Greenpeace USA

John Passacantando, executive director of Greenpeace USA, was online discuss the latest activities of Greenpeace and the environmental movement as a whole.

Greenpeace, founded in 1971, is an independent campaigning organization that uses nonviolent direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and force solutions necessary to a green and peaceful future. It was a group of thoughtful, committed citizens that came together in 1971 to create Greenpeace. A handful of determined activists leased a small fishing vessel, called the Phyllis Cormack, and set sail from Vancouver for Amchitka Island in Alaska. Their mission was to protest U.S. nuclear testing off the coast of Alaska with a brave act of defiance: to place themselves in harm's way. Despite being intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, these daring activists sailed into history by bringing worldwide attention to the dangers of nuclear testing.

That was more than 30 years ago, and in that time, committed activists and supporters have come together to ban commercial whaling, convince the world's leaders to stop nuclear testing, protect Antarctica, and so much more. Today, Greenpeace has grown from a small group of dedicated activists to an international organization with offices in more than 30 countries. The threats against our natural environment are more eminent than ever- and Greenpeace is engaged in campaigns to save our oceans, protect the forests, fight toxic pollution, encourage clean energy solutions to stop global warming, and end the nuclear age.

Passacantando holds a bachelor and master's degree in economics, and, before joining Greenpeace in 2000, led Ozone Action, an organization he founded in 1993 to strengthen the international effort to stop ozone depletion. In 1999, he received the Tides Foundation's Jane Bagley Lehman Award for Excellence in Public Advocacy for his work on global warming.

A transcript follows.

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John Passacantando: Thanks to the Washington Post for having Greenpeace on today. I have been looking forward to this discussion. Let's get going.

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Alexandria, Va.: Good morning, Mr. Passacantando.

I have always admired organizations such as Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for their emphasis on Direct Action. As of late have been concerned that Greenpeace has abandoned it's founding mission and is now more concerned about image, rather than action. Is this change due to political pressure? Thank you.

John Passacantando: Founding mission is still at our core. Despite attempts by the Bush Government to audit us, take us to court for non violent civil disobedience, a la the Civil Rights Movement, we are thriving. We believe in peaceful protest and defending the great ecological systems of the planet which give us our air and water. No mission drift here.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi John, What do you say to those critics who believe the the environmental community and Greenpeace in particular have lost their mojo? They just can't seem to galvanize into anything close to a win.

John Passacantando: Great question. These are tough times for all of us. But look at what we are up against. Millions of dollars from ExxonMobil to drive our country's energy policy -- see our research web site on this: www.exxonsecrets.org. The need to protect our environment, awareness regarding the need to use renewable energy is growing steadily, yet we've got an Administration stacked with hacks from the oil and coal and auto industry. We'll be done with them one day, but right now they are a big problem.

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Huntersville, N.C.: I saw on your website something about chemical plants and security issues. What's the latest?

John Passacantando: The latest is that The Bush Admistration has given the chemical industry a pass, saving them money and letting them off the hook to protect their plants and even the trains which carry these hazardous chemicals through our towns. There is a bill moving through the Senate, however, which will ask the question, "should chemical plant security be addressed by requiring the use of safer cost effective chemicals to neutralize hazards rather than relying entirely on fenceline security?" The Greenpeace answer is YES.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: Please explain the scientific evidence of global warming to laypeople like me. I read in one newspaper that most scientists agree that global warming is happening and all they disagree on is how quickly it will happen. Then I see on ABC a feature on how global warming is a myth, but then I get suspicious as the experts seem to have ties to industry. What do independent experts state, and what is the general consensus on the global warming problem?

John Passacantando: We know more about the threat from global warming than any other major threat that has ever faced humanity. Thousands of scientists from industry, government agencies and universities have compiled the best research and continue to do it annually. The threat is here and it is huge. The superstorms of Katrina and Rita are exactly what the scientists tell us to expect more of. It's climate chaos which means drought as well as floods. It means rising sea levels and the spread of infectious diseases. Exactly how much and when, scientists can only speculate. But the only "scientists" I have ever heard deny global warming have been in the pay of the energy industy, much like the old "doctors" of the tobacco companies. More info at: www.exxonsecrets.org

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Newark, N.J.: GreenPeace has moved from it's roots of saving animals (whales, seals) then went after nuclear energy and now is targeting the chemical industry. If this an effort to broaden the reach of GreenPeace or are you chasing dollars to gain more revenue? I see GreenPeace as a Marketing Company with an Environmental agenda. Why not move into a consultative role with industry and government instead of being "controversial" and seeking headlines.

John Passacantando: Good aggressive question. Actually we began in 1971 by sailing a ship into a nuclear test zone. Later we got into saving whales and seals. We have never taken funding from industry or governments. We are completely independent and that allows us to work on the issues which we believe to be the greatest threats to the planet. Trust me, global warming and toxic chemicals are not sexy issues for fundraising drives.

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Silver Spring, Md.: So what do Greenpeace members actually get for their dues dollars?

John Passacantando: A band of people, lawyers, activists, boat drivers, lobbyists working in more than 40 countries who tell it like it is, don't back down and are rooted in peaceful action, commitment to environmental protection and dedicated to the more than 3 million people around the globe who fund our work.

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Gas Guzzler: John, how do you deal with the fact that the news media now warning us of horror-movie global warming were warning us of horror-movie global cooling in the 1970s? Weathermen can't seem to get the forecast right for tomorrow. What makes you geniuses think you have it right today?

John Passacantando: I'm not normally called a genius, but it ain't me, it's the scientific community from around the globe. The global cooling thing was around from a brief bit in the 70s, but so was the Atkins diet a few years ago. What we are talking about with the concensus on global warming is a massive, larger than the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Projects combined, research effort... and it's warming us to get off our oil addiction right NOW.

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Washington, D.C.: What is Greenpeace doing about GLOBAL WARMING? The news these days is really bumming me out. I read about the Polar Bear law suit. Can we solve it? Can we save the polar bear?

John Passacantando: Greenpeace is working on renewable energy projects around the world and pushing for the largest offshore windfarm in the US, Cape Wind, off the coast of Massachussetts. We are working on more than 50 campuses with students who are pushing clean energy initiatives on their campuses, a huge solar initiative in San Francisco, sending two Polar explorers to attempt the first ever summer crossing of the North Pole -- to SHOW you what's happening up there, and we've filed a Endangered Species Act lawsuit on the polar bear.

Can the great bear be saved? Don't know but we're going to do everything we can to try.

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McLean, Va.: John,

Republican commentator Tucker Carlson has expressed admiration for the French government's decision to blow up the Rainbow Warrior and kill members of it's crew. Has Greenpeace had any contact with Carlson regarding his on-air television statements? Thank you for your hard work!

John Passacantando: I actually sent a letter to his producer and to his producer's producer. I demanded that he be fired for endorsing terrorism. I filed a complaint with the FCC. His boss had Tucker call me. I thought he was going to be apologetic and I would have forgotten the whole thing. Instead he insisted that the French didn't mean to kill the person on the Rainbow Warrior when they attached two mines to the hull so it was only vandalism. He is an angry and misguided fellow. haven't talked to him since. Don't even know if his latest show is still on the air. They only seem to last a few months.

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Broolyn, N.Y.: Hi John- What in the world can be done about greenhouse gasses? It seems like the Bush administration is hell-bent on letting corporations destroy the environment. It's pretty scary that the U.S. isn't doing anything.

Thanks.

John Passacantando: Let me shock you here: it's not Bush fault. Of course his policy is that of ExxonMobil but the real block is Congress, including Democrats who love giving great speeches about stopping global warming and then voting for bills they know won't pass. No change on the horizon until we get into our Congressmen and women's local offices and demand that they act, just like the grieving families of Iraq war soldiers let their members have it during the last Christmas break. No change until then.

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Washington, D.C.: What is the U.S. doing to stop whaling? What else are you folks doing on ocean issues?

John Passacantando: We just had two of our ships interferring with the Japanese fleets whalers in the Southern Oceans, near Antarctica for a month this past December/January. That work now gets converted into consumers putting pressure on the companies that are part of the Japanese whaling entity we were trying to block last month. They include Gorton's of Gloucester, an old, once family owned business from New England, now part of this Japanese conglomerate. Their mascot is a fisherman in full foul weather skins, sailing his boat. We now think of it as a fisherman with a harpoon under his jacket. Those fish sticks are now linked to whale slaughter.

You'll be able to follow on our website, www.greenpeaceusa.org, a year long journey by one of our ships around the world's oceans showing a range of threats and our solutions to them.

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Rockville, Md.: "He is an angry and misguided fellow."

And you are not?

John Passacantando: Nah, my daugthers roll their eyes at me. That helps me laugh at myself.

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Hyannisport, Mass.: What would you say to those who would claim that Cape Wind would have a net negative environmental impact, particularly on the Cape itself?

John Passacantando: We would never support a project that cannot pass a good environmental impact assessment. This one looks good, however, and we think that the locals opposing it are doing it on aesthetic grounds. But the threat from global warming trumps the old aesthetic issues. We've got to get renewable energy on line and fast.

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Anchorage, Alaska: Hi John. I heard that Greenpeace filed a lawsuit to get the polar bear listed under the Endangered Species Act. Do you think the suit will be successful given the Bush administration's environmental record? And if the lawsuit is succesful, how will an Endangered Species Act listing for the polar bear help the U.S. to phaseout fossil fuels? Thank you.

John Passacantando: I can almost guarantee it will be successful. The science is a lock. As for phasing out fossil fuels, this is just one more good but small piece.

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Rockville, Md.: Do you people agree with the president that nuclear power will solve our dependence on unstable sources of oil?

John Passacantando: Nuclear power is not the answer. Don't ask us however, look to Wall Street. They won't touch this stuff with a barge pole. We still don't know what to do with the waste, the production of nuclear material just makes it more likely it will fall into the hands of terrorists. We simply have to find solutions that can't be used against us. Radiation is used in medicine to kill cells. Put this stuff in communities to make power and you create lots of new problems and threats. There is no such thing as a safe dose. And there is no threat from wind turbines or solar panels or cars that get double and triple the current MPG.

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Jacksonville, N.C.: I'm an old tree-hugger from Oregon and have always supported the environmental movement, but in recent years the spate of eco-terrorism has really turned me off of the movement. There have been some really dumb stunts. What is Greenpeace doing to get away from that image and how do you see Greenpeace doing serious work in the future while stuck with the "goofy treehugging eco-terrorist" tag?

John Passacantando: Our rules are simple: no violence to people OR property. We don't support violence whether it is done by armies or stone throwing anarchists. We don't even throw cream pies. We honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and all that he and the Civil Rights Movement taught us about non violence in our acts and ultimately in our hearts.

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Boston, Mass.: How do you respond to the argument that "environmentalism is dead," particularly the view that the major national organizations have "gone establishment" for the sake of organizational survival?

John Passacantando: We're not dead yet.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Thank you for your time Mr. Passcantando.

I have seen Greenpeace employees on the streets of LA talking about toxic pollution campaigns while at the same time they are holding a vinyl binder in their hands. This appears as a startling contradiction since more sustainable alternatives are available, and it only raises further questions in my mind with regard to Greenpeace's business operations. How does Greenpeace audit its operations with regard to sustainability and what metrics are used to inform progress? Thanks again.

John Passacantando: I'll get on those binders. That is a mistake. Thanks for telling me.

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Kingstowne, Va.: Do you support the Earth Liberation Front, which burns new homes and SUVs, creating far more pollution than these vehicles would ever create in their lifetimes?

John Passacantando: No way. Never.

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Alexandria, Va: How do you respond to critics who accuse you and your cohorts of being nothing more than a bunch of scaremongers using specious junk science (e.g., global warming, which is naturally occurring regardless of human activity) as a fundraising scheme to bilk people out of money so you can stay in business?

John Passacantando: The science is tight, it all comes from the best independent academics. No journalist would talk to me a second time if I ever mislead them on the science. Industry, on the other hand, is not held to the same standard. It said getting lead out of gasoline would destroy the auto industry, but you still see quotes from the auto companies in the papers.

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Boston, Mass.: I am a big fan of wind energy and I thought Robert Kennedy was as well until his friends killed a plan because they didn't want it to ruin their view. Isn't wind energy the most underused energy out there? Why don't we make better use of it?

John Passacantando: Wind has huge potential. I am still a huge fan of Bobby's, he has done amazing things for the environmental movement and has pushed global warming as an issue. He just got on the wrong side on this one, caught between his local base and his friends in the national environmental movement.

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Orlando, Fla.: Evangelicals seemed to have jumped into the environment issue. What are the chances of you working with them? While I am not a fan of their politics, I must admit I admire how effective they are.

John Passacantando: I LOVE what they are doing. I don't think they need me to work with them but would be supportive in any way I can.

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Arlington, Va: You try to sound non-judgmental and tolerant, but you are very judgmental and intolerant when it comes to telling other people how to live. What business is it of yours to tell anyone what to drive, what to eat, where to live? Who elected you emperor of the environment? No wonder public opinion has turned against you. Stop being such a scold.

John Passacantando: Now you are sounding like the scold. It's not dogma, we've got to do what's right to protect our air and water and our children's health. What's so bad about that?

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Maryland: How many people on your staff have science degrees?

John Passacantando: Science degrees? They are all juvenile delinquents!

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Wheaton, Md.: Why did you duck the question about green groups' alleged fearmongering to raise money? Seems like you had it all queued up there to debunk that myth. Why not do it? Becuase it's true?

John Passacantando: Didn't duck it. I'm typing as fast as I can. I swear sometimes we downplay how bad it is, fearing we will turn you off. The World Health Organization says that 150,000 people die every year, right now, from global warming. Now THAT is fear mongering. Trust me, it's that scary out there.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Hasn't the 15 year old Greenpeace campaign against chlorine turned out to be a misguided waste of time and money?

John Passacantando: Still very proud of this work. Much of this stuff is now out of the toys our kids play with because of this campaign. The biggest threat from it right now is when it comes through our communities unprotected in massive rail tanker cars. We simply don't need this stuff.

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Washington, D.C.: What organizations does Greenpeace align itself with?

John Passacantando: No permanent allies. No permanent enemies.

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Hollywood, Calif.: Arianna Huffington tried to go after automakers on MPG until it was revealed in the media that she lived alone in a 10,000 square foot home. The embarrassment silenced her. Larry David has been quoted saying that driving a hybrid makes him feel less guilty about owning a private jet. At what point do these Hollywood acolytes start doing your movement more harm than good?

John Passacantando: Good point.

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Bush and Co. vs. the globe: Global Warming may not be Bush's fault - ok, it's NOT - BUT this administration has got to have one of the worst environmental records in history, considering their assault on wilderness areas, push for drilling, refusal to participate with Kyoto, the repeal of roadless areas, ad nauseum. And most of it is done under the radar. If I wasn't signed up for nearly every bleepin' activist group's email list, I'd be unaware of what's happening because it gets NO MEDIA ATTENTION. (Do you hear me, Post?)

So, can't some of this be forced to the front burner for the public to see?

John Passacantando: We're trying. We're trying.

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Shutesbury, Mass.: Hi John- You have been involved in both the ozone depletion and global warming issues for a long time. Do you see them as being interrelated? I've heard that the warming of the planet might possibly reverse the progress we've made in curbing ozone depletion.

John Passacantando: They are interrelated but it gets complicated and I will start sounding like Ross Perot if I try and explain it.

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Maryland : What is Greenpeace's stance on farm raised fish? Is that business a threat?

John Passacantando: Against it. There's not enough out there to eat it all the time, but when you do, the wild, non endangered stuff is what you want. Plus I'm a fisherman and I usually throw them back.

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Escanaba, Mich.: The average Republican voter doesn't make a dime from any corporation so why do they always take their side in environmental issues. Do you think the environment will ever become more important than the almighty dollar?

John Passacantando: The great tragedy of the modern environmental movement is that it went from being a non partisan issue (Nixon signed into law much of the important environmental legislation) to one that the Democrats have in their portfolio, but do little about, and one that it has become too hot for many Republicans to handle. I am rooting for Republicans to steal some of this back from the Dems. Bravo Sen. McCain.

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State Of Fear: Did you read Michael Crichton's book "State of Fear"?

John Passacantando: His writing is amazing. His misstatements on global warming are terrible.

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John Passacantando: Big thanks to all of you who sent questions in. Sorry I couldn't get to them all but I tried. And thanks to the Washington Post for having me today. You can see the whole range of what we work on at www.greenpeaceusa.org

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