Local Solutions - our national campaigns

Belgium: "Since 1963 Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium has been home to 20 American nuclear weapons as agreed with NATO. Recently there has been increased public protest from various organisations aimed at putting pressure on the Belgian government to commit to nuclear disarmament. In April 2005 Greenpeace Belgium joined forces with Bombspotting activists to make "citizen inspections" of three military facilities in a symbolic action aimed at pressuring NATO member states to renounce their nuclear weapons arsenal."

"During spring 2005 a resolution on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, which included a clear demand for the withdrawal of NATOs nuclear weapons in Europe, was voted for in the Belgian Senate. A few months later - in July 2005 - this resolution was also adopted in the Belgian House of Representatives. We are calling on the Belgian government to play a leading role in ensuring that NATOs nuclear doctrine and the withdrawal of the US nuclear weapons is discussed at NATO meetings, be it alone or with other like-minded NATO countries". Bart Libaut, Greenpeace Campaigner. Find out more here


Israel: "Greenpeace is campaigning for global nuclear disarmament, and there is no better time than now during this current period of increasing tension. People want peace and security, and nuclear weapons are a direct threat to both. Israel is perhaps a difficult place for Greenpeace to spread a message of peace, disarmament and arms control. But after all, this is one reason that Greenpeace is here. Trying to generate an understanding of what is wrong in nuclear technology is hard in a country that sees its own existence threatened, and that is what keeps it safe. That, of course, isn't true. Nuclear technology, whatever the purpose, is dangerous and morally irresponsible."

"Greenpeace was born as an organisation by protesting against the dangers of nuclear weapons in the 70s, and today the message of disarmament is no less relevant, especially in the Middle East where feelings run high and currently two major players, Iran and Israel, continuously feed each other's fear of destruction. We are here to tell both sides that no one wins arms races. More nuclear weapons and technology just means more fuel for the fire that is waiting to erupt".  Ido Gideon, Greenpeace Campaigner. Find out more here

France: "France experimented with its first atomic bomb in 1960 and nuclear weapons continue to play an important role in military policy. Recently President Jacques Chirac announced that France would consider legitimate the potential use of nuclear weapons against states accused of sponsoring terrorism or threatening our sources of energy."

"In trying to blow the whistle, we frequently organise activities to inform and mobilise the population. Some of those include organising citizens' inspections of some of the major military nuclear sites, mobilising a peace flotilla to surround the biggest nuclear base in France, l'Ile Longue in Britanny, while trying to invade the same base, in a non-violent way, with the Arctic Sunrise. We have also managed to further unite the French peace movement, which has joined our campaign to put an end to the M51 missile program."   Xavier Renou, Greenpeace Campaigner. Find out more here

Spain: "In Spain we work to encourage the government to take a leadership position to help stop nuclear proliferation and promote global disarmament in international and multilateral fora. As a non nuclear NATO state we also ask that the Spanish Government support the removal of NATO US nuclear weapons from Europe.

"The current Government's approach to foreign policy is focused on multilateralism and negotiated solutions to conflicts. This is an opportunity but also a challenge. Our recent work has concentrated on lobbying our Government with this purpose and launched a public campaign to raise awareness among Spanish public opinion and institutions. We also continue to promote in Spain the Majors for Peace initiative and we have now more than 50 towns and cities adhered, among them some of the main ones in Spain (Barcelona, Córdoba, Cádiz…)." Mabel González Bustelo, Greenpeace Campaigner.'' Find out more here

Turkey: "Currently there are ninety nuclear weapons stationed close to the Syrian border of Turkey in Adana Incirlik Air Base. These have the explosive capacity of 1000 Hiroshima bombs. The local villagers were never asked if they consented to having these bombs in their community and neither were the two million inhabitants of the city of Adana which is only a couple of kilometres away. When we ask them people say they do not want to live with these weapons of mass destruction.

"These US owned nuclear weapons in Incirlik are unwanted guests. We are working to get them out of Turkey back to USA for decommissioning. We are continuing to be present in the Incirlik village, close to the gates of the base, bearing witness.'' Aslihan Tumer, Greenpeace Campaigner. Find out more here

UK: "Trident is the UK's current nuclear weapons system. It consists of four nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered Trident submarines, each equipped with up to 16 US Trident II D5 missiles, carrying up to 48 nuclear warheads each. Every warhead can deliver a destructive blast eight times that of that of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945. Tony Blair has announced that a decision to renew this ageing nuclear arsenal should be taken within this parliament.

"Greenpeace is working to convince government of the absurdity and illegality of a new British nuclear weapons programme. Only when it disarms itself can the UK have the authority to call for other nuclear weapons countries to start disarming and to insist that countries like Iran do not develop their own nuclear arsenals. We are also raising awareness about Aldermaston. This is the UK's nuclear weapons lab where scientists have been given £5 billion to spend on expertise and equipment to develop a new generation of nuclear warheads. We are telling people in the UK of these developments and campaigning to stop them". Dominick Jenkins Greenpeace Campaigner. Find out more here