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The history of Greenpeace

Dave Birmingham raises Greenpeace sail on Phyllis Cormack.

Dave Birmingham raises Greenpeace sail on Phyllis Cormack.

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In 1971, motivated by their vision of a green and peaceful world, a small team of activists set sail from Vancouver, Canada, in an old fishing boat. Their goal was to protest peacefully against U.S nuclear testing in Amchitka, a tiny island off the West Coast of Alaska. Amchitaka is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions and home to endangered animals.

Despite being intercepted, their protest sparked a huge public outcry against the tests. Nuclear testing on Amchitka ended that same year, and the island was later declared a bird sanctuary.

Greenpeace has grown from a few activists into a truly global organization with millions of supporters and activists worldwide. Yet we are still motivated by the same principles of those early activists: taking action to bring positive change. In pursuing our mission, we have no permanent allies or enemies. We promote open, informed debate about society's environmental choices. We use research, lobbying, and quiet diplomacy to pursue our goals, as well as high-profile, peaceful actions to raise the level and quality of public debate.



For a great read about Greenpeace's history, pick up Rex Weyler's book, "Greenpeace -- How a Group of Ecologists, Journalists, and Visionaries Changed the World."