Also by jamess

Getting people on board in Aberdeen

Posted by jamess - 19 September 2010 at 5:37pm - Comments

"I've always wanted to meet someone from Greenpeace. Are you one of those nutters who climbs stuff?"

"Unfortunately not." I had to explain sheepishly to Paul – my newfound friend in Old Blackfriar's, an Aberdeen pub – that not all of us at Greenpeace are daring heroes who can nimble up Arctic oil rigs.

Behind those taking action in front of the camera, there are loads of others in the background: from cooks to deckhands, from radio operators to - in my case - web geeks. Together, we're a veritable army of activists.

Article tagged as: aberdeen, climate change, go beyond oil, oil, oil drilling, scotland

"Well, that was dramatic" - watching our activists from the ship

Posted by jamess - 2 September 2010 at 11:10am - Comments

Ben writes about this morning's events from the Esperanza...

Well, that was dramatic. Yesterday afternoon, the seas started churning and our huge banner on the oil rig was twisting and flapping as a gale blew up. I spoke to the four activists under rig and they assured me they were fine. They had self-heating meals and water and were still doing interviews, telling the world about Cairn Energy’s plans to spark an Arctic oil rush.

I kept eyeing the scene through the porthole in my cabin with concern. The swell was heaving and the lips of the waves were breaking white across the stretch of sea separating the Esperanza from the rig. The weather forecast on the screen on the bridge looked ominous – lots of grim symbols over the coast west of Greenland – while a quick duck outside had my eyes watering with the cold.

Article tagged as: arctic, cairn energy, climate change, esperanza, go beyond oil, greenland

New deep sea drilling is not only irrational, our lawyers say it's illegal too

Posted by jamess - 2 September 2010 at 9:34am - Comments

BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico

Today our lawyers sent a letter to the UK government threatening legal action over their decision to continue giving licenses for deep sea oil drilling even before we know for certain the causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion.

Article tagged as: BP, climate change, deepwater horizon, go beyond oil, offshore drilling

Video: update direct from the oil rig

Posted by jamess - 1 September 2010 at 5:46pm - Comments

Watch Sim talk about his "relatively comfortable" night dangling off the underside of Cairn's Stena Don rig. Our four climbers are still on Cairn's rig, stopping the company from continuing its dangerous drilling in Arctic waters.

Hanging in there - we're still on the Arctic oil rig

Posted by jamess - 1 September 2010 at 10:04am - Comments

One of the Greenpeace climbers hanging from the oil rig Stena Don in the Arctic

Our four climbers have spent the night in sub-zero temperatures, hanging off the bottom of Cairn's Arctic oil rig - the Stena Don. While we're attached to the rig, Cairn Energy can't continue their reckless drilling.

For live updates visit www.GoBeyondOil.org

Article tagged as: arctic, cairn, drilling, go beyond oil

How we slipped past Danish commandos

Posted by jamess - 31 August 2010 at 12:29pm - Comments

Picture of Sim from the US, setting up an occupation platform. Leila, on board the Esperanza, writes:

Blimey, this is exciting! Up at 4am, the crew scuttling around the Espy, all the portholes shut tight so that the Navy had no idea we were even awake. Nine brave activists eased into their dry suits and safety gear in the Lounge, a place usually reserved for chillaxing.

Article tagged as: arctic, cairn energy, esperanza, go beyond oil

Letter to Sir Bill Gammell from Leila on the Esperanza

Posted by jamess - 31 August 2010 at 9:38am - Comments

From Leila, campaigner on board the Esperanza...

Dear Mr Bill Gammell,

I am writing to you from the bridge of the Esperanza. My friends are currently hanging in tents under the Stena Don oil rig that you are using to search for the last drops of oil here at the end of the Earth. We want to stop you from drilling here. I thought it appropriate to write to you, to back up our action with another letter, asking you again to please rethink your current plans.

Yesterday, I sat under an iceberg that had just been released by your tug-ships. They had been towing it out of the path of your oil rigs up here in the Arctic. Next to our inflatable boat, a seal popped his head up to get a look at us. As we floated there huge chunks of ice sheared from the side of the iceberg. It frightened me. It echoed the fate of our planet as it melted and crashed into the ocean.

Article tagged as: arctic, cairn, esperanza, go beyond oil, oil

We've stopped Cairn's Arctic drilling

Posted by jamess - 31 August 2010 at 9:35am - Comments

This morning, before dawn, our activists evaded a massive security operation and scaled Cairn Energy's controversial rig off Greenland. We've stopped their drilling.

After dodging Danish Navy commandos in our inflatable speedboats, our activists climbed up the inside of the rig and are now hanging from tents suspended from ropes.

We'll get more news to you as soon as we have it, but for live updates go to www.gobeyondoil.org

Thanks for your support,

Lisa Vickers - on board the Esperanza

Article tagged as: arctic, cairn, climate change, esperanza, go beyond oil, greenland, oil, oil drilling

BP are out, but the race is still on.

Posted by jamess - 26 August 2010 at 10:23am - Comments

So it's official: BP are out of the arctic oil race. Word is that our confrontation with Cairn Energy is scaring off the oil giant. In the words of a senior source, "with the Greenpeace ship already harassing Cairn off Greenland - a company which has an exemplary safety record - everyone realised it would be political madness to give the green light to BP".

Article tagged as: arctic, BP, cairn, climate change, deepwater horizon, go beyond oil, gulf spill, oil, oil drilling

How many Arctic cowboys does it take to lasso an iceberg?

Posted by jamess - 25 August 2010 at 12:24pm - Comments

Will Rose, independent photographer who regularly works with Greenpeace. He writes from the Esperanza...

We’re in and out of internet range now so I’m not sure when this will go up on the website. As if to mark the occasion thick swirls of fog have cut us off from the recent blue crisp Arctic horizon.

The crew are subdued but in good spirits albeit a little tired after the rough Atlantic crossing, long working days and the sudden lack of awe inspiring scenery of Greenland’s coastline. Sailing in towards the mountains around Nuuk after being starved of land felt like sailing into a new world, a different planet which for those who hadn’t seen it could only silently gaze in amazement bereft of the ability to speak.

Article tagged as: arctic, cairn, climate change, climate impacts, go beyond oil, greenland, icebergs, oil, oil drilling

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