The Project
THE GREENHEART PROJECT is a simple idea, centered around a sailing cargo ship. Not the traditional, square-rigged tall ship of the nineteenth century, but a completely modern, efficient, cooperative trading vessel, powered by the sun and the wind alone. This specially designed ship will serve many functions. It will be a transport vessel, the international headquarters for the enterprise, and a training vessel for young people from around the world. The unique ship will also serve as a promotional platform, to publicize international cooperation, clean energy, fair trade and sustainable industry. This ship, named the Sailing Vessel Greenheart will circle the globe on a zigzag route between ports in the affluent North and needy developing nations, alternating between charitable (aid & relief delivery) and merchant (fair trade commerce) legs.
Before leaving port in Europe, North America or Japan, the crew of the S/V Greenheart will coordinate with local and international charities, NGO's, relief organizations and ministries of the relevant governments in order to load aid supplies, medical and educational donations, and development project support. These cargoes will be delivered free of charge to countries in the developing world. By using trade winds and traditional sailing routes in addition to electric motors powered by the sun, S/V Greenheart will be able to deliver her cargo without burning petroleum products for propulsion.
As the charitable supplies are delivered, Greenheart will buy environmentally sound and sustainability sourced products from small producers and cooperatives at better-than-market prices to support their efforts. Because of her extremely shallow draught, S/V Greenheart will be able to load at small ports and up rivers presently unable to accommodate ocean-going vessels, thus providing new access to international markets for small producers. Greenheart will not only sail with merchandise, but also with the contact names and addreses of the producers in order to serve as a trade promotion platform once in port in the developed world.
After stowing the bulk product and setting sail for northern ports, the crew of S/V Greenheart will use solar-electric power to re-package and label her cargo in the ship's processing shop. Thus, Greenheart eliminates middlemen by preparing bulk purchases for retail sales. By means of the ship's solar powered satellite uplink, the crew will contact sympathetic environmental, renewable energy and international fair trade organizations (including the very ones that were provided free delivery service ) at the ship's destination to prepare the venue for her arrival event. Because of the unique characteristics of size, shallow draught and folding masts, S/V Greenheart will be able to travel under bridges and up rivers, to berth at the most publicly accessible waterfront of the city, where no other ocean going ships can go.
The arrival event will be a public showing of a unique sailing ship to promote clean, sustainable industry, a marketing platform for small producers from needy nations, and a sales event. The repackaged goods will be sold to the public at these events to provide the capital for the charitable legs of S/V Greenheart's round-the-world voyages.
Greenheart is an entirely new concept that combines the modern technologies of solar power and satellite communications with the ancient science of sail to produce a cargo ship with no fuel costs and unlimited range that can serve as its own international office. The unique design of this ship enables her to connect the most remote coasts and rivers of the world with the centers of the world's most prosperous cities. One third of Greenheart's staff/crew will be paid trainees from developing nations, learning the technical and administrative skills useful for launching similar sustainable enterprises in their home waters. By combining both charitable and profitable aspects while embracing the principles of environmental protection, sustainability and fair trade, Greenheart will offer a very public model of a self-funding, respectable institution. We hope to inspire people and organizations around the world to re-think the boundries of business and of international aid. In time, we intend to build a fleet of non-polluting sailing cargo ships for use in poverty abatement programs around the world.
Our Mission
We at Greenheart are striving to create a new model of a clean, cooperative and sustainable enterprise. We commit to supporting equally the environmental, the social, and the economic viability of our world by adhering to the principles of fairness and accountability in trade, respect and stewardship for the environment, and a charitable, global disposition. By operating a solar-power assisted sailing trading ship around a global route with complementary loads of development aid and fair trade goods, we intend to function as a self-funding charitable merchantman. Our goal is to forge connections, both physical and institutional, among societies, environments and economies the world around. We propose using our unique platform to bring together organizations, institutions, governments and corporations with sincere desires to further sustainability for our planet. Both our ship and her crew are dedicated to promoting, by example, the practice of environmental protection, fair & equitable trade relations, and the responsible use of renewable resources.