The Norwegian parliament voted this week to make Norway the world’s first country to bar its biofuel industry from importing deforestation-linked palm oil starting in 2020, The Independent reported. Environmentalists celebrated the move as a victory for rainforests, the climate and endangered species such as orangutans that have lost their habitats due to palm oil […]
Peaceful “kayaktivists” from Greenpeace Norway boarded a Statoil-contracted rig set to drill two Arctic wells this year. Two people boarded the rig at the Skipavik yard on Norway’s west coast Thursday morning and have requested a meeting with the rig’s captain. Another 10 activists are in the water with signs that say, “Same shit, new […]
By Michael Svoboda There are several reasons climate communicators and activists, and not just cli-fi aficionados, could benefit by seeing Downsizing, the end-of-2017 movie starring Matt Damon and directed by Alexander Payne—to be released March 20 on disk. 1. It is one of the few films that addresses climate change mitigation (i.e. reducing greenhouse gas […]
By Conor Sneyd Norway is introducing a total ban on fur farming, according to a statement released by the Norwegian animal rights organization NOAH this weekend. The country is currently home to 300 fur farms, which breed and kill 700,000 minks and 110,000 foxes every year, so this is truly a massive victory for animals. […]
By David Leestma Greenpeace and the Nature and Youth environmental group opened a lawsuit this week over Norway’s failure to abide by its constitutional obligation to safeguard the environment for future generations. The lawsuit, which focuses on local environmental damage and the contribution that oil extraction will make to climate change, challenges 10 licenses issued […]
By Julia Conley Environmental advocates on Thursday applauded the latest organization to shift away from continued support of the fossil fuel industry—Norway’s national bank. In a move 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben called “astonishing,” Norges Bank, which oversees the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, advised the Norwegian government to dump all of its shares in oil […]
By Hannah McKinnon Five Nobel Peace Laureates have called on Norwegian Prime Ministerial candidates to declare their intent to put an end to fossil fuel exploration and expansion. The letter, sent in advance of the country’s national elections in mid-September, is an appeal for climate leadership. But they are also the world’s seventh largest exporter […]
Eleven peaceful activists from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise have taken to the water in inflatable boats with handheld banners to oppose the Statoil Songa Enabler oil rig, 275 km North off the Norwegian coast, in the Arctic Barents sea. The banners say: “People Vs. Arctic Oil” and are directed at Statoil and the Norwegian […]
Norwegian businessman Kjell Inge Røkke is not someone usually admired for environmental stewardship. Described by Forbes as a “ruthless corporate raider,” Røkke made his billions as the majority stakeholder in shipping and offshore drilling conglomerate, Aker. The twist to this story? Røkke has decided to give “the lion’s share” of his estimated $2.7 billion fortune […]