WE DON'T WANT YOUR COAL, WE WANT GREEN ENERGY, SAYS PUBLIC VIA THE WEB
People vote Greenpeace activists to send coal away on their behalf via www.greenpeace.org

13 November 2000

ROTTERDAM -- Greenpeace activists have been collecting coal on the Rotterdam docks since Saturday and putting it into a 150,000 tonne bulk coal carrier. The La Paloma came into Rotterdam with a cargo of coal from Australia on Saturday when she was boarded by activists who are preventing the ship from unloading. Other activists on the docks are bagging up coal and putting it on the ship. The public is voting, via the web, investing Greenpeace with the responsibility of Returning their annual share of coal to the ship.

The website has a breakdown of coal consumption per person per country where people can vote to have their share of coal sent away by the activists. As of noon today the total had reached 1579 tonnes of coal to be sent away.

The action, which began on Saturday, marks the beginning of the international climate change summit in The Hague, where governments must decide on how to implement the 1997 Kyoto protocol to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from 1990 levels. Live video and photos of the action will also be broadcast directly into the conference. "The climate is in danger because governments are not replacing coal, oil and gas with clean energy sources like the wind and the sun," said Paul Horsman, Greenpeace Climate Campaigner. "Governments meeting in The Hague must stop cheating the people and commit themselves to taking action to substantially cut greenhouse gas emissions."

"The public want it, the environment needs it, governments must listen and act to begin the phase out of fossil fuels and phase in renewable energy," said Horsman. "This is the only way to protect the climate."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Paul Horsman on board the Greenpeace ship in Rotterdam: +44 7801 212990
- Hans Altevogt, on board the Greenpeace ship in Rotterdam: +31 6 250 310 02
- Susan Cavanagh: +31 6 212 969 10 in the Hague

Follow the action live here:
www.greenpeace.org

Stills and footage available:
www.greenpeace.org/library/picturedesk.html
or contact: John Novis +31 (0)653819121 or Myriam van Loon +31(0)621813519