Full feedGreenpeace activist updates direct from action at tar sands upgrader facility
9:15am local time
Greenpeace activists from Germany, France, Brazil and Canada have just entered a Suncor upgrader facility in the tar sands of northern, Alberta and have shut down the conveyer belt of an open pit mining operation. This follows a previous action where Greenpeace activists stopped operations at Shell’s Albian mine during a 33-hour occupation.
Our activists are putting themselves on the frontlines of climate change again to draw attention to the complete lack of leadership shown by our world leaders. They have shut down a conveyer belt used in open pit mining and locked themselves down.
The tar sands are a perfect example of what lack of leadership on climate change and unchecked greenhouse gas emissions produces – a toxic disaster zone that is leaching 11 million litres of toxins into the groundwater and pumping 100 thousand tonnes of carbon into the air per day. This is why Greenpeace activists are taking action today.
"Everything about the tars sands is a crime, they not only represent the worst excesses of unconstrained climate destruction but are a toxic disaster zone," Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Climate and Energy Campaigner with Greenpeace Canada, commented from inside the ongoing action.
10:50 local time
Activists in boats have deployed a 30 metre long floating banner on the Athabasca river, which runs beside the upgrader facility and open pit mine where they are taking climate action today. The banner reads: 'Dying for climate leadership'.
11:25am local time - Update from Jens, currently on the conveyer belt
All the activists made it onto the conveyor belt and have successfully deployed banners and locked themselves down. The workers already there were friendly towards the activists - wanting to outfit them with harnesses, goggles, etc. We have been in contact with the other team, who is deploying a banner on the water. Photo:
2:45pm local time - update from Jens
'Please don't piss on the belt' - police have told the activists who have shut down the conveyor belt that they could face charges for peeing on it. Other than having to hold it - activists are in good spirits!
Jens streaming live from the conveyor belt.
3:10pm local time
10 activists from the boats have been arrested & police are pursuing others.
3:30pm local time
One live stream is down - taken by police, along with 10 of our people - one still going!
4:45pm local time
Activists on the belt have locked themselves down as a giant crane rolls up alongside them.
More updates will be posted as they come in.
Live feeds from two locations are available on Stop the Tar Sands – there is also a place to comment live and on Twitter you can follow #stoptarsands.
Comments
Well done for getting the message across! Good luck! GT
Posted by: Glenn Thomas | September 30, 2009 10:02 PM
Thank You Greenpeace for your courageous volunteers!! and for exposing The Alberta Oil Sands to the rest of the World.... Canadians need to wake up!!! If they truly saw and knew what was happening there--you would have the majority of people support you!! Please continue your good work and thank you!!
Posted by: Aida Wilson | September 30, 2009 10:06 PM
Please people keep it up like that
thanks for everything :)
Posted by: Diana | September 30, 2009 10:10 PM
Keep the pressure on to Copenhagen and beyond. Harper and the tar sands need an international wake up call like only Greenpeace can accomplish. Thank you!
Posted by: Amanda | September 30, 2009 11:03 PM
you guys are idiots
Posted by: Anonymous | October 1, 2009 3:13 AM
Thank you for your interest in the tar sands, one thing you have to remember though is that people work here. This is how these people make a living. If the tar sands are shut down as you suggest, what will all those people do then?
Posted by: Ashley | October 1, 2009 5:03 AM
Congratulations on a timely and effective campaign. Much more coverage of your courageous action facing arrest and prosecution,
Google front page in canadian news
Greenpeace protesters arrested at Alberta mine
CBC.ca - 1 hour ago
An unidentified protester sits on a conveyer belt in this image from Greenpeace's live video stream of its protest at Suncor's mine in northern Alberta.
Greenpeace blocks 2nd Canada oil sands operation Reuters
Greenpeace protesters target Alberta oilsands again Ottawa Citizen
The Canadian Press - iNews880.com - Fort McMurray Today - CHQR
all 155 news articles »
Posted by: L. Berkowitz-Salutin | October 1, 2009 5:12 AM
Admiration and thanks to all the activists of Greenpeace. Go on - I support you. You do a most important work.
Posted by: Kehl Bernadette | October 1, 2009 10:12 AM
A very big thank you to all envolved I just wish I was closer to Canada I would have been there to.
Posted by: Erich | October 1, 2009 12:57 PM
I´m so proud of Greenpeace and their activists!!! Thanks for all tha word to save the planet!!!
Posted by: daniele martins | October 1, 2009 4:49 PM
What did you guys really accomplish? I used to work on Suncor and you're blowing the environmental impact way out of proportion. Do you realize the economic impact the oil sands have on Canadians? It's a blessing and you're making it out to be a curse. Canada is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet and using industry to feed my family is wrong? Sure the site could use better management. I know that more than anybody. More than any of you. Do you guys have an answer aside from destroying the economic blessing families are getting? I hope you guys enjoy the warm fuzzies you got from doing this. Grow up.
Posted by: Dave | October 1, 2009 10:21 PM
Good Job... HAHAHAHA you guys are idiots!! What message are u sending, that it is ok for u to break the law and not be punished for it? The oil sands take up less then a percent of the boreal forest, and have less emitions then a paper mill. Most of the cloud that you see coming from the oil plants is STEAM!!! They use steam to separate the oil from the sand. No your right good job they are all getting charged by the RCMP. Nice try
Posted by: A True Canadian | October 2, 2009 1:17 AM
Steam? I suppose we can expect all this hurried disinformation from those with 'special' interests in the industry, ...the industry of stealing the future of our children. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the black, non-dissipating, smoke we see pouring out of these smokestacks isn't steam, it's carbon. In the past fifty years, mankind has extracted more energy from what our sun has produced in millions of years. In another fifty, it will be gone forever. In one hour, the sun delivers enough energy to the earth, than we humans consume in one year. We need to look upward to survive, instead of looking down at a bottomless pit. Thank you Greenpeace in all your noble and heroic efforts. And for you that laugh at the world, and support the insideous profits of those that rape your children's future, ...I'm not amused, and your days are numbered.
Posted by: Grateful Child | October 2, 2009 12:27 PM
My, my what a bunch of hypocrites these people are..Where do they think they are getting their gas for their cars, trucks, motor on their boats heat in their homes during the winter... Does the air supply all that for them????
Just cannot believe these people.....
Posted by: Sara Grenier | October 4, 2009 3:28 AM
@ Grateful Child: It also doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that most of the carbon emissions that are released into the atmosphere are from death. Dying plants and animals. Just takes a pair of open eyes and ears. Thinking you're open minded because you care about the planet doesn't necessarily mean you're opened minded. For instance, you're probably going to toss this argument out without even thinking about it. That actually makes you close minded. Websters seems to agree.
Seriously. Dying plants and animals. Nature. Nature is releasing the most carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Go protest nature next time.
Posted by: Dave | October 5, 2009 10:15 PM
Hi Dave...,
Seriously? I didn't consider the first part of your message a joke. ...and you're partly right, farm animal production for food is one of the leading causes for CO². As for plants and trees, ...I'm sure you must be aware of their primary function on this planet, ...to trap and absorb carbon. So with an open mind, try to realize what's happening when we're cutting all this down, our earth's population exploding, and our ever increasing dependance on this carbon producing way of life. ...And I am protesting, ...for nature, ...and for your children.
Posted by: Grateful Child | October 14, 2009 12:00 PM
I´ve heard of thid Tar Sand in TierraAmerica, Spanish version. But the world does not know about it
anita legname
Posted by: anita legname | November 2, 2009 10:51 PM