Greenpeace Sandbags Mobil – No. 1 Global Warming Villain

Embargoed until 12 noon, 12 June 2001, Wellington: Greenpeace New Zealand today sandbagged Mobil HQ in Lambton Quay, Wellington, and called on Mobil to stop undermining the Kyoto Protocol.

“Mobil stands out as No. 1 global warming villain. It lobbied George W Bush to undermine the Kyoto Protocol, the only international treaty to prevent global warming, as well as paying over US$1 million to Bush’s election campaign. When Bush entered the White House, he tore up the Kyoto Protocol, exactly the result Mobil was looking for”, said Sue Connor, Greenpeace climate campaigner.

“Greenpeace is calling on Mobil in New Zealand to send a clear and strong message to its US parent company, ExxonMobil, to stop undermining the Kyoto Protocol, start investing in renewable energy and stop funding global warming.”

Burning fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas, causes global warming. Mobil is spending around NZ$19 billion on new fossil fuel exploration, made NZ$45 billion in profits last year, and is lobbying to open up the pristine Arctic Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration. Mobil belongs to the American Petroleum Institute, a US lobby group which spent around NZ$17 million on a PR campaign to undermine the Kyoto Protocol in 1998. “All of this adds up to Mobil funding global warming”, said Connor

Greenpeace delivered the sandbags to remind Mobil of the catastrophic impacts of global warming. “Many people around the world will have to start sandbagging against rising sea levels caused by global warming. Mobil can now be ready for rising sea levels if they continue to cause and fund global warming”, said Connor.

In mid July the nations of the world meet in Bonn, Germany to finalise the Kyoto Protocol, after it failed to be concluded last November in the Hague. “The next five weeks is a critical period to persuade Mobil to change its position on the Kyoto Protocol which is supporting George Bush’s sabotaging of global efforts to prevent global warming”, said Connor.

Other organisations campaigning against Mobil include New Zealand’s Blue Greens (of the National Party), Phil Warren of Auckland Regional Council called for a boycott of both Mobil and Shell on 8 June, Friends of the Earth and People & Planet in the UK, Pressure Point and Campaign ExxonMobil in the USA.

Greenpeace has created a website http://www.stopmobil.net so that New Zealanders can download information, campaign materials and send a message to Mobil to stop undermining the Kyoto Protocol, start investing in renewable energy and stop wrecking the climate. New Zealanders can also check out the Greenpeace New Zealand website – http://www.greenpeace.org.nz

This action is part of Greenpeace’s global campaign to pressure corporate America and George W Bush to work with the rest of the world to save the climate.

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