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This article provides information about the Green Peace Movement and It’s Relevance in Contemporary World !
Green Peace is a non-governmental environmental organisation with offices in over 40 countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Green Peace states its goal is to “ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity” and focuses its work on worldwide issues such as global warming, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling and anti-nuclear issues. Green Peace uses direct action, lobbying and research to achieve its goals.
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The global organisation does not accept funding from governments, corporations or political parties, relying on more than 2.8 million individual supporters and foundation grants. Green Peace evolved from the peace movement and anti-nuclear protests in Vancouver, British Columbia in the early 1970s. On September 15, 1971, the newly founded Don’t Make a Wave Committee sent a chartered ship, Phyllis Cormack, renamed Green Peace for the protest, from Vancouver to oppose United States testing of nuclear devices in Amchitka, Alaska. They Don’t Make a Wave Committee subsequently adopted the name Green Peace.
In a few years Green Peace spread to several countries and started to campaign on other environmental issues such as commercial whaling and toxic waste. In the late 1970s the different regional Green Peace groups formed Green Peace International to oversee the goals and operations of the regional organisations globally. Green Peace received international attention during the 80s when the French intelligence agency bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, one of the most well-known vessels operated by Green Peace, killing one.
In the following years Green Peace evolved into one of the largest environmental organisations in the world. Green Peace is known for its direct actions and has been described as the most visible environmental organisation in the world. Green Peace has raised environmental issues to public knowledge, influenced both the private and the public sector. Green Peace has also been a source of controversy; its motives and methods have received criticism and the organisations direct actions have sparked legal actions against Green Peace activists.
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Green Peace Movement is working as most important cause of contemporary world. Following are the target area:
i. Protection of oceans and ancient forests.
ii. Phasing out of fossil fuels and the promotion of renewable energy to stop climate change.
iii. Elimination of toxic chemicals.
iv. Prevention of genetically modified organisms being released into nature.
v. End to the nuclear threat and nuclear contamination.
vi. Safe and sustainable trade.
vii. Green peace does not solicit or accepts funding from governments; for not compromising its independence, aims, objectives or integrity. It relies on the voluntary donations of individual supporters, and on grant support from foundations.
Among other things Green peace has played a pivotal role in:
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i. Ban on toxic waste exports to less developed countries.
ii. Moratorium on commercial whaling.
iii. United Nations convention providing for better management of world fisheries.
iv. Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
v. A 50-year moratorium on mineral exploitation in Antarctica.
vi. Ban on the dumping at sea of radioactive and industrial waste and disused oil installations.
vii. End to high-sea, large-scale driftnet fishing.
viii. Ban on all nuclear weapons testing which was, their first ever campaign.
Every year 20-50 million tonnes of electrical and electronic wastes (e-wastes) are generated worldwide, which can bring serious risks to human health and environment. This rapidly growing e-waste system presents additional difficulties because a wide range of hazardous chemicals are, or in the past been used in the components of electric or electronic devises, and these subsequently create substantial problems with regard to handling, recycling and disposal of obsolete products.
The EU banned the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products from July 2006 to facilitate safer recycling. The e-waste recycling sector in many parts of Asia remains highly unregulated. Green peace studies the impact of e-waste recycling in India on environment, and on the health of recycling workers and surrounding communities.
It studied samples that included industrial wastes, indoor dusts, soils, river sediments and ground water from typical sites representing all major stages routinely employed in dismantling, recycling and final disposal of the e-wastes. The results of the study confirm that all stages in the processing of e-waste have the potential to release substantial quantum of toxic heavy metal and organic compounds to the workplace environment and also the surrounding soil and watercourses.
The study illuminates on the urgent need for the manufacturers of electronic products to take the responsibility for their products from production through to the end of their lives. It also urges the manufacturers to develop and design clean products with longer life span that are safe and easy to repair, upgrade and recycle and will not expose the workers and the environment to hazardous chemicals.