Aug 24, 2013
The entry is a bold challenge to Russia's collusion with the oil industry--also rampant in the U.S. and across the world--by banning environmental activists and monitors yet welcoming oil drilling exploration vessels with open arms.
"We refuse to let illegal attempts by the Russian government to stop us from exposing dangerous oil drilling in the Arctic," declared Christy Ferguson, Greenpeace Arctic Campaigner aboard the 'Arctic Sunrise' Greenpeace ship. "The Russian Arctic National Park is a special place full of rare and threatened Arctic wildlife, and faces an infinitely greater threat from reckless oil companies than a fully equipped Greenpeace icebreaker."
"If Rosneft and ExxonMobil bring in offshore drilling platforms they will risk catastrophic blowouts and spills that could devastate the region," she added.
Greenpeace announced Wednesday that the 'Arctic Sunrise' was banned from entering the waters after three applications for entry were rejected even though the ship had met all requirements, and despite Russian approval of over 400 oil exploration vessels this year. "This is a thinly veiled attempt to stifle peaceful protest and keep international attention away from Arctic oil exploration in Russia," declared Ferguson on Wednesday.
The Russian Arctic National Park--termed the 'Pearl of the Arctic'--is an important habitat for narwhals, polar bears, and whales. The Russian government has allowed Rosneft and ExxonMobil to conduct exploratory drilling on 450,000 hectares of park land, in direct contradiction of federal laws that protect the park.
Experts say that the sear route near the park, controlled by Russia, is expected to be a key path for export of oil and gas extracted from the arctic.
The Arctic Sunrise is on a month-long journey in the arctic to expose this and other violations of Russian environmental laws.
_____________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
The entry is a bold challenge to Russia's collusion with the oil industry--also rampant in the U.S. and across the world--by banning environmental activists and monitors yet welcoming oil drilling exploration vessels with open arms.
"We refuse to let illegal attempts by the Russian government to stop us from exposing dangerous oil drilling in the Arctic," declared Christy Ferguson, Greenpeace Arctic Campaigner aboard the 'Arctic Sunrise' Greenpeace ship. "The Russian Arctic National Park is a special place full of rare and threatened Arctic wildlife, and faces an infinitely greater threat from reckless oil companies than a fully equipped Greenpeace icebreaker."
"If Rosneft and ExxonMobil bring in offshore drilling platforms they will risk catastrophic blowouts and spills that could devastate the region," she added.
Greenpeace announced Wednesday that the 'Arctic Sunrise' was banned from entering the waters after three applications for entry were rejected even though the ship had met all requirements, and despite Russian approval of over 400 oil exploration vessels this year. "This is a thinly veiled attempt to stifle peaceful protest and keep international attention away from Arctic oil exploration in Russia," declared Ferguson on Wednesday.
The Russian Arctic National Park--termed the 'Pearl of the Arctic'--is an important habitat for narwhals, polar bears, and whales. The Russian government has allowed Rosneft and ExxonMobil to conduct exploratory drilling on 450,000 hectares of park land, in direct contradiction of federal laws that protect the park.
Experts say that the sear route near the park, controlled by Russia, is expected to be a key path for export of oil and gas extracted from the arctic.
The Arctic Sunrise is on a month-long journey in the arctic to expose this and other violations of Russian environmental laws.
_____________________
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
The entry is a bold challenge to Russia's collusion with the oil industry--also rampant in the U.S. and across the world--by banning environmental activists and monitors yet welcoming oil drilling exploration vessels with open arms.
"We refuse to let illegal attempts by the Russian government to stop us from exposing dangerous oil drilling in the Arctic," declared Christy Ferguson, Greenpeace Arctic Campaigner aboard the 'Arctic Sunrise' Greenpeace ship. "The Russian Arctic National Park is a special place full of rare and threatened Arctic wildlife, and faces an infinitely greater threat from reckless oil companies than a fully equipped Greenpeace icebreaker."
"If Rosneft and ExxonMobil bring in offshore drilling platforms they will risk catastrophic blowouts and spills that could devastate the region," she added.
Greenpeace announced Wednesday that the 'Arctic Sunrise' was banned from entering the waters after three applications for entry were rejected even though the ship had met all requirements, and despite Russian approval of over 400 oil exploration vessels this year. "This is a thinly veiled attempt to stifle peaceful protest and keep international attention away from Arctic oil exploration in Russia," declared Ferguson on Wednesday.
The Russian Arctic National Park--termed the 'Pearl of the Arctic'--is an important habitat for narwhals, polar bears, and whales. The Russian government has allowed Rosneft and ExxonMobil to conduct exploratory drilling on 450,000 hectares of park land, in direct contradiction of federal laws that protect the park.
Experts say that the sear route near the park, controlled by Russia, is expected to be a key path for export of oil and gas extracted from the arctic.
The Arctic Sunrise is on a month-long journey in the arctic to expose this and other violations of Russian environmental laws.
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.