Picture of Sim yesterday morning on the rig
It’s five in the morning Greenland time and the last few hours have been quite insane. Last night, with the Espy pitching and rocking, and cups flying all over the place, we knew we had to get Timo, Meteusz, Sim and Jens off the rig. The worst of the Arctic weather was closing in, and their tiny tents were not going to be enough to keep them safe.
Our friends had to climb up onto the rig. Due to the strong winds it took them a bit more than four hours to get up there, and when they did they were met by police and taken peacefully into custody.
Looking out of my porthole at the massive waves, and feeling the movements of the Esperanza, there is no doubt in my mind that they took the right decision. I hope and believe that this action will be remembered as the first step against our blind and reckless hunt for the last drops of oil on the planet. Our friends accomplished something amazing and showed the sort of courage and dedication that politicians and industry should learn from.
Before ending the occupation, Sim said this on the sat phone:
"We stopped this rig drilling for oil for two days, but in the end the Arctic weather beat us. Last night was freezing and now the sea below us is churning and the wind is roaring. It’s time to come down, but we’re proud we slowed the mad rush for Arctic oil, if only for a couple of days. This beautiful fragile environment would be decimated by an oil spill, while the melting Arctic ice is a grim reminder that we need to stop burning oil and invest instead in clean energy solutions. I’m not sure what will happen to us now, but as soon as we can we’ll be back to call for the world to finally go beyond oil."
While our four climbers have been arrested, our confrontation with the oil industry is gathering pace. Our colleagues back in the UK have just launched a legal challenge against deepwater drilling. We believe that the government's granting of new deepwater drilling licenses in the UK is not only irrational, but illegal.
I want to thank all of you for helping us do this important work - from your letters to the UK government and Cairn to all your messages of support. Being able to confront the oil industry - out here in the Arctic waters and back home on land - is only possible because of your support. We don't take any corporate or government funding and that means we remain independent and able to challenge everyone in a position of power who is destroying our environment or taking risks with the health of our planet. We need your help to stop deepwater drilling and move the world beyond oil. Please make a donation today so that we can continue to campaign for a clean energy future.
I'll keep you updated as soon as I have any more news.
Thanks for all your support,
Lisa - on board the Esperanza
