Day of Action – They deserve it and you deserve better
On the 18th of May Dublin Shell to Sea is going to escalate its campaign against Shell’s command centre – Corrib house on Leeson Street with another day of action starting at 7.30 am sharp. This attempt to shut down Shell’s HQ, like our last day of action (http://www.indymedia.ie/article/82200), is being called to highlight the incredible theft of our natural resources that totals 51 billion euros in the Corrib field alone. This is only possible with your help; we encourage everyone to come along.
Fuel Poverty – A National Scandal
Ireland is currently facing a crisis. Our health service verges on the brink of collapse as our nurses are forced to strike for decent working conditions. Our politicians have told us they can’t give in, in fear we all might ask for decent conditions.
We have been constantly reminded in the election campaign about how much we owe our politicians. We are told the Celtic Tiger has brought untold riches and this country is now awash with money. This is true to a certain extent. More money has been generated and emigration has stopped. But still all is far from perfect in this country. Money has been wasted and the greatest giveaway is happening as we speak. 51 billion euros of our natural gas reserves is being given to Shell, Marathon and Statoil (for more info on deal see http://www.publicinquiry.ie/reports.php). Whilst these figures are often too big to contemplate, it is sometimes easier to look at who is being directly affected. As usual it is those who need help most who will be affected worst.
Unbelievably, each winter, up to 3,000 people die prematurely every year from fuel poverty (‘The Potential Health Benefits of Improving Household Energy Efficiency’ Clinch and Healy 2000 and Help The Aged., source: http://www.eirigi.org/campaigns/naturalresources/fuel_p…y.htm). This is our parents and grandparents who are dying. What is our politicians’ response to this? Instead of trying to solve the problem they gave away the one thing that could alleviate the problem – natural gas. Above all else natural gas could have ensured that three thousand people lived out their lives, but they chose to give it away instead (http://www.publicinquiry.ie/reports.php).
Royal Dutch Shell A.G.M. in The Hague
Whilst our politicians are to blame they are not the only ones. Shell, Statoil and Marathon are the thieves in this situation and are making away with enormous amounts of our resources. This week one of the thieves, Shell, will celebrate their grotesque profits at their A. G.M. in Holland. It’s quite telling that the only place that Shell’s board of directors can be held to account (if you are rich) is in a conference hall in The Hague. We the rightful beneficiaries of the natural gas deposits off our west coast won’t have a say.
The new beneficiaries are people like the Queen of Holland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Beatrice) Lord Kerr of Kinlochard (also director of Rio Tinto, Jeroen van der Veer, Linda Cook, Andy Pyle and Terry Nolan (for other members of Shell’s board of directors see (http://www.search.shell.com/cgi-bin/rsearch.cgi). Throughout this week Royal Dutch Shell will wine and dine the global elite and divide out 51 billion euros of our money.
At this meeting the rest of Shell’s shareholders will get the chance to see how their investments are doing and decide what to do with €51 billion they stole from you and Shell’s executives this year will no doubt have a nice cigar and champagne at your expense.
These men and women with their suits and briefcases will sit smug in The Hague with their caviar in the knowledge that they have ripped off a country that needs its resources badly – Our health service verges on the brink of collapse as our nurses are forced to strike for a decent wage, our elderly now live in fear of Winter as up to 3000 people die each year from fuel poverty and pensions are being privatised.
What you can do?
But all is not doom and gloom, on Friday the 18th just as Shell’s Irish elite arrive back having given away our resources to the global rich. Dublin Shell to Sea plans to greet these people by shutting down their Irish nerve centre and headquarters – Corrib House. This is the building where all decisions are taken, where they hatched the plans to steal our resources and target the Mayo communities in their relentless pursuit of profit. So come and join us in protesting against these criminals and blockade their offices on Friday the 18th of May – they deserve it and you deserve better!
Related Link: http://www.shelltosea.com