DC Action Release and update
August 27, 1997--Washington, DC.
Today, Greenpeace turned
up the heat on its efforts to avert dangerous global warming
by hanging a banner on the Department of Interior. The
organization hung a banner reading, "No New Oil, Save the
Arctic, Stop Global Warming." In the first of a series of
public direct actions supporting protests at sea last week,
Greenpeace is campaigning to stop new oil development as a
first step to curbing climate change.
The Interior Department has permitted development of
Atlantic Richfield Company's (ARCO's) offshore oil drilling
site near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which the
Greenpeace ship m/v Arctic Sunrise protested for a week in
Alaska's Beaufort Sea. Greenpeace today is demanding
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt recognize the threat of the
new oil development to the climate and the Wildlife Refuge
by canceling ARCO's drilling approval and stopping new lease
sales for further oil development off the Arctic coast.
Although President Clinton and Babbitt admit that global
warming is "not a theory but a fact," the administration has
pursued aggressive development of new oil reserves. Babbitt
recently approved a plan to allow new oil exploration in
vast areas of coastline off the shore of Alaska. The
Secretary also is prepared to open Alaska's National
Petroleum Reserve-an important calving area for caribou and
migratory route for peregrine falcons--to new oil
exploration.
"Oil fuels climate change," said Kalee Kreider, director of
the Greenpeace USA Climate Campaign, "and the government is
using taxpayer dollars to explore for oil we don't need and
can't afford to burn."
In a month-long advertising campaign in the New York Times
and Washington Post, Greenpeace has stated that of the known
coal, oil and gas reserves, less than 25 percent may be
burned without causing dangerous rates of climate change.
Given that only a fraction of known reserves may actually be
burnt, the Greenpeace climate campaign is part of a global
effort to stop new oil development in frontier areas and
secure a legally binding climate treaty to reduce emissions
of carbon dioxide 20 percent by 2005 based upon 1990 levels.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
on-site, Kalee Kreider, 202-236-2579
on-site climber, Meghan Houlihan, 202-531-5865
Fenton Communications, Charles Miller, 202-822-5200
in the office, Deborah Rephan, 202-319-2492
**Photos and Footage Available**