International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD)

Volume 8 Issue 3, May-June 2024 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470

Green Peace: An Introduction

Paul A. Adekunte1, Matthew N. O. Sadiku2, Janet O. Sadiku3
1
International Institute of Professional Security, Lagos, Nigeria
2
Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX, USA
3
Juliana King University, Houston, TX, USA

ABSTRACT How to cite this paper: Paul A.

Greenpeace is one of the most internationally recognized Adekunte | Matthew N. O. Sadiku | Janet
International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO). Greenpeace O. Sadiku "Green Peace: An
investigates, documents and exposes the causes of environmental Introduction"
Published in
destruction. It brings about change by lobbying, consumer pressure
International Journal
and mobilizing members of the general public for peaceful protest. of Trend in
The organization takes peaceful direct action to protect our Earth and Scientific Research
promote solutions for a green and peaceful future. Over the years, and Development
greenpeace has had numerous wins in campaigning for a sustainable, (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456- IJTSRD66028
greener, healthier and peaceful planet. This paper provides an 6470, Volume-8 |
Issue-3, June 2024, pp.870-874, URL:
introduction to greenpeace, looking into its laudable achievements
www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd66028.pdf
and the ways forward.
KEYWORDS: Environmental destruction, Lobbying, Consumer Copyright © 2024 by author (s) and
pressure, Biodiversity, Ecotage, Greenpeace International Journal of Trend in
Scientific Research and Development
Journal. This is an
Open Access article
distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
INTRODUCTION
Greenpeace is an independent, non-profit, global as an increasingly important tool in
campaigning organization that uses non-violent, competitiveness towards global business and
creative confrontation to expose global environmental sustainability [2].
problems and their causes. Greenpeace's goal is to
 Credible: Greenpeace is a credible organization
ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its that deploys independent investigation, research
diversity. and actions to highlight environmental problems
The organization seeks solutions for, and promotes as well as solutions.
open, informed debate about society's environmental  Financial independence: Greenpeace ensures its
choices. The organization brings about change by financial independence from political or
lobbying, consumer pressure and mobilising members
commercial interests. It does not solicit or accept
of the public to take action against environmental funding from governments, corporations or
destruction [1]. political parties. It does not seek nor accepts
The core values of the organization are: donations that could compromise its
 Positive action: This is through the use of independence, aims, objectives or integrity. It’s
creative, non-violent confrontation to raise the only source of financial support are from
level and quality of public debate. individual supporters and foundations.
 Global: Nature recognises no frontiers or national Greenpeace mission/goals are as follows:
boundaries. The Global Performance Excellence
 Protect biodiversity in all its forms.
Award (GPEA) is part of a global organization,  Prevent pollution and abuse of our oceans, land,
that addresses cross-border environmental air and water.
challenges and leverage global intelligence and
 End nuclear threats.
resources. The GPEA process promotes and  Promote peace and global disarmament [2].
strengthen awareness in performance excellence

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
HISTORY OF GREENPEACE reward rnvironmenal destruction, promote excessive
Greenpeace is a movement of people that are consumption, write off entire communities and
passionate about defending the natural world from ecosystems as "disposable", tolerate obscene levels of
destruction. The vision of the organization is a inequity, prioritise short-term profit over
"greener, healthier and more peaceful planet, one that sustainability and wellbeing, commodify the
can sustain life for generations to come". Greenpeace commons, and undermine community, health and true
was by a small group of concerned individuals, who security. There is the need for boldness to join forces
set sail to Amchitka Island off the coast of Alaska to with allies, to build the new systems for that green
try and stop a US nuclear weapons test. Their old and peaceful world that we all know in our heads and
fishing boat was called "The Greenpeace" [3]. in our hearts is possible.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning With this in mind:
network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe 1. Our first goal is to defend important boundaries
and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental for a healthy ecosystem, and
activists from the United States. The goal of 2. Our second goal is to provoke systems change for
Greenpeace is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to the long term by (a) changing mindsets, and (b)
nurture life in all its diversity" and focuses its changing power dynamics.
campaigning on worldwide issues such as climate
There are 'nine crucial boundaries' that humanity must
change, deforestation, overfishing. commercial
remain within for a liveable planet. This concept is
whaling. genetic engineering and anti-nuclear issues,
from the Stockholm Resilence Centre to ensure our
as shown in Figure 1. It uses direct action, lobbying,
environmental goals are based on the best science
research, and ecotage (or ecosabotage), to achieve its
available. The boundaries are: climate change,
goals. The network comprises 26 independent
stratospheric ozone, landuse change, freshwater use,
national/regional organizations in over 55 countries
biological diversity, ocean acidification, nitrogen and
across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia
phosphorus inputs to the biosphere and oceans,
and the Pacific, as well as a coordinating body,
aerosol loading and chemical pollution [6].
Greenpeace International, based in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands [4]. Greenpeace work goes beyond the idea of peace
being an absence of conflict but to delivering "human
FUNCTIONS OF GREENPEACE
security." Beyond the traditional weapons and
There is the need to firmly recognize that the struggle
military security auguments, "human security"
for a green and peaceful future requires fundamental
includes threats to people's dignity and happiness
changes in the way we relate to nature and to each
such as those coming from climate change, poverty,
other.
food and resource shortages. As environmental
From climate change to inequality, armed conflict to boundaries are stressed, severe resource scarcities
social injustice, the great challenges of our time are will trigger more conflicts. There cannot be peace
not only urgent, they are intimately linked. From the without the world adopting a more cooperative
power structures that make them possible to the approach to sharing scarce resources. Consequently,
mindsets that make them acceptable, they are Greenpeace is working with allies for hopeful,
interwoven and must be changed together. To this solution-based, cooperative answers to depleting
end, the mission still remains: "to protect the planet in resources.
all its diversity and promote peace and non-violence".
Greenpeace is to "promote a new perspective and
What Greenpeace need is "a billion acts of courage"
shift in mindsets" that is rooted in stories that help us:
in support of a better world, which is achievable when
valuing people and communities near and far;
we reach out across the divides that see us working
understanding that we are part of nature and that we
separately, and together replace the systems of
each hold a stake in its future; measuring our success
oppression, inequality and greed that hold back
according to our relationships and not our
progress towards a better, sustainable and equitable
possessions; understanding that security depends
future [5], as shown in Figure 2.
upon a healthy environment and a just, equatable
We are therefore, faced with an urgent, existential society rather than force and surveillance;
crisis and it's critical that we act quickly to make understanding that people, not corporations are self-
fundamental changes. We must go beyond treating interested elites, should be at the heart of governance
symptoms of environmental degradation, inequity and and public life; seeing that the world is getting better,
conflict, and tackle the root causes the systems that because people are working together to make it so;
perprtuate them. The predominant economic and and understanding that the economy must work
cultural systems set us apart from nature. They within the environmental limits of the planet.

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
The need for Changing Power Dynamics - Climate 10. Agriculture.
change biodiversity are "symptoms of a fundamental 11. Food and water insecurity.
power imbalance". Their consequences are 12. Fast fashion and textile waste.
disproportionately felt by the poorest and most 13. Overfishing.
marginalised in society. To create "lasting and 14. Cobalt mining.
exponential change" in the world is not enough to 15. Soil degradation.
alter the behaviour of individual actors like
THE WAY FORWARD
government and corporations, we need to shift the
Halting deep sea mining - Governments must put an
way power is distributed. The exclusive power of
immediate stop to critical deep sea mining so as to
some self-interested elites who exercise control over
secure long-term protection for the oceans.
our institutions and our governments results in a
system that serves to win greater power and wealth Environmental justice - Environmental justice must
for those at the top, regardless of the cost to the rest be vigorously pursued to help ensure a better, greener
of humanity and the planet. Hence, Greenpeace must and fairer world for all, as shown in Figure 3.
ensure that we shift the tide to focus on the wellbeing Penalty for polluters - Polluters must be made by law
of people and the planet's health. Solutions too must to pay for the escalating costs of climate crisis i.e. by
be sorted to achieve greater equity among genders, putting in force "green" laws.
races and classes and where the benefits of inclusion,
diversity and innovation are enjoyed by more than UN Ocean Treaty - The UN Ocean Treaty which has
just those at the top. been formally adopted in New York must be strictly
adhered to by all countries.
As Greenpeace cannot be big or powerful enough to
reach these goals alone, it focuses its efforts in two Greenpeace need collaborate with the UN for a
ways vis-a-vis: sustainable development and climate action and as
1. Using disruption and well with North Atlantic Treaty Organization
2. Influencing culture. (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Additionally,
more work and sustained political ambition is needed
Greenpeace through its core part to create change via to ensure that NATO is well and fully prepared to
its "non-violent direct action" has been able to win continue to deliver in a changing climate. The EU is
policy and behaviour change from governments and involved in the global and regional implementation of
corporations [7]. the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development,
Ecotage also referred to as ecosabotage, is the moreso with the reversed progress in achieving the
destructive or obstructive action designed to publicize SDGs caused by major global crises like the COVID-
or harass people believed to be harming the 19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate change,
environment [8]. This is a form of radical and more worsened by challenges due to poverty,
environmentalist groups that participate to stop or halt inequality, carbon emissions, education, health,
and raise awareness about climate change by economic growth and finance [11, 12].
encouraging widespread political mobilization [9]. Greenpeace should continue to help in organizing the
CHALLENGES news media and the public, in the area of public
Facing the entire world today is rising sea levels, education and genetically engineered (GE) food
more extreme weather events, and loss of diversity. products.
Our climate is breaking down and destructive There is need on campaign on educating energy
industries continue to threaten our forests, oceans and policymakers on the value and feasibility of
air. However, collectively we can overcome these developing renewable energy.
challenges. The 15 biggest environmental challenges
Peaceful and non-violent protests in favour of
or problems confronting the planet cum humanity are
renewable energy, healthy environment and
[10]:
sustainable development need be pursed for our
1. Global warming from fossil fuels.
children’s future [13].
2. Poor governance.
3. Food waste. CONCLUSION
4. Biodiversity loss. It is better late than never as we require a strategic,
5. Plastic pollution. grassroot response to globalization jn providing the
6. Deforestation. needed global consciousness raising and resistance to
7. Air pollution. global capitalism in the face of the declining capacity
8. Melting ice caps and sea level rise. of nation states to regulate transnational corporations.
9. Ocean acidification. All hands must be on deck to fight against a whole

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 International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development @ www.ijtsrd.com eISSN: 2456-6470
range of other global political issues such as global https://www.greenpeace.org/get-invoved-
warming (climate change), environmental greenpeace-international
degradation, infectious disease epidemics, human [7] Planetary boundaries,
trafficking, and international terrorism when it is clear https://www.stockholmresilience.org/planetar
that nation-states acting singly can do relatively little. y-boundaries
[8] The Framework: A Summary – Greenpeace,
There is the urgent need for the regulation of
https://www.greenpeace.org/the-framework
transnational corporations. To achieve this goal, civil
[9] “Ecotage,” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary,
society organizations should use both cooperative (e.
Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-
g. eco-consummerism, collaborations with business,
webster.com/dictionary/ecotage, accessed 27
promotion of voluntary codes of conduct and
December 2023.
stewardship) and confrontational strategies such as
[10] “Environmental radicalism through ecotage,”
consumer boycotts, public relations wars, surveillance
The Climate Change Review, October 31,
and exposure of corporate malpractice, and
2022,
shareholder activism. Required as well is strong
https://www.theclimatechangereview.com/env
collaboration of Greenpeace with the European
iromental-radicalism-through-ecotage
Union, UN, World Trade Organization, the Group of
[11] 15 Biggest Environmental Problems of 2023 l
8 (G8) and policymakers. We need to ensure a safe
Earth.Org , https://www.earth.org/the-biggest-
environment/planet now and for the future
environment...
generations.
[12] “NATO Climate change and security action
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[1] How Greenpeace Creates Change, http://www.nato.int/nato-climate-change...
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/how-we- [13] Kalterina Shulla, Walter Leal Filho,
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[2] Global Performance Excellence Award actions for the successful implementation of
(GPEA), http://gpea.apqo.global the Sustainable Development Goals before
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Southeast Asia, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/archieving-
https://www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia the-un-agenda-2030
[4] About Greenpeace, [14] Linden J. Ellis, “Campaigning for Change:
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[5] Greenpeace-Wikipedia, September 19, 2007.
https://www.en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenp http://www.wilsoncenter.org/campaigning-
eace for-change
[6] Get Involved – Greenpeace International,

Figure !. Climate change.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

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Figure 2. Sustainable future.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_ecology_(theory)

FIGURE 3. Environmental justice.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrironmental_Justice_Foundation

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