Greenpeace collection [textual records, graphic materials, sound recordings]
Collection number
VMM92
Date(s)
1968-1978
Physical description
3 cm. of textual records; 4 35mm col. slides.
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
Greenpeace originated in Vancouver in 1971 as a small group opposed to nuclear testing in the Pacific, and has since blossomed into one of the largest and best-known environmental organizations in the worldaddressing itself to a wide range of international and local issues. Through nonviolent confrontation, it attempts to draw attention to violations of ecological principles, such as the equal rights of all species to exist and flourish. No longer based in Canada, Greenpeace maintains relatively autonomous offices throughout the world, co-ordinated by the Greenpeace Council in Amsterdam.
The group has called for an energy revolution using scientific innovation to combat climate change. It developed one of the first scenarios assessing the impacts of mitigation measures on the global climate and developed the first refrigerator free of ozone-depleting substances.
In the hope that public pressure will help change policies, Greenpeace aims for maximum publicity for its activities. In its most publicized campaigns, against nuclear testing and sealing and whaling policies, the environmentalists have intervened directly and exposed themselves to risk.
Source: Dearden, P. & Augustine, S. (2010, February 21). Greenpeace. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/greenpeaceScope & content
Collection consists of newspaper clippings related to Greenpeace's campaign to "Save the Whales" around the world, including Project Ahab. File consists of mostly original and some photocopy newspaper clippings from the following publications: The Vancouver Sun, The Georgia Straight, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Many of the articles are written by Bob Hunter, who originally wrote a newspaper column dedicated to environmental issues before leaving journalism to work full-time for the Greenpeace Foundation. His final article in which he declares and explains this decision is included.
This collection is also connected to a book in the VMM library entitled Fri Alert. The VMM Archives was privileged to conduct an oral history with the author of the book, Elsa Caron, and the donor of these archival materials, Ramon Falkowski. The audio and transcription for that oral history interview have been included as part of this collection.