V - Generations

Wednesday, February 8 2012

Site

The Dark Side of Volkswagen

30/06/11

It looks like this site becomes some kind of a Greenpeace fanpage, but as I already said they have the best ideas.

Few of you will probably remember the Volkswagen commercial with the Darth Vader kid. Greenpeace has made a sequel to VW’s ad.

According to Greenpeace's Andrew Davies:

Volkswagen has been running an ad campaign showing a cute kid in a Darth Vader costume turning on one of their cars. It's been a big hit but for a company that's essentially threatening the future of all of our children, we thought it was ripe for a remake.

The symbolism of Star Wars is far better suited to the kind of destruction Volkswagen’s policies threaten to wreak on our planet, than to a fluffy advert to sell more of their cars.

You can watch the funny anti-commercial on VWdarkside.com

Et tu, Barbie?

23/06/11

I swear Greenpeace has sometimes the best ideas. This time Barbie, our beloved pink girl doll, acts in not so kosher ways, or rather Barbie’s production company Mattel.

Barbie has a nasty deforestation habit - she is trashing rainforests in Indonesia, including areas that are home to some of the last tiger, orang-utans and elephants, just so she can wrap herself in pretty packaging.

Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie, is feeding this nasty habit by using paper packaging for the world's most famous toy from Indonesia's most notorious rainforest destroyer Asia Pulp and Paper (APP).

Critical wildlife habitat and carbon-rich rainforests and peatlands are being wrecked for cheap, throw-away toy packaging

You can watch a funny video on the official Greenpeace site HERE. And write a letter to Mattel’s CEO!

The Whistleblower Trailer!

01/06/11

The Whistleblower is one of these rare movies you can’t believe they got made. The movie received some really good reactions at the Toronto International Film Festival. The topic isn’t mainstream so I am surprised they release the movie in August (US). You can see the trailer on Apple.com

Synopsis

Inspired by actual events, Kathy (Academy Award(R) winner Rachel Weisz) is an American police officer who takes a job working as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Her expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country are dashed when she uncovers a dangerous reality of corruption, cover-up and intrigue amid a world of private contractors and multinational diplomatic doubletalk.

Amnesty International is 50!

28/05/11

The international human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) is celebrating its 50 anniversary.

Fifty years ago one man’s outrage at the imprisonment of two students for raising a toast to freedom inspired a global movement. Together, we have successfully campaigned for the release of thousands of people, imprisoned just for voicing their opinions. Together, we have given hope to tens of thousands of women and men facing intimidation, violence, or even death. Together, we have made a difference to countless lives.

You can watch a nice video HERE

Although labor lawyer Peter Benenson founded AI in July 1961, the actual beginning of AI was an article published on 28 May 1961 in the Observer. This article ("The Forgotten Prisoners") caused public outrage concerning unjustified imprisoning and punishments like torture. You can read an abridged version of the original Observer article HERE .

New Rainbow Warrior needed!

21/04/11

The Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of Greenpeace, is about to be retired. A new ship has to be built. Greenpeace is asking for donations. There is a cool 3D-interactive menu on the official website. You can view it HERE

Here is the old ship:

Japan Charity!

01/04/11

Almost three weeks ago a 9-magnitude earthquake caused great damage in Japan. The official death toll is 11,828, with more than 15,5o0 people still missing. The Fukushima Da-ichi nuclear plant has been leaking an increasing amount of radioactivity since the March 11. The high radiation levels are now polluting the water and threatening Japan’s megacity Tokyo.

The aftermath of this catastrophe will remain for decades and future Generations will suffer from the effects.

Charity Navigator has an excellent list of charity groups/organizations and some tips how to spend your money and how NOT to spend your money:

We are only including charities on the list to the right that are 3 and 4-star charities and that have responded to our request for more information about their efforts in Japan and their plans for designated funds.

Avoid Newly-Formed Charities and Give To An Established Charity That Has Worked In Japan - Establishing a new charity is hard enough, but in a crisis, the odds of succeeding are slim to none.