Activists from around the world on the Shell platform in the Atlantic: the protest

Driven by the recommendations of science, which tells us that emissions from fossil fuels are the most dangerous for global warming, climate activists have been targeting more and more multinationals in the world for several monthsoil and gas. After the big protest to stop the expansion of a coal mine at LutzerathGermany, where the police also stopped Greta Thunbergnow the attention of the most radical activism is shifting towards the oil multinationals: the aim is to ask them to stop polluting and pay the bill, for example by taxing their extra profits, for what has been done so far negatively for the health of the Earth.

The latest action was implemented by Greenpeace to stop the expansion of the oil multinational Shell committed to unblocking eight new oil and gas wells in the field Penguins North Sea.

The “climbers” board the ship to protest

A week ago four Greenpeace International activists from around the world boarded the White Marlin vessel in the heart of the Atlantic which is carrying a Shell storage and offloading platform to the north-east of the Shetland Islands in Scotland, a structure that will allow the multinational to expand its extraction to produce 45,000 barrels of oil or gas equivalent per day.

Carlos Marcelo Bariggi Amara from Argentina, Yakup Çetinkaya from Turkey, Imogen Michael from the UK and Usnea Granger from the United States are the top four climbers who, after an approach thanks to rubber dinghies, “climbed” the 118-metre ship to then occupy it peacefully with non-violent actions, displaying signs with writings asking Shell to pay the bill. The activists are still on the ship today, joined by two other colleagues: they have supplies of food and water to hold out for a few more days and continue the protest action.

“Profits doubled, but oil & gas companies do not pay the climate bill”

The whole action took place within hours of the oil company Shell announcing its record annual profits, almost $40 billion in 2022, more than double what it recorded in 2021. News that – according to Greenpeace – still proves that more like the time has come to “stop drilling and start paying” for the damage inflicted on the planet, reads a banner displayed by activists opposed to the “worldwide climate devastation caused by Shell, the largest fossil fuel company “.

Shell, says Greenpeace, has responded to the action with injunction attempts or lawsuits but for now the action of the environmental association continues.

Shell: “Oil still needed for transition”

Still at the top of the oil giant, recalled the Cnncurrently say that oil and gas production in the North Sea is “declining” but is still needed to enable the transition to low-carbon energy.

Meanwhile in the troubled waters of the Atlantic last weekend a trimaran called Merida, flanked by two rubber boats, left with other activists and journalists on board in the direction of the White Marlin. Once they reached the large ship, another boat, owned by Boskalis (a company with which Shell has agreements) placed itself as an “escort” for the transport of the platform, putting the action of other activists in difficulty (because of the waves) who wanted to join the White Marlin. Finally, two climbers – Pascal Havez from France and Silja Zimmermann from Germany – still managed to board the ship and join the protest group.

The activist: “No more fossils. We will not stop until we get answers”

Dalla Merida – which only flanked the big ship – was instead staged the action of other young people, such as Nonhle Mbuthuma from South Africa, Hussein Ali Ghandour from Lebanon and Noa Helffer from Italy, who displayed the signs “Enough drilling. Start paying” and “Planet in flames. No more fossils” addressed to Shell.

Contacted by telephone and returning from the action on the high seas, Noa Helffer, a twenty-year-old activist from Acireale and from the Greenpeace Italia group, tells Green&Blue what happened and the reason for the protest. “After a long journey, when we spotted the platform transported by the ship, our action began: on one side, other climbers who have climbed on the White Marlin, on the other, us on the Merida ship with the signs. The particularity of this action is the participation of activists from all over the world because the message is global: fossil fuel multinationals must take responsibility for helping to fuel the climate crisis, stop drilling and pay for the environmental damage they are causing“.

“This protest concerns the whole planet – adds Heffler – because the emissions caused by the fossil industries have an impact everywhere. Colleagues who come from other more unfortunate areas of the world know this well, having seen the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. Me myself, who i live in sicily, i have experienced the power of floods and knee deep water, or heat waves and droughts.its something that affects everyone,thats why we are stepping up action against these companies and why we are asking for everyones support those who care about the health of the planet”.

Greenpeace’s protest will continue and “we don’t know what will happen when the ship arrives at its destination in a few days, for now it’s an unpredictable situation – says the Italian activist -. However, we don’t intend to stop until we get answers: it is now clear how dependence on fossil fuels is no longer sustainable and how it is necessary, on the contrary, to focus on renewables.By all means, all the various environmental groups in the world will therefore continue this year to protest and bring the message: the our future, we need an immediate change of course”.