Yahoo Finance Emma Thompson's Arctic Drilling Protest Poem
Actress Emma Thompson has written a poem to express her anger at Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) 's plans to drill for oil in the Arctic.
The star read the ode to the firm on Sky News as she stood outside its London headquarters with a giant polar bear.
Thompson pledged to be among dozens of people to break a legal injunction preventing Greenpeace activists from crossing a line drawn around the Shell building on the South Bank.
The activists want to stick a giant paw print on the building with the names of thousands of people who have signed up to save the Arctic from drilling for oil and gas, Greenpeace said.
About seven million people worldwide, including 600,000 from the UK, have signed up to the Greenpeace campaign.
Thompson 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."
Her poem, with the line "thinking ahead was a chore", is set in the future as a grandchild asks their grandad why animals are extinct and cities have been flooded by melting ice caps.
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.
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.
A Shell spokeswoman said: "Shell respects the right of people to protest against the activities we undertake to ensure the world's energy needs are met.
"However, it is disappointing that Greenpeace continually chooses to focus on mounting publicity stunts rather than engage constructively in the debate about how to meet the world’s growing demand for energy while reducing CO2 emissions.
"We believe we can play an important role in developing the Arctic's energy resources. We choose to explore there because we have the expertise and experience to operate responsibly and be profitable at the same time.
"Many Arctic peoples and governments agree with that judgment. They support the opportunity to explore for oil and gas in their territories and those governments have awarded Shell the licenses to conduct those operations (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) ."
