Greenpeacers Occupy Survival Pod on Drillship Anchor Chain

From ens-newswire.com

Chevron has a tough task ahead to remove Greenpeace protesters from a drillship off Shetland after the campaigners Wednesday attached a "survival pod" to the ship's anchor chain that could allow them to live on the vessel for up to a month. The action is part of the international environmental group's Beyond Oil campaign.

Inflatable boats launched from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza towed the eight foot diameter pod to the Stena Carron drillship anchored a mile off Shetland in Bressay Sound.

Two climbers, Victor Rask and Anais Schneider, spent Tuesday night hanging above the waves in a tent suspended by ropes from the oil ship's anchor chain before the pod was attached.

The 228-meter long drillship is operated by Stena Drilling and is under contract to Chevron.

Deployment of the half-ton survival pod comes the day before environment ministers from countries bordering the North East Atlantic meet in Bergen, Norway to discuss a German proposal to ban new deep water oil and gas wells.

Two activists, Timo Puohiniemi from Finland and Naveed Naz of the UK, say they are now "secure inside the survival pod," where they are protected from the elements and have supplies to last for at least a month.

The Greenpeacers today attached solar panels to the to ensure they have power to sustain their occupation.

Leila Deen of the UK said from inside the pod, "An oil disaster in the Atlantic Frontier could be even harder to stop than it was for BP in the Gulf of Mexico. But so far governments around the world refuse to face reality and stop issuing permits for ships like this to drill."

"That's why we're in this pod, hung in the anchor chain of a dangerous oil drilling ship just meters above the sea and equipped with supplies to last for a month," said Deen. "The pod has everything you need, bathroom, kitchen, hospital ... and housemates," she said.

"We will continue to block risky oil exploration until the government puts back a moratorium on new deep sea drilling," said Deen.

Northern Constabulary has told reporters that they will not remove the pod.

Chevron issued a conciliatory statement Tuesday, saying, "We fully acknowledge and respect the right of Greenpeace or anyone else to express their views by peaceful and lawful action. However, we are deeply concerned about activities that put people at risk."

Read more...

Greenpeace

Posted via email from