This morning (29th May) Greenpeace successfully hoisted a survival pod containing two activists to the underside of the giant 53,000 tonne oil rig Leiv Eiriksson. They have enough supplies for 10 days and it is hoped that this action will seriously delay UK based Cairn Energy's risky search for oil in the pristine Arctic environment.
Leiv Eiriksson, which was hours away from its drill site in Iceberg Alley off Greenland. Greenpeace climbers rigged up the legendary yellow survival pod and are now camping a few metres from the giant drill bit, preventing the rig from starting to drill. Get regular updates from GPUK homepage - link below.
As it is a Bank Holiday (and therefore slow to get news stories highlighted) add the story to your social network sites. Spread the word to stop Cairn Energy pursuing risky oil!
Meanwhile, the excellent video below shows the beginning of the action with the soundtrack of radio messges asking Cairn to publish their oil spill disaster plan.
UPDATE: 2nd June 2011. After almost 100 hours the occupation of the pod was stopped by the Danish Navy. However, the fight continues.
UPDATE 9th June 2011, The Arctic 18 Board The Leiv Eiriksson
On 4th June Greenpeace speed boats dodged the rig's Danish navy guard in order for 18 activists to climb on to the rig and head for the accommodation deck. There they began looking for the drill manager in order to ask for the secret oil spill document. Their occupation lasted 8 hours before being arrested. Read more about the Arctic 18 here.
UPDATE: 7th June. Court Backs Greenpeace Request for Spill Plan.
An Amsterdam court judge turned the tables on Cairn Energy. Rather than granting an injunction against Greenpeace, he instead suggested that the oil company might actually like to consider releasing its secret Arctic Oil Spill Response Plan! Cairn's lawyers looked dumbfounded and stuttered about not knowing why their client won't release it. The judge referred to the Deepwater Horizon incident and suggested that if a spill response plan had been in existence and made public by BP then the company's shortcomings in not having a backup safety valve may have been exposed and rectified. Too damn right - some sensible straight talking that Cairn would be stupid to ignore! Click here for more on this development.
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