Greenpeace and the Tactics of Civil Disobedience (1982)

And Cherry Hill, I'm Jim McQueenie. A renowned environmental group is taking on the issue of ocean dumping and making New Jersey the focus of its protest, Diane Dr. Reports. It is sunrise at Perth and Boy Harbor, and the ship belonging to the environmentalist Root Greenpeace has been anchored here all night. Crew members, like the one who provided our crew with taxi service, have begun a protest against the ocean dumping of acid waste by NL industries of Saraville. The Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior, is their trademark. The old fishing trawler has been around the world helping to launch protests against nuclear weapons, the slaughter of whales and seals, and now the pollution of oceans. Greenpeace is there to use civil disobedience tactics to focus public attention on the issues. The tactics include using inflatable boats to chase after a barge operated by NL industries. Last night they followed the fully loaded barge out to Raritan Bay, and today they followed

it back. Waving banners and chanting slogans, Greenpeace members sped alongside and in front of the barge. They carefully avoided doing anything illegal. The action they stressed was not a blockade. Greenpeace doesn't just want to stop this company from dumping. They are claiming the Environmental Protection Agency plans to relax its standards on ocean dumping. They say the agency is looking the other way, while illegal dumping continues. Greenpeace says this is the first in a series of protests against alleged illegal ocean dumping, both in the United States and in Europe. And this is the first time the group has brought its operation to New Jersey. Representatives from two state environmentalist groups, including the American Lateral Society of Sandy Hook, were delighted by the support. We feel that the ocean dumping is bad, we feel that the cumulative effect is dangerous, and we've pressed our point in hearings. The fact that Greenpeace is here with the ship provides an opportunity for getting more

public exposure to the dangers of this kind of action. NL industries dumps an average of two million tons of acid waste into the ocean each year. A company spokesman says government and private research shows no long-term adverse effect from the waste. The company says it is operating completely within the law. Greenpeace had charged NL failed to meet a government deadline for eliminating part of its dumping operation. NL says the government was advised the deadline would not be met, and the company was told they could continue dumping in the interim. This ship will remain here probably throughout the weekend. The protests will continue, although Greenpeace won't promise every demonstration will be peaceful.