All articles by Rex Weyler
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Chevron’s SLAPP suit against Ecuadorians: corporate intimidation
SLAPP suits are "...an attempt to silence, vilify, and criminalize activism.”
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Does human scale matter?
Since population and overconsumption remain two of the primary drivers of ecological destruction, perhaps we should take on the challenge of stabilising our population, along with managing over-consumption.
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A tribute to Jon Castle
Over four decades Captain Jon Castle navigated Greenpeace ships by the twin stars of ‘right and wrong’, defending the environment and promoting peace. Greenpeace chronicler, Rex Weyler, recounts a few of the stories that made up an extraordinary life.
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A Brief History of Environmentalism
Anthropologists have found evidence of human-induced animal and plant extinctions from 50,000 BCE, when only about 200,000 Homo sapiens roamed the Earth. We can only speculate about how these early humans reacted, but migrating to new habitats appears to be a common response.
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World scientists’ warning to humanity
Environmental activists and organisations typically try and stay positive, to give people hope that we can change. Positive signs exist, going back to the historic whaling and toxic dumping bans of the 1980s. The 1987 Montreal Protocol, reducing CFC gas emissions, led to a partial recovery of the ozone hole. Birth rates have declined in…
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Fire and Rain
The year 2017 may become a historic milestone where the visceral effects of global heating - extreme storms and wildfires - finally reach public consciousness.
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The Ocean Plastic Crisis
"Plastics!" This became one of the most famous film lines from the 1960s era. In the film The Graduate, young university graduate, Ben (Dustin Hoffman) appears annoyed and distracted when his wealthy American parents stage an elaborate party to show him off to their peers. A family friend approaches him and says, "Ben I have…
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Violence against Indigenous peoples destroys our common home
Indigenous lands contain vast biological diversity. These communities are fighting not only to preserve their cultures but also to preserve what is left of Earth's wild ecosystems.
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Silent Spring, 2017
In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, drawing attention to the impact of DDT on bird populations. Her book inspired most nations to ban DDT by the 1980s. The ban and other protection efforts helped save some bird species from extinction, including the osprey, brown pelican, and white stork. However, fifty-five years after Carson's book,…