Allmode Advisory: Environmental Activism

On the 6th April 2015, activists from the Environmental Pressure group, Greenpeace, scaled and boarded the drilling platform, Polar Pioneer.

She is currently being transported across the Pacific Ocean from Malaysia to Seattle, from where she is to be based during an upcoming drilling campaign in Alaskan arctic waters.

Dockwise’s heavy lift vessel, the Blue Marlin is conducting the transportation operation. The Polar Pioneer is owned and operated by Transocean, under contract to Shell. The boarding took place some 750 miles NW of Hawaii.

This is the latest in a string of high profile boardings and attempted boardings conducted by Greenpeace directed against drilling platforms and companies linked to Arctic and Antarctic drilling.

Means And Motive

Greenpeace is a large organisation with 2,400 permanent staff and around 15,000 active volunteers. They have a fleet of up to 3 “mothership” style vessels and numerous small and fastcraft at their disposal. Their motive for taking action in this instance is to prevent drilling for hydrocarbons in Arctic waters, for which they cite safety issues, immediate spill/pollution dangers and concerns over the downstream impact and climate change.

To find out more and read the full Allmode Report, go here