Thousands tell Shell to clean up1 February 2007
Over 6,000 people from 111 different countries funded an advert telling shell to clean up its mess.
The advert appeared in the UK's Guardian newspaper and the Netherlands' de Volkskrant newspaper on 1 February 2007.
It called on Shell to use its profits to begin cleaning up damage it has caused to communities and the environment.
Not only was the advert funded by over 6,000 people, it was also signed by them too, meaining that the advert was surrounded by a sea of names.
Use your profit to clean up your mess
Shell's sky-high profits over 2006 are made at the expense of people and the environment.
Hannah Griffiths, Friends of the Earth corporates campaigner
The advert was preceeded by the launch of a new report on Shell - "Use your profit to clean up your mess" (PDF†).
The report offers proposals and figures for where and how Shell should repair some of the damage it has caused in 9 communitites around the world.
It's published by the Shell Accountability Campaign, a network of environmental, human rights and comunity groups.
Cost of clean-up
Shell made profits of US$25 billion over last year.
US$1.55 billion spent in Nigeria could immediately stop illegal gas flaring across the Niger Delta.
US$6 billion spent in Durban, South Africa, could replace the old refinery and associated pipelines which are often leaking due to their age.
Resources
Shell: Use your profit to clean up your mess
(PDF† 1.2M) Feb 2007
Report on how Shell should fund local solutions for the environmental and social destruction caused by its projects.
†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.
© Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands)
