France, 2011: Following a very significant civic movement, a bill was passed prohibiting hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) on French territory. This eventually resulted in the repeal of the license of Montelimar, originally granted to Total.
This corporation remains free to go and exploit shale gas and shale oil elsewhere in Europe and around the world.
As the second gas operator in Argentina, and before any other large multinationals, Total acquired unconventional gas permits in the province of Neuquén in Patagonia, including one within a protected area.
The Vaca Muerta basin, which covers over 30,000 km 2, quickly also became the new El Dorado of other oil companies such as Chevron, YPF , Shell, Apache: Argentina is the third largest country in the world in terms of potentially exploitable shale gas and oil reserves.
Land grabbing , repression … local communities, and in particular members of the Mapuche communities and small farmers, have already been suffering from the impacts of decades of conventional oil and gas exploitation and are again trapped by foreign corporations and YPF, the re-nationalized State company.
The government secured this agreement without a single consultation. Resistance begins.
Director's statement
Friends of the Earth France has been leading a campaign on corporate accountability, focusing since 2007 on the extractive industry sector. In this context, Friends of the Earth France is working to support affected communities, and undertakes advocacy work towards French and international decision-makers for them to adopt binding regulation to prevent companies from violating human rights and the environment.
Besides, Friends of the Earth France organizes public campaigns to raise awareness and mobilize citizens around these issues, and to put pressure on the French multinationals in an effort to change their practices.
The documentary Fracking Patagonia was produced as part of a joint campaign between Friends of the Earth France, the Observatorio Petrolero Sur, Friends of the Earth Europe and Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands).
It aims at increasing visibility and offering support to the demands of communities affected by the development of shale gas and shale oil in Argentina.
Why we selected this film
This film is interesting because of the subject matter it addresses: the arm wrestling between a native population and a giant corporation such as Total.
It is emblematic of the violation of the natives’ rights and of their commitment to organize a resistance movement to protect its way of life and its ancestors’ land in the face of the all-powerful giant corporations that take over protected areas to exploit them without any respect for the environmental regulations in place.
Act
Buy green energy
Depending on your region, you may have the option to purchase green energy.
This can be an important choice for the environment, as standard fossil fuel generated energy emits large amounts of greenhouse gases.
Nuclear power, on the other hand, creates highly toxic waste.
Wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, on the other hand, involve significantly less CO2 emissions. Photovoltaic panels, for example, can pay off their CO2 costs in green electricity generated in just three years.
(Fr) Sources et liens utiles
Sorry, this entry is only available in French.
Plastics
We generate about 300 million tons of plastics a year and we estimate that 8 to 12 million tons end up in our oceans – the equivalent of a garbage truck every minute…
So let’s remember to recycle, refuse products with too much packaging and the ones with microbeads or even pick up trash on the beach.
Consuming less dairy, eggs and meat
Greenpeace recommends a maximum of 12kg of meat issued from eco-friendly breeding farms per year and per person (so, about 230g a week) and 26kg of milk per year and per person (or 1/2L per week).
It’s up to each to switch to a vegan or a vegetarian diet of course, which allows to contribute even more to the collective effort to reduce the consumption of animal products.
Fast fashion
We now have “throwaway fashion”: we buy and throw away garments faster than the planet can absorb.
Within the framework of its “Detox” campaign aiming at fighting the use of toxic chemicals in the textile industry, Greenpeace has published several studies, which denounce the impact of this field on the environment: considerable consumption of energy and drinking water, pesticides to grow cotton, river and farmland pollution, greenhouse gases emissions and some of the world’s most remote areas contamination.
Let’s not forget inhumane work conditions imposed upon textile industry workers, especially in the developing countries.
So, we have to revise our way to “consume” clothes, buy less but of better quality, recycle, trade…
Reduce our electronics waste
Our smartphones, from the moment they are made to when they end up in a mountain of other discarded electronics are a true burden on the environment.
You have no idea how many dangerous chemicals come into the making of your smartphone. For instance, such carcinogenic substances as benzene and n-hexane as well as other just as dangerous substances so, instead of buying the latest model of smartphone that just came on the market, let’s try to keep our smartphones and other appliances longer, or have them fixed.
https://www.greenpeace.fr/telephones-portables-pollution-au-bout-du-fil/
On a picnic
When going on a picnic, bring along airtight containers for food, flasks and everyday hardware cutlery.
That way there is less rubbish left over at the end of the picnic, which of course will be thrown in the nearest bin, or even better taken home for separating and disposal.
Eat seasonal products
When buying seasonal fruits and vegetables that were not greenhouse-raised, you help in diminishing the energy used in growing them, therefore you’re helping to lessen the impact of farming on the climate.
Download the Greenpeace seasonal fruit, vegetable and cereal calendar:
Limit your exposure to formaldehyde
Wood furniture kits, chipboard wood and some glues may contain formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that should be avoided at all costs.
Make sure you know what kind of materials a product contains before purchasing and whether its best to ventilate the room for a few days after installation.
Buy green energy
Depending on your region, you may have the option to purchase green energy.
This can be an important choice for the environment, as standard fossil fuel generated energy emits large amounts of greenhouse gases.
Nuclear power, on the other hand, creates highly toxic waste.
Wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, on the other hand, involve significantly less CO2 emissions. Photovoltaic panels, for example, can pay off their CO2 costs in green electricity generated in just three years.
Heat loss
Insulating your home stabilizes your indoor temperature and protects you from outdoor temperature changes. It also reduces the need for heating and thereby reduces your enegy costs.
Investing in the energy efficiency of your home can help you reduce your energy costs by as much as 40%.
In adjoining buildings, heat generally escapes through the roof first, then through windows, walls and floors. Make insultaing your roof a priority.
Limit your purchase of electronics
If you're really serious about reducing your CO2 footprint, this is the way to do it. Electronics make up 62% of the greenhouse gas emissions that result from our purchasing habits.
Why is this?
To manufacture just one 2 g computer chip, you need 1,7 kg of fossil fuel, 1 m3 of nitrogen, 72 g of chemicals, and 32 litres of water. For a 750 kg car, you need 1,5 tonnes of fossil fuel—two times the weight of the final product.
For aluminum cans, it's about 4-5 times the weight; it's 6000 times the weight of the 2 g computer chip.
Carpooling: It's better together
If you travel to the same place most days, you're likely to find someone else traveling a similar route. Riding with others reduces the number of cars on the road and allows you to share costs: that's carpooling.
Some businesses post announcements for those seeking a carpool. Maybe could you ask your employer to initiate this service in your company ?
Certain websites allow you to search for a carpool or offer your own ride to others and increase the efficiency of your vehicle.
Choose the train for long distances
An airplane requires six times as much energy as a train for the same distance. A roundtrip flight from Paris to Zurich, for example, emits 300 kg of CO2 per person, compared with only 48 kg of CO2 per person for the same round trip via train.
About 40% of flights travel less than 800 km, which means a distance that would be more efficiently covered by high speed train. The train is also more likely to land you in the center of a city.
Walk more
In the city, many people use cars to travel just 3km or less. These short trips have a big impact, as the 1st km can use 80% more fuel than the average km traveled – for the 2nd km, it's 50% more.
Using a car for short distances is expensive and polluting. Choose a nonmotorized alternative.
Diminishing traditional resources
Traditional energy sources (oil, gas, uranium, carbon) are running out.
These sources aren't renewable, and their reserves are diminishing faster and faster: global consumption has increased by 75% in the past 30 years and doesn't show signs of slowing.
If we don't change our habits, we will surpass our planet's capacity for supplying traditional energy sources in the near future.
Use renewable sources
Once your home is well-insulated and well-equipped, you can go even further by using renewable energy sources – at no cost!
Solar power can heat up to 60% of your daily hot water use or provide 40% of your daily electricity use. You can also capture heat from the soil by using a heat pump.
When you buy imports, choose fair trade
When you can't procure an item locally, choose an import with fair trade origins.
The fair trade label is most often applied to products that you can't produce locally (bananas, chocolate, coffee) and are usually transported by boat, which is less polluting than air travel. The best way to protect the environment, however, is to stick to seasonal, locally produced items.
Ride a bike
Bicycles are economic, quiet, safer for the people around you, faster in the city, and don't pollute or require fossil fuels—plus they're good for your health.
Be wary of promotions
Watch out for "clearance” promotions on fresh foods that might entice you to buy too much . . . and end up throwing most of it away. Certain foods, of course, will last a while in the fridge, but that means you’ll be paying for their keep in energy expenditures. Unless you’re getting something that really will last (jams, preserves), it’s always better to eat fresh foods quickly.
Give your time
• Volunteer with solidarity associations, fair trade activities, or other charitable arenas
• Spread the word on info, news and petitions related to local and international solidarity and how everyone can make a different in their everyday lives
• Work with your school: take charge and build awareness in your school community. You could help your institution become a model for sustainability.
• Take action at work: encourage your employer to choose ecological products from fair trade sources to sell/use/manufacture.
• Make a Facebook group calling on your favorite brand to transition to 100% fair trade
• Write to your preferred brands by posting on their Facebook wall
• Ask your local grocers and storekeepers to offer more fair trade products
Share a vehicule
If you don't need a car everyday, why not share one with a family member, friend or neighbour?
Car sharing can be easy, practical, friendly, and effective.
Adjust settings according to your needs
You can see serious energy savings by adapting your appliances according to your needs.
For example, a hallway doesn't need as strong of lighting as an office or reading room.
Place your living room lighting strategically according to where you are most often seated and in need of light. You can also reduce your energy needs by taking advantage of natural light sources.
Support public transportation
Public transportation can get you anywhere in the city, and has been growing in popularity. Its often faster than a car, less polluting, and avoids the stress of traffic and parking. It also allows you to use your travel time for other occupations, like reading a book or having a conversation.
12 tips for reducing your daily energy consumption
1. Keep your thermostat around 19 or 20C
2. Lower the thermostat to 16C at night or during extended absense
3. Keep your thermostat properly adjusted
4. Turn off the heat during summer or extended absense
5. Defrost your refridgerator and freezer regularly
6. Do your laundry at low temperatures
7. Choose "eco" cycles for washing machines and dishwashers
8. Avoid using a clothes dryer unnecessarily
9. Turn off electronics that aren't in use – avoid standby mode
10. Take a shorter shower
11. Cover the cookware
12. Clean the light fixtures
Buy second-hand
There's nothing like buying second-hand for ensuring the long life of a product.
Many websites allow you to search a plethora of used products that are often still in great shape.
Ban all chemical fertilizers
Many chemical fertilizers contain heavy metals, such as lead, mercury or cadmium. When transmitted through the soil to vegetables, they contaminate the entire food chain. Avoid them at all costs!
Pesticides and insecticides contaminate soil and groundwater via rain runoff.
Their production also consumes large amounts of energy. As these products are dangerous even for the farmers that use them (who risk accidental inhalation or ingestion), their packaging becomes dangerous waste that requires costly and complicated disposal.
There are many natural alternatives.
Favor “Eco-friendly” FSC label wood furniture
The FSC certification is today the most reliable label to guarantee the wood you buy comes from a sustainable management forest. Technically, the label should be seen directly on the wood, it guarantees the chain of transformation has been correctly controlled, from the forest to the finished product, everywhere in the world.
The use of local products will diminish transport, which is a huge energy hog and protect local jobs.
Give your time
• join an animal protection association
• sign internet petitions
• participate in tree planting and reforestation activities with environmental associations
Watch out for palm oil
Palm oil is found as an ingredient in about one out of ten food products sold in Europe (cookies, chocolate, candy, ice cream, sauce, margarine, etc.) It takes 17 m2 of palm plantation to satisfy the annual demand of one French person.
But this crop is responsible for 90% of the deforestation occurring in Malaysia. In Borneo, it has caused the destruction of 1/3 of native forests in 20 years, resulting in significant losses of unique species of both plant and animal. One of these is the orangutan, the "men of the forest", who suffer from loss of forest.
From thousands of miles away, our food purchases are determining the fate of this great ape.
Palm crops are also treated with 25 unregulated pesticides, adding further damage to precious habitats.
Water foot print
We also talk of virtual water. This is calculated by taking into account the volumes of water withdrawn or polluted to produce a product (but not its transportation to where it is consumed).
It takes :
- 1,000 liters of water to produce a liter of milk (water consumed by the cow, animal feed and washing);
- 3,920 liters to produce a kilogram of chicken (30 liters to drink and 6,630 liters to grow its feed (cereals and oils);
- 100 liters to produce a kilogram of cotton (mostly for irrigation);
- 15,155 liters of water to produce a kilogram of beef (120 liters to drink, 35 liters for washing and 15,000 liters to produce the feed the animal consumes.
Don't use disposable products
Always choose washable dishes and silverware. Kick your plastic dishware habit. If you don't have enough plates for a large gathering, borrow a few (they are generally washed up for the same price).
Choose eco-friendly foods
(for example products carrying the “organic” label). The more organic farming gains in popularity and volume, the less greenhouse gases we’ll emit. For instance, pesticides, nitrogen based fertilizers and GMOs can’t be used.
To learn more: greenpeace.fr/agriculture-ecologique/
Eat local
Consuming locally produced food reduces the number of intermediaries, shortens highly polluting transportation and contributes greatly to reinforce the economic vitality of our regions.
To learn more: bioetlocalcestlideal.org
Have the Amap (Associations to maintain family farming) reflex
These associations maintain a direct link between farmers and consumers.
By subscribing to Amap, the buyer chooses the frequency and quantity of fruits and vegetables they need/wish, then comes to pick them up on a regular basis at one of the network’s POPs.
To find an Amap close to you: www.reseau-amap.org
Consume less dairy, eggs and meat
Greenpeace recommends a maximum of 12kg of meat issued from eco-friendly breeding farms per year and per person (so, about 230g a week) and 26kg of milk per year and per person (or 1/2L per week). It’s up to each to switch to a vegan or a vegetarian diet of course, which allows to contribute even more to the collective effort to reduce the consumption of animal products.
Avoid excessive packaging
Too many food products are over-packaged in several layers of material that is often disproportionate to the volume of its contents.
Unpacking three shopping bags generate about one shopping bag full of packaging waste . . . all of which will go straight into the rubbish bin.
You also pay for this packaging: in the case of food products, packaging can account for as much as 20% of the item cost!
We also recommend avoiding single-serving products (cookies, yogurt, drinks, etc.)
Think pulses and dried fruits
They bring you good fats, unlike the meat products’ saturated fats and make you feel full faster.
Eat your leftovers
Do you find vegetable which have lost their freshness to be unappetizing? We don't blame you, but that doesn't mean they can't be eaten! Toss them into a soup for added flavor and texture! Try to use all the veggies hiding in the bottom of your fridge for your soup, certain vegetable leavings, and some old cheese. You'll end up with a delectable soup!
Choose your fish carefully
Today, 90% of commercial marine species are overfished or fished at their sustainable limits… Greenpeace isn’t anti-fishing, but for a type of fishing that affects the least our planet, fishermen and the balance of our oceans.
That is why it is so important that you choose the fish you buy depending on the species (don’t buy threatened species, be aware of reproduction cycles) but also the fishing techniques (forego the fish caught in a destructive manner).
Check out all our detailed recommendations: greenpeace.fr/poissons-consommer-nuire-a-planete/
9 Comments
SOUBIRAN · Wednesday October 25th, 2017 at 11:09 AM
Ils n’ont pas d’enfants, ces pourris qui saccagent la planète ?
Renoir nadine · Wednesday August 30th, 2017 at 05:34 AM
Je reste stupéfaite que des etres humains à priori intelligents n’aient pour objectif dans leur vie que de faire de l’argent au mépris de tout : du droit des peuples , de la santé des peuples, de la pérennité de la terre, de la faune de la flore et de l’avenir que nous laissons à nos enfants. Comment peuvent ils encore se regarder dans une glace!! Bravo à ceux qui se battent malgré tout .
Cécile MARTEAU · Saturday August 26th, 2017 at 04:11 PM
Je vote pour ce film qui dénonce clairement où mènent les politiques extractivistes des gouvernements d’Amérique Latine, pour le plus grand profit des multinationales de toute origine mais aux dépens des peuples autochtones et de leurs territoires spoliés. Trop de combattants meurent aujourd’hui pour protéger leur milieu et notre planète dans l’indifférence ou l’ignorance!
Ce qui n’empêche pas le film de Marie Monique Robin Sacrée Croissance d’être excellent et de mériter également mon suffrage.
Sébastien · Friday August 25th, 2017 at 07:33 PM
Ils poluent l’air, l’eau et la terre aux profits de quelques pourris.
Bennis · Friday August 25th, 2017 at 07:25 PM
Le film traite la question du droit des populations locales à une de leurs richesses naturelles, le schiste, mais il la traite de manière superficielle et descriptive sans suggérer de solution. Dommage.
Françoise Oudoin · Tuesday August 22nd, 2017 at 08:53 AM
L’argent pourrit le monde et ceux qui en possède beaucoup trop manipulent être domine tout un chacun sans respect des droits individuels collectifs environnementaux ni de la preservation du minimum vital (eau, agricultures vivrières…) pour les humains en encore moins pour les animaux. ..ce sont des destructeurs qui assassinent la planète uniquement pour gagner encore plus à tous prix….ils sont la Honte de l’espèce humaine est à eux seul 1% ils provoquent à la ruine des ressources planetaires…
Non à la mort assurée de la planète !!!
Maviel · Monday August 21st, 2017 at 10:37 PM
je suis peut être excessive… mais pour moi ces dirigeants de Total sont des criminels!!!
Kyle · Sunday August 27th, 2017 at 03:15 PM
je ne crois pas que cela soit excessif de qualifier des personnes nuisibles de criminels lorsqu’elles agissent en connaissance de cause des effets négatifs de leurs extractions tout en affirmant haut et fort qu’il n’y a aucun risque. Ils ne devraient avoir droit à aucune indulgence le jour où ils seront jugés pour leur crimes. Le problème actuel est que le crime d’écocide n’existe pas et n’est même pas en projet et pour cause… ce sont qui ont l’argent qui dirigent actuellement le monde et nos sociétés. Et comme le hasard n’existe pas, ce sont le plus souvent les mêmes qui se rendent coupable d’écocide: on ne peut donc pas compter sur eux pour se sanctionner eux-même. Tant que l’on reconnaitra à ceux qui détiennent l’argent de ce monde une immunité, rien ne changera. Cela revient à remettre en cause le pouvoir de l’argent et à le remettre à sa place, celle qu’il n’aurait jamais dû quitter, celui de faciliter les échanges entre individus et personnes morales.
RAULT · Thursday July 20th, 2017 at 11:41 AM
respect des personnes et de leur milieux, non au gaz de schiste