Posts from ‘January, 2011’

EMAIL RECEIVED TODAY FROM A GERMAN SOURCE

Subject: Your homepage with Nazi symbols.

Dear Sir

I opened this link today and noticed some very strange parts. It looks like, that somebody “hacked” your homepage

http://royaldutchshellplc.com/tag/shell-stanlow-refinery

REPLY FROM JOHN DONOVAN

Thanks for your email.

If you are under the impression that the website is owned and operated by Royal Dutch Shell Plc then that is the first issue I need to deal with. According to Shell we hijacked their rightful top level domain name, royaldutchshellplc.com. Shell issued proceedings in an attempt to seize the domain name, but lost the case.

The Shell/Nazi graphics relates to our article Royal Dutch Shell Nazi Secrets which contains evidence from reputable independent sources that Shell conspired directly with Hitler, heavily financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis.

Visitors who enter the website via an article, rather than the home page, will as you did, see the Shell/Nazi graphics and end up baffled because there is no explanation. We will rectify this situation by adding a reference to Royal Dutch Shell Nazi Secrets on every article published henceforth.

Kind regards

John Donovan

Latest leaked diplomatic cable from U.S. Embassy in The Hague confirms Shell exports oil to Iran, yet pressed for imposing broader UN trade sanctions on Iran and forcing Chinese and Russian firms to comply, so as to “level the playing field”. Shell’s Chinese and Russian partners in various multibillion dollar projects may not be impressed. Cable says Netherlands’ gas reserves are forecast to run out by 2030.

Reference ID: 09THEHAGUE596

Created: 2009-10-02 16:04

Released: 2011-01-22 17:05

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Origin: Embassy The Hague

VZCZCXRO0249
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHTC #0596/01 2751600
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021600Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3320
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 THE HAGUE 000596

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG EPET PREL NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS: SCENESETTER FOR SPECIAL ENVOY
MORNINGSTAR,S VISIT TO THE HAGUE, OCTOBER 7-9, 2009

THE HAGUE 00000596 001.2 OF 004

¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Post warmly welcomes you to The Hague to
convene the 2009 Regional Energy Officers Conference. During
your stay, you will also meet the Foreign Minister, Economic
Affairs Minister, Royal Dutch Shell's Executive Director
responsible for Russia/Central Asia, and address Dutch energy
industry and policy leaders at the Netherlands' premier think
tank. No high-level U.S. official has discussed energy
security in the Netherlands (the world's fifth-largest
natural gas exporter) in several years. The Dutch
fundamentally share our commitment to enhancing Europe's
energy security through diverse sources and supply routes.
However, we would like the Dutch to take on a more prominent
role within the EU to achieve these objectives and avoid
backsliding into narrow commercial diplomacy. END SUMMARY.

---------------------
DUTCH ENERGY OVERVIEW
---------------------

¶2. (U) The Netherlands' energy position is unique within the
EU. It is the world's seventh largest gas producer and the
EU's largest net exporter of gas by a wide margin. The
Netherlands produces about 14 percent of the natural gas
consumed in Europe and has observer status at the recently
formed Gas Exporting Countries Forum. Since its discovery in
1959, the giant Groningen field has helped underwrite the
Dutch welfare state. (Note: Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil
are 50/50 partners in Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij
(NAM), the country's largest gas producer and 60 percent
shareholder of the Groningen field; the Dutch state operator
EBN owns the remainder. End note.) The Dutch economy runs
on natural gas -- it accounts for 45 percent of primary
energy supply and 58 percent of electricity production.

¶3. (U) The Netherlands' gas reserves are forecast to run out
by 2030, forcing the Dutch to rethink their energy policy.
To remain a regional energy player after its own resources
are depleted, the Dutch government is patiently cultivating
energy relationships with Russia, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Libya,
Qatar, and Angola as long-term supplier countries. The
Netherlands wants to develop as a natural gas roundabout --
a hub that gathers natural gas from various sources (North
Sea, LNG, Russia) and then distributes it via pipeline to
continental Europe.

¶4. (U) The Dutch are also pursuing opportunities to develop
gas storage reservoirs. The prevalence of depleted gas
fields means the Netherlands has huge storage potential,
either for natural gas or carbon dioxide (CCS). Abu Dhabi
national energy company TAQA announced in December 2008 it
would lead a consortium developing a USD 1 billion, 4.1
billion cubic meter gas storage facility in Bergermeer (in
conjunction with Gazprom and EBN) to be operational by 2013.
The Dutch oppose EU regulations that would require each EU
member state to have adequate gas storage capacity of its
own. The Dutch want to provide storage service to others in
the region -- for a price.

¶5. (SBU) The Port of Rotterdam is one of the world's major
centers for crude oil imports, trading, refining, and
petrochemical production. Key oil import sources include
Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Norway. Vitol, Trafigura, and
Shell operate there and export oil to Iran.

¶6. (U) The Dutch want Rotterdam to become an important
destination for LNG as well. Dutch companies Vopak (liquid
storage) and Gasunie (gas pipelines) are teaming up to build
a 12 billion cubic meter (bcm) per year LNG terminal at the
port, due for completion in 2011. TAQA is planning a
sea-based LNG terminal near Rotterdam. On the other side of
Qsea-based LNG terminal near Rotterdam. On the other side of
the country, energy company Essent (now owned by Germany's
RWE) is developing an LNG terminal with Vopak and Gasunie in
Eemshaven, near the German border.

¶7. (U) Despite the GONL's enthusiastic support for strict EU
renewable energy targets, the country derives only 2.5
percent of its total energy supply from renewables, mostly
biomass and wind. Grand plans and subsidy schemes abound for
offshore wind parks in the North Sea, but these have not left
the drawing board.

¶8. (U) The Netherlands has one 485 MW nuclear plant in
Borssele, co-owned by utilities Delta and Essent. Delta
wants to build additional reactors on the same site, but
nuclear energy is a political taboo, and the current
government is reluctant to approve any expansion plans.

¶9. (U) The Netherlands embraced full ownership unbundling of
its electricity and gas utility companies in order to attract
new investment capital and increae competition. Local
THE HAGUE 00000596 002.2 OF 004
government authorities have retained ownership of regulated
network businesses, but foreign energy giants RWE and
Vattenfall acquired the two largest Dutch energy supply and
production companies -- Essent and Nuon, respectively -- in
¶2009. The Dutch government was frustrated when Germany and
France succeeded in watering down the EU's unbundling rules
in favor of national champions.

-----------------------
GASUNIE AND NORD STREAM
-----------------------

¶10. (SBU) Dutch gas pipeline company Gasunie is 100 percent
state-owned, unlike most other European gas infrastructure
companies. The GONL maintains an arms-length relationship
with Gasunie's management, expecting it to operate like a
publicly traded company and earn a reasonable return of
around 7 percent for the government, according to Finance
Minister Wouter Bos.

¶11. (SBU) Gasunie holds a 9 percent stake in Gazprom's Nord
Stream pipeline. This participation was announced during
Prime Minister Balkenende's November 2007 visit to Russia.
Gasunie CEO Marcel Kramer told post the GONL gave positive
feedback to the deal as a way of retaining a significant
role for the Netherlands in Europe's energy equation. To
burnish Nord Stream's image, Gasunie has tried hard to
portray the project as ambitious but realistic; to
characterize Gazprom as driven by commercial concerns, not
political ones; and to leverage the Dutch reputation as
transparent, trustworthy businesspeople.

¶12. (SBU) Gasunie has a 60 percent share in the Bacton
Balgzand Line (BBL), operational since 2006, which transports
natural gas from the Netherlands to the UK (although it is
bi-directional). Belgian gas transport company Fluxys and
German energy giant e.ON Ruhrgas each have 20 percent shares.
In exchange for Gasunie's share in Nord Stream, Gazprom
received an option to buy a 9 percent stake in BBL. If
Gazprom exercises this option, the shares will come from
Gasunie, leaving it with a majority 51 percent. According to
Kramer, Gasunie had to explain to Gazprom that BBL meets EU
rules, meaning the shareholders just own and operate the
pipeline but cannot dictate who runs gas through it. Post
has heard that BBL did not reverse flow (i.e., send gas from
UK to continental Europe) during the winter 2009
Russia/Ukraine gas crisis.

¶13. (U) Gasunie bought BEB Transport -- the gas transport
division of a German Shell/Exxon joint venture -- in November
¶2007. BEB's pipelines tie into Gasunie's existing network,
linking the Netherlands to northern Germany, Berlin, Denmark,
and the landing points for Norwegian gas.

--------------------------------------------- ---------
MEETING FOREIGN MINISTER AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS MINISTER
--------------------------------------------- ---------

¶14. (SBU) Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen and Economic
Affairs Minister Maria van der Hoeven constitute an active
tag team on energy diplomacy with producer countries as they
pursue the Netherlands' vision of becoming a gas hub.
Verhagen, a career politician, and Van der Hoeven, an
educator before embarking on politics, both belong to the
center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party, the
ruling coalition's largest. When you meet Van der Hoeven,
she will have just returned from the Kazakhstan International
Oil and Gas Expo and a September 23-26 visit to the U.S.
where she met with Energy Secretary Chu. A planned meeting
with Commerce Secretary Locke did not happen. Her Ministry
of Economic Affairs (MEA) spans energy, commerce, and trade.
Qof Economic Affairs (MEA) spans energy, commerce, and trade.
In the past year, she has visited Angola (March 2009 to lobby
for future LNG shipments to Rotterdam), Algeria (January 2009
also for LNG supplies), Russia (December 2008 for broad
energy investment), Qatar (October 2008 for LNG), and Saudi
Arabia (October 2008 for broad energy investment). Verhagen
visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia (May 2009) and Algeria
(November 2008) to push for closer economic and energy
cooperation as well as human rights.

¶15. (SBU) Under Van der Hoeven's lead, the Netherlands'
overarching goals in the energy sector are similar to ours:
maintain open markets, ensure diverse and secure supply
sources, and develop new and clean alternatives to fossil
fuels. As she said in a speech during her recent trip to
Washington, The way to improve energy supply security is to
build and maintain good relations with energy suppliers ...
The solution is a variety of sources and suppliers ... to
stimulate an energy mix for Europe that consists of the whole
palette: fossil fuels, sustainable energy, and nuclear energy
THE HAGUE 00000596 003.2 OF 004
on a way to sustainable energy. The Dutch support the main
points of EU strategic energy policy, especially
interconnections. However, they are reluctant to be Europe's
producer of last resort in the event of a gas crisis as they
plan to draw down their reserves slowly, prolonging the
buffer they enjoy by virtue of their domestic production.

¶16. (SBU) We expect Verhagen and Van der Hoeven to raise the
following issues:
-- U.S.-EU Energy Council: The Netherlands will want to play
an active role in the proposed UEEC and will be eager to hear
the U.S. vision for this body.
-- Caspian Basin: The Ministers will be interested to discuss
how the United States and the Netherlands can align our
energy strategy in the region. They will also want to
exchange views on the Caspian Development Corporation.
-- Energy Charter Treaty: Russia's decision to withdraw from
the ECT caught the Dutch by surprise. They judge it to be a
self-defeating move but will want to maintain other channels
of EU-Russia dialogue on energy matters.
-- Turkey/Southern Corridor: Minister Verhagen will likely
share the Dutch perspective on Nabucco and relations with
Turkey. (Note: Former Nabucco coordinator and Dutch
Foreign Minister Jozias van Aartsen is now Mayor of The
Hague. End Note.)
-- International Energy Forum: The Dutch have firm advocates
of IEF's producer-consumer dialogue. (Note: IEF Secretary
General Noe van Hulst is a Dutch national and former DG for
energy at MEA. End note.)
-- Russia: The Dutch acknowledge we have some differences
concerning Russia (see below) and will want to discuss them.
-- Iran: The GONL and Shell (see below) are both concerned
about proposed U.S. legislation to impose sanctions on
companies selling refined products to Iran. They think this
will only succeed in giving Chinese and Russian companies
access to Iran's hydrocarbon resources at the expense of U.S.
and European competitors.

¶17. (SBU) Commercial interests are always central to Dutch
economic relations and nowhere is this more evident than with
Russia. For example, during President Medvedev's June 2009
visit to the Netherlands, he met with representatives from
major Dutch companies including Shell, Phillips, and ING.
According to a well-placed MEA official, Prime Minister
Balkenende hit if off with Gazprom Chairman (and former
Russian PM) Viktor Zubkov during the visit and they agreed
that energy and gas cooperation remains central to their
relationship. The two countries committed to increasing
Russian companies' investment in the Port of Rotterdam, and
Russia's Lukoil acquired a 45 percent stake in a Total
refinery in south Holland. However, the Dutch are defensive
about the clubby atmosphere of these twice-yearly high-level
visits. GONL energy officials have told us bluntly in the
past, Don't lecture us about Russia. They are especially
sensitive to criticism about Nord Stream; MEA took offense at
the September 2008 editorial written by the then U.S.
Ambassador to Sweden raising objections to the pipeline.
Despite close commercial relations with Russia, the GONL
supports the so-called Gazprom clause and would likely try
to block a Russian takeover of a Dutch utility without
reciprocal market access.

-----
SHELL
-----

¶18. (SBU) As Forbes' number two global corporation (after
GE), Rotal Dutch Shell exerts strong influence on Dutch
foreign economic policy. For example, Simon Smits (MFA's
Director for Economic Cooperation whom you will meet October
Q7) recently returned from a secondment to Shell's government
relations group. Finance Minister Bos also held executive
positions at Shell in the 1990s before turning to politics.
You will meet Matthias Bichsel, Shell's Executive Director
responsible for Russia/Central Asia, on October 9. Large
Dutch dredging and energy infrastracture companies such as
Boskalis, Van Oord, and Fugro also enjoy substantial
political influence.

¶19. (SBU) Shell tries to keep the U.S. government updated on
the Persian LNG (PLNG) project. Shell is a minority partner
in PLNG and has successfully delayed a final investment
decision for several years. Shell wants to keep a foothold
THE HAGUE 00000596 004.2 OF 004
on the project and not let (yet another) lucrative, long-term
Iranian energy contract go to China, but knows it cannot move
ahead on the project in the current climate. Shell would
welcome another UNSC resolution that levels the playing
field by imposing broader trade sanctions on Iran and
forcing Chinese and Russian firms to comply, thereby reducing
the IOCs' competitive disadvantage.

-----------
CLINGENDAEL
-----------

¶20. (U) Your participation in the Eurasian Energy Security
roundtable with Minister van der Hoeven at the Clingendael
International Energy Program will send a positive signal
about U.S. willingness to engage with European allies on this
issue. The audience will include Dutch energy executives and
policy makers eager to hear your remarks and ask you
questions about U.S. international energy strategy.
LEVIN

SOURCE CABLE

Published on : 25 January 2011 – 5:15pm | By Hélène Michaud

Royal Dutch Shell faces serious probing by the Dutch parliament on Wednesday into its profitable yet controversial operations in Nigeria.  MPs contacted by Radio Netherlands Worldwide see the hearing as a “fact-finding” exercise they hope will help deepen their understanding of the situation in the oil-rich Niger Delta where Shell has been extracting oil for over 50 years.

The public hearing, officially about Corporate Social Responsibility in West Africa, is expected to focus on the oil multinational’s record in Nigeria.

War of numbers
Stakeholders are waging a war of numbers about the extent of the massive environmental degradation oil exploration has brought to the region. Who’s to blame? Shell? The Nigerian government? Thieves and thugs? Militant groups? And who should clean up the oil spills and stop the gas flaring? Meanwhile, as the finger pointing goes on, local fishermen and farmers continue to lose their livelihoods.

In Shell’s view, sabotage of its pipelines accounts for around 98 percent of the oil spills affecting its operations. Friends of the Earth and Amnesty International say Shell has deliberately exaggerated the number of cases of sabotage in order to avoid paying compensation.

Dutch parliamentarians hope to find out who’s right after questioning these organisations, local NGOs, the scientific community and the Anglo-Dutch multinational itself, represented by Shell Netherlands President Peter de Wit, and Ian Craig, the company’s Vice-President for Sub-Saharan Africa.

The situation is indeed “complex” as Shell will conclude in its presentation. Two MPs who visited the Niger Delta in preparation for the hearing share this perception: they witnessed how the corrupt Nigerian government is not only lax at enforcing environmental regulations, but is actually involved in and profiting from widespread oil theft (known as “bunkering) in the Delta.

Oil companies should clean up spills
A spokesman for the largest party in the current coalition, the conservative VVD, traditionally close to Dutch corporations, told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that his party is approaching the hearing with an open mind. They intend to ask Shell how it deals with corruption and will also ask why all stakeholders don’t just sit down together with the local population to examine the situation.

Regarding oil spills, the VVD’s position, MP Afke Schaart states, is that “many oil spills are a result of sabotage“. Legally, the party explains, “environmental pollution that results from oil spills should be cleaned up by the oil company that owns the pipelines.” The VVD says further spills should be prevented.

Transparency
Labour Party MP Sjoera Dikkers, who visited the Niger Delta recently, will ask Shell how it can “improve its transparency” and “to what extent Shell uses its influence on the [Nigerian] government.” She has questions for environmental groups too: what kind of dialogue do they want to engage in with Shell and how do they perceive the fact that residents of the delta pollute their own environment through the sabotage of pipelines?

The hearing is unlikely to turn in to a Shell-bashing exercise, Socialist Party MP Sharon Gesthuizen predicts. She instigated this hearing and also visited the region in order to assess the situation herself. Ms. Gesthuizen will ask if Shell can do more to fight corruption inside the company and also how the Dutch government can support the company.

Shell has consistently refused to expose the widespread corruption within the Nigerian government, Nigerian activist Sunny Ofehe will point out, “for fear of being expunged and as such be seen as an accomplice to the destruction of the Niger Delta environment. ” He will be one of the 12 guest speakers at the hearing.

Environmentalists, activists and politicians alike will be calling for more openness on the part of the company.

“They’re going to have to be more open about what they see and what they know about the situation in the country itself. They have to accept their responsibilities”, Ms. Gesthuizen says. In return, she feels, the Dutch will need to be more explicit about what they expect from their companies and what those companies should do when confronted with human rights violations.

Close watch on follow-up
While the MPs probe the invited speakers, in an unprecedented exercise for the Dutch parliament, the world will be watching and wondering what the lawmakers will do with the information that is gathered. As another speaker, Amnesty International’s Audrey Gaughran, puts it , “having a hearing in parliament is a very productive step but it has to be followed up and it is the follow-up that everybody will be watching.”

SOURCE ARTICLE

Search Results

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Hi Alfred Donovan,

I find this website a valuable source of information for learning about the oil industry in general and of course the company Royal Dutch Shell in particular.

I enjoyed reading the post – “Royal Dutch Shell Nazi Secrets Exposed.”

I just found this cool infographic on the The Visual History of TSA and Flight Terrorism while doing research for a project and thought you might be interested.

EXTRACT

You can check the whole infographic out here: http://www.onlineuniversities.net/tsa-graphic.

I thought your readers might enjoy the graphic and wanted to see if you would consider posting a link to it from your blog. Let me know what you think of it.

Thanks! Lauren (Name and email address supplied)

REPLY

Hello Lauren

Thanks for the kind words about our website. I did check out the inforgraphic. It is impressive and highly informative.

Kind regards

Alfred

From an outspoken former employee of Shell Oil USA

The association between Dutch companies and West Africa is centuries old. It began in earnest with the slave trade. Dutch companies were the first and largest of the slave traders. Of course, the justification of the concept of slavery was based on Biblical interpretations of the relationship between the white man and the black man, with the black man being considered to be racially inferior to the white man.

That philosophy of the white man towards the black man, and the inferior race of the ‘red man’ of the America’s, both of which were enslaved in large numbers, eventually led to the development of term ‘under men’, a concept the Nazi’s later picked up and use in their ideology of Aryan racial superiority.

The German philosopher Nietzsche subsequently coined the term ‘super man’, and was a proponent of the ‘master – slave’ morality. (See a discussion and definition of the term ‘under men’ : Untermensch – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. See also a discussion of the life of Friedrich Nietzsche: Friedrich Nietzsche – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Most people consider Nietzsche to be ‘on the fringe’ in his philosophy, and indeed he suffered and eventually died from syphilis (which may help account for some of his ‘radical’ thinking). However, Hitler and the Nazi’s took the ‘untermensch/ubermensch’ and ‘master – slave’ concepts to the extreme in their ‘Aryan war’ against the Jews of Europe, the Slavs of Russia, and other forms of ‘sub-humans’.

However, what I find interesting and most disturbing is the attitude of Royal Dutch Shell management towards the peoples of the various countries in which they operate, and in this modern age. It is most definitely ‘neo-colonial’ in nature and borders on what could be considered a continued corporate adoption of the ‘untermensch/ubermensch’ and ‘master – slave’ mentality of Nietzsche, et al., (which occurred during the time of Sir Henri Deterding and long before Hitler and the Nazi’s ever came into being.) Of course, the association of RD Shell with the Third Reich was an affirmation of that corporate philosophy and attitude, at the highest levels, in the 1900 – 1950 time frame. The company (Sir Henri and senior management) and the Nazi party were very much ‘kindred spirits’ philosophically, and this accounts for the willing support and collaboration of Royal Dutch Shell with the Nazi’s from the early 1920′s into WWII.

However, the passage of time has apparently had little impact on RD Shell’s corporate cultural attitude. This attitude is most obviously displayed in their long term treatment of the Nigerians which began in 1956. Prior to that it was obvious in the way they treated the Indonesians, a major source of Royal Dutch Shell’s early oil wealth. (After WWII the Dutch sought US assistance in regaining control of their former Indonesian colonial empire, the the Indonesian Dutch (Royal Dutch) oil fields, which did not happen.) It also shows up in the way RD Shell deals with the Irish today. And we have the example of how they have dealt with Dr. Huong in Malaysia.

Is Royal Dutch Shell a racist company with exploitative, neo-colonial attitudes in the countries in which they operate? Judge the company and its management by their actions.

RELATED ARTICLES

Shell, we are Africans, not slaves: 8 May 2010

Shell Employees in Africa Protest Against Being ‘Sold’ by Shell: 29 July 2008

399 REASONS WHY JON CHADWICK, DEPARTING CHAIRMAN OF SHELL MALAYSIA, SHOULD BE HANGING HIS HEAD IN SHAME

From an outspoken former employee of Shell Oil USA

John,

First it was a problem with the Royal Dutch Shell’s clean air permits, now it is a problem with the government’s ‘Bush era’ environmental impact statement. And the U.S. government doesn’t seem to know when that impact statement will be completed. Maybe it should have been done right the first time.

However, does anyone get the idea that maybe the Fed’s really don’t want RD Shell to do any drilling in the Beaufort Sea this year?

This is no surprise. An ‘accident/incident’ by RD Shell and their antiquated drilling fleet that would lead to any significant spill would trigger a fire storm of criticism and would be politically disastrous for the Obama administration. And neither the Fed’s or Shell have the assets in place to clean up any incident of ‘significance’. And clearly the administration does not trust Shell anymore than they trust BP. But then, why should they? I wonder what DoI learned, or is learning, from the Navy’s investigation of Shell?

Maybe DoI should consult with Gale Norton about all of this.

I doubt RD Shell will be drilling in the Beaufort Sea anytime soon.

Daily protest at the gates of Shell’s proposed Corrib Gas Refinery in Ireland

By John Donovan

Reproduced below is a stirring call to arms issued today by the “Rossport Solidarity Camp” in Ireland.

On Thursday 20th January An Bord Pleanala announced their decision to approve the Shell high pressure raw gas pipeline. The decision shows the farce of project splitting, which allows authorities to pass dangerous sections of projects without going through a rigorous planning process. This is the last chance to resist this flawed project.

It’s time to stand up against the Irish Government, state bodies and Shell forcing their will on communities and on the country as a whole, regardless of proper process, economic sense, people’s safety, environmental laws and human rights. Whilst the people of Ireland are being crippled by the cuts in public services and forced in to huge EU and IMF debt, the great gas giveaway is the elephant in the room that could be our solution.

The unjust deal can be renegotiated as we have successfully seen in other countries. The people of Ireland should have a say in how we sustainably manage our natural resources. The struggle against Shell is a struggle for everyone in Ireland. You can be part of it.

What are Shell’s plans?

The construction period is 28 months, probably starting around March 2011. Month 3 and 4 are the heaviest for construction traffic with 250 truck movements every day. However Shell could begin construction anytime from now by putting up fences to secure the compound in Aughoose and Glengad. The opportunity to prevent Shell from securing the Aughoose compound and delivering their tunnel boring machine to the site is now our best chance to stop the project. We must not let the opportunity go by, as once the tunnel boring machine has gone underground the work will be much harder to stop. We have until Thursday 17th March to put in an application for an injunction by way of Judicial Review. Even if this is successful, there is no guarantee that it would stop work immediately and so we need to stop it ourselves.

What you can do now:

1. Come up to the camp! If you can only come up once this year, make plans to come up soon. Ideally come as soon as you get the call out that Shell are about to start work, which will probably be within the next 2 months. Summer is the time loads of people come to resist Shell’s destructive work but this time Shell are planning to start work around March and this is the busiest time for traffic movements. If you are booking time off work, book time off in March now, there will be work to do every day in March. Ask your friends and all those you know have been involved in the campaign over the years to book time off also and make plans to come up.

2. We are getting ready to set up the new camp and need your help now, particularly with practical preparation and building work. The new camp requires people with carpentry and building skills. However if you don’t have these skills, please come because you can learn them.

3. Do a stall and leaflet your local town on Saturday 12th February. The Pipe film will be shown on television on Wednesday 9th February so lots of people will be interested in the campaign. We will have the new leaflet, stickers and posters and election questions ready for this, please email to be sent some. Let’s make the gas giveaway an election issue!

4. Get in touch if you would like us to give a non-violent direct action workshop in your area, to prepare people to come up.

5. If you cannot make it up here at the moment, please get ready to come when you get the call out that Shell are about to start work. Solidarity actions at garages, government offices & subcontractors are other great ways of supporting the campaign, however immediately after the call out we will need you here in Mayo.

Please email rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com or phone 0851141170 to let us know when you can come up and for latest updates.

Please share this information as widely as you can.

If you have ever wanted to take action and be part of the campaign, the time is now!

Related articles:
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/shell-sea-vows-continue-resisting-onshore-pipeline

http://www.antaisce.org/WhatsNow/News/AnTaisceRelatedNewsReleases/tabid/262/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/145/Corrib-Gas-Pipeline-Decision-illegal-An-Taisce.aspx

http://www.shelltosea.com/content/board-plean%C3%A1la-gives-shell-pipeline-approval-despite-local-resistance-0

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) — Royal Dutch Shell has a disastrous legacy of environmental damage through its lengthy involvement in the Nigerian oil sector, advocacy groups charge.

Shell faces questions Wednesday before the Dutch Parliament regarding its activity in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth International announced they had filed formal complaints with the British and Dutch governments over Shell’s failure to take responsibility for the majority of the oil pollution in the region.

The advocacy groups said Shell in the 1990s took responsibility for much of the oil pollution in the Niger Delta. Now, however, the company is blaming sabotage by rebel groups for more than 90 percent of the oil spills in the region, the groups claim.

The advocacy groups note that under Nigerian law, Shell doesn’t have any liability for the oil spills if the environmental damage is found to be the result of sabotage

Nnimmo Bassey, who heads the Friends of the Earth branch in Nigeria, said evidence contradicts Shell’s claims in the Niger Delta.

“Several studies have placed the bulk of the blame for oil spills in the Niger Delta on the doorsteps of the oil companies; particularly Shell,” he said in a statement. “It should take its responsibility and clean up the mess it made in our country.”

© 2011 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved

By Eduard Gismatullin – Jan 25, 2011 12:33 PM GMT+0000

Royal Dutch Shell Plc was accused by Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth International of using discredited and misleading information in blaming the majority of oil spills in the Niger Delta on saboteurs.

The two groups said in an e-mailed report today that they filed an official complaint with the U.K. and Dutch governments against Shell over breaches of basic standards for responsible business set out by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Shell denied the allegation.

The oil producer uses figures that purport to show that as many as 98 percent of oil spills in the Niger Delta are caused by sabotage, Amnesty and Friends of the Earth said. Under Nigerian law, when spills are classified as being the result of sabotage, Shell has no liability, they said. Nigeria is the largest oil producing nation in Africa.

“Shell’s figures are totally lacking in credibility,” said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty’s director of global issues. “The oil spill investigation system is totally lacking in independence.”

Every oil spill is independently investigated by a joint inspection team representing the company and government officials along with local community members, Shell said today by e-mail. The 98 percent figure was reported for the spills in 2009 and “we stand by these figures and publish them annually because we can back them up if necessary,” the company said.

In the past five years, less than 30 percent of spills at Shell’s joint venture in Nigeria have been due to corrosion, human error and equipment failure, the company says on its website. “The majority have been caused by sabotage or theft.”

Assessment of damage from crude spills in part of the Niger River delta was being hindered by “angry mobs,” Mike Cowing, an official of the United Nations Environment Program, said in August. Shell’s Nigerian unit was funding the study, he said at the time.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eduard Gismatullin in London at egismatullin@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Will Kennedy at wkennedy3@bloomberg.net

BLOOMBERG SOURCE ARTICLE