Robert Hunter (journalist)

Robert Hunter (journalist)

Robert (Bob) Lorne Hunter (October 13, 1941 – May 2, 2005) was a Canadian environmentalist, journalist, author and politician. A member of the Don't Make a Wave Committee in 1969 with Dorothy and Irving Stowe, Marie and Jim Bohlen, and Ben and Dorothy Metcalfe. He was a co-founder of Greenpeace in 1972 with Patrick Moore, Ben Metcalfe, Jim Bohlen, Irving Stowe, Paul Watson (which is contested by Greenpeace; more at this page) and several other members. Hunter, the first President of Greenpeace, was a long-time campaigner for environmental causes. He led the first on-sea anti-whaling campaigns in the world, against Russian and Australian whalers, which helped lead to the ban on commercial whaling. He campaigned against nuclear testing, the Canadian seal hunt and later, climate change with his book 'Thermageddon: Countdown to 2030.' He was named by Time as one of the "Eco-Heroes" of the 20th century and is charged with coining the terms "mindbombs" and "eco-warrior" (a run-off from Legend of Rainbow Warriors, an alleged Native American prophecy).

Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Hunter's career in journalism began in the 1960s at the Winnipeg Tribune and the Vancouver Sun, where he focused on the counterculture as well as environmental issues. Beginning in 1988, he worked as a commentator and reporter for Toronto's Citytv and, since its launch, its all-news sister channel CP24. He created many documentaries about Canada's north that are still often aired on CP24 in off-peak hours. He was also the longtime "Enviro" columnist in Toronto's eye weekly.