At the risk of being arrested, members of Greenpeace “stick to their guns” to fight for wildlife and the environment, said Greeenpeace representative Joe Kintigh Monday.

He said Greenpeace is a non-violent organization that wants to make people aware of the dangers of toxic waste and animals being hunted.

The Greenpeace lecture was sponsored by NIU’s Student Committee for Animal Welfare which was established in 1972 to protest nuclear testing on the San Andreas fault line, Kintigh said.

“Source Reduction” is Greenpeace’s policy on nuclear testing which is a “safe way to deal with toxic waste.”

Source reduction is effective when companies reduce the amount of toxic waste it produces because the United States produces too much toxic waste, Kintigh said.

For the past 12 years the 3M Company has been utilizing source reduction, and it has cut down waste by 50 percent and averaged $56 million in savings, Kintigh said.

Contrary to supporting source reduction, Greenpeace opposes landfills and incinerators, Kintigh said. However, toxic waste cannot be eliminated and must be stored, he said.

Rather than placing waste in an underground landfill, Greenpeace advocates above ground containers because they are easier to monitor, Kintigh said.

Paul Doss, an attendant at the lecture, said, “We can’t exist as a society without landfills.”

He added society has to start acting responsibly and become informed about products that are toxic or have toxic by-products.

Glen Madigan, also at the lecture, said companies know the effects of its products and should take the responsibility not to market hazardous products.

Wildlife around the globe is another concern of Greenpeace. Kintigh said the kangeroos native to Australia are being hunted and manufactured into gym shoes.

Kintigh said four different species exists and there is no legislation to which species can and cannot be killed.

Greenpeace is trying to work on the legislation to establsh laws to save the species, he said.

The North Sea is home to Harp Seals where the babies are being killed for their fur, Kintigh said. He said after 21 days the fur disappears and the seal is safe from hunters.

In an effort to save baby harp seals from hunters, Greenpeace volunteers sprayed non-toxic green dye on the fur, he said.

Saving Whales is also one of Greenpeace’s campaigns, Kintigh aid. Whales are shot with exploding harpoons and drawn into a boat. In 20 minutes the animal is transformed into whale products, he said.

Greenpeace is interested in other matters as well, including Sea Turtles, the Antarctica and acid rain.