Current Article  

Greenpeace

Greenpeacean organization foundedCanada1971 as an offshoot of"Don't Make A Wave Committee",groupAmericans who had relocatedVancouverevadeAmerican draft. In 1970,Committee was established withsole objectivestoppingsecond nuclear bomb test byUnited States militaryAlaska. The committee's foundersfirst members included: Darnell came up withdynamic combinationwordsbound togethergroup's concern forplanetoppositionnuclear arms. The committee was renamed "Greenpeace." The group was originally as concernedpacifism asenvironment, but as time progressed foundmore effectivefocus onissueenvironmental protection.

Greenpeace continuesenjoy attentionsome notoriety fromworld intelligence community dueits involvementsensitive topics such as nuclear power, freedom ofseasnuclear weapons testing. Even SoldierFortune magazine has featured reviewsGreenpeace's operations worldwide. Greenpeace's willingnessact againstembarrass any world power, even at considerable risk,impressive evenprofessionals. In one operation Greenpeace landed an inspection team inside Siberia duringCold Warinvestigateseal harvesting operation,narrowly avoided capture byenraged Soviet Navy.

Tablecontents
1 Activities
2 Funding

Activities

The organizationcurrently activemany environmental issues,primary focus on effortsstop global warmingpreservebiodiversity ofworld's oceansancient forests. In addition tomore traditional environmental organization actstarting petitions, Greenpeace's stated methodology isengagenon-violent direct action.

Greenpeace's tactics involve all kinds"stunt" protestsattract attentionparticular environmental causes, often spectacular raidsorganizationsinterest such as whaling vessels, nuclear plants, andlike. These protests have often been called ecoterrorism by their targets, although Greenpeace normally eschews violence.

Such well-organisedoften well-funded protests, withuseoneGreenpeace's ships, fleetinflatable boats, andlike, andarrangementextensive media coverage forcarefully-designed telegenic images that result), have attracted large amountsattentionGreenpeace's environmental causes. The organisation attemptsharness that attention through on-line actions at its Cybercentre.

SomeGreenpeace's most notable successes includeendingatmospheric testingnuclear weapons,permanent moratorium on international commercial whaling, anddeclaration by treatyAntarctica asglobal park, forbidding possession by individual nations or commercial interests.

Some critics note that while engagingthese protests against such activities as oil exploration inNorth Sea, Greenpeace has no problem utilizingproductsthese industrial ventures. Greenpeace responds thathas never opposeduseoil, rubber, or chemicals, but thatpush onlyresponsible usage. However, Greenpeace believes that some technologiesparticularly egregious. Greenpeacepushing forcomplete bannuclear power plants, whalingatomic testing.

The act.Greenpeace.org service has so far attracted many participants, mostlyemail campaigns. Itarguably one ofmost effective online activist networks, alongMoveOn.org; bothalmost exclusively open campaigning organizations. Greenpeace defines an "Open Campaign" as an activist effort thattransparent down tomerest tactical details, although there may be some situations where somethesehiddenprovide some advantages prior tofact. Greenpeace modelled its open campaigns after Winston Churchill's free press based strategyWWII, which assumed that propaganda techniques not instinctually employed by journalism "on your side" onmore or less voluntary basis (via cultural bias), was ineffective or counter-productive,thatsimply will not be believed. Thus one did not havetell all uncomfortable truth, merely bemore reliable reporter thanenemy,be heard outultimately trusted byenemy's agents.

Their anti-nuclear protests inSouth Pacific during1980s irritatedgovernmentFrance toextent that1985orderedgroupFrench commandosdestroyGreenpeace protest-ship,Rainbow Warrior, which was mooredAuckland, New Zealand. Frogmen placed two bombs which detonated at 11:49 inevening on July 10, 1985, thereby sinkingship tobottom ofharbourkillingcrewman, Fernando Pereira. The subsequent revelation ofFrench government's actions greatly embarrassed that governmenthadeffectincreasingeffectivenessGreenpeace's campaign. Some ofindividuals were caught byNew Zealand authorities, despite their having carried out their operation onpremise thatNew Zealand police would be far too ineptdetect them.

Funding

Despite its foundingNorth America, Greenpeace has been far more successfulEurope where its membershiplargerit gets mostits money. The vast majorityGreenpeace's donations come from private individual members. It has received donations from some prominent figures, however, such as Ted Turner. Alongother members ofactivism industry, inUSAalso usesservices ofFundPublic Interest Research. Greenpeace spends approximately $360M USD per year.

While Greenpeace claims thatdoes not accept donations from companies, governments or political parties; there has beennoted inverse correlation between their focusattentionsourcesincome. The organisation claims this policy permits them more freedommovementtheir actions andabilitybe supported from people from any political background.

External Links


Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.