Pete is a volunteer deck hand on the Rainbow Warrior.
Like a kid at Christmas, I've been struggling to get to sleep with all the excitement, but now I'm getting used to the ship's routine (even though every day seems to be different what with all the activities going on).
It's a multinational crew with stories to tell from around the world and all are really friendly and supportive - in true Greenpeace fashion. Three had to go home a couple of days ago and I find myself hugging people I've only known for a few days.
Another day, another boat full of people keen to express their opposition to Kingsnorth. This time, they were representatives from across civil society - from church leaders and politicians to union leaders and activists - here to talk about Kingsnorth, coal and climate change.
Under heavy clouds and drizzle, the Warrior cruised past Kingsnorth (the pilot
steering us so close that I could almost hear the sweat dripping from
E.on's collective brow - rumour has it that there were around 100 police officers stationed near Kingsnorth today) and towards Kent Flats Wind Farm.
Posted by jossc — 24 October 2008 at 11:53am
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Chinese farmers are discovering that resurrecting the old tradition of keeping ducks in their rice fields allows them to cut down on the amount of pesticides and artificial fertilisers they need to use to grow their crops.
We've made it to Kent (sailing past Kingsnorth power station an hour or so ago, complete with police escort for some reason...) and we're just about to start our climate change impacts tour with Dr Geoff Meaden.
More on that later - for now, have a look at this sequence our videographer took from the Warrior's crow's nest, as we came through Tower Bridge last night:
And don't forget, the Warrior is opening her gangplank to the public tomorrow and Sunday in Southend-on-Sea - and you're invited to come on board and meet the crew.
I'm not sure where to start. In the past 24 hours, I've watched senior advisers to the shadow cabinet take a ride in one of our inflatable boats (wearing Greenpeace-branded dry suits); mopped, swept and wiped all manner of surfaces; talked to artists, designers and film producers about our work and the coal campaign; learned how to coil rope properly; donned a survival suit during safety training (see the picture of Nick, resplendent in similar garb, above); helped to take down a giant banner; eavesdropped on energy policy discussions with advisers at the heart of Labour's government; and cleaned a lot of toilets.
I think I'd better start with the Tories, who visited the Warrior this afternoon. They were here not to have the mickey taken out of them as they got into the inflatable boat ("when we get to parliament, you three unfurl that banner and the rest of you storm past the guards" etc) but to talk about energy policy with our chief scientist, energy campaigners and policy wonks - just as Labour advisers did this morning.
The Rainbow Warrior is a ship full of stories; everywhere on the ship there are photographs of the non-violent direct actions Greenpeace has taken over the years, artefacts from our campaigns, painted totems donated by Native Canadian people, pictures drawn by visitors to the boat, and portraits of crew members past and present. And every time you talk to someone who knows the ship and her history intimately, like the captain, you get the chance to hear more.
There's no way I'd have time to pass on all the stories I'm hearing but I am going to try and record a few of them for you, starting with Mike, the Captain (pictured), telling last night's guests the story of the Rainbow Warrior sailing into the Moruroa test zone. It's quite a story - have a listen to this mp3:
But our visitors last night didn't just hear stories from the past. They also got to hear - and see - a good deal about our present campaign: to give coal the boot and kickstart a clean energy revolution.
Moules marinière à la Michelin-starred Raymond Blanc
Let's face it, even if you're Raymond Blanc, buying the right fish these days is not so simple.
And right now many of our traditional favourites, from cod to tuna, are disappearing rapidly from the seas due to overfishing and the effects of climate change. Bottom-trawling boats are sailing farther and fishing deeper than ever before, hauling in hordes of fish with heavy, weighted nets that tear up the ocean bottom.
Posted by jamie — 22 October 2008 at 11:09am
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As the Rainbow Warrior sweeps into town, here on the other side of the planet the Esperanza is sailing through the warm waters of the old Spice Islands. We left Manokwari on Monday and are currently en route to Jakarta, slipping past bewitchingly exotic names such as the Ceram Sea, Buru Island, the Halmahera Sea, Selat Sagewin, the Banda Sea... I could go on.
If you're trying to place these exotic names, you could do worse than download the Google Earth layer which is tracking the progress of the Esperanza through Indonesia (you'll need to install Google Earth first, of course, but there's a plain map version below). I'll be posting highlights from the tour there, and it will update automatically so check it often for the latest stories, videos and other titbits from our expedition.
Pete is a volunteer deck hand on the Rainbow Warrior.
I'm only on the Rainbow Warrior! With some awe and trepidation, I joined the ship yesterday afternoon. It's now Tuesday night and, fighting to keep my eyes open, I look back on my first, very full, day on board.
An early start to move the ship to Tower Bridge. With two RHIBs (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats) in the water, slightly twitchy river police turn up in a launch and escort us all the way up the Thames. It's impressive, the power Greenpeace has to motivate others...