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Bob Hunter once famously remarked that a Greenpeace founder could be found in any beer parlour on the west coast of Canada; there were many who claimed the title, a few with some self-justified validity, but most without. There were plenty of co-founders, but only one man truly deserving of the title of founder. Robert (Bob) Lorne Hunter is “the” founding father of Greenpeace. The first clue may be that his official membership number was 000. But of course it is far more complex than that. Bob told us many times of the Cree legend of the Warriors of the Rainbow. It foretold of a time when the earth was in peril due to the destructive power of greed, but it was also a time when people of all races would band together to protect the planet, our common Mother. He was passionate about the need for the environmental movement to form a powerful alliance with Indigenous Peoples. Bob not only understood it was time, he also took action, and he led the way. He understood how to become an environmental strike force for planetary salvation.

It was Bob who made the decision for Greenpeace to take on the whalers, and it was Bob who engineered the creation of Greenpeace International. I am quite confident that if not for those two defining decisions, Greenpeace would not exist today, and we can only imagine the state of our ecosystem without the activists who have been, and will be, motivated to act on its behalf.

Bob saw the future and he acted to address it by focusing on taking action in the present. He knew that what we do in the present defines what the future will be. When he saw a need, he always seized any opportunity to take any action that presented itself to address that need.

In 2003, Bob published his book 2030: Thermageddon, to address climate change with a plea for action that our time on Earth is running out. He wrote: “What a waste if we continue the plunge into the chaos and suffering of a world aflame or flooded or crushed under ice! What a waste of an excellent planet and a species with greatness in it!.... It’s not the Fall of Man we are talking about any longer; it’s the Fall of Eden.” However, the mainstream environmental groups were not ready for his message on climate change, and Greta Thunberg had not yet been born. What set Bob apart from most environmentalists was that he was a passionate and courageous visionary with a boundless imagination for impossible solutions. In 1971, when we set off for Amchitka, Nelson Mandela was in prison. The very idea that Mandela would one day be president of South Africa was unthinkable, impossible. Yet the impossible became reality. You do not sail into the teeth of a nuclear weapons test believing you can shut it down unless you’re willing to attempt the impossible.

Bob saw the formidable obstacles before us and, when faced with impossible problems, he worked to find impossible solutions because he knew within his heart that impossible problems could be overcome.

The early success of Greenpeace came, in part, from Bob’s understanding of the nature and power of media. He was an adept “Master of Media” strategist. He knew how to create a story and how to keep the story energized and relevant, and he had absolutely no qualms about inserting himself into the narrative. He was an absolute master of gonzo journalism. Bob coined the term “mindbomb,” which was the 1970s equivalent of “going viral.”

He was the right person for the right job at the right time: a counter-culture activist, journalist and philosopher who both thought and lived outside the box. He also had an amazing ability to work with people across the political and cultural spectrum.

All of us who knew him, campaigned with him, worked with him and debated him were influenced and emboldened by him. Many of us stood side by side with him and laughed in the face of the dangers we shared with him.

Together Bob and I blocked a Soviet harpoon vessel in the North Pacific and a year later stopped a Norwegian sealing ship in the ice off the coast of Labrador. Together we chased Spanish trawlers from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Together we led a band of Indigenous Peoples from British Columbia to intercept the re-enactment voyages of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria off Puerto Rico. Together we confronted drift netters in the North Pacific, and together we opposed the plans by the Makah Tribe to kill whales in the waters off Washington State. Following the guidance that Bob had provided during my days with Greenpeace, I built Sea Shepherd up from an organization to a global movement, and I was happy when many of my former Greenpeace colleagues joined my crew.

The Greenpeace Foundation exists today primarily because of one exceptional man but, as you will see, that is not the whole story of Bob Hunter’s influence. It’s far more multi-dimensional than that. [The collection Mr. Mindbomb] is a ride through the life and times, adventures and accomplishments of a fascinating and remarkable man. Contributions by activists, cohorts, colleagues, offspring and family give you their perspective on some of the wildest and most profound actions in the ongoing work of defending this extraordinary jewel of a planet.

You will experience not just an understanding of Bob Hunter but also a foundation for hope and action. Because more than anything, Bob’s message was that each and every one of us has the power and the ability to change the world, to save a species, to defend an ecosystem, and to lay down the stepping stones for a brighter, greener, kinder and more progressive future.

Appears with permission of the publisher from the book Mr. Mindbomb: Eco-hero and Greenpeace Co-founder Bob Hunter — A Life in Stories, edited by Bobbi Hunter, introduction by Captain Paul Watson, afterword by Elizabeth May, and published by Rocky Mountain Books in 2023. Available wherever books are sold.

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Learn more about Mr. Mindbomb:

A collection of personal essays detailing the life and achievements of a renowned environmental hero and activist.

Mr. Mindbomb is a chronology of the significant events of Bob Hunter’s life, written chapter by chapter by those who knew him. Where one contributor leaves off, the next picks up, moving the reader through another moment in time, sharing some new insight. This is the real life and legacy of Bob Hunter: Canadian eco-hero, author of 14 books, winner of a Governor General’s Award, popular journalist, and recipient of a magical salute of gratitude from a pod of whales.

Part adventure thriller, part comedy, part documentary, and part provocation for individuals to stand up for the environment, it’s a rare look through the lens and perspective of those touched by Bob’s influence. By finding kindred spirits in the voices of each of the contributors, many of whom continue the work, it’s a powerful reminder that things don’t happen in a vacuum. Fifteen years after Bob’s much-too-early passing, Mr. Mindbomb is a reminder that any one person, fuelled by commitment and love, can find others who feel the same, and together they can do extraordinarily heroic deeds for the well-being of all.

Contributors include: Cathy Anderson, Aline Barber, David Berner, Jim Deacove, Marlayna Demco, Patricia Demco, Janine Ferretti, Bill Gannon, Douglas Gibson, Bobbi Hunter, Darren Hunter, Donald Hunter, Emily Hunter, Justine Hunter, Will Hunter, Stephen Hurlbut, Teri Innes, Ryan Jackson, Lea Ann Mallett, Marnie Marchant, Rod Marining, Sandy Maskell, Elizabeth May, Joyce Mclean, Peter O'Brian, Chris Pash, Walt Patterson, Ronald Precious, Jim Robb, Jerry Rothwell, Paul Ruzycki, Stephen Scharper, Steve Shallhorn, Todd Southgate, Peter Speck, Paul Spong, Carlie Trueman, Captain Paul Watson, Linda Weinberg, Rex Weyler, Hap Wilson, Dinah Yvonne, and Moses Znaimer.