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Emma Thompson broke a legal injunction at Shell Centre

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  • The actress broke a legal injunction aimed at stopping Greenpeace activists from crossing a line drawn around the South Bank building 
  • She stuck a giant paw print on the offices with the names of opponents of drilling in the Arctic
  • Shell has been given permission by the US government to drill for oil and gas in Arctic waters off Alaska 
  • Greenpeace a giant model polar bear and placed it outside Shell’s HQ
  • The envoronmentalists aim to keep it there for 27 days, which will mark the end of the window for drilling in the Arctic

By ANTHONY JOSEPH FOR MAILONLINE: 2 September 2015

Emma Thompson and a roaring giant model polar bear led the protests against Shell’s plans to drill in the Arctic outside its London headquarters.

The actress broke a legal injunction, aimed at stopping Greenpeace activists from crossing a line drawn around the South Bank building, to stick a giant paw print on the offices with the names of opponents of drilling in the Arctic.

The paw carries thousands of names which make up some of the seven million people worldwide, including 600,000 signatures from the UK, who have pledged support to save the Arctic from drilling for oil and gas.

Shell has been given permission by the US government to drill for oil and gas in Arctic waters off Alaska, prompting criticism of President Barack Obama, who has been otherwise driving efforts to tackle climate change.

The company, which has invested billions of dollars in drilling in the Arctic, has just a few weeks to explore for oil before the winter closes in.

Standing next to the giant polar bear, which roars at intervals and is named Aurora after the northern lights, Thompson read out a poem she had written specifically for the protests.

She said: ‘I’ve been to the Arctic, I’ve seen the beauty, I’ve seen the wildlife, and my heart breaks to think that Shell is up there right now, drilling for the oil that threatens not only their habitat but ours.

‘I’m here to say no. I’m here to say this has to end. I’m one of millions of people demanding that this company pulls out of the Arctic and this huge polar bear is roaring with our voices.’ 

Greenpeace designed the double decker bus-sized polar bear and placed it outside the building and aims to keep it there for 27 days, which will mark the end of the window for drilling in the Arctic.

As part of the planned month-long protests singer Charlotte Church performed outside the building and an orchestra play Titanic-themed music.

Thompson, 56, who starred in a number of top films including Sense and Sensibility, Harry Potter and Love Actually, added: ‘Shell has drawn a line around its headquarters and its lawyers say we’re banned from crossing it.

‘Shell has crossed a line when it moved its rig into the Arctic, so I’m going to step over its line.

‘When I do, I’ll be carrying the names of thousands of people who stand for Arctic protection. We’re drawing our own line, a line in the ice, and we’re telling Shell to pull back its rig.

Speaking later through Greenpeace’s official YouTube channel, she said: ‘I’m here to join with all these other activists who have chained themselves to Aurora so she can’t be easily removed by the Met.

‘We are hoping we can keep her here for 27 days which is when the window for drilling in the Arctic closes for Shell.

‘I’m very proud to be joining in the session.’ 

Greenpeace warns there is a high risk of an oil spill if wells are drilled, which in the Arctic would be impossible to clean up, damaging the area’s unique wildlife.

Experts have warned that exploiting the Arctic for oil and gas is not compatible with efforts to tackle climate change and keep global temperatures from rising by more than 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels.

Juliet Davenport, CEO of renewable electricity company Good Energy said: ‘We need to divest from fossil fuel sources and switch to cleaner, renewable sources of power if we want to keep the planet on course for no more than two degrees warming. 

‘The economic argument for divestment is compelling; with stocks in renewables out-performing traditional investments, it’s a no brainer from an economic and an environmental point of view.’

SOURCE

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