The case of the Greenpeace activists jailed for protesting against oil exploration in the Arctic has made headlines throughout the world, especially in the UK.
With typically ironic timing, the UK’s Foreign Office has just announced plans to promote London as providing services for all those companies eager to get a share of the Arctic pie. Despite the UK having no territories in the Arctic at all, officials have set out a complete Arctic Framework detailing how the country is going to get involved.
You might dismiss this as nothing more than greedy opportunism, but it sends out the message that not only is the UK not taking a stand against the destruction of the Arctic - it actually wants to be part of it.
Considering the terrible environmental implications of oil exploration in this region, this is hardly the sort of action you’d expect from the self-proclaimed “greenest government ever”.
Tell the UK Foreign Office to turn its profiteering to less destructive projects and to not even consider trying to make London the hub for Arctic oil.
We the undersigned ask that you immediately scrap plans to facilitate oil exploration in the Arctic by promoting London as a service provider for the corporations involved.
The results of oil exploration in this region could be disastrous, no matter how much care is taken, and the last thing the world needs is to be burning more fossil fuels.
Please reconsider this ill-thought out and exceedingly irresponsible plan. As an interested party, since the northern-most parts of Scotland are very close to the Arctic, the UK should be taking a stand against Arctic exploitation, not jumping at the chance to make some money. We ask that you switch course immediately.
Thank you for your attention.
