History in the Making

In 1971, a handful of concerned individuals set sail from Vancouver in a hired fishing boat for the US atomic test zone of Amchitka, Alaska to protest  nuclear weapons tests. This loose band of brave people called themselves Greenpeace, linking their concern for the environment with their desire to see a world unthreatened by nuclear war. 

After Greenpeace’s inaugural action, the US abandoned its nuclear tests at Amchitka. Thirty-five years later, Greenpeace is a global environmental organization operating in more than 40 countries with over 2.8 million members around the world.

Today, we bolster direct actions with cutting edge research in science and technology, international treaty negotiations, market pressure, public education and engagement and tightly focused legislative initiatives.