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Greenpeace blokkeert PC Hooft-tractorfabriek
Dan - 18.05.2005 11:52
Maandag 16 mei (tweede pinksterdag) heeft Greenpeace UK in Solihull een Landrover fabriek geblokkeerd doordat 35 greenpeace activisten zich vastketenden aan de productielijn. Met de actie wil Greenepace aandacht vragen voor de de asociale hoeveelheid brandstof die de luxe landrovers verbruiken, waarmee klimaatverandering wordt bespoedigd, terwijl de auto's vanwege hun hoogte ook nog eens uiterst gevaarlijk zijn voor fietsers, voetgangers, en andere automobilisten.
Production of off-road cars halted by protest
By James Mackintosh, Motor Industry Editor
Published: May 17 2005 03:00
Greenpeace campaigners stopped production of luxury 4x4s at Land Rover yesterday when they infiltrated its West Midlands factory to protest against vehicles they said were "wrecking the environment".
The 35 activists chained themselves to the production line and part-built Range Rovers after entering the plant alongside workers arriving in the morning.
The company estimated it lost 70 of the sport utility vehicles it should have built, with a value of about £4m.
The protest brought direct action - usually used against the oil and nuclear industries and farms growing genetically modified crops - to car factories for the first time. Until now protests against off-roaders have been limited to putting fake parking tickets declaring them "environmental crime scenes". In California a more violent group has broken windows of the Hummer 4x4, based on the Humvee used by the US military, and torched dealerships.
Stephen Tindale, executive director of Greenpeace UK, speaking from the back of a police van by mobile phone, said he had been arrested while negotiating with the company, which is owned by Ford of the US. He said it was important to stop the fashion for "gas-guzzling" SUVs spreading from the US to Europe. "We are worried we may lose this battle and if we do the impact on climate change could be pretty catastrophic," he said.
Mr Tindale condemned the advertising for Range Rovers in cities, saying it was "criminal" that the petrol version of the SUV only did 12 miles to the gallon in urban areas. The company said an engine introduced on the latest version raised this to 13.4mpg, and that most UK customers bought the diesel engine, which does 20mpg.
Land Rover said it was "not acceptable" to stop making the Range Rover. "We have a business to run," it said. "This was an illegal protest on private property."
The protest ended in mid-afternoon when police cut the chains and arrested 15 Greenpeace members. The rest were allowed to leave.
The Transport and General Workers' Union, which represents Land Rover staff, said: "Progress towards better environmental efficiency will be achieved by persuading governments and consumers, not by threatening the livelihoods of Land Rover workers."
Greenpeace picked Land Rover in part because Ford is supporting a challenge to California's attempt to impose fuel efficiency rules at a state level. Ford and other carmakers argue these can only be set by the federal government.
"Bill Ford [chairman and CEO] has set himself up as an environmentalist but his company's been moving in the wrong direction," said Mr Tindale.
 E-Mail: daniel arscht umpm.nl  Website: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/range-rover-shut
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| Read more about: natuur, dier en mens | | supplements | | some supplements were deleted from this article, see policy | | Trabant? | verbaasd? - 19.05.2005 15:34
Dat is zo'n beetje de meest milieu-belastende auto aller tijden...
| | k | loper - 18.05.2005 14:15
Gewoon iedereen een trabant
| | / | / - 18.05.2005 13:51
Volgens mij zijn bestuurders van auto's gevaarlijk voor fietsers.
Overigens komen niet alle landrover rijders in de pchooftstraat..
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