Greenpeace campaigners this week set off on a dog sled tour to visit isolated Greenlandic communities and collect testimonies of their opposition to Denmark giving the US permission to use the Thule radar base in Greenland as part of the US Star Wars system.
Five campaigners on skis accompanied by two sleds pulled by 16 Greenland dogs will visit five separate communities in the Disko Bay area of the island's west coast (1) - the most populated area north of the capital Nuuk.
Weather conditions permitting they will travel between 400-600 kilometres over the next four weeks, braving temperatures from minus 15 to minus 45 degrees celsius to reach the communities and collect their testimonies on video. Greenpeace plan to take these testimonies to decision makers in Washington later this year and to the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty Conference in New York in April.
"The majority of Greenlandic people do not support the Star Wars system, and certainly don't want it based on their soil. Greenpeace will help these isolated communities to have their voice heard by the United States, even if it means we have to use dogs, sleds and skis to do it." Said Greenpeace Disarmament Campaigner, William Peden.
This years expedition is a follow up to last years tour of Greenland by the Greenpeace ship, MY Arctic Sunrise. More than 1200 Greenlanders visited the ship and many gave video testimonies expressing their deep concerns about the possibility of living under the threat that the US Star Wars system would present.
The US needs consent from Denmark and the UK to use radar and tracking facilities on their territories. The Danish and UK Governments have adopted a wait-and-see stance on the issue, saying they will decide on the matter only after they have received a formal request from the US to adapt facilities at Thule in Greenland and Fylingdales in the UK.
"Greenland and Denmark along with Britain have the power of veto over the use of facilities on their land for the US Star Wars plans, it is time to exercise that veto. To do anything less can only be viewed as being complicit in starting a new nuclear arms race", said Greenpeace expedition leader Mads Christensen.
Editors notes:
Weather and ice conditions permitting the expedition will for the next month travel between 400 - 600 kilometres in the DiskoBay area over the next three to four weeks where the only mean of intercity ground transportation at this time of year is dog sleds and skis. The DiskoBay is at the heart of North Greenland and is the most populated area north of the capitol Nuuk. Temperatures range from -15 to -45 Celsius (5 to -49 Fahrenheit) with the wind chill factor bringing the temperature down as low as -80c. Each sled will be loaded with 200kg of equipment and the Greenpeace campaigners will be skiing alongside the sleds.
The next test of the ground-based segment of the US Star Wars plans is scheduled to happen on 15 March and the US military are asking for a further $7.8 billion USD to fund their expanded Star Wars development program in 2003.
1) The Dog Sled Expedition plans to visit the communities of Ilulissat, Ilimanaq, Qasigiannguit, Ikamiut, Aasiaat.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
Phone interviews with members of the expedition can be arranged and stills of the dog sled expedition setting off across the ice are available on request from Greenpeace Communications (Amsterdam), Photo Desk +31 20 524 9580
Greenland Testimonies video is available from Greenpeace International video desk (Amsterdam) +31 20 524 9509
