Spiritual Emphasis Greenpeace example essay topic

We interviewed Andra Zommers from Greenpeace. The questions we asked were as follows: 1) What is Greenpeace? 2) How is Greenpeace run / structured ? 3) Why did you get involved in the environment? (Your motivation) 4) Why Greenpeace? 5) In your opinion, where is the greatest concern?

6) Is there any Spiritual emphasis Greenpeace has or that you personally have? 7) What is Greenpeace's vision for the future? 8) What gives you hope? Taken from web "Greenpeace is an independently funded organization that works to protect the environment. We challenge government and industry to halt harmful practices by negotiating solutions, conducting scientific research, introducing clean alternatives, carrying out peaceful acts of civil disobedience and educating and engaging the public. Greenpeace seeks to: .

Protect biodiversity in all its forms; . Prevent pollution of the earth's oceans, land, air and fresh water; . End all nuclear threats; . Promote peace, global disarmament and non-violence". It is a global campaigning organization founded in 1971 and contains offices in 27 countries worldwide.

They place a high emphasis on non-violent confrontational methods in the hope to raise education and awareness. This is often the motivation behind protests. They do this through lobbying, campaigns, boycotts, discussions and interviews. Their focus audience is the consumer. They hope to inform the consumer to change economic stance to support only companies concerned with the environment. Theoretically, the change in money flow should affect large companies approaches to the environment.

Greenpeace is independently run in each country. Greenpeace Canada contains 7 board of director members (Peter Beyer, V arda Bursty n, John Doherty (chair), John Foster, Karen Written) that determine priorities and the annual budget. The Executive Director, Peter Tabus, handles day-to-day management. It is run solely on public donations and does not accept company of government funding in order to stay independent. Most of the money stays local. Their head office is located at 1726 Commercial Drive in Vancouver.

Andra credits her motivation towards the environment largely to the location of her upbringing. The claims that the in-your-face beauty of British Columbia, with its mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and ocean, one cannot help but be drawn and connected by it. This, accompanied by the in-your-face destruction of the environment and abuse evidently seen in British Columbia, one cannot help but also be involved with saving the thing you are so closely connected to. She also expressed much concern with the power corporation seem to have over our lives and her personal desire to educate people and see them change for the better drives her to continue in the field. Andra claimed that where she grew up there was always a "Greenpeace vibe". They were the most publicized organization, and the natural tendency was to be drawn to them.

After researching about them she realized that she agreed with their methods, especially the raising awareness, independency (not connected with the government) and nonviolent aspects. They also allowed her to pursue her interests in educating people and creating a change. Her biggest concern was Genetically Modified Organisms (or GMO's). Specifically, she talked about the biotech company Monsanto.

This is the same company that manufactured Agent Orange, and it currently manufactures the Bovine Growth Hormone. GMO's are poorly tested and create many side effects for the animals and humans. The laws regulating GMO's are insufficient, and much of what is illegal in one country can be manufactured and sold in another one. The market is also poorly regulated.

The consumer rarely knows the dangers and consequences of the company's methods. Greenpeace takes no spiritual or political stance. It makes it clear that it is neutral to all personal affiliations and does not emphasis or promote any side. It is a common misconception that Greenpeace is affiliated with some political parties, or that all the members are new age naturalists. Personally, Andra believes that there is a special healing and renewing connection with nature and the spirit. Although not a formal religion, she believes with many ideas of other religions like karma and reincarnation.

Her spiritualism seemed not to be a very big motivation to her. She also expressed that most people in Greenpeace have no real spiritual emphasis. Greenpeace's vision is that the researching new solutions and alternate approaches will lead to a green and peaceful future. Specifically, they want to protect the oceans, ancient forests, get rid of fossil fuels and work towards complete reliance on natural resources and their protection. Personally, hope comes from seeing one individual change their stance or approach. When people take a genuine interest and change in their lives it gives hope for the larger battle.

The organization keeps going because of the results and solutions that come about from their existence. Their protests and campaigns have been the source of many changes and even affecting the United Nations. One example is that they introduced a new fridge cooling system called green freeze. The old coolants harmed the environment, and even after bans the replacements were just as bad. Now almost all fridges use the green freeze system, which was invented by greenpeace, but not patent so other companies could use it without charge.

I learnt a lot about Greenpeace the organization. I had preconceived notions that they were political activists and largely connected with the new age movement. I grew a new found respect for them and their movement. I greatly agree with the ideas of being independent of government and company founding, being a non-profit organization, and their non-violent confrontational manner. I can draw many parallels between them and the Mennonite church. I did not realize how organized and influential they actually were.

It seems that the organization gets a bad rap from certain radicals that either associate themselves or we unfairly associate them with Greenpeace. Their methods and emphasis promote peace and concern for all people. However, there is always a danger for an independent organization concerned with social change to become corrupt with the increase of power. The influence Greenpeace can have on peoples lives and the consumer market is dangerous. Without a proper balance of human love emphasis, there is a danger to run into the belief of the end justifying the mean. However, just because there are potential dangers does not discredit the organization or their ideas.

The interview process is certainly a good way of getting basic information. However it can obviously be biased as it is one personal opinion and they often lack the knowledge of the entire system. You can only gather so much information from second-hand resources. To get a fuller idea one needs to be involved and see first hand. If I wanted a more full impression of Greenpeace I would have to interview a wide variety of people. There is a problem with interviewing designated spokespeople of the organization.

I would need to go to the higher powers, the lower powers and those on the receiving end of Greenpeace activism to get a proper range of their methods and ideas. On a personal level, it seemed evident that people generally want what is right, although most of them lack the information and the motivation. Although the information and motivation are there, they are often not present to the individual in a personal enough way to influence them. If it was done so, generally people react positively. I also got the impression of the need for spiritualism in our society.

Although Andra wanted to emphasis that Greenpeace had no religious or spiritual connotations, it seemed clear from her life that there is the knowledge of the need for something more. I realize I am a subjective Christian Bible College student, but her spiritualism seemed to be needed but also lacking. It wasn't her true passion or motivator, yet she realized a need for it. This leads me to believe that people realize their need, realize their lack of proper spiritual fulfillment, but also lack the information to the true source. Andra was surprised to hear that a school would require an environmental issues course, let alone a Bible College. She saw the education system as a catalyst to the environmental problem.

Her feelings on Christianity and the church never came up, but from her reaction I can assume that Christianity isn't a major player in the fight for environmental rights. I think that if we look at these two things we cannot help but be motivated to our call as stewards of the earth. We have the answers and the cure, yet we hold them for ourselves. I learnt a lot about how we are perceived by the outside world. Whether this perception is fair or not is not the question. The question is how do we become the hope for the nations.