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19 May 1997 Today John Browne, CEO of British Petroleum, gave a speech at Stanford University in California making a major statement on climate change. In it he recognised that action to prevent climate change is justified on the basis of the precautionary principle. Our response to this was that the IPCC has already stated that human induced climate change is already "discernible" and that BP fails to acknowledge the inescapable logic of our predicament - to continue to look for new fossil fuels reserves makes no sense when we can't afford to burn what we've already found. A letter went out today to John Battle in his new role as the UKs Energy Minister.
1. To highlight the EU meeting next week The MVGP arrived in Ullapool today to have repairs carried out to a video camera and the sat phone. 20 May 1997 Today was the first of our Atlantic Frontier Mobilisation Events. This took place in Edinburgh and consisted of exhibition stands, presentations by campaign directors, the showing of the AF Internet site and the full screen version of the cinema advertisement. A wide range of guests including people from media, NGO's, grass roots organisations, politicians, the oil industry, students, academics, consultants etc., attended. Whilst that was going on in Edinburgh, 2 of our Solar Team campaigners were at the House of Commons doing a briefing for MP's on energy subsidies. They launched a weighty tome called 'European Energy Subsidies' which shows that the EU countries have spent $15 billion a year on subsidising fossils and nuclear power since the Earth summit in 1992. They've spent less than $5 billion on combined renewables and energy conservation during the same time. In a briefing which goes with the report called 'Stop Stoking the Fire' we will be asking the question 'Will Labour end fossil fuel subsidies?' Later that day - Heinz Rothermund, Managing Director of Shell UK Exploration and Production, was giving a lecture for the Institute of Petroleum at Strathclyde University. In his speech he said "How far is it sensible to explore for and develop new hydrocarbon reserves, given that the atmosphere may not be able to cope with the greenhouse gases that will emanate from the utilisation of the hydrocarbon reserves discovered already? Undoubtedly it is a dilemma." We responded along the lines: "He effectively admits that there is no scientific, political or moral justification for continued oil exploration. This is an extraordinary admission which must lead to a change in Government and oil industry policy." MVGP departs Ullapool bound for the area NW of the Butt of Lewis. ETA Stornoway 2 June. 21 May 97 Today the Mobilisation Event is repeated in London - goes very well. Steve Sawyer was also present & pointed out the work being done re the Arctic. A piece in the Financial Times today 'Greenpeace in Attack on Fuel' mentioning the subsidies report and our response to Rothermunds speech. Two pieces in the Scotsman 'Greenpeace calls on Blair to halt Atlantic oil search' & in the business section 'Opponents of Atlantic projects criticised' - which refers to Rothermund's speech. 22 May 97 A piece in the Times today re the London mobilisation event: 'Greenpeace Threatens to make waves over Atlantic oilfield' Another piece in the Hearld 'Greenpeace urges Blair to ban Atlantic oil exploration'. Subsidies also got a mention in the Hearld "UK urged to tackle global warming'. 23 May 1997 Today Chris had a letter published in the Independent, jointly signed by Friends of the Earth, WWF UK, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Wildlife Trusts and Friends of the Earth Scotland. "Now is the time to cut fossil fuels". All MPs (659 of them!) were mailed today with the summary of the AF overview together with a copy of the Independent clipping. 27 May 1997 Matthew Spencer's article on fossil fuels appeared in the House (of Commons) Magazine (which all MP's receive) along with articles from Energy Minister and shadow energy spokespeople. Sarah Burton wrote to Mr Dawson at BP saying she had seen their re-written AF leaflets. She asked him to confirm that the inaccurate original version (which misquoted FOE Shetland and said they had praised BP for their efforts to communicate with local organisations in drawing up their environmental assessment) had been withdrawn. She also says she's waiting to hear the details of the proposed visit by Simon Reddy and others to the Petrojahl Foinaven. Sarah also wrote to Heinz Rothermund today noting his speech and our response and said that Chris & she would like to meet with him to discuss the important issues he referred to. 28 May 1997 Sarah Burton wrote to the Trade Unions today laying out our campaign and sending copies of the AF overview. Sarah referred to the speeches made by BP and Shell and said she would like to meet and discuss the issues further. Sarah also had an interesting response from AMOCO to her letter earlier this month: One, they want to meet and two, they recognise the environmental sensitivity of the area and the paucity of information on which to base decisions on environmental management.
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