Environmental Campaigner

Henry Budd

Canadian-born Greenpeace environmental campaigner Rob Nicoll didn’t take the usual route to environmental activism. The former geologist and marketer co-ordinates Greenpeace Australia’s efforts in the international fight to save whales. A keen surfer, he migrated to Australia in 2001 so he could take advantage of our beaches.

( Q ) What does your work day entail?
( A ) It can be very mundane or it can be absolutely manic, depending on what is happening. If we have a big story in the media or something has happened and we need to respond, things can be very hectic. You become more a traffic manager, scheduling and conducting interviews and making sure the correct messages are fed out. More mundane days are spent poring through international legal and policy documents, trying to determine the best messages and policy ideas that we should be communicating to different audiences we need to reach. We need to make sure the public feels they are involved and getting the best information, and also advise government on what we think they should be doing.

( Q ) How many work on the whales campaign?
( A ) At this time of the year I’m leading a team which is across the organisation and made up of communication officers, web editors and content people. I’m also working with people from fundraising and local groups.

( Q ) What is different about this year’s campaign?
( A ) For the past year we have been trying to get Australians to understand the issues behind Japanese whaling and how we can help effect its end. We are doing that positively as opposed to jumping up and down and sending out negative messages about Japan. Most Japanese don’t know what their government is up to, but once they are aware of it they are not in favour.

( Q ) What is your background?
( A ) I trained as a geologist so was into physical sciences and the environment, working a lot in mining. I then worked in advertising and marketing for 10 years. I decided I wanted to give a little bit more back to the world so I got myself a Masters of Environmental Management. Here I’m combining my marketing expertise with the knowledge and expertise I’ve developed in environmental issues. A campaigner’s role is, I find – and a lot of environmentalists may not like this – very similar to advertising or marketing. You identify a target, then find the best way to speak to or influence that target to enable them to take the action you want them to.

( Q ) How did you end up working at Greenpeace?

( A ) I still enjoyed what I was doing in advertising and marketing but the end result – increased sales – wasn’t enough to motivate me. Increased sales and a better environmental outcome; that is what I can be happy with.
I came through the fundraising door via the marketing arm of Greenpeace and I have been able to move into pure campaigning.

( Q ) What do you most enjoy about your job?
( A ) The satisfaction of knowing that hopefully you have made the world a better place.

( Q ) Are there any downsides?
( A ) Sometimes you feel like you are beating your head against a wall as far as communicating what we believe to be a clear cut, win-win situation. It is entirely possible to have a sustainable economy based on renewable energy, but not being able to communicate that to people brings out the frustration.

( Q ) What skills do you need to be an effective environmental campaigner?
( A ) The biggest thing is being able to speak to different audiences. Good communication skills are really important.