own that couldn’t be restyled or altered to look great now. While it goes against the fast changing fashion world, it doesn’t matter; my old clothes suit me. I’ve been wearing them for so long that they’re part of who I am. 

PHOTO + CAPTION

Fix up and look sharp

You probably shouldn’t be taking fashion advice from me; I’ve been wearing the same jeans since I was 18.

Not all of us are lucky enough to be the same size we were years ago though. But professionally altering your jeans costs about the same as buying a brand new pair, and they can be tailored to fit you perfectly, rather than the arbitrary sizes by shopping off the rack.

My clothes are old - they show the marks of the stories they’ve lived: buttons are missing and there are irremovable stains and holes everywhere. But if Kanye West can go out in a holey t-shirt, then so can I. Or I try to fix them. Upcycling is slow-fashion’s new buzzword and it’s helping to reform the industry for the better.

PHOTO + CAPTION

 

Thrift-shopping

Thanks to the rise of the hipster, vintage is growing astronomically. Historically the reserve of the older generation, second-hand shops, flea markets and thrift stores are now full of young fashionistas trying to find something cool. 

It helps that dressing like an 80-year-old seems to be back in style. The other day my friend commented that I look like “Hermione’s grandma”, which is not a bad thing when you’re wearing an oversized camel coat (€8 from Amsterdam’s Ij-Hallen flea market) and a hat you found on the floor of a bus. Style is about what makes you feel good. Look weird: you don’t need to blend in.

I’m lucky enough to live in Berlin, where there are flea markets every other day and second-hand clothing is easy to come by, but for those who don’t have the luxury of four different thrift stores in walking distance, there are lots of online communities where people trade vintage clothes.

Pros:

It’s cheap!

You’re automatically hip.

You get to say the sentence “Thanks! It’s vintage.” whenever someone compliments your dress.

Cons:  

You can’t always get what you want (but when can you ever? Disposable fashion is dictated by mass popularity, not necessarily by what’s fashionable).

It’s rare that you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for so don’t go along with a vision in mind. Be open to finding something totally different.

PHOTO CAPTION

SWAP team

Fashion recycles. A few years ago it was the 60s, now the 70s is seeing a revival. Current fashion trends revolve wearing exclusive, original clothes and looking a bit like your parents did when they were younger (plus iPhone). The best way to get this look is with authentic old clothes, and where better to get them than from someone who lived it?

If everyone shared their clothes with another person, we’d need to produce half as many clothes.

I have “accidentally borrowed” about a fifth of the clothes I now call mine: somehow I’ve acquired my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend’s jumper, his sister’s black top, some of his shirts, my mum’s old scarf and a couple of hats too.

PHOTO CAPTION

I don’t necessarily recommend that method, but there are a bunch of social media groups and some wonderful websites dedicated to giving away and swapping your old stuff with other people.

Certain items are totally impossible to source second-hand - I draw the line at buying used underwear, but there are still options that don’t involve throw-away fashion. Set your own goals, find what’s right for you. Fashion has never been about what everyone is wearing. It’s about feeling amazing in your clothes, be they riddled with holes, six years old or a golden thrift store find.

Maybe you’ll reduce the amount of new clothes you buy, or maybe you’ll bite the bullet and vow to make everything yourself. Start small: this Black Friday, just buy nothing. 

Chiara Milford is a freelance writer living in Berlin. She tries to live an environmentally friendly existence.

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Illegal logging in the Brazilian Amazon is vast in scale and scope – impacting both rainforest communities and crucial habitat.

This past August – during my first visit to the Brazilian Amazon – my Brazilian colleagues visited the land of the Ka’apor indigenous people to assist the community with remote surveillance technology and electronic tracking devices. These systems would help them to monitor illegal logging on their lands, as indigenous tribes all too often fall victim to uncontrolled and illegal logging practices.

That same month, a major police crackdown on one of the largest illegal timber trade networks ever made headlines around the world. The federal prosecutor of Santarém, Para state exposed a crime scheme extending deep into the government’s chain-of-custody system for timber. Her findings confirmed our findings about the timber sector since the publication of The Amazon’s Silent Crisis in May 2014: the entire system is so riddled with fraud that official documents accompanying Brazilian Amazon timber cannot be trusted.

It’s clear that companies buying timber from the Brazilian Amazon are taking a huge risk. Now Greenpeace is working to expose the companies that disregard the possibility of illegal activity behind the timber they purchase.

Greenpeace Brazil’s most recent investigation reveals the gamblers of the European market that bought timber directly from Madeireira Iller — the logging company, sawmill and trader that the prosecutor arrested for laundering timber through the system with the help of corrupt officials and other criminals.

In defiance of their obligations under the EU’s regulation to stem the import of illegal timber, these importers continued to ignore the evidence of widespread illegality in the Brazilian Amazon. Despite all the evidence, they trusted the official documents provided to them by their Brazilian supplier. Our investigations reveal that at least one importer in the Netherlands didn’t even bother to collect all the paperwork for the timber it bought from Madeireira Iller.

European enforcement authorities have been lenient towards the timber trade sector, creating a climate of impunity. Equally as damaging, the European importers fulfilling their legal obligations are left with a competitive disadvantage.

Until the Brazilian government brings the logging sector in the Amazon under control, buyers need to take responsibility for the wood they're purchasing, making sure it's been harvested legally and sustainably, or simply stop buying from high-risk regions like the Amazon.

An Lambrechts is a Senior Forest Campaigner for Greenpeace Belgium.

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i15, a mixed-use project of eight stories at 1431 I St. After nearly a 1 1/2 years of planning, D&S development has cancelled a mixed-use project planned for I Street. According to The Sacramento Bee, the reason is that the 8000 SF site is to small. The location is now up for sale asking $1.595 million. D&S Development has successfully completed other projects in the
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What do the Arctic have in common with a drama about vampires and a sitcom about a sketch comedy show? Not much, unless you take into account two actors who are keen to save our pristine wilderness to the North.

True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard and 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer teamed up with Funny or Die and Greenpeace to release a three-part mini series – shot on location in the Arctic Ocean. 

Watch 'Jack & Alex Set Sail' from Funny Or Die.

The pair, who are friends in real life, sailed on Greenpeace icebreaker for nine days off the east coast of Greenland. They recorded the series to boost public awareness about the reality of global warming, and to build support for Greenpeace's "Save the Arctic" campaign.

Watch 'Jack & Alex Find Their Sea Legs' from Funny Or Die.

"I wish to invite people to get a chance to see how amazing this place is. Not a lot of people have the privilege to go to Greenland, to the Arctic," said Skarsgard. "I hope that when seeing the series, people will appreciate the beauty of the Arctic and the importance of preserving it, so that it does not turn into one big oil field."

Watch 'Jack & Alex: Search & Rescue' from Funny Or Die

"I have seen an iceberg roll over, I have seen glaciers calve, I have seen whales, it was just phenomenal," said McBrayer. "It was definitely labor of love out there, and it is really inspiring and makes me very appreciative to see everyone work so hard. I have never been to this part of the world and am not sure if I ever would have sought out an adventure like this myself."

The entire series can also be seen here.

Join them and millions of others who want to keep drilling for fossil fuels out of the Arctic.

Arin de Hoog is an Editor with Greenpeace International.

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When Greenpeace and ally NGOs first introduced you to Herakles Farms and its palm oil project in Cameroon (known locally as SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon or SGSOC), the US company had grand and destructive ambitions. Even though it had yet to obtain a valid land lease and even though local residents and civil society opposed the plans, they were intent on destroying nearly 70,000 hectares of dense natural forest in the country's Southwest region – an area that provided livelihoods to thousands of people and a home to endangered wildlife including the chimpanzee and drill.

More than three years on and the concession area is a fraction of the intended size, the company has closed most of its offices and resorted to selling illegally felled timber to raise revenue. But if its ambitions have changed or evolved, they are no less destructive and now SGSOC appears to be desperately using the courts, physical assaults and intimidation to attack citizens exercising rights guaranteed in their constitution and under international law.

Where peaceful protest is a crime

Nasako Besingi, a local activist who has won international awards for his peaceful protests against the Herakles Farms/SGSOC palm oil project was, last week, convicted of four charges including defamation and propagation of false publications. After many judicial delays and concerns over the fairness and validity of the Cameroonian legal system to adjudicate this case, he was ordered to pay a huge fine and legal costs or face three years in jail.

Besingi is guilty of nothing more than exercising his democratic right to protest, which is why this crackdown is so alarming. Herakles Farms/SGSOC has consistently worked to silence its critics and Besingi has been intimidated and physically assaulted in recent years. A coalition of environmental and human rights organizations is calling on Cameroon to stop the repression of local citizens and activists for merely expressing concern over their own land and forests.

Where the voice of opponents is silenced by all means

But while this injustice was taking place, new information surfaced about a number of complaints and lawsuits that Herakles Farms / SGSOC itself faces. 

More than 60 former employees have turned to local activists, including Nasako Besingi, for help securing unpaid allowances and a number of employees have reportedly brought lawsuits against the company. One former employee has filed at least 8 different actions including accusations of racial discrimination and unpaid wages.

Herakles Farms/SGSOC's defense in response to these legal actions has recently come to light and includes, among other things, an arbitration clause in its employment contracts which designates the "New York Arbitration Board" as the only authorized body to hear complaints.

This condition that an employee can only take up a grievance in a foreign country places an unfair insurmountable burden on employees and is rather strange given Herakles Farms no longer has an office in New York and new leadership in the company suggested the US company may no longer be involved in this project at all.

The company has even asked the Presidency of Cameroon for help enforcing this arbitration clause and to intervene in stopping the court cases against Herakles Farms/SGSOC.

Herakles Farms/SGSOC's efforts to intimidate and silence the voices of opponents, while also trying to gain influence at the upper hierarchy of the government, is violating the independence of the judiciary and freedom of legal proceedings.

Where local development is an illusion

Herakles Farms/SGSOC's behaviour is in stark contrast to their public rhetoric when they first announced their project. Once boasting of bringing much needed local economic development, the project is now evidently in full crisis.

This year employees were told that Herakles Farms was stopping operations in the villages of Mundemba and Toko in order to intensify planting in nearby Nguti. But all activity appears to have stopped throughout their concession. The main office of Herakles Farms/SGSOC in Limbe had been shut down with a new small office being set up in Manyemen. 

Satellite images from January to May 2015, reveal that roughly 50 hectares of forest cover were lost in the Herakles Farms/SGSOC concession, indicating little development has been taking place. No one can even confirm if the company ever paid their land rent, totaling more than $300,000 US Dollars. However Greenpeace Africa was able to confirm that they were served with a summons in May this year for unpaid taxes of over $38,000 US Dollars. 

In addition to laying off workers, for many of whom the job was all they had after the company took control of their land, local chiefs in surrounding communities have also argued that social obligations promised by the company, were not fulfilled. 

Attempt to resurrect the palm oil project

It now transpires that in the face of all these difficulties and steadfast opposition that Herakles Farms has finally got the message and decided it is not welcome. Greenpeace Africa has confirmed that Jonathan Watts has been named the new Chief Operating Officer of SGSOC and the project has new investors. Watts is also the managing director of the Volta Red palm oil project in Ghana which was also previously owned by Herakles Farms and is part of the UK-based Wyse Group.

It is as yet unclear what the implications are of this change of management and ownership but one thing that is still clear, is this project has always been, the wrong project in the wrong place. It is an example of how not to invest in and produce palm oil in Cameroon.

Greenpeace Africa remains dedicated to highlighting the importance of effective land use planning in Cameroon and the wider Congo Basin in a way that respects the rights of local communities and forges a sustainable path toward development that does not come at an environmental or human cost.

Amy Moas is a senior forest campaigner with Greenpeace USA and Eric Ini is a forest campaigner with Greenpeace Africa.

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Contributed by Everplans. Everplans (www.everplans.com) is a website that helps people create, store, and securely share all of their important information, documents, and wishes that their families might need if something were to happen. Everplans also provides thousands of useful articles, checklists, and local resources—whether you’re a new parent, retiree, or recently bereaved.

 

Most people know it’s important to have a will, but are too nervous to get the process started because they don’t know how to write a will. Writing a will may seem like a daunting task, but by following a few simple steps it can be easily accomplished—and can leave you with a feeling of great accomplishment.

 

What is a Will?

Simply stated, a will is a legal document that instructs people what to do with your money and property in the event of your death. If you have minor children (under 18 years old) or dependant adult children, a will is the way you’ll name a guardian for them—someone who will take care of them and raise them if you’re gone. A will can be used to ensure that your loved ones receive the assets that you wish to leave them—whether that’s valuable items, such as money, real estate, and vehicles, or items that don’t necessarily have significant monetary value but have sentimental value, such as family heirlooms. Wills can also be used to transfer business assets and investments, or to plan for charitable donations.

 

Why Do I Need to Write a Will?

There are many reasons why it’s so important to learn how to write a will. Creating a will can give you a huge feeling of relief knowing that you’ve done everything you can to plan for the future. No one wants to be a burden to their family, and by creating a will you’re ensuring that your family will not be left guessing at a time when they’ll likely be grieving and feeling overwhelmed. If you have minor children, you can rest assured that they’ll be taken care of by the people you name as guardians in your will—the people you choose to raise your kids if you’re gone—rather than letting the courts decide. And by creating a will, you can also help prevent any tension that may arise among family members fighting over possessions and family heirlooms (trust us, it happens more often than you’d think) and instead give them a chance to focus on dealing with their grief.

 

How Do I Write a Will?

Now that you know the importance of having a will, it’s time to understand how to write a will. It only takes 5 steps, so no need to be nervous about starting the process.

 

 

Step 1: Naming Beneficiaries, aka Who Gets Your Stuff?
The first step in writing a will is to think about who you want to receive your property and assets—in other words, who you’ll name as your beneficiaries. You can choose various types of beneficiaries including your spouse, your children, your siblings, institutions and even pets. (If there is a family member who you specifically do not want to receive anything, it’s important to clearly state that in your will, too.) You can divide your assets however you want among your beneficiaries. For example, you can leave everything to your spouse, or leave some specific gifts to specific people and the rest to your spouse. Or you can leave everything to your children in equal (or unequal) shares, or leave some specific gifts to specific people and the rest to your children in equal or (unequal) shares. Remember that it’s entirely up to you to decide who gets what.

Helpful tip: Legally, anyone who witnesses the signing of a will can’t be named as a beneficiary…so make sure your brother or best friend isn’t a witness, unless you don’t want to leave them anything.

 

Step 2: Naming an Executor, aka Who’s the Most Detail-Obsessed Person You Know?
Next, you have to choose an executor—someone who’ll be responsible for ensuring that the people named in your will actually receive their inheritances, as well as paying any debts or taxes on behalf of your estate. An executor can be a responsible friend or family member, a trusted colleague, or a professional, such as an estate attorney or a financial advisor. Closing an estate can be a lengthy and arduous process, and in cases of complex estates people often provide compensation for the executor in the form of an hourly rate or a percentage of assets.

Helpful tip: If you hire a professional as your executor, there’s a good chance there’ll be a fee involved, typically between 2% and 4% of your assets.

 

Step 3: Naming a Guardian, aka Who’s Going to Raise Your Kids in a Worst-Case Scenario?
Choosing a guardian is usually the toughest decision to make when writing a will—but if you have minor children or dependants, it’s the most important decision. The question you have to answer is: who’s going to raise your kids if you die? If you’re married, it’s probably your spouse. If you’re divorced, it’s probably your ex-spouse. If you don’t have a spouse or your ex-spouse isn’t an option, then you’ve got some thinking to do. Consider all your options. Choosing a guardian can be difficult for many people, especially in cases of choosing one family member over another, or choosing a friend over a family member. Keep in mind that the decision you’re making is first and foremost about your child’s welfare.

Helpful tip: In order to be as thorough as possible, you’ll want to name not only a guardian, but also a successor guardian, in case your first choice can’t serve for any reason.

 

Step 4: Get Your Will Witnessed and Notarized, aka The Final Step To Making Your Will Legal
Once you’ve decided on your beneficiaries, chosen your executor, and named a guardian, it’s time to make your will legit. This means you need to have two people sign the will as witnesses, and then get the document notarized. Your witnesses must be at least 18 years old and, in many states, they cannot be people who stands to inherit anything in the will—so bring people who aren’t named as beneficiaries. In addition, you need a third person who can notarize your will. You can find a notary at the bank, the post office, or a government office.

Helpful tip: Do not forget this step! You’ve already done the hard work of making tough decisions—now make it legal and make it count!

 

Step 5: Store Your Will, aka Make Sure the People Who Need Your Will Can Find It When the Time Comes
After you’ve collected all of the required signatures, you need to keep your will in a safe and secure place that is easily accessible. You can store your will In a personal safe in your home, in a locked filing cabinet, or really in any place you feel comfortable. We recommend Everplans as a safe and convenient place to digitally store your will and other extremely important documents. (Not to toot our own horn, but we’re pretty good at this…it’s actually our entire reason for existence.) And if you hire a professional executor, they will also keep a copy of your will on file.  

Regardless of where you keep your will, let your loved ones know the location so that they can easily access it when the time comes. And if you store your will in a location that requires a combination, password, or key for entry, you have to share that information as well or else your will won’t be of much assistance when it’s needed!

Helpful tip: Do not store your will in a safe deposit box. Unless the box is jointly managed—and your survivors are authorized to access the safe deposit box—the bank will likely require a court order to access the box, and that could take a long time and cause major headaches for your family.

 

Bonus Step: Writing an Ethical Will, aka The Most Important Letter You’ll Ever Write to Your Family
A will is a legal document, and we’re talking about how to write a will because putting legal measures in place to take care of your family is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. But it’s silly to pretend that this isn’t an emotional topic—and when the time comes to use your will, we guarantee your family will be feeling very emotional. One way to acknowledge the emotional reality of your will is to attaching a personal letter, also called an “ethical will” (a cold name for something with so much heart, if you ask us).

At Everplans we call it “Letter To Your Family,” and it’s the place where you get the chance to explain the decisions in your will, express your hopes for how your assets will be used, and discuss how your children will be raised—as well as share your your values, experiences, and life lessons with your family, friends and anyone else close to you in this world. The thought of this letter gives us happy chills and misty eyes, because this is the culmination of all your hard work. Not just in writing a will, but in life and what you pass on to future generations.

Helpful tip: Life is always changing, and your will may need to change at some point to reflect any changes you’ve experienced. Remember to revisit your will every few years to make any changes that you may deem necessary.

 

The post How to Write a Will in 5 Steps and Why You NEED One Now appeared first on Lotsa Helping Hands.

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On Thursday, November 5th, two dams holding millions of cubic meters of mining waste gave way – launching one of the worst environmental disasters in Brazilian history.

Over 25,000 Olympic swimming pools worth of mud – full of dangerous metals like manganese and mercury – quickly overtook the nearby mining community of Mariana in Minas Gerais state. At least seventeen people were killed. Hundreds more have been displaced by the wall of sludge released in the dam collapse.

The mud surged through rural communities and into the Rio Doce, the major river in southeast Brazil. Since November 5th, it has been slowly working its way downstream — contaminating the drinking water of hundreds of thousands of people and turning protected forest and habitat into a desert of mud. The tragedy will continue to spread over 500 kilometers as contaminants from the sludge make their way towards the Atlantic coast, eventually endangering the Abrolhos National Marine Park.

Who is responsible?

Since the disaster, Greenpeace Brazil has been working alongside local organisations to monitor the damage and demand a complete and independent investigation over the disaster’s cause, as well the immediate financial compensation to the victims so they can try to put their lives back together.

The mining company in charge of the dam, Samarco (controlled by Vale and Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton), has acted irresponsibly in the face of this tragedy. There was no contingency plan for a situation like this, and at-risk communities were never prepared for a disaster of this magnitude. So far these companies have been fined one billion Brazilian reais (US$261 million), but this doesn’t begin to cover the costs of the disaster.

Meanwhile, authorities in Minas Gerais state continue to cater to corporate interests over the public good. The operational license for the dam that collapsed was not recommended because of risk of destabilisation. Yet this year the government of Minas Gerais has proposed new legislation to accelerate environmental licenses for the mining sector. The state already has more than 700 waste dams, but only four public employees to monitor them.

What now?

Over last few days, Greenpeace Brazil has been documenting and investigating the path of destruction caused by the Samarco dam rupture: listening to people’s stories and docementinging the devastation. You can see more from this expedition here. And Greenpeace teams will continue to monitor and document as the mud’s contaminants make their way to the ocean. 

Thousands of lives are being radically affected – fishermen, ranchers, city-dwellers and the Krenak Indigenous people. The environment between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states suffers immeasurably. There is no time to lose in supporting the victims, investigating and punishing those responsible for this tragedy and in minimizing the effects on the environment.

Stand in solidarity with the people affected by this terrible tragedy. Share their story to pressure those responsible. And visit here (site in Portuguese) for more ways to help.

Bruno Weis is the Communications Coordinator of Greenpeace Brasil.

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The environmental movement runs on innovation. Our biggest victories aren't won by out-spending or out-muscling our adversaries. Instead, we out-maneuver. We meet big challenges with even bigger creativity.

And there are few challenges larger than taking on Thai Union Group.

Thai Union is the world's largest canned tuna company. Its major brands in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Thailand and more control 18 percent of the global market and raked in upwards of $5 billion in profits last year. But rather than use its influence to lead on sustainability, the company is behind some of the most devastating environmental and human rights abuses in the industry, having been repeatedly linked to destructive fishing methods, human trafficking and even forced labor.

All this and you still probably haven't heard of Thai Union. Based on its social and environmental record, that may well be the way company execs want it. They'd prefer to hide behind the advertising campaigns and front groups that have greenwashed the commercial tuna fishing industry's image for decades, keeping consumers in the dark about the devastation feeding their families.

Thai Union is flexing its economic muscle to sweep the issue under the rug. But we're flexing our creative muscle with help from artist Aaron Staples to speak truth to power and change the tuna industry for good.

Art by Aaron Staples shows the environmental destruction implicit in commercial tuna fishing: thousands of sharks, turtles and other "unwanted" species are caught and thrown away to die each year. Click to enlarge

The story of tuna is one of complexity. It's an industry made up of equal parts environmental, social and economic pitfalls, and fixing it requires addressing each of these dimensions.

And while it might be tempting to isolate these challenges and address them one by one, that's not how Aaron approached his work.

"Because these issues are extremely complex … you have to reflect that complexity in the art."

To do this, he chose to represent as many layers as possible in each image.

"By compounding these stories together, it creates a stronger impact. Obviously not all of these things are happening simultaneously on one vessel, but within the framework of the art people can witness it all at once and become aware of how big the issue is. It's an accumulated way of looking at the issue instead of looking at individual circumstances."

Aaron’s depiction of commercial tuna fishing combines both the environmental and social dimensions, here showing both destructive fishing methods and overworked fishermen. Click to enlarge

Art and activism are both built on exposing the truth. Art in particular has the ability to convey powerful messages across the linguistic and cultural barriers that so often divide us.

Tapping into emotion, Aaron says, is central to achieving this.

"Regardless of what language they speak, people can feel the emotion. That's why art can be such a powerful tool to translate these ideas across a range of audiences. They're responding specifically – and very viscerally – to what they're seeing."

In representing the tuna industry, Aaron says he honed in on anguish, shock and empathy to inform his artistic direction – the anguish of those trapped in deplorable working conditions on tuna vessels, a sense of shock that these egregious practices continue unchecked, and empathy in the viewer.

Part of the activist's challenge is to grip, to inspire people to action. With the avalanche of information most of us are faced with every day, this is increasingly hard to do. Sometimes it's too much to ask people to stop and think; sometimes it's too much to just ask them to stop.

For Aaron, successful art compels this. It penetrates apathy, imploring the viewer to "look deeper and explore the narrative … to give them time to stop and think."

Aaron told us he was particularly struck by the human rights violations present in the tuna industry. Workers on tuna vessels have reported being forced to work as much as 20 hours in a row for little or no pay. Click to enlarge

Of course, neither artists nor activists take are inclined to take the safe road. We both face and overcome inherent risks in what we do every day.

"Risk is a large part of making art. What you're doing is essentially opening yourself up and putting your thoughts, ideas and way of responding to the world on display for people to come and look at. You don't know if people will embrace it … I think it's the same for artists and activists: there's a compulsion. There's this innate drive to do what it is you need to do. We have to react, so we get over the fear of failure."

For the past month, we've been asking you to take a risk with us by confronting Thai Union and its global brands, like Chicken of the Sea. We've asked you to change your shopping habits, make a statement with your dollar, and raise your voice for a sustainable, ethical tuna industry. More than 250,000 of you have taken that risk with us.

Together, our actions have had a big impact. We've gotten the public's attention, changed policies and forced the spotlight to shine brighter on Thai Union than it ever has before – and with each risk we take we are changing the story of tuna.

Ryan Schleeter is an Online Content Producer at Greenpeace USA.

This blog first appeared on Greenpeace USA here.

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According to the Sacramento Business Journal, the Vanir Tower could go taller. Really? Seems far fetched to me considering they have not spent one cent to start the entitlement process with the city in the year since the the tower was proposed. What's also strange is that the Vanir Group says that entitlement process will take at least two years when in reality it should take no longer than 9 to
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Apple has announced it will power its data center, offices and upcoming store in Singapore with 100% solar energy beginning in 2016. Singapore is a rapidly growing hub for energy hungry data centers, making Apple’s solar deal an important breakthrough, not only for fossil fuel dominated Singapore, but for the whole of Southeast Asia.

Apple will buy power from 800 distributed solar rooftops (30MW) on houses from Sunseap and install its own onsite solar power, allowing it to cover its yearly energy demand. Singapore gets 95% of its energy still from fossil fuels, and has little spare land for large scale renewable projects, so Apple’s distributed solar agreement is an innovative solution to both problems.

It’s great to see Apple aggressively pursuing large renewable energy purchasing, especially in areas where it can be challenging to source renewable energy directly, as is the case in many Asian countries. In October, Apple announced that it will be expanding renewable energy purchasing in China to cover part of the energy needs of making millions of Apple products in China.

Many Asian countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and China have electricity supplies dominated by fossil fuels, and monopoly energy companies that offer little or no options for sourcing renewable energy. Apple’s innovative solutions to this challenge show how more companies can and should do the same.

Singapore also hosts data centers from Microsoft, Google and Amazon, and as millions more internet users come on line in Asia every month, internet companies are looking to expand energy intensive infrastructure across the region. As important customers of energy utilities and prestigious projects for governments, these companies can use their influence to expand renewable energy in the region.

By matching that expansion to demand for new renewable energy, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and others can play a critical role in showing how the Asian internet expansion can be a powerful force for a better planet.

Tom Dowdall is a Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace International.

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