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Saving Iceland

Jess Hurd | 16.08.2006 07:35 | Ecology | Free Spaces | Globalisation | Sheffield | World

The Icelandic highlands are the last great expanse of true wilderness left in Western Europe. Now the country's hydroelectric potential has been targeted by multinational corporations, who intend to establish large-scale heavy industry in these hitherto pristine hinterlands. Join the protest camp.

First camp at Snaefell
First camp at Snaefell


At 5.30 this morning around twenty protestors climbed cranes and
locked themselves on at various locations within the Alcoa factory
compound which HRV and war-profiteers Bechtel are building for Alcoa
in Reyðarfjörður, Iceland.

We are a peaceful, dedicated group of environmentalists aiming to
raise awareness of Alcoa, a company constituting an extreme threat to
Iceland´s environment, its culture and democracy.

Alcoa´s Reyðarfjörður factory and all of its operations are illegal.
The Supreme Court of Iceland decided this when it ruled this project´s
planning permission as invalid in 2005 as no proper environmental
impact assessment had been conducted.

So why did this project still go ahead?
Because of back-door deals motivated by greed and dubious political agendas.

Against the advice of expert environmental scientists this factory
will now be allowed to release 4600 tons of sulphur dioxide and 500
thousand tons of carbon dioxide into Iceland´s air every year
producing aluminium that is used among others for America´s weapons
industry. So, Icelanders are forced to accept the illegal destruction
of their environment as well as participation in America´s military
campaigns across the globe, such as the war in Iraq.

Alcoa has already been successfully prosecuted abroad around 50 times
for serious crimes against the environment. With the help of the
Icelandic people we can build on that success and stop this threat
here in Iceland.  http://www.savingiceland.org

Jess Hurd
- Homepage: http://www.jesshurd.com

Additions

Photos from the ALCOA protest 16 August

16.08.2006 11:48



11.46 am

The two people that are in the crane pictured are still holding it in spite of the chilly wind. All the other ones have been arrested now.

Two of the slogans of the banners are:

ILLEGAL WORKZONE!

STOP ECOCIDE!

Isabella
- Homepage: http://savingiceland.org