Auckland: 18 May 2001— Greenpeace activists dumped five tons of coal and five oil and nuclear waste drums outside the Vice President Cheney’s residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington today to protest the Bush/Cheney Energy Plan.

Activists held a banner reading “Stop the Bush/Cheney Energy Scam: America Needs Clean Power Now.” The drums were labelled with the logos of Exxon/Mobil, Chevron, Texaco, BP and Enron.

“Bush and Cheney have released less of a plan and more of a scam
because it enriches the oil, coal and nuclear industries, fails to solve the energy problems and ignores the spectre of dangerous climate change,” said Andrea Durbin, Greenpeace USA Campaigns Director.

Since taking office, Bush has backed off a campaign promise to control carbon emissions and has withdrawn U.S. support of the Kyoto Protocol, the international climate change treaty.

“New Zealand government has made strong statements against the USA abandoning the Kyoto Protocol”, said Sue Connor, Greenpeace New Zealand climate campaigner. “However, the New Zealand government continues to belong to JUSCANZ , an international political coalition with the USA in regard to Kyoto Protocol negotiations”.

“Bush’s energy “scam” clearly shows that the US Government and the US corporate fossil fuel industry don’t give a damn about preventing dangerous climate change”, said Connor.

“New Zealand must now work with the European Union to ensure that the Kyoto Protocol is supported globally”, said Connor. “New Zealand must also restate its commitment to ratifying the Kyoto Protocol by mid 2002, and support the rapid growth of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar in New Zealand”.

5 page Bush Energy Plan Reality Check - Media Briefing is available fromGreenpeace New Zealand on (09) 630 6317 or download it in PDF from www.greenpeace.org.nz

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