The world’s largest oil company ExxonMobil was forced to close
its British headquarters after 100 Greenpeace activists blocked the
building entrance shutting out over a thousand employees. Another
200 activists in small mobile teams closed down over 100 Esso
(ExxonMobil’s brand name in the U.K.) gas stations across the
United Kingdom. Greenpeace is running a global campaign to stop
ExxonMobil’s sabotage of government action on global warming and
its drive to keep the U.S. hooked on oil.
From dawn today the activists – some dressed in tiger costumes –
began shutting off the electricity to the ExxonMobil pumps. A total
of 119 stations have now been closed. The handles from the
electricity switches were removed and posted to ExxonMobil board
members in Texas. The pumps themselves were also padlocked.
Approximately 80 activists have been arrested.
Greenpeace Climate Campaign Coordinator Gary Cook said:
“ExxonMobil has done more than any other company to keep the U.S.
hooked on oil in order to protect its business in fossil fuels.
Shamefully, the Bush Administration’s policies will guarantee that
our oil addiction will continue to grow.”
ExxonMobil has spent the last decade
sabotaging international action on global warming and directing
U.S. climate and energy policy by playing an instrumental role in
the Bush Administration’s policies that are increasing our oil
addiction, instead of supporting cleaner, safer energy
technologies. Such policies include:
- President Bush’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol, which
reduces our fossil fuel consumption by encouraging energy
efficiency and shifting investment to renewable energy
technologies. - President Bush’s so-called “Clear Skies” program, a
voluntary-only program that will allow our fossil fuel addiction
and corresponding global warming pollution to increase by 16% over
the next decade. - The Bush Cheney Energy Plan, which calls for increased reliance
on fossil fuels and imported oil instead of the development of
renewable energy sources.
