Greenpeace and Avaaz announced today that their online petition to “freeze” Genetically Modified (GM) crop cultivation in the European Union (EU) has reached one million signatures. Under the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, the EU is obliged to consider a petition garnering over one million citizens’ signatures, bringing this petition historic potential. Even if it is rejected, however, the petition illustrates the broad-based support that the public has for the struggle against GM food.
Protest in Taiwan Against Environmental Dumping
Environmental groups yesterday gathered in front of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in Taipei to protest the illegal dumping of toxic waste by Young Yang Environmental Industry Corp (永揚環保事). The Taiwan Environmental Protection Union in the Dongshan Township (東山), Tainan County, was caught illegally dumped slag and other toxic waste into underground dumps, seriously harming the environment. Sounds kind of like what the coal companies are allowed to do in Appalachia!
Stuttgardt Government Changes Plans Thanks to Protesters
The Baden-Württemberg state government announced on Monday evening that the south wing of the old train station would not be demolished in accordance to plans for the Stuttgart 21 high speed rail project. This is small consolation to the 50,000 protesters who showed up Monday to protest the project, not only for its destruction of the old historic rail station, but also for its testament to the environmentally destructive architecture and infrastructure of the wealthy, which fly in the face of ecologically sustainable community programs for the poor.
That’s Really Great.