General News
22 June, 2023
Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior in Cairns
GREENPEACE’S flagship Rainbow Warrior vessel is preparing to depart Cairns, setting sail for Vanuatu on Monday, putting the ‘Whales, not woodside’ tour in motion.
The vessel has been in Cairns all week after the Greenpeace expedition started in Albany, sailing up the coast of Western Australia, over Northern Australia to Cairns, and to continue through to Melanesia and finally to Fiji.
The vessel has stationed in Cairns as the first stop of its Pacific tour as well as Greenpeace representatives meeting Uncle Paul and Uncle Pabai from the Torres Strait, who are currently in court against the government, leading the famous Australian Climate Case.
“We are connecting with local groups and communities throughout the Pacific who have been affected by climate change,” said Kate O’Callaghan, Greenpeace’s senior communications advisor.
“We want to see firsthand the climate impacts of these regions and help to share that story,” she said.
This Rainbow Warrior is the third of its kind, the first vessel being a victim of the famous bombing in Auckland almost 40 years ago, and the second one being retired in 2011 to make for the new Rainbow Warrior, designed specifically for Greenpeace International to be as environmentally friendly as possible, which in this field they have excelled.
The Rainbow Warrior is considered to be one of the most environmentally-friendly vessels in the world, judged by its primary use of sails instead of motors, and the backup motors being to IMO Tier-II, the highest environmental standard of all engines.
The Rainbow Warrior’s A-frame stretches 55m high and from the bow to the stern is about 58m.
The vessel is usually staffed by 12 official crew joined by extra campaign members, bringing the average crew to about 30.
The Rainbow Warrior has sailed around Western Australia, following the migration path of pygmy blue whales, as well as commemorating Greenpeace’s victory against Australia’s last commercial whaling station in Albany 45 years ago.
The Pacific Tour involves islands such as Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Fiji. Greenpeace hopes to connect these communities with the help of Uncle Paul and Uncle Pabai and unite them under one story against climate change.
