Part of the Greenpeace Motor Show blog
Despite my fears of being blugeoned to death by furious Top Gear fans with the mocking, satanic laughter of JC (he's not the messiah...) ringing in my ears and various carbon oxides burning in my nostrils, it would appear that the motor show is survivable, with the correct guide. So, as a mark of my gratitude I've decided to let the remaining twenty six mistakes in their token 'green' page remain uncorrected.
London garage: sign
Greenpeace has given away thousands of litres of free green fuel to motorists today at refurbished 'guerrilla garages' across the country.
Glasgow garage: bio-diesel
Greenpeace has taken over an Esso garage and is dispensing free green fuel to drivers. The Green Guerrilla Garage is at 341, Great Western Rd.
Greenpeace volunteers have today stepped up their campaign for real green fuels and locked the diesel pumps at one of Esso's city centre forecourts. In its place, volunteers are offering drivers free bio-diesel - a plant-based fuel that is identical to ordinary diesel but causes only half the damage to the climate. Bio-diesel is widely used in the US, Germany and France, and is guaranteed safe for British motorists, but is not commercially available in the UK [1].
The peaceful direct action follows a successful promotion in Edinburgh yesterday, where Greenpeace volunteers gave over seven thousand litres of free green fuel to taxi drivers and other motorists.
Greenpeace has written to Esso today as part of a challenge to all oil companies to invest their vast profits in renewable energy and real green fuel. Esso stands accused of blocking measures to prevent global climate change and undermining support for renewable energy and green fuels [2]. Esso's parent company Exxon made £2 billion last year, the biggest profit ever for a US company.
Laura Yates, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace, said, "Oil giants like Esso are blocking real choice for motorists. Today we are taking a small step to challenge the monopoly of oil by giving away free bio-diesel. This is one of the genuine green alternatives to the oil-based fuels that are causing climate change, storms and floods. Oil companies like Esso make billions at the expense of the climate - they should be forced to invest their fat-cat profits in giving motorists real green fuels."
Today's action highlights Greenpeace's campaign for tax cuts and investment in genuine green fuels like bio-diesel, hydrogen and green electricity. Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised to reduce the duty on green fuels in tomorrow's Budget [Wednesday] - but campaigners are concerned he may pick the wrong ones. Ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel and unleaded petrol are NOT green fuels, because they are based on oil and therefore increase the risk of climate change, meaning more storms and floods.
Anyone driving a diesel vehicle - including private cars, taxis and buses - is welcome to come and fill their tanks for free.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace Press Office: 020 7865 8283
Notes for Editors:
1. Bio-diesel is widely available in Germany and France at about 40-45p a litre. In most European countries bio-diesel is zero-rated for tax purposes. In the UK bio-diesel is taxed at the same rate as petro-diesel. No UK filling stations supply the fuel, despite the fact that Britain is a major producer of rapeseed oil. Much of the UK rape crop is exported to make bio-diesel in France.
2. Greenpeace's letter to Esso's Chairman is available from the Greenpeace press office.
3. In the November Pre-Budget Report, Gordon Brown announced the Green Fuel Challenge, an invitation to industry and other interested parties to submit ideas on alternative transport fuels. He promised that in the March 2001 Budget he would introduce "major" tax reductions on the most promising options.
4. A recent survey conducted by NOP for the RAC Foundation found that 91% of motorists support greater initiatives to boost greener fuels, and 91% would consider using green fuels if they were cheaper.
5. A media briefing on green fuels is available from the Greenpeace Press Office.
Edinburgh garage: leaflets
Picture opportunity:
The Greenpeace Green Garage is a disused garage which has been made over by Greenpeace volunteers to look just like a real petrol station, complete with pumps, attendants and a price sign. Greenpeace will be dispensing free green fuel to motorists from 9.30 - 4.30.
The Green Garage is at Ferry Road (corner of Boswall Drive), Inverleith
Greenpeace is today (5 March 2001) giving away thousands of litres of green fuel to motorists in Inverleith. The Greenpeace Green Garage is dispensing bio-diesel - a plant-based fuel that is identical to ordinary diesel but causes only half the damage to the climate. Bio-diesel is widely used in the US, Germany and France, and is guaranteed safe for British motorists, but is not commercially available in the UK, despite the fact that Britain exports vegetable oil to France for bio-diesel production [2].
The action highlights Greenpeace's campaign for tax cuts on genuine green fuels like bio-diesel, hydrogen and green electricity. Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised to reduce the duty on certain 'green' fuels in Wednesday's Budget announcement. However campaigners are concerned he may pick the wrong fuels. Ultra-low sulphur diesel and unleaded petrol are NOT green fuels, because they are based on oil and therefore increase the risk of climate change, meaning more storms and floods.
Laura Yates, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace, said, "We are giving away free bio-diesel - one of the genuine green alternatives to the oil-based fuels that are causing climate change, storms and floods. Gordon Brown should use this week's budget to give a boost to real green fuels, not cut the tax on fuels that are wrecking the climate."
Anyone driving a diesel vehicle - including private cars, taxis, buses and trucks - is welcome to come and fill their tanks for free.
Further information:
Greenpeace Press Office: 020 7865 8283
Notes for Editors:
Bio-diesel is widely available in Germany and France at about 45p a litre. In most European countries bio-diesel is zero-rated for tax purposes. In the UK bio-diesel is taxed at the same rate as petro-diesel. No UK filling stations supply the fuel, despite the fact that Britain is a major producer of rapeseed oil. Much of the UK crop is exported to make bio-diesel in France.
Bio-diesel: green fuel we can use today
Greenpeace will be giving away thousands of litres of green fuel to motorists in central Edinburgh on Monday 5th March and in central Glasgow on Tuesday 6th March [1]. The Greenpeace Green Garages will be dispensing bio-diesel - a plant-based fuel that is identical to ordinary diesel but causes only half the damage to the climate. Bio-diesel is widely used in the US, Germany and France, and is guaranteed safe for British motorists, but is not commercially available in the UK, despite the fact that Britain exports vegetable oil to France for bio-diesel production [2].
The action will highlight Greenpeace's campaign for tax cuts on genuine green fuels like bio-diesel, hydrogen and green electricity. Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised to reduce the duty on certain 'green' fuels in the March 7th Budget announcement. However campaigners are concerned he may pick the wrong fuels. Ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel and unleaded petrol are NOT green fuels, because they are based on oil and therefore increase the risk of climate change, meaning more storms and floods.
Laura Yates, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace, said, "We are giving away free bio-diesel - one of the genuine green alternatives to the oil-based fuels that are causing climate change, storms and floods. Gordon Brown should use this week's budget to give a boost to real green fuels, not cut the tax on fuels that are wrecking the climate."
The locations of Greenpeace's Green Garages will be announced on www.greenpeace.org.uk from 9.30 am on Monday 5th March and from 11 am on Tuesday 6th March. Anyone driving a diesel vehicle - including private cars, taxis, buses and trucks - is welcome to come and fill their tanks for free.
Further information:
Greenpeace Press Office: 020 7865 8283, mobile 07870 823485 At the garages: Melanie Hill 07801 212968
Notes for Editors
[1] The location of the Greenpeace Green Garage in Edinburgh will be announced at 9.30am, Monday, 5th March, when the garage opens. The location of the Glasgow Green Garage will be announced at 11 am, Tuesday 6th March, when the garage opens. Details will be posted on www.greenpeace.org.uk - and on leaflets distributed throughout the cities.
[2] Bio-diesel is available in thousands of petrol stations in Germany and France at about 40-45p a litre. In most European countries bio-diesel is zero-rated for tax purposes. In the UK bio-diesel is taxed at the same rate as petro-diesel. No UK filling stations supply the fuel, despite the fact that Britain is a major producer of rapeseed oil. Much of the UK rape crop is exported to make bio-diesel in France.
Fuel protest rally
Greenpeace campaigner Rob Gueterbock addressed the truckers rally in Hyde Park today and told the protestors that they were wrong to argue for lower taxes on dirty petrol and diesel but right to support new green alternative fuels.
Speaking at the event, Rob Gueterbock said:
"I have been travelling with the fuel protest convoy for the past five days and spent a lot of time discussing the issues with truckers and farmers. At the end of the day, and despite some very positive discussions, Greenpeace fundamentally disagrees with the protestors' demands to lower tax on dirty petrol and diesel. If the tax goes down there will be an increased impact on the climate and that means more floods and freak storms."
He continued: "However, even though we disagree about the tax on dirty fuels, we do have common ground when it comes to promoting alternative green fuels. Greenpeace calls on all the fuel protestors here today to stop campaigning for cheaper dirty petrol and diesel and start campaigning for alternative green fuels which cost less money. Greenpeace and the RAC Foundation are already campaigning for a Green Fuel Fund which will create half a billion pounds of funding for the research, development and promotion of green fuels - we want you to back that campaign."
A team of Greenpeace volunteers travelling in an articulated lorry powered by bio-diesel has been travelling with the fuel convoy for the past five days to argue the case for the environment and to show examples of green fuel in action. Yesterday Greenpeace gave away five thousand litres of bio-diesel to motorists in central London as part of the campaign to get Government support for cheap green fuels.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace Press Office on 020 7865 8255
On the road with the convoy:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
London garage: station
Greenpeace will be giving away thousands of litres of free green fuel to motorists at our Guerrilla Garage.
The garage is located at:
309 - 313 City Rd, on the corner of City Rd and Remington St (N1), 5 - 10 minutes walk from Angel tube station.
The Greenpeace Guerrilla Garage will be dispensing bio-diesel - a plant-based fuel that is identical to ordinary diesel but only causes a fraction of the damage to the climate. Bio-diesel is widely used in conventional diesel engines in Germany and is guaranteed totally safe for British motorists. Bio-diesel is not commercially available in the UK despite the fact that Britain exports vegetable oil to France for bio-diesel production.
The Greenpeace action will highlight the fact that green fuels like bio-diesel are still discouraged in the UK and taxed at the same rate as ordinary diesel despite being much better for the environment. Greenpeace and the RAC Foundation have already called for a Green Fuel Fund, which would ensure a few pence of the current fuel levy would go to developing and promoting green fuels.
Matthew Spencer, Campaign Manager at Greenpeace, said: "We are giving away free bio-diesel to make the point that we can switch to green fuels right now and make a huge reduction in the environmental impact of motoring. Green fuels like bio-diesel, hydrogen and compressed natural gas need tax breaks and financial support if they are going to succeed. Given the massive devastation caused by climate change and related floods we really don't have much choice."
"The British Government is talking green at the international climate meeting in The Hague but at the same time is cutting the price of oil based petrol and diesel which is wrecking the climate."
For further information please contact Greenpeace Press Office on 0207 865 8255/6/7/8
The Greenpeace Guerrilla Garage is at 309 - 313 City Rd, on the corner of City Rd and Remington St (N1), 5 - 10 minutes walk from Angel tube station.
Greenpeace is giving away thousands of litres of free green fuel to motorists today at a refurbished 'guerrilla garage' on City Rd in North London. The Greenpeace Guerrilla Garage will be dispensing bio-diesel - a plant-based fuel that is identical to ordinary diesel but only causes a fraction of the damage to the climate. Bio-diesel is widely used in conventional diesel engines in Germany and is guaranteed totally safe for British motorists. Bio-diesel is not commercially available in the UK despite the fact that Britain exports vegetable oil to France for bio-diesel production.
For further information please contact the Greenpeace Press Office on: 0207 865 8255/6/7/8
Greenpeace challenges fuel blockaders and argues the case for maintaining current levels of fuel tax
Sunday
Before the convoy departed at around noon some of the Greenpeace team took their two natural gas powered vehicles to one of only 20 gas refueling points in Britain in near by Walsall.
