About Cassady Sharp

Cassady Sharp Cassady Sharp writes online content for Greenpeace. You can follow her opinions on environmental issues, news and culture @cassadyblair

Fish & Wildlife Service proposes stripping gray wolves of federal protection

Wolf in the Denali Nationalpark, Alaska.

Wolf in the Denali Nationalpark, Alaska.

The federal Fish & Wildlife Service proposed last week that gray wolves no longer need federal protection in the United States since their population has reached more than 6,000. However, it is because of federal protection that wolf populations were able to rebound after near extinction in the mid-20th century.

Wolves face an uncertain future when leaving it up to states like Wyoming and Montana with strong ranching and hunting communities.

Read more about what this could mean for populations of gray wolves in the United States. 

PHOTOS: Greenpeace flies airship over Alaska for Bering Sea protection

The Greenpeace thermal Airship A.E. Bates takes to the skies over Juneau, Alaska

The Greenpeace thermal Airship A.E. Bates takes to the skies over Juneau, Alaska

For the past week, Greenpeace and a number of other environmental groups have been in Juneau, Alaska to urge the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to protect Alaska’s Bering Sea, a unique ecosystem currently threatened by a billion dollar fishing industry.  Greenpeace also flew its thermal airship over Juneau with a 75-foot whale-themed banner urging Alaska residents to help protect the “Grand Canyons of the Sea.” Continue reading

#OccupyGezi Update from Greenpeace Mediterranean Executive Director

With the eyes of the world on a small park in Istanbul, a new banner message of global solidarity in defense of our fragile planet has been born: ‘I am in Gezi!’. Gezi Park is a tipping point, an awakening to years of environmental abuse in Turkey and the erosion of democratic participation that has put private profit before the environment and public wishes.

For many people in Turkey, what is happening in Gezi has been happening all over the country. Protests against ill-considered and unwanted developments have been met with police brutality, tear gas and mass arrests, but the country’s media have barely reported them.

Protest in Taksim Gezi Park in IstanbulDespite Turkey’s abundant sources of renewable energy (solar, wind and geothermal), Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pushing ahead with unhealthy or dangerous plans such as massive coal fired power station expansion and plans to build two nuclear power stations.

His government is entering into international agreements committing it to new coal plants, bypassing domestic regulations.

For the past two years, in the Black Sea town of Gerze, local opposition to a coal plan has been met with the standard police response of tear gas and mass arrests. Continue reading

#FeelGoodFriday: Sustainable seafood options in nearly every corner of America

Two Dolphins

Just in time for World Ocean’s Day, we have much news to celebrate from our latest seafood report card, “Carting Away the Oceans.” For starters, the top three ranked seafood retailers in the report, Safeway, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s,  are three of the most popular national grocery chains meaning sustainable seafood options are available all over the country.

But that’s not all!

Even Wal-Mart is now offering an affordable, sustainable tuna option at its 3000 stores nationwide!

And…

Target and Trader Joe’s have both said “buh-bye” to genetically modified salmon, or frankenfish as we call it around the Greenpeace office.

So this Friday, feel good about the progress national retailers have made when it comes to ocean protection. Of course, there is still a lot more work we can do. Join us in ocean protection all over the world!

View the live Q&A with Greenpeace activist in Istanbul

Edyta Sitko will ask live questions today about her involvement in the protests in Turkey

Edyta Sitko answered live questions today about her involvement in the protests in Turkey

Since Friday the Greenpeace Mediterranean office, located just 1 kilometer from Taksim Square and Gezi Park, has been providing 24 hour a day medical and logistical support to activists involved in the Turkish movement.

View the the live chat on our Facebook page to learn more about what’s happening in Istanbul.

Edyta Sitko, Regional Volunteer Coordinator at Greenpeace Mediterranean, answered questions live from Istanbul about what it’s been like to be part of a revolution.

Find the live chat here!

 

PHOTOS: Brutal Police Clampdown on environmental protesters in Istanbul, Turkey

Greenpeace Condemns Brutal Police Clampdown On Peaceful Gezi Park Protest.

Greenpeace activists join other protesters to defend Gezi Park in solidarity and to protect the right to peaceful protest.

**VIEW LIVE CHAT with Greenpeace Activist in Istanbul

Greenpeace condemns the brutal police clampdown on the Gezi Park protest and defends the right to peaceful protest. What started as a peaceful protest against the destruction of an iconic and historic park by Taksim Square has grown into a wider struggle for Turkish democracy and the right to peaceful protest all across the world. Taksim Square is the last remaining green space in Istanbul, and is slated to turn into a shopping mall.

Greenpeace’s Mediterranean office is in the heart of Taksim Square. See more photos of the protests below, and stay tuned for more updates from activists on the scene.

Greenpeace Condemns Brutal Police Clampdown On Peaceful Gezi Park Protest.

Greenpeace staff and volunteers help some of the many people affected by tear gas.

Continue reading

#FeelGoodFriday: New Jersey approves massive solar proposal, turns landfills and brownfields into solar farms

Solar Energy in Thailand

What once was an 81-foot tall trash heap in New Jersey is now a 12,500-paneled solar farm, providing renewable energy to nearly 650 homes. And there will be plenty more where that came from.

In the same week as President Obama and Governor Christie toured the recovering post-Sandy New Jersey, the Garden State approved a $446 million solar proposal. The plan is to turn many of the state’s 800 closed landfills and 10,000 brownfields, closed industrial sites, into gleaming solar farms.

This news from New Jersey proves that not only are global warming solutions possible, they’re more urgent than ever in a state directly feeling the power of climate change.

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Greenpeace activist on Arctic expedition: “Humans are not supposed to be in that place”

A Greenpeace encampment at the North Pole

A Greenpeace encampment at the North Pole

In April, a dedicated team of travelers, trekked to the North Pole carrying a flag for the future, calling for an Arctic sanctuary.  Not only is this region under threat from rapidly increasing climate change, but also from oil companies ready to take advantage of melting sea ice to drill for oil.

Hear from one of the brave travelers, James Turner, as he tells Greenpeace Radio all about the voyage to the Arctic and why he thinks humans should stay out of there.

Listen now

What’s the problem with genetically engineered wheat found in Oregon?

Genetically modified wheat fields in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan.

Genetically modified wheat fields in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan.

You may have heard the news that the USDA found genetically engineered wheat in an Oregon field. The USDA has never approved genetically engineered wheat for US farming so how did it get here?

According to officials, the wheat is the same strand of a tested seed from Monsanto 10 years ago.

This discovery is problematic for US agriculture trade as the US exports half of its wheat crop, and several countries do not accept genetically engineered crops.

“This outbreak of GE wheat growing in the US confirms our concerns that GE crops cannot be controlled. This is the latest in a long line of incidents involving the contamination of our food supply with GE crops not approved for human consumption,” said Greenpeace International scientist Janet Cotter. ”The developers of GE wheat have repeatedly said that GE wheat will not contaminate conventional or organic wheat because it is predominantly self-pollinating (i.e. the pollen does not spread very far, unlike crops such as maize and oilseed rape). Despite these empty promises, GE contamination has happened.”

The Agriculture Department is investigating how the wheat got to the US, and how far it may have spread.

Tell the USDA to ban field tests of genetically engineered crops!

Apple hires former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson as top environmental officer

Former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson

Former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson

Apple announced that former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson will join the world’s number one company as its vice president for environmental initiatives. Jackson wrote in an email, “I’m incredibly impressed with Apple’s commitment to the environment and I’m thrilled to be joining the team.”

Greenpeace has campaigned to make sure Apple is the leader on several issues including toxic product manufacturing, and most recently, on powering its massive data centers with renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.

“Apple has made a bold move in hiring Lisa Jackson, a proven advocate with a track record of combating toxic waste and the dirty energy that causes global warming, two of Apple’s biggest challenges as it continues to grow,” says Greenpeace’s Senior IT Analyst Gary Cook.  ”Jackson can make Apple the top environmental leader in the tech sector by helping the company use its influence to push electric utilities and governments to provide the clean energy that both Apple and America need right now.”

Apple also announced that it’s building its Maiden, North Carolina data center with one of the largest solar arrays in the country.