The New Zealand tour of the Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, will begin with a tribute at the spot its predecessor was sunk after the 1985 bombing that shocked the world.<\/p>\n
The Rainbow Warrior is in New Zealand for a tour to celebrate the country\u2019s recent oil exploration ban and promote clean energy opportunities.<\/p>\n
In April, New Zealand made international headlines when it became one of the first countries in the world to ban new offshore oil and gas exploration licenses.<\/p>\n
The \u2018Making Oil History\u2019 tour will begin with a p\u014dwhiri and wreath laying ceremony at Matauri Bay, the final resting place of the original Rainbow Warrior. In 1985, the ship was bombed by the French Secret Service in retaliation for protests against France\u2019s Pacific nuclear testing programme. The bombing killed Greenpeace photographer, Fernando Pereira.<\/p>\n
Two years later, New Zealand became the first country in the world to declare itself nuclear free.<\/p>\n
In April this year, in the lead up to the offshore oil and gas ban announcement, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern famously labelled climate change her generation\u2019s “nuclear free moment”.<\/p>\n
Greenpeace New Zealand Executive Director, Dr Russel Norman, says the Rainbow Warrior is the link between these two important historic movements.<\/p>\n
“In 1987 New Zealand was the first country to stand up to the world\u2019s nuclear powers, and in doing so we became leaders on the biggest global threat of the time. The Rainbow Warrior became part of our national identity, and for the many who still clearly remember the bombing, it\u2019s a symbol of New Zealand\u2019s successful nuclear free movement,” he says.<\/p>\n
“This year, we\u2019ve once again become world leaders on what is now the greatest threat of our time. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was right when she called climate change this generation\u2019s nuclear free moment.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s fitting that the Rainbow Warrior has travelled across the world to be here to celebrate New Zealand\u2019s bold action on climate change – action only made possible by a decade-long movement against oil, hundreds of thousands of people strong.”<\/p>\n
From Matauri Bay, the Rainbow Warrior will travel around the country, stopping in centres including Auckland, Napier, Whangaparaoa Bay, Wellington, Kaik\u014dura, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Stewart Island.<\/p>\n
As well as celebrating the oil win, Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior crew will be holding events about New Zealand\u2019s transition to clean energy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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