One can always hope the Rainbow Warrior might sink....

It's always nice when those who believe they have some inate superiority in intelligence parachute on in here to tell us local yokels how to live and what to think.

The pirate ship "Rainbow Warrior" is no exception.

I am now the staunchest supporter of the coal terminal plan... whereas before, I was ambivelent.

I cannot adequately express how little I care that such a boat representing such an organization is here, except to now hope that whales get depth-charged into extinction.

In a few days, this self-aggrandizing effort will be over and that toy boat will be gone... as will whatever small impact they may have had.

Greenpeace ship part of local protest against proposed coal export facilities

Rainbow Warrior docks at Vancouver Landing

By Eric Florip, Columbian transportation & environment reporter
Published: October 31, 2013, 9:16 PM

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Introduced in 2011, the Rainbow Warrior is the newest member of the Greenpeace fleet. The 190-foot ship arrived in Vancouver this week to highlight opposition to proposed coal export terminals in the Northwest. (Photo by Zachary Kaufman)

There aren't many sailboats equipped with a helipad and twin masts that are too tall to fit under the Interstate 5 Bridge.

When such a vessel sails into Vancouver, it's bound to turn heads.

This week's visit by the Rainbow Warrior, one of the ships in the Greenpeace fleet, is part of a West Coast tour highlighting the environmental causes championed by the international organization. The primary focus here: making a statement against coal export facilities proposed in the Northwest, including one in Longview.

"Coal exports is one of the biggest threats that we have right now," said Kelly Mitchell, Greenpeace energy campaigner. "There's no question we need to stop these terminals and keep this coal in the ground."

The Rainbow Warrior arrived in Vancouver on Wednesday. After hosting a few visits and school groups on Thursday, the ship's crew and other Greenpeace staff members plan meetings with local partners and other organizations today. Public tours will be offered Saturday and Sunday. The ship is docked at Vancouver Landing, behind the Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay on the Columbia River.

The ship's arrival marks the latest high-profile move on an issue that has vaulted Vancouver and Southwest Washington into the spotlight. A proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver has more recently added a new wrinkle to the controversy.

Nationally known activist and author Bill McKibben visited Vancouver earlier this year. Meetings and demonstrations have drawn hundreds of people locally.

Greenpeace activists joined Cowlitz County residents to display banners against coal exports as the Rainbow Warrior sailed past Longview on Wednesday. If the organization is planning a similar statement in Vancouver before departing next week, activists aren't saying. Greenpeace doesn't announce actions before they happen, said Rainbow Warrior Captain Joel Stewart.

The ship, sharing the same name as two of its predecessors, is the newest member of the Greenpeace fleet, sailing since 2011. It's also the first vessel to be built specifically for the organization, including several features designed to make it an environmentally friendly boat, Stewart said.

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By the way?  If McKibben were a "nationally known" person... then you wouldn't have to explain who he is.