Stop Esso

Global warming is caused by burning fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas). It is the biggest environmental problem we face today, and the effects - extreme weather, drought and disease - are already being felt.

To counter the effects of global warming, the burning of fossil fuels must be reduced and phased out over the next 30-40 years.

Esso (also known as ExxonMobil) is the most powerful company in the world, and one of the biggest. Esso will stop at nothing to keep its largest market, the USA, addicted to oil. This oil addiction is fuelling war and causing global warming, putting millions of lives at risk.

Dirty politics
Esso has always opposed any policy that would reduce the need for oil in the US. It is no coincidence that Esso's campaign has met with increasing success since George W Bush entered the White House. Esso helped him get there.

Bush's road to the White House was paved with oil money. Esso gave more dollars to the Republican Party than any other oil company in the lead-up to Bush's election in 2000.

Stop Esso campaign spreads across the globe

In 2002, action against Esso got well underway in the USA, Europe and New Zealand, as Greenpeace activists around the world joined in the protest.

MAY 2002

United States: Greenpeace USA launches it's campaign against the richest company in the planet.

Canada: Greenpeace activists lock themselves to fuel pumps at Esso stations in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, while volunteers in Bush masks urge motorists not to buy Esso.

New Zealand: Greenpeace issues "A Decade of Dirty Tricks" report outlining how Esso has undermined international climate change policy.

Stop Esso: Julia Sawalha

Why particularly Esso?
They make 15.6 billion dollars a year in profit and they are not investing one dollar of that into clean renewable energy and the fact that they invested in President Bush's campaign and as a result of that Bush has backed out of the Kyoto Protocol is deeply disturbing to me. That they are sabotaging any international action on global warming is very frightening. I think that they are being a big bully and I think it's time we stood up to them.

You know I think as an individual you can feel really helpless in the face of environmental issues, I think as long as people know what is going on, this is the kind of campaign, like you can hear people beeping behind, they can really feel like they are doing something.

What would you say to motorists who are still buying from Esso?
I'd say don't put a tiger in your tank

What would your message to Esso be?
Be afraid, be very afraid.