Archived press release

DOWNPATRICK ESSO STATION TARGETED IN CLIMATE PROTEST

18 May 2002

Friends of the Earth will demonstrate outside Downpatrick's Esso petrol station, on New Bridge Street, this Saturday, 18 May at 2.00pm to urge drivers not to buy petrol from the oil giant. Wearing tiger masks the campaigners will dub the company "the World's number 1 global warming villain".

The action is part of a week of activities against the company's role in trying to sabotage international efforts to tackle global warming. Esso (ExxonMobil) was one of the prime movers behind George W Bush's decision to snub the Kyoto climate treaty last year. Esso has run a 10 year campaign against scientists and politicians who think we should reduce our dependence on oil, coal and gas.

Declan Allison, campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said,

"Urgent action is needed to tackle climate change but Esso don't even accept it is happening. They must stop vandalising efforts to tackle this problem. Esso is staggeringly arrogant to think it's so big that it can ignore public opinion and scientific reality. The message is simple – if you're worried about global warming, don't buy petrol from Esso."

StopEsso was launched by a coalition of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and People & Planet, in response to the US pulling out of the international climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol. The US decision was largely due to lobbying by Esso, the richest company on the planet. George W Bush's new US climate plan mirrors Esso's demands and will actually increase US emissions of carbon dioxide (the main cause of global warming) by up to 45 per cent over Kyoto targets in the next ten years.

Only last month, at Esso's request, the US successfully managed to oust climate scientist Dr Robert Watson from his role as head of the UN's advisory panel on global warming. Esso didn't like Watson's outspoken opinions about the urgent need for action on climate change. It couldn't change the science so it changed the scientist.

Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland
7 Donegall Street Place
BELFAST
BT1 2FN
Tel: 028 9023 3488
Fax: 028 9024 7556
Email: foe-ni@foe.co.uk.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust