Earth from space
Greenpeace has always fought to defend the atmosphere from industrial pollution.
From the early 1980s, we confronted factories across Europe and North America who were causing acid rain and documented its effects: dead lakes and forests and acid-eroded historic buildings.
Greenpeace also launched an international campaign to halt the depletion of the ozone layer. In 1992 Greenpeace scientists developed Greenfreeze, a refrigeration technology that uses hydrocarbons in place of ozone-eating CFCs and climate-busting HCFCs and HFCs. Greenfreeze was the world's first refrigerator technology which is safe both for the ozone layer and the climate and it has spread like wildfire throughout Western Europe and to other parts of the world.
Now a new and even more deadly threat faces us - global warming. Greenpeace was among the first to highlight the catastrophic effects of climate change through our voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic. Since 1997, Greenpeace has led expeditions to the poles to document the effects of global warming, and to give a global voice to the indigenous Arctic people who have lived with the effects of global warming for years.
In 1997 Greenpeace published our scientific rationale for the 'No New Oil' campaign, the 'Carbon Logic'. Greenpeace is determined to stop 'Big Oil' exploring for ever more reserves of oil which we can't afford to use. Greenpeace opposed the opening up of new oil frontiers in in the Atlantic and the Arctic.
As well as taking action on the oil industry in the Arctic snows and the high seas, Greenpeace activists have taken the confrontation into boardrooms and conference rooms. By tabling motions at BP's annual shareholder meetings we have demanded that the company's board switch investment from oil to renewable energy. Greenpeace lobbied the world's governments in the negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol and has educated city investors on the long-term risks of oil and climate change.
in London homes and we joined forces with National Wind Power and Npower to make Greenpeace has also encouraged the development of green energy technologies. We have worked to bring wave power to Scotland and our support for the fledgling wind energy industry culminated in announcement this year of massive increase in new offshore wind farms. Greenpeace worked with the Peabody Trust to put solar powerwind energy available to UK electricity customers.
