A night aboard the Rainbow Warrior

A night aboard the Rainbow Warrior
By Méabh Mc MahonMolly Jackson
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_After three months sailing around Europe promoting renewable energy sources, Greenpeace's iconic Rainbow Warrior ship has arrived at the port of Antwerp in Belgium. The ship, which runs mostly on wind power, was stormed by Polish armed border guards earlier this year whilst in Gdansk blocking the unloading of coal from a Mozambique cargo ship. Before it is taken to the Netherlands for repairs, our Brussels correspondent Méabh Mc Mahon spent one night on board to find out more about the crew and what motivates them to break the law sometimes for the sake of the climate. _

It is 1 am, the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior ship is about to set sail. After visiting Romania, Greece, Italy, Spain and Poland, it has now arrived in Belgium to promote renewable energy. The crew stem from all around the globe, but have one thing in common.

"Passion....working here, the only thing you need is passion. Everything else will be taught to you," says bosun, Api Waganisau 

A crew member since 2015, Api is not just driven by passion. He comes from Fiji, an island in the South Pacific that could be displaced by climate change by 2050. He tells us how heart-warming it has been to witness the green wave over the past year.

"For me, every-time, I see someone fighting for the climate, I feel like they are fighting for my home and so I tell them, when you do this, it speaks to me profoundly."

One man fighting for this change is Mathieu from West Flanders. His mum Veronique is also on board volunteering her cooking skills. Her friends think she is crazy, but she fully supports her son and the cause, "I am really proud of what my children do, like when Mathieu is hanging from a crane!"

Mathieu once hung from a crane protesting against Donald Trump's climate policies. The 33 year-old is now part of the Rainbow Warrior European tour and tells us why they do what they do.

"We have been doing actions against various fossil fuels installations along the coast but also and especially talking about solutions."

One solution being promoted by Greenpeace is renewable energies like these off shore wind mills in Belgium. For Juliette, a mother of two, this is crucial.

We have to invest more in renewable energy. If we look to the future, fossil fuels will be more and more expensive due to geopolitical tensions," Juliette Boulet Greenpeace campaigner explains.

Tensions that many of this crew have seen up close.

After a couple of days docked at the port of Antwerp, the European tour of the Rainbow Warrior will be coming to an end, and the ship will be taken to the Netherlands for some renovations, but those on it, will not be staying quiet. They will be continuing to spread their message making sure that people like the incoming EU Commission president is listening.

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