A destruição do meio ambiente em três frentes

por Greenpeace Brasil

Enquanto o novo coronavírus se espalha pelo Brasil, governo Bolsonaro segue firme com seu projeto de desmatamento das florestas

A fiscalização diminui e o desmatamento cresce na Amazônia. Não é só coincidência. © Fernanda Ligabue / Greenpeace

A Covid-19 se espalha nas capitais amazônicas com velocidade assustadora, colapsando sistemas de saúde e preocupando todo o país. As populações que moram na floresta e dependem dela para sobreviver, como indígenas, ribeirinhos, quilombolas, extrativistas, seringueiros e pequenos agricultores, estão mais ameaçadas do que nunca: o desmatamento continua aumentando mesmo durante a pandemia e há o risco de criminosos levarem o coronavírus para estes territórios isolados e de populações extremamente vulneráveis.
O governo federal, que deveria estar tomando todas as medidas para proteger a Amazônia e estas comunidades com o grau de urgência necessário, segue agindo na direção contrária: premia criminosos e pune os que defendem a floresta.
Como sempre fizemos em qualquer governo, denunciamos os atos e discursos que vêm acelerando a destruição ambiental nas últimas semanas. Mas a lista não para de aumentar. Então organizamos aqui algumas das principais notícias da semana para você entender melhor o tamanho do problema.
1. Fiscalização diminui e desmatamento aumenta: não deveria ser o contrário?
Pois é esta a pergunta que o Ministério Público Federal (MPF) fez
, e a Justiça Federal agora exige uma resposta oficial. A Justiça deu um prazo de 72 horas para que três órgãos do governo federal (Ibama, ICMBio e Funai) justifiquem a queda expressiva no número de fiscalizações e autuações feitas por esses órgãos em relação a anos anteriores, justamente no período em que o desmatamento da Amazônia atingiu o nível recorde da década.
Segundo o MPF, em 2019 o número de autuações foi o menor em 20 anos na região, enquanto o desmatamento registrado foi o mais alto da última década. Nos primeiros três meses de 2020, os alertas de desmatamento, que foram 51% maior do que no mesmo período do ano passado, mostram a tendência preocupante de que o desmatamento segue aumentando na Amazônia.
A redução nos autos de infração emitidos pelo Ibama é provavelmente uma das razões. Afinal, se as ações de fiscalização contra o crime na Amazônia diminuem, madeireiros, grileiros e garimpeiros têm estrada aberta, literalmente, para desmatar. Esta redução pode ser também verificada quando se vê que a destruição de equipamentos usados por criminosos em ações de fiscalização caiu pela metade
, mais um sinal de que o governo Bolsonaro está facilitando a vida de quem é contra a floresta em pé.
2. Funai virou Fundação Nacional contra o Índio
A Fundação Nacional do Índio, que no governo Bolsonaro está empenhada em políticas anti-indigenistas, editou uma Instrução Normativa
que abre a possibilidade para ocupação e venda de terras indígenas que não foram ainda homologadas. Isso pode permitir que 237 Terras Indígenas, que ocupam um território de 9,8 milhões de hectares em terras públicas (área equivalente ao Estado de Pernambuco), tenham seus territórios transformados em imóveis privados.
Esta resolução se tornará ainda mais grave caso a Medida Provisória (MP) 910/ 2019, a MP da Grilagem, seja aprovada. Proposta pelo presidente Bolsonaro, ela envia um sinal claro para os grileiros de que o crime compensa, ao permitir a regularização de terras públicas que tenham sido invadidas até 2018. Desde sua edição, em dezembro, o desmatamento em terras públicas não destinadas já cresceu
.
A MP tem até 19 de maio para ser votada, e a sociedade civil, parlamentares, ex-ministros, cientistas e movimentos sociais já se manifestaram contra.
Além disso, o governo Bolsonaro também apresentou ao Congresso Nacional um Projeto de Lei, em fevereiro, para abrir os territórios indígenas para mineração, exploração de óleo e gás, construção de hidrelétricas e outras atividades econômicas. O projeto tem que passar pelo Congresso e vamos trabalhar para que não seja aprovado, mas ele também explicita muito bem as intenções do governo federal com os povos indígenas.

Com nova medida da Funai, povos indígenas podem ficar ainda mais ameaçados © Rogério Assis / Greenpeace

3. Destruir a Amazônia não basta; Salles quer a Mata Atlântica também
Não contente em ser o recordista da década do desmatamento da Amazônia, o ministro do Meio Ambiente Ricardo Salles resolveu direcionar sua sede de destruição para outro importante bioma brasileiro: a Mata Atlântica — ou o pouco que restou dela, após séculos de extermínio. Salles fez uma minuta de decreto que pode levar à redução de cerca de 10% do bioma ao alterar os limites de domínio da Mata Atlântica, e anistiar quem desmatou antes de 2008.
A canetada do ministro contraria a Lei da Mata Atlântica (Lei nº 11.428/2006), anterior e mais restritiva do que o novo Código Florestal, de 2012. O ato, além dos prejuízos ambientais à flora, à fauna e aos rios e reservatórios de água, também traz insegurança jurídica no campo e a possibilidade de aumento de conflitos em um bioma onde eles já estavam bastante apaziguados.
A sociedade civil está acompanhando de perto e vai seguir pressionando para que a intenção deste decreto não se concretize. Hoje o “Tem clima em casa”, série de bate-papos do Observatório do Clima (OC) sobre meio ambiente, foi sobre esse assunto. Veja como foi.

Antes que se vá, pedimos o seu apoio. Neste momento de quarentena, mantemos nossos escritórios fechados, mas nossa equipe segue de casa trabalhando em nossas campanhas, pesquisas e no monitoramento dos crimes ambientais. Sua doação é muito importante para que esse trabalho continue sendo feito com independência e qualidade, pois não recebemos recursos de governos e empresas. Clique e se torne um doador

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Covid-19 e o vírus da violência no Brasil indígena

por Sônia Guajajara e Danicley de Aguiar

Nos primeiros seis meses de 2019 ocorreram nada menos que 160 casos de invasão, em 150 terras diferentes, resultando em diversos outros crimes

Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, professor e agente ambiental, foi encontrado morto no último dia 18, com marcas de pancadas © Gabriel Uchida / Kanindé

Vítima histórica da banalização do preconceito e da violência, o Brasil indígena testemunha os efeitos do  desmonte da política ambiental e da perspectiva integracionista que contaminou a política indigenista.  Alimentados pela retomada do discurso de ódio que recrudesceu entre os segmentos mais atrasados da sociedade brasileira,  a intolerância e o preconceito contra os indígenas têm se traduzido num aumento alarmante dos casos de violação dos direitos, sem uma resposta efetiva daqueles que têm a obrigação de proteger e promover tais direitos.
Em meio ao cenário de pandemia que se instalou no mundo e no Brasil, urge que a sociedade brasileira exija a aniquilação do vírus da violência que se espalha pelas terras indígenas, forçando o governo federal e segmentos atrasados a renunciarem ao discurso preconceituoso e integracionista; sob pena de testemunharmos uma reedição do triste legado da expansão colonial nas Américas: o maior genocídio da história da humanidade, que culminou com o extermínio de pelo menos 70 milhões de indígenas.
Análises preliminares do Conselho Indigenista Missionário (Cimi) explicitam como esse contexto de intolerância e preconceito se manifesta no cotidiano do Brasil indígena. Tais análises denotam que só nos primeiros seis meses de 2019 ocorreram nada menos que 160 casos de invasão, em 150 terras diferentes, produzindo  crimes que vão desde homicídios, grilagem de terras públicas, extração ilegal de ouro a exploração ilegal de madeira e outros recursos naturais.
É fato que a omissão do Estado, o preconceito e a intolerância têm sustentado a política de extermínio que ainda ceifa a vida de lideranças indígenas, especialmente daquelas que seguem denunciando e cobrando que o Estado brasileiro assuma uma política de proteção eficiente aos territórios e aos direitos indígenas; a exemplo do que vinham fazendo Zezico Guajajara e Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, assassinados em 31 de março e 18 de abril respectivamente.
Para pôr fim nessa política de extermínio, é imperativo conter a disseminação do vírus da violência que segue impondo a perda de vidas e de biodiversidade nos territórios indígenas, bem como comprometendo a eficiência das medidas sanitárias que buscam conter a disseminação do coronavírus pelo Brasil indígena.
Mais do que recursos financeiros, o que se cobra é que aqueles que juraram cumprir a Constituição e as leis do país, para além das conveniências políticas e impressões pessoais, rompam com a inércia e a omissão que têm levado ainda mais desespero ao Brasil indígena, e atuem com energia em desfavor das redes criminosas que atuam de forma organizada contra as terras indígenas brasileiras.

Antes que se vá, pedimos o seu apoio. Neste momento de quarentena, mantemos nossos escritórios fechados, mas nossa equipe segue de casa trabalhando em nossas campanhas, pesquisas e no monitoramento dos crimes ambientais. Sua doação é muito importante para que esse trabalho continue sendo feito com independência e qualidade, pois não recebemos recursos de governos e empresas. Clique e se torne um doador

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Chernobyl still burns

by Rashid Alimov

Early in the morning of April 26, 1986, the fourth reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. 34 years later, Chernobyl radioactivity is still circulating. The long-lived radionuclides released by the accident mean the disaster continues decades on.
The wildfires started on April 3rd, due to abnormally hot, dry and windy weather. They are now the biggest fires ever recorded in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. What is one of the largest wildlife areas in Europe will take years to recover.

Satellite images of wildfires in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, taken 18 April 2020 © Greenpeace Global Mapping Hub Source: NASA Worldview, OpenStreetMap

With the Greenpeace Russia forest team and global mapping hub, I have been following these wildfires since they began. Satellite images show that an estimated 57 000 hectares of the Cherbobyl exclusion zone has burned so far. That is 22% of the total area of the exclusion zone.
As I am writing this, three weeks after the start of the fires, at least three of the largest fires continue burning. One of them is located close to the site of the old nuclear power plant, only 4 kilometers away from the sarcophagus. Hundreds of ill-equipped firefighters and foresters are currently trying to get the fires in Northern Ukraine under control.
The wind has carried some of the smoke over more populated areas. On the 16th of April, plumes of smoke caused smog in Kyiv, 250 kilometers away and although they did not exceed norms, higher levels of radioactivity than usual were detected. The smoke and ash have also crossed borders: the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority
registered a small increase of caesium-137 concentrations in the air in Norway.
Increased activity of Caesium-137 and other radionuclides in the air can lead to a rise in levels of cancer
. Whoever can smell the fire could also inhale these radioactive substances.
So yes, potentially dangerous radionuclides are travelling with the fire haze. This is due to the fact that since 1986, the forests have accumulated radioactivity, mostly concentrated in the wood and upper soil layers. This is why, in the contaminated areas, the village dwellers living nearby are deprived of their right to use the forest for the next 300 years. The “exclusion zone” surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is still – 34 years later – heavily contaminated with caesium-137, strontium-90, americium-241, plutonium-238 and plutonium-239. Plutonium particles are the most toxic ones: they are estimated to be around 250 times more harmful than caesium-137.

A forest fire burns near Kyiv, Ukraine, 60 km from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. © Oksana Parafeniuk / Greenpeace

Fire releases these particles into the air where wind can transport them over long distances, eventually expanding the boundaries of radioactive contamination. There is currently no data on how much nuclear material has been brought into the atmosphere because of these fires, so we don’t know how far they have travelled. It is possible that most of the radionuclides will settle within the exclusion zone and nearest area, as these are heavy particles.
We know from previous (smaller) fires that happened in the area in 2015 that scientists found
a release of 10.9 TBq caesium-137, 1.5 TBq of strontium-90, 7.8 GBq of plutonium-238 , 6.3 GBq of plutonium-239, 9.4 GBq of plutonium-239 and 29.7 GBq americium-241. It is clear that the numbers will be higher this year.
Close to the fires, firefighters and local people are exposed to risks from both smoke inhalation and radiation. Cities like Kyiv are exposed to the health impact of inhaling smoke in the short term and in the longer term, risk internal irradiation through contaminated berries, mushrooms and milk bought on the local markets. No-one is immune from radioactive products getting into their homes.
The consequences of Chernobyl are still here. People are still at risk; exposed and fighting on the frontlines
. Forest fires in contaminated areas are a big problem for Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia where 5 million people still live in contaminated areas according to official data. These fires happen almost every year.

Every spring, fires start in the forests that are still heavily contaminated with radiation after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Greenpeace firefighters work hard to stop the spreading of these fires. © Vladislav Zalevskiy / Greenpeace

The Greenpeace Russia firefighting squad has helped several times to extinguish the fires on contaminated territories. This year, our firefighters have not been able to go on site to help due to the coronavirus pandemic.
These forest fires are burdening an emergency ministry already in the midst of a health crisis. This goes to show that other emergencies can be exacerbated by nuclear-related incidents  – a situation that we have little or no control over.
Nuclear-related risks themselves are exacerbated by a lack of transparency: at the beginning of the fires, the first official accounts minimized the areas on fire by about 600 times. Secrecy was one of the reasons why the Chernobyl disaster was so severe in 1986: it was later confirmed in court that even the director of the Chernobyl power plant was not made aware of a disaster at the Leningrad nuclear power plant in 1975
that would have given clues to what happened in reactor 4.
Chernobyl will continue to pose a threat for many generations to come.
Rashid Alimov, is a nuclear campaigner at Greenpeace Russia.

Earth Day 2020

by Sudhanshu Malhotra

While we all are going through these strange times, let’s appreciate what we already have. We are lucky to be born on this magnificent planet, which has a very unique way to surprise us each day and makes us fall in love with its beauty all over again. No one has seen it all, and I bet you can’t in one lifetime. 
Still don’t agree with me? Have a look yourself! Hit the pause button and take a few moments now to really (and digitally) appreciate mother nature.

Moss on tree in Romanian forest. © Mitja Kobal / Greenpeace

Great Bear Rainforest in Canada. Aerial view. © Oliver Salge / Greenpeace

Underwater shot of marine life at Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia. Mangroves support many species, and are important nursing grounds for many juvenile fish. © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

Tapajós river basin, next to Sawré Muybu indigenous land, is home to the Munduruku people, Pará state, Brazil. © Rogério Assis / Greenpeace

The region between the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia, known as MATOPIBA in Brazil., is considered the showcase of Brazilian agribusiness, with a high productions of soy and corn for export. © Marizilda Cruppe / Greenpeace

Forest next to the Tapajós river, in Sawré Muybu Indigenous Land, home to the Munduruku people, Pará state, Brazil. © Valdemir Cunha / Greenpeace

The Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise moves through rolling seas as it crosses the Drake Passage after a 6 week tour of Antarctica. © Abbie Trayler-Smith / Greenpeace

The Arctic Sunrise sails past a large iceberg in the Gerlach Strait, Antarctica. © Abbie Trayler-Smith / Greenpeace

Aerial shot over Montagnes Blanches with expanse of water. © Markus Mauthe / Greenpeace

Flamingos at Lake Natron, Rift Valley, Tanzania, Africa. © Markus Mauthe / Greenpeace

Black tip reef sharks swim amongst schools of fish in Raja Ampat, Papua, © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

Adelie penguins on icebergs near Paulet Island in the Erebus and Terror Gulf in the entrance to the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. © Abbie Trayler-Smith / Greenpeace

Aerial view of primary forest near the river Digul in southern Papua. © Ulet Ifansasti / Greenpeace

about the author

Sudhanshu Malhotra

Sudhanshu Malhotra is the Multimedia Editor at Greenpeace International and you can follow him on Instagram

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‘The Story of Plastic’ is an eye-opener on the global plastic pollution crisis

by Shilpi Chhotray

What does an anti-oil & gas activist in Houston, Texas, have in common with a lawyer advocating for plastic bag bans in Jakarta, Indonesia, and a waste picker in Delhi, India? They’re all part of the global fight to end plastic pollution – and they’re all featured in a new documentary film that BIG PLASTIC doesn’t want you to see.
For decades, we’ve been told we can’t live without the conveniences of plastic. Sure it’s cheap, lightweight, and durable, but what are the consequences of this prolific material? The answer is more complex – and more concerning – than just the plastic litter we see in our communities, on our beaches, and in the ocean.

A waste worker in Indonesia.

When I started working on this issue five years ago, it was around the same time a heart-breaking video of a sea turtle with a straw lodged up its nose went viral. The dominant narrative at the time was largely centered on plastic pollution as an oceans problem (subtext: we need to focus our efforts on “clean up”), Asia as a scapegoat (subtext: companies headquartered in the Global North can keep pushing more production), and simply more and better recycling as the solution (subtext: the consumer needs to place their trash in the right bin).
These false narratives were meticulously crafted by the plastics industry to shirk meaningful responsibility and keep a shiny spotlight on the individual consumer. Since its inception in 2016, the global Break Free From Plastic
movement has challenged all of these notions with grassroots voices and experts from around the world who are advocating for systems change at the policy, corporate, and culture-shift levels. These are the voices centered in The Story of Plastic .

Coca Cola, Nestle, Unilever, PepsiCo, and MDLZ are the top 5 plastic polluters.

The groundbreaking feature-length documentary takes a sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and its impact on the health of our planet. Spanning three continents, the film illustrates the ongoing catastrophe of extraction – skies choked with poisonous emissions from plastic production and processing, and its impacts on the families that live on the frontlines. So much of the untold story of plastic begins here, in the shadow of sprawling petrochemical complexes run by giants like Dow, ExxonMobil, Chevron Phillips, in Houston, Texas – one of the topmost plastic production regions in the world. Nearly every single piece of plastic starts as fossil fuel, a startling reality that is front and center in the film. In a time of unprecedented climate chaos, the link between plastics, climate change, and human health is intrinsically interconnected with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and working-class communities unjustly facing the brunt of the pollution.
There are many revelatory moments in the film, and one of the most impactful is how The Story of Plastic uncovers the truth behind plastic pollution disposal. Stunning footage reveals fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash, and rivers and seas clogged with plastic waste,  much of it in South East Asia. But what everyday media bites populating our social media feeds and nightly news broadcasts are not getting right is where plastic pollution is coming from in the first place.
The Story of Plastic is an eye-opener for anyone that cares about the state of the planet as we know it, whether you’re completely new to the issue or already immersed in the dialogue. The stories we hear from the frontlines pull on our heartstrings and enable a profound understanding of how deeply ingrained plastic truly is in all aspects of society. Director Deia Schlosberg, Executive Producer Stiv Wilson, and the team behind The Story of Plastic have done a tremendous job of creating not only an unforgettable documentary but a tool to understand the full life cycle of the material we touch more than our loved ones, and industry’s critical role in turning off the tap.
The tide is turning…. Are you with us?
Here’s how you can watch The Story of Plastic:
BROADCAST (US) – Tune in on Earth Day, April 22, at 2pm EST & PST on Discovery Channel.
BROADCAST (International) – The Story of Plastic will be broadcast on Discovery network affiliates in 134 countries and territories. Each of those affiliates makes independent programming decisions and announcements. Check their local Discovery Channel’s programming schedule, or visit storyofplastic.org
for more details.
DIGITAL – The Story of Plastic will pre-premiere on the DiscoveryGo subscription streaming service on April 15. It will also be available to rent on video-on-demand services like iTunes and Amazon following the April 22 television broadcast. Visit storyofplastic.org
for more details.
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY SCREENINGS – Grassroots groups, educators, and passionate individuals can HOST a free, virtual screening to share The Story of Plastic with their community. Or, individuals can JOIN a virtual screening being organized in their region. To HOST or JOIN a virtual community screening visit storyofplastic.org
community-screenings
Shilpi is the Global Communications Lead for Break Free From Plastic, the global movement working to stop plastic pollution for good. 

Indignation caused by one president's arrogance and ignorance

Hi to all of you who support this blog and welcome to those here for the first time. As you know, this is a very dedicated blog to wich the ambiental questions are high priority. We are trying to fight the very hard problem of global warming and its consequences upon all of the living beings in the planet including us. So, everyone of us must do our part because all of us are already suffering the consequences of this serious concern. We want to express our indignation concerning the arrogance and selfish of the USA who is simply denying science and serious works made by a lot of scientists about the global warming and concerning the new virus spreading across the world. We consider to be monstruous that they are cutting off money from OMS in the middle of this pandemic crisis. We still want to believe our specie could be solidary, So, we ask you to do your part to fight the global warming, this virus and the spreading of fake news because they are immensely harmful to our society leading us to ignorance and disorder. We want to thank you all and lets do our fight right now,
Keep following us and spread the message to other people, This is important. Support institutions who fight for the cause.

How to be an activist at home

by Greenpeace International

In a moment when the way to show we care is by keeping our distance as much as possible, fighting effectively for a safe and just society and planet can feel impossible.
2019 was a big year. You went to the strikes, you made them historic
. You wrote your representative, change was made. You gathered and protested and made your voice heard.

Activists holding up signs demanding clean air and system change at a climate march in Buenos Aires, Argentina
©Nicolás Villalobos/Greenpeace

Now we’re in the middle of another historic global moment, one whose magnitude we’re still processing.
But the fight against the climate crisis still isn’t going anywhere and staying home right now, if you’re able, and helping slow the spread of COVID-19 is all of our priority right now. To protect our family, our friends and do our best to relieve a strained medical system and to support communities that are most affected by the pandemic and most at risk, such as Indigenous communities
.
However, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to stay home and are ready to add climate action back into your routine, read more for some of our favorite ways to stay connected to the movement wherever you find yourself:
Dinner Table Discussions: Use this moment of social distancing to really engage your close ones in a conversation on the climate crisis (whether it is online, or at the actual dinner table). Spend time understanding what people are thinking, what issues matter to them in their neighborhood, community or city, and what are the potential remedies. These conversations will look a lot different than they do with climate activists, and that’s okay! Remember, spend 70% of your time listening and 30% speaking. Document these conversations, if you want and share them to encourage others to do the same.
(Here’s a tip: Open with “what are three things you would change about your city if you were mayor for a week?” or “as a member of this community, what do you think we should be asking of our city council to mitigate this crisis?”)

Plastic Banquet at the Senate of the Republic in Mexico.
©Ilse Huesca Vargas / Greenpeace © Ilse Huesca Vargas / Greenpeace

Build Bridges: Put your research skills to work! Find out which local advocacy groups in your city or state are active in the fight for the climate, including water rights, land use, climate justice or any other topic that’s important to you. Learn more about their campaigns, their causes, and see how you start sharing the word now to start building bridges now for future collaboration!
Get informed: If you have the time, or are looking for an activity the whole family can participate in, make that reading list of climate books you’ve always meant to. Or catch up on some environmental documentaries. Get inspired by these stories and discuss.

Yang Wang relaxes on board the Esperanza
©Andrew McConnell/Greenpeace

Participate in online forums about the climate crisis: Engage in conversations around the climate emergency.
There are many free webinars where you can listen to the experts’ opinions. Share these webinars with your friends or, even better, open a discussion about what you have learned.
Get Social:There are many ways to be an activist digitally in times of quarantine too

• Create unique Instagram filters or a template for your story, which help to make your campaign visible (Here is an example from an oceans campaign

) and others can share on their own accounts.

Start a Twitter storm: make people aware of the environmental problem that is occurring, the more tweets there are, the better it will be! If you know users with a large number of followers, you can ask them to spread the word about your campaign.

Use Tik Tok

• and new digital trends to approach a serious and technical problem in a friendlier language (be creative!).
• Use these channels to share news, videos and your ideas about the climate crisis and its impact. If you find news that you feel passionate about, for example, deforestation, endangered species, air pollution, you can share them on your social networks. Make sure you always check that the information is accurate and post from trusted organisations and news outlets. Get your friends and followers involved in the discussion. 

​Be aware of your consumption habits: 
Review your daily habits. If we all look over our regular consumptions, we realize that our small actions can contribute to mitigate the climate crisis.

• What we eat is important to reconsider. Ask yourself about your meat consumption and try to reduce it, so you can contribute in the fight against climate emergency. 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions come directly from livestock

. And if you have extra time now, what a better time to experiment with plant-based recipes

• . See what new dish you can create!

• You can also take this time to battle plastic pollution. Start by checking how many single-use plastics you ​consume currently and if they’re necessary. Spoiler: they’re not. (Unsure if something is reusable or disposable? Check your facts). Keep this in mind if you have to go to the market. And take the time to plan and make a list. An organized refrigerator will help prevent food waste — a major contributor to the climate crisis— and save you unnecessary trips to the store in this uncertain time. You can also finally try growing some of your own food; start with herbs or veggies to grow on your windowsill.

Greenpeace Hungary’s volunteers build raised vegetable beds in the community garden of Nagykovácsi town. Fresh, local and environmentally-friendly vegetables will be put on the table for preschoolers. We hope that as many places as possible will follow this example. Greenpeace wants children to get the best out of their school cafeterias: chemical-free, locally produced, healthy and high quality ingredients.
© Zsuzsi Dorgo / Greenpeace © Zsuzsi Dorgo / Greenpeace

• Find a way to reuse the plastic you already have. How can you repurpose? When you’ve used up a container, make sure to clean it​ up​ and if you can’t repurpose, recycle. Find out where you can take them after the isolation. If you don’t know where to start, your city will have information that ​might​ help you. Reusing plastics are good ways to prevent you from buying more needless plastics. 

Use these ideas as a starting point for creative thinking to move forward.
In a world of quarantines and disruption of offline life, let’s continue to make our demands impactful and innovative as possible.
And don’t forget, solidarity is a powerful thing. Together we can overcome anything.

Young activist at a climate march in Buenos Aires, Argentina
©Nicolás Villalobos/Greenpeace

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Cómo puedes ser un activista desde casa

En este momento, en el que la forma de demostrar cuánto nos importan los demás es a través de mantener la mayor distancia posible, luchar de manera efectiva por una sociedad y un planeta seguros y justos puede parecer imposible.
El 2019 fue un gran año. Has participado de las huelgas climáticas y las has convertido en un suceso histórico.
Le has escrito a los representantes de tu gobierno y se han realizado cambios. Se han reunido y protestaron para hacer oír sus voces.

Activists holding up signs demanding clean air and system change at a climate march in Buenos Aires, Argentina
©Nicolás Villalobos/Greenpeace

Ahora estamos en medio de otro momento global histórico, uno cuya magnitud aún estamos procesando.
Si bien la lucha contra la crisis climática se mantiene presente, hoy quedarnos en casa, si se puede, y ayudar a frenar la propagación de COVID-19 es nuestra prioridad. Para proteger a nuestra familia, nuestros amigos y hacer todo lo posible para aliviar el sistema de salud. Y, sobre todo, para apoyar a las comunidades más afectadas por la pandemia y en mayor riesgo, como las comunidades Indígenas
.
Sin embargo, si tienes  la suerte de quedarte en casa y estás listo para sumar la acción climática a tu nueva rutina, aquí podrás leer más sobre algunas de nuestras formas favoritas de mantenerse conectado con el movimiento climático, desde tu hogar.
Conversaciones a la hora de la cena: Usa este momento de distanciamiento social para fomentar conversaciones con tu familia y amigos a cerca de la crisis climática (puede ser online o mientras comparten la cena). Tomate tu tiempo para entender lo que ellos piensan, qué problemas de su barrio, su comunidad o su ciudad realmente les importan y cuáles serían las posibles soluciones. Estas conversaciones, sin dudas, serán muy diferentes a las que podrías mantener usualmente con activistas climáticos, pero está bien! Recuerda, pasa el 70% de tu tiempo escuchando y el 30%, hablando. Sería bueno que tomes notas de estas conversaciones, si lo deseas, así puedes compartirlas con otros para motivarlos a hacer lo mismo. (Aquí va un consejo: Empieza con una pregunta que sirva de disparador como “¿qué tres cosas cambiarías de tu ciudad si fueses el alcalde por una semana?” ó “como un miembro de esta comunidad, ¿qué crees que deberíamos reclamar a los representantes del gobierno para mitigar esta crisis?”).

Plastic Banquet at the Senate of the Republic in Mexico.
©Ilse Huesca Vargas / Greenpeace © Ilse Huesca Vargas / Greenpeace

Construye puentes: Pon tus habilidades de investigación a trabajar! Encuentra qué grupos en tu ciudad o estado o provincia están trabajando activamente en la lucha por el clima, incluyendo los derechos de agua, el uso de la tierra, la justicia climática o cualquier otro tema que sea importante para ti. ¡Aprende más sobre sus campañas, sus causas y busca cómo entablar conversaciones con ellos ahora para comenzar a construir puentes para una futura colaboración!
Mantente informado: Si tienes el tiempo, o estás buscando alguna actividad para toda la familia, haz una lista de libros sobre ecología. O puedes ponerte al día con algunos documentales medioambientales. Siéntete inspirado por estas historias y empieza conversaciones con tu familia y amigos.

Yang Wang relaxes on board the Esperanza
©Andrew McConnell/Greenpeace

Participa en foros o conversatorios online acerca de la crisis climática: Involúcrate en conversaciones sobre la emergencia climática. Hay muchas opciones de webinars gratuitos
, en los que puedes escuchar las opiniones de expertos. Comparte estos webinars con tus amigos o, aún mejor, abre la discusión a tus amigos y allegados para contarles que has aprendido.
Mantente activo en redes sociales: 
Hay muchas formas de ser un activista digital en tiempos de cuarentena.

• Puedes crear originales filtros de Instagram, que te ayuden a hacer tu campaña más visible (Aquí un ejemplo de una campaña para proteger los océanos

). Así, otros podrán compartir tu contenido en sus cuentas. 

Comienza un Twitter storm: haz que la gente conozca sobre un problema ambiental que está ocurriendo y cuantos más tweets haya, ¡mejor será! Si conoce usuarios con una gran cantidad de seguidores, puedes pedirles que difundan tu campaña.

Usa Tik Tok

• y nuevas tendencias digitales para acercar un problema serio y que suele ser de un conocimiento técnico a través de un lenguaje amigable. Se creativo! 
• Usa estos canales para compartir noticias, videos y tus ideas sobre la crisis climática y sus impactos en el mundo. Si encuentras noticias que te sientes fuertemente de, por ejemplo sobre deforestación, especies en peligro de extinción o contaminación de aire, puedes compartirlas en tus redes sociales. Es importante que siempre valides que la información sea correcta y que las publicaciones sean de de organizaciones confiables y medios de noticias. Involucra a tus amigos y tus seguidores en la conversación. 

Toma conciencia de tus hábitos de consumo: 
Revisa tus hábitos diarios. Si todos examinamos nuestros consumos frecuentes, notaremos que nuestras pequeñas acciones pueden contribuir a la mitigación del cambio climático.

• ​Lo que comemos es algo importante para reconsiderar. Pregúntate sobre tu consumo de carne y trata de reducirlo. De eso, modo colaborarás en la lucha contra el cambio climático, ya que el 14.5% de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, a nivel mundial, provienen directamente de la ganadería.

Y si ahora tienes tiempo extra, que mejor que usarlo para experimentar con recetas a base de vegetales

• . ¡Mira qué plato nuevo puedes crear!

• También puedes usar este tiempo para combatir la contaminación plástica. Puedes empezar revisando cuántos plásticos de uso único tienes actualmente y si realmente son necesarios. (No lo son y tienes dudas de si algunos plásticos son reutilizables o desechables. Chequea los datos). Ten todo esto en mente cuando vuelvas al mercado, y tómate el tiempo de realizar una lista. Un refrigerador organizado evitará que tu comida se eche a perder, uno de los contribuidores principales de la crisis climática, pero también te evitará varias salidas innecesarias al mercado en estos tiempos de incertidumbre. También, puedes intentar cultivar algunos de tus propios alimentos. Puedes comenzar con hierbas o vegetales para hacer crecer en el alféizar de tu ventana. 

Greenpeace Hungary’s volunteers build raised vegetable beds in the community garden of Nagykovácsi town. Fresh, local and environmentally-friendly vegetables will be put on the table for preschoolers. We hope that as many places as possible will follow this example. Greenpeace wants children to get the best out of their school cafeterias: chemical-free, locally produced, healthy and high quality ingredients.
© Zsuzsi Dorgo / Greenpeace © Zsuzsi Dorgo / Greenpeace

• Encuentra modos de reutilizar los plásticos que ya tienes. ¿Cómo los puedes reutilizar? Cuando dejes de usarlos, puedes lavarlos y, si no puede reutilizarlo, recicle. Averigua dónde puedes llevarlos luego del aislamiento. Si no sabes por dónde comenzar, tu alcaldía o municipalidad tendrá información para ayudarte. Reutilizar te ayudará a no comprar más plástico innecesario. 

Usa estas ideas como un punto de partida para pensar creativamente y avanzar.
En un mundo de cuarentenas y de interrupción de la vida cotidiana, sigamos haciendo que nuestras demandas sean impactantes, innovadoras y disruptivas, como sea posible.
Y no lo olvides, la solidaridad es algo poderoso. Juntos podemos superar lo que sea.

Young activist at a climate march in Buenos Aires, Argentina
©Nicolás Villalobos/Greenpeace

The Coronavirus pandemic has created a rare crack in the system – let’s use it to create a better world

by Helene Hagel

At Greenpeace, we believe in long-term systemic change, in the power of people shifting their mentalities, and in challenging the prevailing power structures in society. Our critics often rail back at us, saying that these big systems are what holds everything together, and there’s no way we can change them. Now we are suddenly seeing those systems cracking apart.

Seedling in an organic field, on the outskirts of Bangalore. © Greenpeace / Vivek M.

During the 2008 economic crisis, governments saved the banks. Politicians adopted relief packages that de facto favored the most polluting industries. This time it must be the planet that is ‘too big to fail’. Going back to business-as-usual and keeping a fossil economy alive isn’t an option if we want a liveable planet. It will only serve to aggravate the biodiversity and climate crises that we face.
The best chance to make sure our planet doesn’t become another victim of COVID-19 is to make sure that our response to it reduces our impact on the climate and paves the way for a green and equitable future.
Will our politicians prioritize a future where industries contribute to solving the climate crisis? Or will they simply restore the status quo? 
According to the World Resources Institute
, investing in the green sector is one of the most effective ways to stimulate economic progress after a recession. Brave and ambitious climate action that is rooted in science can generate direct economic gains of incomprehensible billions by 2030. In a new low-emission economy, 65 million new jobs could be created over the course of the next ten years.
In 2009, after the financial crisis had ravaged the global economy, the UN called for a global “Green New Deal” to end fossil dependency and create green jobs. It didn’t happen. Global emissions have increased almost every year since. According to the UN, emissions need to fall by 7.6% every year if we are to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. We don’t have the time to repeat the mistakes of the last decade.

A coal fired power station in Germany.

Any economic response packages at the very least needs to follow the ‘do no harm’ principle. We must not respond to the corona crisis by exposing the lives of citizens to even greater risks, because we end up exacerbating the climate crisis. We must help workers in all sectors,  without subsidizing the industries that will increase pollution without any demands for them to take active part in the green transition.
Let’s invest in getting fossil fuels out of how we produce our energy. Let’s support the farmers who want to change from meat to plant production. Let’s encourage ecological farming and forestry, low-impact fisheries, and ecosystem conservation and restoration, sustainable mobility, including the creation of job guarantee schemes, and the promotion of cooperatives and community-led planning. 
Let’s take care of each other and not polluting industries.
When the corona crisis starts to subside, we can choose to glue the cracks in our system together. We can also choose to look into them and catch a glimpse of a future in which our economies are designed for the wellbeing of both humans and the planet. It’s not naive to imagine a better world – in fact, it would be stupid not to.
An edited version of this article was published in the Danish newspaper Berlingske.

Helene Hagel is a climate and environmental policy leader at Greenpeace Denmark.