GREENPEACE - MAKING WAVES
Greenpeace is an autonomous organization engaged in instigating and facilitating global campaigns with an endeavor to positively transform the behavioral approach of communities, with the end goal of protecting and conserving the environment. Presently, Greenpeace is based in Amsterdam and spreads itself to national and regional offices in 40 countries. The organization has 2.8 million supporters worldwide specifically across North America, South America, Asia, the Pacific and Europe. The organization's projects are sustained through contributions and grants given by individual supporters and foundations. Greenpeace is a steadfast advocate of protecting the oceans as well as preserving ancient forests, addressing climate change, promoting sustainable agriculture free from genetic engineering, and eliminating nuclear weapons and the use of toxic substances. Its campaigns are carried out through research, lobbying, and peaceful mediation, which promote open and well-versed deliberation about the environmental views and practices that society and key players have.
History of Green Peace
In 1970, a small assembly of people established the Don't Make A Wave Committee with one objective in mind, which was to stop a nuclear test in Alaska. The founders of the committee are Jim and Marie Bohlen, Irving and Dorothy Stowe, Bob Hunter, and Ben and Dorothy Metcalfe. Sailing on a tiny vessel, this group of people from Vancouver, Canada teamed up to oppose an underground nuclear testing in Amchitka, an island off the coast of Alaska in 1971. The island was said to provide a safe haven for thousands and thousands of endangered species and other wildlife. However, their boat, named Phyllis Cormack, was already interrupted before it even got to the island sanctuary. Their voyage was nevertheless considered triumphant since what happened stirred the interest of the public. This peaceful tradition, which is often referred to as "bearing witness", keeps on until the present time.
The Ships
Greenpeace owns ships that have played a critical role in the successful implementation of its campaigns. Five ships are owned at present, namely:
- The Rainbow Warrior
- The Arctic Sunrise
- The Esperanza
- The Argus
- The Beluga II
The organization also owns inflatable boats, which are called the Rigid Inflatable Boats or RIBS, and they come in an array of sizes and configurations. These inflatables have been used for more than 25 years and they have been proven as very effective tools at sea.
Greenpeace has also taken its campaign through the air by taking flight aboard the Greenpeace balloon. The balloon flights play a variety of purposes in their campaign. The balloon is used for hanging their banners. They also use the balloon in measuring airborne pollution and in taking pictures of environmental misdemeanors. It is also used as a platform for the campaigner's parachute jumps.
Policies
Greenpeace stands by their strong aspiration to be the voice of the earth. This aspiration is founded on their governing environmental policies that guide them through their daily exertion of advocacy. There guiding principles are:
- To "bear witness" to environmental destruction in a diplomatic, non-violent manner by using peaceful confrontation to raise the level and quality of public debate
- To bear no permanent allies or adversaries when exposing environmental threats
- To ensure independence, in its financial aspect, from political or commercial interests
- To seek for solutions, and promote open, informed debate about the environmental choices of society.
Current activities
Greenpeace currently works on issues that pose serious threats to our environment, to wit:
- Stopping global warming or climate change. Greenpeace encourages people to maintain a world that runs on renewable energy rather than on nuclear and fossil fuels.
- Safeguarding the oceans including tackling concerns like whaling, bottom trawling, industrial fishing, pirate fishing, maritime pollution, shrimp farming, unfair fisheries, global warming, and marine reserves.
- Protecting ancient forests from illegal logging, massive hunting, illegal meat trade, agricultural clearing, and fuel-wood gathering.
- Demanding peace and nuclear disarmament. There exists to be an estimate of 30,000 nuclear weapons in the world today, in nine particular countries. Greenpeace is vigorously campaigning against the use of these harmful arsenals.
- Opposing to genetic engineering including genetically engineered food and genetic pollution.
- Eliminating toxic chemicals including electronic scraps or e-waste, and toxic trade.
- Ceasing nuclear age including nuclear wastes, proliferation, and nuclear power plants. Greenpeace continually reminds the world about the Chernobyl tragedy when a nuclear power station in Chernobyl exploded.
- Encouraging sustainable trade including the liberation of people from forced trade.
Green Peace Environment Resources
- View the official website for Greenpeace or the USA website for Greenpeace USA
- Greenpeace issues a statement about the iPhone not being good for the environment on TechCrunch.
- View Greenpeace report on electronic companies' environmental efforts.