by Sudhanshu Malhotra
While many parts of the world came to a standstill fighting COVID-19 this year, we also saw brave, committed activists still traveling to different corners of the world to document the dire changes due to climate change. They bore witness from the remotest places on the earth, and quite frankly, the level of commitment displayed by our ship’s crew, activists, volunteers, and scientists is absolutely admirable.
In their honor, here are a few of the best images from our ships – Rainbow Warrior, Arctic Sunrise, and Esperanza – this year.
18-year-old environmental activist and campaigner Mya-Rose Craig poses on an ice floe in the Arctic as a part of the most northerly climate strike at 82.2° North. A Greenpeace team was in the Arctic to document the impact of the climate crisis and investigate marine life in the region. © Daniella Zalcman / Greenpeace
Activists Protest against Shell in the North Sea. The Greenpeace Ship Esperanza passes in front of the Shell operated Oil platform Brent-C (Charlie) and the foundations of Shell’s former Brent Bravo oil platform. In a protest against Shell, the Esperanza carries a banner that reads “SHELL, THE OCEAN IS NOT YOUR DUMP!”. The installation is located in the Brent Oilfield in the UK part of the North Sea. © Marten van Dijl / Greenpeace
Cabin mates videographer Stephen Nugent and Boat mechanic John Beachamp rest in their cabin on board the Arctic Sunrise in the Errera Channel, Antarctica. © Abbie Trayler-Smith / Greenpeace
Greenpeace Sweden and the Rainbow Warrior joined a flotilla of sailboats in a floating climate manifestation against the expansion of Preem’s oil refinery in Lysekil, Sweden. The peaceful and coronavirus-safe protest commenced as the Swedish government was set to decide on an application from the oil company Preem to expand their oil refinery in Lysekil. The Rainbow Warrior then continued in a blockade of the refinery, an action that lasted for 62 hours and created huge media attention and a big national debate. And we won! after weeks of action by the climate movement, the oil company Preem withdrew their application to expand the refinery in Lysekil. © Andrew McConnell / Greenpeace
A boulder falls into the North Sea from the Greenpeace ship, Esperanza. © Suzanne Plunkett / Greenpeace
Rainbow Warrior with a banner reading “Fossils or our future?” in the foreground, the oil rig Dan Bravo in the background. Greenpeace Denmark activists carried out an action in the Danish North Sea, to demand an immediate ban on all further oil and gas exploration in Denmark, followed by a complete phase-out of domestic fossil fuel production and a massive expansion of clean offshore wind power. ©Suzanne Plunkett / Greenpeace
Greenpeace activists working on a projection for the chalk cliffs close to the island of Rügen that reads ” ECHTER SCHUTZ FÜR UNSERE MEERE” (REAL PROTECTION FOR OUR SEAS). The MV Beluga-II was traveling to the protected areas of the North- and the Baltic Sea in July and August 2020. © Axel Heimken / Greenpeace
Four Greenpeace Denmark activists on board the Rainbow Warrior hold the “Aquaman” trident they received as a good wish by Hollywood star and environmentalist Jason Momoa. The activists were preparing to swim across the Dan oil field in the Danish North Sea to occupy the Dan Bravo oil rig and demand an immediate ban on all further oil and gas exploration in Denmark, followed by a complete phase-out of domestic fossil fuel production and a massive expansion of clean offshore wind power. © Andrew McConnell / Greenpeace
Antarctic petrels feed on krill in the wake of the Antarctic Endurance, krill fishing vessel operating near the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. © Andrew McConnell / Greenpeace
