GREENPEACE ISSUES NEW SOLAR CHALLENGE TO BP AT END OF OCCUPATION

GREENPEACE ISSUES NEW SOLAR CHALLENGE TO BP AT END OF OCCUPATION 17 August 1997 Greenpeace has renewed its challenge to BP to make solar power affordable for ordinary consumers following revelations that a report co-ordinated by BP Solar proves this would be possible, despite claims to the contrary from the oil industry. The move comes as Greenpeace ends its occupation of the Stena Dee oil platform, with the police on board and activists being put under arrest. The environmental group says a report co-ordinated by BP Solar in its possession details how a solar 'super-factory' could be built for Ł350 million - about half the cost of the oil company's current investment in the Foinaven field in the Atlantic Frontier. Greenpeace has revealed the report's startling findings as it ends its week long occupation of the Stena Dee oil drilling platform as part of its campaign to oppose oil exploration on the grounds that burning existing reserves of fossil fuels will cause irreversible climate change. "If we can put solar power within the reach of consumers' pockets, why aren't we doing it? " asked Greenpeace UK's Deputy Executive Director, Chris Rose. "Our campaign against oil exploration has been mounted to convince governments and oil companies to switch to solar power to save the climate. Now we have proof they know they can afford to do this and bring employment and prosperity for the UK as well." The solar survival capsule (pod) and all personnel are being removed today (17 August) from the Stena Dee platform by the ship MV Greenpeace in a carefully managed operation. "Safety could no longer be guaranteed if the occupation was continued," said Rose. "Activists are exhausted and our equipment and material is at its limits after operating continuously in the North East Atlantic since April. We have done as much as we can here without compromising the safety of our activists or others." "Efforts to stop the expansion of oil on the Atlantic Frontier will continue and we repeat our call to Tony Blair and BP to set a global precedent for the climate and pull back from further oil development." "This is one step in a global campaign to protect the climate: it is not the end of the campaign or even the beginning of the end - it's just the end of the beginning." The Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise is currently opposing oil expansion North of Alaska and the MV Rainbow C is on its way to Hamburg after documenting oil pollution around BP rigs in the North Sea. " Greenpeace will continue its campaign against the expansion of fossil fuels," said Rose. " We have to because unless their growth is curtailed, the world's climate will spiral into chaos. We now call upon the public to help force the UK Government to adopt a sane, ecologically sound energy policy rather than rely on expanding more oil. During its Atlantic Frontier campaign Greenpeace has achieved a number of goals, namely: Seriously disrupting seismic oil exploration in actions lasting hundreds of hours over 18 days, involving five seismic vessels and 14 oil companies. Delaying the Stena Dee for seven days (covering 50 miles - a distance normally covered in a day) on its way to BP's Foinaven field, which has still yet to produce any oil. Occupying Rockall for 48 days and showing how the UK's claim to develop some of the Atlantic Continental Shelf is unsound and could now face restriction as Britain has acceded to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and opened its claim to scrutiny. Generating the support of 90,000 people in a petition calling on Tony Blair to stop the Atlantic Frontier and promote renewable energy instead. We need more by the time of the December climate summit in Kyoto. Winning the backing of 90 UK Members of Parliament ranging from Edward Heath to Matthew Taylor, for action against fossil fuels and/or more investment in solar power. The Atlantic Frontier campaign will continue. Because it has complained about the Government's failure to protect the Atlantic Frontier environment against threats from oil development Greenpeace will be in court against the UK Government on 23/4 September, challenging the oil licences it granted (17th Round). In July Greenpeace successfully fought off an attempt by the UK Government and 21 oil companies to deny the environmental group's right to be heard by the Court. In September Greenpeace will publish a comprehensive scientific report on the global "Carbon Logic", showing why the Climate Convention requires governments to severely limit the amount of fossil fuels that can be burned - and why this is less than the total amount already identified as "reserves". In the Arctic, the ship MV Arctic Sunrise is currently campaigning against damaging oil developments north of Alaska, and documenting the rapid and disastrous impacts of climate change there on human and natural communities. "In our estimation, to stay within ecological limits, fossil fuels have to be phased out within 30 - 40 years at present rates of use," said Rose. " We are at the start of a long term campaign to defend nature by accelerating human progress - into the 21st century and away from fossil fuels and towards, instead, solar power and other clean efficient renewable energies." "It has been said that all great truths begin as heresies - and the truth here is that there is not too little oil but too much, and there is instead, too little sky." FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Greenpeace Press Office on +44 (0)171-865 8255/6/7/8 Notes to Correspondents 1. For the latest video footage/stills from Greenpeace's Atlantic Frontier campaign contact the Greenpeace Press Office.
2. Media briefing notes on the Foinaven oil field available on request