From: jad@ckuxb.att.com (John A Dinardo)
Subject: An Urgent Appeal from GREENPEACE
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Keywords: An urgent appeal from GREENPEACE
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 19:13:48 GMT

        Excerpts of  AN URGENT APPEAL FROM GREENPEACE

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
Dear Friend,

This is probably the most unusual "Bon Voyage" card you've ever
received -- for two reasons:

First of all, it's not for you. Instead of keeping it, I'm asking
you to sign your name to it and then return it to me so I can 
convey your message of support to the captain and crew of our
Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior.

Second, this card is unusual because the Rainbow Warrior is not
bound for a pleasure cruise. Far from it. Actually, the captain and
crew of the Rainbow Warrior may be placing themselves at risk.
That's their resolve. And that's why they need all of the
encouragement and support we can give them.

As you may know, the original Rainbow Warrior now rests on the
ocean floor .... a hole blown in the starboard side, and another in
the stern. This act of despicable sabotage by French secret agents
took the life of one of our crew members. 

The current captain of the new Rainbow Warrior, Joan Guidart, from
Spain, and his crew know the risks full well. Only recently,
baton-wielding French commandos boarded and seized our ship as it
sailed to protest French nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.
Fortunately, no one was hurt. And the Greenpeace crew is determined
to carry out the original mission of the Rainbow Warrior:
  to prevent the needless slaughter of marine mammals, and to 
  prevent the contamination of our oceans.

In the past, Greenpeace crews have looked down the guns of the
Russian Navy while protesting an illegal whaling station. 
They've even placed themselves between a 250-pound explosive
harpoon and the whales and calves being illegally hunted.

You see, here at Greenpeace we refuse to bow down in silent
acceptance of the destruction of our planet ..... The oil giants,
the chemical and timber companies, the pulp and paper mills, the
industrial fishing fleets .... these powers and superpowers are
destroying our Earth!  Who will challenge them?
Who will hold them responsible?

And who will, when necessary, even jeopardize their physical safety
to put a stop to this senseless destruction?  I'll tell you who:
   Greenpeace!
And that's what the 1992 voyage of the Rainbow Warrior is all about.

The worldwide economic recession has hurt Greenpeace. We've been
forced to take some serious actions:

  * Selling our ship, Gondwana

  * Drastically cutting back on our budget for the floating 
    laboratory ship, Beluga, and putting its pollution-monitoring
    equipment into storage.

  * Keeping our ships Greenpeace and Moby Dick at dock for several
    months simply because we did not have the funds to operate them
    full time.

  * Selling two helicopters critical to locating renegade whaling 
    fleets at sea.

Our mission is clear:

  * Stop the killing of dolphins, whales and other marine animals

  * Stop off-shore oil drilling from threatening our coastlines

  * Stop waste dumping in the ocean

  * Stop radioactive contamination from continued nuclear 
    weapons testing

         OUR PLANET IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME !
    
                    (end of excerpted letter)
*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Please make photocopies of this appeal, sign one of them and
pass the rest out to people whom you think would really care.
Send your signed copy to:

                   Steve Sawyer, Exec. Dir. 
                   GREENPEACE
                   1436 U St., N.W.
                   P.O. Box 96128
                   Washington, D.C. 20090
                   (202) 462-1177

Greenpeace needs one or more persons to post its appeals and its 
activist news bulletins on a regular basis. Would you *care* 
enough to help? If so, please contact Greenpeace and tell them
you want to report on their work.

          [Transcription and appeal by John DiNardo]


Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive