Environment, International, Politics

Australian Environmental Minister Calls For Boycott of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream

 

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We have been discussing the horrific environmental record of the administration of Prime Minister Tony Abbott. This includes the decision to dump millions of tons of waste into the Great Barrier Reef. The move that led to international outcry including official condemnation from UNESCO. However, it is the campaign by Ben and Jerry’s that raised the ire of Abbott’s Environment Minister Andrew Powell. The company founders have been leading an effort to save the reef from the destructive policies of Abbott. Powell calls such a campaign only “propaganda” and wants Australians to stop eating the ice cream. It was a curious suggestion given the Abbott Administrations effort to ban environmental boycotts.


Ben and Jerry’s recently withdrew its very popular Phish Food ice cream to protest the damage being done to the reef by the Abbott Administration. The founders went to Australia to increase awareness and hand out free ice cream. It appears that that is far more worrisome for the government than UNESCO.

Powell proclaimed that “Another company has signed up to the campaign of lies and deceit that’s been propagated by WWF. The only people taking a scoop out of the reef is Ben and Jerry’s and Unilever. If you understand the facts, you’d want to be boycotting Ben and Jerry’s.”

In the meantime, the Queensland and federal governments are continuing with their plan to dump three million cubic metres of dredge spoil in the marine park and World Heritage area to facilitate a coal port expansion.

Source: Brisbane Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 thoughts on “Australian Environmental Minister Calls For Boycott of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream”

  1. Jeez, we need fewer people on the planet in order to have fewer fuel demands. (and job demands.).

    1. Shuler – and some were complaining when I said California should slid into the ocean. 🙂

  3. Marco Rubio and two friends (“Jesus not among them”) showed up on Last Week Tonight to debate …

  6. What goes around, comes around. It is winter, or coming on winter there anyway.

  7. Way to go Ben & Jerry………. Cherries Garcia, forever!!!!!!!!!! And, Dredd… I live in Florida…a New York Transplant 14 years ago…. and we all know that Marco Rubio…………….. is DUMBER than a ROCK!!!!

  8. “The company founders have been leading an effort to save the reef from the destructive policies of Abbott. Powell calls such a campaign only “propaganda” and wants Australians to stop eating the ice cream.” – JT

    He has a friend in Jesus Marco Rubio.

  9. Darren, I don’t understand why a politician should not call out someone engaging in opposition to their policies, its part of the debate. So long as they don’t try to shut them up. That goes for the times I believe a politician is right as well as times like this when he is wrong.

    As for the GBR, its a good thing the reef is not under any threat already from pollution and global warming that is killing off large areas of the reef. If it were than this latest assault would be a really stupid thing to do.

  10. Plus, I don’t think it is the role of a politician to call out a person or a business engaging in free speech and lawful business practices. Here, a politician is threatening to cause economic loss to business owners for constitionally protected, I would assume this is in Australia, rights. No good here, no good there.

  11. Yep, and I bet it has much to do with exporting king coal to China. Maybe they don’t get as polluted as we here in the Pacific North West by China’s flagrant disregard for world health.

  13. Australia is far behind the United States in the field of environmental degradation. But Mr. Powell is strongly committed to closing the gap.

  14. Ben and Jerry’s is overpriced. There are local ice cream spots in Wi. w/ better and cheaper ice cream. UW Babcock Hall ice cream is one of the best around.

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