Having been involved with Greenpeace for a couple of years in the UK I was disappointed to find that there was no Greenpeace group in the city of Calgary in Canada where I was moving to study for a year. This was surprising due to the prevalence of environmental issues in the area; Alberta being the home of the incredibly destructive Tar Sands. I wanted to stay involved with Greenpeace and I thought writing a blog would be the perfect way to stay in contact and continue to participate. I am originally from Leeds but attend university in Nottingham and have been a member of both local groups. Being a member of Greenpeace has given me a chance to have an active role in campaigns and learn about environmental issues from the other people in the local groups and the organisation itself. I have helped run a local event for the VW campaign in Nottingham as well as participated in direct action against Shell in Leeds.
I am looking forward to returning to these groups because it provides a unique chance to become involved in environmental campaigns which I am passionate about.
The time I have spent in Canada has been incredible and experiencing the vast expanse of the North American landscape has been inspiring. Calgary is located in the prairie lands about an hour and a half away from the Rocky Mountains. The sky has never looked so big and the land stretches out until it meets the foothills of the Rockies. The beauty of the area is a powerful reminder of what could be lost if movement towards environmental protection is not taken.
This blog is an opportunity for me to channel my passion in environmentalism and raise awareness of current environmental issues and debates. By writing this blog I also hope to learn more about Greenpeace’s role within the environmental and political world. I hope you will enjoy reading it, and with any luck, you will be inspired to go out and help protect our precious natural world.
Fay Venables
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