Aid and Relief Awareness for the World

I remember in the ‘80 when Greenpeace used to have the reputation of the most active, independent and straightforward non-government organization (NGO) for the environment and the planet. I remember seeing zodiacs cruising alongside enormous tankers and taking a bulk of barrels full of toxic wastes as they were disposed carelessly into the open ocean, running between big whaler ships and some whales to protect them from being harpooned. I remember the bombing of their ship inside a port from the French secret services, causing actual deaths and the world’s sympathy.

A couple of months ago, Greenpeace issued a report with the title “Missed call: iPhone’s hazardous material” (pdf), which described how toxic is the new Apple’s gadget. A few weeks later, Slashdot reported that Greenpeace admitted more or less a fraud, having targeted iPhone and other products merely to catch the headlines.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident for Greenpeace. Over the years, the well-respected fighter of environmental issues has become almost irrelevant, even in the big issues of the Kioto conference a few years back or the most recent efforts to stop climate change. Yes, it is a major contributor and member of many partnerships specifically for this issue, but it has been completely dormant to many other issues like nuclear power plants all over Europe and the US, the re-activation of whaling fleets in Scandinavia and Japan, not to mention almost no reference to the environmental impact of the pre-911 (Jugoslavia) and post-911 wars (Afghanistan, Iraq).

Specifically for the re-activation of whaling in the North Atlantic, the Pacific and the Antarctica, it is a known fact that it was really going on for almost a decade now since the mid-90s, when the whaling companies got the “green light” from their governments (Iceland, Norway, Japan) and no UN law was able to contain them. In fact, fishing fleets from Japan have been harvesting endangered species of sharks and dolphins, up to 20000 each every single year. When international media decided a few weeks ago to go there and display what happens, the Japanese fishermen greeted them with axes and fishing knives, covering everything behind guarded tents and forcing the reporters away. Yet, I have seen no reaction at all from Greenpeace, not only for this particular episode, but the whaling practice that has been re-activated to its full strength for the first time since the mid-80s when it was forced to a halt.

The truth is that Greenpeace is currently trying to awake people globally for the issue of whaling on their website, it also features a nice map that shows the Great Whale Trail, which essentially tracks the movement of whales as they travel in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is sad that almost every day I see young people on the street, wearing the famous orange jackets with Greenpeace’s insignia on it, trying to register new members for the local office, and yet the organization itself doing nothing more than handling the income from new donors.

Greenpeace says that it is their intention to re-activate their open-sea boats in order to begin again anti-whaling actions within the whalers’ territories, as they did in previous years. Unfortunately, I have not seen any related announcements or news reports yet, but the whaler fleets are already on their way. In fact, in the related blog it is mentioned how their boat did not meet the “Nisshin Maru” whaler a few days ago and how the Japanese Coastguard is “shadowing” (tracking from distance) their movements ready to intervene if necessary.

Let’s all hope this year ends with something more interesting and significant from Greenpeace.