Protesters scaling the Shard. Hope they fall off.

[BadFish]

Why are we doing this?

We're attempting to scale the Shard to send a message to the headquarters of oil giant Shell.

In the last 30 years we've lost 80% of the Arctic sea ice.

The white ice cap at the top of the world has shrunk so much that scientists say the North Pole could be ice free any time in the next few decades. The last time there was no Arctic sea ice was 800,000 years ago.

The survival of polar bears and other iconic species is threatened by that melt. But the Arctic is more than just a home for polar bears. The vast white ice sheets reflects the sun’s rays back into space, cooling the entire Earth.

As the ice disappears our global weather becomes more unpredictable. Farming gets harder. Hunger gets worse.

The Arctic is a vital part of our home and that's why it matters to everyone on our shared planet to protect it.

Shell and other oil companies want to use the melting Arctic to drill for oil. They want to drill in the places they can only now reach because the ice is melting. And burning that oil only accelerates the melt.

It's a vicious circle that only makes sense if you're an oil executive thinking about your company's short-term profits. Or you're a politician hoping some quick money will help you win the next election.

But we are not those people. We have a responsibility to think bigger than that.

What we decide today about the Arctic and climate change will affect humanity long after these oil company logos and opportunistic politicians are forgotten.

That's why we're up here, scaling this skyscraper modelled on a shard of ice. As we look down, we're in the midpoint of Shell's three London offices. From here we want to send them a message they won't forget.

If we make it to the top, we hope to install a giant piece of art that will show the true beauty of the Arctic and why we're telling Shell to keep its rusty rigs away. We can see them, so we know they can see us.

But that's enough about what we're doing. We want to hear from you. What will you do to save the Arctic?

Good on Your girls!

 

[goldstone]

Talk about obtuse, that's just what Greenpeace are doing.

Not that I want to further their cause, but do that bunch of lefties have a workable solution. They would probably like us to walk everywhere.

To be fair, I do support their anti-whaling activities, but I wonder how much oil they use for their ships patrolling the whaling areas

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

This would be a non-story if they weren't all women. And naked - what, they aren't, why bother?

 

[BadFish]

Good post. Oil companies are not completely evil as some would have us believe. And if your "hate" of oil companies is linked to the cost of petrol, just remember that in the UK we're paying 60% tax and duty on fuel. Without it petrol would be less than 60p, a figure that doesn't sound altogether unreasonable when you consider the cost of exploration, drilling, refining, transportation, etc., etc.

Cost of petrol doesn't worry me too much as I don't use my car very often.

Cost of the damage done to our planet is more of a worry to me.

Thanks to those brave women for doing something about it.

 

[somerset]

There is nothing that is higher in demand in this world - this is why oil companies rule this world, have the power to corrupt world politics, cause and aggravate global conflicts to get even more oil, destroying the environment in the process, and ripping off every single person on this planet by creating an illusion of scarcity to maximise profits and get even more filthy, stinking rich.

It's not a "product" - Apple and Toyota make products. Oil companies just extract a finite natural resource that should by right belong to all of us...

Same old same old,.......

It belongs to whoever can extract it on our behalf.......you can always opt out and dig for your own, then refine it, then store it, then put it in your car or heat your house.

Unless of course you actually have the courage of your misguided and fantasy driven convictions and use pedal and solar power only........

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

So they admit the Arctic doesn't actually require sea ice, as it has previously been free from it.

 

[topbanana36]

I hope their hydrocarbon gear gives way that would make me smile. Why aren't they at work fecking soap dodgers.

 

[BadFish]

I hope their hydrocarbon gear gives way that would make me smile. Why aren't they at work fecking soap dodgers.

just noticed your location......carry on.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Why are we doing this?

We're attempting to scale the Shard to send a message to the headquarters of oil giant Shell.

In the last 30 years we've lost 80% of the Arctic sea ice.

The white ice cap at the top of the world has shrunk so much that scientists say the North Pole could be ice free any time in the next few decades. The last time there was no Arctic sea ice was 800,000 years ago.

The survival of polar bears and other iconic species is threatened by that melt. But the Arctic is more than just a home for polar bears. The vast white ice sheets reflects the sun’s rays back into space, cooling the entire Earth.

As the ice disappears our global weather becomes more unpredictable. Farming gets harder. Hunger gets worse.

The Arctic is a vital part of our home and that's why it matters to everyone on our shared planet to protect it.

Shell and other oil companies want to use the melting Arctic to drill for oil. They want to drill in the places they can only now reach because the ice is melting. And burning that oil only accelerates the melt.

It's a vicious circle that only makes sense if you're an oil executive thinking about your company's short-term profits. Or you're a politician hoping some quick money will help you win the next election.

But we are not those people. We have a responsibility to think bigger than that.

What we decide today about the Arctic and climate change will affect humanity long after these oil company logos and opportunistic politicians are forgotten.

That's why we're up here, scaling this skyscraper modelled on a shard of ice. As we look down, we're in the midpoint of Shell's three London offices. From here we want to send them a message they won't forget.

If we make it to the top, we hope to install a giant piece of art that will show the true beauty of the Arctic and why we're telling Shell to keep its rusty rigs away. We can see them, so we know they can see us.

But that's enough about what we're doing. We want to hear from you. What will you do to save the Arctic?

Good on Your girls!

Thing is nobody cares until it effects them personally.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Having children is more damaging to the planet than using some petrol.

I notice a lot of the people who protest such things have children and take their planet destroying rugrats along with them to such events.

 

[BadFish]

Thing is nobody cares until it effects them personally.

Some people do. Those women do..... and a few on this thread do.

 

[BHAZiggy]

Why are we doing this?

We're attempting to scale the Shard to send a message to the headquarters of oil giant Shell.

In the last 30 years we've lost 80% of the Arctic sea ice.

The white ice cap at the top of the world has shrunk so much that scientists say the North Pole could be ice free any time in the next few decades. The last time there was no Arctic sea ice was 800,000 years ago.

The survival of polar bears and other iconic species is threatened by that melt. But the Arctic is more than just a home for polar bears. The vast white ice sheets reflects the sun’s rays back into space, cooling the entire Earth.

As the ice disappears our global weather becomes more unpredictable. Farming gets harder. Hunger gets worse.

The Arctic is a vital part of our home and that's why it matters to everyone on our shared planet to protect it.

Shell and other oil companies want to use the melting Arctic to drill for oil. They want to drill in the places they can only now reach because the ice is melting. And burning that oil only accelerates the melt.

It's a vicious circle that only makes sense if you're an oil executive thinking about your company's short-term profits. Or you're a politician hoping some quick money will help you win the next election.

But we are not those people. We have a responsibility to think bigger than that.

What we decide today about the Arctic and climate change will affect humanity long after these oil company logos and opportunistic politicians are forgotten.

That's why we're up here, scaling this skyscraper modelled on a shard of ice. As we look down, we're in the midpoint of Shell's three London offices. From here we want to send them a message they won't forget.

If we make it to the top, we hope to install a giant piece of art that will show the true beauty of the Arctic and why we're telling Shell to keep its rusty rigs away. We can see them, so we know they can see us.

But that's enough about what we're doing. We want to hear from you. What will you do to save the Arctic?

Good on Your girls!

But this is not about the arctic. Whilst selective people are banging on about the ice receding in the arctic (which it was doing long before the industrial revolution) what is happening to the levels of ice in the antarctic? Do some research. The results will surprise you!

 

[topbanana36]

just noticed your location......carry on.

and you were going to say ...........

 

[goldstone]

Thanks to those brave women for doing something about it.

Doing what exactly? Will it really make one iota of difference to anything? Of course not. Did all those smelly people camping out next to St Pauls really change anything in the world of banking? Of course not.

They're obviousy doing it so that they can get on telly afterwards for their five minutes of fame.

 

[BadFish]

But this is not about the arctic. Whilst selective people are banging on about the ice receding in the arctic (which it was doing long before the industrial revolution) what is happening to the levels of ice in the antarctic? Do some research. The results will surprise you!

What would you like me to find out with my research? I can find research which proves many contradictory things. I think, though I will go to bed and look forward to picking up this story in the morning and see what they did.

 

[KingstonSeagull]

So in your opinion Oil companies have gained their money purely by successfully using the world economic system and have been involved in no shady or immoral dealings?

I assume you are a Journalist or a Politician because that is not what I said at all. I am saying that they provide a product that is in high demand and therefore the most basic rules of economics state that they're curve is going one way and that is up(unless you have an oil spill or something along those lines)

 

[goldstone]

Having children is more damaging to the planet than using some petrol.

I notice a lot of the people who protest such things have children and take their planet destroying rugrats along with them to such events.

Now this is an excellent post. If people stopped having so many bloody sprogs there'd be plenty of oil to go around without Shell making little holes in the ice in the frozen wasteland up on the top bit of the globe.

 

[beorhthelm]

Petrol companies have done a very good job of stalling the development of cars that use alternative methods of propulsion over the years. This is a great example of their manipulation of patents and government policy.

Indeed. In some cases they've actually brought patents from inventors of alternative technology and then buried the technology.

could either of you cite an example of this occuring, or just going with the urban myth? if there are such patents they would be public knowledge. after 20 years patents expire so become available to anyone to use, assuming that someone from a country that doesnt respect the patent hasnt already done so. Russia and China, those well known adherents to intellectual property, havent produced any viable alternatives to the internal combustion engine, so just where is this technology?

end of the day we all use copius amounts of oil and oil derived products, in fact there is more $ revenue from the non-fuel applications than burning it. we have no place to critisise companies who get the stuff for us. unless you live in a power-free cave or tree house with a patch of land and well and wear handmade skins and woolens.

 

[BadFish]

Doing what exactly? Will it really make one iota of difference to anything? Of course not. Did all those smelly people camping out next to St Pauls really change anything in the world of banking? Of course not.

They're obviousy doing it so that they can get on telly afterwards for their five minutes of fame.

Just about to come on the National News in Australia. Climb a building, get people talking, highlight the problems being caused, change a few minds. Working wonders from what I can see.

 

[BHAZiggy]

What would you like me to find out with my research? I can find research which proves many contradictory things. I think, though I will go to bed and look forward to picking up this story in the morning and see what they did.

Clever. Just listen to 1 side of the story and ignore the rest.

Satellite images from 2012 showed that Antarctic sea ice reached its highest levels extent on record. The eastern side which contains the majority of the ice has been recorded as gaining mass for decades and shows no sign of slowing down. The ice is not disappearing it is mearly migrating south. Which must be why I see no coastal towns drowning despite decades of journalists' scaremongering.