Greenpeace Day: What It Is and How to Get Involved
Yesterday, September 15th, marked Greenpeace Day. It celebrated their 50 year anniversary of putting hope into action. But, who is this organisation and what do they stand for? In today’s blog, we talk about the people who’s mission is to save our planet. Plus, some tips on how you can get involved in the fighter for a “greener” Earth.
What is Greenpeace?
Greenpeace is non-governmental environmental organisation. It has office in over 55 countries with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It states it goal is to “ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity” and focus its campaign on worldwide issues such as:
- climate change
- deforestation
- overfishing
- commercial whaling
- genetic engineering
- anti-nuclear agendas
It uses direct action, lobbying, research, and, ecotage to achieve these goals. Thus, being described as one of the most visible environmental organisation in the world.
What’s more, Greenpeace does not accept funding from governments, corporations, or political parties. Instead, it relies on three million individual supporters and foundation grants.
Origins
In the late 1960s, the US planned to test underground nuclear weapons in the tectonically unstable island of Amchitka, Alaska. Understandably, this raised concerns over potential earthquakes causing a tsunami. 7,000 people protested by blocking the Peach Arch Border Crossing between British Columbia and Washington. They carried the sign: “Don’t Make A Wave. It’s Your Fault If Our Fault Goes” and “Stop My Ark’s Not Finished”. Unfortunately, this did not stop the US from going through with the test.
Luckily, no earthquake or tsunami occurred. However, opposition grew when the US announced they would detonate a bomb five times more powerful. It was from this unrest that the Don’t Make a Wave Committee formed to organise the protests. The member of this committee held the founders of what would be Greenpeace. They first started meeting in Vancouver in 1969.
By organising charity concerts and sailing ships (like the one above) to the testing site, eventually the US decided not to continue with their test plans at Amchitka. But, the organisation wasn’t done. They moved onto more nuclear testing programs around the world — stopping more countries from carrying on with their environmentally harmful plans. Eventually, this activism would evolve in the mid-1970s to encompass issues like whaling, toxic waste, and seal hunting.
The company developed from a group of Canadian and American protestors into a group of environmentalists who were more reflective of the counterculture and hippo youth movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Other independent groups started using the name around the world. Eventually, in 1979 Greenpeace International came into existence.
Priorities and Campaigns
The organisation defines its mission as following.
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and develop solutions for a green and peaceful future. This means we want to:
- Stop the plant from warming beyond 1.5º to prevent the catastrophic impacts of the climate breakdown.
- Protect biodiversity in all its forms.
- Slow the volume of hyper-consumptions and learn to live within our means.
- Promote renewable energy as a solution that can power the world.
- Nurture peace, global disarmament and non-violence.
How to Get Involved
Greenpeace Day is the time to release that inner activist and get passionate about helping to improve the state of the planet and its environment. And, what better way to do that than with our newly launched Eco Club! Here you can:
- Learn About the Importance of Saving the Earth. Eco Club is all about highlighting the problem and giving the probable solution — all while basing these findings in environmental science!
- Make Everyday Changes. Eco Club encourages small everyday tasks that can reduce your consumption and make you a Friend of the Earth!
- Learn by doing. Eco Club used project-based hands-on learning to teach its scientific principles.
What are you waiting for: Join the Club!
About the Author
