Greenpeace activists delivered to congress a giant cable cutter and manual in a symbolic demand to deputies to “diffuse the time bomb that is electronic waste”.

They demanded that the Minimum Premises for the Management of Electric and Electronic Waste (e-waste) Bill be approved. The bill has been discussed over the past four years and will be dropped if it is not voted before the end of the year.

Over 120,000 metric tonnes of electronic waste are produced in Argentina every year and there is no special government management system put in place.

“Electronic waste contains both toxic substances and valuable materials that can be recuperated and recycled,” said María Eugenia Testa, Political Director of Greenpeace Argentina.

The activists tried to enter congress and deliver their giant props to the three commissions who are in charge of the bill: National Resources, Industry and Budget and Households.

“We need a regulatory framework for environmental protection at a national level and [we need to] especially regulate the management of electrical and electronic equipment waste,” said senator Daniel Filmus from Frente Para La Victoria, who originally presented the proposal in 2008.

According to Escrap, a network of operators of e-waste and by-products industry in Argentina, only 24-32% of e-waste is currently recycled, reused or treated in any way in Argentina.

Between 35-40% is kept in households, offices and warehouses, as people are unsure of what to do with them. The remainder, a further 30-35%, is buried in landfills or left in open rubbish piles. There is also what Escrap calls an “informal sector”, groups who will look in these piles for cables, plates, engines or plastic and then sell them in “informal markets”.

This problem, however, is not unique to Argentina: worldwide, it is estimated that between 20 and 50 million tonnes of e-waste is discarded every year.

More than 80,000 people have signed the online petition for the bill to be approved by congress put online by Greenpeace at www.greenpeace.org.ar .

Read more about the issue in Natasha Sá Osório’s article from January 2012.

Today, Greenpeace activists are placing a large capsule-shaped ‘time bomb’ in front of Congress with the message: “Deputies dismantle this bomb, enact the Law of Electronic Waste now”.

The symbolic protest is to address the law that was unanimously agreed upon by the Senate in May 2011 that was supposed to deal with electronic and electrical waste of Argentina, which creates an approximated 120 tonnes per year.

The ‘time bomb’ has a 90 day countdown to show passersby the remaining days that it has to put the law into action before it loses its parliamentary status and goes back to square one, meaning it will need to be redrawn and signed by the Senate.

The Greenpeace coordinator for the Political Unit, Consuelo Bilbao, told Pagina/12 that electronic waste in the country is an urgent issue that need be addressed as each Argentine produces three kilogrammes each year. He broke down the numbers saying that 50% of the total electronic waste is from offices, homes, public areas and more than 40% are found openly discarded. This means that only 10% receive the proper waste treatment.

Bilbao continued to explain that “since 2008 there was a law proposed to separate electronic waste from common waste and to give it adequate treatment, but the deputies did not consider the urgency of the matter as this type of waste accumulates the quickest and is the most toxic”. He called for the ‘electronic waste’, which has substances such as lead, PVC, mercury and have been shown to cause cancer as well as respiratory and reproductive difficulties, to be reduced each year.

The proposed law had its initial push from senator and former minister of Education, Science and Technology, Daniel Filmus, who also created the idea of “extended responsibility of the producer”. The idea meant that companies and various waste producers needed to be held responsible for their impact on the environment.

‘Electronic waste’ is a growing global concern as it deals with the leftovers of our technological advancements. Waste includes mobiles, refrigerators, batteries, televisions and other household appliances that usually carry high levels of toxins that are difficult to breakdown. It is believed that the harmful impact could be reduced if the law was put in place to promote recycling and recuperation with proper disposal.

Bilbao closed by adding that the “responsibility is in the hands of the state”.

Last week the government of Chaco established new restrictions on the development of intensive farming in the Impenetrable, an area in the north of the Gran Chaco extending into Paraguay.

The restrictions include a ban on bulldozers in the area, a huge accomplishment in an ongoing struggle to preserve this region.

This new legislation is the result of the meeting between Governor Jorge Capitanich and representatives of Greenpeace. The meeting came after the environmental group blockaded two bulldozers in the Impenetrable that were found to be holding permits issued by the province that violated national law.

“At last we will have a bulldozer-free Impenetrable. A very important step for the future of the forests of the Chaco and its people. The new requirements obligate small and medium livestock producers to develop native forests and maintaining compliance with the Forest Act,” said Hernán Giardini, coordinator of Greenpeace forest campaign.

The rate of destruction in Gran Chaco has accelerated since 1996, when Monsanto introduced genetically engineered soya beans into Argentina. Since then, the country has extended its agricultural frontiers to grow genetically engineered soya for export as animal feed and fuel, increasingly at the expense of the Gran Chaco.

In addition to a ban on bulldozers, other restrictions include- a 300 hectare limit on permits (of which half must be left as reserve), maintenance of at least 120 trees over 25 cm of diameter on each hectare, and caps on cattle.

Furthermore, each permit must complete the “Provincial Program Impact Assessment of silvopastoral systems on Environmental Services” in order to assess each land parcel with regard to their impact on biodiversity.

“The new restrictions on factory farming is a breakthrough in the defense of the Impenetrable, a valuable forest ecosystem that covers about 4 million hectares of the semiarid Chaco region and home to critically endangered species like the jaguar, the giant armadillo, and the anteater. We will continue to monitor the region to ensure compliance with the Forest Act,” said Giardini.

Greenpeace stated that more than 80,000 Argentines took part in this campaign.

These new restrictions on factory farming is a breakthrough in the defense of the Impenetrable, a valuable forest ecosystem that covers about 4 million hectares of the semiarid Chaco region which is home to endangered species such as the jaguar, the giant armadillo and the anteater, as well as more than 60,000 Indigenous and campesinos.

Greenpeace’s flagship the “Rainbow Warrior III” has arrived in Buenos Aires to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the environmental NGO. The ship arrived on 11th July and will remain in Buenos Aires through this following weekend. She is the successor of two former ships who had the same names (Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Warrior II). The first ship was sunk in 1985 by the French secret service when Greenpeace tried to prevent nuclear testing in the South Pacific. The latest incarnation of the Rainbow Warrior is a technological marvel with state-of-the-art communications systems, four inflatable boats, and a helicopter landing pad. The costs were covered completely by individual donations, as Greenpeace doesn’t accept donations from companies or political parties. Photographer Beatrice Murch brings you a sample of what you can see if you visit the ship this weekend. The ship is open to the public this Friday 20th and Saturday 21st July, 10am to 6pm; Sunday 22nd July, 10am to 4pm. Dársena Norte number 6 (Puerto Madero, next to Buquebús). See map here. Free admission and bicycle parking is available.

On 11th July, The Rainbow Warrior made port in Buenos Aires. It will remain docked in front of the Buquebús terminal in Puerto Madero for another week, offering tours and spreading environmental awareness.

The ship is the first in Greenpeace’s fleet designed and built specifically for the NGO, the first two Rainbow Warriors having been re-fitted for Greenpeace from commercial vessels. The Rainbow Warrior is not just one of the most environmentally-friendly ships ever made, but also a moving platform of environmental awareness.

It is 57.92 metres of activism and cutting-edge technology. The ship sails primarily under wind power. It has a 55 metre-high A-Frame mast system- allowing it to carry far more sail than a conventional mast of the same size. This is the first time this design has been installed on a vessel of the Rainbow Warrior’s size.

While The Warrior does have electric drive engines, for windless days or tricky navigation, these are also built with sustainability in mind.

It is capable of carrying up to 59 cubic meters of grey and black water, avoiding any need for damaging ‘at sea disposal’. A special biological filtering system helps clean and recycle grey water. Even the paint on the ship’s hull, its trademark rainbows, is environmentally safe.

Rainbow Warriors

The Rainbow Warrior III is the latest evolution of the Rainbow Warrior fleet, the first one being a former UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) trawler that was purchased in 1977 by Greenpeace. The original Rainbow Warrior was sunk in harbour in New Zealand by operatives of the French intelligence service (DSGE) on 10th July 1985, killing one activist and leading to the arrest of a number of French agents.

The Rainbow Warrior II was a three-masted schooner built from the hull of a deep sea fishing vessel that Greenpeace purchased and re-launched with newly outfitted masts and equipment in 1989. Rainbow Warrior II was retired in August 2011 and refitted as a hospital ship operating from Bangladesh.

The latest Rainbow Warrior carries on the spirit of its predecessors. “Since setting sail in 1978 the Rainbow Warrior has been on the frontline of the struggle against environmental abuse,” Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International’s Executive Director, said at the keel laying ceremony, which took place on 10th July 2010 – the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior.

“She is an icon of non-violent direct action and a beacon of hope for millions of people around the world.”

On-Board

Daniel Binyon is the 38-year-old first mate of the Rainbow Warrior III. Hailing from the UK, he has served as first mate of the ship since November 2011.

After spending Christmas in Barcelona on-board, he helped sail across the Atlantic to the US, piloting the vessel down the eastern sea-board and onto Manaus, in Brazil, where the Rainbow Warrior travelled up the Amazon spreading activism and awareness and attempting to block coal ships from passing and contributing to further degradation of the Amazon rain forest.

After spending time in Rio de Janeiro campaigning at the Rio+20 Earth Summit, which took place last month, Binyon travelled south to Buenos Aires where he will remain with the ship for the next week.

Binyon is a professional sea-farer who has been working on the oceans his whole life. He has held a captain’s licence for over 20 years. Before beginning work with Greenpeace he held a number of positions on various commercial ships, mainly tankers.

During his time at sea he began reading more and more on environmental issues “Eventually, I decided I had to get involved.” He began volunteering with Greenpeace five years ago.

Life aboard the Rainbow Warrior III is natural for Binyon. “I have been working at sea for 20 years, to me its natural.” However, it is different from his jobs on commercial ships. “On the tankers everyone is counting down the days until leave, here it’s different, people want to be on-board, and it’s an honour.”

On a typical day Binyon gets up very early- his first watch running from 4am until 8am. From 8am until 9am he usually gets a break for breakfast, then from 9am to 12pm it’s back to work looking after general maintenance. After that, he gets a break until 4pm when he begins his second watch running until about 8pm.

“It’s a ship that runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.” For Binyon it has been a very rewarding experience. “Everyone wants to be on-board. Sometimes you get heavy water, the worst in the Southern Ocean. People get nervous about that, the sea-sickness, then it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

What Binyon enjoys most about his work is the people. “We have had Xena The Warrior Princess on-board, the Dalai Lama… Everyone who comes on gets a job, they are happy to be there, positive; it’s a real honour.”

Working on the ship, being an activist with Greenpeace, has its risks. “This ship is a symbol of those before it, and of the need for change. We are usually very well received. But it does have risks.” Binyon has been arrested once, in Israel. “That wasn’t great, not at all to be honest.” Otherwise it has always been positive. “We have a Quaker philosophy: to observe, and to take action when we absolutely have to, from there its non-violent, direct action.” As often seen in the media, this frequently becomes heated.

To Sea

In a week, Rainbow Warrior III sets sail again. The ship will cross the Pacific to South Africa, where it is going for maintenance. According to Binyon, “The ship is very new, the first of its kind really, I don’t think you will find anything like it on the ocean so we are still working some things out.”

Binyon will take leave here and go home to his wife with whom he has just moved to Spain. As for the future – “I want to stay on as long as I can, as long as I can be useful to the cause.”

Rainbow Warrior III will be open for tours Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, when there will also be activities for children. Find out more here.

This morning, Mayor of the City of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri welcomed the arrival of the Greenpeace ship “Rainbow Warrior” to Argentina, which came to Buenos Aires to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Greenpeace in the country.

The environmental group warmly received the leader, but also implored him to enforce the Zero Waste Act, which was a 2005 law introduced by city council that aimed to reduce the volume of solid waste in landfills.

According to an article posted on the website of Greenpeace, activists of the organisation showed Macri waste separation bins and reminded him of the city’s obligation to recycle and reduce the waste that fills the CEAMSE landfill in Buenos Aires. The article also statedthat the group expressed alarm about the environmental debt of the Government of the City and noted that garbage is one of the most important structural problems in the city as 60,000 tonnes of waste are sent to landfills everyday.

In celebration of the Silver Jubilee, the organisation has increased its lobbying efforts in an attempt to improve the country’s environmental situation.

It’s not easy to get one-hundred and ninety countries to agree on anything. But that is what has been achieved at the end of the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development. World leaders and their representatives returned to their respective capitals waving the 283 paragraph agreement in the air and hailing it as a great success.

But that is the politicians. The agreement has been criticised as unambitious fluff that fails to bind its signatories to doing anything.

Greenpeace called it a disaster of epic proportions. The former Costa Rican president, Jose Maria Figueres, said: “Governments have failed you. They have not saved face nor saved the planet.”

The leading economist, Jeffrey Sachs, who has been at the heart of many climate change negotiations, laid a large part of the blame on his own government. “Behind the scenes,” he said, “the US has been a footdragger on a number of major climate change issues because it’s in thrall to vested interests.”

The indigenous people, youth groups, environmental organisations and many of the politicians in Rio said much the same, calling the final document, named The Future We Want, a wasted opportunity.

The Rio+20 Executive Coordinator, Brice Lalonde, said it was important to have a document even if everyone was not happy with it. “All the key actors are united behind the same cause,” he said.

Meanwhile, yearly average temperatures continue to rise, glaciers are melting, flooding and drought exacerbated by climate change wreak havoc around the world, especially in developing countries, while the levels of pollution keep growing.

Indigenous leader, Tom Goldtooth, from the United States, urged everyone to pay greater respect to our Mother Earth. “We are all in the same canoe,” he said.

Some will say that at least we are still talking. The nations of the world will meet again later this year in Qatar. But the most commonly heard sentiment heard around the conference centre and at the people’s conference on the other side of Rio de Janeiro was: “What we need now is action.”

Greenpeace revealed new photographic evidence today of severe deforestation in the north-eastern province of Chaco. The images show environmental damage in the protected area of El Impenetrable.

The environmental organisation is calling on the Argentine government to stop the illegal activities that violate the Forest Act.

“The images are compelling. They show bulldozers in the process of clearing, and it’s severe impact on native forests in areas where national law prohibits it,” said Greenpeace representative Hernán Giardini.

On May 14^th the provincial government suspended silvopastoral harvesting in native forests for 60 days. This order came out of a meeting between Governor Jorge Capitanich and Greenpeace representatives.

“We hope [Jorge] Capitancih meets the Forest Act and stop the fever of the bulldozers,” said Giardini. “We will continue to monitor the region and enforce the Forest Act.”

The Land Demarcation of Native Forests classifies El Impenetrable, which covers around 4 million hectares of native forest mainly situated in the Chaco region, as Category I and Category II forests, prohibiting clearing.

It is home to critically endangered and protected animals, such as the jaguar, the giant armadillo and anteater. Around 60,000 people live in El Impenetrable, mainly members of indigenous communities, who have over the years suffered human rights abuses by government and deforesters.

Greenpeace activists have called on Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff to veto a controversial law that is expected to further land exploitation.

The Environmental NGO has projected the message, “Veto New Forest Code, Dilma,” in green laser lights onto the parliament headquarters in Brasilia.

Activists have appealed to Rousseff to revise several articles of the Forest Code, approved 247-184 by Congress in April, despite outrage from environmentalists and members of the Brazilian government.

According to the environmentalist organisations, the new law will sanction increased land degradation, particularly in the Amazon. The initiative will also encourage the extension of agricultural crops in hitherto protected areas.

“It is unbelievable that the forest code is being eroded weeks before Brazil hosts the Rio summit,” said Greenpeace representatives.

The president received the approved proposal on Monday and has until May 25th to decide whether to wholly, or partially, veto the bill. Rousseff has previously expressed disapproval of parts of the text, approved by the Senate in December 2011.

The main point of contention is that the bill will admit a full “amnesty” for landowners who have deforested land for agricultural activity before July 2008.

Brazilian farmers have long campaigned for amendments, on the grounds that the current legislation has stymied investment in the agricultural sector, which accounts for more than 5% of the GDP. Environmental measures have, they argue, also removed small farmers from their land.

According to the Forest Code, implemented in 1965, landowners are obliged to set aside a percentage of their forested landed, ranging from 20% in some regions to 80% in the Amazon.

This tenet will not change, but activists argue that other amendments to the code will compromise environmental safeguards.

If the new amendments are implemented, famers will be permitted to cultivate land closer to hilltops and riverbanks, areas which are vulnerable to erosion once deforested.

Rousseff is under pressure to bolster economic development, whilst endorsing the environmental agenda outlined in her 2010 election campaign.

San Juan governor José Luis Gioja has recently come under fire for likening mining adversaries to Adolf Hitler.

On Thursday, Gioja spoke to La Red radio network, where he criticized ecologists who have spoken out on the environmental issues surrounding mining.

“I believe that there are some similarities [between the Nazis and ecologists],” he said. The governor conceded that the environmentalists were not “as extreme” as the Nazis, but implied that they like to see poverty—“the old poor one that lives in the mud hut…I like fighting it,” he said.

The public statements were a passionate defence of the two major mining projects in San Juan, the Veladero and Pascua Lama. Veladero has extracted gold and silver since 2005, and Pascua Lama is still in the exploration phase, but has plans to mine copper, silver and gold. Gioja said he is convinced that the undertakings will help provide a better quality of life and work for 11,000 people.

“Hitler preferred that the dog that the blonde lady kept in her apartment live better than a black person, on a path, below a tree, with nothing to eat.”

Gioja’s statements have been the subject of controversy for the past few days, as environmentalists and the Jewish community have shot back statements of their own. Greenpeace maintained that the governor had “turned his back on his people,” and Jewish organizations AMIA and DAIA condemned his comparison as “trivialising” the Holocaust.

Gioja has since defended his statements as a reflection of strong loyalty to his community. “I am a fervent defender of the mining industry for all the good that it has provided my province.”