Greenpeace balloon on target

 This morning Greenpeace launched a giant, planet-replica hot air balloon from Bastion Point in Auckland, with the wording: “Target Climate Change.”

The activity ties in with the start of a six week ship tour aboard the iconic Rainbow Warrior, which is currently in port in Auckland. The theme of the tour is also targeting climate change, in reference to New Zealand’s lack of an overall greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

“The issue of climate change is not solved in New Zealand. The single most important thing we could do as a country is set a domestic emissions reduction target of 30 per cent by 2020,” said Greenpeace Campaign Director Carmen Gravatt. “Without this target, you cannot say we're taking the problem seriously.”

The tour will take in the ports of Auckland, Gisborne, Lyttelton, Dunedin and Wellington. There will be public open days during which people can have free tours of the ship, meet the crew and talk to the campaigners. See www.greenpeace.org.nz/rainbow-warrior  for more details.