Today marks the 40th anniversary of Greenpeace and I would like to tip its hat to the founders who began an environmental movement forty years ago in their Vancouver, Kitsilano living room.
On September 15th, 1971 Greenpeace set sail on its first voyage to try and stop nuclear testing in Alaska. The small crew of activists that sailed out of False Creek has now grown into the world’s largest, independent environmental organization.
In celebration of this milestone, Greenpeace is throwing a free all-day festival at Jericho beach in Vancouver on Saturday, September 17th from 11am to 6pm.
The Rainbow Warrior
Earlier this year, this blog wrote about the New Rainbow warrior, the ship Greenpeace has sailed for the last 40 years.
In 2010, in an effort to fundraise for a new ship, Greenpeace International launched an online campaign that encouraged donors to select a part of the ship they want to sponsor. The end result was an interactive project that not only broke the mold on what an online fundraising campaign can accomplish, it was a lot of fun.
Word on the open seas is that the new Rainbow Warrior is in the North Sea right now doing sea trials so it’s unlikely she’ll make an appearance in Vancouver this weekend. Rest assured there will be a real party atmosphere as Greenpeace celebrates its 40th in it’s hometown.
Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior have left their marks on the global psyche and I expect this organization will continue to push the boundaries of what it means to be a planetary champion, this week and for the next forty years.
Happy Birthday!