December, 15 2009, 09:26am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Paul de Clerk, Friends of the Earth International 32 494 380 959
Monsanto Wins 'Angry Mermaid Award'
Monsanto Wins Award for Worst Corporate Climate Lobbyist in Copenhangen
COPENHAGEN
The winner of the Angry Mermaid Award
2009, announced by award-winning writer and journalist Naomi Klein at
the UN climate talks in Copenhagen today is the biotech giant Monsanto
with 37 per cent of the total vote [1].
Oil giant Shell took second place (18 per cent) in the Award for
lobbying to sabotage effective action on climate change, followed by the
American Petroleum Institute (14 per cent).
Ten thousand people voted in the Angry Mermaid Award, named after the
iconic Copenhagen mermaid who is angry about corporate lobbying on
climate change.
Eight candidates were put forward for public vote at
www.angrymermaid.org and individuals at the Klimaforum were also invited
to vote [2].
Agriculture giant Monsanto was nominated for promoting its genetically
modified (GM) crops as a solution to climate change and pushing for its
crops to be used as biofuels. The expansion of GM soy in Latin America
is contributing to major deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) of which Monsanto is a member,
is helping to promote the company's cause by allowing GM soy to be
labelled as "responsible". Monsanto also wants GM soy to be funded under
the Clean Development Mechanism [3].
Speaking for the award organisers, Paul de Clerk from Friends of the
Earth International said: "Monsanto has attracted thousands of votes
from individuals who are outraged that such an environmentally-damaging
form of agriculture should be put forward to tackle climate change.
"Big business must not be allowed to sabotage action against climate
change by promoting their vested interests. All the candidates for the
Angry Mermaid Award have lobbied to protect their own profits and
prevent effective action to tackle climate change. Governments need to
stop listening to them and choose real solutions to the climate crisis."
The Angry Mermaid is organised by Attac Denmark, Corporate Europe
Observatory, Focus on the Global South, Friends of the Earth
International, Oil Change International and Spinwatch.
***
For more information please contact:
Nina Holland, Corporate Europe Observatory + 45 5268 5295
Paul de Clerk, Friends of the Earth International 32 494 380 959
Dorothy Guerrero, Focus on the Global South +45 5010 8908
Helen Burley, Corporate Europe Observatory, + 45 5399 5927
Friends of the Earth International is the world's largest grassroots environmental network, uniting 74 national member groups and some 5,000 local activist groups on every continent. With over 2 million members and supporters around the world, FOEI campaigns on today's most urgent environmental and social issues.
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