3rd Sept: Mountain of Hope3 September 2002
Hello again. I feel like a new woman today after 8 hours sleep. And the first thing I heard was something good - the President of Senegal asked for 2 figures from our installation!
Greenwash
Oscar
Oscar
I am also pleased to report that the oil company Shell reluctantly accepted a Greenwash Lifetime Achievement award. It was presented during a swanky press conference:
You have to give credit where credit is due, when it comes to greenwash, Shell has been simply superb.Oscar Green, Greenwash Academician
This whole Greenwash thing has really made me laugh. All these companies are trying to make out they're doing the right thing when we know the reality is very different. Now they can be sure that we're onto them.
Soweto - green hopeSoweto Mountain of Hope
I've just got back from a trip to Soweto. We were invited to the Soweto Mountain of Hope - Somoho by the lads who helped set up our art installation. On this reclaimed area of wasteland, the local community now exhibit and sell products they make from waste. We saw incredible hand woven hats made from plastic bags which once littered the streets. They also collect old bicycles from around the world and teach children how to ride and maintain them. Cycle tours of Soweto are organised for tourists. This is real live sustainable development in action.
The talks - losing hopeInside the talks it's hard to believe sustainable development is what they came here to talk about. There has been a completely crap sell out on energy and climate change. They have agreed to more large dams, more coal use and more nuclear energy.
Placards calling for the US to wake up to climate change
It's a travesty. No deal at all would have been better than this deal. Furthermore, a member of the Friends of the Earth International team overheard a US official at dinner last night boasting about a devious plan to prevent any progress on rules for big business.
Friends of the Earth International campaigners are trying to make everyone aware of their plans, but are concerned that it may be too late. There is a lot of bad feeling towards the US here and much anticipation about the arrival of Colin Powell tomorrow.
With only one more day to go, the mountain of hope among Friends of the Earth International campaigners is now pretty flat.
Love Sarah
Sarah Donnelly, our Policy and Campaigns Co-ordination Assistant is sending daily updates direct from the Earth Summit.
© Friends of the Earth
