Greenpeace claims shutdown of British-owned oil rig

A Greenpeace climate campaigner speaking from Baffin Bay, Greenland says activists who have climbed an oil rig off the coast of Greenland to show the danger drilling in that remote location in the Arctic.

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In this photo made available by Greenpeace on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010, an activist occupies the Stena Don oil-rig in the Arctic, off the coast of Greenland.

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Wed. Sep. 1 2010 7:29 AM ET

Greenpeace says it has successfully halted the operations of a British-owned oil rig in a remote location about 200 kilometres off the coast of western Greenland.

Four Greenpeace protesters snuck onto the Stena Don early Tuesday morning, despite the presence of a nearby Danish warship that had been following a Greenpeace ship as it made its way to the oil rig over the past 10 days.

The oil rig is owned by the Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy PLC, a company that has recently said it discovered natural gas in the area.

Greenpeace spokesperson Leila Deen said the protesters made a dash for the Stena Don just after 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

"We launched three inflatable boats, in silence, into the water and evaded what might have been a sleeping navy," Deen told CTV's Canada AM during a telephone interview from Baffin Bay, Greenland, on Wednesday morning.

Photos released by Greenpeace on Tuesday showed several climbers hanging from the underside of the oil rig's platforms.

The people who made it aboard the Stena Don are expert climbers and have managed to set up hanging tents from the rig's platform. Greenpeace said they have been equipped with enough supplies to stay there for several days.

American Sim McKenna, one of the four people aboard the Stena Don, said the climbers are hoping for continued success.

"We've got to keep the energy companies out of the Arctic and kick our addiction to oil, that's why we're going to stop this rig from drilling for as long as we can," McKenna said in a statement released by Greenpeace Tuesday.

Deen said Greenpeace has sent climbers to the oil rig to draw attention to the risks that Cairn's oil operations pose for the environment.

"The reason we've done this is because drilling here in the Arctic is very dangerous," said Deen.

Deen said the company lacks "a decent response plan" in the event of a catastrophic oil spill, such as what happened in the Gulf of Mexico this past summer.

Such a spill would be particularly disastrous in the Arctic waters at this time of year, because it potentially be "unstoppable," Deen said, with the oil spilling under the sea ice until the following spring.

With files from The Associated Press

Comments are now closed for this story

Praxius
said

Well there you have it.... a complete confession of their crimes of sabotage, illegal trespassing and Eco-Terrorism.They explained how they justified their actions, but last I checked, they have no legal authority to take the law into their own hands and as far as I'm aware, that oil rig is there legally.I'm not a big oil supporter, but when clowns like these people decide to commit crimes of their own, they're not solving anything and they're no better then those they finger point, in fact, they're worse, since they're the only ones in this situation breaking the law.

Tim from Houston
said

Somebody needs to check on how much of the equipment (including wetsuits and ropes) used to gain access to the rig was made from the bi-products of oil. Someone also needs to check Greenpeace to see how much bio-fuel they use in their vessels. What GP fails to do (and always has and always will) is take inventory of all the ways they use oil and oil bi-products. I suspect if that were done, GP and many of these groups would be shown up for the hypocrits they are.

Gregoryd
said

Hmm too bad they did not shut down the one in the gulf before it spilled oil.. These same people commenting on how wrong Green peice is would be the same morons screaming if a spill occurred. Just look at the gulf spill. Even though there were millions of gallons spilling into the water they still went to court to stop the embargo. We still do not know what caused the spill but they don't care just dril baby drill. I have to wonder what our great grandchildren will face as a result of our greedy planet killling addiction to oil. Hmmm just a thought.

edoerksen
said

So - we stop using oil. Now what? Oil products include all products made from plastics, products used in makeup, a variety of fuels, and the list goes on.So - what do you green peace supporters and environmental activists suggest? Living in t-pees, riding horses, dog sleds? Come on activists. Tell us.

mike
said

i wonder how greenpeace got there in that old fuel gusseling 1950s ship , that has been sited by several coast guards for leaking oil into the sea over the last 2yrs.they have endangerd the rig workers and should be punished to the FULLEST extent of the law.
i have a borter in the canadian coast gaurd who saw the oil leak first hand.

Ian K
said

Greenpeace has become an organization of militant Luddites - and I say that as someone who was a dues-paying member for over 20 years. I finally quit because of publicity shenanigans like these as well as its rabid and mindless anti-Americanism. All Greenpeace knows how to do is "turn it off, shut it down" without offering any genuinely workable solutions to the massive global problems its policies would create. Solar and wind power are not a viable answer to them huge energy needs of the world - and without power and oil energy, everything else goes belly up. If Greenpeacers want to live like we did in 1700, that's their choice but we must resist their efforts to impose this choice on us. Arrest these guys on the rig and jail them.

Phil
said

ha and I bet Greenpeace used their angelic wings to fly to the oil rig without damaging the environment in any way? and that these tents are made of a magical substance that doesn't require petroleum and tons of energy to made? not to mention that this act is in fact illegal. congrats greenpeace on damaging both the environment and the economy at the same time.

Mdudak in Ottawa
said

TO MATT - I fully agree with you. Most here seems incapable of seeing past the tip of their nose. When I read comments on here, I cannot help but to think how much Canada has changed over the last 30 years. Protecting our environment should be our priority. Greenpeace is indeed the voice of that movement. I never gave them a penny (my bad) but I applaud those who risk a lot in trying to protect the planet for us and our future generations.Our oceans are literally emptied of fish and we worsen the problem by the way we mismanage our god given oceans. Wonder what those folks will be thinking once it hits them that we are on the verge of living on a planet that cannot sustain us much further and that food shortages impact even this country? If you think that Asia and Africa are they only areas of the world susceptible to food shortages, think again!Go Greenpeace Go! (and help us deliver ourselves from our own stupidity)

Jim
said

Good way to bring attention to the potential problems of drilling in the Arctic. Way to go Greenpeace!

Doug # BC
said

Greenpeace WAS a decent environmental group several decadesa ago.Now they're more of a political party led by a gaggle of self rightous extrtemists.Like many others,I think they should be charged for the crimes they commit. Yes people.We do need cleaner energy.But if you're not smart enough to provide it,what gives you the impression anyone else can either.The reality is,that most of the world wants to get off the oil dependency,but NO ONE can find that magic elixer that will replace it. You doubt that? Well,tell me this.Why is it that people whine and complain when fuel for their cars goes up in price? Why is that people whine and complain when they hyro bills go up.or the power goes out? It's because oil is the only source of energy for a lot of things we need that people can actually afford to pay for.Shut down the entire global oil production for a few months and see what happens.People will be freezing in the dark and starving to death in almost every region of the planet.It's easy to criticize and complain,not so easy to offer up real solutions to our need for energy.And like people love to eat their steaks,they make sure some one else kills the animals.We all want our consumer goods and fuel to get around,but ONLY if the dirty work gets dones in someone else's back yard. Hypocrits run Greenpeace.And they get their money from hypoctits who buy into their phony claims that the world is ready to wean itself off of oil products.There are no AFFORDABLE options at this time.Greenpeace and others just won't tell you the real truth about that.Millions of people would die without oil products.The immediate goal is to use oil as safely as possible until alternatives are available.

Ray
said

Greenpeace are eco-terrorists; treat them as you would any other lowlife terrorist. They're not noble, altruistic, compassionate or caring. They don't think of the consequences of their actions at all. Indeed they believe they're above the law, all laws. Their cavalier attitudes needs to be roped in.

Me
said

Greenpeace: it is to laugh.

Do they ever do anything sensible?

Paul
said

The owners of the rig should be able to charge Green Peace for lost revenue. There are systems in place to stop/prevent companies from drilling. By having people climb and hang from the Rig is simply irresponsible, they are putting live in danger, and if an accident does occur as a result of events cause by ships and climbers being in the area, who will be responsible for that. I suspect Green Peace will not claim responsibility.

Will
said

and the eco-terrorists strike again. Time to shut Greenpeace and their ilk down. Permanently.

Paul ~ Kitchener
said

Greenpeace strive & work for a cleaner, better world ~ that is in the interest of all humanity.Oil Companies strive for huge earnings & profits ~ thats in the interest of the Corporate Elite (Chaney's / bush's etc).Lets all do what we can to break the addiction to "OIL", and that will solve a ton of problems, starting in the Middle East.

Paul in SJ
said

When is someone going to stand up and put these so-called activists in their place. An unauthorized group of people who have essentially hijacked an oil platform on the high-seas.....sounds like piracy to me.Put these nut-jobs and environmental terrorists away where they can't harm anyone!

Cam
said

After the disaster in the Gulf off shore drilling should be banned.

matt h
said

You people form good arguments hey? I am not even a Greenpeace supporter-- when I see them on the street I walk past -- but I know enough to understand that there are countless tens of thousands of people who ARE living in the world, self sustaining, outside the spotlight and without petroleum. Greenpeace is choosing to be the provocative voice and sometimes you need to spend a little to save a lot (whatever metaphor you want to choose). If you don't understand that and you want to fall back on the "duuu ships done use oil, what hypocrites!" thing, fine. They are thinking big picture, really do you disagree that an oil spill in the arctic would be horrible?? Do you really think it would be possible for them to reach the broad audience they want without concessions? Or that they haven't considered that point?

Mike vdB - Chatham, ON
said

"Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core. "A quote by Hannah Arendt

Mike Macdonald - Winnipeg
said

I wish someone would successfully halt the operations of Greenpeace.

dean in NL
said

a rig is the same as a ship at sea. this is PIRACY!!!!! these "activists" should be arrested, charged and convicted of Piracy on the high seas. this should and must punished with the most severe sentence up to and including the old stand by for piracy, execution. if the threat is real enough these thugs would put more consideration into their illegal acts.

marcel
said

I am amazed that crime is tolerated when it comes to criminal acts procured by funding activits. we all should know that these individuals are all in it for something -- money, prestige, recognition, fame, therapy to name some reasons why they place themselves in harms way. For what or for who? I will not benefit from the behaviour. Will someone please let us know the true reason why they do this.

Crazy Jim
said

Terrorists! What if something went wrong? What if they wanted it to? How do we know they didn't try to pull off a similar operation on Deepwater Horizon?

Tim
said

"...that had been following a Greenpeace ship as it made its way to the oil rig over the past 10 days."I suppose the Greenpeace ship runs on solar energy then? Or is this just more hypocricy coming from Greenpeace? Too bad so many people can't see Greenpeace for what they really are: fund raisers. Take their charity status away!

Shannon
said

The Artic environment is too fragile to be drilling. The damage would be irreversible and we would be the regretting the decision for generations.We need to find alternate sources of energy and the sooner we start the better. I support Green Peace all the way

Michael
said

Put these Greenpeace fools in jail where they belong. They think they are a law unto themselves. These criminals need to be taught a lesson because they just don't get it.

Freddychini
said

Sleeping Navy?? I think not. They probably had Greenpeace in their sights, although, they couldn't do anything. These people should be charged!!!Damn hypocritical activists!!

Joe M
said

Diesel clunker they used to get there.I am not aware of any organic, non-petroleum derrived methods of creating an inflatable craft used like the one they used to "sneak" onboard. The climbing ropes and hanging tents, helmets, harnesses are all also petro-based. Far too many uses of peto products to even be close to called a green approach to this latest stunt from gp.

Gilbert in Ottawa
said

... and of course Greenpeace uses solar-powered electric ships and outboard motors!!! Yea right, talk about calling the kettle black!

D,K, Lindsay
said

They are trespassing . They should be removed and charged for the crime.

kraven
said

SHUT EM ALL DOWN GO GREENPEACE GO

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