Greenpeace international Greenpeace is a nonprofit organisation, with a presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacifik. To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept dotations from governments or corporations but relies on contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants. As a global organisation, Greenpeace focuses on the most crucial worldwide threats to our planet’s biodiversity and environment. Greenpeace campaign to: - Stop climate change - Protect ancient forests - Save the oceans - Stop whaling - Say no to genetic engineering - Stop the nuclear threat - Eliminate toxic chemicals - Encourage sustainable Greenpeace has been campaigning against environmental degradation since 1971 when a small boat of voluntarees and journalist sailed into Amchitka, an area north of Alaska where the US Government was conducting underground nuclear tests. This tradition of „bearing witness“ in a nonviolent manner continues today, and our ships are an imporant part of all our campaign work. We exist to expose environmental criminals, and to challenge government and corporations when they fail to live up to their mandate to safeguard our environment and our future. In persuing our mission, we have no permanent allies or enemies. We promote open, informed debate about society’s environmental choices. We use research, lobbying, and quiet diplomacy to pursue our goals, as well as high-profile, nonviolent conflict to raise the level and quality of public debate. Greenpeace speaks for 2,8million supporters worldwide, and encourages many millions more than that to take action every day. Greenpeace take the name of their flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, from a North American Cree Indian Legend. It described a time when humanity’s greed has made the Earth sick. At that time, a tribe of people known as the Warriors of the Rainbow would rise up to defend her. As one of the longes banners we’ve ever made summed things, „When the last tree is cut, the last river poisoned, and the last fish dead, we will discover that we can’t eat money.“ Greenpeace mission Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation that uses non – violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and forse solutions for a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace’s goal is to ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity. Greenpeace organises public campaigns for: - The protection of oceans and ancient forests. - The phase out of fossil fuels and promotion of renewable energy to stop climate change. - The elimination of toxic chemicals. - The prevention of genetically modified organisms being released into nature. - An end to the nuclear threat and nuclear contamination. - Safe and sustainable trade. - Greenpeace does not solicit or accept funding from governments, corporations or political parties. Greenpeace neither seeks nor accepts dotations that could compromise its independence, aims, objectives or integrity. Greenpeace relies on the voluntary dotations of individua supporters, and on grant support from foundations. Greenpeace is committed to the principles of non-violence, politoval independence and internationalism. In exposing threats to the environment and in working to find solutions, Greenpeace has no permanent allies or enemies. Greenpeace has played a pivotal role in, among other things, the adoption of: - A ban on toxic waste exports to less developed countries. - A moratorium on commercial whaling. - A United Nations providing for better management of world fisheries. - A Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary; - A 50-year moratorium on mineral explotation in Antarctica. - Bans on the dumping at sea of radioactive and industrial waste and disused oil installations. - An end to high-sea, large-scale driftnet fishing. - A ban on all nuclear weapons testing – our first ever campaign. The history of Greenpeace In 1971, motivated by their vision of a green and peaceful world, a small team of activists set sail from Vancouver, Canada, in an old fishing boat. These activists, the founders of Greenpeace, believed a few individuals could make a difference. Thein mission was to „bear witness“ to US underground nuclear testing at Amchitka, a tiny island of the West Coast of Alaska which is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone regions. Amchitka was the last refuge for 3000 endangered sea otters, and home to bald eagels, peregrine falcons and other wildlife. Even though their old boat, The Phyllis Cormack, was intercepted before it got to Amchitka, the journey sparked a flurry of public interest. The US still detonated the bomb, but the voice of reason had been heard. Nuclear testing on Amchitka ended that same year, and the island was later declared a bird sanctuary. Today, Greenpeace is an international organisation organisation that priorities global environmental campaigns. Based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Greenpeace has 2,8 million supporters worldwide, and national as well as regional offices in 41 countries. Greenpeace victories Below are just some of the positive environmental changes that Greenpeace has directly helped to bring about since they began campaigning in 1971. 2002 Brazil declares a moratorium on export of Mahogany following revelatins of the extent of illegal jogging and timber trade. Greenpeace actions around the world help enforce the ban. 2002 The European Union, followed by Japan, ratifies the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Intensive Greenpeace lobbying must continue because, for the protocol to ester into force, 55 parties to the convenion must ratify it. 2002 Greenpeace helps defeat a major drive by pro-whaling nation Japan and its supporters to re-introduce commercial whaling through the International Whaling Commission. The re-introduction would have been disastrous for whales, which are now protected under the 1982 commercial whaling ban. 2001 Greenpeace turns 30 year old in September. The environmental group has grown from a small band inpired volunteers to an international environmental organisation with offices in 30 countries. As always, Greenpeace thrives on committed activism and widespread, growing public support. 2001 After year of negotions and pressure from Greenpeace, a global agreement for the elimination of a group of highly toxic and persistent man-made chemicals (Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs), became a reality in May 2001 when a UN Treaty banning them is adopted. 2001 A historic agreement with jogging companies is reached on the conservation of Canada’s remaining coastal rainforest and approved by the government of British Columbia. This follows years of campaigning by Greenpeace, most recently targeting the trade and investments of companies involved in logging the endangered Great Bear Rainforest. 2001 Greenpeace lobbying, together with earlier expeditions to the Southern and Atlantic Oceans exposing flag convenience (FOC or „pirate“) vessels, are instrumental in the adoption of an „international plan of action“ to combat illegal fishing in international waters. 2000-2001 An ever increasing and significant numer of European retailers, food producers, and subsidiaries of multinational companies guaranteed to keep genetically engineering ingredients out of thein products due to consumer pressure. Thanks its consumer network in 15 countiers, Greenpeace tests products, collects information about food products and policies and exponses contamination cases. 2000 Further to Greenpeace’s April-May Expedition explosing pirate fishing in the Atlantic, an important ban is adopted on all bigeye tuna caught by FOC vessels in the Atlantic. 2000 Turkey’s plans to build its first nuclear reactors at Akkyuyu as part of a larger project to construct 10 reactors by the year 2020, is finally cancelled in July after eight years of campaigning by Greenpeace and others. The only remaining market for all major western nuclear companies is China. 2000 The Biosafety Protocol is adopted in Montreal, Canada. It aims to protect the environment and human health from risk sof Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) by controling international trade of GMOs. Greenpeace has campaigning to stop the irreversibile release of GMOs into the environment and to protect biodiversity from genetic pollution since 1995. 1999 Nine countries ban the use of Harmful phthalates in polyvinil chloride (PVC) toys for children under three and the EU introduces an „emergency“ ban on soft PVC teething toys. 1999 Japan is ordered to stop „experimental“ fishing of Southern Bluefin Tuna by the International Law of the Sea Tribunal. 1998 The Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty comes into force. 1998 A history accord, the OSPAR Conention, bans the dumping of offshore installations at sea in the North-East Atlantic. The Convention also agrese on the phasing-out of radioactive and toxic discharges, as proposed by Greenpeace.