"Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action."
The History
In 1971, a group of activists from Vancouver, Canada set sail in a small fishing boat with a mission to change the world and make it a more green, more peaceful place. Their mission was inspired by the U.S. underground testing at Amchitka, a small island off of Atlaska. Greenpeace wanted to "bear witness" to the testing that was being done on an island that acted as a refuge; home to 3,000 endangered sea otters, bald eagles, falcons, and other wildlife. In response to the Greenpeace protests, two French secret service agents bombed the boat in 1985 called the Rainbow Warrior which was docked in Amsterdam. One crew member was killed and the rest of the group mourned the loss significantly. Upon this tragic event for the environmental organization, the peaceful protests prevailed and a new vessel was built: the Rainbow Warrior II (Greenpeace, 2015). Today, Greenpeace is known for its unconventional approach to preserving the environment and endangered species. The organization deems itself "a voice for voiceless Mother Earth."
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According to the Greenpeace website, these are the organization's 6 ways in which they promote peace:
1. Catalyzing an energy revolution 2. Defending our oceans 3. Protecting the world's ancient forests 4. Working for disarmament and peace 5. Creating a toxic-free future 6. Campaigning for sustainable agriculture Present in over 55 countries across the world, Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments or corporations, rather from individual supporters and foundation grants (Greenpeace, 2015). A fiery organization, Greenpeace is infamous for their tactics in persuading the public to consider their environment. |
Greenpeace's protests draw attention to many environmental issues through their rhetorical capacity to challenge dominant cultural values that have enabled climate change activities to persist. Scholars have noticed that environmental groups frequently rely on alarmist, inflammatory language in order to create a sense of drama, draw attention to the issue, and most importantly, inspire public action (Greenpeace, 2015). The rhetoric of moral protest that Greenpeace exhibits has become a nationwide phenomenon. It is apparent that Greenpeace will go to any length to make its message heard. These graphic images of Greenpeace protests foster urgency in the public because they draw attention to the peripheral effects of human industry and the globalization of on human and animal life. Greenpeace demonstrations evoke an ethical appeal in order to frame climate change and animal abuse as the problem. With the use of visual rhetoric, the campaigns point fingers at those who have contributed to environmental harm, as well as those who let the harm persist. Arguably ridiculous, the stunts pulled by Greenpeace are quite remarkable because sometimes it is crucial that risks be exposed for the public to see since they might not be readily apparent.
The Rhetoric of Moral Protest
On July 17th, 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a group of Greenpeace members organized a protest at 100 different Shell stations challenging the practices of unsafe deep-sea drilling, particularly in the Arctic. Dressed in polar bear costumes, Greenpeace members took part in a stunt to lay across the gas pumps resembling the death and decay that the polar bears are suffering from due to their polluted habitats. Due to this protest alone, over 77 Shell stations were shut down (Syfert, 2013).
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On July 14th, 2010, a group of Greenpeace members protested against oil in Brussels, Belgium. The British Petroleum company wanted to drill for oil off of the coast of Europe, and in response, Greenpeace gathered for a protest. The British Petroleum company has been blamed by citizens and environmentalists worldwide for spilling over 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf Coast (Syfert, 2013). The demonstration occurred in front of the European Headquarters where 18 CEOs of the largest oil corporations were going to gather.This image depicts Greenpeace wearing swimsuits and covered in an oil-like substance while holding a picture of a suffering pelican. Not seen in the picture, some members sat on a metal structure meant to recreate a drilling rig, while others held up a sign that said, "Stop Deep Sea Drilling! Greenpeace."
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In response to the whaling, Greenpeace tried to force the Japanese government into a reality check by dumping a dead whale on the streets in front of the Japanese embassy in Berlin. Japanese whalers kill thousands of whales every year, defying an international ban through a loophole that allows whaling for ‘scientific’ purposes. However, Japanese lawmakers were largely unaffected by the whale carcass.