Peter Willcox
Encyclopedia
Peter Willcox is a Greenpeace
activist best known for being captain of the ship the Rainbow Warrior
when it was bombed by French agents.
. His adopted mother died in 1974, leaving him his brother and sister to be raised by their adopted father. Roger Willcox was the harbormaster of Village Creek harbor in Norwalk, and he instilled a great love of sailing in Peter from an early age. Rather than attending college, Peter signed on with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
, working with the environmentalist group. Though he originally intended to return to college, his time on the Clearwater led him to pursue a career in environmentalism
.
. Quickly rising through the ranks, he became captain of the Rainbow Warrior. He has participated in decades of active actions, including his campaigns against Soviet mechanized whaling
and the nuclear testing
in the Marshall Islands. Other major actions have been directed towards preservation of ancient rainforests, and protests of deep-sea trawl fishing
. On July 10, 1985, Willcox's ship, Rainbow Warrior, was bombed by French agents
. The event, which cost one of those on board his life, caused an international scandal. A dramatic retelling of the story is available in the form of a film, entitled The Rainbow Warrior
.
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
activist best known for being captain of the ship the Rainbow Warrior
Rainbow Warrior (1978)
The Rainbow Warrior was a former UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food trawler later purchased by the environmental organisation Greenpeace...
when it was bombed by French agents.
Early years
Willcox was born to Eleanor Sharpe. He was soon after adopted by Elsie and Roger Willcox, and was raised in Norwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
. His adopted mother died in 1974, leaving him his brother and sister to be raised by their adopted father. Roger Willcox was the harbormaster of Village Creek harbor in Norwalk, and he instilled a great love of sailing in Peter from an early age. Rather than attending college, Peter signed on with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is an organization based in Beacon, New York that seeks to protect the Hudson River and surrounding wetlands and waterways through advocacy and public education...
, working with the environmentalist group. Though he originally intended to return to college, his time on the Clearwater led him to pursue a career in environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
.
Greenpeace
Following his time on the Clearwater, Willcox pursued a career with GreenpeaceGreenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
. Quickly rising through the ranks, he became captain of the Rainbow Warrior. He has participated in decades of active actions, including his campaigns against Soviet mechanized whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
and the nuclear testing
Nuclear testing
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have tested them...
in the Marshall Islands. Other major actions have been directed towards preservation of ancient rainforests, and protests of deep-sea trawl fishing
Bottom trawling
Bottom trawling is trawling along the sea floor. It is also often referred to as "dragging".The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling...
. On July 10, 1985, Willcox's ship, Rainbow Warrior, was bombed by French agents
Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, codenamed Opération Satanique, was an operation by the "action" branch of the French foreign intelligence services, the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure , carried out on July 10, 1985...
. The event, which cost one of those on board his life, caused an international scandal. A dramatic retelling of the story is available in the form of a film, entitled The Rainbow Warrior
The Rainbow Warrior (film)
The Rainbow Warrior, sometimes called The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, is a 1992 television film starring Sam Neill and Jon Voight.-Plot summary:...
.