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SWAP Blog provides all the updates with SWAP travel and any surf, travel and environmental news from around the world...
February 16th: Gul Recycled Wetsuits
The Gul Recore is the latest product to come out of the Green room. After 24 months of research and development we have produced the most sustainable wetsuit on the market. Available for summer 2010 we are proud to be unleashing this to the world. Gul Recore ECO wetsuit. The Recore is the first of it kind with true green credentials. We have combined recycled polyester, Bamboo and Solvent free lamination to produce the most high performance wetsuit with minimal environmental impact.
Click Here for more info.
February 13th: Greenpeace calls for fair trial in Japan whale case
Greenpeace on Friday urged Japan to give a fair trial to two of its activists who sought to expose embezzlement in the state-funded whaling industry but were instead arrested for theft and trespass.
The "Tokyo Two", as the environmental group calls them, were held in police custody for 23 days after their arrests in 2008 and face a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted in the trial that starts Monday.Greenpeace says Japanese nationals Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki were merely doing their jobs in an environmental investigation when they took a box of whale meat from a mail depot and presented it to state prosecutors as proof of embezzlement.
"They have taken a stand in the public interest," said Kumi Naidoo, the Greenpeace international executive director, on a Tokyo visit to express solidarity with the two and lobby against whaling.
"It has come at a personal and professional cost. To be held in detention for day after day, tied down, with no lawyer, is a terrifying thing for anyone to endure," said Naidoo, a one-time anti-Apartheid activist.To have that happen to them when all they were trying to do was draw attention to the abuse of public funds is beyond scary. It is wrong."
Japanese whalers kill hundreds of the sea mammals every year in Antarctic waters, where their fleet has repeatedly clashed in recent weeks with militant environmental activists of the Sea Shepherd society.Commercial whaling has been banned worldwide since 1986, but Japan justifies its annual hunts as "lethal scientific research", while not hiding the fact that the meat is later sold in shops and restaurants.
February 11th: Eco Surf Products!
Envirosurfer.com announces the launch of their new web-based eco-friendly surf shop, envirosurfer.com. The new eco-friendly surf shop provides greener surf products all in one place for environmentally conscious surfers across the globe.
February 11th: SurfAid's 10 Year Anniversary
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Humanitarian organisation SurfAid International is proud to celebrate its 10th anniversary this year after starting with a small malaria program in one village in the Mentawai Islands, off Indonesia's Sumatran coast, in 2000.
The scope of SurfAid's work has increased from malaria prevention to now include water and sanitation, disaster preparedness, and community health programs.
In 2007, SurfAid was awarded the World Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (WANGO) Humanitarian Award, after being chosen from more than 49,000 not-for-profits worldwide.
February 10th: Travelling the Americas: The Plan for 2010
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For 2010 we are working our way from North America to South America, visiting some of the key organisations collaborated with SWAP travel.We aim to produce a series of surf travel articles describing the journey through the diverse environments and culture which will be available via DRIFT. We will highlight the work and progress made by these organisations based in surfing regions and continue to promote surf travel and environmental opportunities. Our journey begins on the isolated and wild coastline of Vancouver Island.
Follow our journey through DRIFT magazine!
February 9th: Charities to support! Moon Bear Foundation
| China team rallies support in Chengdu |
Staff from Animals Asia's Moon Bear Rescue Centre took to the streets of Chengdu, China this week to encourage pharmacies to dispense with their bile products and join us in a pledge to never supply products containing bile in the future.
More than 30 shops from four popular Chinese pharmacy chains became the first retailers to join Animals Asia's new campaign to end the use of bear bile products in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Thirty-three drug stores in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, now have their doors and counters emblazoned with stickers proclaiming loud and clear: "We don't sell bear parts". These chains sell both Chinese and Western medicine, and this is where bear bile is most commonly sold, rather than in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) shops.
The Animals Asia team visited the chain-shops - Furong, Chengdu Super, Dahua and Guangpeng Pharmacies - handing out stickers and buying up any leftover bear bile in stock.
The bile and bile products were collected together and publicly burnt on the streets outside the shops - attracting much attention and support from passers-by!This sticker crusade is the latest move in our ongoing "Healing without Harm" campaign, and was launched on 9 February because this is the anniversary of the death of Andrew, the very first moon bear to arrive at our rescue centre, back in 2000.
Article courteous of animalasia.org
January 15th: Haiti Disaster Appeal
Haiti's worst quake in two centuries hit south of the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, wrecking the presidential palace, UN HQ and other buildings. Please click on the banner above to make a donation through the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal and contribute to the efforts to help the people of Haiti.
January 10th: New Destination to volunteer in the Maldives!
Mission Maldives has directly-employed staff based in the Maldives who will organise all aspects of your project, and guide you through the entirety of your time here with us. You can volunteer on a variety of projects. Whether you are looking to gain some work experience, help others less fortunate than yourself, or simply experience a new culture, Mission Maldives has many voluntary projects in the Maldives for you.
The small island nation of the Maldives is renowned for its powdery white beaches, crystal blue lagoons and five star tourist resorts. This life of abundance and luxury however, does not reflect the lives of normal hardworking Maldivians. Mission Maldives has a variety of volunteer projects and development programs to benefit local island communities, and inspire individuals. Your participation can make a marked and substantial difference to Maldivians, and in turn you will be able to put your own lives into a broader context, and have fun while you do it!