2015. A year in review for Keri Coles Photography.

I had a couple incredibly brilliant work trips this year: a ship tour with Greenpeace and a trip to Paris to cover the UN Climate Conference. In contrast to some years past, it was a fairly uplifting year to be doing environmental work in Canada (Shell pulled out of the Arctic, Canada got a new government, Northern Gateway was killed, and the Paris Climate talks are being lauded by most as a success). We aren’t used to celebrating this much!

I was on the Greenpeace ship for about six weeks, with half the time dedicated to an action and half to a tour up the B.C. coast to Haida Gwaii.

The aim of the tour was to help connect the global fight against Arctic oil drilling with coastal communities in B.C. who are already opposing pipelines and tankers. We sailed to Haida Gwaii and back with a First Nations delegation that included Taylor George-Hollis from the Squamish Nation, Candace Campo from the Shíshálh Nation, Audrey Siegl from the Musqueam Nation, Victor Thompson from the Haida Nation, Robert Holler from the Anishinabe Nation, and Mike Auger from the Bigstone Cree Nation in Alberta. This leg of the trip was unbeatable with the people, the culture, and the stunning environment.

The action involved taking the RHIBs out and confronting Shell’s oil rig, Polar Pioneer, as it made its way up to the Arctic to start drilling.

I met so many beautiful, courageous, and inspiring souls along the way. Greenpeace crew, campaign team, delegates and activists, thank you for bringing me on board. I had no idea you could pack that much adventure, connection, intensity, laughter, camaraderie, education, love, delicious food, and beauty into a ship. What a mobile gem of an international community.

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, was held in Paris, France, in 2015. What an intense experience. I wish I could clone my body 20 times over so I could get to more of the events. I was grateful to be able to meet up with the lovely Naomi Devine, a seasoned pro at the COPs, and she gave me some great pointers. There is so much happening all at the same time that it helps to pick a focus beforehand and base your day around the meetings pertaining to that focus.