How Greenpeace started fighting in the north

They climb chimneys, hijack drill ships:since 1971, Greenpeace activists have attracted international attention with spectacular campaigns for more environmental protection. In 1980 the organization also started campaigns in northern Germany.

On September 15, 1971, pacifists and opponents of nuclear power join forces to prevent a nuclear test off Alaska with a converted fishing boat. In the decades that followed, one of the world's largest environmental organizations emerged from this action:Greenpeace. Founded in Vancouver (Canada), Greenpeace Germany drew attention to itself nine years later with its first action in the north:On October 13, 1980, a handful of environmentalists prevented the dumping ship "Kronos" from sailing towards the North Sea in Nordenham on the Lower Weser. There the "Kronos" was supposed to discharge toxic dilute acid into the North Sea on behalf of German and international chemical companies - at that time it was still a completely legal process, although it was known that the poison seriously damages fish and plankton.

Dead fish dumped in front of the Bayer chemical plant

"We planned the campaign together with the Elbe fishermen, who at the time had to throw up to a third of their catch overboard because everyone could see that the fish were sick. The fishermen had been on the barricades for a long time because of the poison discharges," remembers Gerhard Wallmeyer, founding member of Greenpeace Germany, a few years ago. On the same day, other Greenpeace activists dump malformed dead fish in front of the Bayer chemical plant in Brunsbüttel and the Hydrographic Institute in Hamburg. The local newspapers report on these first two actions, and there has also been some response from environmental groups. National media, however, do not initially deal with the topic.

Keyword:dilute acid

Dilute acid is diluted sulfuric acid. It is created, among other things, as a waste product in the manufacture of whiteners and dyes and can also contain iron and ore residues in high concentrations as well as some highly toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, nickel, titanium and zinc. The discharge (dumping) of dilute acid into the North Sea has been prohibited since 1990.

Activists occupy Boehringer chimney in Hamburg

That changes with the second major Greenpeace action in Germany:Two activists occupy the chimney of the Boehringer chemical plant in Hamburg-Billbrook and roll out a protest banner to draw attention to the unchecked emissions of dioxin and other highly toxic environmental toxins. The action caused a sensation:the daily news reported about it several times. Photos of the two environmentalists chained to the chimney are making the rounds in the newspapers. "After that, our life as a citizens' initiative was completely different. We suddenly got bags of mail," says Wallmeyer, who headed the organization's donations department until 2017. "There was money in a lot of letters, or a check, or someone wanting to become a member. For the first time, we had to hire someone part-time to do the administration and bookkeeping. Things went from strength to strength."

Greenpeace founder Wallmeyer:"We met the zeitgeist"

The following Greenpeace actions met with enormous media coverage. No coincidence:the environmentalists rely on the power of images. Inflatable boats that hold up huge ships, chimney climbers that bring a chemical factory into disrepute - Greenpeace always conveys the message:Every individual can make a difference, even against the really big ones. "Our idea triggered enormous enthusiasm. It was in keeping with the zeitgeist of the time, not only to demonstrate in market places, but also to take direct, non-violent actions," says Wallmeyer.

Greenpeace fights with the "Beluga" for clean rivers

In the 1980s, Greenpeace fought in Germany against the pollution of the rivers, which had literally degenerated into cesspools. Industry discharges its toxic waste water unhindered. "Back then, I often went with journalists through the port of Hamburg in a rubber dinghy on the Elbe and I was able to show a sewage pipe every 200 to 300 meters, sometimes it came out bright yellow, sometimes purple, sometimes hot steaming," says Wallmeyer. The discharge permits were secret, so that it was only possible to find out which waste water the companies actually discharged into the rivers by taking samples.

The environmentalists use donations to buy a decommissioned fire engine ship, which they convert into a floating laboratory with the help of helpers. With the "Beluga" they examine water samples from the Elbe, Weser and Rhine directly at the discharge points. "We were the only ones who had laboratory ships in operation. We were better equipped than all the authorities," Wallmeyer recalls with some pride.

"Human consciousness has changed"

Greenpeace uncovers one environmental scandal after the other, the media and the general public pay particular attention to Greenpeace's actions. The organization has thus achieved an important goal:it has brought the problem of environmental pollution into the public eye and aroused sensitivity to it. "I think that's actually Greenpeace's most important function. People's awareness has changed. We've got people thinking about pollution. You can list all sorts of concrete successes, such as with dilute acid, but more importantly, that many people have changed their personal attitude," says Wallmeyer.

But Greenpeace not only draws attention to problems, but also looks for solutions. In the 1990s, the organization developed the first CFC-free refrigerator together with a Saxon company. The big manufacturers initially stormed against the invention. But consumers want the eco-friendly device and buy it. CFC-free refrigerators were soon accepted by all manufacturers. A Greenpeace campaign for chlorine-free paper is similarly successful - consumers are beginning to use their power over companies to protect the environment.

Consumer power and the PR disaster surrounding "Brent Spar"

This also works with another spectacular Greenpeace action:In 1995, activists occupied the "Brent Spar" oil storage and loading platform, which the Shell group wants to sink in the North Sea. The dispute between environmentalists and the oil company drags on for several weeks. Greenpeace is calling on consumers to boycott Shell petrol stations, sales are falling by up to 50 percent.

Finally, the group gives in and disposes of the platform on land. But for Greenpeace, the action ends in a PR disaster:It turns out that the toxic oil residues in the platform's tank are much lower than the environmentalists had claimed and largely correspond to the information provided by the oil company. The environmental organization apologizes to the company and the public, but Greenpeace's credibility has been damaged - at least temporarily.

Climate change and the exit from coal are current topics

Even in the new millennium, Greenpeace is not running out of fields. Right at the top of the agenda:the fight against climate change. This includes campaigns to phase out coal - for example in opencast mining in Garzweiler, North Rhine-Westphalia. "We will continue to support the phase-out of coal by 2030 at the latest," says Martin Kaiser, Executive Director of Greenpeace Germany. In addition, Greenpeace supports the climate protests of young people at "Fridays for Future". Other subject areas that need to be dealt with by environmentalists nationally and internationally are transport policy, protection of the oceans, arms exports and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Greenpeace repeatedly draws attention to this with campaigns - for example, in 2019 activists protested on a freighter on the Weser against the import of soya from destroyed forest and savannah areas in Brazil for German animal pens.

Greenpeace is also often criticized

Greenpeace has been drawing attention to environmental, nature and climate protection with spectacular campaigns for more than five decades. Pictures of activists in inflatable boats among whales and whalers with their harpoons go around the world. In 2019, activists protested on a freighter on the Weser against the import of soy from destroyed forest and savannah areas in Brazil for German animal pens. In June 2021, the landing with a motor paraglider at the European Football Championship in the Allianz Arena in Munich caused a stir - two people were injured. The criticism is great. Because of the sometimes very drastic - and occasionally illegal - actions, some countries have already revoked the non-profit status of the association.

Supporter donations reach record level

Greenpeace relies on donations for its commitment to the environmental sector. Because the organization only accepts money from private individuals - not from governments, parties or industry. In recent years, the number of sponsors has risen sharply. In 2020, more than 630,000 people supported Greenpeace financially, around 7,000 were actively involved. This is the highest number since the environmental protection organization was founded in 1980. In Germany alone, donations totaled a high of 80.3 million euros that year. According to Kaiser, the large number of sponsors gives the organization stability and independence with their donations. And they are needed in view of the great challenges such as the climate and species crises.