PARIS (Glénat Books/Pacific Media Watch): As the global environmental group Greenpeace prepares to mark four decades of campaigning for a greener planet next month, a French photojournalist who has been bearing witness for the past 30 years has launched a book about the crusade.
Greenpeace was launched in Vancouver, Canada, in September 1971. Nine years later, at the age of 23, Pierre Gleizes embarked on the campaign ship Rainbow Warrior as a crew member and photographer.
He was a privileged witness to many of the non-violent campaigns at the heart of the environmental movement.
And through his photography, he was able to contribute much to international public awareness.
His images have often more strongly denounced environmental violations than words. As well as working for the environmental movement, Gleizes was a news photographer for Associated Press for nine years and other media.
A companion of the Greenpeace route for 30 years that has gained global fame – and notoriety with many governments, Gleizes has been on the scene campaigning against the culling of whales and slaughter of pup seals, struggle against pollution, combating pirate fishing boats, exposing the impact of climate change and challenging nuclear industry and bomb tests.
His 384-page new book, Rainbow Warrior, Mon Amour: 30 years of photos alongside Greenpeace, tells of his adventures on board the Rainbow Warrior, Sirius and Esperanza. The book is told with humour, packed with insight and commitment to the environment.
The original Rainbow Warrior was bombed by French secret agents in Auckland Harbour on 10 July 1985 while preparing for anti-nuclear protests off Mororoa Atoll in French Polynesia. Nuclear tests were abandoned there in 1996.
(cc) Creative Commons
David Robie
