Why Greenpeace was created. International organization "Greenpeace"

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

What is Greenpeace? Is it a political structure or a professional association? What is the reason for the popularity of this organization? Why was Greenpeace created? These questions were and remain relevant. There is a version that the activity of the activists of this organization is one of the key factors in the development of the modern world. In contrast to this point of view, there is an opinion that this structure is just a stronghold of quite ordinary civil initiatives that are not capable of exerting a serious influence on world politics and the solution of global issues. The difference of opinion makes studying the activities of this environmental organization especially exciting.

Creation history and main facts

Greenpeace International Organization was established in 1971. There is a version that its establishment is connected with the environmental campaign that took place in September of that year, directed against the testing of nuclear weapons. A group of enthusiasts, led by entrepreneur David Taggart, organized a protest against the US government. Over the years, Greenpeace has grown from a small group of environmentalists to one of the world's most influential associations.

The main methods of "Greenpeace" - actions, protest actions. Holding publicly significant high-profile demonstrations, rallies that can draw attention to acute environmental problems and specific projects that can harm the environment. The activities of the organization are financed by voluntary contributions from supporters and like-minded people, that is, ordinary citizens. The supreme governing body of Greenpeace is the international Council, which consists of the management of offices located in different countries of the world. The Russian branch of the organization was established in 1992 and is still operating. So, why was Greenpeace created in Russia?

Greenpeace activities in Russia

Greenpeace's first contacts with our country took place back in Soviet times. A branch of the organization in the USSR was opened after rather long negotiations in 1989. It became the country's first international structure related to environmental issues. After the collapse of the USSR, the Greenpeace office was reorganized and began operating under the new political regime in 1992. At first, the organization had a representative office only in Moscow, in 2001 a division was opened in St. Petersburg. Greenpeace Russia employs about 70 people.

The main issues de alt with by the structure in the Russian Federation are reducing the level of environmental pollution with chemicals, protecting the nature of the Arctic from the costs of industrial development, monitoring the state of nature reserves, forests, developing alternative energy by Russian enterprises. Organizationregularly issues reports on the state of the environment in various regions of Russia and sectors of the economy.

Resonant precedents in Russia

A large number of well-known precedents related to the work of Greenpeace in Russia falls on the 90s. An example is a special investigation conducted by an organization in the Far East, which forced Russian structures associated with the nuclear industry to admit the facts of the release of radioactive waste into the open sea.

In 1995, the first object in Russia was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List - virgin forests in the Komi Republic. In 1996, Greenpeace activists won a case in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, as a result of which the Presidential Decree on allowing spent fuel for nuclear power plants to be brought into the country was annulled. In 1999, the organization lobbied in the Moscow City Duma for the municipal law "On the Protection of Green Spaces" - the first act of this direction in Russia.

Famous Greenpeace projects in Russia

Greenpeace in Russia pays great attention to the conservation of forests and their restoration. This work includes the development of legislative initiatives, legal advice and interaction with government agencies in the field of forestry. In 2002, the Revive Our Forest project was launched. As part of it, an international environmental organization and schoolchildren are restoring forests in different regions of Russia. Several hundred educational institutions took part in the project, several tens of thousands of seedlings were planted. Greenpeace promotescalled selective waste collection and recycling. The organization was able to introduce this ecological method in St. Petersburg. In 2007-2008, Greenpeace Russia activists raised problems related to the negative impact of the construction of Olympic facilities in Sochi.

Incident on the Gazprom Neft platform

One of the most resonant Greenpeace actions in Russia was held in September 2013. Several activists made their way to the Prirazlomnaya oil platform in the Pechora Sea by sailing to the site on their own vessel Arctic Sunrise. They were all arrested by the Coast Guard. According to the activists themselves, the ship of the Greenpeace organization, whose emblem was clearly visible on board, entered the Pechora Sea with the aim of holding a peaceful action aimed at protesting against oil production in the Arctic by Gazpromneft, which owned the platform. Soon enough, the President of Russia spoke about the incident, saying that the detainees, apparently, were not pirates. For several months, Greenpeace activists were under arrest and kept in a pre-trial detention center in the Murmansk region. Ultimately, however, no hard charges were brought against them. In November, the defendants in the case were released on bail, and in December the charges were dropped from them. All activists who had foreign citizenship were able to go home.

Resonant precedents in the world

What Greenpeace was created for is participation in solving environmental problems around the world. Activists of the organization, following the tasks assigned to them, hold very demonstrative actions. One of those -protest against the British oil firm Shell, which refused to flood one of the production platforms, which, according to Greenpeace, contained a large amount of toxic substances. The activists made their way to the platform and protested by tying themselves to the elements of the structure.

There was a resonance, there was a reaction in the media - Shell quotes fell. The management of the oil company still had to make a decision to flood the platform. In 2011, Greenpeace activists broke into one of the Australian farms where genetically modified wheat was grown and destroyed the entire crop. During one of the air shows in France, activists held a protest against air pollution from car exhaust gases, chaining themselves to cars of famous world brands right next to the main exhibition building at the Versailles Gate.

Greenpeace is against nuclear power

One of the theses promoted by the Russian office of Greenpeace is the futility and danger of generating electricity at nuclear power plants. Activists believe that nuclear power plants are not economically efficient and that they need to be replaced by other sources of energy. There are many objections to this point of view. There is an opinion that alternative energy sources are much more expensive and even more unprofitable compared to nuclear power generation. Signs of the economic inefficiency of nuclear energy can be associated, for example, with the difficulties in transition economies - as was the case, for example, in Russia, which was going through a difficult time after perestroika.

Greenpeace against GMOs

Activists of the organization are confident that genetically modified foods are extremely harmful to humans and the environment. Therefore, they must be labeled when selling - in order to clearly show the presence of GMO elements in food. Critics of this thesis, firstly, draw attention to the fact that the unequivocal harm of genetically modified products has not been proven, and secondly, they point out that Greenpeace is too selective in this matter. In 2004, for example, the organization formed a black list of food manufacturers. There were companies that, for one reason or another, did not provide the environmental structure with the necessary documents. But it turned out that the activists of the organization did not make any requests. At the same time, as noted by experts, the largest businesses were not included in the black list, which could give rise to talk about shadow cooperation between them and Greenpeace.

Greenpeace positive feedback

There is an opinion that Greenpeace, despite the possible outrageous and sometimes rebellious methods of holding actions, plays a positive role in solving urgent environmental issues. The activists of the organization themselves often say that their actions only convey the correct information to people. Greenpeace, according to people who treat this structure with reverence, is able to influence both ordinary citizens and officials.

The organization has competent lawyers who can effectively communicate with government officials in the language of laws and regulations. One of the keyproblems of the modern world, according to Greenpeace activists and their supporters, is a waste. A person takes from nature much more than, based on an objective reality, he needs, he wastes resources without thinking about the consequences. And all this is for the sake of momentary profit or pleasure.

Greenpeace criticism

Greenpeace activities are regularly criticized, and from various sides. In particular, some scientists, including environmentalists, are dissatisfied with the work of the organization. In their opinion, the work of Greenpeace does more harm to nature than significant benefits. A number of environmentalists believe that the organization's statements about the dangers of genetically modified plants are biased.

There is also an opinion that Greenpeace's actions against specific companies can be financed by their competitors. There is a version that activists of the organization often speak with political overtones. But, despite the abundance of criticism, supporters and employees of Greenpeace speak out about the inconsistency of the claims. There is another kind of criticism. According to some environmentalists, who are particularly radical, Greenpeace is using too soft methods of influencing the public.

Greenpeace's impact on global business and politics

The opinions of experts and ordinary people on the issue of Greenpeace's influence on global political and economic processes differ greatly. There is a thesis that the organization and its activists are a tool in the hands of business. What Greenpeace was created for is the struggle of large companies with competitors. Those who do not agree with this point of view emphasize that there are no real precedents directly speaking about cooperation between Greenpeace and business structures. For example, when holding protests in the Arctic, the organization emphasizes that it is undesirable not only for Gazpromneft, but also for any other company, to conduct development here, since in any case it harms the environment.

Greenpeace was opposed to any attempts to start drilling in the Arctic, including those carried out by foreign companies - Shell, Exxon Mobile, Statoil. There is a version that Greenpeace activists defend the political interests of some states. Opponents of this point of view emphasize that the organization's offices are scattered all over the world, which excludes the formation of any coalitions. In addition, the fact of the financial independence of Greenpeace is noted.