One major Brazilian supermarket chain has just committed stop selling beef linked to Amazon destruction and human rights violations – because Brazilians demanded it.

Today Grupo Pão de Açúcar – one of Brazil’s major supermarket chains and owned by Casino supermarkets in Europe – announced huge changes to the way it buys and sells beef. After years of claiming ignorance about its supply chain, it is now taking action to keep beef linked to deforestation and labour abuse from its shelves.

This is a big deal for Brazil and the planet. Here's why: 

1. Stopping deforestation for beef is crucial for the Amazon and the climate.

The cattle sector in the Brazilian Amazon is the largest driver of deforestation in the world, responsible for one in every eight hectares destroyed globally. After rainforest is burned or clear-cut for timber, ranchers quickly move cattle into the newly deforested areas to feed on the fast-growing grass. There are already more cows than people in Brazil, and millions of those cows are in the Amazon region – occupying about 60 percent of all deforested land.

The impacts of cattle in the Amazon aren’t limited to Brazil’s borders. The Amazon rainforest stores huge amounts of carbon, helping to keep Earth’s climate in balance. Deforestation destroys the forest buffer we rely on, impacting the climate for all of us.

Up until last year when Greenpeace Brazil exposed the practices of Brazilian supermarkets, the companies were selling beef linked to this destruction with little consequence. Now, as Pão de Açúcar commits to transparency and strong policies to guide its beef purchasing, the supermarket is sending a clear signal to all its suppliers that beef connected to deforestation is no longer acceptable.

2. Amazon beef and labour abuse are connected. Addressing deforestation means addressing workers’ rights, too.

Livestock production in the Brazilian Amazon isn’t just the leading cause of deforestation. It also has historically relied on slave labour and is often connected to the invasion of Indigenous Lands.

To address this, Grupo Pão de Açúcar’s has proposed a 100 percent transparency program for the beef sold in its stores that would block meat from farms involved in slave labour and clashes with traditional communities, in addition to deforestation.

3. Pão de Açúcar’s change of heart shows that consumer voices make a difference.

When thousands of customers of Pão de Açúcar made it known they wanted an end to beef linked to deforestation, labour abuse and invasion of Indigenous Lands, the company listened.

Consumers have the right to know if they are contributing to the destruction of the Amazon or the violation of human rights. The question now is how long it will take other supermarkets in Brazil to start listening, too. 

What’s next?

Much remains to be done to ensure that meat across Brazil is not connected to the deforestation, slave labour and illegal occupation of land. And people in Brazil and around the world need to eat less meat to ensure a stable climate. But from supermarket aisles to the halls of Brazil’s National Congress, Brazilians are showing that real change for forests is possible. Just last year, more than 1.4 million Brazilians pledged their support for a law that would make Amazon deforestation of any kind illegal!

Greenpeace will continue monitoring Pão de Açúcar to ensure the company keeps its promise. Now, we need to push the rest of industry in the same direction. 

Adriana Charoux is an Amazon campaigner at Greenpeace Brazil.

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Contributed by Senior Planning Services

Many caregivers find that caring for an elderly loved one is not as easy as they had pictured. While willing to do whatever necessary, the full burden can be harder to handle than initially thought. As professionals in the field of Medicaid planning for seniors, Senior Planning Services would like to offer several tips that you should keep in mind if you’ve found yourself in this position. These tips will ensure that you’re able to keep caring for your loved one for without losing your own mind in the family caregiving process.

 

Make Yourself a Priority

As parents know all too well, when you’re responsible for caring for someone else, it’s easy to put your own needs on the back burner. This is especially true when you’re caring for an elderly loved one. Emotions arise, but you try to deny them, telling yourself that you’re lucky to have this person in your life for a little bit longer. Taking care of them is a small price to pay, right? Unfortunately, this attitude just makes it harder for you to get the self-care that you need. It’s not selfish to want a little time away—and in fact, you should make sure that you take it! If you put all your time and energy into your caregiving responsibilities, you’ll end up facing caregiver burnout. This can be highly detrimental to other important relationships in your life. Make sure you get “me time.”

 

Accept That You Can’t Do It All

You can’t do it all, and you shouldn’t try. Ask for help from friends and family members. Many times, your elderly loved one’s friends may offer to help—and they genuinely mean it! Take them up on it, even if it’s just to sit with your loved one and chat while you work in another room. Also, take advantage of community services. Is there an adult day care in your area? Don’t feel guilty for taking advantage of it so that you can run errands, attend an appointment, or even take a day for yourself. Be sure you understand what services are covered by your loved one’s insurance.

 

Common Caregiving Problems

There are a number of stresses that are common when you step up to be a caregiver for another individual. Financial stress is more common than many people think. It isn’t just the hours lost at work when you decide to become a caregiver for a loved one. It’s every meal picked up at a restaurant for both of you instead of just yourself (or even fixing a meal at home). It’s the extra cost of groceries, cleaning supplies, and electricity and water. Then there are the costs of medicine, therapy, and doctor’s visits. Often, you’ll find yourself becoming responsible for the cost of your loved one’s care—and that may be more stressful than you were prepared for up front.

Then there are other types of stress: social stress, as your activities revolve around the person you’re caring for; emotional stress as you watch someone you love deteriorate; and even environmental stress, as you move away from your own environment or make changes to it in order to accommodate your loved one. All of these problems are very real, and caregivers who hope to be able to continue long-term will benefit from acknowledging and addressing them early in the caregiving process.

 

Legal and Financial Affairs

There is a point at which many elderly individuals become unable to make decisions for themselves. Ideally, you want to make sure that all of the legal affairs are lined up before your loved one reaches that point. Consult a lawyer immediately to have a will drawn up. You also need a Durable Power of Attorney and a Medical Power of Attorney in case those become necessary down the road.

 

When Is It Time to Stop Caregiving?

The decision to stop providing care for a loved one yourself can be a difficult one. In many cases, people continue trying to provide care long past the point where they should step back and turn things over to someone else. If you’re experiencing any of the following problems, it’s probably time—or even past time—you looked for another solution:

• You are experiencing undue financial stress as a result of your caregiving responsibilities. This includes stress from your decision to leave the workforce as well as financial stress from medical expenses.
• Your loved one has progressed medically beyond the point where you are comfortable providing care.
• Your needs or the needs of your family are going consistently unmet because you are caring for your loved one.

When you reach any of the points listed above, it’s time to look into other options. Caregiving is a labor of love, and there are sacrifices that are made as a result of those decisions, but that doesn’t mean that you or your family should suffer.

 

Conclusion

When you choose to become a caregiver, you take a heavy weight on your shoulders. For many people, it’s a weight that is well worth it. For others, that burden is too heavy to bear alone. As a caregiver, be sure to reach out to your community, your family, and your friends to receive the help that you need in order to keep providing the care your loved one deserves. Keep in mind that it’s not just about them! You have the right to have your needs met, too.

 

The post Five Steps for Managing Family Caregiving Concerns appeared first on Lotsa Helping Hands.

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Before I joined Greenpeace, I lived in the Amazon rainforest for several months. I still remember waking up every morning and listening to the amazing sound of birds and insects. It felt as if the trees were singing along in a chorus of nature. And every morning the chorus sang a new song.

It was in moments like these that I began to understand that it is not nature that needs people, but people who need nature to survive. It is only when people harm nature that our ecosystems needs a voice to speak and humans to fight for them.

That is why I stood today in a little town in Austria called Graz with about 50 other Greenpeace activists and two representatives of the Munduruku Indigenous Peoples. 

You might ask what the Austrian city of Graz has to do with the Amazon. Austrian company Andritz, whose annual general meeting is taking place right now, is headquartered in Graz. Andritz is a global supplier of plants, equipment and services for – among other things – hydropower stations. It is one of the few companies in the world that can supply mega-dams with turbines and generators.

But there is a big problem with mega-dams in sensitive ecosystems like the Amazon: they threaten humans and the natural environment. The Brazilian government is planning to build around 40 hydropower stations in the Tapajós basin in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. The first and biggest one is called São Luiz do Tapajós. If built, it would destroy the homes of many diverse species and threaten the livelihoods of the Munduruku Indigenous Peoples. Andritz has already indicated an interest in this project.

This doesn't come as a surprise. In the past Andritz has been part of projects like Belo Monte in the Amazon and Ilisu in Turkey. Both mega-dams have had far-reaching consequences for these regions – destroying biodiversity and the homes of thousands of people. And these are only two horrifying examples Andritz has been part of. If Andritz decides to join this new planned mega-dam, then the Austrian company will be partly responsible for a project that is a threat to this unique and crucial part of our planet.

Andritz has been acting irresponsibly, disregarding people and planet, for far too long. This is why we stood up in Graz today – to tell Andritz to step away from the São Luiz do Tapajós project. Enough is enough.

Right now, the Amazon rainforest needs voices to speak up for it and keep companies like Andritz away. We are strongest when we come together. This is why Greenpeace has joined forces with the Munduruku Indigenous Peoples and why two Munduruku are here today in Graz as well.

Together, we can remind companies that it is us that need nature and not the other way around. So when I return to the Amazon rainforest, I hope I’ll be able to wake up in the morning and hear the chorus of nature instead of the sounds of destruction.

Lukas Meus is the Amazon spokesperson for Greenpeace Austria and Central and Eastern Europe. 

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Contributed by Trisha Miller

When making the choice to give family members care from home it may be intimidating to know exactly what to do when disaster strikes. Preparation is key to assessing just how critical the situation may be and how to properly address it. Small tasks like planning escape routes with your family member or putting together a first aid kit can go a long way to being prepared for any emergency. However, understanding when a loved one needs a little bit more help could be the remedy for a serious home injury.

 

Talk With a Loved One About Their Mobility

The vast majority of home injuries are from preventable falls. According to the CDC, about one of every three people over the age of 65 falls each year and less than half talk to their doctor about it. Although it may be a difficult conversation to have, this topic of discussion is vital to the stability of a loved one receiving in-home care. Various improvements can be made in the home to support the mobility of someone aging in the home. In many cases, home modifications are less expensive than the monthly cost of assisted living. The simple installation of a hand railing and making access to stools, canes, walkers, and wheelchairs easier can undoubtedly save a life. In addition, someone with limited mobility may benefit greatly from a motorized chair or stair lift. In any case, talking with a loved one about their mobility and comfort level will set the standard for a stress-free and safe household.

 

Plan an Escape Route

Every member of a household should know exactly where to go and who to call if a fire, severe storm, or other natural disaster occurs. An unfortunate truth is that those over the age of 65 are twice as likely to perish in a home fire. What’s more, one quarter of all people with mobility problems were unable to save themselves during an emergency. In the case of memory loss from a disease such as Alzheimer’s, keeping an easy-to-read map with current escape routes in plain sight is the best plan of action. Included on this emergency sheet should be numbers of local police, caregivers, hospital assistance, and family members in case of an incident. Phones should be placed in at least every large room in the home in case a family member is trapped, due to a fire or injury, and needs to quickly call for help. For anyone with sight or hearing impairments, plan and execute the escape routine as many times as possible as if it was actually happening. Placing markers along the way will also allow a visual and tactile confirmation that the person is on the right path. This will familiarize the individual with the route and optimize the safest possible exit.

 

Make a First-Aid Kit

Buying a first-aid kit from the store will do just fine for most small injuries, but making one at home can potentially cover much more. Including things disposable phones, prescription medication, and even an emergency necklace or watch can provide substantial protection during a frightening accident or emergency. Any necessary medical equipment, such as blood sugar testing devices, extra hearing aids and batteries, a spare pair of glasses, and current medical treatment documentation could be a lifesaver in a crisis scenario. Lastly, keeping a ready to go disaster bag with essentials like clothing, water bottles, and easily consumable food could be the answer for anyone that could end up stranded for a period of time.

In the end, memorizing the steps will make it much easier to remember when the information is truly needed. Run through any plans and routes regularly to keep the information fresh in mind. Discuss their confidence in accomplishing the tasks and practice these scenarios until your loved one is comfortable with these situations. Tailoring the experience to their needs and preferences will ensure secure escape during a strenuous time as well as ease your mind when you are away from your loved one.

The post How to Prepare for a Home Emergency with the Elderly appeared first on Lotsa Helping Hands.

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It’s officially spring in the Northern Hemisphere but nobody seems to have told the weather gods in Lesbos. As 50-knot gusts of wind thump the island from the south, at least they bring welcome warm air and time to put some thoughts to paper.
from Greenpeace news http://ift.tt/1SmrKH5

Greenpeace spent four months assisting Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) carry out its humanitarian and aid work on the Greek island of Lesbos, including the rescue of refugees in distress at sea. As Greenpeace transitioned out of the collaboration, some of the Greenpeace crew reflected on the refugee crisis in the Aegean Sea.

Stan Vincent – Greenpeace operational co-ordination

I spent three stints of roughly three weeks each on the island. Starting in October-November, it was a scene of crazy mayhem of almost biblical proportions. Later, in January, it had become more orderly – call it a lower level of craziness. Now, in March it is the beginning of the end for Greenpeace's role and it has become pretty quiet.

I think it's very important to point out how good the collaboration between MSF and Greenpeace has been. As the humanitarian emergency unfolded in Europe, we had RHIBs sitting idle in warehouses and people capable and willing to use them.

We could have debated whether we were a humanitarian organisation or we could have done something real. In the end, we did something real. We should always remember we exist in the real world and sometimes you just need to do what is right.

When Greenpeace arrived on Lesbos we represented the only NGO offshore actor with boats to carry out rescue activities. The Spanish group Proactiva only had two jet skis, but nonetheless was doing amazing stuff. Gradually other organisations such as Sea-Watch, Proactiva and the Dutch Boat Refugee foundation also brought in RHIBs.

The collaboration between MSF and Greenpeace was mostly amazing. This is not the first collaboration we've entered into with MSF but is definitely the longest and closest between two similar, but very different organisations. The MSF-Greenpeace crews made a great team and this should not be underestimated.

Ries Mentink – Greenpeace boat driver

Q: How long did you spend on the island?

1 month – beginning of December till beginning of January

Q: What motivated you to join the mission?

When I first heard of the plan for Greenpeace to collaborate with MSF in Lesbos, I was immediately supportive of the idea. This is great, we can help! I too wanted to put my skills to good use. It seemed to me such an obvious contribution that Greenpeace could make. We have the boats, the expertise and well-trained boat drivers able to handle stressful situations.

This is such a big crisis and I feel that everyone and every organisation is obliged to do whatever is in their power/capacity to support these people. This was the best thing Greenpeace could have done.

Q: How well do you think you have helped the refugees? What more could be done?

I feel that in a little way we were able to make this dangerous long journey a bit safer, a bit more humane – we did the utmost best that we could with our capacity and within the limits imposed by authorities. I feel proud when I think of the amount of lives we saved, the amount of smiles we managed to evoke when people realised that we were there to help them. We gave them a humane and warm welcome.

The only thing I feel that we could have done even more is to highlight the inhumanity of our governments and the impact their decisions have had on people so desperate to flee from war and oppression that they're prepared to take such extreme risks to reach Europe.

Q: What are some of the defining memories you have?

I remember a wooden boat with approximately 150 people on board and how it ran aground just five metres from land. The people could not disembark due to the deep waters and the lifeguards tried to help, but the water was simply too deep and cold.

We had a jet-boat and were the only ones that could get close enough to help the people make it safely to shore. We were able to pick them up and transport them to shore, where groups of people were waiting to carry them from our boat.

There were lots of children on board and as we helped them onto our boat, we tried to make contact, smile and make the moment a bit more pleasant by playing with them, some of them got really excited and laughed out loud. This touched me very much.

I have been warmed, touched and inspired by the amazing coordination between all the teams on the water and with those on land who would transport the refugees to shelter, warm clothing, food and water.

Q: What do you think of the collaboration between MSF and Greenpeace?

It's been excellent, I always had a respect for MSF and their work, but that has grown so much during our collaboration. MSF is hands on; they are there in very difficult and dangerous situations. We worked very well together and it soon felt as one team and not two NGOs working together.

Christine Weiss – Greenpeace volunteer boat crew member 

When I think about Lesbos, I think about the life jackets all along the coastline and how it could seem completely normal for them to be there. I also think of the boat wrecks and how they also seem to have been there forever. I think of the fishermen removing floating tyres, clothing and bags out of the water instead of fish or of locals helping to build warm shelters, providing internet and preparing food.

People have been dying every day because they are trying to cross an invisible border between two points of land. It's just 6 nautical miles … nobody has to die here. If you stand on the hill on Lesbos you can almost see the entire Turkish coastline.

I spent seven weeks on Lesbos as a volunteer with Greenpeace International and it changed me, but not in a bad way. It's made me more sensitive in several different ways. I pulled people out of the water after their boat capsized. Most of them survived. I was constantly looking for totally overcrowded boats to bring them safely to shore. I had people in my arms and sometimes they were crying.

Now I am back, back in Germany. I am back in my flat, with my bed, a heater and almost everything I need. I switch the radio on and people are talking about how ‘WE' can deal with the refugee crisis … and I am wondering who is ‘we'? They are talking about Germany not Greece. I go to the supermarket and people are talking about the refugee camp between the metro station and the way home and they are feeling unsafe, unsecured. And I am left wondering, how has this happened? How can we be afraid about people who have faced so much and are in so much need? ‘We' should deal with that!

The most frequently asked question since I have returned home is: “Did you see dead people?” That's a difficult question. I had people in my arms who died soon after and I had people in my arms who lost a husband, a child or their whole family. So yes, I saw a lot of death.

But what I also saw and what is more important is that I saw people who are alive and happy about it. After the long journey by foot, after spending everything they had for a ticket in a rotten wooden boat which later capsized, after all they had been forced to endure, after they escaped the bombing in their own country they are happy – happy to be alive!

And I am happy to have been a part of it. And thankful for the hugs and kisses I get and for all the feelings I get in return. Thank you, you beautiful people. Thank you, I will never forget you!

Stan Vincent is an Operational Co-ordinator for Greenpeace UK, Ries Mentink is boat driver for Greenpeace Nordic, and Christine Weiss is a Greenpeace volunteer boat crew member.

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Ι'm sitting on a bench facing the sea, so many thoughts, so many decisions I have to make. Let the wind take them all.

It's another day among many I've spent here at the joint Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-Greenpeace observation point overlooking the most important landing point for the refugee rescue operations at sea in the northern part of Lesbos.

Located on a hill, we have great visibility. My role is to spot refugee boats and communicate with our rescue boats. You guide them to assist the refugees – people who are seeking to escape war and live a normal life like we do in Europe.

This is a journey that thousands of people make every day because staying in Syria means almost certain death. Their only chance of salvation is to leave, but here on Lesbos I'm thinking, is that journey actually safer?

The role that we take on here is not easy. You need your heart, your soul, your mind, your solidarity, your belief and your passion. You are here to save lives.

On this day my shift started at 11 am, but before we left the hotel the medical team had raced off to the nearby village of Petra, responding to an emergency with a child.

Later, at the observation point, I was still wondering what had happened with the child, but soon heard that a woman 'also' died ... Also? What does 'also' mean?

And then I understood. They had confirmed that both the child and a woman had died. But what happened? You continue to wonder...

As the refugee boats arrive on shore you see how emotional the people are: some will cry, others pray and some sing and laugh – happy to be safe.

But that child and the woman didn't make it, joining thousands of others who died trying to cross the sea. It's because the boats are overcrowded, because they can't swim, because they're afraid of the sea, because the weather is bad, because the quality of the boats is bad, because the boats have engine problems or the life vests are of poor quality.

They take the risk to find a better world. They have hope and courage and they want to live. We can give them that opportunity – we can give them safe passage.

The most beautiful experience so far was a day when we spotted a boat almost 10 nautical miles away from our position. It was far away and we could only see a small shape moving slowly south.

We knew it wasn't another rescue boat, so we told our rescue boats to check it out, but the boat was moving and the weather was hazy. After 10 minutes, we lost sight of them.

But we knew the boat was there and we waited, we waited a long time until finally, we heard the message: 'confirmed refugee boat'.

It was the best feeling! Relief! Our boat team told us that everyone was happy and the boat was in good condition. It's so nice when you hear really good news – it's even better when you don't expect anything.

But it's never a routine day at the observation point. Every day is a challenge. You have to face life and death together with the refugee boats. You have to deal with new boats, new people and different weather conditions.

Our actions help us counter the fear and racism; your solidarity helps to unite humanity. Every experience is a life lesson. You want to stay until the end.

But when will governments turn away from greed and power? I also wait for when people will be able to live freely, with peace and love, when the war will be over.

No child deserves to suffer like this. No one should be forced to wait on a freezing beach, waiting for a call to the land or medical support in the middle of the night.

We are all humans and we have to treat everyone humanely. Let your heart speak. Let your heart help whoever is in need.

Mariadina Lilis started working on Lesbos with Greenpeace as a volunteer in December and is now employed by MSF as Greenpeace prepares to withdraw from joint operations.

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For a week, a month or even longer, Greenpeace staff and volunteers have been lending their maritime expertise to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to help rescue refugees in distress at sea.

They come from all over the world, from different countries, cultures and backgrounds but they have one thing in common: the Island of Lesbos, the frontline of Europe's biggest refugee crisis since WWII. It's also an island where MSF and Greenpeace crew alike can rely on each other like family members.

Camille Ghislain presents below a selection of stories from some of the many people working with MSF and Greenpeace to provide safe passage across the Aegean Sea.

---

Chris Petts – boat driver

"We have the chance to be born on the right side of the border, at the right time."

Chris Petts is a photographer who comes from the UK but lives in Paris. He arrived on Lesbos on February 26 to work as a boat driver.

"The images I saw in the news and on social media made me think that someone had to do something. I was also pushed by the fact that I have five children and every time I see a child endangered or even worse: dead, I think I'm lucky that it's not me and not my children. We have the chance to be born on the right side of the border, at the right time."

Chris, like many others, went to Lesbos with a sense of wanting to 'pay something back'.

His best memory from Lesbos comes from assisting a refugee boat at sea for the first time. Never before had he seen such broad and genuine smiles – the moment when the refugees were told they were in Greek waters and that clean, dry clothes awaited them on the beach 20 minutes away.

Chris reiterates that Greenpeace is providing a short-term solution to save lives but what is really needed is a long-term solution: "It doesn't matter how effective we are, there are still people drowning."

Oussama Omrane – cultural mediator

"The Greenpeace and MSF collaboration is like putting Messi and Ronaldo in one team together, victory is assured."

Oussama is a cultural mediator working for MSF. He arrived on Lesbos on January 13. He is the connection point between the refugees and rescuers at sea or the on-land NGO support staff. It's not just about translating one language to another – you have to be calm, find the right words and know the refugee's culture, he says.

While out on the water during the joint MSF-Greenpeace boat operations, Oussama says his presence was often the only clear way for refugees to interact with and communicate to the rescue boats, often in tense and difficult situations.

He says that MSF was a life-changing experience and that being able to work with Greenpeace on this mission had made him "a better man". Working side by side with both organisations has helped him learn so much and surpass his own boundaries.

Daniel Rudie – boat crew

"We have to do things spontaneously."

As a boat crewmember, Daniel's role has been to facilitate the work of MSF medics and translators by ensuring the boat gets them to where they need to be at sea in any situation.

For him, it's obvious that MSF and Greenpeace have played an essential role in helping people on Lesbos:

"Greenpeace is uniquely qualified to be able to act quickly, because of the boat training that we have and experience. In the past Greenpeace has also performed some similar refugee-type missions, such as after big typhoons."

Mariadina Lilis - radio operator

"We are all humans and we have to treat everyone humanely. Let your heart speak. Let your heart help whomever is in need."

The story of Mariadina starts in a refugee camp in Athens where she was working as a volunteer one day per week. On December 20, she was given the opportunity to go to Lesbos and start volunteering for the Greenpeace mission.

"In the beginning it was only for 10 days," she recalls, but three months later, she is still on Lesbos as an active member of the team and now employed by MSF.

Perched high on top of the hills overlooking the small stretch of water between Lesbos and Turkey, Mariadina works as a boat spotter from the observation point and communicates with the rescue boats on the water.

For her, the collaboration between MSF and Greenpeace in Lesbos is the perfect match. It combines the right people with the right skills. This makes the best mix ever, she says.

Mike Harms - boat driver

"Everybody is on the same line. We can trust each other very quickly. We are all from different horizons, but in the end, we are all a big family, with the same goal."

Mike came to Lesbos because he had the strong feeling he really had to go. After asking permission from his manager and wife, he arrived on Lesbos on February 26.

As a boat driver, he's been learning a lot during his stay. He will never forget feeling like a member of one big family, of how MSF and Greenpeace have created a strong feeling of team spirit.

Hussein Khalili – cultural mediator

Hussein works with MSF as a cultural mediator. It's a new role introduced by MSF because of the unprecedented situation on Lesbos.

Usually MSF tries to works with local staff, but due to the unique situation on Lesbos – where refugees can come from many different places, such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or Pakistan – they needed to employ people with both the language and cultural knowledge of the people they were trying to help.

Besides his work with the refugees in Lesbos, Hussein also wants to highlight the great generosity the locals of Lesbos have shown in the midst of the crisis.

"On the island, fishermen saved a lot of lives, but there are also many residents who opened up their arms and doors to the refugees," he says.

Unfortunately, the locals of Lesbos are facing severe financial hardship this year.

The island lives on tourism, but tourist bookings have dropped drastically due to the refugee crisis (some suggest bookings have dropped 70% to 80% compared with last season). As a result, many locals fear financial ruin.

It's why Hussein and a group of volunteers have created a new project for the summer: an art festival, focusing on the island's heritage to attract another type of tourism – ethical tourism.

Grant Oakes - boat coordinator

"I don't think you can separate humanitarian from environmental work"

When Grant was 11 he already knew what he wanted to do when he was older: fight for the environment on a Greenpeace boat. His dream came true and he has been navigating with Greenpeace for 20 years.

Grant works in Lesbos as a boat team coordinator. For him it was clear that Greenpeace should be active on the island because as it has the necessary expertise, resources and logistical support network for maritime operations.

"I don't think you can separate humanitarian from environmental work, both impact each other directly. I think whenever there is a need, especially a need like this and because we have the capability to assist, we should always consider deploying effort and resources to it."

He will never forget December 16 when a boat carrying about 85 people capsized off the northern shores of Lesbos. MSF and Greenpeace crews responded, helping to save 83 people. Tragically though, two people died.

On that day, Grant and his team participated in the rescue operations.

"It was chaotic. We didn't know how many people were in the water … we just had to respond and everybody did an amazing job."

Anwahr Athahb – cultural mediator

"It is not their choice. No one will do this – quit their home, their job, their family if they are not forced to do it."

Anwahr speaks Arabic and is often the first point of contact with the refugees. It's a special situation for her because she was also a refugee when she was younger.

Her best memory from Lesbos was the time she went to Mantamados, a transit centre run by MSF where new arrivals are offered first assistance. She had the opportunity to talk to the people there and listen to their touching stories. All of them have a different story on how they fled the country but harsh reality has brought them together on the same island.

"These well educated people possessed a job and a home, but have been forced to leave everything behind," she explains. She will never forget the smile on the children's faces.

Olga Darkadaki – boat spotter

"I have to keep on acting and advocating for a safer passage"

Olga is a passionate environmental activist working for Greenpeace. She felt compelled to come to Lesbos after hearing about the experiences of her Greenpeace Greece colleagues.

She will always remember the first time that she saw from the observation point how the MSF-Greenpeace crews assisted an overloaded refugee boat after arriving on the scene before any others.

"I remember seeing from the telescope how 'our guys' waved and smiled and then received so many smiles back. I was far from the actual scene, yet I could see their emotions and felt so happy at that moment, proud, relieved and hopeful."

Olga stresses how the experience in Lesbos has given her faith in humanity and perspective on life: "It has made me feel part of this crisis, which means that I can no longer just read the news and move on. I have to keep on acting and advocating for a safer passage and humane treatment, even after leaving."

Camille Ghislain is a Social Media Officer for Greenpeace Belgium.

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EVIVA Midtown is the first Sacramento residential project to feature modular residential construction techniques. 200 residential modules have been installed and work has begun on the building exterior, the interior hallways, the interior courtyard, and on the commercial spaces. The projects expected to be completed in the next few months. Eviva is located at the northwest corner of 16th and
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Today governments from all over the world will meet at the United Nations in New York to develop a new treaty to save our oceans. We will be there to ensure clear rules for the creation of sanctuaries that will give our oceans the protection they desperately need.

The ocean belongs to all of us. There’s no other place on the planet that is as rich in diverse, beautiful, weird and wonderful creatures. This fragile treasure is threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction and expanding extractive activities such as oil and gas exploitation and deep-sea mining. The added pressures of climate change and increasing ocean acidification is damaging our ocean’s ability to perform its vital functions. As the first UN Oceans Assessment points out: urgent global action is needed to protect the world’s oceans from the many threats they face.

Two thirds of our oceans are outside national borders and belong to all of us. Currently there is nothing in place that could create and manage ocean sanctuaries in these waters. It’s like the wild west, where the ocean and the seabed are open to reckless exploitation. The existing ocean laws focus more on the right to exploit, than on the duty to protect.

As a result, less than one percent of these waters are protected. This is far from what scientists say; that 30 percent or more of the oceans should be protected through a global network of ‘ocean sanctuaries’ if we want to stop the loss of marine life, rebuild fish stocks and resilience to climate change.

Starting today we have an extraordinary opportunity to turn this situation around and protect the vast expanses of ocean which are currently so vulnerable. After ten years of dragging their feet, governments are finally going to assemble the building blocks for a new ocean treaty. A treaty that must change the current system from one that focuses on exploitation to one that ensures the conservation of ocean life for generations to come.

You made this happen.

For far too long, the future of our oceans has been discussed away from public scrutiny with very little progress. Greed has driven the opposition of countries profiting from ocean exploitation. But you stood up and said NO MORE to this. 

And they listened.

There’s still a lot of work to be done in the coming years to get this deal in place and make sure it’s as strong as it needs to be. We need you to keep up the pressure and demand that ocean protection is at the heart of this treaty.

Stay tuned and follow us (#ThisWay2Treaty) as we will be at the UN headquarters on your behalf. We will be your ears and voice during these negotiations, showing decision makers that people are watching and expect them to take action to protect our ocean.

 

Magnus Eckeskog is an oceans campaigner with Greenpeace Nordic

 

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Sacramento’s longest-running outdoor music festival reflects the urban core and its deep musical roots

SACRAMENTO, CA (March 25, 2016) – With a history as Sacramento’s longest-running outdoor music festival, Concerts in the Park (CIP) returns for its 25^th season on May 6, 2016 with an exciting new brand that captures the energy that is pulsing through downtown, and an impressive lineup of nationally touring artists and the region’s greatest musical talents. Managed by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, the free summer music festival launches at Cesar Chavez Plaza and continues each Friday night from 5 to 9 p.m. through July 29 (note: there is no concert on July 1).

Designed by Honey Agency, the new brand pays tribute to CIP’s home for the past 25 years – Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Sacramento. The brand pulls in art deco elements from the park, along with representations of iconic downtown buildings. However, the design is really two-fold. The bottom portion of the logo draws inspiration from the Sacramento Public Library but can also be viewed as a record. The portion that was inspired by the Renaissance Tower doubles as a microphone and the Wong Center is reminiscent of a headstock on a guitar.

The lineup is equally reflective of CIP’s influence on Sacramento’s local music scene and features nationally touring artists like Chuck Ragan, Hail the Sun, and Tyler Rich, along with local favorites like James Cavern, The Brodys, and Who Cares. Additionally, Sacramento’s hottest DJs will be spinning between sets. “The energy that is pulsing through downtown Sacramento is palpable. And nothing captures that energy better than Concerts in the Park,” said Downtown Sacramento Partnership Events Manager Sureena Johl. “This year’s lineup is a testament to CIP’s prominence in that it has now become a draw for nationally touring artists. However, the majority of the artists have Sacramento-area roots and CIP remains deeply committed to showcasing the region’s greatest musical talents.” The full lineup can be viewed at http://ift.tt/1ZB7p6i. Join the conversation using #CIP2016.

Top 5 CIP Facts

• Cake, Tesla, Deftones, The Brodys, and Blackalicous have all played CIP
• CIP was originally started as a partnership between Downtown Sacramento Partnership and Sacramento News and Review
• CIP saw nearly 70,000 music fans in 2015 with an average of nearly 6,000 attendees per week
• Roughly 500 bands have taken to the CIP stage over the past 25 years
• Cesar Chavez Plaza has always been home to CIP

2016 Concerts in the Park Lineup

May 6: James Cavern
Tessa Evans, Current Personae, DJ Epik

May 20: (Headliner TBA on 4/1/16)
Dusty Brown, Joseph in the Well, Death Party at the Beach, DJ: Young Aundee

June 3: Hail the Sun
Kill the Precedent, NMBRSTTN, Peace Killers, Trash Rock DJs

June 17: Vokab Kompany
Who Cares, Good Samaritans, The Scratch Outs, DJ: CrookOne

July 1: No Concert
Happy 4^th of July weekend

July 15: Drop Dead Red
Hans! And the HOT MESS, PointDexter, Soft Science, DJ: Zephyr 

July 29: The Brodys
The J Band, TL Miller Experience, The Heartbreak Time Machine, DJ: Joseph ONE

May 13: New Kingston
Element Brass Band, They Went Ghost, Andrew Castro, DJ Eddie Z 

May 27: Chuck Ragan
Darius Koski, Humble Wolf, Ghost Town Rebellion, DJ: Benji the Hunter 

June 10: Authority Zero
Another Damn Disappointment, O’Mulligans, Little Tents, DJ: My Cousin Vinny

June 24: Arden Park Roots
JRas & Iriefuse, ZFG, DJ: Squarefield Massive

July 8: Tyler Rich
Hannah Jane Kile, Colleen Heauser, Taylor Green, DJ Rawhide

July 22: Some Fear None
Cemetery Sun, Sages, A Mile Till Dawn, DJ Oasis

About Downtown Sacramento Partership
The 2016 Concerts in the Park music festival is presented by Bud Light and sponsored by Sacramento Republic FC, Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente, Republic Services, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA), SubMerge Magazine, KQCA/My58, Estrella TV, 98 Rock, Radio 94.7, and Sactown Magazine.

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s mission is to establish downtown Sacramento as the vibrant business, cultural and entertainment destination in the Sacramento region through effective private-public collaboration to benefit residents, visitors and investors.

The post CONCERTS IN THE PARK CELEBRATES 25th ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH NEW BRAND AND EXCITING LINEUP appeared first on Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

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Greenpeace New Zealand coordinated one of the largest civil disobedience climate protests in their country’s history... and it was a beautiful thing.

More than 200 people descended on New Zealand’s largest oil industry conference in Auckland and blocked its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience.

Inspired by the peaceful civil-disobedience of Te Whiti o Rongomai, Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi and Rosa Parks, close to 300 people blocked all entrances to New Zealand’s largest oil industry conference on Monday. They did it simply with their bodies, and when the police asked them to move, they politely declined.

The message it sent to the oil industry was unmistakable. We are not going to stand by and allow the search for oil that we cannot afford to burn to continue. People power is strong and this peoples’ climate movement is getting stronger by the day. We grew stronger and we re-learned something important. If your strategy is good enough you can let everyone know what it is because nobody will be able to stop you...

Greenpeace New Zealand co-ordinated the protest, but it wasn't just Greenpeace activists blocking the oil conference. It was a diverse group of New Zealanders, many of whom had never participated in something like this before.

There were people of all ages - nurses, teachers, parents with kids, faith leaders, representatives from several iwi and members of the Tuvaluan community. The common thread, a strong belief that we urgently need real climate action and a clean energy future, and pride. Pride for everyone there taking action to stand up against the oil industry, against injustice, and for the future of our planet.

This was the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has openly invited people to take part in peaceful civil disobedience en-masse. To signal what we were going to do and invite people to join us, we sent out thousands of emails, set up a public Facebook event and issued press releases well ahead of the day. 350.org founder Bill McKibben even posted a shout out. Almost zero secrecy. There’s no doubt this was deeply unnerving for the oil industry and the Government who already know they’re on the wrong side of history.

That it worked so well seems inevitable now - but I can tell you it didn’t always feel that way!

This was new ground for the team here at Greenpeace. We had no idea how many people would actually come and join us... That was until the open briefing day saw  a full house of 150 people packing into the venue.

There we discussed tactics, created affinity groups and established a kaupapa, or shared set of principles, for what we meant by nonviolent civil disobedience. It lasted about 4 hours and the atmosphere was electric. 

If your strategy is good enough you can let everyone know what it is because nobody will be able to stop you...

The next day at dawn, hundreds of people met in a variety of locations around Auckland City, and together, swooped on SkyCity where the oil conference was to be held. Everyone conducted themselves with poise and dignity - they followed the peaceful values of the protest and were able to react to circumstances with amazing fluidity and coordination - moving to block doors as the oil-industry delegates tried to make their way into the conference.   

Instead of banners, we had hundreds of  of red and white “Oil Against Humanity” cards - a spin-off of the popular game Cards Against Humanity. The cards posed a series of questions and answers about climate change, oil, and the New Zealand government's collusion with this dirty and destructive industry.  This provided an almost endless number of possible question and answer combinations that conveyed the message that more oil means climate catastrophe and we want a safe energy future! There's lots of photos here on the live feed from the day.

We hope this demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience on March 21 has left New Zealand and the rest of the climate movement feeling invigorated. We’ve learned from this and it certainly felt to me like the movement grew a little stronger on this day. That’s a good place to be as we head towards 350’s Break Free mobilisation, a week-long global wave of mass actions that will target the world’s most dangerous fossil fuel projects, from May 4-16, 2016.

Sign up to your local hub: Waves of actions will be rolling  out all over the world so that we can keep coal, oil and gas in the ground and secure a future for generations to come!

Nick has worked with Greenpeace for more than 10 years and is now Head of Digital at Greenpeace NZ.

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It’s only the first week of March, but already the weather has already turned curiously dry and hot; the harsh wind permeating through the car as we drive through remote Maharashtra. Located in the western region of India, Maharashtra is one of the wealthiest and most developed states, home to the glittering capital of Mumbai. But where we are, is far away from any type of plentiful and resourceful area. What we see are acres of dried fields full of burnt crops; people carrying large water pots; long queues beside a deep tube well or water tanker; dried canals connecting dams with nearby villages. Over four days and travelling almost 1,500 km these sights are common as I document the drought-affected villages in Solapur, Beed and Osmanabad districts in Maharashtra. 

The World Economic Forum has listed water security as one of the most tangible and fastest-growing social, political and economic challenges faced today. The high water intensity of global energy generation is creating a need for an analysis of water-coal conflict caused by coal power production. Released on World Water Day, Greenpeace has prepared a groundbreaking analysis of the impacts of the world’s coal power plants on global water resources. The results show that the world’s coal power plants are consuming an amount of water that could meet the basic requirements for 1 billion people.

 

Globally 44 % of the proposed coal power plants are in areas categorized as high water stress. Among them, a quarter are situated in red-list areas, which are at risk of running out of water. Among the globally critical areas are western China, such as Inner Mongolia, and Central India such as Maharastra. In these areas a conflict with other water users like farmers and food production is already happening.

 Subrata Biswas is an independent photo journalist

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The Tapajós River – in the heart of the Amazon – is home to thousands of people and incomparable biodiversity. But all that could change if a proposed mega-dam project moves forward.

At the moment you’re reading this, the Tapajós River is flowing unimpeded through rainforest deep in the Brazilian Amazon. Its waters teem with life – including pink river dolphins! Its banks are home to hundreds of types of birds, lizards, and amphibians, as well as mammals like the jaguar, giant anteater and ocelot.

Thousands of Munduruku Indigenous Peoples depend on this river and its thriving ecosystem for their livelihoods, as they have for centuries. But all this could change if the Brazilian government moves forward with a plan to construct a series of forty dams along the Tapajós River basin.

The largest of the proposed sites – the 7.6km-wide São Luiz do Tapajós dam – would flood so much of the Tapajós, it would create a reservoir the size of New York City (729 km²). In the process, it would wash away lakes, rock formations, islands and other crucial habitat – destroying some of the traditional lands of Munduruku people as well.

Standing with the Munduruku

Damming the river would destroy the environmental balance of the region, and the communities that depend on it. That’s why Greenpeace Brazil activists are joining forces with Munduruku leaders in protest to demand an end to the São Luiz do Tapajós dam project.

This weekend, activists joined the Munduruku on the Tapajós River to send a clear message to the world: "Damn the dam. Keep the Tapajós River alive.”

“We oppose the dam construction because our lives depend on the river and the forest and they belong to us. If the Tapajós River is dammed, we will lose our fish ground, our means of transport; we will lose our way of life,” explains a Chief from the Sawre Muybu Indigenous Land, Juarez Saw Munduruku.

A long road ahead 

The Munduruku people have been fighting dam projects on their land for decades, and the Brazilian government has failed to consult them in the planning process for the São Luiz do Tapajós dam.

Instead, the political interests behind this dam and other mega-dam projects focus on corporate profit – feeding a vicious circle of corruption and misuse of public money. Other dams in the Amazon, such as the Belo Monte mega-dam on the Xingu River are even part of an ongoing corruption investigation in Brazil.

There is another way. Clean and responsible energy sources, such as solar and wind, can meet the supply needs for all Brazilians without destroying biodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities.

Join us in the first step towards that future. Stand in solidarity with the Munduruku people to stop the damming of the Tapajós River. Share their story.

Together, we can keep the Tapajós alive.

Tica Minami is the head of the Amazon campaign at Greenpeace Brazil. 

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