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Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-profit organisation, with a presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept donations 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 has been campaigning against environmental degradation since 1971 when a small boat of volunteers and journalists sailed into Amchitka, an area north of Alaska where the US Government was conducting underground nuclear tests. This tradition of 'bearing witness' in a non-violent manner continues today, and our ships are an important part of all our campaign work.
Some of the Greenpeace victories:
Buenos Aires, Argentina(24.nov.2005) - After a campaign by Greenpeace in Argentina, the city of Buenos Aires has decided to tackle the thousands of tonnes of rubbish dumped in city landfills everyday. The city council has voted to move towards a policy of zero waste to tackle its wasteful habits.
International (04.oct.2005) - More big brands have
committed to remove toxic chemicals from their products after the Greenpeace
campaign against toxic pollution. Electronics giant Motorola and health and
body care companies L'Occitane, Melvitacosm and Alqvimia are the latest
companies to drop the most toxic chemicals from their products. These companies
join Samsung, Nokia, Adidas, Reebok, H&M, Chicco toys and others in
adopting a precautionary approach to end the use of chemicals of concern in
their products.
Amazon, Brazil(11.nov.2004)
- Following years of campaiging in the Amazon by Greenpeace and other
environmental organisations the Brazilian government stood up to the powerful
forces of illegal loggers and greedy soya and beef barons by creating two
massive protective reserves. The presidential decree has protected 2 million hectares
of the Amazon forest by creating the Verde Para Sempre and Riozinho
do Anfrisio extractive reserves.
International (22.jun.2004) - Unilever, Coca Cola and McDonalds promise to phase out climate-killing chemicals in their refrigeration equipment. In 1992 Greenpeace launched Greenfreeze with the help of two scientists who pointed out how to avoid HFC's altogether. We found an old fridge factory, appealed to our supporters to pre-order enough units to finance a refit, helped build the market and Greenfreeze was born. Today there are over 100 million Greenfreeze refrigerators in the world, produced by all the major European, Chinese, Japanese and Indian manufacturers.
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 convention providing for better management of world fisheries.
- A Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary;
- A 50-year moratorium on mineral exploitation 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 - their first ever campaign.
