Archived press release

Scientists warn of hottest year ever as shell helps block climate change agreement

13 August 1997

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Shell petrol station, Pershore Road, Birmingham. Photocall from 1.00pm, 13 August 1997.

1997 is on course to be the hottest year on record according to British scientists, adding to concerns that climate change is now disrupting the world's weather. However, oil companies such as Shell, which profit from selling the fossil fuels that contribute to climate change, are lobbying world governments to prevent a new international agreement that could limit the pollution causing the problem. Friends of the Earth International's campaign against Shell will be in Birmingham on Wednesday, 13 August, when a 10ft high "Shell Demon" will stalk the forecourt of Birmingham's biggest Shell garage along with a large group of local protesters [1].

The 'Demon' will be calling on Shell to terminate its membership of the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), a fossil fuel lobbying group that is trying to prevent governments signing an agreement to cut the release of climate changing gases [2]. The 'Shell Demon' has a horned head in the form of a snarling Shell logo, with flashing red eyes. It will carry a staff topped with a globe emitting clouds of smoke. The demon will then go into Birmingham town centre to hand out leaflets to the public.

The demonstration takes place as scientists from the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research say that global average temperatures for 1997 are likely to be higher than 1995, the hottest prevoius year on record. Data reveals that by the end of July 1997,temperates were already above average. Experts say that the record-breaking temperatures are due to a combination of the El Nino effect, which is developing at an unprecedented speed, and global climate change, caused by emissions from burning fossil fuels [3].

Anna Stanford, Climate Change Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

"Although some people think warmer weather would be nice, the recent floods in Europe are a reminder that the reality of climate change will be far from pleasant. If oil companies like Shell continue to block agreements to cut the pollution that is warming up the atmosphere, the future of millions of people around the world will be at risk. Shell must put people before its profits and leave the Global Climate Coalition immediately".
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NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Demonstrators will be at the Shell petrol station, Pershore Road, Birmingham for a photocall from 1.00pm, 13 August 1997. Protestors will carry placards saying "Shell is Causing Climate Hell", "Global Warming: You Can Be Sure of (S)hell" and "Shell: Climate Wrecker".

[2] Other members of the GCC include Texaco, Esso, Ford and Vauxhall. Friends of the Earth International is urging these companies to terminate their membership of the GCC in advance of the United Nations Climate Summit in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997,where world governments will attempt to set targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions beyond the year 2000.

[3] Scientists at the Hadley Centre confirmed to Friends of the Earth on 11 August that by the end of July, 1997 global average temperatures were 0.35 degrees centigrade above the 1960-91 average. 1995, the hottest year on record, was 0.38 degrees centigrade above average. They predicted that this year's temperature is likely to be substantially influenced by the El Nino effect. If El Nino continues to develop at its current unprecedented rate,1997 is likely to become the hottest year on record.

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