One of the many ways in which powerful polluters try to silence their critics is through legal intimidation. And Cairn Energy, which is involved in controversial drilling in the Arctic, is no exception. For months Cairn has been dogged by Greenpeace, which has been campaigning against its Artic operations off Greenland. On Monday about 60 … Read More
protests
“Shell has cheated us for too long”
For hundreds of communities across the Niger Delta the daily unseen struggle against Shell continues. At the end of last week four Ijaw communities gave the oil giant a 14 day ultimatum, demanding that Shell finally implement an agreement that they reached in 1999, twelve years ago. Fearing the company will not honour the agreement, … Read More
VW’s Dark Side
Europe’s largest car maker, Volkswagen, is harbouring a “dark secret” according to Greenpeace. Despite its populist and consumer-friendly image, VW stands accused of greenwashing its dirty activities, trying to water down action on climate change and refusing to make popular models more fuel efficient. According to Greenpeace, the car maker has repeatedly claimed that it … Read More
Shell’s Pipeline At War With the People
On and off for twenty years I have written about the oil industry. I have worked with communities from Alaska to Africa who have been threatened by Big Oil. So often the stories are the same: an industry that is indifferent to local concerns and needs. It is an industry that bullies and effectively bribes … Read More
Chevron Guilty: Clean Up the Amazon!
Last week it was Shell’s AGM and its turn to face the wrath of shareholders and activists for its appalling environmental record. This week its Chevron’s turn with its AGM tomorrow. Protests kicked off in dramatic style yesterday, when activists from Amazon Watch and Rainforest Action Network rappelled from the Richmond Bridge in the San … Read More
France to Say “Non” to Fracking
Just last week, a study by the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security concluded that unconventional gas resources in Europe – such as shale gas – could radically reshape the continent’s oil and gas outlook, and reduce its dependency on Russia and the Middle East. The report said that, in theory “Europe’s unconventional gas … Read More
10,000 March for Climate Justice
About 10,000 activists marched yesterday in Washington on the “Make Big Polluters Pay” march. The march was the culmination of the third “PowerShift” event. Over the weekend activists had heard speeches from the likes of former Vice President Al Gore, and US EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. In a speech on Friday night, Gore underlined how … Read More
One Year Later: BP’s Contamination Continues
BP’s AGM tomorrow is set to be a tumultuous affair with the oil giant having to absorb criticism over the legacy of the it’s catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, its investment in the dirty Canadian tar sands and its dodgy deal with the Russian Rosneft to drill in the Arctic. Throw in … Read More
Fracking Emissions “Worse than Coal”
Later today, several hundred New Yorkers, backed by at least 40 environmental organisations, are heading to attend a rally on Capitol lawn in Albany to protest against the dirty drilling technique of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” Among the speakers will be Josh Fox, director of the award-winning anti-gas industry documentary “Gasland.” Opponents of fracking have … Read More
Libyan Rebels Threaten to Deny Oil to Dithering Nations
As the West dithers and dallies over whether to support the Libyan rebels, Gaddafi’s forces are rapidly gaining momentum across the country. This morning the dictator’s troops seemed to have taken the town of Brega after seizing control of the strategic oil town of Ras Lanuf on Saturday. They now look like they will regroup … Read More