On 15th September we celebrate Greenpeace Day, so this is the time to release your inner activist and get passionate about the environment. The now internationally renowned campaign organisation for ecological issues was originally founded by a group of 17 activists in Vancouver protesting against off shore nuclear testing in Alaska on this date in 1971.
Since then, Greenpeace has achieved an abundance of victories over eco-crimes, as well as making an enormous contribution to raising awareness of environmental issues across the globe. They constantly strive for their vision of a society which recognises the Earth as an essential life support system whose resources are not infinite and must be protected and cared for. Their campaigns range from raising awareness of the receding ice of the Arctic to protecting the oceans and rainforests to working towards nuclear disarmament.
To recognise the contribution made by the organisation which came out of such humble roots yet now boasts 2.9 million members, Mayor Gregor Robertson of Vancouver has pronounced September 15th Greenpeace Day. In Vancouver, celebrations include a free family-friendly outdoor festival, tree planting and workshops on activism.
Be inspired by Greenpeace today: sign petitions and encourage others to do the same, be green in the home and out and about by switching off unnecessary light bulbs and throwing that empty wrapper on the street in the bin. Think bigger and look into volunteering and helping raise awareness for Greenpeace issues. Finally let Greenpeace Day act as a reminder that as the anthropologist Margaret Mead once put it: ‘Never doubt that a … group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has’.
