In early October, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisations
(FAO) announced a shocking agreement with CropLife International – the
global lobby group for corporations that manufacture, sell, and promote
mainly pesticides and genetically engineered seeds. Some of the members
of CropLife International are Bayer (Monsanto), BASF, and Syngenta, among others. This is why Greenpeace International joined up with 350 other organisations across the world
to denounce this agreement.
This agreement’s objective is “to work together and find new ways to
transform agri-food systems and promote rural development through on the
ground investment and innovation” as stated in the FAO press release
. This agreement is truly disturbing because it allows more
power to a very few large agriculture and food multinational
corporations – which exist primarily to make money – rather than
investing in a strong localised food system that can provide nutritious
food to all while respecting ecological boundaries.
Demonstration “Wir haben es satt!” (We are fed up!) against industrial food production and genetic engineering in agriculture.
The FAO press release further states that the agreement intends to
“reinforce the common goal shared by FAO and CropLife International to
build sustainable food systems, boost farmer resilience to climate
change and address zero hunger”. Does the FAO truly believe that the
mission of the corporations involved with CropLive International is to
“boost farmer resilience to climate change and address zero hunger”? At
best, this is naive, and at worst, misleading.
The main mission of these corporations is to gain financial returns for their shareholders, not to feed people. There is already too much corporate control
over farming. By signing this agreement, the FAO is giving
these big agriculture corporations renewed legitimacy and a free licence
to further access and control the global food system.
This recent FAO-CropLife International agreement sends a wrong
message about the direction the world should move towards food and
greater food justice. This is somewhat surprising as other parts of the FAO
have finally recognised that ecological farming (agroecology), food sovereignty, and the people’s right to food are now modus operandi.
They
should know better than to cosy up to agriculture corporate giants
which are the promoters of the industrial food system – the source of so
many environmental and health problems
.
Machine spraying pesticides on soybean crops in Mato Grosso, Brazil.
generated a blueprint for a better food system with many
practical policy suggestions for governments and agencies like FAO.
More than 10 years later and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IAASTD recommendations
are still largely ignored despite their relevancy and urgency for
implementation. We know what to do; we’re just not acting on what we
know.
Previously, Greenpeace International has outlined what could be the principles for ecological farming. In many parts of the world such as India and Kenya
for example, Greenpeace organisations have taken a part in the farming
and food movements and will continue so. I can only hope the FAO, its
Council and funders will soon wake up and join the wider movement for agroecology
and choose real people solutions over the fake promises of big agriculture corporations.
FAO, please walk the talk on agroecology and don’t side with those
who want to make a quick profit at our expenses and at the expense of a
healthy planet and our collective future.
Savio Carvalho is global lead for Greenpeace International Food and Forest.
Sekuru, the old man, said: “Look, over here, this dam filled with
rainwater every year. But not anymore. The last rain happened three
years ago, our fields are dry!” With Sekuru, a small farmer in eastern
Zimbabwe, I began my journey into environmental issues. That was in
1990. Thirty years later, our chief concern is the climate crisis:
Human-made climate change!
Growing up in Switzerland, I learned that our glaciers are our water
reservoir and that our Alps are full of them. But they are melting. The
Pizol glacier which belonged to my immediate homeland is gone – it
vanished completely. There will be no more summer hikes up there in all
its glory. Sadly, on the contrary, it’s now another wound in a deeply
hurt planet.
It’s general wisdom that being active helps feelings of hopelessness
and powerlessness. That’s why I plunged into environmental activism,
leaving my University job and spending the next decade trying to find
financial support for green start-up companies. We failed bitterly, but
the platform for environmental concerns was supported by many and it
stayed. And so stayed my motivation, which even experienced a new high
thanks to the inspirational youth-led movement Fridays for Future.
I wondered whether there could be a place for me at 72? Hardly! But then, I discovered my age cohort: The Climate Seniors!
What a courageous group of women. Some have frail bodies, bodies that
suffer even more from long heat waves than most others would, but we
Climate Seniors have very strong minds and an unwavering commitment to
the cause.
In November 2016, we appealed as Climate Seniors to the Swiss
Government demanding more rigorous climate targets, because climate
change is putting our lives and health at risk. The Government did not
listen to us, we were turned down three times. The Supreme Court
understood where we were coming from, given the consequences we would
face in the absence of climate protection for us. But it concluded that
there is still time to fight climate change and slow down global warming
in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
That’s a bold argument as if to say Switzerland will not invest in
the prevention of avalanches, but only address the disaster after it
happens. In terms of avalanches or flooding, the thought of prevention
is deeply ingrained. However, this perspective wasn’t applied to climate
change by the Supreme Court. The irony leaves me feeling both puzzled
and angry.
We have a strong wind on our backs: Over 2000 Climate Seniors and
many other supporters carry us. This wind has taken us down the River
Rhine from Basel, all the way to Strasbourg to file our appeal. Just
like many other groups – who took their Government to court and won –
have been a true inspiration for us, we hope to play this role for
others. If we win our case in Strasbourg, I am told, we could literally
write history in the field of climate litigation.
Elisabeth Stern
is a retired ethnologist who studied psychology in Zurich and also did
an MA and PhD in Cultural Anthropology at the University of California.
She worked at the Foundation Pestalozzi Children’s Village for
intercultural education. She taught ethnology at the University of
Zurich, worked as a research associate at the University of Zimbabwe in
Harare and as a Senior Lecturer for intercultural management competence
at the University of St. Gallen. She was the co-director of an
environmental company for the financing of environmental projects. She
is one of the authors of the book “Grünes Geld für unsere Zukunft”.
Enquanto o governo segue surdo ao desespero dos povos indígenas obrigados a conviver com a invasão de milhares de garimpeiros
em seus territórios, os povos se articulam e buscam a ciência para
demonstrar o quão absurdo é o contexto reiterado de violação do direito à
vida em pelo menos 18 terras indígenas invadidas pelo garimpo.
Com o processo de demarcação da Terra Indígena (TI) Sawré Muybu
paralisado na FUNAI, os Munduruku do Médio Tapajós vivem o desespero de
ver seus rios e corpos contaminados por mercúrio; já não bastasse a
extração ilegal de madeira que se espalhou como praga pelo sul da terra
indígena.
Cansados de esperar por socorro, os Munduruku buscaram ajuda da
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), a fim de que pudessem ser avaliados os
impactos da contaminação por mercúrio em três importantes aldeias do
território. Amplamente utilizado para a extração de ouro nos garimpos
dentro e fora do território, o mercúrio contamina as águas e os peixes,
que são consumidos pela população local, provocando problemas
neurológicos, sensitivos e motores.
Focado na avaliação dos impactos da contaminação por mercúrio nos indígenas que habitam três das sete aldeias da TI Sawré Muybu, o estudo revelou
que todos os 200 indígenas avaliados em maior ou menor grau
apresentavam traços de mercúrio no organismo, e que em 57, 9% dos
indivíduos, os níveis de contaminação estão bem acima dos limites
considerados como seguros. Para piorar, constatou-se que quatro em cada
dez crianças menores de 5 anos apresentaram altas concentrações do
metal, o que chamou a atenção dos pesquisadores, uma vez que o mercúrio
afeta o Sistema Nervoso Central, que está em desenvolvimento no caso das
crianças até essa idade Outro ponto preocupante é que o mercúrio também
atinge o cérebro dos fetos ainda em formação no útero materno.
Considerando que a análise do pescado revelou a presença de mercúrio
em todas as amostras coletadas, além de impactar a saúde dos rios e
florestas, a atividade garimpeira na bacia do Tapajós impõe aos
Munduruku o abandono do seu modo de vida tradicional, haja vista que
altera por completo a relação dessa população com os rios; que de fonte
de vida, passaram a ser a principal fonte de ameaça à reprodução física e
cultural do povo.
A condescendência das autoridades brasileiras com o garimpo ilegal na
Amazônia, e o desejo do governo Bolsonaro de abrir as terras indígenas
ao garimpo e à mineração (PL 191), colocam em risco não só a vida dos
indígenas do presente, mas também de toda uma geração que sequer pode se
defender sozinha, uma vez que tem seu futuro comprometido ainda no
útero materno. Por isso, rejeitar o Projeto de Lei 191, é tarefa de
todos os brasileiros comprometidos com a vida e com um modelo de
desenvolvimento capaz de garantir a vida em primeiro lugar.
Clique aqui e faça o download da Nota Técnica “Impacto do mercúrio na saúde do povo indígena Munduruku, na Bacia do Tapajós”
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
November 21st marks World Fisheries Day, and whilst there’s plenty to
celebrate about small and sustainable fisheries ALL around the world,
there is a huge shadow cast by a few greedy, corporate entities which we
cannot afford to ignore.
The cases of human rights abuse, including forced labour, in distant
water fisheries (DWF) have been no secret for years now with multiple
reports hitting mainstream media
, and more recently migrant fishers themselves have begun
bravely shining a light on the injustices they witness. This year, a
number of video clips recorded by Indonesian fishers
onboard vessels revealed the harrowing extent of the atrocities
committed in the name of affordable seafood. These cases raise concerns
about the systemic exploitation of migrant workers upon which distant
water fisheries are built.
Yet tainted fish continues to make its way to supermarket shelves and fish counters all over the world. So what’s going wrong?
Profits over people, is the short answer. Due to declining fish
populations, DWF vessels are forced to venture further and further out
on the high seas to catch fish, driving up their operational costs. They
then resort to forced labour, withholding of wages, and/or lack of
investment in health, safety and living conditions in order to make a
profit.This despicable approach is then affirmed by a conspicuous lack
of due diligence from buyers of seafood, who benefit from the low market
value of DWF seafood to sell the products at “affordable prices”. Quite
simply, we cannot afford fish that costs lives.
Last year Greenpeace East Asia revealed links between
Taiwanese seafood trading company FCF, and allegations of appalling
cases of forced labour involving vulnerable migrant workers from
Southeast Asia, as well as illegal fishing practices. Whilst many DWF
fleets might rely on the comfort of “what happens at sea, stays at sea”,
governments are noticing. In September the US Department of Labor included Taiwan, the second largest distant water fleet in the world, in their “list of goods caught produced by child or forced labour”
due to allegations of forced labour within the Taiwanese distant water
fleet. The finding from the DoL is a step in the right direction for
accountability in the seafood supply chain, but much remains to be done
to clean up the world’s fisheries and protect the vulnerable migrant
workers who work, often without proper compensation, and keep the
seafood industry running.
Governments everywhere must act to end and prevent human rights abuses at sea. Basic human rights apply to all of us,
whether on land or at sea, and this needs to be reflected by the
policies and provisions that protect migrant fishers working in distant
waters.
In the meantime, we can hasten this industry shift by demonstrating that business as usual will not profit.
We can try to reduce how much seafood we eat and choose local
sustainable seafood where possible. Small scale fisheries and
traditional and subsistence fisherfolk all around the world are proving
that there is a better way to catch and distribute seafood. It’s past
time we look to them and demand a better normal for the world’s fisheries.
Elizabeth Monaghan is a digital campaigner with Greenpeace Southeast Asia
In August 2020, as the world was still trying to cope with the impacts
of a global pandemic, people in Mauritius were hit by a devastating oil
spill on their coast. Around 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil leaked out of the
ship MV Wakashio into a shallow lagoon right next to a marine reserve
, causing long-lasting consequences to the community and marine life in the area.
This is just one of the many oil spills
that far too often put wildlife and local communities at risk. Such
disasters should be enough of a warning to change the rules and stop
ships from running on such dangerous fuels, at the very least in the
most pristine and fragile corners of the planet like the Arctic. In
fact, they should be enough to move the shipping sector away from fossil
fuels altogether.
But the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN Agency
responsible for preventing pollution by ships, has decided to do the
exact opposite. Turning a blind eye to the climate emergency and to the call from affected communities
, IMO members are allowing the industry to continue risky business as usual.
In 2018, governments at the IMO agreed on a plan to tackle the carbon emissions from ships in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Ships carry around 80% of world trade, using vessels that operate on fuels that are dirtier than road transport diesel fuels
. Experts estimate that international shipping accounts for
about 1 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year – more than twice as
much as the UK’s annual emissions or almost half of Brazil’s emissions
per year! That’s why cleaning the shipping industry from dirty fuels
plays a key role in meeting the Paris Climate Agreement’s goals.
to protect the Arctic. Imagine being on board a ship heading
straight towards an iceberg and the captain would decide to close their
eyes and do nothing? That’s essentially what governments at the IMO are
doing when they delay action hoping that the climate emergency will
magically disappear.
The decisions taken at the IMO this week reveal the fundamental
shortcomings of the piecemeal approach to governing our oceans. It’s
time to sort out this mess of intermingling organisations, which on the
surface appear to adequately govern our global oceans, but in reality
undermine each other, offering governments and destructive commercial
interests continual opportunities to wriggle out of meaningful
commitments to reduce their climate and ocean impacts.
The shipping industry clearly does not want to self regulate in the
interest of the marine environment, that’s why we need a systemic
solution that puts conservation, not exploitation, at the heart of our
approach to the oceans. Governments need to urgently agree to a strong Global Ocean Treaty
in 2021. It’s backed by millions of us worldwide, it could provide that
much-needed solution by connecting the dots, making existing
organisations more accountable for their mess, and driving comprehensive
ocean protection that puts people and nature before corporate
interests. Until recently the shipping industry has escaped cleaning up
their dirty business, but it’s past time for them to sort their ship out
and move away from fossil fuels.
“The police came to my school. My classmates and teachers
were frightened. We were being threatened and my father was being
followed everywhere. Recently, a surveillance camera was installed at
the intersection of my village for the first time.”
Khairiyah Rahmanyah’s life has changed since protesting against a
mega-project that would transform her seaside hometown into an
industrial zone. A fisherman’s daughter from a small village in Chana
district, Songkhla province in southern Thailand, Khairiyah is against a
cabinet decision that plans to convert 26.8 square kilometers (2,680
hectares) of seaside into an industrial zone built for light and heavy
industries such as biomass power plants, petrochemical production,
biochemical plants, as well as deep seaports.
As a key representative against this plan, Khairiyah says police and
military would often visit her home and people were afraid that
something worse would happen to her. But she wasn’t scared.
“The only thing I fear the most is that the industrial zone will be successfully constructed,” says Khairiyah.
Khairiyah is just 18 years old, yet her life is different from
ordinary high school students. Her rise to becoming a young human rights
defender began in May 2020 when she submitted a letter to Thailand’s
Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha asking to call off a public hearings
forum about the Chana development due to lack of participation of all
stakeholders, and also as it would be held during the month of Ramadan
and in the height of the COVID19 pandemic. Eager for an answer,
Khairiyah and her mother stayed overnight in front of the city hall for
50 hours to hear from the authorities. Their persistence paid off and
the forum was delayed for two months
. Local media covered her story and she soon became known as the “Daughter of the Chana Sea”.
In July 2020, Khairiyah traveled from Songkhla in southern Thailand
to the Government House in Bangkok to deliver a letter addressed to the
Prime Minister, asking him to annul his cabinet’s resolution approved,
in principle, of the massive industrial development in her hometown. The
event gained mass media and social media attention and trended on Thai
Twitter as #SAVECHANA.
Just a 30 minute drive from Songkhla city, one of the major cities in
southern Thailand, lies Chana district’s Suan Kong Beach, a pristine
area with green fields and trees providing shade for visitors to relax
in the surrounding campsites. Look it up on Google maps and the name in
Thai translates to “Suan Kong Beach, Paradise for Crab Lovers.”
Southeast from this point lies Suan Kong village, where Khairiyah was
born and raised.
“It only takes 50 steps to walk from my house to the beach. When I
was a kid, I had fun building sandcastles, searching for shells to make
toys, and just play,” Khairiyah recalls. “On a calm day, we can see
dolphins swim around in front of my house. The fishermen see them almost
every day so they don’t think it’s special. But visitors always like to
take photos.”
Almost all of the Suan Kong villagers, including Khairiyah’s parents,
are fisherfolk. Those who don’t own fishing vessels catch fish by using
traditional nets or by using flashlights around the coastal area to
attract fish at night, then sell their catch at the local market the
next day. Khairiyah usually helps her parents with fishing, taking crabs
off the fishing net, and selling the seafood at the market.
“The ocean not only provides food to our communities, but also feeds
people all over the region and different countries. Fishing vessels sell
seafood to markets and restaurants, which later is transported to
Bangkok and other provinces. If the catch is at the port in Songkhla, it
will be exported to Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea,” said
Khairiyah.
Undeniably, the long history of the Suan Kong and Chana people
battling to protect their natural resources have played a part in
shaping Khairiyah’s attitude towards the environment. Since 1993,
villagers have been restoring the ocean after being damaged by
destructive fishing methods that depleted many fish and other marine
species from the sea around Chana.
The villagers also successfully brought down an investor from a
neighboring province who planned to invest in an unsustainable fish
farm. When they learned about a deep-sea drilling expedition plan in
Chana district, they knew right away that it would lead to a mega
industrial zone project, and they quickly submitted a letter to the
Prime Minister.
This sense of activism runs in the family – Khairiyah’s father is the
chairperson of the Thai Sea Watch Association at Chana district, a
non-government organisation focused on conserving and restoring marine
and coastal resources.
“I always follow my father to meetings. I’m full of curiosity. If
there’s interesting issues, I will ask my father on the way back home,”
says Khairiyah.
An unforgettable demonstration
At the end of 2017, Khairiyah participated in a demonstration against
a coal-fired power plant project in a nearby district. Their aim was to
submit a letter to the Prime Minister who was in Songkhla to join a
mobile Cabinet meeting.
“While there were only 50 villagers, there were 500 police officers
armed with shields and sticks. We came peacefully to submit the letter
to the PM, but our villagers were sentenced, and my father was arrested.
I saw 10 police officers gathering to stop my father. A woman tried to
help him, but she couldn’t fight against those strong officers. At that
time, I was small and was hit. I tried to go on Facebook live to help
save our villagers, but one of the police officers knocked my phone
away,” Khairiyah said.
The memory from that demonstration left many questions on her mind
about justice and fairness. How could this happen? Afterall, she and
other villagers marched peacefully and unarmed.
“When my father was released from the prison, I saw metal chains
fastened to his arms with other villagers,” Khairiyah painfully
recalled. “It looked as if they were being sentenced for killing
hundreds of people, but the truth was we just wanted to submit a letter
to the PM. Besides, we were accused of assaulting police officers and
blocking the roads. They said we were carrying concealed weapons in
public. We marched with a green flag as a symbol to protect the
environment and to protest against coal-fired power plants. That was the
only weapon we had.”
The Save Chana movement has been closely monitored by government
officials, and many people said that the villagers would gradually
surrender. But not Khairiyah. She firmly believes there is still hope.
“I have been raised and surrounded by a healthy environment. I want
to pass these fortunes to younger generations. This is what I always
hold on to,” said Khairiyah.
She also reflected that social media and Facebook Live have played a
vital role in supporting her and the movement, especially people who
live elsewhere to learn about their struggle. It is like a shield for
the protesters – if they’re threatened, they can immediately go on
Facebook Live to reach out to the media and a broader audience. One of
her inspirations has been Greta Thunberg, the environmental activist who
is the same age as her. She’s even written her a letter via the Embassy
of Sweden, to share the problems that she encountered in her community,
and gained attention from Swedish media.
“I follow news about Greta, and I admire her. She is at the same age
as me, and we share the same interest in protecting the environment. I
decided to write a letter to her to share my story as a friend with a
similar belief.”
Last year, Greta Thunberg condemned world leaders in an emotional
speech at the UN Summit for their “betrayal” of young people through
their inertia over the climate crisis: ‘You have stolen my dreams, my childhood’.
Khairiyah is also one of young people who has a dream. She wishes to
travel worldwide and study psychology to help in developing her
hometown.
However, she decided to voice out and let no one determine her own future and her hometown.
“What I have seen and learned from working with many young people, is
that we all have a dream we want to achieve. But we have to leave those
dreams behind to fight for something important at present. Otherwise,
we won’t have a future left to dream of.”
Sirichai Leelertyuth is the Oceans Communications Officer at Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Thailand
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Yeb Saño
This year will remain in my memory for many more to come. My recollections of 2020 may only be compared to those of 2013.
I
was then the lead negotiator for the Philippine delegation to the
United Nations Climate Summit in Warsaw around this time of the year. As
my UN colleagues and I discussed the future of the climate, I received
news from home. Bad news. Super Typhoon Haiyan had struck my family’s hometown of Tacloban as the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall
Exterior
of the Tacloban Provincial Capitol building after Super Typhoon Haiyan
hit on November 8, 2013. The Philippine government estimates that more
than 6,000 people have died from Haiyan’s fury.
and equalled if not surpassed Haiyan’s wind speeds when it
made landfall in the island-province of Catanduanes. It swept across a
region that is still recovering from the impacts of Typhoon Molave
from a week before. That’s a sad record, a portent of things to come.
The
Philippines is ground zero yet again. It’s not possible to fully
describe in words the experience of a super typhoon: the sheer force of
nature, the instinctive anxiety, the lingering grief.
It’s certainly not something that I would wish other people to
understand from first hand experience. But even for those who live away
from tropical areas, there are other extreme weather disasters that mark
us in a deep way.
Residents
take shelter inside modular tents at the Rosauro Almario Elementary
School in Tondo, Manila on November 2, 2020. Thousands of families
living in flood-prone and coastal areas were forced evacuated due to
Super Typhoon Goni.
This year of the pandemic has also been the year of record wildfires in Australia
in Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia,
South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda suffered from historic
floodings. Unfortunately, this is just a limited snapshot of the
problems fuelled by climate change, impacting people all over the world.
We are in a climate emergency. It’s unfolding now, just as the
pandemic. And yet, many refuse to do something about it; particularly
those most responsible for the carbon pollution behind the problem:
fossil fuel companies and their backers.
for asking people what they would change to help reduce
carbon emissions. Just the sheer audacity of a carbon polluter to put
the burden on individuals to solve the climate crisis– which they have
largely caused and profited from– is what drives millions of people to
now hold them accountable. And we must. Their carbon emissions
(historical and cumulative) have changed our climate for the worse,
impacting our own ability to survive
. This is particularly true for those who are in the most
vulnerable situations before, during and after an extreme weather
disaster.
And here I go back to the lessons from 2013. A new movement has
emerged and the battleground has moved from the labs, the boardrooms and
conference halls, to the streets, the classrooms, and courtrooms. This
is the result of grassroots organising. The youth are striking
Back in the Philippines, a broad coalition of local groups, workers
and fisherfolk came together with women, LGBTQIA+ activists and
concerned citizens to ask
the Philippine Commission on Human Rights to conduct an
inquiry into the responsibility of major companies like Shell, BHP
Billiton, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ENI, ExxonMobil, Glencore, OMV,
Repsol, Sasol, Suncor, Total, RWE and other big carbon polluters
for human rights harms resulting from the climate crisis. After a
5-year investigation, we now await the Commission’s findings. We expect
it to be a landmark victory for the Filipino people and the global
climate justice movement. We hope that the Commission will not fall
short in finding responsibility against these big carbon polluters and
issue recommendations that will inspire systemic change and put a halt
to fossil fuel dependency.
As of writing, Typhoon Atsani is now making its presence felt in
Northern Philippines. And another tropical disturbance is brewing over
in the Pacific and is expected to hit the country
in the next few days (either headed for the Bicol region
which is still reeling from Super Typhoon Goni, or Eastern Visayas which
was pummelled by Super Typhoon Haiyan).
It is only right that we continue to put public pressure on these big carbon polluters and raise our voices for justice. Let’s make 2020 count, let it be the year when we stand with climate-impacted communities as they reclaim their rights to a safe and stable climate.
The climate emergency gives us massive reasons that make us lose
sleep at night. But it also gives us all the good reasons to get out of
bed in the morning. While we bring our voices to the boardrooms,
courtrooms, and plenary halls of power, we hold firmly in our hearts
that this battle will not merely be won or lost in the chambers of
policy making, commerce, or law. This fight for climate justice will be
won or lost in the chambers of people’s hearts.
Yeb Saño is the Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Informação, curiosidade e vontade, aliados a um momento de entretenimento regado pela animação “Tem um monstro na minha cozinha”,
podem ser ingredientes perfeitos para o ingresso em uma jornada que,
para muitos, quem sabe, ainda é um tanto quanto desconhecida. A redução
do consumo de carne.
No último dia 22 de outubro, nós lançamos a animação que tem como
objetivo denunciar o impacto devastador que a cadeia produtiva da
pecuária tem sobre nossas florestas. Hoje, na Amazônia, cerca de 80% das
áreas recém-desmatadas são ocupadas por gado.
A partir da história de um menino que tem a cozinha invadida por um
monstro, mas que na verdade trata-se apenas de uma onça que tem sua
casa, a floresta, ameaçada por queimadas provocadas por desmatadores criminosos,
muita gente se mobilizou para apoiar um movimento que já faz parte da
história do Greenpeace, o de redução do consumo de carne.
Tem um monstro na minha cozinha
Nós defendemos a redução do consumo de proteína animal,
não apenas para poupar a floresta e reduzir as emissões de gases do
efeito estufa, uma vez que a agropecuária é responsável por mais de 60%
das emissões que provocam as mudanças climáticas, mas porque sabemos
também que “mais vegetais e menos carne” é sinônimo de melhorias para a nossa saúde
. Além disso, para quem pode fazer escolhas na hora de
consumir, esta é uma maneira de enviar um recado para governos e
empresas de que não estamos satisfeitos com o modelo agrícola atual e
que exigimos novas formas de produção de alimentos.
Por meio da campanha Segunda Sem Carne, toda semana
convidamos a todos, através das nossas redes sociais, a refletirem sobre
como nossos hábitos alimentares geram impactos na nossa saúde, no
planeta e nos animais. Ficar um dia da semana sem consumir produtos de
origem animal parece pouco, mas isso já provoca muitas consequências
positivas. Segundo a Sociedade Vegetariana Brasileira
(SVB), mais de 327 milhões de refeições vegetarianas e veganas foram oferecidas entre 2009 e 2019 graças a essa mobilização.
Ao mesmo tempo em que políticas públicas são fundamentais para trazer
as mudanças estruturais de que precisamos, vale também a
conscientização do quanto nossas decisões individuais contribuem para o
bem-estar do planeta. Se você pode escolher colocar no seu prato
alimentos que não carreguem rastros de destruição, por que não começar
agora?
Dê um primeiro passo e descubra o leque de cores e sabores que se
revela quando você tira a carne do prato, nem que seja uma vez por
semana, participando do Segunda Sem Carne. Não sabe por onde começar?
Que tal dar uma espiada no e-book “Quarentena Sem Carne”,
com receitas indicadas por um time de chefs, nutricionistas e
influenciadores da boa alimentação, ou então, busque pela hashtag
#menoscarnemaisfloresta nas redes sociais
. E para você que já está com a gente nesse movimento, continue compartilhando suas receitas mais saborosas!
Quer aprender algumas receitas gostosas sem proteína animal? Veja quem participou usando a hashtag #menoscarnemaisfloresta no Instagram
Desde o dia 3 deste mês, moradores de 13 das 16 cidades do Amapá
estão sem acesso a direitos básicos como energia, água e comida. Sem
saber a quem recorrer, a população segue em uma situação desesperadora
que se agrava com o aumento do risco de contaminação por Covid-19, uma
vez que precisam se submeter a situações de aglomeração para acessar
doações e estão sem água para garantir a higiene necessária e se
defender do vírus.
É importante ressaltar que esse apagão acontece em um estado que
sofre com os impactos sociais e ambientais de barragens construídas para
hidrelétricas, que exporta energia para o resto do Brasil e ainda assim
paga uma das contas de luz mais caras do país.
Se você pode e quer ajudar, leia as dicas enviadas pela Karen
Góes, do grupo de voluntários e voluntárias do Greenpeace no Amapá:
1- Fale sobre o assunto com quem você conhece. Nas redes sociais,
marque as hashtags #SOSAmapá , #AmapáNoEscuro e #ApagãoNoAmapá, mostre
que nós, moradores de todo o estado, não estamos sozinhos ou
abandonados, que é como os tomadores de decisão e a grande mídia nos
fazem sentir. Coloque-se mentalmente em nosso lugar e compartilhe o que
você sente ao ver a gente nessa situação.
2- Doe o que puder. Existem diversas vaquinhas online arrecadando
contribuições para levar mantimentos à periferia. E como os
carregamentos de produtos chegam e rapidamente são vendidos, gerando uma
constante procura por itens básicos, doações de alimentos não
perecíveis, álcool, velas, fósforos ou lanternas também são muito
importantes.
3- Ofereça aos seus seguidores um conteúdo de relevância e com
representatividade. Empreste sua conta para amapaenses falarem sobre o
caos que estamos vivendo na última semana, assim você também colabora
com o desmanche dos oligopólios da informação e abre espaço para criação
de novas realidades inclusivas.
4- Pressione tomadores de decisão a mudarem nossa realidade, exija
reparação e resolução do problema, não deixe que o Brasil nos esqueça
conforme novas notícias aparecem.
5- Seja uma comunicadora ou um comunicador pela solidariedade, faça
um vídeo didático para os seus amigos que ironizam ou não compreendem a
situação, converse com eles sobre produção e distribuição de energia,
fale sobre privilégios, sobre a exploração da sociedade amazônica, atue
como um educador do futuro e ajude as pessoas a compreenderem
importantes dilemas sociais usando sua própria linguagem, sua maneira de
entender o mundo.
6- Mas se você ainda não sabe muito sobre esse assunto, não se
acanhe, estamos todos juntos e queremos buscar a mudança para uma
realidade mais justa e igualitária. Informe-se e acompanhe as hashtags
#SOSAmapá #AmapáNoEscuro #ApagãoNoAmapá para ficar por dentro do que os
amapaenses vêm denunciando.
7- E para além deste momento, continue nos acompanhando através das
hashtags nas redes e trocando informações com a gente. Se você é um
protetor do meio ambiente, procure conhecer a realidade das populações
que moram na Amazônia e não se limite ao bioma ou às lindíssimas
espécies de plantas e animais. Queremos que este momento abra caminhos
para que o Brasil inteiro conheça e cuide da população amapaense de
forma genuína e constante, assim como nós provemos cuidado e vida,
através da floresta em pé.
Nesta semana, publicamos um relato escrito pela Karen Góes
em que fala sobre a situação do estado e coloca sua visão diante da
inação do poder público para mitigar os terríveis impactos da situação.
