Greenpeace

Greenpeace, one of the largest environmental advocacy organizations, is best known for dramatic protests over marine environmental issues that capture media attention. The environmental activist group is famous for members who place themselves in harm's way. From a small antiwar group formed in 1971 in Vancouver, Canada, the organization had grown by the early 21st century to an international organization with 5 ships, 2.8 million supporters, 27 national and regional offices, and presence in 41 nations.

Among its thousands of dramatic protests, Greenpeace activists have infiltrated nuclear test sites, shielded whales from harpoons, protected fur seals from clubs, and blocked ocean-going barges from dumping radioactive waste. The strategy was inspired by a confrontational but nonviolent philosophy rooted in the Quaker concept of bearing witness and also ...