GREENPEACE SHUTS DOWN US OIL RIG "STOP BUSH - SAVE THE CLIMATE"

16 June 2001

The North Sea, 11.30am CST - Five Greenpeace activists from the ship MV Greenpeace shut down an oil rig owned by the US oil company Conoco in the North Sea early this morning. The activists suspended a survival unit from the platform, from which they cannot easily be removed. This is the latest in Greenpeace's rolling campaign against President Bush and the US oil companies who support his attempt to wreck the Kyoto Protocol, the only global treaty to protect the climate.

On board the MV Greenpeace and in full view of all aboard the rig, a large banner reads: 'STOP BUSH - CLIMATE KILLER' which was also painted on the rig.

"It is immoral and unacceptable for the world's greatest polluter, home to the world's largest oil companies, to arrogantly ignore the clarion call for real and immediate action to protect the climate coming from governments, scientists and people around the world," said Greenpeace climate campaigner, Paul Horsman on board the Greenpeace ship. "The actions of Bush and his oil industry backers condemn the whole world to increased floods, droughts, and storms, and environmental and economic ruin."

Together with ExxonMobil, Chevron and Texaco, Conoco is one of the companies which actively supports President Bush's rejection of the Kytoto climate treaty. At the recent EU/US summit in Gothenburg, Bush again said that he is opposed to the Kyoto treaty and would prefer to pretend that building more fossil fuel driven power stations in the US will be good for the climate.

"Around the world people are dying, ecosystems are crumbling, and economies face ruin because of climate change, and all Bush and the oil industry can think of is how to maximise their profits and continue business as usual," added Horsman. "The rest of the world needs to tell Bush and the US that they will not stand by and let the US get away with it."

The Greenpeace action is part of a world-wide campaign against Bush, the US oil companies and their opposition to the climate treaty. Last Sunday activists from the MV Greenpeace blocked a tanker carrying US oil in to the port of Le Havre, France. On Monday in Spain, Greenpeace activists put up huge banners in the middle of Madrid protesting Bush's policy on climate. On Tuesday, Greenpeace occupied an oil tanker in Norway bound for the US. On Wednesday in Brussels, Belgium, Greenpeace blocked the gate to the military airport where Bush landed.

"Greenpeace demands that Bush and his oil cronies stop their delaying tactics and accept that climate change is happening and join the world community to fight it. We won't stop until Bush rejoins the climate negotiations," added Horsman.

Greenpeace calls upon the EU, at the end of their summit in Sweden this evening, to unequivocally state that they will ratify the Kyoto treaty with or without the US.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Contacts on board the MV Greenpeace:
Paul Horsman (British)
Joris Thyssen (Dutch)
Matt Ewing (US)
Satellite Telephone: +873 1300310

In Amsterdam:
Steve Sawyer +31 6503504715
Susan Cavanagh +31 621296910

Photo and video available:
Picture Desk: John Novis +31 653819121
Video Production: Mim Lowe +31 653504721
See also Greenpeace's climate web site.