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Greenpeace Activists board and block Exxon oil tanker
.
Savona, Genoa, Italy 17 July 2001:
Four Greenpeace activists this morning
boarded a tanker chartered by US oil
company ExxonMobil (known as Esso
in parts of Europe) in the port of Vado
Ligure to stop the discharge of oil from
the 80,000 tonne tanker Clare Spirit.
The ship was
carrying oil from the
North Sea Forties field. The activists
are aiming to prevent the discharge
pipe from being connected to stop
operations.
The action comes at the beginning of the renewed climate talks in Bonn
and 3 days before the G-8 government leaders are due to meet in Genoa
which will discuss both the climate treaty and the recently eleased G-8
renewable energy task force report.
“As the world meets in Bonn to discuss the Kyoto climate treaty, George
Bush, with the backing of the US oil industry is threatening to wreck
international plans to protect the climate,” said Paul Horsman, Greenpeace
International Climate campaigner. “Further, the US is opposing the G-8
initiative which could bring renewable energy to up to 1 billion of the
world’s
poorest.”
Esso is one of the major oil companies that has consistently opposed
plans to protect the climate and questioned the scientific consensus on
global warming and is not investing in any renewable energy sources.
“In refusing
to ratify the Kyoto treaty, George Bush is doing what his
oil industry backers have wanted,” said Fabrizio Fabri, Greenpeace Italy
Climate campaigner. “However the world cannot wait for Bush. The
governments meeting here in Genoa and in Bonn should agree to ratify
Kyoto with or without the US.”
Even if the US is not serious about protecting the climate, other world’s
leaders should demonstrate that they will go ahead. As part of its worldwide
campaign to save the climate, Greenpeace has been carrying out protests
in Canada, Argentina and the US