As part of it’s tour of the US West Coast, Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior sailed past the site of a proposed coal export terminal on the Columbia River at Longview, Washington today. The ship was welcomed to the region by residents of Longview who have been organizing to stop Arch Coal and Ambre Energy’s plans to ship 44 million tons of coal each year through their community, as the Longview Daily Newsreports:
The 190-foot long, A-frame masted sail boat with an electric motor was traveling to Vancouver for tours this weekend. In Longview, about a half-dozen local anti-coal protesters waved signs on the Rainier shoreline and took rides in Greenpeaces rigid hull inflatable boats to get a closer look in the middle of the river.
It was just awesome, anti-coal activist Les Anderson of Longview said after getting a close-up view.
Crew members hung a sign on the starboard side that read End the Age of Coal.
Cruising up the misty Columbia River this morning was a striking display of this beautiful place. It’s hard to imagine the impacts on these ecosystems and communities if this river were turned into a corridor to ship coal to Asia – fortunately, thousands of people have raised their voices over the last few weeks to make sure the coal industry won’t get the rubber stamp it’s used to.
The Rainbow Warrior will be open for public tours in Vancouver, Washington this weekend, so if you’re in the area, you’re welcome to come check out this unique ship, and learn more about community efforts to keep coal export terminals out of the Pacific Northwest.
