What is Greenpeace for? International organization Greenpeace

What is Greenpeace? Is it a political structure or a professional association? What is the reason for the popularity of this organization? Why was Greenpeace created? These issues have been and remain relevant. There is a version that the activity of the activists of this organization is one of the key factors in the development of the modern world. In contrast to this point of view, there is an opinion that this structure is just a bulwark of quite ordinary civil initiatives that are not capable of having a serious impact on world politics and addressing global issues. The difference of opinions makes the study of the activities of this environmental organization particularly fascinating.

History of creation and basic facts

The international organization Greenpeace (English Greenpeace, "Green World") was established in 1971. There is a version that its establishment is connected with an environmental action in September of that year directed against the testing of nuclear weapons. A group of enthusiasts, led by entrepreneur David Taggart, organized a protest action against the US government. Over the years, Greenpeace has grown from a small group of environmentalists to one of the most influential associations in the world.

The main methods of Greenpeace are actions, protest actions. Carrying out socially significant resonant demonstrations, rallies that can draw attention to acute environmental problems and specific projects that could harm the environment. The activity of the organization is financed by voluntary contributions of supporters and like-minded people, that is, ordinary citizens. The supreme governing body of Greenpeace is the international Council, which consists of the management of offices located in different countries of the world. The Russian branch of the organization was established in 1992 and still works. So, what is the purpose of Greenpeace in Russia?

Activities of Greenpeace in Russia

The first contacts of Greenpeace with our country took place during the Soviet era. The branch of the organization in the USSR was opened after rather long approvals in 1989. It became the first country to have an international structure related to environmental issues. After the collapse of the USSR, the office of Greenpeace was reorganized and started working under the new political regime in 1992. At first the organization had a representation only in Moscow, in 2001 a division was opened in St. Petersburg. In Greenpeace Russia employs about 70 people.

The main issues that the structure in the Russian Federation deal with are reducing the level of environmental pollution by chemicals, protecting the nature of the Arctic from the costs of industrial development, monitoring the state of reserves, forests, developing alternative energy by Russian enterprises. The organization regularly issues reports on the state of the environment in various regions of Russia and sectors of the economy.

Resonant precedents in Russia

A large number of known precedents associated with the work of Greenpeace in Russia, falls on the 90-ies. An example is the special investigation conducted by the organization in the Far East, which forced Russian structures related to the nuclear industry to recognize the release of radioactive waste into the open sea.

In 1995, the first object in Russia - virgin forests in the Komi Republic - was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1996, activists of Greenpeace win the case in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, as a result of which the Presidential Decree on allowing spent fuel to the country for spent fuel is canceled. In 1999, the organization lobbied in the Moscow City Duma a municipal law on the protection of green spaces, the first such act in Russia.

Famous projects of Greenpeace in Russia

Greenpeace in Russia pays much attention to the conservation of forests and their restoration. This work includes the development of legislative initiatives, legal advice and interaction with government agencies in the field of forestry. In 2002, the project "Let's revive our forest" was launched. Within the framework of it, an international environmental organization and school students are restoring forests in different regions of Russia. Several hundreds of educational institutions took part in the project, several tens of thousands of seedlings were planted. "Greenpeace" promotes the so-called selective collection of garbage and its processing. The organization was able to introduce this environmental method in St. Petersburg. In 2007-2008, activists of Greenpeace Russia raised problems related to the negative impact of the construction of Olympic facilities in Sochi.

Incident on the platform of Gazpromneft

One of the most resonant actions of Greenpeace in Russia was held in September 2013. Several activists made their way to the Prirazlomnaya oil-producing platform in the Pechora Sea, swam to the object on their own Arctic Sunrise ship. All of them were arrested by the Coast Guard. According to the activists themselves, the ship of Greenpeace, whose emblem was well visible on board, went to the Pechora Sea to hold a peaceful action aimed at protesting against oil production in the Arctic by Gazpromneft, which owned the platform. Soon enough, the Russian president responded about the incident, saying that the detainees, apparently, are not pirates. For several months the activists of Greenpeace were under arrest and detained in the pre-trial detention center in the Murmansk region. However, in the end, they did not bring any weighty accusations. In November, the defendants were released on bail, and in December they were charged. All activists who had foreign citizenship were able to leave home.

Resonant precedents in the world

What Greenpeace is created for is participation in solving environmental problems around the world. The activists of the organization, following the tasks assigned to them, conduct very demonstrative actions. One of those is a protest against the British oil company Shell, which refused to flood one of the production platforms, which was large, according to Greenpeace, the amount of toxic substances. The activists made their way to the platform and expressed their protest, tying themselves to the elements of the structure.

There was a resonance, there was a reaction in the media - quotes Shell fell. The management of the oil company had yet to decide on the flooding of the platform. In 2011, Greenpeace activists infiltrated one of the Australian farms, where genetically modified wheat was grown, and destroyed the entire crop. During one of the air shows in France, activists held a protest against the pollution of the atmosphere by automobile exhaust gases, chained themselves to the cars of famous world brands right next to the main exhibition building at the Versailles gates.

"Greenpeace" - against nuclear energy

One of the theses advocated by the Russian office of Greenpeace is the futility and danger of generating electricity at nuclear power plants. Activists believe that nuclear power plants are inefficient economically, that they need to be replaced by other sources of energy. This view has many objections. There is an opinion that alternative sources of energy are much more expensive and even more unprofitable in comparison with the output at nuclear power plants. Signs of economic inefficiencies in nuclear energy can be linked, for example, to the difficulties in transition economies - as it was, for example, in Russia, experiencing a difficult time after perestroika.

Greenpeace vs GMO

Activists of the organization are sure that genetically modified products are extremely harmful to humans and the environment. Therefore, they must be marked at sale - in order to show the fact of the availability of GMO elements in food visually. Critics of this thesis, first, pay attention to the fact that the unambiguous harm of genetically modified products is not proven, and secondly, that Greenpeace is too selective in this matter. In 2004, for example, the organization formed a black list of food manufacturers. There were companies that, for one reason or another, did not provide the necessary documents to the environmental structure. But it turned out that the organization's activists did not make any inquiries. At the same time, as noted by experts, the largest businesses were not included in the black list, which could give rise to talk about the shadow cooperation between them and Greenpeace.

A positive assessment of the activities of Greenpeace

There is an opinion that "Greenpeace", despite the possible shocking and rebellious sometimes methods of conducting actions, plays a positive role in solving urgent environmental issues. The activists of the organization often say that with their shares they only inform the people about the right information. "Greenpeace," as people believe, referring to this structure with piety, is able to influence both ordinary citizens and officials.

In the staff of the organization there are competent lawyers who are able to effectively communicate with state managers in the language of laws and norms. One of the key problems of the modern world, according to Greenpeace activists and their supporters, is waste. A person takes by nature much more than, based on objective data, he needs, squanders resources without thinking about the consequences. And all this - for the sake of instantaneous extraction of profit or pleasure.

Criticism of Greenpeace

The activities of Greenpeace are regularly criticized, and from different sides. In particular, the work of the organization is dissatisfied with some scientists, including environmentalists. In their opinion, the work of Greenpeace brings more harm to nature than substantial benefit. A number of ecologists believe that the organization's statements about the dangers of genetically modified plants are biased.

There is also the view that Greenpeace shares against specific companies may be financed by their competitors. There is a version that activists of the organization often come up with a political implication. But, despite the abundance of criticism, supporters and employees of Greenpeace speak out about the insolvency of claims. There is another kind of criticism. According to some ecologists, who are especially radical, Greenpeace uses too soft methods of influence on the public.

The influence of Greenpeace on global business and politics

The opinions of experts and lay people on the issue of Greenpeace's influence on global political and economic processes differ widely. There is a thesis that the organization and its activists are an instrument in the hands of business. What Greenpeace was created for is the struggle of large companies with competitors. Those who disagree with this point of view emphasize that there are no real precedents that directly speak of Greenpeace's cooperation and business structures. For example, by conducting protests in the Arctic, the organization stresses that it is undesirable to develop here not only Gazpromneft, but also any other company, because in any case, the environment is being harmed.

Greenpeace was opposed to any attempts to start drilling operations in the Arctic, including those conducted by foreign companies - Shell, Exxon Mobile, Statoil. There is a version that the activists of Greenpeace are defending the political interests of some states. Opponents of this point of view emphasize that the organization's offices are scattered around the world, which excludes the formation of any coalitions. In addition, the financial independence of Greenpeace is noted.