Tag Archives: three

Three card trick – the rich countries’ plan to evade their climate obligations exposed Updated for 2026

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Negotiations towards the post-2020 climate agreement have been running for three years but we are yet to see real text-based negotiations.

This is not an accident, but a part of a broader strategy by those who don’t want a comprehensive and effective climate deal agreed in Paris.

Developed countries want to curb climate change without bearing the burdens and costs. To do this they need to change the climate regime and shift the burdens and costs to developing countries.

Their goal in Paris is a new mitigation-focused 2020 agreement that is weaker for developed countries than the Kyoto Protocol, and stronger for developing countries.

It would exclude meaningful commitments on adaptation, finance, technology and capacity and shift the burden of combating climate change further onto the world’s poor.

Avoiding historical, legal and moral obligations

To achieve this they will end the Kyoto Protocol by inserting 2020 targets that require no reductions (EU), inserting no targets (New Zealand, Japan, Russia), or pulling out altogether (Canada) – effectively rendering the Protocol a dead letter. To this end, they have not fulfilled their Doha commitment to revisit their inadequate 2020 Kyoto targets.

And under the plan, they must also avoid their main obligations under the Climate Convention – on mitigation for developed countries (Art. 4.2), finance (4.3), adaptation (4.4) and technology (4.5).

As these ‘differentiated’ legal obligations will not go away, so they are to be ignored in the pre-2020 period, before being supplanted by a 2020 agreement.

The developed ‘Annex 1’ countries also need to replace the principle of ‘equity’ and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’ – because this is the basis of the differentiated legal commitments, and because a common-sense interpretation requires much greater effort from the developed countries.

Ultimately, developed countries want to avoid a legal obligation requiring them to show leadership, so they wish to erase the legal structure of the Annexes that requires more from them.

Instead they propose that under the new agreement countries would ‘self-differentiate’ through their own ‘nationally determined’ contributions. In effect every country would be able to do as much, or as little, as it likes.

Rather than implementing their current commitments, they seek to evade them, and shift them to poorer countries.

How the process is being controlled

This deregulation of the climate regime as it applies to the developed countries would not be voluntarily agreed to by most developing countries, so the negotiating process and documents are being used to achieve this.

To get developing countries to agree to new negotiations the impression was given that the 2020 agreement would cover all elements – mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity and transparency – but without ever actually committing to do so.

Consequently, the Durban Platform said Parties would “work” on the elements – but without clearly saying they would be part of the 2020 agreement. This impression will be maintained until the last minute.

Thus a discussion about ‘elements’ continues with the Co-Chairs collecting everyone’s ideas into a ‘non-paper’ – a non-paper that has no legal status and so can eventually disappear without trace.

The Co-Chairs have tightly managed the process to prevent real party-to-party negotiations. Instead they ‘hear’ the Parties and include what they like of what they hear in the non-paper. The intention is to play out the clock and then table a mitigation-focused text at the last minute

The developed countries, however, must still elaborate the mitigation element of the 2020 agreement. To avoid discussing the other elements, this is done by proxy through another parallel process, but without it being clear this is the real intention.

This parallel process was established with the Warsaw decision which divided the 2020 negotiations into two parts – one about ‘elements’ and one about ‘national contributions’. While ‘elements’ are put into a non-binding non-paper, ‘contributions’ have been focused on mitigation, and placed into a legal ‘decision’ text.

A cunning plan – for developed countries to avoid paying up

Under the draft text contributions on mitigation are to be compulsory. These must be provided well in advance of the Paris meeting in December 2015. To enable developed countries to avoid contributions towards their other obligations, the ‘scope’ of their contributions is otherwise to be ‘nationally determined’.

They can, in other words, determine to offer no contributions on adaptation, finance, technology or capacity – essentially prejudicing negotiations on the scope of the 2020 agreement.

The likely result of such a process is:

  • Mitigation-focused contributions from developed countries, without contributions on finance, technology or capacity; and
  • Mitigation-focused contributions from developing countries, without contributions on adaptation.

In the absence of comprehensive contributions on adaptation, finance, technology or capacity, developed countries can declare that further work is required on these elements, and so these would not be included in the core 2020 agreement. Mitigation-focused contributions from all Parties can then serve as the basis for a mitigation-focused 2020 agreement.

To appease the United States, the 2020 agreement would merely commit countries to submit their contributions to be listed under the agreement, without having a legal requirement to fulfil those contributions. As by Paris developing countries may have already submitted contributions, it would be harder for their Ministers to find a basis to refuse to sign the new agreement.

The result would be a new mitigation-focused 2020 agreement that is weaker for developed countries than the Kyoto Protocol, and stronger for developing countries, and that excludes meaningful commitments on adaptation, finance, technology and capacity.

So, let’s pack all these things we don’t like up a bureaucratic cul-de-sac

These issues, it will be said, can be addressed outside the 2020 agreement as part of a ‘Paris Package’. Existing Convention commitments on these issues would remain, but their implementation would be sidelined in favour of work under the new 2020 Paris Agreement.

Like the Kyoto Protocol, they would be rendered ineffective, and potentially a dead letter.

While the new agreement would cover the United States, the result for developed countries would be weaker than the Kyoto Protocol which itself was inadequate to spur action. It is also likely fail to include the means of implementation required to mobilize sufficient action in developing countries.

Faced with growing climate impacts, many developing countries are likely to focus their limited resources on adaptation. Weak mitigation pledges would be locked in for another five years, and possibly ten, effectively missing the window for changing the global emissions trajectory before we cross tipping points that set us on track for catastrophic warming.

How can we thwart the rich countries dastardly plan?

The first step is to ensure the ‘elements’ of the 2015 agreement – mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity and transparency – are agreed before the ‘contributions’. This is needed to ensure a comprehensive and balanced 2020 agreement.

Then:

  • Developed countries must put forward contributions on mitigation in the form of QELROs (Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Obligations), as well as on providing finance, technology, capacity and transparency.
  • Developing countries should put forward adaptation contributions, conditional on receiving finance and technology, before putting forward mitigation contributions, to ensure adaptation is clearly part of the 2020 agreement.
  • Developing countries should put forward mitigation contributions – but only once developed countries have committed to put forward substantial finance, technology and capacity contributions.
  • The process should enable party-to-party negotiations to ensure Parties are able to negotiate with each other directly, rather than with Co-Chairs and the Secretariat.

These steps are necessary because, if developing countries commit to mitigation-focused contributions before securing the other elements, the prospects for negotiating a comprehensive and balanced 2020 agreement that addresses the needs and rights of climate-impacted people are substantially diminished.

 

 

 

 

This article was originally published by Friends of the Earth International in the form of a Briefing paper: ‘What type of climate deal in Paris?‘

 




387616

Three card trick – the rich countries’ plan to evade their climate obligations exposed Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




Negotiations towards the post-2020 climate agreement have been running for three years but we are yet to see real text-based negotiations.

This is not an accident, but a part of a broader strategy by those who don’t want a comprehensive and effective climate deal agreed in Paris.

Developed countries want to curb climate change without bearing the burdens and costs. To do this they need to change the climate regime and shift the burdens and costs to developing countries.

Their goal in Paris is a new mitigation-focused 2020 agreement that is weaker for developed countries than the Kyoto Protocol, and stronger for developing countries.

It would exclude meaningful commitments on adaptation, finance, technology and capacity and shift the burden of combating climate change further onto the world’s poor.

Avoiding historical, legal and moral obligations

To achieve this they will end the Kyoto Protocol by inserting 2020 targets that require no reductions (EU), inserting no targets (New Zealand, Japan, Russia), or pulling out altogether (Canada) – effectively rendering the Protocol a dead letter. To this end, they have not fulfilled their Doha commitment to revisit their inadequate 2020 Kyoto targets.

And under the plan, they must also avoid their main obligations under the Climate Convention – on mitigation for developed countries (Art. 4.2), finance (4.3), adaptation (4.4) and technology (4.5).

As these ‘differentiated’ legal obligations will not go away, so they are to be ignored in the pre-2020 period, before being supplanted by a 2020 agreement.

The developed ‘Annex 1’ countries also need to replace the principle of ‘equity’ and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’ – because this is the basis of the differentiated legal commitments, and because a common-sense interpretation requires much greater effort from the developed countries.

Ultimately, developed countries want to avoid a legal obligation requiring them to show leadership, so they wish to erase the legal structure of the Annexes that requires more from them.

Instead they propose that under the new agreement countries would ‘self-differentiate’ through their own ‘nationally determined’ contributions. In effect every country would be able to do as much, or as little, as it likes.

Rather than implementing their current commitments, they seek to evade them, and shift them to poorer countries.

How the process is being controlled

This deregulation of the climate regime as it applies to the developed countries would not be voluntarily agreed to by most developing countries, so the negotiating process and documents are being used to achieve this.

To get developing countries to agree to new negotiations the impression was given that the 2020 agreement would cover all elements – mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity and transparency – but without ever actually committing to do so.

Consequently, the Durban Platform said Parties would “work” on the elements – but without clearly saying they would be part of the 2020 agreement. This impression will be maintained until the last minute.

Thus a discussion about ‘elements’ continues with the Co-Chairs collecting everyone’s ideas into a ‘non-paper’ – a non-paper that has no legal status and so can eventually disappear without trace.

The Co-Chairs have tightly managed the process to prevent real party-to-party negotiations. Instead they ‘hear’ the Parties and include what they like of what they hear in the non-paper. The intention is to play out the clock and then table a mitigation-focused text at the last minute

The developed countries, however, must still elaborate the mitigation element of the 2020 agreement. To avoid discussing the other elements, this is done by proxy through another parallel process, but without it being clear this is the real intention.

This parallel process was established with the Warsaw decision which divided the 2020 negotiations into two parts – one about ‘elements’ and one about ‘national contributions’. While ‘elements’ are put into a non-binding non-paper, ‘contributions’ have been focused on mitigation, and placed into a legal ‘decision’ text.

A cunning plan – for developed countries to avoid paying up

Under the draft text contributions on mitigation are to be compulsory. These must be provided well in advance of the Paris meeting in December 2015. To enable developed countries to avoid contributions towards their other obligations, the ‘scope’ of their contributions is otherwise to be ‘nationally determined’.

They can, in other words, determine to offer no contributions on adaptation, finance, technology or capacity – essentially prejudicing negotiations on the scope of the 2020 agreement.

The likely result of such a process is:

  • Mitigation-focused contributions from developed countries, without contributions on finance, technology or capacity; and
  • Mitigation-focused contributions from developing countries, without contributions on adaptation.

In the absence of comprehensive contributions on adaptation, finance, technology or capacity, developed countries can declare that further work is required on these elements, and so these would not be included in the core 2020 agreement. Mitigation-focused contributions from all Parties can then serve as the basis for a mitigation-focused 2020 agreement.

To appease the United States, the 2020 agreement would merely commit countries to submit their contributions to be listed under the agreement, without having a legal requirement to fulfil those contributions. As by Paris developing countries may have already submitted contributions, it would be harder for their Ministers to find a basis to refuse to sign the new agreement.

The result would be a new mitigation-focused 2020 agreement that is weaker for developed countries than the Kyoto Protocol, and stronger for developing countries, and that excludes meaningful commitments on adaptation, finance, technology and capacity.

So, let’s pack all these things we don’t like up a bureaucratic cul-de-sac

These issues, it will be said, can be addressed outside the 2020 agreement as part of a ‘Paris Package’. Existing Convention commitments on these issues would remain, but their implementation would be sidelined in favour of work under the new 2020 Paris Agreement.

Like the Kyoto Protocol, they would be rendered ineffective, and potentially a dead letter.

While the new agreement would cover the United States, the result for developed countries would be weaker than the Kyoto Protocol which itself was inadequate to spur action. It is also likely fail to include the means of implementation required to mobilize sufficient action in developing countries.

Faced with growing climate impacts, many developing countries are likely to focus their limited resources on adaptation. Weak mitigation pledges would be locked in for another five years, and possibly ten, effectively missing the window for changing the global emissions trajectory before we cross tipping points that set us on track for catastrophic warming.

How can we thwart the rich countries dastardly plan?

The first step is to ensure the ‘elements’ of the 2015 agreement – mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity and transparency – are agreed before the ‘contributions’. This is needed to ensure a comprehensive and balanced 2020 agreement.

Then:

  • Developed countries must put forward contributions on mitigation in the form of QELROs (Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Obligations), as well as on providing finance, technology, capacity and transparency.
  • Developing countries should put forward adaptation contributions, conditional on receiving finance and technology, before putting forward mitigation contributions, to ensure adaptation is clearly part of the 2020 agreement.
  • Developing countries should put forward mitigation contributions – but only once developed countries have committed to put forward substantial finance, technology and capacity contributions.
  • The process should enable party-to-party negotiations to ensure Parties are able to negotiate with each other directly, rather than with Co-Chairs and the Secretariat.

These steps are necessary because, if developing countries commit to mitigation-focused contributions before securing the other elements, the prospects for negotiating a comprehensive and balanced 2020 agreement that addresses the needs and rights of climate-impacted people are substantially diminished.

 

 

 

 

This article was originally published by Friends of the Earth International in the form of a Briefing paper: ‘What type of climate deal in Paris?‘

 




387616

Danish Navy arrests three – for saving ‘protected’ dolphins Updated for 2026

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Three volunteer members of Sea Shepherd’s pilot whale and small cetacean defense campaign ‘Operation GrindStop 2014’ were arrested this week just outside the Faroese capital of Torshavn.

Their crime? “Harrassing dolphins”. That is, guiding a pod of hundreds of officially protected Atlantic white-sided dolphins away from the killing shores of the Faroe Islands where the cetacean massacre known as the ‘grindadrap‘ or ‘grind‘ is in full swing.

The Danish Naval vessel chased, boarded and seized Sea Shepherd’s UK-registered boat, the Spitfire, and Danish Police on board arrested its three crewmembers – Jessie Treverton of the UK and Celine Le Diouron and Marion Selighini, both from France.

But not before the dolphins veered off their course towards the coast, and headed out to sea – safe from the slaughter.

The majesty of Faroese law

It is against Faroese law to interfere with the grind, however no grind had been called when Sea Shepherd prevented the dolphins from reaching shore. Moreover, white-sided dolphins are a protected species and are not to be killed.

The Danish Police, however, have charged the Sea Shepherd volunteers with failure to report the dolphin sightings to the grind master and police – and with “harassing dolphins”.

Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson responded: “Apparently in the Faroe Islands it is perfectly legal to kill a protected species, but it is illegal to push them back out to sea in order to keep them from harm’s way because that is considered ‘harassment’.

“The good news is, however, that a pod of hundreds of white-sided dolphins were successfully ‘harassed’ away from the vicious knives of the whalers. 

“Last year, in August 2013, 450 white-sided dolphins fell to the cruel knives of these cetacean-slaughtering thugs. Fortunately the hundreds spotted today remain safe at sea.”

“These three Sea Shepherd women can proudly say that they successfully ‘harassed’ the dolphins for the purpose of saving their lives.”

Deported and forbidden to return for a year

Following a court appearance the Sea Shepherd volunteers were yesterday ordered to be deported from the Faroe Islands, and have been forbidden to return to the Faroes for at least one year. The Spitfire has also been released.

The Spitfire is the fourth vessel seized by the Danish Navy in the Faroe Islands during Operation GrindStop 2014, as Sea Shepherd’s three small boats – the Loki, the Mike Galesi and the B.S. Sheen (sponsored by actor Charlie Sheen) were seized on August 30th. They are being held as evidence awaiting the trial of eight Sea Shepherd crew from those boats on 25th September.

Along with the small boat crew, 6 members of Sea Shepherd’s onshore team were also arrested for attempting to prevent the brutal slaughter of a pod of 33 pilot whales. They have now been convicted on the following charges and fined:

  • Disturbing public order. Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Hindering the hunt of pilot whales: Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Ignoring police orders to leave the area. Verdict: 3 guilty (Sergio, Rodrigio and Alexandra) and 3 not guilty (Nikki, Maggie and Monique who were in the water)

There are two Sea Shepherd vessels currently operating in the Faroes – the Spitfire, and the Clementine, from France. Thor had to be removed from the water earlier today, as foreign vessels can only be in Faroese waters for a maximum of three months.

Denmark defies EU law

Despite being an anti-whaling member nation of the European Union, subject to laws prohibiting the slaughter of cetaceans, Denmark continues to show its support and even collaboration with the Faroese whalers to kill small cetaceans.

Sea Shepherd has led the opposition to the mass slaughter of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands since the 1980s. Operation GrindStop 2014 is Sea Shepherd’s largest Faroese campaign to date, and a multi-national team of Sea Shepherd volunteers has been patrolling land and sea in the islands since mid-June.

Sea Shepherd will remain in the Faroes until the beginning of October. The campaign spans the typically bloodiest months of the grindadrap hunt season, in an effort to save as many lives as possible.

“Though three volunteers have been arrested and the Danish Navy has once again acted in defense of the brutal grind by seizing one of our boats, Sea Shepherd considers this a victory”, said Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France and GrindStop 2014 Offshore Leader.

Hundreds of dolphins are still swimming safely as a family because of our brave volunteers, and Sea Shepherd will continue to act in defense of its clients”

 

 

Action: Sea Shepherd encourages its supporters worldwide – and especially citizens of Europe – to contact the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask them to drop the charges in the case of those arrested for trying to save 33 pilot whales on 30th August. They are due to apepar in court on 25th September.

Be sure to ask them why, as a member of the anti-whaling European Union, they are aiding and abetting the Faroese in killing whales and how they intend to deport Europeans from Europe for defending whales in accordance with European regulations that prohibit whaling.

Emails can be sent to the Danish Foreign Ministry at um@um.dk.

In the USA: Sea Shepherd also encourages supporters in the United States to contact the Danish Embassy and consulates and ask that Denmark drop the charges, associated with such small fines, against our peaceful volunteers. Please contact:

The Embassy of Denmark
3200 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington DC 20008-3683
Phone: (202) 234-4300

Elsewhere: For a list of Danish embassies and consulates around the world, please visit: Embassies of Denmark.

 

 




384290

Danish Navy arrests three – for saving ‘protected’ dolphins Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




Three volunteer members of Sea Shepherd’s pilot whale and small cetacean defense campaign ‘Operation GrindStop 2014’ were arrested this week just outside the Faroese capital of Torshavn.

Their crime? “Harrassing dolphins”. That is, guiding a pod of hundreds of officially protected Atlantic white-sided dolphins away from the killing shores of the Faroe Islands where the cetacean massacre known as the ‘grindadrap‘ or ‘grind‘ is in full swing.

The Danish Naval vessel chased, boarded and seized Sea Shepherd’s UK-registered boat, the Spitfire, and Danish Police on board arrested its three crewmembers – Jessie Treverton of the UK and Celine Le Diouron and Marion Selighini, both from France.

But not before the dolphins veered off their course towards the coast, and headed out to sea – safe from the slaughter.

The majesty of Faroese law

It is against Faroese law to interfere with the grind, however no grind had been called when Sea Shepherd prevented the dolphins from reaching shore. Moreover, white-sided dolphins are a protected species and are not to be killed.

The Danish Police, however, have charged the Sea Shepherd volunteers with failure to report the dolphin sightings to the grind master and police – and with “harassing dolphins”.

Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson responded: “Apparently in the Faroe Islands it is perfectly legal to kill a protected species, but it is illegal to push them back out to sea in order to keep them from harm’s way because that is considered ‘harassment’.

“The good news is, however, that a pod of hundreds of white-sided dolphins were successfully ‘harassed’ away from the vicious knives of the whalers. 

“Last year, in August 2013, 450 white-sided dolphins fell to the cruel knives of these cetacean-slaughtering thugs. Fortunately the hundreds spotted today remain safe at sea.”

“These three Sea Shepherd women can proudly say that they successfully ‘harassed’ the dolphins for the purpose of saving their lives.”

Deported and forbidden to return for a year

Following a court appearance the Sea Shepherd volunteers were yesterday ordered to be deported from the Faroe Islands, and have been forbidden to return to the Faroes for at least one year. The Spitfire has also been released.

The Spitfire is the fourth vessel seized by the Danish Navy in the Faroe Islands during Operation GrindStop 2014, as Sea Shepherd’s three small boats – the Loki, the Mike Galesi and the B.S. Sheen (sponsored by actor Charlie Sheen) were seized on August 30th. They are being held as evidence awaiting the trial of eight Sea Shepherd crew from those boats on 25th September.

Along with the small boat crew, 6 members of Sea Shepherd’s onshore team were also arrested for attempting to prevent the brutal slaughter of a pod of 33 pilot whales. They have now been convicted on the following charges and fined:

  • Disturbing public order. Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Hindering the hunt of pilot whales: Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Ignoring police orders to leave the area. Verdict: 3 guilty (Sergio, Rodrigio and Alexandra) and 3 not guilty (Nikki, Maggie and Monique who were in the water)

There are two Sea Shepherd vessels currently operating in the Faroes – the Spitfire, and the Clementine, from France. Thor had to be removed from the water earlier today, as foreign vessels can only be in Faroese waters for a maximum of three months.

Denmark defies EU law

Despite being an anti-whaling member nation of the European Union, subject to laws prohibiting the slaughter of cetaceans, Denmark continues to show its support and even collaboration with the Faroese whalers to kill small cetaceans.

Sea Shepherd has led the opposition to the mass slaughter of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands since the 1980s. Operation GrindStop 2014 is Sea Shepherd’s largest Faroese campaign to date, and a multi-national team of Sea Shepherd volunteers has been patrolling land and sea in the islands since mid-June.

Sea Shepherd will remain in the Faroes until the beginning of October. The campaign spans the typically bloodiest months of the grindadrap hunt season, in an effort to save as many lives as possible.

“Though three volunteers have been arrested and the Danish Navy has once again acted in defense of the brutal grind by seizing one of our boats, Sea Shepherd considers this a victory”, said Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France and GrindStop 2014 Offshore Leader.

Hundreds of dolphins are still swimming safely as a family because of our brave volunteers, and Sea Shepherd will continue to act in defense of its clients”

 

 

Action: Sea Shepherd encourages its supporters worldwide – and especially citizens of Europe – to contact the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask them to drop the charges in the case of those arrested for trying to save 33 pilot whales on 30th August. They are due to apepar in court on 25th September.

Be sure to ask them why, as a member of the anti-whaling European Union, they are aiding and abetting the Faroese in killing whales and how they intend to deport Europeans from Europe for defending whales in accordance with European regulations that prohibit whaling.

Emails can be sent to the Danish Foreign Ministry at um@um.dk.

In the USA: Sea Shepherd also encourages supporters in the United States to contact the Danish Embassy and consulates and ask that Denmark drop the charges, associated with such small fines, against our peaceful volunteers. Please contact:

The Embassy of Denmark
3200 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington DC 20008-3683
Phone: (202) 234-4300

Elsewhere: For a list of Danish embassies and consulates around the world, please visit: Embassies of Denmark.

 

 




384290

Danish Navy arrests three – for saving ‘protected’ dolphins Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




Three volunteer members of Sea Shepherd’s pilot whale and small cetacean defense campaign ‘Operation GrindStop 2014’ were arrested this week just outside the Faroese capital of Torshavn.

Their crime? “Harrassing dolphins”. That is, guiding a pod of hundreds of officially protected Atlantic white-sided dolphins away from the killing shores of the Faroe Islands where the cetacean massacre known as the ‘grindadrap‘ or ‘grind‘ is in full swing.

The Danish Naval vessel chased, boarded and seized Sea Shepherd’s UK-registered boat, the Spitfire, and Danish Police on board arrested its three crewmembers – Jessie Treverton of the UK and Celine Le Diouron and Marion Selighini, both from France.

But not before the dolphins veered off their course towards the coast, and headed out to sea – safe from the slaughter.

The majesty of Faroese law

It is against Faroese law to interfere with the grind, however no grind had been called when Sea Shepherd prevented the dolphins from reaching shore. Moreover, white-sided dolphins are a protected species and are not to be killed.

The Danish Police, however, have charged the Sea Shepherd volunteers with failure to report the dolphin sightings to the grind master and police – and with “harassing dolphins”.

Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson responded: “Apparently in the Faroe Islands it is perfectly legal to kill a protected species, but it is illegal to push them back out to sea in order to keep them from harm’s way because that is considered ‘harassment’.

“The good news is, however, that a pod of hundreds of white-sided dolphins were successfully ‘harassed’ away from the vicious knives of the whalers. 

“Last year, in August 2013, 450 white-sided dolphins fell to the cruel knives of these cetacean-slaughtering thugs. Fortunately the hundreds spotted today remain safe at sea.”

“These three Sea Shepherd women can proudly say that they successfully ‘harassed’ the dolphins for the purpose of saving their lives.”

Deported and forbidden to return for a year

Following a court appearance the Sea Shepherd volunteers were yesterday ordered to be deported from the Faroe Islands, and have been forbidden to return to the Faroes for at least one year. The Spitfire has also been released.

The Spitfire is the fourth vessel seized by the Danish Navy in the Faroe Islands during Operation GrindStop 2014, as Sea Shepherd’s three small boats – the Loki, the Mike Galesi and the B.S. Sheen (sponsored by actor Charlie Sheen) were seized on August 30th. They are being held as evidence awaiting the trial of eight Sea Shepherd crew from those boats on 25th September.

Along with the small boat crew, 6 members of Sea Shepherd’s onshore team were also arrested for attempting to prevent the brutal slaughter of a pod of 33 pilot whales. They have now been convicted on the following charges and fined:

  • Disturbing public order. Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Hindering the hunt of pilot whales: Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Ignoring police orders to leave the area. Verdict: 3 guilty (Sergio, Rodrigio and Alexandra) and 3 not guilty (Nikki, Maggie and Monique who were in the water)

There are two Sea Shepherd vessels currently operating in the Faroes – the Spitfire, and the Clementine, from France. Thor had to be removed from the water earlier today, as foreign vessels can only be in Faroese waters for a maximum of three months.

Denmark defies EU law

Despite being an anti-whaling member nation of the European Union, subject to laws prohibiting the slaughter of cetaceans, Denmark continues to show its support and even collaboration with the Faroese whalers to kill small cetaceans.

Sea Shepherd has led the opposition to the mass slaughter of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands since the 1980s. Operation GrindStop 2014 is Sea Shepherd’s largest Faroese campaign to date, and a multi-national team of Sea Shepherd volunteers has been patrolling land and sea in the islands since mid-June.

Sea Shepherd will remain in the Faroes until the beginning of October. The campaign spans the typically bloodiest months of the grindadrap hunt season, in an effort to save as many lives as possible.

“Though three volunteers have been arrested and the Danish Navy has once again acted in defense of the brutal grind by seizing one of our boats, Sea Shepherd considers this a victory”, said Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France and GrindStop 2014 Offshore Leader.

Hundreds of dolphins are still swimming safely as a family because of our brave volunteers, and Sea Shepherd will continue to act in defense of its clients”

 

 

Action: Sea Shepherd encourages its supporters worldwide – and especially citizens of Europe – to contact the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask them to drop the charges in the case of those arrested for trying to save 33 pilot whales on 30th August. They are due to apepar in court on 25th September.

Be sure to ask them why, as a member of the anti-whaling European Union, they are aiding and abetting the Faroese in killing whales and how they intend to deport Europeans from Europe for defending whales in accordance with European regulations that prohibit whaling.

Emails can be sent to the Danish Foreign Ministry at um@um.dk.

In the USA: Sea Shepherd also encourages supporters in the United States to contact the Danish Embassy and consulates and ask that Denmark drop the charges, associated with such small fines, against our peaceful volunteers. Please contact:

The Embassy of Denmark
3200 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington DC 20008-3683
Phone: (202) 234-4300

Elsewhere: For a list of Danish embassies and consulates around the world, please visit: Embassies of Denmark.

 

 




384290

Danish Navy arrests three – for saving ‘protected’ dolphins Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




Three volunteer members of Sea Shepherd’s pilot whale and small cetacean defense campaign ‘Operation GrindStop 2014’ were arrested this week just outside the Faroese capital of Torshavn.

Their crime? “Harrassing dolphins”. That is, guiding a pod of hundreds of officially protected Atlantic white-sided dolphins away from the killing shores of the Faroe Islands where the cetacean massacre known as the ‘grindadrap‘ or ‘grind‘ is in full swing.

The Danish Naval vessel chased, boarded and seized Sea Shepherd’s UK-registered boat, the Spitfire, and Danish Police on board arrested its three crewmembers – Jessie Treverton of the UK and Celine Le Diouron and Marion Selighini, both from France.

But not before the dolphins veered off their course towards the coast, and headed out to sea – safe from the slaughter.

The majesty of Faroese law

It is against Faroese law to interfere with the grind, however no grind had been called when Sea Shepherd prevented the dolphins from reaching shore. Moreover, white-sided dolphins are a protected species and are not to be killed.

The Danish Police, however, have charged the Sea Shepherd volunteers with failure to report the dolphin sightings to the grind master and police – and with “harassing dolphins”.

Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson responded: “Apparently in the Faroe Islands it is perfectly legal to kill a protected species, but it is illegal to push them back out to sea in order to keep them from harm’s way because that is considered ‘harassment’.

“The good news is, however, that a pod of hundreds of white-sided dolphins were successfully ‘harassed’ away from the vicious knives of the whalers. 

“Last year, in August 2013, 450 white-sided dolphins fell to the cruel knives of these cetacean-slaughtering thugs. Fortunately the hundreds spotted today remain safe at sea.”

“These three Sea Shepherd women can proudly say that they successfully ‘harassed’ the dolphins for the purpose of saving their lives.”

Deported and forbidden to return for a year

Following a court appearance the Sea Shepherd volunteers were yesterday ordered to be deported from the Faroe Islands, and have been forbidden to return to the Faroes for at least one year. The Spitfire has also been released.

The Spitfire is the fourth vessel seized by the Danish Navy in the Faroe Islands during Operation GrindStop 2014, as Sea Shepherd’s three small boats – the Loki, the Mike Galesi and the B.S. Sheen (sponsored by actor Charlie Sheen) were seized on August 30th. They are being held as evidence awaiting the trial of eight Sea Shepherd crew from those boats on 25th September.

Along with the small boat crew, 6 members of Sea Shepherd’s onshore team were also arrested for attempting to prevent the brutal slaughter of a pod of 33 pilot whales. They have now been convicted on the following charges and fined:

  • Disturbing public order. Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Hindering the hunt of pilot whales: Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Ignoring police orders to leave the area. Verdict: 3 guilty (Sergio, Rodrigio and Alexandra) and 3 not guilty (Nikki, Maggie and Monique who were in the water)

There are two Sea Shepherd vessels currently operating in the Faroes – the Spitfire, and the Clementine, from France. Thor had to be removed from the water earlier today, as foreign vessels can only be in Faroese waters for a maximum of three months.

Denmark defies EU law

Despite being an anti-whaling member nation of the European Union, subject to laws prohibiting the slaughter of cetaceans, Denmark continues to show its support and even collaboration with the Faroese whalers to kill small cetaceans.

Sea Shepherd has led the opposition to the mass slaughter of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands since the 1980s. Operation GrindStop 2014 is Sea Shepherd’s largest Faroese campaign to date, and a multi-national team of Sea Shepherd volunteers has been patrolling land and sea in the islands since mid-June.

Sea Shepherd will remain in the Faroes until the beginning of October. The campaign spans the typically bloodiest months of the grindadrap hunt season, in an effort to save as many lives as possible.

“Though three volunteers have been arrested and the Danish Navy has once again acted in defense of the brutal grind by seizing one of our boats, Sea Shepherd considers this a victory”, said Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France and GrindStop 2014 Offshore Leader.

Hundreds of dolphins are still swimming safely as a family because of our brave volunteers, and Sea Shepherd will continue to act in defense of its clients”

 

 

Action: Sea Shepherd encourages its supporters worldwide – and especially citizens of Europe – to contact the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask them to drop the charges in the case of those arrested for trying to save 33 pilot whales on 30th August. They are due to apepar in court on 25th September.

Be sure to ask them why, as a member of the anti-whaling European Union, they are aiding and abetting the Faroese in killing whales and how they intend to deport Europeans from Europe for defending whales in accordance with European regulations that prohibit whaling.

Emails can be sent to the Danish Foreign Ministry at um@um.dk.

In the USA: Sea Shepherd also encourages supporters in the United States to contact the Danish Embassy and consulates and ask that Denmark drop the charges, associated with such small fines, against our peaceful volunteers. Please contact:

The Embassy of Denmark
3200 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington DC 20008-3683
Phone: (202) 234-4300

Elsewhere: For a list of Danish embassies and consulates around the world, please visit: Embassies of Denmark.

 

 




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Danish Navy arrests three – for saving ‘protected’ dolphins Updated for 2026

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Three volunteer members of Sea Shepherd’s pilot whale and small cetacean defense campaign ‘Operation GrindStop 2014’ were arrested this week just outside the Faroese capital of Torshavn.

Their crime? “Harrassing dolphins”. That is, guiding a pod of hundreds of officially protected Atlantic white-sided dolphins away from the killing shores of the Faroe Islands where the cetacean massacre known as the ‘grindadrap‘ or ‘grind‘ is in full swing.

The Danish Naval vessel chased, boarded and seized Sea Shepherd’s UK-registered boat, the Spitfire, and Danish Police on board arrested its three crewmembers – Jessie Treverton of the UK and Celine Le Diouron and Marion Selighini, both from France.

But not before the dolphins veered off their course towards the coast, and headed out to sea – safe from the slaughter.

The majesty of Faroese law

It is against Faroese law to interfere with the grind, however no grind had been called when Sea Shepherd prevented the dolphins from reaching shore. Moreover, white-sided dolphins are a protected species and are not to be killed.

The Danish Police, however, have charged the Sea Shepherd volunteers with failure to report the dolphin sightings to the grind master and police – and with “harassing dolphins”.

Sea Shepherd Founder Captain Paul Watson responded: “Apparently in the Faroe Islands it is perfectly legal to kill a protected species, but it is illegal to push them back out to sea in order to keep them from harm’s way because that is considered ‘harassment’.

“The good news is, however, that a pod of hundreds of white-sided dolphins were successfully ‘harassed’ away from the vicious knives of the whalers. 

“Last year, in August 2013, 450 white-sided dolphins fell to the cruel knives of these cetacean-slaughtering thugs. Fortunately the hundreds spotted today remain safe at sea.”

“These three Sea Shepherd women can proudly say that they successfully ‘harassed’ the dolphins for the purpose of saving their lives.”

Deported and forbidden to return for a year

Following a court appearance the Sea Shepherd volunteers were yesterday ordered to be deported from the Faroe Islands, and have been forbidden to return to the Faroes for at least one year. The Spitfire has also been released.

The Spitfire is the fourth vessel seized by the Danish Navy in the Faroe Islands during Operation GrindStop 2014, as Sea Shepherd’s three small boats – the Loki, the Mike Galesi and the B.S. Sheen (sponsored by actor Charlie Sheen) were seized on August 30th. They are being held as evidence awaiting the trial of eight Sea Shepherd crew from those boats on 25th September.

Along with the small boat crew, 6 members of Sea Shepherd’s onshore team were also arrested for attempting to prevent the brutal slaughter of a pod of 33 pilot whales. They have now been convicted on the following charges and fined:

  • Disturbing public order. Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Hindering the hunt of pilot whales: Verdict: All 6 guilty
  • Ignoring police orders to leave the area. Verdict: 3 guilty (Sergio, Rodrigio and Alexandra) and 3 not guilty (Nikki, Maggie and Monique who were in the water)

There are two Sea Shepherd vessels currently operating in the Faroes – the Spitfire, and the Clementine, from France. Thor had to be removed from the water earlier today, as foreign vessels can only be in Faroese waters for a maximum of three months.

Denmark defies EU law

Despite being an anti-whaling member nation of the European Union, subject to laws prohibiting the slaughter of cetaceans, Denmark continues to show its support and even collaboration with the Faroese whalers to kill small cetaceans.

Sea Shepherd has led the opposition to the mass slaughter of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands since the 1980s. Operation GrindStop 2014 is Sea Shepherd’s largest Faroese campaign to date, and a multi-national team of Sea Shepherd volunteers has been patrolling land and sea in the islands since mid-June.

Sea Shepherd will remain in the Faroes until the beginning of October. The campaign spans the typically bloodiest months of the grindadrap hunt season, in an effort to save as many lives as possible.

“Though three volunteers have been arrested and the Danish Navy has once again acted in defense of the brutal grind by seizing one of our boats, Sea Shepherd considers this a victory”, said Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France and GrindStop 2014 Offshore Leader.

Hundreds of dolphins are still swimming safely as a family because of our brave volunteers, and Sea Shepherd will continue to act in defense of its clients”

 

 

Action: Sea Shepherd encourages its supporters worldwide – and especially citizens of Europe – to contact the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask them to drop the charges in the case of those arrested for trying to save 33 pilot whales on 30th August. They are due to apepar in court on 25th September.

Be sure to ask them why, as a member of the anti-whaling European Union, they are aiding and abetting the Faroese in killing whales and how they intend to deport Europeans from Europe for defending whales in accordance with European regulations that prohibit whaling.

Emails can be sent to the Danish Foreign Ministry at um@um.dk.

In the USA: Sea Shepherd also encourages supporters in the United States to contact the Danish Embassy and consulates and ask that Denmark drop the charges, associated with such small fines, against our peaceful volunteers. Please contact:

The Embassy of Denmark
3200 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington DC 20008-3683
Phone: (202) 234-4300

Elsewhere: For a list of Danish embassies and consulates around the world, please visit: Embassies of Denmark.

 

 




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Three in every four nuclear power builds worldwide are running late Updated for 2026

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As of this month, 49 of 66 reactors under construction around the world are running behind schedule, according to an updated analysis conducted by the authors of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2014.

The study takes into account several delay announcements in recent weeks:

  • USA: two reactors, Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station Unit 2 and Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station Unit 3;
  • South Korea: two reactors – Shin-Hanul-2 and Shin-Wolsong-2;
  • and Finland: Olkiluoto-3.

Little is known about the progress on four nuclear reactors in India. All the other reactor projects have been under way for less than two years, which makes it difficult to identify delays in the absence of full access to information.

The full and up to date list of reactors under construction and related delay details is available at World Reactor Delays.

The European Pressurised Reactor (EPR)

The study highlights the two EPR-design reactors currently under construction: Finland’s Olkiluoto-3 and France’s Flamanville-3. Both are running about $7 billion over their initial budgets and now projected to cost more than $11 billion.

EDF’s Flamanville reactor was due to be completed by 2012 at a cost of €3.3 billion, but is now projected for completion in 2016 at a cost of €8.5 billion.

Finland’s Olkiluoto-3 reactor, the first EPR construction project, is likely to be a decade behind schedule upon delivery, with a projected completion date of 2018. Construction of the 1.6GW plant began in 2005 and was originally due for completion in 2009. Cost figures are similar to those for Flamanville.

Despite the severe problems with existing EPR projects, the French parastatal power company EDF is planning to build a twin-reactor 3.2GW plant in the UK at Hinkley C in Somerset.

The UK Government strongly supports the project and has agreed terms for a support package that may be worth as much as £100 billion over its lifetime. It includes both a guaranteed electricity price double current wholesale market levels (at £92.50 per megawatt hour) and a £10 billion construction finance guarantee.

Critics like Nikki Clark of the Stop Hinkley campaign group have denounced the UK’s choice of the EPR design as “insane” given the delays and cost overruns in France and Finland.

The support package for Hinkley C is under review by the European Commission as possible ‘illegal state aid’ and may never win approval. The reactors are not included in the study since construction has not proceeded beyond extensive groundworks.

Delays a key factor behind rising costs

Mycle Schneider, Paris-based international consultant on energy and nuclear policy and lead author of ‘The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2014′ said:

“Delays in construction – some of them multi-year – are a key factor behind rising costs and the clear trend of the shrinking share of nuclear energy in the world’s power production, which declined steadily from a historic peak of 17.6% in 1996 to 10.8% in 2013.

“That trend is likely to persist as costly construction delays continue to dog the relatively small number of new reactor projects around the globe.”

Contrary to what is often claimed in the United States by proponents of nuclear power, he added, “the reality is that other nations around the globe do not have a better track record when it comes to delivering nuclear reactor projects on time and on budget.”

The global picture

According to the study:

  • China – often cited in the US as an example of where nuclear power is being delivered on time and inexpensively – is actually experiencing construction delays at 20 of its 27 reactor projects.
  • Russia is seeing delays at nine out of nine reactor projects.
  • India is reporting delays at two out of six reactor projects, but little information is available about the on-time status of the other four.
  • South Korea is seeing delays at four out of five reactor projects.
  • The United States is reporting delays at all five new reactor projects now under construction.
  • Ukraine’s two reactors were commenced in 1986-1987, and grid connection is officially due in 2015-2016.
  • Five reactors in Pakistan (2), Slovakia (2) and Brazil (1) are also running behind schedule.
  • Finland – Olkiluoto EPR delayed by almost a decade (see above).
  • France – Flamanvile EPR four years behind schedule (see above).

Of these eight reactors have been listed as ‘under construction’ for more than 20 years, and another for 12 years.

With Belarus, a new country was added in the last year to the list of nations engaged in nuclear projects, while Taiwan has halted construction work at two units. Fourteen countries are currently building nuclear power plants.

The remaining 13 reactors all started construction in 2012 and after, making it hard to see how construction is advancing. They are also in countries with little open information on building progress.These 13 reactors comprise: Argentina (1), Belarus (2), China (7), South Korea (1), UAE (2).

“This is by no means any guarantee that these plants are factually on time, let alone on budget”, says Schneider.

Contruction delays – a feature of nuclear power for 40 years

“For the last 40 years, the US nuclear power industry has been plagued by construction delays and by cost overruns”, comments Peter Bradford, adjunct professor on Nuclear Power and Public Policy, Vermont Law School.

The former member of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and former chair of the New York and Maine state utility regulatory commissions, continued:

“Because nuclear power is already more expensive than alternative ways both of generating electricity and of fighting climate change, these delays and overruns further undermine nuclear power’s claim that special nuclear subsidies are an essential part of the world’s climate change strategy.”

 

 

Further information: http://bit.ly/worldreactordelays.

 

 




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