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Greenpeace Commemorate Rainbow Warrior Anniversary
Greenpeace Marks Anniversary Of Bombing With A New Rainbow Warrior
Auckland, New Zealand July 10, 2010 - Greenpeace is today commemorating the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, and the death of Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira.
In Poland, the keel is being laid for the Rainbow Warrior III, the organisation’s first purpose-built ship.
In Auckland, a small event will be held in Greenpeace’s Mt Eden office, where staff, friends, former crew, and supporters will gather to remember Fernando, and hear about the new challenges facing Greenpeace today.
And at 1:45pm, the documentary ‘The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke’ will screen in Auckland’s Skycity theatre.
“In the 1980s, using non-violent direct action, Greenpeace faced down one of the world’s nuclear superpowers. Nuclear annihilation was a threat that came close to becoming a reality several times during the Cold War, says Greenpeace International’s Executive Director Kumi Naidoo.
“Today’s biggest threat is climate change, which as we now know, has been underway for decades, since long before the French sank the Warrior,” he says.
Greenpeace New Zealand Executive Director Bunny McDiarmid says everyone needs to be making big changes right now in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. “Governments must begin operating at a whole new level; ordinary citizens will have to become active in telling their governments they want action, and consumers are going to have to wean themselves off the habit of constant consumption,” says McDiarmid.
The 57 metre Rainbow Warrior III will carry on the work of its predecessors, once launched in October 2011. She will be able to travel the globe under sail, generally only needing to motor when entering port or when involved in actions. The environmental impacts of her construction, operation and eventual disposal have all been mitigated as much as is possible through good design, and the use of non-toxic materials. The ship will have a secure media room for broadcasting what its crew witness to the world, and, unusually for a sailing ship, she will have a helicopter pad and hanger.
The Rainbow Warrior III will cost $20 million Euros. Greenpeace NZ is aiming to raise the $400,000 needed for the Rapid Response area, from where the crew will launch their actions. Since the fundraising site www.rainbow-warrior.org.nz went live just over a week ago, $26,000 has been raised.
“It’s an initial result that I’m sure means, with some more support from New Zealanders, we will meet our target,” says McDiarmid.
“Climate change is something that businesses, governments and people everywhere know they have a vested interest in stopping. But that will only happen with real and urgent action,” she says.
Moving and still vision of the Rainbow Warriors I, II and III, as well as some other more general vision, is available for free, one-time, anniversary-related use, if properly credited, from:
ENDS
Greenpeace
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
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