Bob Hunter, journalist and co-founder of the environmental organization Greenpeace International, has died after a battle with prostate cancer. He was sixty-three.

Hunter, a columnist for the Vancouver Sun in the 1960s and most recently an ecology broadcaster for Canadian media, first came to prominence in 1971 with the launch of Greenpeace and the organization's protests against nuclear testing. Subsequently, Hunter and his Greenpeace colleagues brought public attention to the hunting of whales and seals, as well as the dumping of toxic waste into the oceans. In 1973, he became the organization's first president and led its transformation into an international advocacy organization with a presence in forty countries and more than 2.5 million members worldwide.

"Bob was a creative force in shaping Greenpeace," said Bruce Cox, executive director of Greenpeace Canada. "His passion and his commitment translated into powerful communications, and his unorthodox approach to communications helped define Greenpeace."