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Environmental News Service
Leading the charge in favor of economic punishment to be meted out to the United States are Europe's Greens, who sparked a vote in the European Parliament on the issue today. Green Party lawmakers asked fellow Members of the European Parliament to back a resolution calling on European consumers to boycott Exxon, Texaco and Chevron. These three U.S. based oil firms are suspected of having influenced America's policy shift on the Kyoto Protocol from support under former President Bill Clinton to withdrawal under Bush. The resolution was defeated by a margin of over three to one. Meanwhile, boycott campaigns have been launched by some European environmental groups, such as the UK based Families Against Bush which demonstrated today outside the U.S. Embassy in London. Families Against Bush advocates a selective boycott of American products and services until the President supports the Kyoto Protocol and agrees to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. "Consumers can use the only real influence available to them and hit that part of corporate America which put Bush in power and which thinks it can get away with polluting while the rest of the world pays the price," the group said. It does not support a boycott of companies opposing the Bush line on the climate agreement. "A boycott of sugar from American plantations helped stop the slave trade," a spokesman said. "This time the quality and existence of billions of lives are ultimately under threat unless effective action is taken."
Europe's larger environmental groups are also examining the options for applying pressure on the U.S. government to work with other industrizialized nations within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol, an addition to the United Nations Climate Change Convention.
Greenpeace today called on America's largest 100 firms to declare opposition to the Bush administration's position or "face the consequences from concerned consumers, institutions and organisation from around the world." "We've been deluged with requests for campaign action or a boycott," said Greenpeace climate campaigner Stephen Sawyer. "We want to give people a chance to make their views clear. There's a lot of anger out there, a desire to retaliate against Bush." Greenpeace launched the Global Warning campaign by writing to the CEOs of the top 100 companies on the newly published Fortune 500 list, which is now led by Exxon. The CEOs were asked if their companies support the ratification and entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol or support President Bush in his opposition to the protocol. "The American people can register their opinions at the ballot box. But for the rest of the world - shocked at the worst greenhouse polluter's rejection of its responsibility for the global environment - all we can do is register our opinions via the marketplace," said Dr. Gerd Leipold, Greenpeace International executive director. In Israel, the Ale Yarok Party (Green Leaf) which supports the legalization of marijuana, held a demonstration today outside the American Embassy in Tel-Aviv protesting Bush's refusal to endorse the Kyoto Protocol. The demonstrators were accompanied by the Circle, a group of ethnic drummers committed to drumming for peace and the environment. In a country where criticism of the U.S. is not popular, this day long action was received well by Israeli passersby who showed support by honking their horns and joining the Circle. Sawyer says Greenpeace will gather together a broad range of nongovernmental groups to organize a protest campaign after Easter. Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd, London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk |
British protesters with 
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