Following their successful occupation of the Stena Don oil rig off the coast of Greenland, Greenpeace climbers are now hanging off the drilling ship, the Stena Carron, which belongs to oil company Chevron, off the Shetland coast. The activists have enough food to last for 2 weeks and at the moment the weather isn't too bad. This is just another example of how oil companies are risking a similar disaster to the Gulf of Mexice off the coast of the Shetland Isles.
In January 1993 the MV Braer ran aground at Quendale Bay on the Shetlands. Over 1500 sea birds were killed but it was only due to some of the worst storms ever seen in that area that the oil was dispersed and a coastal environmental disaster was averted. Another lucky break was the fact that the ship was carrying a lighter and more biodegradable oil. Firstly we cannot allow this to happen again and secondly we cannot guarantee we will be so lucky next time. Chevron want to drill in 500m of water as the winter approaches and in some of the most stormy waters in the world. Crazy.
Many of our pensions are invested in oil because up until recently, oil seemed a good and risk free investment. All that has now changed and the risks will increase as oil companies search for oil in more and more risky situations, in deep waters (and if you think 500m is deep, then off the coast of Brazil, Petrobras the Brazilian oil and energy company wants to explore for oil in fields that are 5000 and 6000m below the Atlantic Ocean!
So what can you do? Firstly, find out if your pension company invests in oil companies. You can do this by clicking on this link and entering the name of your pension provider in the box. In case you didn't already know, Nottinghamshire County Council is one of the worst local authorities when it comes to investing in oil. So get on the keyboard and support the Greenpeace activists in their aim to stop deep sea drilling by telling your pension company it is supporting an unacceptable industry
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