Greenpeace, the internationally renowned environment organization, has almost mythological proportions. No one can deny Greenpeace its accomplishments. At the time the organization was established the environmental concerns were almost non existent in the public. Greenpeace has its fair share in building up public awareness. For this even a member got killed, when the French secret service blew up the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand in 1985.

What characterized Greenpeace at that time was, that members climbed the highest chimneys of power plants and factories and indulged in rodeos on high seas. And it was good so. It did help to build up public awareness.

What was missing even then was, what to do instead?

This has not changed since. It is not enough to protest and to boycott what one thinks is bad and shouldn’t be done. One has to offer alternatives. Why would anyone care, whether a company exists or not. As long as one is not a shareholder in the firm, no one has to care. Unless one is working in the company. And if this company is following the advice of Greenpeace Inc. The production will be stopped and the people will lose their jobs.

Greenpeace is striving to become the moral instance, which takes over business decisions. But it just put pressure on the company. Without telling the company what and how to do it any better.

This is the product Greenpeace offers to its clientel, a quite conscience.

Although we all are part of this economic system we support Greenpeace and thus we can sleep an undisturbed sleep at night. We have done what we could to fight the dark side of our society. The side which treats nature just as a expediency to our economic growth. And nothing else.

That this is not so should be clear to everyone and much appreciation to Greenpeace to have helped made it clear to all of us. Alas, what else? Although public awareness is at a peak and still growing the fight still goes on. Too many people, amongst them industry captains and politicians, still cling to the old ways of profit maximization. And this is exactly the main critisimn of this post.

Greenpeace gets much donations, it literally swims in money. And with this money the fight against the Climate Change could be led to the next level. With this kind of money and the know how of its members Greenpeace could become a think tank on the ecological front. But this does not happen. Greenpeace is content with the status quo and therefore Greenpeace means also Greenback, the good old Dollar!

Further reading:

Conflict within Greenpeace.

Rainbow Warrior 1985.　

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