‘Polar bears’ confront oil explorers

Activists dressed as polar bears yesterday protested inside the headquarters of a firm behind Arctic oil exploration.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Jul 2011, 07:00 BST

More than 60 Greenpeace campaigners, about half of whom were wearing the animal outfits, entered the offices of Cairn Energy in Edinburgh, demanding the company publishes details of how it would respond to an oil spill. The environmental group has targeted the firm before and occupied a drilling vessel operated on its behalf in the region.

Cairn announced in June that it had begun drilling in two wells approximately 100 miles (161km) and 185 miles (298km) off Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. Each drilling operation is in water deeper than 2,953ft (900m).

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The drilling had been delayed by two Greenpeace protesters who occupied the company’s 53,000-tonne drilling vessel, operated on behalf of Cairn Energy.

The group said its activists “invaded” the company offices at about 8.15am yesterday to demand the spill plans.

They also handed out leaflets to staff urging them to become whistleblowers.

Related topics:GreenpeaceEdinburgh