Direct Action Turns the Tables on "Greenwash" consultancy - press release/ vid
beyondtv | 13.01.2003 21:18
The Manchester Offices of environmental consultants ERM were occupied by concerned people, in protest against the proposed Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Monday 13th Jan 2003
Direct Action Turns the Tables on "Greenwash" consultancy - with video
UPDATE: Activists left the office without arrest after consultations with the European Manager of the firm about setting the record straight. Negociations continue.
VIDEO:
Watch this Video produced by www.beyondtv.org for Manchester Indymedia.
It's available as a Real Player and Quicktime format on the Beyondtv Website:
http://www.beyondtv.org/pages/feature_page.php/103/
watch the RM file directly here
http://relay.tornadonetworks.net/demand.php?c=users/undercurrents&m=risingtide/bakuerm.rm
and the quicktime one
http://clients.tornadonetworks.net/users/undercurrents/risingtide/bakumank.mov
PRESS RELEASE:
The Manchester Offices of environmental consultants ERM are being occupied by concerned people, in protest against the proposed Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
This is the latest action in the the growing campaign against the pipeline, which critics say will lead to human rights abuses an climate change disaster. ERM are the environmental consultants to the project, but their assesment of the potential impacts of the pipeline is described as "severely flawed" by campaigners.
Today's non-violent direct action aims to convince the ERM to withdraw their support from the pipeline project. The campaigners plan to carry out a spoof "impact assesment" on the office, to investigate the effects of the occupation.
Graham Hughes from Manchester said "One of teh most shocking things about this destructive pipeline project is that, if it went ahead, it would be paid for by us, the British taxpayer. Our government is preparing to stump up £65 million of our money to pay for death and destruction in Eastern Europe. They can't find enough money to pay for public sector workers, but they seem to have plenty of cash for oil and war."
"ERM's environmental and social impact assesment of the pipeline is severely flawed. Independent researchers found a village supposedly 'consulted' by ERM had actually been empty and derelict for years. We will not leave their offices until they agree to repeat the assesment truthfully, or pull out of the project altogether"
UPDATE: Activists left the office without arrest after consultations with the European Manager of the firm about setting the record straight. Negociations continue.
VIDEO:
Watch this Video produced by www.beyondtv.org for Manchester Indymedia.
It's available as a Real Player and Quicktime format on the Beyondtv Website:
http://www.beyondtv.org/pages/feature_page.php/103/ watch the RM file directly here
http://relay.tornadonetworks.net/demand.php?c=users/undercurrents&m=risingtide/bakuerm.rm and the quicktime one
http://clients.tornadonetworks.net/users/undercurrents/risingtide/bakumank.mov PRESS RELEASE:
The Manchester Offices of environmental consultants ERM are being occupied by concerned people, in protest against the proposed Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
This is the latest action in the the growing campaign against the pipeline, which critics say will lead to human rights abuses an climate change disaster. ERM are the environmental consultants to the project, but their assesment of the potential impacts of the pipeline is described as "severely flawed" by campaigners.
Today's non-violent direct action aims to convince the ERM to withdraw their support from the pipeline project. The campaigners plan to carry out a spoof "impact assesment" on the office, to investigate the effects of the occupation.
Graham Hughes from Manchester said "One of teh most shocking things about this destructive pipeline project is that, if it went ahead, it would be paid for by us, the British taxpayer. Our government is preparing to stump up £65 million of our money to pay for death and destruction in Eastern Europe. They can't find enough money to pay for public sector workers, but they seem to have plenty of cash for oil and war."
"ERM's environmental and social impact assesment of the pipeline is severely flawed. Independent researchers found a village supposedly 'consulted' by ERM had actually been empty and derelict for years. We will not leave their offices until they agree to repeat the assesment truthfully, or pull out of the project altogether"
beyondtv
e-mail:
illisu@gn.apc.org
Homepage:
http://www.risingtide.org.uk
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another report
17.01.2003 00:13
challenge for an assortment of people, some from Manchester and Leeds EF!
and Rising Tide, opposing the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. The offices of
Environmental Resource Management (ERM) were occupied due to their
involvement in the project. A BP-headed oil consortium commissioned ERM
to conduct the environmental and social impact assessments. An
independent fact-finding mission to the area found many inaccuracies and
omissions in ERM's report, and also criticised ERM for selling the project
to local people whilst 'forgetting' to inform them of the risks.
Following the occupation of ERM's London office in December, their
Manchester office was invaded on Monday 13th January. People locked on
to yuppie office furniture, while others repeatedly and loudly alerted
workers to ERM's lies and environmental destruction. During the four and a half
hour occupation, people demanded to speak to ERM's European Managing
Director and BP's Regional Affairs Director for the Pipeline project
(greenwash bullshit expert supreme). Both these 'very important men' took
time out from their busy schedules to send us faxes expressing their concern
about the allegations and their commitment to 'looking into' the report, and
agreed to a meeting.
If the pipeline, which will run through Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, goes
ahead, it will pump 365 million barrels of oil a year for consumption by the
West, 250% of the amount we've pledged to cut under the Kyoto Protocol. If
we stop it, that oil stays under the Caspian Sea and the people living along
the pipeline route will not be subjected to land acquisition, increased
militarisation, work camps, the risk of oil leaks and generally being fucked
over by rich Western capitalists (again). The pipeline requires 70% funding
by 'free public money' - taxpayers money. Various parties involved are
already getting jumpy and the start date for construction has already been
pushed back six months due to opposition such as this. What's needed now
is a sustained campaign targeting all companies involved in the pipeline.
The pipeline's wrong, we know it's wrong, and we can stop it.
Contact Manchester Earth First! on 0161-226 6814,
For more information on the pipeline and what you can do, see
www.risingtide.org.uk
Barry Beepee
e-mail:
barry@beepee.cone