Stop the Shell Pipe Laying Ship

by mr mr mr man Thu Aug 21, 2008 17:00

Greenpeace own a number of vessels capable of stopping/sinking/blocking this work.

Why aren't they down there?

Because its not a lovely whale being killed by evil asians and doesn't fit with their liberal worldview.

Shame.

by Maura Harrington - S2S; Davitt League Thu Aug 21, 2008 18:25

Thanks for a great poster/postcard giving a clear message.

It could prove useful if as many as possible printed this out and posted or faxed it to Allseas Corporate HQ in Switzerland; alternatively, it's probably doable to email this and other related indy articles directly to them.

Contact details:

Allseas Group S.A.
Route de Pra de Plan,
Case Postale,
1618 Chatel-Saint-Denis
Switzerland

tel +41 21 948 3500

fax +41 21 948 3599

email legal@allseas.com

by pixie Thu Aug 21, 2008 19:40

Actually Greenpeace have been incredibly helpful and supportive of this campaign from the beginning.

Their ethos is that the campaign needs support, not replacement.

by Maura Harrington - S2S; Davitt League Thu Aug 21, 2008 20:31

Don't know who 'pixie' is but I'm damned if this thread is going to be diverted from the aim before us, which is to stop the Solitaire - any which way - by soft slobber about Greenpeace.

Let me put on the record that I contacted Greenpeace back in 2001. Then, and subsequently, I was told that because there wasn't a branch/caucus/what have you of Greenpeace in Ireland they couldn't really get involved. I pointed out that one of their stated aims is to campaign - actively?? - against the 'development' of fossil fuels on Greenfield sites but that got me nowhere either.

There were also attempts made in the USA to get Greenpeace involved; nothing happened there either.

This is not directed towards any individuals who have Greenpeace associations but it is a simple statement of recent historic fact.

That said, if the Warrior wants to steam into Broadhaven she's more than welcome ... let's wait and see.

In the meantime, it would serve us all better to concentrate on people like the Chief and those others who are braving the combined might of Big Oil kickin' ass with bits of limp lettuce (which of course reminds one that 'Green' isn't worth much post Gormley and Ryan placing their bums on seats).

by Maura Harrington - S2S; Davitt League Sat Aug 23, 2008 18:11

It appears that the Highland Navigator, which was attempting to interefere with the property of fishermen who didn't take the Shell Shilling, has backed off for the moment and may be heading to Killybegs.

That said, there is no real guarantee since the Captain of the Navigator has already broken an undertaking given to the Chief that an attempt would not be made to interfere with the pots during the nighttime.

It just goes to show that you can depend on Shell - and all associated with them - to break their 'word' whenever it suits their bottom £ine.

by Fiona Dowling - (Co. Clare) Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:50

Can anyone update as to the current status of the Solitaire? has it left Killybegs? If so, when? If not, when is it likely to leave? When it leaves Killybegs is the plan that it will stay in Broadhaven until it has finished its work, or will it return periodically to Killybegs? How long is the work scheduled to last for (i.e. how long will it be in Ireland?)

What a ghastly monstruosity it is!!

Was there any response from the company to the letter delivered to the captain

by Lucy Weir Bingham McAndrew - Mayo Greens (probationary) Wed Sep 10, 2008 09:24

There aren't many members of the Green party in Erris, but having been accused of 'standing outside pissing into the tent' I decided to join in May. Like a lot of people, I don't want shouting, confrontation, to be baton charged. I don't enjoy the heat of the fight. I want instead to effect dialogue, to persuade, using language, the State, the multinational, and the community, to get together around a table, virtual or real, and discuss a spectrum of options, including but not exclusively, the proposal to move the pipeline to Glinsk, the proposal to stop the entire project and face down the legal challenge that Shell might issue to fine the Irish state to the tune of 500 million, the proposal to ensure a thorough investigation into how licenses were initially granted, the proposal to make the local community stakeholders in any future version of the project, the proposal to implement a change of usage for the terminal into a research facility for renewables. The amount of money the state is now spending on ensuring that this project is railroaded through is now significant as a percentage of that 500 million, when added to the amount the state will be fined by the EU for breaches of EU environmental directives.
I salute you, Maura, for your conviction and your action. However, I respectfully request that you allow that others, like Pobal le Cheile (the Kilmore community's push for reconciliation in the community and renegotiation of the project to ensure safe gas), to act in parallel with Shell to Sea in their quest for a solution to this. If the Mayo Greens, Greenpeace, or Niall, former Green Mayor of Galway, Enda Kenny, or anyone else with a political axe to grind, wants to join in with putting pressure on the Irish State and Shell for a renegotiation of the project, I say, the more the merrier.
Best
Lucy

by pundit Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:40

The Green Party don't have to put pressure on the state. They are the state. The Minister for the Environment is the leader of the Green Party. The Minister for Natural Resources is a leading member.

Q. Could this project be stopped on environmental grrounds if there was political will?
A. Yes. Even just on the questions raised by Shell's own experts who say they were misled on the habitats the pipeline wil cross.

Q. Could legislation be passed to stop holders of existing licences who refused to renegotiate them being allowed to apply for new licences (for instance in the Porcupine basin)?
A. Easily, if there was political will.

Q. Is there any evidence of political will on the part of the Green Party in government to even begin to resolve this issues?
A.

by CAT D6 Wed Sep 10, 2008 11:20

"Like a lot of people, I don't want shouting, confrontation, to be baton charged. I don't enjoy the heat of the fight."

The implication being folk have only been out on picketlines and so forth for like the craic or something, because they enjoy it, it is also silly to maintain the options are join the Green party (that is the organisation in charge of the project - who is the relevant minister again?) or be in a direct physical confrontation, being as there are like tons of other things to do, e.g. leaflet.

"like Pobal le Cheile (the Kilmore community's push for reconciliation in the community and renegotiation of the project to ensure safe gas),"

Err shouldn't that be Kilcommon community?

by Lucy Weir Bingham McAndrew Wed Sep 10, 2008 11:29

Two things: first, the Greens in Govt apparently convinced themselves (and have attempted, unsuccessfully, thereafter, to convince those of us who recently joined) that the issue of the Corrib project was a fait accompli. My argument has been that you cannot consent to a project on the basis of incomplete or inaccurate information. What you gave your consent to no longer exists so either another agreement needs to be forged, or you are entitled to refuse your agreement. That's what I think the Greens in Govt need to do now. You are right, of course, that they are - that we are - a party in Government and therefore, by extension, the State incarnate.

The facts, however, need to be listed. The one thing they and Fianna Fail fear is that they will bring the fury of Shell down on their own heads, to the tune of a fine of 500 million euro, if the project is halted. We (the Mayo Greens) need to gather uncontrovertible, rationally arrived at facts to do with consents, knowledge of flaws in environmental assessment by Shell's own consultants, CO2 emissions and their fiscal implications to the EU, and so on. I don't know these detailed facts but I believe they exist and that a well informed legal team could defend the State's decision to halt the project. This, to me, would give breathing space, which is what is needed right now.

Best

Lucy

by Shell to Sea proxy - Shell to Sea Wed Sep 10, 2008 13:08

The Solitaire has said it is returning to Killybegs for 'repairs'. Killybegs is still in Ireland, so Maura must continue her conditional fast to the death. Cynically, Shell and the state are taking one pretended step back, but they're not going back on their intention to force this project works through against the will of a resisting community and over the heads of an electorate who never (repeat never! What manifesto contains the promise to rob us blind and poison us?) gave any mandate for any of this. We're not going to flinch this time; there is no middle ground of compromise. The Greena Fáil government and the rest of this utterly corrupt establishment intend to rob us for Shell etc. either slowly and piecemeal with their pretended compromises, or they'll begin the Robbery with one big violent repressive push.

The 'receiving community' up in Rossport, Pollatomish, Bellanaboy have been at the receiving end of low abuse, intimidation, physical harassment, arbitrary arrest, punitive law enforcement and far worse from the blue-suited thugs miscalled in Béarla 'the Guardians of the Peace'. It's long past time that supporters of Shell to Sea paid back to Gardaí at the very least the psychological side of the hurt they've been dishing out on a defenceless community and on those who stand in solidarity with them.

For my part, I have been vocally challenging cops in the street today for what their 'colleagues' are doing for Shell up in Mayo. Slogans like 'You're pigs for what you're doing up in Mayo!', or more polite or forthright, whatever your style. Do it loud, and in public - show your dislike of them and their willing help for Shell. Refuse them services, boycott them where and when you can! Not one Garda has either resigned or publicly spoken out against what they're being ordered to do up in Mayo - all are therefore complicit under Shell-democracy rules of 'silence = assent'.

Many in the community up there are afraid of the fact that the Guards and their willingness to terrorise Erris are the main reason that this all has come so far. The law has been flouted every step of the way by Shell and the cops too, and their violence is the only reason Shell can proceed with construction works. Outside of the self-interested 'business community', ex-Gardaí who have a mysterious desire to write spurious pro-Shell letters to whatever rag what'll print 'em, and local notables and well-connected who're happy to be 'facilitated', there is no consent, only a brave few standing above a silence born of physical fear.

(Even the local RNLI lifeboat has taken €25,000 or more of Shell's money very recently; the head of the local lifeboat committee Eddie Divers is also the Erris Inshore Fishermens' Assoc. head who took Shell's €20,000 for getting out of Solitaire's way!)

We're back to Shell's Peelers using the Cat-And-Mouse act on ordinary Irish people. Only the accents of the peelers have changed.

I am not advocating violence against the pigs: that's what they do and they can keep their fists boots and truncheons quiet!

Get out there and show your displeasure with these thugs, show your righteous anger, and make a shot at shaming them back into civilised behaviour.

It's a simple peaceful solidarity act, and can be done anywhere in the 26 counties.

Don't be afraid of them!

Déan Baghcat ar na Gadaí Síochana!

Send the cops to Coventry!

by Lucy Weir Bingham McAndrew Wed Sep 10, 2008 13:39

I note your response. A) I have been to demonstrations three times. I have written articles. I have been to meetings. I have distributed leaflets. I have not done nothing. B) No it should not be Kilcommon community. Kilcommon has Pobal Kilcommon, a sister group to Pobal le Cheile, which also seeks renegotiation of the project but I live in Kilmore and I was asked to join the Kilmore group and C) I won't be on this site again for a while because it's a waste of my energy; personally, for me, it doesn't work. It might work for other people. Great. But I asked for and I wanted facts. I got personal insults. I'll keep pursuing justice in any way I can. Good luck to the rest of you.
Best
Lucy

by Risso Wed Sep 10, 2008 16:20

Once again, I am saddened to see another valuable and potentally useful supporter of the Shell to Shea campaign being vilified and insulted by self styled spokemens of the campaign.People whom call for people around the country to insult and call members of the Garda Siochaina pigs should be completely banned from speaking for S2S. All they are doing are aliening suport from the wider community in Ireland which is badly needed now, but will be scared off by the bully boy tactics of some contributors here. What they are doing is tantamount to sabotage and will not endear the campaign to anyone. There is still a huge amount of goodwill in Ireland towards the people in Erris. Lets tap into that. But it wont happen if the supporters seem to have more in common with sunversives with their own axe to grind against the Gardaí.

Best wished to Maura, Her modus operandi might be a bit questionable, but the fact she has the welfare of the people of Erris is never in dispute.