A New Rainbow Warrior

The new Rainbow Warrior ship was floated last Monday. It's the first time that Greenpeace has a purpose built ship which is environmental in design, set for sailing and perfect for the purpose of spreading the message of sustainability and peace to the world.

It will be just a few short months until the ship is fully ready, and when it will receive a much more ceremonious launch in Hamburg. The 58 metre long vessel, weighing 680 tonnes already sports the logo of a white dove and rainbow on each side of its green hull.

"It is something very special working for Greenpeace," said the ship's chief designer Uwe Lampe, admitting to getting "a few migraines" trying to give Greenpeace the ship of their dreams.

"The whole concept of the boat was, how should I say, very complex. It's like a small town, with its own electricity generator, air conditioning, waste water treatment and laboratory," he said.

Costing an estimated 23 million euros ($33.4 million), 10-15 percent of Greenpeace's total annual budget, this is the first time that Greenpeace is having a Rainbow Warrior built from scratch to its own specifications. The radio room will be able to withstand for at least 30 minutes attempt by special forces to break in.

Greenpeace's spokesman Mike Townsley spoke ahead of the vessel being floated:

"The Rainbow Warrior III is much more than a flagship," he said prior to its official launch for Greenpeace's 40th birthday in October. "It is very modern and very ecological ... It is the practical application of our values," he said.

This is excellent news. With more organized opposition to unsustainable ecologically damaging practices and political pressure hopefully resulting in a change in direction for humanity.