You Know There's a Big Problem in Cincinnati When Greenpeace Comes to Town

You don't need to see any more photos of those Greenpeace banners dangling from the Dolly Parton Towers, but do check out the video above. It's an informative, easy to understand animation about the connection between palm oil, deforestation, and endangered animals. It's the big deal story behind those banners.  

Then lets talk about Greenpeace, the 40 year old organization that's been bugging the world to green up. They do that by relying on bold and peaceful demonstrations. Their recent actions in Cincinnati would make their Quaker/Hippie/Pacifist/Ecologist/Journalist founders proud.

Bold Acts 
For Greenpeace, a bold and peaceful act could be just about anything: climbing aboard a Russian rig to draw attention to oil pollution in the Artic, sailing a boat to the Aleutions to stop nuclear testing, or evacuating and resettling residents from the radioactively contaminated Rongelap Atoll.

They have confronted Pacific whaling ships by standing between harpooners and their intended targets. In Newfoundland, they protected baby seals from slaughter by blocking sealing ships with their own bodies. In Cincinnati, bold action involved a well organized campaign using zip lines, helicopters, banners, and daredevil stunts. It's mild by comparison. 

Greenpeace takes on the big boys

You know you've been bad when Greenpeace comes to town. They take on big issues that have an impact on the world. They take on whole countries and industries. They do whatever they think is necessary, and they keep pushing their campaign of bold protests until something gives. Here are a few of their success stories.

• They convinced  Adidas, Nike, and Puma to at least agree to stop discharging hazardous chemicals. 
• It took 10 years of effort, but they got Europe to ban trade in illegal timber.
• They worked for seven years but finally worked out an agreement with Canada to end logging industry destruction of the country's Boreal Forest. 
• It took 2&1/2 years to expose corruption in Japan's whaling industry.
• It took 10 years, but they convinced Edison International to shut down the Fisk and Crawford coal plants that were polluting the air in Illinois.

Be good for goodness sake
You know the old Santa Clause song that parents use to bribe their kids into being good at Christmas time, "You better watch out...you better be good, I'm telling you why..." Just consider the Greenpeace guys as the Santa Clauses of saving the planet. 

So P&G, be good for goodness sake. Greenpeace keeps up on all the bad stuff industries do to make their billions. Once you're in their sites they just don't stop. Which means they'll probably be back in Cincinnati sometime soon.

Greenpeace Links
Check out the slideshow of photos taken while Greenpeace got busy at the P & G World Headquarters in Cincinnati.

Read the report, "A Little Story About Monsters in Your Closet," the Greenpeace study about toxins found in children's clothing.

See "Greenpeace Chronicles," a colorful history of the organization.