press releases

Greenpeace calls for UK Government to take a position on Esso boycott

Greenpeace can reveal that Tony Blair had a secret meeting today with the head of the company that effectively blocked the Kyoto agreement in America. Lee Raymond, who met the Prime Minister at Downing Street, is the CEO of Exxon-Mobil - known as Esso in the UK. He has done more than anyone else to rubbish efforts to halt climate change.

Nine Greenpeace activists today walked free from court after pleading guilty to conspiring to trespass on a military base, during a peaceful protest against the Star Wars missile defence programme last July.

All nine were given one year probation. No fines were imposed, and all are free to return home. Each of the defendants presented powerful statements to the court prior to sentence, outlining their moral and legal objections to the programme in Los Angeles this morning.

Greenpeace activists who face jail over a peaceful protest against the Star Wars missile defence programme in the United States, have peacefully and lawfully returned to the military base to re-state their opposition to the programme.

While still awaiting sentencing, activists gathered at the front gate of Vandenberg Air Force Base holding banners that read "Still Protesting Star Wars".

The British leader of an international team in the Antarctic has demanded that Jack Straw 'gets serious about Japan's efforts to secure a return to full-scale commercial whaling' after the Foreign Secretary failed to publicly condemn attempts by the Japanese government's use of development aid to buy votes in support of commercial whaling.

The U.S. Attorney's office has agreed to drop felony charges against 15 Greenpeace activists and two freelance journalists who were due to stand trial in Los Angeles today following a peaceful protest against a Star Wars missile test at Vandenberg Air Force Base on July 14, 2001.

Greenpeace has condemned the Government and British Nuclear Fuels for the introduction of plutonium into the controversial Sellafield MOX Plant (SMP) earlier today. The decision to proceed with loading of the lethal nuclear material will increase environmental pollution from the Sellafield site and increase international security risks, including nuclear terrorism and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have mounted a range of legal challenges in an effort to prevent the plant from opening. The Irish Government currently has two international legal cases on-going against the UK government.

Japanese whalers operating in Antarctic waters today blasted Greenpeace volunteers with powerful water cannons after a helicopter captured rare footage of a whale being harpooned.

Greenpeace activists operating in the Antarctic today approached ships from the Japanese whaling fleet and demanded that they "STOP WHALING." The action is the opening move in a campaign leading up to a crucial governmental meeting next year at which the future of whaling will be decided.

Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace have overturned an important part of last month's controversial High Court ruling that the Government had lawfully given the Sellafield Mixed Oxide (MOX) plant the green light. (1) But the MOX plant can still open, despite the fact that it will never recover its costs and that it represents a serious threat to public safety.

Sheffield incinerator: the capped chimney

Three Greenpeace volunteers today (6/12/01) pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal damage in connection with the occupation of Sheffield waste incinerator in May. Their case was directed to Crown Court for trial.