Late last year, as I was doing some campaigning on destructive fishing practices outside UK supermarkets, a young African-British woman angrily told me that we should be working on Fair Trade issues instead. Unfortunately, she didn't stick around long enough to find out that we are working on similar issues, but from a different angle.

We don't often make the link between environmental and social justice issues. Fishing is a classic case. Wealthier countries have depleted their own fish stocks and are sending their fishing fleets into the waters of poorer countries. European fleets, for example, are now decimating the fish stocks of West African countries. Even when this is done 'legally', fishing rights are often sold in bad deals, by corrupt governments, for much lower prices than the fish is actually worth. As with every environmental catastrophe, it's the poor that suffer most.

It's a well-documented problem. National Geographic have a stunning slide show that highlights the problems of overfishing and its impacts of the poor of the world. The Environmental Justice Foundation have just released a new report, Pirate Fish on Your Plate, which traces illegally-caught West African fish to European dinner plates.

Those of us in wealthy countries have to change the way we think about food. We need to support our own local farmers and fishermen that are trying to produce food more sustainably. We need to recognise that we have a huge range of protein sources to choose from, but many people in the world don't. We need to realise that when we insist on cheap food (and other resources), somewhere on the planet somebody else is paying the real price....

One thing I've heard very little about in the long debate about nuclear power, is the impact of uranium mining on the environment, the miners, and the people who live nearby.

In the argument that this 'clean', carbon-free energy source is the solution to climate change, where are the stories about the abuse of the rights of Australian Aboriginals and First Nations people of Canada and America living near the mines? Where are the facts about the high rates of cancer and birth defects and other illness? Where are the facts about the environmental impacts of the mining – contaminated air, water, soil, etc? And all this before it even gets to the power station. Conveniently forgotten in the panic?

Well a friend of mine, Vicki Lesley has made a short film about uranium called The Yellow Monster. The trailer is screening on YouTube (and soon on Google Video and MyspaceTV ). 

And for the clean and smart solution to our energy needs, see Greenpeace's new video, The Convenient Solution. 

Love, peace and renewable energy

Catfish x

They tickle and they taunt,
these unwritten words,
like cheeky, long-fingered imps...

Richard Ian Watson
16th January 1965 – 15th January 2007

My friend Richard died last week after a two year struggle with an illness known as sarcoidosis which started in his lungs and spread to his brain. He was my favourite grumpy old Yorkshire lad and I’ll miss him a lot.

We buried Richard’s body on the 19th January in a wicker casket on a hill in the Yorkshire Dales. There were close to 200 of us there and many more in spirit. We marked his grave with a wee oak tree, which will one day be part of a forest and spent many hours celebrating his life at one of his favourite pubs. All around the world there were memorials for him – ships stopped, trees were planted, and real ale was drunk. It was a new moon and a new and difficult start for many of us without Richard.

Why was he so loved? That’s a good question. He wasn’t what I’d call a ‘nice’ person. In fact he was well known for being quite an angry and critical chap. For Rich, everything was very black and white, and he could be a pretty tough judge of others. Rich used to laugh at my attempts to soften him up and expose his gentle side. But under all the gruffness, Rich was a very passionate person. He had a strong sense of justice, honesty, and integrity. He had a fierce loyalty and love for his friends, his partner Rachel, his wee dog Meg, his family and for this planet.

Rich committed his life to making the planet a better place to live. He was the warehouse manager at Greenpeace UK for the past six or so of his 18 years with Greenpeace. He kept a very tight ship – few of us have escaped a bollocking from Rich for doing something wrong in the warehouse! He could make anything we needed for actions – from portable solar panel stands that could be carried up ladders and assembled on politicians’ roofs, to steel road block boxes in which to hide activists in relative comfort. He has climbed buildings, chimneys and towers all over the world, worked on Greenpeace ships, been to jail and taken the stand at trial in defence of his beliefs for a green and peaceful world. He lived more in his 42 years than most people do in 82.

I first met Rich outside Harrogate courthouse, in Yorkshire, with three other ‘criminals’ Al, Sterl and Donna, in July 2001. We were the only five arrested out of over 100 Greenpeace activists who had invaded the US army’s spy base at Menwith Hill. (Our two-day presence alerted the world that Tony Blair was considering signing up to Bush’s Star Wars programme – an early sign of their relationship to come.)

Donna and were relatively new to Greenpeace – it was our first action and first court appearance – and we were both a little overwhelmed. Rich told us lots of Greenpeace tales and made us laugh, and reassured us that we were doing the right thing with the right people.

Rich became my friend and my colleague, and my teacher. Despite his tough reputation, Rich was an amazingly patient teacher. He taught me to climb, Greenpeace style. He gave me my first boat driving lesson. He taught me about real English ales (he’d have none of that cold fizzy Aussie rubbish) and that chips taste best with mayonnaise.

Rich, you were an inspiration. I promise to pass on your passion and all you taught me to many others. Take care of Meg, and we’ll take care of Rachel for you.

I hope wherever you choose to go next that I’ll have the honour of being there sometime too.

Just as I was berating myself for not finding time to keep my blog going regularly, I came across the words of one of my favourite poets reminding me to MAKE the time. I have to MAKE time for creativity, MAKE time for healing, and most importantly MAKE time for silence to listen to the wisdom of the Earth and our Creator. So I thought I'd share these words with you...

KEEPING QUIET

By Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together in a sudden strangeness.

Fisherman in the cold sea would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt would not look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about.....

If we were not so single minded about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.

Perhaps the earth can teach us,
as when everything seems dead in winter and later proves to be alive.

Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

The oceans – beautiful, fascinating, occassionally frightening (I've been out there on a small ship in a force 11 storm!), and vital for life on our planet.

Please take a look at this inspiring 3 minute video. It features some beautiful time lapse photography, some amazing coastal ecosystems, and a haunting soundtrack.

Warning: it might give you goosebumps. I've added it to the list of beautiful things that revive and inspire me when my optimism and energy are waning.

The full version is here: http://www.breathingoceans.org/breathingoceans/index.html

For a short 'taster' version see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrhOUM5-DyU

Love, peace and starfish

Catfish

I put off starting my blog for so long that it became harder and harder to start. I wanted to begin with a bang, a great story, a good piece of news, some energy. In my usual quest for perfection I just found delay.

So tonight I sought inspiration from some of my favourite writers, determined to start with whatever words come my way.

From Oscar Wilde – ‘Nature, whose sweet rains fall on just and unjust alike, will have clefts in the rocks where I may hide, and secret valleys in whose silence I may weep undetected. She will hang the night with stars so that I may walk abroad in the darkness without stumbling, and send the wind over my footprints so that none may track me to my hurt: she will cleanse me in great waters, and with bitter herbs make me whole.’

Nature, the natural beautiful wilderness, has always been my inspiration, my playground, a cure for my troubled spirit and my connection to God. It fascinates me, delights me, astounds me. It tears me apart to see what we have done to this amazing planet, and although I battle daily to protect it, my optimism that we can save her often wanes.

People have become detached from nature, dismissive of it, fearful of it and unless we can reconnect people back to their source of life we have little chance of changing their hearts and minds to ensure nature’s protection.

How do we do this, short of dragging everyone out into the wilderness that they fear? How do we take them to where Nature can reach out to them?

From John Muir – ‘I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.'

I grew up climbing trees and rocks, digging the earth, exploring the deep valleys and beach cliffs, pulling carrots from the earth, picking berries from the trees. It is incomprehensible to me that all some people know of nature is a piece of fenced-off mown grass scattered with some pruned trees and litter. The food on their plates doesn’t count – it probably comes out of a box.

From Aldous Huxley – ‘The investigation of nature is an infinite pasture-ground where all may graze, and where the more bite, the longer the grass grows, the sweeter is its flavour, and the more it nourishes.’

Those of us who care for our planet must find a way to wake up the rest of humanity to her beauties or lose her forever.

Tomorrow, I’m going to the wilderness of the Lakes District in the North West of England to find some healing for my body and spirit and to seek some answers from the source of all life. And, of course, to have some fun.

From Khalil Gibran – ‘Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.