GREENPEACE SHIP IN IRELAND ON CAMPAIGN TO STOP NEW OIL EXPLORATION

21 July 1998

Galway, Ireland -- Greenpeace today called on the Irish government to replace oil exploration licensing in the Atlantic with offshore wind energy development. Greenpeace's vessel MV Greenpeace is visiting Galway as part of its global campaign to protect the climate, it arrived from the UK waters where it protested against seismic exploration activities by oil companies such as Statoil, Conoco, Esso and Petrofina.

Speaking at a press conference onboard the MV Greenpeace Kirsty Hamilton from Greenpeace International said "Greenpeace is very concerned at the lack of effective international action to reduce fossil fuel use. The Kyoto climate agreement which the Irish government signed last December marked an important, if weak, first step towards legal obligations to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse emissions."

"It's essential that governments stop running a business-as-usual oil industry agenda and instead speed up the introduction of solutions, such as wind, wave and solar power," said Hamilton.

Greenpeace is now calling for an end to new oil exploration. This is a global campaign with the European focus being the 'Atlantic Frontier' which includes the waters off Ireland's West Coast, as well as UK and Norwegian waters. Greenpeace also launched its second expedition to the Arctic in June this year to protest oil development by BP and others in Alaska, and to investigate the impacts of climate change.

Greenpeace spokesperson John Bowler said, "Ireland's offshore wind resource is fourteen fold its annual electricity consumption. This clearly demonstrates the large potential for implementing solutions to Ireland's energy needs without damage to the environment."

"Harnessing just a small percentage of this resource would be a significant measure to enabling Ireland to meet its commitment to cut its CO2 emissions, and is a better use of marine resources," he said.

Greenpeace today sent a letter to Dr Michael Woods, Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources raising these issues.

"Oil is a dying business," said Bowler, "it must be if we are to protect the climate. Fossil fuels are becoming a fuel of the past, and those who back the solutions in the short term will be in a good position to develop new businesses and job opportunities."

A detailed Greenpeace analysis of climate change and fossil fuels found that, based on existing science, we can only afford to burn around a quarter of the current known economic reserves of all three fossil fuels. Therefore licensing further oil exploration contradicts the basic 'carbon logic' of climate protection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Contact on Board the MV Greenpeace in Galway
Kirsty Hamilton, Greenpeace International: + 31 653 504727 (mobile)
John Bowler: 087 239 4692 (mobile)
Robbie Kelman, campaigner on board MV Greenpeace: + 31 653 105738 (mobile)