Downton Abbey's Carson (actor Jim Carter) makes a fool of himself as Greenpeace Santa

"Dear children, regrettably I bring bad tidings,"

 "Melting ice here at the North Pole has made our operations and our day-to-day life intolerable and impossible, and there may be no alternative but to cancel Christmas."

Jim Carter as Greenpeace Santa

 

 

Downton Abbey's Carson (actor Jim Carter) makes a complete fool of himself as Greenpeace's Apocalyptic Santa. Watch CNN's Jeanne Moos rip the organization's latest doomsday video:

Heartland Institute's Jim Lakely comments:

Radical left-wing organizations have long-enjoyed stenographic coverage in the mainstream media. So it certainly came as a shock to Greenpeace to see CNN rip into the organization for employing a decrepit Santa to advance lies that scare kids and adults alike about the climate.
CNN’s Jeanne Moos has for many years specialized in quirky human interest stories at the venerable cable channel. This week she ripped Greenpeace for its latest video featuring a disheveled and depressing Santa that makes Billy Bob Thornton’s iconic “Bad Santa” look as warm as the one from “Miracle on 34th Street.”
You see, says Greenpeace’s Apocalyptic Santa, if the ice doesn’t stop melting at the North Pole, “there may be no alternative but to cancel Christmas.” Worry not, kids. Arctic ice has actually increased this year by 533,000 square miles (and total polar ice is at highest point in about a decade), which Moos notes in her report.

Greenpeace mega yacht visits Taiwan "in the name of tourism"

The Rainbow Warrior III is visiting Taiwan "in the name of tourism".
(image wikipedia)

The Greenpeace mega yacht Rainbow Warrior III is continuing its around the world cruise in exotic waters. The ship is today scheduled to arrive in Taiwan, where the overseer of local ports clearly states what the purpose of the visit is:

"The 855-ton vessel will depart from Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor and will dock at the Keelung Port for seven days in the name of tourism, according to the Keelung branch of Taiwan International Ports Co. Ltd., which oversees the country's port operations."

The Greenpeace cruise guests will not be disappointed; Taiwan, "the heart of Asia", offers a multitude of sights and sounds to enjoy:

"Besides mountains, beautiful coastal scenes are part of Taiwan's great natural assets. Starting from the northern tip of the island is the North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area and Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area, featuring a wide variety of coastal geography. Traveling around the island to the east, you come to the scenic East Coast National Scenic Area and East Rift Valley National Scenic Area; go to the south, and you will come to the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area and then the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area, blessed with sunshine and a tropical touch."


Bon Voyage! 

Greenpeace set on destroying the Australian coal industry

The envirofundamentalist Greenpeace is now set on destroying the Australian coal industry, one of the backbones of the country's economy: 

Greenpeace activists boarded a coal ship heading out of Australian waters in an effort to curb coal exports.

Using inflatable boats from Greenpeace’s ship the Rainbow Warrior, six activists boarded the Korean-owned coal ship MV Meister at dawn on Wednesday and presented a letter to the ship’s captain explaining why they were there. The activists set up camp on the ship’s bow.

“Our leaders are failing us so it’s up to us to take civil disobedience and to slow down and stop these coal ships. We are set to stay here as long as it takes,” she added.

“We are calling on the rest of Australia to take whatever action is possible to ensure that we do not double our coal exports. We cannot deal with the climate change that will result from that,” said a Greenpeace spokesman on the Rainbow Warrior.

What the Greenpeace people are engaged in is nothing but a criminal activity, that should be dealt with accordingly. It goes without saying that people unlawfully boarding a ship and setting up camp on it should be arrested and prosecuted. 

And, as economists Sinclair Davidson and Ashton de Silva point out in an article in The Australian, the meddling by Greenpeace and people like American anti-coal activist  Bill McKibben in the Australian coal economy could have a massive negative impact in Australia: 

The new Rainbow Warrior is on an Australian tour campaigning against the coal industry and its "reckless" expansion. Writing in these pages Greenpeace activist David Ritter would have us believe that Australia faces a stark choice between coalmining and tourism or agriculture.

Mining creates upstream and downstream economic activity. Mining itself generated about 11.5 per cent of gross value added in 2011-12 and the spillovers created another 6.5 per cent of economic activity. So nearly one-fifth of our economy is reliant on mining. But the Reserve Bank looked only at the supply side of the economy. When you add the demand side, mining makes up nearly a quarter of our economy. We shouldn't give that up lightly.

Using the same method as the Reserve Bank we estimated the size of the coal economy -- coalmining plus the spillovers from coal into the broader economy -- to be about 3.1 per cent of gross value added in 2011-12, about $43 billion. Including the demand side, that increases to 4.2 per cent of gross value added, and nearly $60bn. The coal economy provides 181,000 jobs. For every coalmining job 3.7 jobs are created in the broader economy.

It is highly likely that the benefits and spillovers of those jobs are concentrated in the coal-mining states of NSW, Queensland and Victoria. . The challenge for critics of the coal industry is to articulate alternative economic activity for those engaged in mining and mining-related activity, which can be as diverse as construction services and wholesale trade.

Most important, coal keeps our electricity generators going. Phasing out coalmining means turning off the lights, while phasing out coal exports means turning off other people's lights and economic growth.

That is probably not the message Greenpeace wishes to promote but it highlights the paucity of its argument.

Australian coal doesn't just benefit the Australian economy, it benefits the world economy. Despite that, the Australian coalmining industry recently was labelled a "rogue industry" that must be phased out by American anti-coal activist Bill McKibben from non-governmental organisation 350.org who is coming to Australia in June to campaign against coal exports.

The consequences of ill-informed meddling in the coal economy would have a massive negative impact in Australia, especially in the most populous states along the east coast.

Foreigners coming to Australia to campaign against our national economy can do a lot of damage if their claims go unchallenged. So too will "uncivil" disobedience campaigns designed to sabotage local economies and cause property destruction. Coalmining and exports provide benefits to Australia and the world well beyond mining itself.

Canadian forestry company shows how to deal with envirofundamentalist Greenpeace

Lies and intimidation have been the core of Greenpeace's campaigns against forest companies for years now. Most companies have chosen not to take a fight with the greenmailers fearing a no-win situation. Finally, one company, Canadian Resolute shows how to deal with the envirofundamentalist NGO:

In December, Greenpeace pulled the trigger, claiming it had proof from GPS-tagged video and pictures that one of the coalition industry members, Resolute Forest Products, was building logging roads in areas forbidden by the agreement. It released pictures it said were taken in August 2012 in Quebec’s Montagnes Blanches region, and it promptly resigned from the CBFA (Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement). --

Unlike Kimberly-Clark and Quebec-based hardware and lumber retailer Rona, which buckled under harsh criticism and paid greenmail, Resolute fought back, providing documentation that the allegations were untrue. It supplied “concrete milestones” that it had reached for caribou protection and the implementation of best practices.

When its prey did not drop, Greenpeace reloaded and fired again. Spokesperson Shane Moffat trumpeted “Greenpeace’s science-based advocacy for responsible forestry” as the group issued a report,Boreal Alarm that threatened to wreak havoc on Resolute’s brand if it didn’t junk its logging practices, already approved under the terms of the CBFA coalition, in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba.

Greenpeace and its key allies were surprised at Resolute’s resoluteness. But the company believed it was standing on firm factual ground and refused to be bullied. Finally in a huge embarrassment, on March 19, the activist group admitted it had bungled its “investigation” and that the unimpeachable videos and photos were just plain wrong. Even as it crowed about its 40 years of commitment to “best available science and research,” Greenpeace admitted it relied on “inaccurate maps” before launching its highly public and damaging attacks.

Read the entire article here

The Resolute way of taking on Greenpeace will hopefully encourage other companies worldwide to do the same. It is time to stop the job destroying envirofundamentalist greenmailers! 

New study debunks another greenie propaganda slogan: Fracking does NOT cause any significant earthquakes

Another of the envirofundamentalist greenies' favorite propaganda slogans, "fracking causes dangerous earthquakes" has now been debunked:

Hydraulic fracturing used to access oil and gas from rock and shale hasn’t caused “significant” earthquakes, according to a study by Durham University.

“Hydraulic fracturing is not a significant mechanism for inducing felt earthquakes,” Richard Davies, director of the U.K. university’s energy institute, said today in a statement. “The size and number of felt earthquakes caused by fracking is low compared to other manmade triggers such as mining, geothermal activity or reservoir water storage.”

The new study is of course a bitter pill to swallow for groups like Greenpeace:

Tremors aren’t the only concern about the method, known as fracking, according to a Greenpeace statement. “Communities have also expressed concern about noise, disruption, traffic, falling house prices and a general industrialization of the English countryside,” Lawrence Carter, an energy campaigner for the environmental group, said in the statement.

It is interesting to see Greenpeace suddenly interested in noise, falling house prices and the preservation of the English countryside. These same greenies have no problem with all this when it comes to filling the English countryside with thousands of noisy, bird killing, ineffective and ugly wind turbines.

The WWF has four times more money to spend than "Big Oil" American Petroleum Institute

The Greenpeace fleet includes the state of the art yacht Rainbow Warrior III. 

Envirofundamentalist organizations such as Greenpeace and the WWF often like to talk about the enormous sums Big Oil has at its disposal to counteract their activities. But a comparison done by American University professor Matthew Nisbet shows that the revenues generated by the American Petroleum Institute (API), the largest U.S trade association for the oil and natural gas industry, pale in comparison with such organizations as Greenpeace and the WWF. 

In 2011 the World Wildlife Federation Network generated US$800 million, four times more than the API ($203 million). Greenpeace also clearly beat the API with revenues almost the double:

Even more relevant are the figures reported for Greenpeace Worldwide, which according to the annual report represents the combined budget of Greenpeace International and its affiliated national and regional organizations. In this case, Greenpeace brought in global revenues of €241 million (US$336 million) and spent approximately €159 million on program activities (US$221 million) and €77 million on fundraising (US$107 million) across countries.- 

Greenpeace global revenue also compares well to that of major U.S. industry associations which we commonly think of as having inconceivably large budgets. Consider that in 2009, the American Petroleum Institute generated $203 million in revenue and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce $214 million in revenue from its industry members.

Germans are contributing most to Greenpeace funding, but the Dutch are the leading per capita donors. 
Source: Greenpeace

At the global level, Greenpeace employs nearly 2,200 staff, with 1,039 based in Europe and 314 in the U.S and Canada. As displayed in this graph from its annual report, Germany is the leading source of the organization’s worldwide fundraising followed by the U.S., Netherlands, and Switzerland.

As big in scope as Greenpeace Worldwide might be, it still is smaller than at least one other multi-national environmental organizations. Consider that in 2011, the World Wildlife Federation Network, which includes the U.S. based World Wildlife Federation and affiliates in 80 other countries, generated €575 million in revenue (US$800 million) and employed 5,000 staff worldwide.[3]

For once Greenpeace is fighting for a good cause

It does not happen often that I find myself agreeing with something Greenpeace is doing. But in this case, I think they should be supported: 

Greenpeace has launched a new crowd-funded campaign to protest the federal court’s decision to support Coca-Cola in its fight against a Northern Territory recycling plant.

Three days ago the Australian federal court sanctioned the dismantling of a Northern Territory 10c deposit recycling scheme after Coke argued the initiative, introduced in January last year, was costly and ineffective.

The scheme was similar to one which has been running in South Australia since 1977.

The soft drink company argued the extra 10 cents added to its products was unfair to consumers, despite the fee being refundable. --

Greenpeace said that in two weeks over 50,000 people had already signed up to the campaign calling on politicians to implement a national ‘Cash for containers’ scheme.

Depicted in the ad is a flesh-footed shearwater from Lord Howe Island, which starved on a full stomach - full of plastic waste it had mistaken for food.

According to Greenpeace, two-thirds of seabirds are affected by plastic trash which pollutes our waterways, rivers and end up in the ocean.

Other species known to be impacted by plastic pollution in our oceans include turtles, whales, seals and fish and Greenpeace asserts that one of the biggest culprits is creating this plastic pollution is the beverage industry.

However, I cannot understand, why there is a need to launch a campaign in order to stop Coca-Cola from opposing the recycling plant. 

Only a few weeks ago Greenpeace International boss Kumi Naidoo boasted about his close relationship with Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent:

"A few weeks ago, the McDonald's chief executive pulled out of the Natural Refrigerants Alliance. So to get them back in, I had two options: start another campaign against McDonald's – which eats up resource time – or use another route. So I had 15 minutes with Muhtar Kent, chief executive, Coca Cola, and I said he needed to pick up the phone and call the chief executive of McDonald's, who he is friends with, and he agreed to it. Also, I am able to call Kent and say "Listen, I understand that you are a part of this association at the state level that has been lobbying against climate, and you guys have to make up your mind which side of the fence are you on because it is inconsistent. You are doing some really positive things on climate action in your practice, but actually you're part of a business coalition that is pushing in the other direction."

Why doesn't Kumi just pick up the phone, and tell Kent to stop Coca-Cola's fight against the recycling plant? Or is their relationship restricted only to the AGW hoax?

Greenpeace yacht to begin polluting two week cruise of the Great Barrier Reef

Yachts like the Rainbow Warrior 3 disturb the sensitive reef ecosystem. 

"The highlight for me was getting to surf and dive in places that not a lot of people 

have actually gone to"

Dominico Zapata, Greenpeace cruise guest activist, travelling on Rainbow Warrior 3

The Australian reports that the new Greenpeace yacht Rainbow Warrior 3 is about to begin a two week cruise of the Great Barrier Reef:

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior is about to visit Australia to highlight the threat to the Great Barrier Reef from climate change and coal exports.

The boat will remain on the Great Barrier Reef for two weeks, as part of a campaign against the expansion of the Abbot Point coal port in central Queensland.

Not a bad time to visit the possibly greatest natural wonder of the world. With loads of sunshine, warm seas, refreshing sea breezes and a warm climate all year round, tropical North Queensland weather is hard to beat.

In order not to make ordinary visitors, not able to afford the comfort of a small cruise ship, too jealous, the people at Greenpeace have chosen to call the cruise a campaign "to highlight the threat to the Great Barrier from climate change and coal exports". 

Scientists have for years now been worried about the great number of tourist boats disturbing the  sensitive reef ecosystem:

The millions of visitors that the Great Barrier Reef draws every year are also an unintentional contributor to the general decline of the reef. Not only leisure vessels heading out for tours to the reef but also reef-based activities such as reef-walking, using submersibles and even the runoff from various sunscreens are all thought to be contributing negative factors that – when combined with the sheer volume of tourists who frequent the reef – are much more impactful than they may seem. This is also not taking into account intentionally or neglectfully destructive practices such as littering and various other forms of man-made pollution.

The Greenpeace greenies obviously could not care less. These people think that their idiotic fight against imaginary human caused global warming gives them the right to pollute this and  other unique habitats.

Greenpeace's latest scare campaign: "Untold human suffering" and "deaths of tens of millions" in 2030 because of global warming

Greenpeace boss Kumi Naidoo introduces the organization's latest global warming scare campaign:

"It is estimated that there were 5 million deaths from climate-related impacts in 2013 (yes it says 2013!) – in 2050 it is estimated that there will be 100 million, if we don’t act now." 

The people at the Greenpeace website apparently think that their boss is too modest:

The world is quickly reaching a point of no return for preventing the worst impacts of climate change. Continuing on the current course will make it difficult, if not impossible, to prevent the widespread and catastrophic impacts of climate change. The costs will be substantial: billions spent to deal with the destruction of extreme weather events, untold human suffering and the deaths of tens of millions from the impacts by as soon as 2030.-

Climate change is already supercharging our weather. People are suffering and dying now from climate change. The destruction is enormous.

As proof for the coming "untold human suffering" due to global warming Greenpeace offers e.g. this:

"Parts of Russia are super cold."

"Jerusalem was blanketed with snow in January 2013."

Global cooling is apparently now an integral part of global warming for Naidoo and his fellow greenies. Maybe that's what they have to say, because there has not been any warming for the last 16 or so years. 

The Mafia - and Greenpeace - way of approaching "clients"

"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse"

Don Vito Corleone

There have been a lot of reports about the Italian mafia entering the "green" energy business, favored by Greenpeace, WWF and other similar climate change lobby groups. However, it also works the other way around:

Here is a description of how the Sicilian mafia approaches its clients:

Mafiosi approach potential clients in an aggressive but friendly manner, like a door-to-door salesman.^[137] They may even offer a few free favors as enticement. If a client rejects their overtures, mafiosi sometimes coerce them by vandalizing their property or other forms of harassment.-

In many situations, mafia bosses prefer to establish an indefinite long-term bond with a client, rather than make one-off contracts. The boss can then publicly declare the client to be under his permanent protection (his "friend", in Sicilian parlance). This leaves little public confusion as to who is and isn't protected, so thieves and other predators will be deterred from attacking a protected client and prey only on the unprotected.^[139]

Mafiosi generally do not involve themselves in the management of the businesses they protect or arbitrate. Lack of competence is a common reason, but mostly it is to divest themselves of any interests that may conflict with their roles as protectors and arbitrators. This makes them more trusted by their clients, who need not fear their businesses being taken over.

Read the entire article here

Here are two descriptions of how Greenpeace approaches its "clients":

Kumi Naidoo, executive director of Greenpeace International, February 15, 2013:

"A few weeks ago, the McDonald's chief executive pulled out of the Natural Refrigerants Alliance. So to get them back in, I had two options: start another campaign against McDonald's – which eats up resource time – or use another route. So I had 15 minutes with Muhtar Kent, chief executive, Coca Cola, and I said he needed to pick up the phone and call the chief executive of McDonald's, who he is friends with, and he agreed to it. Also, I am able to call Kent and say "Listen, I understand that you are a part of this association at the state level that has been lobbying against climate, and you guys have to make up your mind which side of the fence are you on because it is inconsistent. You are doing some really positive things on climate action in your practice, but actually you're part of a business coalition that is pushing in the other direction."

Read the entire article here

The Coca Cola Company, January 2012:

The consensus on climate science is increasingly unequivocal -- global climate change is happening and man-made greenhouse gas emissions are a crucial factor.The implications of climate change for our planet are profound and wide-ranging, with expected impacts on biodiversity, water resources, public health, and agriculture.

As an extension of our efforts, The Coca-Cola Company co-founded "Refrigerants, Naturally!"with McDonald's and Unilever along with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Greenpeace. This is an example of public-private collaboration on innovative solutions for climate protection.

Read the entire article here

Greenpeace, August 2009:

Kimberly-Clark has, as a result of public pressure, released a new environmental fibre policy that governs how it will help conserve forests and support sustainable forestry and use more recycled fibre.

Greenpeace's Kleercut campaign was launched in November 2004.

This campaign to help protect ancient forests in Canada and globally applied pressure on the company via the marketplace and its large customers and consumers. In order to highlight the issue, hundreds of protests took place globally, resulting in more than 50 activists arrested in acts of peaceful civil disobedience. Scientific and exposé reports, media mobilization and shareholder engagement were also an important part of the campaign.

This work and dedication reached a successful conclusion with Kimberly-Clark’s release of the strongest paper policy by one of the world’s top three tissue product manufacturers.

Read the entire article here

Kimberly-Clark, August 2009:

In 2009, Kimberly-Clark and Greenpeace, a leading environmental organization, began working together to reinforce the company's progressive fiber sourcing standards. The agreement has brought additional protection to special forest areas and clear targets for Kimberly-Clark to increase its usage of environmentally-preferred fibers in our North American tissue products. To further our stakeholder engagement, we have continuous dialogue with Greenpeace to gain their perspective on other important sustainability issues.

Read the entire article here

Greenpeace "activist": "The highlight for me was getting to surf and dive in places that not a lot of people have actually gone to"

Greenpeace ain't what it used to be, if one is to believe "activist" Dominico Zapata, who traveled "halfway around the world" during four months on board the new Rainbow Warrior III mega yacht:

The trip began in Durban, South Africa, in September. The 60m-long ship then sailed to Mozambique, Mauritius, the Maldives and Sri Lanka during the next two months.

Mr Zapata remained aboard for the final five-week transit to New Zealand and anchored in the Bay of Islands earlier this month.

Mr Zapata spent the first half of the trip working as assistant chef and the second half as a deckhand.

It was his first long-distance ocean-sailing experience and a trip he will never forget. "The highlight for me was getting to surf and dive in places that not a lot of people have actually gone to and just getting to see the amazing beauty of what's out there and the need to protect it.

It is easy to understand why Zapata and his fellow "activists" enjoyed their cruise. Who would not like four months of cruising in the Indian och Pacific Oceans, visiting exotic destinations, out of reach for ordinary cruise ships?

In order not to upset the "progressive" supporters, who finance Greenpeace's cruising activities, the NGO had chosen to call this particular cruise "The Greenpeace Indian Ocean campaign":

"It was mainly a research campaign," he said. "It was to try to cut out pirate fishing in the Indian Ocean and look at creating a series of marine reserves."

For all those probably thousands of young people, who would like the same unique cruise experience, the Bay of Plenty Times offers some good advice. 

This is how "activist" Zapata got his free cruise:

He has previously chained himself to a ship anchor in protest at the use of palm kernel and covered himself in molasses to highlight the issue of deep-sea oil drilling.

Read the entire article here

Promoters of the Mother Earth cult have "blessed" the new Greenpeace mega yacht

Matauri Bay in New Zealand, has over a kilometre of beautiful white sand and crystal clear water. It is particularly popular in the summer when thousands flock there. (Image wikipedia)

High priests of Greenpeace, one of leading promoters of the Mother Earth cult, have "blessed" their new mega yacht in the "spiritual home" of the Greenpeace fleet:

The new Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior made its first public appearance in New Zealand today when its crew visited Northland's Matauri Bay, described as "the spiritual home" of the environmental organisation's ships.

They paid tribute to the original Rainbow Warrior, bombed by French agents in 1985, and to Ngati Kura, the guardians of the old ship's gravesite on the seabed surrounded by the picturesque Cavalli Islands.

Kuia and kaumatua from Ngati Kura and Ngati Rehia were taken out to the ship for a blessing and a whakatau (formal welcome) in blazing sunshine around 11am.

Among the speakers was captain Joel Stewart, who thanked Ngati Kura for giving the first Rainbow Warrior such an inspiring resting place and for giving all Greenpeace ships a spiritual home.

By visiting Matauri Bay the crew was accepting the baton from the first and second ships, and the duty of caring for Mother Earth.

Read the entire article here

PS

Captain Stewart and his fellow travelers must be congratulated for picking the right date for their Pacific cruise. The "blazing  sunshine" of the pristine Matauri Bay most certainly beats the cold and grey January weather here in the northern hemisphere. 

(While the greenies are enjoying their holiday in the sun, heavy snowfall is making life untolerable for thousands of Syrian refugees in the Middle East and close to 200 people have died in India due to severe Siberian winter weather.) 

Great news: Greenpeace will be invisible at the COP18 in Doha

The annual UN global warming hoax mega jamboree COP 18 is due to begin in Doha on November 26. One piece of good news can be reported already now: Greenpeace will be invisible during the conference. 

Greenpeace says it will not organise protests during the United Nations conference about climate change (COP-18) that will take place in Doha from November 26 to December 27. During COP-17, held in Durban (South Africa) in 2011, the organisation occupied the conference centre where UN climate talks were being held.

Hoda Baraka, Communications representative of the Arab World Project of Greenpeace Mediterranean, told The Peninsula that “due to practical challenges in a country where we have no local office, we have finally decided not to organise visual events in Doha in the way that we have had at many previous Conference of the Parties”.

The representative of Greenpeace added that “we did explore in detail the possibilities of doing so, but found that we could not carry out activities with sufficient impact at reasonable cost”. For that reason, the presence of Greenpeace will focus on lobbying with the delegations and interacting with the media. 

Nevertheless, the Greenpeace official stated that “of course we still take the opportunity of COP-18 very seriously, and we are sending a large delegation of climate policy experts and communications specialists”.

The lack of an office in Doha did not prevent Greenpeace from sending its flagship to the Doha WTO meeting in 2001:

Greenpeace will dock its flagship Rainbow Warrior outside the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting in Doha from November 9-13 to push environmental causes, the group said Monday. Representatives of local communities from the five continents whose livelihoods may be affected by WTO decisions will be among about 35 people on board, Greenpeace political director Remi Parmentier told AFP. He said permission was granted to berth the vessel in full view of the conference hotel during a meeting with Qatar's Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani in Doha on Sunday.

Could it be that the Qataris this time did not allow free parking for the Greenpeace new luxury yacht in front of the brand new Qatar National Convention Centre, the venue of the COP18? Or maybe the new yacht is too modest accomodation for the present generation of Greenpeace top brass? Instead Kumi Naidoo and his "large delegation" of "climate policy experts" and "communications specialists" seems to have opted to stay invisible, most probably in the cosy comfort of one of the many Doha five star hotels.

Could the Torch be the preferred choice for Kumi and his band of greenies?:

"At 300m high and with 360° panoramic views across the whole of Doha, The Torch is haven for the discerning traveller be they sports enthusiasts, business leaders or health and wellness seekers. The hotel is ideally situated midway between the major diplomatic area of West Bay, Qatar Foundation and 14 minutes away from Qatar National Convention Centre. Guests at the hotel have private walkway access to Villaggio mall."

Australia´s Queensland government shows how to deal with Greenpeace

The Queensland government in Australia shows how to deal with Greenpeace: 

"The Queensland government places no weight on any report that Greenpeace prepares.

''They are scaremongers of the first order and never let the facts get in the way of their predetermined views," Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Jeff Seeney said.

He said the development of the Galilee Basin was vital to Queensland´s economic future, and it would be done in a balanced way.

He noted the government had already scaled back the Abbot Point coal port, and limited rail corridors from the basin to coal ports to two, and not six as Labor had proposed.

"Queenslanders can be assured that while providing for development we will require mining companies to pursue world´s best practice and ensure that the environment is protected," he said.

Also the Queensland Resources Council knows how to handle Greenpeace reports: 

The Queensland Resources Council also dismissed the report, calling it a "comic book".

QRC chief executive Michael Roche said the coal industry had only managed to grow exports by 71 million tonnes over the past 13 years.

"Greenpeace would have people believe that coal exports will grow by a further 891 million tonnes over the next decade," he said in a statement.

"Greenpeace has the industry growing more than six-fold."

Mr Roche said more credible forecasts came from the federal government¡¯s Bureau of Resource and Energy Economics, which reported the outlook for 2020 at 327 million tonnes.

"Who is the public to believe, the independent experts at BREE or the people from the scary monsters unit at Greenpeace, an organisation committed to shutting down the Australian coal industry," he asked.

Dr Nikki Williams, chief executive of the Australian Coal Association said: "Greenpeace is plunging its head in the sandpit, ignoring the reality of global energy demand.

"Their latest missive is an instalment in their agenda to cripple the coal export industry, exposed by Australian media in March this year."

Read the entire article here

Finally there are politicians who are prepared to stand up against the Greenpeace enviro-fundamentalists. Politicians elsewhere should learn from their colleagues in Queensland!

South Africa still needs coal for energy

Greenpeace has challenged South Africa´s major energy company Eskom in a spoof ad to cancel the building of the coal-fired power plant Kusile. However, Eskom´s reply to the enviro-fundamentalists is quite clear: 

The electricity utility's response to Greenpeace Africa's challenge was a stolid "no".

In its response, Eskom said the demand for power in South Africa justified the building of two coal-fired power plants - Kusile and Medupi.

The Medupi plant is nearing completion and Kusile, according to Eskom spokesman Hilary Joffe, is "on track to start emitting power to the national grid by 2014".

--

"If we're to support economic growth and job investment, we need to make sure we can electrify households.

"Neither wind farms nor solar plants generate electricity all the time. That's why you need both baseload [sources] and renewables," it said.

According to Bruno Merven, a researcher at the Energy Research Centre at the University of Cape Town, solar, wind and nuclear power can provide only a very limited amount of electricity.

Read the entire article here

What Merven says certainly is true at least about solar and wind power. If South Africa wants to give its citizens a chance to a better life, it needs economic growth . Economic growth is not possible without energy. The best and most economic source of energy in South Africa is king coal, no matter how much  Greenpeace is trying to demonize it. 

Greenpeace´s Naidoo: "We´re not going there and having fun on these ships"

Greenpeace International boss Kumi Naidoo has again been boasting about how tough and dangerous it is to be an activist on board a Greenpeace ship:

"We're not going there and having fun on these ships," he said. "We're going and putting our lives on the line. For myself, as a person coming from Africa, you cannot believe how far the Arctic was for me . . . It was no joke trying to go and occupy an oil rig in the middle of the Arctic. To be honest I was scared, terrified, the waves are very rough and so on. So we're not doing this for fun."

Well, one can doubt the danger level of Naidoo´s activities in  the Arctic. Anyway, the Danish police in Greenland last year did a good job by arresting and deporting Naidoo, so he will not have another chance to break the law over there at least.

Meanwhile, let´s have a reality check regarding Naidoo´s claim that "we are not going there and having fun on these ships".

Here are just a few picks from recent reports by activists who have participated in the continuing "launch tour" of the new Greenpeace luxury yacht Rainbow Warrior III:

Activist Markku reports:

The temperature is now 22 degrees Celsius. Dolphins are jumping happily in the Rainbow Warrior's bow waves. The entire crew is smiling and joking. We are in the middle of the Strait of Gibraltar on the way to Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. This situation is rather different from the last 6 day's experiences.
Last night, sailing the Mediterranean, lit up by the full moon, I looked back again up the sails and rigging. I almost get a tear in the eye when admiring this amazing example of sailing engineering. This is an incredible ship, and a real work of art in many ways. It occasionally is good to recall how lucky and privileged I am to get to sail on this ship with all these incredibly wonderful people.

In a few days I will be back in Helsinki, the darkness, and slush.

Yes I agree, sure sailing in Mediterranean waters, "lit up by the full moon" beats the darkness and sluss in Helsinki anytime!

And when the yacht reached the port of Barcelona, another treat was awaiting the activists - a luxurious dinner prepared by the famed Michelin star chef Diego Guerrero.

No wonder that the activist Tracy was more than impressed by the dinner menu:

We sat down with Ramon, musicians from the band Maez, el Pais blogger Mikel López Iturriaga and our Spanish colleagues to the first course called Mini Babybell which has won Diego national awards for pinchos and tapas. It’s a camembert and truffle creation that looked like, obviously, a mini babybell cheese.
Next up Vieira – the scallops.

Then sukiyaki – a miso soup that looked like a cocktail, or a cappuccino?

Then an egg dish dumpling…

And the beautiful Gilthead bream - with orange and chocolate.

Breaking open the egg I discovered a gooey centre of mango surrounded by coconut cream the colour and consistency of a soft boiled egg. The shell was chocolate. Diego later told me the dish is called “This is not an egg”

Earlier on, when the weather was still fine in more northern waters, another activist enthused over the yacht´s arrival in Stockholm:

The Rainbow Warrior's fourth stop on her launch tour brought us to the capital of Sweden. She came in on a beautiful morning, with water as smooth as a mirror reflecting a low-hanging November sun.

PS

There is no information about where the Rainbow Warrior "launch tour" will be heading now, but the Caribbean would probably be a good bet - that´s where most luxury yachts and their owners spend the winter months. Who knows, maybe even the big boss will join them over there - if he is ready to put his "life on the line"? Gourmet dinners are not necessarily good for one´s health ...

Greenpeace "activists" enjoying the "launch tour" on board the new luxury yacht

The economic and financial crisis in Europe and the US has hit hard on ordinary people, who are trying to trying to get on with their lives in a climate of austerity. But the elite "activists" on board Greenpeace´s luxurious new "Motor Sail yacht with helicopter landing deck", the Rainbow Warrior III, apparently could not care less. They are enjoying the sights and sounds of world capitals.

One of the participants in the Rainbow Warrior "launch tour" was clearly taken by the beauty of the Swedish capital:

The Rainbow Warrior's fourth stop on her launch tour brought us to the capital of Sweden.  She came in on a beautiful morning, with water as smooth as a mirror reflecting a low-hanging November sun.

There is even a video to show that description above is true:

For those who are interested, the Greenpeace web page proudly introduces the new luxury yacht:

She boasts a video editing suite, a conference room, a campaign office, two fast action boats, webcams fore and aft and a helicopter hanger and helideck. She can accommodate up to 30 people.
 
And the yacht is even said to be driven by "electric drive engines"!

The Warrior does have electric drive engines
Electric drive system (10 knots on only 300kW)

But right in end of the information page, under the headline Specifications, you will find this snippet of information:  

Main & Auxiliary Engines: Caterpillar

Greenpeace often accuses private companies and governments of spreading false and misleading information. But what about Greenpeace itself? It does not appear to be very honest to give ordinary people the impression that the new yacht is driven by electic engines, when it in reality uses diesel powered main and auxiliary engines. This fact is nowhere mentioned on Greenpeace´s information page.

On Caterpillar´s home page you will find this information about the engines they make:

Caterpillar is the marine industry's leading provider of medium- and high-speed marine diesel engines

The Geenpeace luxury yacht runs on fossil diesel fuel, even if the greenies do not want to admit it! And without diesel the "beautiful morning, with water as smooth as a mirror reflecting a low-hanging November sun"  in the Stockholm archipelago would not have been possible.