My 2 Cents to Planet Earth
Read More:
1. Wikipedia: Kodaikanal Mercury Pollution
2. NY Times: Hazardous Waste Is Shipped From India to U.S. Recycling Plant
3. Greenpeace: Greenpeace Spooks HLL AGM; Demand Public Apology for Mercury Disaster
4. Greenpeace: Hindustan Lever Limited Found Guilty again
5. Pearson Education India. New Delhi: p. 9.14. Fernando, A.C. (2010). Business Ethics And Corporate Governance.
Mercury Poisoning
Unilever | Kodaikanal
Campaigned to make Unilever accountable for the Mercury Pollution caused by its Thermometer factory in the Indian Hill town of Kodaikanal and the nearby Shola Forest. It made Unilever to:
* Shut to down the factory permanently
* Collect the Mercury waste and send it back to the US for recycling
* Remediate the factory site
* Compensate the workers for the health effects
Also demanding the Company to remediate the surroundings and pay for the health impacts on the local community.
Read More:
1. The Hindu: Greenpeace demands closure of Coke plant
2. The Hindu BL: Greenpeace wants PCB to act against Coke bottling plant
3. Counter Currents: Tests Confirm Toxicity In Sludge From Coke Plant
4. IPS News: Coca-Cola’s Cup of Woes Overflows
Water Pollution
Coca-Cola | Plachimada
Campaigned to make Coca-Cola accountable for its waste management practices by releasing the report of Greenpeace-University of Exeter Lab analysis that has shown high levels of Lead and Cadmium in the sludge from its Plachimada plant and the water in the nearby wells.
* Demanded accountability from the Coca-Cola company for its actions
* Shared the crucial report with regulators and the media to put pressure on the Company
* Kept building pressure through regulators and the government to make the company own up the error
Ship-breaking
Asbestos | Alang
Campaigned to establish better practices including clearing off toxic Asbestos before ships are sent to third world countries for scrapping.
* Ensured that UK ships are cleared off Asbestos before sending for breaking
* Prevented an effort to open a new ship breaking yard in the southern Indian state of Kerala
* Created awareness among Indian regulators on the best practices on ship scrapping existed elsewhere.
Pesticides
Bayer, HIL | India
Campaigned for reducing the use of pesticides in farming and creating awareness on the health effects of insecticides in humans.
* Campaigned against the practices of Bayer, and other global pesticides companies in India
* Campaigned against the government owned HIL and its pollution of nearby Periyar River in Kerala
* Created awareness on the use of contaminated water and sugar in the production of beverages