Friday 15 May 2015

India Silencing Greenpeace

Greenpeace has long been a thorn in the side of the rich and powerful who pollute the planet and it's latest target is India who according to the International Energy Agency, is set to double its coal consumption by 2035 and become the world's largest coal importer by around 2020.
Almost half of the 1,200 new coal-fired power stations proposed around the world are in India according to the World Resources Institute and Greenpeace have been making things uncomfortable for India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is attempting to silence his environmental critics by cancelling the registration of nearly 9,000 foreign-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs), saying they didn't comply with the country's tax codes.
Modi was elected on a manifesto promise to foster a manufacturing boom in India and the coal powered station are central to his industrial plans, despite the consequences for the already straining environment.
As the registration has been cancelled, Greenpeace are under a financial freeze in India and the charity is warning that it will have to close down in a matter of weeks unless the Indian government lifts the financial restraints.
A leaked report from India's Intelligence Bureau, explains why India's government has taken such action against Greenpeace, stating that campaigns headed by Greenpeace and other environmental NGOs had drained 3% off the nation's annual growth rate.
The charity's campaigns have stopped coal mining in some of India's forest areas and targeted India's largest firms, Coal India and the Adani Group.
Greenpeace says the government restrictions are an 'attempt to silence criticism' and even the American ambassador to India in its new role as global policeman of the environment has said its harassment of NGOs had a 'chilling effect' on the nation's democracy.
Big business will always try to find a way to suppress news that isn't in its interests but thankfully we have charities like Greenpeace who will shout it from the rooftops to draw attention to it.

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