On Sunday morning, before the crack of dawn, nearly 200 concerned environmental defenders took to the Waterfront to get a glimpse of Shell’s seismic testing vessel as it made its way into Cape Town harbour. The vessel travelled down the West coast of Africa, on its way to the Wild Coast, to conduct seismic surveys for an estimated five months. The Green Connection’s … [Read more...]
Sea Shepherd ships attacked at Vaquita Refuge
At about 07:00 on the morning of Thursday 31 December, a group of assailants in 5 - 7 fishing boats launched a violent attack on Sea Shepherd vessels Farley Mowat and Sharpie inside the Zero Tolerance Area of Mexico’s federally-protected Vaquita Refuge. The incident began as the crew of the Farley Mowat undertook efforts to retrieve a gillnet from the protected region, home … [Read more...]
Rainbow Warrior Day 4: Then the whales came
Ding dong the bell rang “Several whales dead ahead …several whales dead ahead!” All work stopped and we all ran to the deck. NOTHING swayed the punctual running of the Rainbow Warrior, except one of two events …the arrival of either dolphins or whales. These supreme guardians of the sea that wraps herself around our planet draw all on board to the rails and peering into the … [Read more...]
Rainbow Warrior Day 1: What happens at sea?
First night on the Rainbow Warrior swinging like a piece of washing in the wind – is she trying to jump the rainbow? Falling around in my cot I don’t sleep much, but listen to the swishing of waves breaking off the ship - a constant reminder that I’m not dreaming. I am indeed on this legendary boat, sharing the story with our readers. This is the third Rainbow Warrior – one … [Read more...]
Robben Island beaches enjoy green sweep
Robben Island had her beaches swept of junk last Saturday when PETCO, the Plastics Federation and the Overberg community launched a big clean-up initiative. The clean-up generated no less than 15 bags of recycling material including plastic, glass, and metal in two hours. John Kieser, environmental manager of the Plastics Federation was the host of the clean-up and guided … [Read more...]
The voyage that changed me
My mind was racing back to that first plastic sample we found in the ocean. Clear navy blue water filled with small coloured pieces of plastic. I stood in line at the supermarket, bursting with excitement because I had finally remembered to bring along my own shopping bag. When is the message of sustainability going to filter through to staff at this level? Unfortunately … [Read more...]
