LIVE: We've boarded Cairn's Arctic oil rig demanding their spill plan

Posted by nick_gp - 4 June 2011 at 10:08am - Comments
18 of our activists scale Cairn's Arctic rig to get the oil spill response plan
All rights reserved. Credit: Steve Morgan / Greenpeace
18 of our activists scale Cairn's Arctic rig to get the oil spill response plan

Update: After eight hours, all 18 activists have been arrested. More >>

It never really gets dark here in the Arctic but in the soft silver light of the early morning five inflatable speedboats left the side of the Esperanza. They carried a delegation of eighteen activists and headed for the giant Leiv Eiriksson looming on the horizon.

Their mission – to find Cairn’s elusive Oil Spill Response Plan. Cairn is hiding it so we’re going to the one place where there must be a copy of it!

Dodging the rig’s Danish navy guard, the team climbed on to the rig and headed for the accommodation deck. There they began looking for the drill manager in order to ask for the secret oil spill document.

To ensure the delegation reached the rig we moved the Esperanza to the limit of the 500m exclusion zone imposed by the Danish navy.

Despite repeated requests by Greenpeace and over 15,000 others, the rig’s operators Cairn Energy, have so far refused to publish the plan.

It’s pretty obvious why Cairn won’t tell the world how it would clean up a BP-style oil spill here in the Arctic, and that’s because it simply can’t be done.

Experts say the freezing temperatures and remote location mean a deep water blow-out here in the Arctic would be an irreversible disaster.

If they published the plan, the real risk to this pristine area, and the real risk of investing in such a reckless venture would be plain to see.

We have to draw a line in the ice and stop the Arctic oil rush.  Please email Cairn bosses and demand they make their oil spill response plan public.

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Article tagged as: arctic, cairn, climate, climate change, go beyond oil, oil, oil spill
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From Nuuk, Greenland

More mirage.

Santa Claus is said to come from Greenland and the North Pole and at every Christmas, writes thousands of children of the world hopeful to Nuuk, Greenland. But real life has, unfortunately, another more sinister face.
At every Christmas donating, buying the Greenlandic self-rule
sealskin from families so they at lesat have something to celebrate Christmas in one of the world's most expensive countries to live in. Well knowing that each year seal skin can not be sold globally.
Greenland should not be a sympol on the world's conscience on the conservation of nature because of destruktonen of nature in Western countries.
Greenland should be allowed to develop themselves as countries of Scandinavia.

By Knud Seblon - 4 June 2011 at 11:29am

Knud - your posts are becoming increasingly erratic. What does Santa Claus and skinning seals, have to do with boarding an oil rig to stop irresponsible drilling, and the plundering of the last drops of oil in a warming world?

By candleflame99 - 4 June 2011 at 12:10pm

Well, we can assume Cairn's disaster recovery plan isn't one to be proud of or surely there would be no danger in publishing it. Was it:

 * off the shelf (as per BP) and full of irrelevancies

 * incomplete or just

 * obviously not being followed?

I'm giving Cairn the benefit of the doubt in assuming that they have a plan that both they and the people who granted the licence think is workable.... or was it just one more bothersome piece of compliance? 

 

 

By Jothma - 4 June 2011 at 12:33pm

Go for it people us Greenpeace supporters are so proud of you!!! You Rock.

By David Hardy - 4 June 2011 at 12:34pm
  • 2 people agree

Seems that 15,000 requests to cairn head office are just not enough to secure sight of this elusive plan. Keep up the good work Greenpeace

By Colin Jones - 4 June 2011 at 1:36pm
  • 1 person agrees

@candleflame99

Santa Claus and the unsellable seal fur is linked to that every year come thousands of letters from children outside the country to be answered. It is not always Greenland afford to answer all these letters, but there are making great efforts to find money in the bad economy of Greenland. These are facts.
A weak economy, Greenpeace has helped to create in Greenland.This is just one of many example of what Greenpeace has made ​​of negative things against Greenland. The worst are children whose parents have poor to afford their food. Greenpeace is too destructive and devastating against an indigenous peoples. Please stop.

As global warming concerns:
Explain to me why there is a big snow storm in Upernavik, Greenland yesterday and why I see white snow outside my window here in Nuuk. 4 June the 2011th

http://sermitsiaq.ag/node/102061

 

By Knud Seblon - 4 June 2011 at 1:56pm

So what is so secret about the Cairn disaster plan ??

Maybe because it doesn't exist ???

Maybe because it's useless???

If they have nothing to hide they should make their plan public. Their silence on this issue speaks volumes !!

Go brave Greenpeace - you are only asking them to do what is right !!

So proud of all of you !!

By Liz Gould - 4 June 2011 at 2:07pm
  • 1 person agrees

Keep up the great work. If the arctic is to be preserved then we have to win this first battle against the oil industry. Where Cairn leads others will follow.

By Mark C Norwich - 4 June 2011 at 2:54pm

Guys, don't listen to the naysayers. What we are all doing at Greenpeace is the right thing. Good luck to you and all love.

Cairn has to stop drilling, Greenland has to come to its senses. Surely the fact that they want to develop oil means that they recognise their fishing industry is in trouble - and proof that what we've been saying about overfishing and climate change is coming true.

I wish I was with you.

 

 

By JohnHalladay - 4 June 2011 at 2:56pm
  • 1 person agrees

@JohnHalladay

Greenland operates with sustainable fisheries and goes after the MSC label for det. MSC mark (Marine Stewardship Council) is an independent, international labeling scheme for environmentally friendly and sustainable fisheries.

A large team of biologists monitor the fishery.

First time in many years Royal Greenland operates with some surplus.

 

By Knud Seblon - 4 June 2011 at 3:13pm

@knud - I don't understand why anyone from Greenland would not support a simple request for sight of a company's plan to deal with an oil spill. Are you not worried about the potential consequences for your fishing industry?

By Jothma - 4 June 2011 at 3:23pm

Dear Cairn,

We all live on the same world. Hence you, your children and their children, have nowhere else to go if you contribute to screwing up planet Earth. So let's see you act responsbly and show us all how you will handle the, not inconsiderable, risk of a major oil spill in the Arctic. Or is it only the profits that can be obtained that matter to you?

Yours sincerely,

DerekG

 

By Derek G - 4 June 2011 at 4:03pm

If there was an accident and oil spilled into the pristine Arctic ocean the Greenland fishing industry would be in a right mess. Yes John I wish I was with our activist colleagues as well. Take it slow

Len   

By len herbert - 4 June 2011 at 4:46pm

 

 Keep up the excellent work. Thank God somebody is taking brave action to protect the oceans and marine life, especially after the events of last year.

By Mark Gregory - 4 June 2011 at 4:47pm

Please log onto the Guardian newspaper website and have your vote about if Greenpeace should be fined over the Arctic oil rig drilling stoppage?  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2011/jun/03/greenpeace-cairn-energy-fined  WARNING there are some real idiots on this coments page that say some very negative and inflamatory comments about Greenpeace supporters!

By Mark Vesey - 4 June 2011 at 6:20pm

If your so against all this drilling going on how you managing to run the 2 vessels you have up in greenland and also the chopper you have????

Surely your just as bad as the rest of the world that uses the black gold that comes out of the ground???

By fuel user - 4 June 2011 at 8:22pm

I read a book some while ago by a devout Christian "thinker" and writer called Francis Schaeffer. He spoke about how he ached inside as he watched the counter culture of the sixties gradually change into the conventional materialistic culture of the eighties. OK, there was a lot wrong with it; but I think its most exciting aspect is marked by the words from a song by a band called Fish Co:

"The sixties children shed their Brylcreem to become the gentle family,
watched by me!
And Aldermaston led the way to newer kind of sensitivity,
Watched by me"

I watched it too, and even as a child felt something immensely exciting was happening; naively, I thought we were on the verge of a 'new tomorrow'. How wrong I was!! No wonder Shaeffer ached so much!

Thank God, however, that Greenpeace are keeping those aspects of the sixties culture which were genuinely noble alive: a brave refusal to let the powerful interests of the so-called free economy plunder our planet in the interests of extracting the very last buck from it. I for one am full square behind what you're doing and am sure that Francis Shaeffer too - were he still alive - would also be!

 

By John Everett - 4 June 2011 at 8:37pm
  • 1 person agrees

Greenpeace, keep up the good work!

Cairn should be removed from Ethical Pensions now!!

By petematth - 4 June 2011 at 10:10pm

 

Well I'll be blowed. Some beardy ruffians board a marine vessel illegally and the people on board aren't particularly well disposed to showing them an oil spill plan. Really?  How surprised should the world be at what is a ridiculous course of action, and one which makes Greenpeace look infantile at best and downright irresponsible. This sort of thing is not very far from piracy in legal terms - that would be an interesting charge against Greenpeace.

There is a 500m exclusion zone around the rig - this is a legal constraint backed up by maritime law, which has been violated by the Greenpeace activists who are by definition, now breaking the law. This is not a game. Laws are there to be obeyed, by all.  Greenpeace will only lose respect from those they would like to win over, by actions which prove them to be nothing worse than terrorists or rioters. or thieves or tax evaders - or basically anyone else who chooses to believe that the law does not apply to them.

Wake up Greenpeace. these tactics are from 30 years ago. You need to win your battles by convincing people that you are legally right as well as morally right. Those morals are of course Greenpeace's morals, and not necessarily those of the majority, or minority, whatever. Don't try so hard to make people believe you're right, that you end up looking like a bunch of fanatics to do so.

Personally, I hope the Danish government throw the book at those arrested. The law must be seen to be upheld. These people have put themselves and others in the way of harm, which is an action that cannot be condoned, whatever the reason.

The oil spill contingency plan exists. Just because Cairn choose not to show it to Greenpeace does not make it any less existant, or valid, or functional or correct. It's there. The rig would nt be allowed to operate in the area if it was not. 

These actions make Greenpeace look childish, immature and inneffectual as a body which is supposed to credibly represent the environmental concerns that should genuinely be questioned here. Cairn have convinced the Danish government that they will be working safely and environmentally responsibly. The same can not be said for Greenpeace who have only managed to break the law to date.

Time to grow up and act more responsibly IMHO. A harsh statement towards those who would argue strenuously that Greenpeace are the responsible ones, but sadly this is not a trait they are currently demonstrating to the rest of the world.

If you want the world to respect your opinion, first you must make the world respect you. Greenpeace's actions to date are unlikely to convince the majority that They are going about things in a reasonable and considered manner. Time to grow up indeed.

 

 

By Bonzo the Magnificent - 5 June 2011 at 12:52am

I'll make it simple.

Cairn aren't idiots: they are not going to show GP their plan for two main reasons:

1) Because it pisses GP off. They like that.
2) Because if they did GP would blockade and sabotage any safety equipment named in the plan - thus halting drilling.

By Daithesci - 5 June 2011 at 4:20am

From the official Government Website of Greenland:
http://uk.nanoq.gl/Emner/News/News_from_Government/2011/05/Greenland_den...

Greenland denounces Greenpeace actions against oil drilling

Last night Greenpeace activists climbed onto the semi-submersible drilling rig Leiv Eiriksson and fastened a survival capsule. Two people are still aboard the capsule and Cairn Energy has informed the Greenland Self Government that the drilling rig will sail onwards to the approved drilling site, Lady Franklin, offshore Atammik.

Once the drilling rig has reached its destination, a 500m safety zone will be established around the rig. Trespassers will not be allowed within the limits of the safety zone. Cairn Energy has announced that, if necessary, they will ask for police assistance to remove the activists from the drilling rig.

The Greenpeace actions are clearly illegal and a gross violation and abuse of the free right of navigation in accordance with all international maritime law. Moreover, Greenpeace is violating democratic rules in carrying out actions against legally adopted oil exploration drilling.

“The Government of Greenland denounces the Greenpeace actions against oil drilling in Greenland. In Greenland we consider Greenpeace’s actions against oil drilling as part of their eternal search for media attention and ultimately as a search for financial donations from the western world. This is cynically at the cost a less developed country’s legitimate right to economic development. Last night’s actions clearly show Greenpeace’s indifference to endangering the lives of others, as long as they get the media attention they crave for”, said Ove Karl Berthelsen, Member of Naalakkersuisut for Business and Minerals. He continued,

“We will not be stopped by Greenpeace’s actions. Like any other country, Greenland has a right to develop better living conditions for its people. It should be stressed that the drilling is being carried out in accordance with stringent requirements for safety and environmental protection. In the past days, Greenpeace has made a number of untrue allegations in the media claiming the opposite. On the basis of this, the Greenland Self-Government has issued press releases (see www.nanoq.gl), which provide the correct information about safety and environment terms and provisions; misinformation from Greenpeace must be corrected.

By Daithesci - 5 June 2011 at 6:26am

What a pity it is that the 'government' of "Green"land do not see the tragic irony in this whole mess.  Despite sharing the "Green" theme with Greenpeace, it seems that it's goverment is not at peace with its Land, and wants to rip it apart in yet more frantic raids on the Earth's dwindling resources.  If, or rather when, there is just one modest oil leak, then the "Green" part will have to be lost;  perhaps we should then call it "Oil"Land, or even Oily-Land.  The greatest irony is that the Arctic part of Gaia is calmly telling us, on a grand scale, that we've gone too far with extracting and burning fossil fuels;  yet the consequent Arctic's loss of summer ice only spurs "Green"Land on to further ravaging, exploiting the very error of mankind in not leaving the precious stuff where it is.  It is purely the continuing triumph of money over the Earth, and in the end, we lose.  We used to call it "The Unacceptable Face of Capitalism", and it still is.  Unthinking, Ignorant, Genicidal.  The Earth will survive, and be better off without us.

Well done to all such as Greenpeace who do what is right.  Well done for having faith in Mankind!

By Tony KP - 5 June 2011 at 7:41am
  • 1 person agrees

@Knud (and all) this is worth a watch; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-F8EO3qOVk

And yes this is comedy, but the essence is simple; weather is caused by short term fluctuations, climate change is an amalgamation of long term trends.

The idea that snow is Nuuk disproves that the world is getting warmer, is as wrong as claiming that the current drought in the UK, proves it. A longer term view looks at all such incidents and forms a consolidated picture of a warming world.

Santa Claus, skining seals and the state of Greenlands fisheries have very little to do with the topic of this post, i.e. drilling for oil, and the resultant risk and devastation that finding oil will inevitable cause. With the provio that of course the Greenland fisheries industry (and livelihood) will be the first to suffer from either a spill, or increased global mean temperatures.

By candleflame99 - 5 June 2011 at 10:34am

From Nuuk, Greenland.

This kind of demonstration began in the early 80, s in Copenhagen, where a number of young people without work or had a place to live did bz action.
The Danish wing of the organization may have much to say when Greenpeace spends so much of its resources in Greenland with old danish methods from 80, the bz-time.
A very unupdate protest form who do not gaining ground in today's highly developed democracy in Greenland. A protest form that no longer creates global headlines.
Old fashioned, yes it must be said when Greenpeace last year came to Greenland and was totally unprepared for the debate culture and was unable to stand against today's requirements for communication and debate in Greenland. It was actually a big flop. Here we thought came a large international organization who were experts in media and communications.
During the media debate last year I had a feeling of Greenpeace was a rigid body with high hierarchy system.
Again a sign of an organization that has not come very far from 80, protes form. This year they are more prepare but it is still not convincing to todays Greenlandic well develop democracy, ethics, morality and common sense.

Greenpeace has forgotten one factor in its miscalkulations:
Inuit cool invincibility through 4000 years in one of the world's extreme nature.
The Inuit are a people who have been able to adapt to an extreme and changeable nature through the ages and years.Why Today´s Greenland is;  Hydropower Energy supply at large national scale, hydrogen production and other research in Arctic alternative energy. Greenland is actually global pioneer in green energy.  Seafood production as one of europas biggest firms.
Greenland will one day be at great nation,with or without oil,  but not only in cool metal, but olso high morals and ethics and common sense which is a natural part of people who originates from indigenous peoples.

By Knud Seblon - 5 June 2011 at 11:24am

Since we don't yet know how Cairn Energy will respond to a drilling accident. We are discussing tactics. Good deflector Cairn!

The N. Atlantic isn't the US Gulf coast and Cairn Energy isn't a household name so I guess we couldn't expect billions of dollars to be spent protecting US markety share in the event of a drilling accident.

"Leave it in the ground" Read the message from the Indigenous Environmental Network to the Arctic Council 2011: http://www.ienearth.org/docs/arctic-council-2011-open-letter-u-s-final.pdf

By Greg_Healy - 5 June 2011 at 1:28pm

Err, the plan has been published. Its available from many websites, including the Greenlandic governments website. DOn't tell me you have sailed your oil burning ship all the up to GReenland when you could have sat at home in your eco hut and read the blinkin' thing, by candle light I assume. You keep repeating the same incorrect mantra, so I will rpeat mine. THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!  THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUBLISHED! 

By Peter Polarbear - 5 June 2011 at 5:07pm

you should listen to the knud. As he is an actual greenlander i think or at least in my mind he has a far better grasp on what life in greenland is like. You fools do not live in reality, you constantly attempt to put a stop to things such as cairn's drilling, and yet offer no alternative. And as such merely look like complete idiots, as you are actually like a small child who has nothing to do and so just plays the difficult card and annoys everyone around him to amuse himself. 

actually that which i have described above sounds very much likened to that of your spokesmen (trust fund baby) you could have spent it on developing alternatives  and yet all you spent it on was causing problems and being hypochratic, whats in the engines of your boats again, oh yeah products derived from oil. 

get a life all of you and get a real job. 

By dave barrymire - 6 June 2011 at 8:58am

Dave Barrymire

None of our spokesmen are trust fund babies, but so what if they were? Even trust fund babies want a secure future for the planet.

But, joking aside,many of us have real jobs - jobs that we take unpaid leave from because we recognise that there are more important things than material acquisition and money. The most important thing that any of us could do is to bear witness to the folly of this drilling.

As for using oil in our boats - yes, we do and wish we didn't have to, but how else are we to get to where the damage is being done? if we sit at home writing letters to the Times we'll get nowhere.

Get a life? All our actions are conducted so that everyone coming after will get the chance to keep their lives - Please read something sensible about climate change and about oil spills and you may realise that drastic action is needed. Have a look around the Greenpeace website and you will see that we do indeed propose alternatives to oil. You only have to read them.

Peter Polar bear can you publish a link please?

Regards

John

By JohnHalladay - 6 June 2011 at 1:10pm

Such a easy dig that eh? Get a real job.

Please Dave, Please enlighten us as to what you mean by real job and why it is so much more important than ensuring that the planet upon which we all depend for survival remains capable of supporting complex life? Do you mean working as a drone in a dead end job which makes little positive difference? 

I'll have you know that the vast majority of people involved in environmental actions do so in their spare time alongside very demanding jobs from researchers to council workers there is a vast diversity of people willing to dedicate what effrt they can to making our world a better place. For those who are able to I see nothing better than physically standing in the way of injustice. I wonder if you'd say the same thing to Ghandi, the suffragettes or Martin Luther King? Indeed the only thing that has ever sparked significant global change is when a small group of people stand up for what they belive in.

This week I graduate form a degree in Ecology and conservation, Alongside many others it will be my job to help clear up the mess environmental mess we have inherited from previous generations and try to maintain vital ecosystem services which provide us with clean air, water and regular food supplies in a world with 9 billion people (as of 2030). If you do not value those things then try living on the moon.

I have a huge respect for Greenpeace, the Arctic is in enough trouble as it is and as a society. It seems we are running about on the sand looking at the shiny shells before the Tsunami hits. And it will hit hard.

By Jethro Gauld - 6 June 2011 at 1:14pm

Dear John,

"As for using oil in our boats - yes, we do and wish we didn't have to, but how else are we to get to where the damage is being done? if we sit at home writing letters to the Times we'll get nowhere."

You can have no moral authority complaining about oil from a 5000+Hp boat that burns a minimum of 8000 Litres of diesel a day. Greenpeace started on a SAILING ship as a David v Goliath battle against the whalers. It gained enormous respect for that. From me included. Since then where has it gone? Oil powered boat after oil powered boat. This little escapade has burnt through maybe 320,000 kg of CO2 (1,200 x 10 x 2.86) over 10 days taking into account two boats plus RIBS. More if the Petrol powered helicopter had been used.

They want us to *Move Beyond Oil* and then use oil themselves.

They lecture about Air conditioning. (1) And then use Air conditioning on the Esperanza

They tell us to use alternatives, and then don't themselves. And it gets worse. The alternatives for powering ships has been around for 3000 years, is readily available, and thousands of ships are for sale today that could do what they want. The alternatives for domestic transport aren't quite there yet - but they tell us to use them anyway.

Regarding the oil spill plan:

First they say there is no plan

Then they say OK. There is a plan, but there's not high standards.

Umm http://dk.nanoq.gl/Emner/Landsstyre/Departementer/R%C3%A5stofdirektorate...

Then they say. Ok there's a plan and it adheres to the NOROSK standard (one of the highest in the world), but there's no environmental report.

Then they say. Ok there's a plan, it adheres to the NOROSK standard, there is an environmental report, but the Greenlanders won't be happy with it.

Then they say. Ok there's a plan, it adheres to the NOROSK standard, there is an environmental report, the Greenlanders government and BMP are happy with it and are telling us to get lost.

GP are running out of wriggle room.

(1) http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/press-releases/labour-accused-of-gree...

By Daithesci - 6 June 2011 at 1:42pm

Jethro:

"I wonder if you'd say the same thing to Ghandi, the suffragettes or Martin Luther King? Indeed the only thing that has ever sparked significant global change is when a small group of people stand up for what they belive in."

Oh Purl-ease.

By Daithesci - 6 June 2011 at 1:50pm

My point was that the law is not always in the right. Society is like a stew, if its not stirred up once in a while scum ends up on top. Yes Greenpeace has its faults but its tactics have certainly drawn attention to the issue.

Apathy and cynicism is taught not inherited, when did your belief in positive change shrivel and die?

By Jethro Gauld - 6 June 2011 at 2:47pm

Looks like the spill response plan is on the Greenland government website

http://dk.nanoq.gl/Emner/Landsstyre/Departementer/R%C3%A5stofdirektorate...

This is based on Norsok standards.  It's 400 odd pages long so quite a read.

Why did Greenpeace need to travel in a diesel powered ship with HVAC system to the Arctic when they could have downloaded it from the net??

By Tommmm - 6 June 2011 at 5:11pm

It's a little bit funny, but I'm sure piracy is illigal, I remember a lot of news about some pirates in Somalia who got in quite a lot of trouble for similar activities to what GP are doing. But of course they didn't have an illegitimate political
environmental agenda, they just wanted money.

I wonder how GP's 'we wanted to stop their operation in an illigal way to attract maximum publicity' idealology will fly in court. Poorly I'm guessing. About as poorly as using two huge diesel powered ships
in the arctic to convey their environmental awareness  

By Will D - 6 June 2011 at 5:27pm

YESS!! Check the news.. http://www.petroleum-economist.com/Article/2843294/Upstream/Court-tells-...

They have to release their plan! Serves Cairn right for taking GREENPEACE to court.

By Ecofriendly Power - 6 June 2011 at 6:24pm

From http://uk.nanoq.gl/Emner/News/News_from_Government/2011/05/olieboringer....

Recently some media have
alleged that Greenland relaxed safety rules in connection with oil
exploration drilling in Greenland waters.

 

The following should be
stressed in connection with these claims: Greenland imposes numerous and
extensive safety requirements for offshore operations, including:

 

  • To operate within the best
    international standards, including and primarily the Norwegian NORSOK
    standards, other North Sea standards as well as Arctic standards and
    regulations. These regulations are among the most stringent in the
    world.
  • The presence of two drilling units in Greenland waters, so that, a relief well can be implemented immediately, if necessary.
  • The most stringent requirements for the drilling units’ Blow Out Preventer (BOP) systems.
  • Emergency response plans for
    managing e.g. oil spills, drilling relief wells, ice and iceberg
    management as well as for serious accidents.
  • In addition to the company’s
    emergency response, each drilling unit and all support vessels must have
    prepared their own emergency response plans, which are linked directly
    to the company plans.
  • Moreover, drilling units are
    required to have an approved Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) from
    the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway or a Safety Case from the British
    Health and Safety Executive. This is also required by the Norwegian and
    British petroleum authorities for drilling units.
  • Greenland authorities conduct
    an active supervision and inspection policy to ensure that activities
    are executed in compliance with requirements and standards. This
    includes supervision of each drilling unit at least once a month, as
    well as every time a well is to be drilled and in connection with all
    well closures. The Greenland frequency of supervision is therefore much
    higher than seen elsewhere.
  • The oil drilling rigs used in
    Greenland waters in 2011 have been specially designed to carry out
    drilling at significantly greater sea depths than are actually being
    drilled in Greenland. These rigs can drill down to about 2,200m and
    3,000m. The drilling company Ocean Rig has conducted a total of 79
    deepwater drilling operations.

 

“Greenland is leading the
way in requirements for securing operations when drilling for oil and
gas offshore Greenland. Therefore, it is incorrect when some media claim
that Greenland is relaxing safety requirements in connection with oil
drilling in Greenland waters”, said Ove Karl Berthelsen, Minister for
Industry and Mineral Resources.

 

Furthermore, Greenland
authorities are constantly monitoring new or revised international
standards, acts and regulations. Greenland authorities are also in close
contact with international, specialist companies regarding emergency
response, general drilling operations and deepwater drilling.

“Finally, it must be kept in
mind that actually deepwater drilling has been carried out since the
accident in the Gulf of Mexico. In summer 2010, deepwater drilling was
carried out offshore East Canada, in the Norwegian Sea and off the
Faeroe Islands. This means that Naalakkersuisut’s approvals of
exploration drilling are completely in line with those of our
neighbours; our safety requirements are first class”, said Ove Karl
Berthelsen

By NewsPost - 6 June 2011 at 8:28pm

@ecofriendly Nice link to the Judge's view of Cairn's response plan; http://www.petroleum-economist.com/Article/2843294/Upstream/Court-tells-...

Which I guess poo-poo's the folk in the dialogue above, claiming that the plan is on a Danish website, presumably in Danish, although the links as posted don't work (odd that).

As to the debate as to whether Knud is the authentic, and authorative, voice of the Greenland people, well the jury's out of that one. This is the internet, so just because he says he's from Nuuk, doesn't actually mean he is. For all I know he's a well briefed PR contractor, working out of Cairns HQ in Scotland.

My instinct is he is probably from Greenland, but he doesn't have a mandate to speak on behalf of the entire population, and to be honest most of his posts (especially those ref Sealing and Santa Claus) seem to have date from a virulant grudge against Greenpeace, dating back 30 years or more. As such I reckon I'll take his views regarding climate change with a pinch of salt.

There are also a couple of trolls haunting this site, which IMO are best ignore. Describing folk you don't know as trust fund babies, is simply ignorant. Vitriolic posts about how Greenpeace ships are powered are irrelevant. The issue remains that bloody rig, and what's going to happen if it strikes oil.

At best we're looking at pumping another 50+ billion barrels of oil out of the Arctic, and into the earths atmosphere. At worst we're talking about spilling quite alot of that oil across one of the worlds last frontiers, devastating the local economy (esp fishing) and then pumping the rest of the oil into the atmosphere. Not clever.

 

By candleflame99 - 7 June 2011 at 8:36am

So the plan exists and is available to the public? You challange the man fron Greenland as to how he has a mandate to speek for the people of Greenland I challange you on what mandate you have to speek for the people of the world. I can assure you GP do not speek for me. The big problem GP are now facing is the 'Cry wolf' syndrom. You cry to often and get caught telling lies then eventualy no one belives you.

By Brian Brown - 7 June 2011 at 10:26am

Well done you brave and valiant activists. So proud that there are people out there fighting our corner. Keep up the amazing work, much love to you all

By Cas - 7 June 2011 at 3:10pm

to be honest greenpeace are wasting their time. For a start this is just a publicity stunt which is not really working, is greenpeace getting on the front pages because of this action? no.

would greenpeace not be achieving more if they spent money on research into renewables or scholarships for engineers to research new methods of power generation instead of building a brand new ship and sailing all over the world?

i know people will say that they are only a pressure group and they are there to spread the message but its greenpeace that will recieve all the funds and they spend that money on publicity stunts its just going in circles.

the fact is we live in a capitalist country (as much as some people on here dont like it) and oil is just the cheapest and the easiest to use so people will use it

By jxb91 - 8 June 2011 at 11:43pm

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