An investigation by the Ecologist Film Unit and NGO Friends of the Earth has linked mining for tin for use in the manufacture of smartphones to a number of environmental problems on the Indonesian island of Bangka. And research has shown how leading smartphone brands ‘almost certainly’ use tin originating from the island. Read the […]
Archive | 2012
The slavery behind our seafood
The tropical shrimp industry in Thailand exploits both people and the environment, a major new Ecologist investigation has revealed. The film, produced in association with Link TV and Swedwatch, highlights how so-called ‘trash fish’ is caught by Thai trawlers operating – sometimes illegally – in foreign waters before being ground into fishmeal for use in farmed […]
Blood fish: why prawns should be blacklisted from all our shopping baskets
A new investigation has revealed appalling labour conditions for Burmese migrants working onboard boats supplying ‘trash fish’ for use in feed given to farmed prawns. But this is just the latest scandal to engulf the global shrimp industry, says Andrew Wasley A disturbing new investigation by the Ecologist has shone a light on the appalling labour conditions […]
UK tourists fuelling Burmese elephant trade
An illegal cross-border trade in endangered wild Asian elephants to serve Thailand’s tourist industry is threatening the future of the species, an undercover investigation by the Ecologist Film Unit (EFU) has revealed. A new film, produced by the EFU in association with Link TV and the NGO Elephant Family, has uncovered how at least 50-100 […]
Illegal trade in shellfish risks our health
An underground trade in shellfish is putting the health of consumers at risk with tonnes of potentially contaminated seafood feared to be entering the food chain, an investigation by The Ecologist and The Independent has revealed. The scale of the illicit – and highly lucrative – trade has alarmed health officials and fisheries protection bodies who say they lack […]
Revealed: the prescription drugs most likely to harm or kill us
Official data suggests antidepressants, antipsychotics, stop smoking drugs, vaccines against swine flu and even paracetamol cause adverse drug reactions. So just how safe are they? Andrew Wasley & Bethany Hubbard report A drug used to treat schizophrenia and thought disturbances in patients with Parkinson’s disease is the medicine most likely to harm or kill you […]
Blood harvest: the hidden cost of Italy’s soft drinks trade
The Ecologist Film Unit recently travelled to Calabria in Southern Italy to investigate claims that the seasonal orange harvest makes use of African migrants, many of them paid poverty wages and living in squalid conditions. The region’s oranges are frequently bought by multinational food and drink companies for use as juices or concentrates, often ending […]
Coca Cola responds to orange harvest ‘exploitation’ controversy
The soft drinks giant is looking at extending its supply chain audits and facilitating talks on ensuring better standards after Ecologist investigation uncovers squalid conditions and low pay for some migrant workers in Calabria. Gianluca Martelliano & Andrew Wasley report Coca Cola is examining how the company can help facilitate ‘fair’ conditions and wages for […]
Coca Cola challenged over orange harvest linked to ‘exploitation and squalor’
The manufacturer of Fanta is being urged to help address the poor conditions and low wages endured by some African migrant workers harvesting oranges in southern Italy. Andrew Wasley reports from Rosarno It is perhaps the worst address in Western Europe. A ramshackle slum with a noisy road on one side, a railway on another, […]
Ecologist Film Unit 