New Zealand police have now boarded the Shell oil-drilling ship that has been occupied by 7 Greenpeace protesters and activists, including television star Lucy Lawless who played Xena: Warrior Princess.
The Noble Discoverer was boarded by protesters yesterday morning at Port Taranaki in New Plymouth. Activists ascended its 53m drilling tower, and have equipped themselves with enough survival gear and supplies to last for several days. They have also hung banners from the vessel reading “Stop Shell” and “Save the Arctic”. Lawless, a long-time environmental campaigner, stated that the group would stand firm, despite the arrival of authorities.
New Plymouth police officials reported five of their officers climbing the drilling tower in an effort to make contact with the Greenpeace group. The Shell-contracted ship was scheduled to leave for Alaska to drill three to five exploratory oil wells in the Chukchi Sea, according to Greenpeace records. Shell representatives state that all operations onboard have currently been forced to a stop.
The port has remained open, with restricted access. Most concerns are in regards to the rush of companies trying to drill in the Arctic and the potential for catastrophic spills in the ecologically sensitive region, and to also draw attention to climate change.
Man, I was just on there the other day. Had to have happened right after I left. I would loved to have watched the Warrior Princess scale that derrick!
Anyway, it’s too bad that Shell can’t get a break with their Arctic drilling program. They should unfortunately expect much more of this the closer they get to Alaska, but now they won’t be caught with their preverbial pants around their ankles.
As far as the DISCO’s security plan…it is nothing more than a plain and utter failure, yet Greenpeace obviously had a good plan and one well executed! I have to wonder if they didn’t just waltz right up the gangway? I also wonder what will happen to the master on there over this as it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. If you read this Cameron, I want you to know that you not only meet but you vastly exceed your well established and most rightly deserved reputation at Noble Drilling! Your crew must really love to have such a standup all around swell guy as their captain. What an awful thing to happen for you but you know you are a tremendously capable master with exceptional skills so you can deal with this all by yourself…Enjoy your moment in the spotlight when they point the cameras at you…you’ll be every other captain’s envy especially mine. Ah for those 15minutes of fame.
[B]Lawless foregoes comforts to fight oil drilling
[/B]By Kirsty Wynn 5:30 AM Sunday Feb 26, 2012
Expand Lucy Lawless and Greenpeace activists protesting on board a Shell-contracted oil drillship in Port Taranaki. Photo / GreenpeaceEco-princess Lucy Lawless has given up home comforts for a second night up a gusty tower with no place to sleep or pee.
The star of Xena Warrior Princess illegally boarded a ship docked in Taranaki with seven Greenpeace activists this week to protest oil giant Shell’s plans to drill for oil in Alaska.
Police told Lawless she would be arrested when she stepped off the Noble Discoverer, which is due to depart on a 6000 nautical mile journey to drill in the Chukchi Sea.
But Lawless said the discomfort of her new digs, as well as the threat of arrest, was a small price to pay.
“It’s not the Ritz but we didn’t come here for a pleasure cruise,” Lawless told the Herald on Sunday. “We have a moral responsibility to be here and we are well prepared.”
The 53m climb to the top of the drilling ship’s derrick was terrifying, she said. “The climb up was like nothing I have done before, I was well outside my comfort zone.” In an online clip, Lawless jokes about peeing in a bottle and sleeping in a hammock on the ship’s tower.
Showing two bottles filled with amber liquid Lawless laughs, “one of these bottles is drinkable one of these bottles is not - it’s a lottery.”
The mother of three said she would rather be at home with her children but was protesting to save the planet for future generations. She would stay as long as was necessary to draw attention to planned drilling.
“An oil spill in Alaska wouldn’t be able to be cleaned up at the low temperatures and could poison the whole food chain,” she said.
Wait till they need to poop up there…“HIT THE DECK…INCOMING!”
After watching the video I would like to hear her ideas about “clean affordable energy”. I guarantee she doesn’t walk or ride a bike every where she goes. Hypocrites all I say!!! As another “green success story” goes under".
He is a standup guy. Never sailed with him but he is a spearfishing buddy of mine.
Hate to hear that.
Hang in there Cam, the hippies will run out of tofu soon.
but c.captain, maybe if you had not walked off, Greenpeace would not have gotten on? The notion of let them come on and do not interfere and get the Company’s name directly involved with pictures of Roustabouts and Roughnecks in company provided coveralls and PPE, with logos everywhere for the media to focus on, forcing sweet, innocent activists off their ship, well that comes from well above the Captain’s level. Look at any Greenpeace video of their illegal actions, there are cameras everywhere and companies have the authorities handle these people, not ship’s crew, no matter how much the crew may want to be directly involved.
To that I say bullshit sir! If Shell or Noble had in anyway anticipated this event, steps would have been taken in advance to prevent it and I know as well as you that no such measures were taken. The ship was at Marsec 1 with no other protection in place at all except for the usual gangway watch…I know because I was there. Was Shell really truly prepared to allow this to happen? Was it in their interest that it be allowed to occur? Was Noble? Did someone consciously say “better let them climb” Please answer that one for us. If you answer yes then I again say bullshit to you. These people were aboard and on their way up before anyone else aboard had a clue what was happening.
Even under basic Marsec 1 mandates, no one without bona fide ID and reason to come aboard be allowed access to the ship. Did they come over the rail like pirates? Although less preventable, that still should not be allowed to occur under any VSP. That’s why ships have them and when an event like this occurs it is a prima facia failure of the plan to prevent exactly what it is intended to prevent…period! A VSP belongs to the ship and ship owner and not the charterer so unless there is some other agreement between Shell and Noble on this matter (which I see no evidence whatsoever to support), then responsibility rests with Noble and more specifically with the command structure of the ship which ends at the master’s desk.
Regarding anything else, you can email me directly but I have said what I need to say about the wonderful leadership currently aboard the good ship NOBLE DISCOVERER. It is really too bad that Noble gets yet again another black eye over this ship and Shell has to pay for it.
[QUOTE=jjbone;63884]but c.captain, maybe if you had not walked off, Greenpeace would not have gotten on? The notion of let them come on and do not interfere and get the Company’s name directly involved with pictures of Roustabouts and Roughnecks in company provided coveralls and PPE, with logos everywhere for the media to focus on, forcing sweet, innocent activists off their ship, well that comes from well above the Captain’s level. Look at any Greenpeace video of their illegal actions, there are cameras everywhere and companies have the authorities handle these people, not ship’s crew, no matter how much the crew may want to be directly involved.[/QUOTE]
My question is: why didn’t somebody say, "Who are you, what are you doing here and who said you could be here? Are there a lot of contractors coming and going? If not this doesn’t look good for the leadership, whether Noble or Shell.
I realize that I am an old fart and not really ever watched Xena when it was on, but doing my Google/Youtube searches today I discovered that I had absolutely no idea how sexy Lucy Lawless and her character is!
[QUOTE=c.captain;63894]I realize that I am an old fart and not really ever watched Xena when it was on, but doing my Google/Youtube searches today I discovered that I had absolutely no idea how sexy Lucy Lawless and her character is!
[QUOTE=tengineer;63888]My question is: why didn’t somebody say, "Who are you, what are you doing here and who said you could be here? Are there a lot of contractors coming and going? If not this doesn’t look good for the leadership, whether Noble or Shell.[/QUOTE]
Never mind, I saw the video with Lucy, understand now. She probably had people helping her board, you know being polite and all.
She could probably convince me to buy an electric car and quit clubbing baby seals.
tengineer
didn’t like being on a boat with a younger master.
no sir…after close to 30 years at this including over 23 as a master will ever I subject myself to work for such an utter (insert word for certain body orifice here) especially under circumstances that rightly involve being deceived to begin with
and sorry to burst your bubble but I won’t continue this discussion about that particular (insert word for certain body orifice here) as you so hope I will. I am certain now that my most sarcastic message has been received by that party and this morning get to chuckle to myself knowing that.
I don’t need you to continue the discussion to prove you to be an ass. You did that by bringing personal vendettas to a public forum while most of us still abide by “boat business stays on the boat”.
No wonder you hate the GOM…most here don’t tolerate snakes in the grass. Typically snakes get their heads chopped.
