Shell to Sea raise money, raise awareness at the All-Ireland Semi-Final

by Shell to Sea Sun Aug 06, 2006 17:38

Once again, thanks to all hurling fans who so generously donated to Shell to Sea today.

by Dr. Collins Sun Aug 06, 2006 19:32

Shell are spinning to the max. They are not and cannot be trusted.

We know they have no realistic route on offer.

The national Shell to Sea network and the Solidarity Camp network now number 100s of activists who will ensure this project WILL NOT GO AHEAD.

Minister Noel Dempsey listen up: WE WILL STOP THIS AND YOU WILL BE PAYING THE PRICE AT ELECTION TIME NEXT YEAR!

Andy Pyle: Crawl back under your rock. You've made a balls of this so far and you will continue to cock it up as your plans are fundamentally flawed.

Bring on next month whell Shell/Statoil/Marathon and the Irish political establishment attempt to ram this project through. We are ready to help them fail!

by supp Sun Aug 06, 2006 22:33

Egan and Matt v Garavan http://www.radioireland.ie/lastword/382006-16.wmv

so the they said they are going to take another look at this alternative route, but in the meantime they intend to start work at the terminal??

as MG said the terminal can move to sea the residents can't...

Corrib gas flows strongly
Terry Nolan, Deputy Managing Director for Shell E & P Ireland (SEPIL), said: "We're delighted with the results from this well. The gas was flared at varying rates (as shown in photo) over a period of 36 hours and was then shut off.
“The production rate was strong and steady which is great news for the Corrib development.
“This is the first well in the field to be prepared for continuous production. It will eventually be connected to a pipeline on the seabed, which will transport the gas to the processing terminal at Bellanaboy. The drilling rig will now move on to prepare another Corrib well for production."
http://www.con-telegraph.ie/article-detail.asp?article_...=3457

http://www.corribsos.com/

aware bb user explains the concept of the words shelltosea for those with wilful ignorance of the issue since 2001
http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=13278

by KBranno Mon Aug 07, 2006 02:15

Shell2Sea any plans for for attending next saturdays dublin game.a well placed banner/flag on the Hill would get a lot of exposure.

by John Mon Aug 07, 2006 12:01

According to the Irish Times there were 61,753 at Croke Park yesterday. Please tell us how much you collected, then we can judge for ourselves whether or not the response was 'overwhelming'. Most of the 61,753 will have driven there in motor-cars from Cork and Waterford and purchased large quantities of oil from Shell to enable them to do so. I bet the amount they contributed to Shell's coffers in so doing was thousands of times greater than what they contributed to the anti-Shell campaign, if indeed they contributed anything at all to that campaign. I also notice the fans shown in your photo were wearing the logo of the capitalist O2 mobile phone company. So, whatever about their 'overwhelming' response to the campaign against Shell, they're not taking too seriously the various anti-capitalist and anti-mobile-phone-mast campaigns currently going on in Ireland. My advice to Shell would be to immediately sponsor one of the county GAA teams, preferably Mayo, then the sight of thousands of fans turning up at Croke Park wearing the Shell logo would put the anti-Shell campaign in its proper perspective.

by elisa O'Donovan Mon Aug 07, 2006 14:12

I was at the match yesterday and saw this but didnt give anything because I was unsure what the collection was for? What exactly is the money going towards? To fund a big piss up in the shell to sea camps?? Also I am put off by the fact that shell to sea protestors are daily intmidating locals who work for shell or are pro the gas line? Even though I personally dont agree with the gas line being built I think its a disgrace that locals are being harrassed by protestors for their views.

by protesters Mon Aug 07, 2006 14:24

And that says it all! Rent a crowd who ignore the locals and think that they of course know best, not the LOCALS in the area

by EC - RSC Mon Aug 07, 2006 17:49

the vast majority of 'protesters' are locals. they are not just protesting but fighting for their very survival and that of their community. [RSC supporting the community led struggle has folk from mayo and all over because we see how corrib affects all of us]

locals who support the project are predominantly business interests who stand to make money out of it i.e. PEGG and co.

the only intimidation of the local community has been carried out by shell and the state and has been going on for the last six years with the threat to their existence posed by this project.

money donated to the campaign goes on legal fees, posters, flyers, booking venues, and general campaign expenses.

oh and the rossport solidarity camp is a drink free zone

by Tadhg - Shell to Sea Tue Aug 08, 2006 01:31

John, your comments are getting more and more difficult to take seriously, but if you want I'll make a deal with you. At next week's Dublin-Westmeath game, I'll give you a collecting tin with the Shell logo on it and you can go around collecting for them instead of the campaign which is trying to stop them from installing a dangerous, polluting onshore refinery in Erris. I'd be very interested to see how you get on.

In the meantime, rather than making rather specious comments about anti-capitalism or who is sponsoring the Mayo team, maybe you could tell us why Shell won't go offshore? Like energy companies do in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, off the coast of Norway, Kinsale etc etc...

by John Tue Aug 08, 2006 14:42

To answer your question, its much safer processing it on land. I couldn't put it any better than Shell themselves in their website. This is what they say in answer to a series of questions on the project:

Why can't Shell process the gas offshore?

"Onshore processing of Corrib gas is the best option for a field of this type and size. It is the best option from a safety, environmental and economic point of view. Among the benefits of onshore processing, are that it MINIMISES HAZARDS FOR THE WORKFORCE. Industry data from around the world demonstrate that there are greater risks associated with working on and travelling to an offshore platform, even one close to shore. Examples of such risks include helicopter transportation and marine cargo movements, none of which occur with an onshore plant."

The bottom line is that, while the risk to life in Mayo is minimal whether the gas is processed at sea or on land, statistically there is a greater risk from lots of helicopters flying around than from an underground pipeline exploding. Life is full of risks. Its a question of choosing options that minimise those risks. The risk to people in Mayo from the Shell pipeline is one of the most minuscule risks there is. The probability of anyone in Mayo being killed as a result of the Shell pipeline exploding is even less than the probability of Mayo winning the All-Ireland, and you can't get a probability much lower than that. The people who are behind this campaign do things everyday (e.g. drive from Ballina to Castlebar) that carry a risk of death hundreds of times greater than the risk of death from the pipeline.

I have no intention of collecting for Shell on Sunday. Companies like Shell do not look for charity. They produce a product which people are free to purchase or not purchase as they see fit. That's how they make their money, not from hand-outs. Let's see how many people you can persuade on Sunday to stop filling their cars with Shell petrol.

By the way, I live quite near Croke Park. The increased risk of my being killed in a car accident next Sunday as a result of 80,000 Dublin and Westmeath fans driving around the area I live in is one thousand times greater than the risk of any Mayo person being killed by the Shell pipeline. Presumably you'll support me if I now start a camapign to have next Sunday's match cancelled or played on some offshore island with the fans being transported there by helicopter. GAA-to-Sea.

by elisa O'Donovan Tue Aug 08, 2006 15:21

"locals who support the project are predominantly business interests who stand to make money out of it i.e. PEGG and co."

So what if their buisnesses who,god forbid,want to make money,a living for their family. It doesnt matter what their inention is everyone has a right to their own point of view without being intimidated. As Locals they should be respected for their opinion and should not be intimidated by the dublin blow ins who conjugate fopr the rossport solidarity camps. No one should be harrasssed for their views wether their intentions are money orientaed or whatever.

'"he only intimidation of the local community has been carried out by shell and the state and has been going on for the last six years with the threat to their existence posed by this project. "

Oh now I think someone is telling porkies. We have all seen first hand accounts in the media of locals being intimidated by shell protestors. I know myself as I have realatives living up in Westport and my cousin is employed by shell. He's just out of college.in lots of debt and this is his frist job yet he says his car gets regularly attacked on the way to work and he gets abuse. No one deserves this treatment.

Anyway back to the hand on topic you using the gaa championship to scab money for nothing really in particular of good hardworking gaa folk.
I have been to almost every football game in the championship as my brother plays for Limerick and I pretty much live for the summer gaa season. However, it disturbs me to see how you are manipulating the goodwill of the gaa fans to sponge money and harrassas us for change on our way to a match.
So then you say the money is for posters.. Are these the same posters that mock the same people who have funded millions into the same stadium you are standing outside sponging money off people . Mocking those who have helped revitalise the gaelic athletic association in this country and you have the cheek to ask us for money to help you print of these sort of posters who without these people we wouldnt be sitting in one of the best stadiums in europe watching the fastest growing european sport
[IMG]http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g302/panda100/460_0__...4.jpg[/IMG]

Oh and of course your totally right.The money isnt at all going towards a big piss up in what you say is an' alcohol free zone.'
Please dont humor me. So the campsite itself is but Do u want me to drag up all the old threads on indymedia to prove diferent.
[IMG]http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g302/panda100/460_0__...e.jpg[/IMG]
This pictiure had the slogan beach party central
[IMG]http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g302/panda100/460_0__...a.jpg[/IMG]
This had 'hungover monday'
And this was in an emai asking me to go to the rscl I recieved 'The place is really beautiful, ideal for some
field-drinking and herb-smoking'
And I dont have the time or energy to drag up all the 'great rave in rossport'last night lads' posts.

I dont mind people collecting outside matches when they are doing it with the best of intention and not funding their own lifestyle

by Tadhg - Shell to Sea Wed Aug 09, 2006 21:52

"Onshore processing of Corrib gas is the best option for a field of this type and size."

Best in terms of profits for Shell? Certainly not best option in terms of safety, environment and economics for the people who'll have to live with it, and see their environment polluted and their local tourism industry ruined.

"It is the best option from a safety, environmental and economic point of view."

No it isn't.

"Among the benefits of onshore processing, are that it MINIMISES HAZARDS FOR THE WORKFORCE."

The workforce will have a choice of whether they want to work in the oil and gas industry and put up with the risks involved with flying to a rig. The local people in Rossport won't have any choice about the risk to their health through pollution or explosion. Shell can move, but the community can't.

"Industry data from around the world demonstrate that there are greater risks associated with working on and travelling to an offshore platform, even one close to shore. "

These are risks to the contractors, whose wages -I would hope- reflect those risks, and who are at risk for a set numbers of hours per day , or days per month or whatever. They can go home and relax at the end of their time at work, something that the people of Rossport would never again be able to do if the pipeline and refinery were forced on them.

"Examples of such risks include helicopter transportation and marine cargo movements, none of which occur with an onshore plant."

You're nort really explaining why the local people -who will see absolutely no benefit from the gas- should have to put up with a production pipeline going past their houses. They'll have to live with the risks of an explosion 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

You really believe that Shell are putting up with all this protest and delay because they ware worried about their staff being hurt in helicoptor crashes? I find it hard to believe that anyone would buy this, especially from a company which was recently fined for ignoring safety warnings which, if acted on, would have saved the lives of two of their workers on a North Sea rig.

Your analogy of the risk caused by people going to Croke Park next Saturday shows a fundamentally flawed understanding of the nature of the Corrib scheme; but, if you're interested, there is indeed a campaign made up of residents who have difficulties with the way the stadium is managed and the problems associated with it. The campaign is run by the croke park area residents alliance (CPARA), and they are are trying to force Croke Park to be a better neighbour, something which I would support. But since you're a local, you know all this, don't you?

by Tadhg - Shell to Sea Wed Aug 09, 2006 22:06

Elisa, as you say, everyone is entitled to their point of view, so I'm not going to get into detail with you about whatever point you were trying to make about the posters, the GAA, the camp etc. Suffice to say that in my experience anyone who goes to the camp for a holiday is seriously misguided, and the money raised at Croke Park last week will pay to book venues for public meetings this week as part of "the long walk to Dublin" by some people from Rossport.

The point you make about intimidation is very interesting though. Has your relative reported the attacks on his car to the police?

As far as I know, the only cases of intimidation which have been reported were carried out against Shell to Sea activists, who have been pushed, shoved, arrested, kicked, followed, photographed and imprisoned.

If you have evidence that Shell's workers are being intimidated I suggested you report it to the Gardaí, and also send it, if you like, to us, and we'll look into it.

For the record, Shell to Sea condemns all violence and intimidation, and the campaign is committed to non-violent actions.

by Tadhg - Shell to Sea Wed Aug 09, 2006 22:16

While we're on the subject of intimidation, here's a reminder of the culture of Shell:

Shell admitted after a story published by a UK newspaper, The Sunday Times, on 17 June 2001, that it had used a serving German Secret Service Agent on undercover missions targeted against its perceived enemies including Greenpeace, The Body Shop and Nigerian activists.

The agent, who was employed by a Hakluyt Limited, a sinister London-based "business intelligence bureau", had engaged in sabotage, espionage, betrayal, deception and intelligence gathering. The following are extracts from The Sunday Times article:

“Behind the facade, however, Schlickenrieder was a spy working for both the German secret service and for Hakluyt, a private intelligence agency based in London's West End and set up by former officers of MI6, the secret intelligence service. Hakluyt paid him thousands of pounds to inform on the activities of Greenpeace, Anita Roddick's Body Shop and other environmental campaigners. The BND, the German equivalent of MI6, allegedly paid him £3,125 a month living expenses.”

The agent also had a sinister role in connection with Ken Saro Wiwa, the Nigerian Nobel prize laureate, who was hanged on false charges by the then corrupt military regime in Nigeria with which Shell was closely involved. Mr. Wiwa was killed along with eight others after leading a peaceful campaign against Shell’s activities including horrendous environmental consequences resulting from oil spills and gas flaring in Ogoniland in the Nigerian Delta.

We discovered that senior titled directors of Shell were also directors and the ultimate spymasters of Hakluyt, one serving as Chairman of the operating company and the other as President of what is supposed to be an oversight organisation, The Hakluyt Foundation. The relevant gentlemen were simultaneously major shareholders in Shell and Hakluyt.

http://shellnews.net/2004 Documents/sundaytimes/sundaytimesspied8april.htm

http://shellnews.net/

by cool j Thu Aug 10, 2006 02:44

I'm used to reading rubbish from John(Egan or Cronin who knows??) but Ms O' Donovan really takes the biscuit. Your laughable accusations are really pathetic. You want to take about intimidation - Woman drives home from public meeting at night early this year and is followed by two jeeps which drive up close behind with lights off. They continue to do this for 5 miles and along the way the suddenly put on their fulls to dazzle her. Thankfully the lady has the sense to drive up a blind boreen and call for back-up, all the time being intimidated by the two jeeps whose then get driverers get out and approach her car in a menacing fashion. Help arrives and it turns out the individuals were working for Shell security. The lady in question was Maura Harrington a well known ShelltoSea figure. These guys knew what they were doing and god knows what would have happened if her members of her family had not arrived in the nick of time. This is a statement fact and can be checked out by anyone by contacting Belmullet guards.

by cool j Thu Aug 10, 2006 02:57

Can you answser that Question? - Since when are people from Westport local as you claim in the case of your brother. I have lived and worked in Erris for the last 5 years and am married to a local woman. By the sounds of things your not even from Mayo. You have no crediblity on any of the issues you claim to be so sure off - Why don't you and John get together and mount your own little protest on behalf of Shell in Rossport and see how much support you get?? - Not keen on that?? - Quelle suprise!!!

by Elisa O'Donovan Thu Aug 10, 2006 15:41

Just look at your above posts to see why the media and people of Ireland are really turning against the plight of the rossport people from what was lots of support last summer. You just brush off anyones comments who disagrees with you as inferior and the only replys are insults and demeaning. The rossport supporters think they are as indestructible as the shannon 5 and peeple really dont like cockiness.

If Im wrong in my posts cant you tell me why and tell me why I should be giving money to you. From these posts of people telling me I really 'take the biscuit' I think Im right that I will totally ignore you at the next gaa match as you give me absolutely no sound reason to support you.

I wish you all the best with 'booking venues' as from these posts thats all you seem to need the money for which you scrounge off the goodwill of us gaa folk. I would have no intention of running a campaign against you as someone suggested and would like to give you support if you gave me reason too. However I dont find booking venues,offensive posters and an apparently non drinking solidarity camp piss up a good enough reason to give money to you when I could give it to people who really need it like temple street hospital that were collecting outside the last game.

About intimidation I fully believe that rossport locals who are against the pipeline are being harrassed by shell.However,I am not as naieve to believe indymedia reports that this intimidation is a one way street. People on both sides of the argument are getting harrassed and there is little doubt of that from both media reports and first hand accounts.

http://www.unison.ie/search/frame_search.php3?span=web&...shell

by Elisa Thu Aug 10, 2006 15:45

Also cool j how about reading my original post before demeaning me. My brother plays for Limerick so as in the case of my 'brother' I doubt he is a local. It's my cousin that is. Also I am not a local but I know lots of people who are involved with saving rossport who are not locals so I hardly think that is an important or fair question.

by Tadhg - Shell to Sea Fri Aug 11, 2006 00:14

"Just look at your above posts to see why the media and people of Ireland are really turning against the plight of the Rossport people from what was lots of support last summer. You just brush off anyone’s comments who disagrees with you as inferior and the only replies are insults and demeaning. The Rossport supporters think they are as indestructible as the Shannon 5 and people really don’t like cockiness."

While this is obviously heartfelt, it doesn't add up to anything except your sense of alienation from the campaign. I've said you have a right to have different opinions from us, but obviously I'm not going to agree with you. Campaign supporters certainly don't think they are "indestructible"; five people spent three months locked up in high security conditions last year. This is no joke, and before all this is over more people will probably undergo arrest and imprisonment and all the trauma to themselves and their families that that entails. You may believe (and again, you're entitled to believe) that "people of Ireland are turning against" the campaign. However the evidence that we see is that this is not so. Canvassing in Ballina, meeting folks along the walk route in Mullingar, walking around the pubs on Dorset Street talking to Cork fans, gives us the definite impression that people are better informed now, and more skeptical about the motives of Shell and the Irish Government than they were last summer.

"If I'm wrong in my posts cant you tell me why and tell me why I should be giving money to you. From these posts of people telling me I really 'take the biscuit' I think I'm right that I will totally ignore you at the next GAA match as you give me absolutely no sound reason to support you."

You don't have to give us money. Lots of people do, presumably because they think the campaign is important, and realise that if big business can imprison people for standing up against a dangerous scheme in Mayo, then it can happen anywhere in Ireland, and it will happen if it’s not stopped by people like us. Next time it might be a hotel or a supermarket company that wants someone’s house, or Shell or some other multi-national will want to build a giant polluting refinery in Limerick or Cork or Dublin. Leaflets, posters, public meetings, pickets, press releases and marches might stop it, and this all has to be paid for. But again, if these reasons don't persuade you then I hope you can politely decline if we ask for a donation.

"I wish you all the best with 'booking venues' as from these posts that’s all you seem to need the money for which you scrounge off the goodwill of us GAA folk. I would have no intention of running a campaign against you as someone suggested and would like to give you support if you gave me reason too. However I don’t find booking venues, offensive posters and an apparently non drinking solidarity camp piss up a good enough reason to give money to you when I could give it to people who really need it like temple street hospital that were collecting outside the last game."

No one is scrounging. It's your choice to whom you donate your no-doubt hard-earned money. I like Temple Street Hospital, but I personally think the state should pay for the medical needs of its sick child citizens, so if I make financial donations they're more likely to go to a political or environmental campaign; but that's just my personal view, you're entitled to yours too.

“About intimidation I fully believe that Rossport locals who are against the pipeline are being harassed by Shell. However, I am not as naive to believe indymedia reports that this intimidation is a one-way street. People on both sides of the argument are getting harassed and there is little doubt of that from both media reports and first hand accounts.”

The thing is, there are no properly sourced media reports of harassment by anti-Shell campaigners. No one has reported any of us to the Gardaí for intimidation, and none of the people with the "first hand accounts" seem willing to stand over them when questioned. Of course it's possible that there is intimidation going on, it's just that there is only hard evidence of intimidation by pro-Shell forces. If you look carefully at the link you provided, the stories are all about that, or unsourced rambling from newspapers like the Irish Independent, who are unable to provide any evidence for the claims.

It's worth re-iterating that the campaign is against any form of violent protest, and no intimidation of any sort is countenanced by any member of Shell to Sea. We condemn intimidation by anyone who is carrying it out, and believe that it shows nothing more than the moral bankruptcy of those who feel it is necessary.

by Flynn - agrescon@agrescon.nl Tue Aug 22, 2006 15:16 agrescon at agrescon dot nl 0031102102055

This is a Constitutional Issue, It pertains to ALL the people of Eire, of ALL political persuasion, of ALL regions , and if any of them are not interested they Shouldent be in the Republic in the first place, and Immigrant votes shouldnt be allowed Otherwise Eire will end up like Tonga in The Pacific, were the indigenous population got voted out for an introduction of Patronizing Quangoism. The Government of the day signed away something they had no right or Mandate to do, It is therefore illegal under International Law, check the dates and Eire wasnt part of the Protocols and Treatys of the European Union, when the deals with Shell were Signed at the time, it is therefore null and void, or are we all Red Indians Now? Use The Strength of the Constitution, Bunreacht na hEireann. Flynn O Flynn.

by soundmigration - WSM Tue Aug 22, 2006 19:54

Will be publishing and article in the next week or two looking at the corporate PR strategies in areas of conflict with local communities, and the links between Irish PR companies, the mainstream media, and our elected representatives. Shell dont really come out of it too well. This struggle is about democratic deficits.