KOCHI: Iconic Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior III, known for environment protection campaigns across the globe, turned into a source of inspiration for several Keralites engaged in green activities on Saturday. Many youths and environmentalists in Kochi visited the ship and interacted with its crew members. The ship, which sailed into Kochi at 3.30 pm on Friday, will leave for Colombo at 4 am on Sunday.
Capt Hettie Geenen from The Netherlands, who has been working with Greenpeace and Rainbow Warrior for around 18 years, said: “Carpentering was my favourite work. But, after visiting the Amazon forests in Brazil and directly witnessing the impact of deforestation, I decided to work only on used wood. I’d been working in other ships in The Netherlands before joining Rainbow Warrior.
But working in Rainbow Warrior gives greater satisfaction as it sails for a greater cause - for environment protection,” she said. Though Rainbow Warrior sails primarily under wind power, it also has a generator and main engine to be used in necessary situations. It can attain a speed of 13 knots per hour and the average speed is 7 knots per hour. The ship - 62 m long and 11 m wide - is made specially for Greenpeace at yards in Poland and Germany. It was commissioned in 2011 after Rainbow Warrior II was handed over to an NGO in Bangladesh to be used as a floating hospital.
Rainbow Warrior III, which has a helicopter landing pad, has circumnavigated the earth on several occasions as part of environment conservation campaigns. This year, it travelled to Central America, South America, Europe before reaching India. The crew members work continuously for three months before being given a three-month break. “Since we spread the message of environment conservation, we prefer to sail without depending on the engine. To enhance the movement of the ship, an electric generator is used,” Hettie said.
Though the life of a sailor is challenging and adventurous, she is proud to be engaged in seafaring. Hettie remembers how the Indian Navy came to the rescue of Rainbow Warrior when two small boats were closing in on the vessel after they crossed the Swiss Canal on the way to India last month. “We don’t know whether those were pirates. However, we called for help and the Indian Navy came to our rescue. Later, we followed the Navy vessel for three days,” she said.
Greenpeace India has been campaigning on ecological agriculture, rooftop solar energy, and ways to mitigate climate change. Welcoming the ship to Kerala, Greenpeace India executive director Ravi Chellam said the state was selected as one of the destinations of Rainbow Warrior taking into account Keralites’ interest in environmental issues. “The Rainbow Warrior’s visit will certainly boost the activities of Greenpeace in India,” he said.
War against marine plastic pollution
Rainbow Warrior III reached Kochi after visiting Goa and Mumbai. Before arriving in India, the ship was campaigning in the Mediterranian against dumping of plastic waste in the ocean. The ship will be sailing to Hong Kong and Taiwan after berthing at Colombo. The 16-member crew consists of persons belonging to 14 countries, including one from India. Rainbow Warrior-II had arrived in Kochi in 1999. Another Greenpeace vessel Artic Sunrise had visited Kochi in 2002.