Feature story - February 20, 2003
Many companies, when challenged by us, seek to silence questions through the court rather than provide answers. Production and use of the plastic, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is harmful to people and the environment in many ways. Two of Europe's biggest PVC producers sued Greenpeace in Italy for US$300 million rather face up to the problems of PVC. They lost.
Action at Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair '99, against use of PVC in toys.
When chemicals companies Solvay and EVC decided to sue us in
1997, they were following in a long corporate tradition of using
money and the courts to silence critics.
British Nuclear Fuels have been doing it for years, Exxon(Esso) sets lawyers on
anyone daring to claim it is helping fry the planet and
Dow Chemical seems to enjoy picking on penniless
protestors.
Solvay and EVC were suing over our campaign to prevent poisonous
PVC plastic being used in children's toys. Many toy manufactures
removed PVC from their products and subsequently PVC was banned
from toys in most of Europe. However the industry was obviously
unwilling to accept that they had lost the argument. In Italy the
two companies sued us for damage to their image, reputation and for
illegal claims. They also maintained "production of PVC and PVC
products do not harm the environment".
However the judge threw out all claims of the industry and
ordered the companies to pay the legal costs. Maybe next time the
companies might listen a little better to the voices of
environmental concern? We are not holding our breath though. We
will continue to make sure irresponsible corporations can not hide
their corporate crimes.
More Info:
Read the
full story: Vittoria di Greenpeace: nessun risarcimento di 600
miliardi a EVC e Solvay per campagna PVC.
The
dangers of PVC - the poison plastic.
Find PVC materials
for your home.