As I write this the Esperanza is sailing north along the Norwegian coast with a dedicated crew and activists, committed to put an end to oil companies' reckless race to drill for oil in the Arctic. I am glad to be one of them.
This time we want you to join us in our journey to the far North. We need your help to spread the story of the Arctic nature reserve Bear Island and how the Norwegian state owned oil company Statoil is threatening the unique wildlife of the island with oil spills.
If you ever find yourself sailing north along the Norwegian coast you will pass by an army of offshore installations. I have only counted three wind turbines huddled together, they are heavily outnumbered. As such the trip so far has been a stark reminder of our addiction to fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil.
International oil companies such as Shell and Gazprom make such a good profit from this addiction, like our society is addicted to oil these companies are addicted to money, so they have decided to begin drilling in ice filled waters risking the pristine Arctic environment and our global climate. This summer the reckless hunt for oil in the Arctic will bring two other oil companies – ExxonMobil and Statoil – to the far North. Fortunately, we will be there as well.
Today we passed the oil rig Transocean Spitsbergen contracted by the Norwegian state-owned company Statoil. Later this summer Statoil will put a truly unique island and ecosystem in the Barents Sea on the line. Located 74° north, Bear Island is a remote Arctic island in the middle of the Barents Sea between the Norwegian northern coast and Svalbard. Statoil intends to drill for oil right in its backyard making it the world's northernmost drilling site.
Bear Island got its name in 1596 when the Dutch explorer Willem Barents spotted a polar bear swimming nearby. Today, Bear Island is declared a nature reserve and only humans on the island are the personnel of the islands meteorological station.
But as you might have guessed, polar bears also inhabit the island from time to time. The polar bears are accompanied by Arctic foxes and an estimated 1 million sea birds in the summer making Bear Island one of the largest sea bird colonies in the northern hemisphere. Oil spill modelling from Statoil reveals that oil could reach the island in less than one week. The oil won't even have to reach the cliffs and shores of Bear Island to create an ecological disaster. Statoil's drill site is a feeding and wintering ground for the many sea birds.
Greenpeace has today sent our written complaint to the Norwegian Minister of Environment Tine Sundtoft regarding Arctic drilling. We need your help to call on Statoil and the minister to protect the Arctic and stop this madness.
Today we also called the rig master of Transocean Spitsbergen from Esperanza. We simply wanted to know what he thinks about this drilling. He didn't answer our questions. Still, if an oil spill happens where this very rig is, the oil would reach Bear Island in six days and destroy a valuable Arctic habitat. We expected they wouldn't respond but nevertheless, we still sent our radio message loud and clear to the rig crew. At least they can't say they didn't know.
A few days earlier we passed another rig: the nearly 30 year old Norwegian drilling rig West Alpha. Currently in the Norwegian North Sea, but hired by American ExxonMobil and Russian Rosneft to head even further north than Statoil this summer. Around 75° north in the Kara Sea where ice covers the ocean around two thirds of the year and temperatures drop as low as -46° Celsius – ExxonMobile and Rosneft will take one of the biggest environmental gambles the world has ever witnessed. If there is an oil spill there is no help to get and it would be nearly impossible to clean up.
We called them on radio imploring them to leave the Arctic alone, only to be ignored. I try to put myself in the position of ExxonMobil and think of what kind of answer I would give. I came up with none too appealing and I guess I find some comfort in that. Leaving oil, coal and gas in the ground is inevitably the path we have to choose for the sake of future generations.
This is why Esperanza is now sailing North – to expose and confront the oil industry as it moves into one of the world's last truly pristine environments. On behalf of more than five millions voices demanding the oil industry to stay out of the Arctic; Join us!
Sune Scheller is an Arctic campaigner on board the Esperanza.