29/09/2004

Talking Tigers

Delegates attending an Esso sponsored conference on ‘Europe’s Energy Outlook’ were greeted by Greenpeace protestors on Tuesday 28th September. About thirty protesters, many dressed as the Esso tiger mascot, were waiting outside the Bibliotheque Solvay in central Brussels to welcome delegates and warn them about Esso’s climate lies.

Some were in trees hanging banners that say: ‘ESSO - GLOBAL WARMING LIARS’. Other campaigners dressed like conference officials and handed out additional ‘conference papers’ which revealed the company’s irresponsible stance on energy issues.

The conference, attended by some of the most powerful players in the European energy field, including ministers and officials from all 25 EU countries, was organised by Esso to discuss the future energy mix of the EU. As organisers, Esso gave a keynote address which presented the company’s Energy Outlook (its predictions of our future energy usage) as inevitable. Unsurprisingly Esso’s projections for Europe’s energy future were based upon the growing consumption of fossil fuels. Fortunately, Greenpeace activists were there to remind delegates of Esso’s climate lies and just what the company’s ‘energy outlook’ would mean for the climate.

Greenpeace campaigner Emily Armistead said: “Esso chiefs want Europeans to see them as respectable businessmen, but in truth they are at the centre of a deeply irresponsible campaign that could result in the world facing climate disaster. Esso funds front groups that try to muddy the waters around global warming science while the company gives huge sums to politicians that deny man-made climate change is even happening. We want Europe’s top energy policymakers to steer clear of this company.”

Greenpeace campaigners have previously shut down 120 Esso petrol stations on the same day in the UK, shut down all the Esso stations in Luxembourg, shut down their European headquarters outside London and shut down their international HQ in Dallas.

Emily Armistead continued: “We’ve been telling the delegates about Esso’s appalling record of disinformation and dirty tricks on global warming. We hope they’ll take whatever the company said inside the meeting with a pinch of salt.”

[Previous entry: "Blair calls for urgent action to avert climate disaster"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "What the world's been waiting for"]