1 | | | Picture a cartoon figure | | | | | ret Thatcher. | | | | | strategy at the time. |
| | | walking the streets and | | 6 | | | For millions of years, the | | 11 | | | The CND marchers were mis- |
| | | proclaiming that the end | | | | | former prime minister reminded | | | 115 | | taken. They thought that humankind |
| | | of the world is nigh. | | | 60 | | me once, the population of the | | | | | would blow itself up. It did |
| 5 | | What would you do? Most of us | | | | | world was under 1bn. “We had | | | | | not, perhaps because of the |
| | | would avert our eyes or point | | | | | all the carbon fixed down in the | | | | | stalemate that unilateral dis- |
| | | and smile. We should pause. The | | | | | earth as coal, oil, peat, gas,” she | | | | | armament would have broken. |
| | | posters strung across his or her | | | | | went on. Then the coup the | | 12 | 120 | | But others who engaged in |
| | | drooping shoulders may be | | | 65 | | grâce. “We have now gone up... | | | | | street theatre to further a cause |
| 10 | | telling the truth. | | | | | to nearly 6bn over a matter of | | | | | have been proved right. The |
2 | | | The human species may indeed | | | | | about 150 years, and all of the | | | | | suffragettes are one example, the |
| | | be destined to self-destruct. In | | | | | carbon that has been down there | | | | | tree-huggers who tried to ob- |
| | | some moods we think the ques- | | | | | for millions of years is in a | | | 125 | | struct the building of a highway |
| | | tion is not whether our world | | | 70 | | matter of decades being put up | | | | | around Newbury in Berkshire |
| 15 | | will come to an end, but when. | | | | | there.” Her hands fluttered sky- | | | | | another. The battle of Newbury |
| | | At least the carrier of the sand- | | | | | wards. She was in office at the | | | | | was lost. The Salisbury by-pass |
| | | wich-board will have warned us. | | | | | time. She might have done more | | | | | in nearby Wiltshire was cancel- |
3 | | | That is why we should hesitate | | | | | about it. | | | 130 | | led. You never can foretell the |
| | | before kicking Greenpeace. | | 7 | 75 | | What is the likely effect of so | | | | | long-term effect of any demon- |
| 20 | | True, this sometimes irritating | | | | | heavy an injection of carbon | | | | | stration. |
| | | non-governmental organisation | | | | | dioxide into the air? Adverse. | | 13 | | | Prudent corporations realise |
| | | - NGO in the jargon of the | | | | | The mountain of scientific opi- | | | | | this. That is why they are hiring |
| | | trade - has become the awkward | | | | | nion accumulates on paper and | | | 135 | | cunning advisers to plan their |
| | | squad of the environmental mo- | | | 80 | | on-line. If Greenpeace ever ends | | | | | defences. Counter-demonstration |
| 25 | | vement. Its activists may have | | | | | up in court we might witness the | | | | | consultants have begun to send |
| | | been wrong-headed to target | | | | | clash of business vs NGO and | | | | | in calling-cards, offering presen- |
| | | British Petroleum. They were | | | | | try to work out who is right. | | | | | tations on how to respond to |
| | | certainly brave - and I am not | | 8 | | | That would, however, be an | | | 140 | | NGO campaigns. |
| | | talking about the risks inherent | | | 85 | | unscientific process. Both sides | | 14 | | | This boils down to three possi- |
| 30 | | in seaborne activist demon- | | | | | could win, and both might lose. | | | | | bilities: bamboozle the media, or |
| | | strations. For BP is dangerous. It | | | | | That is what happened when | | | | | go to court, or use a judicious |
| | | bites back. | | | | | McDonald’s accused of dama- | | | | | mix of both. |
4 | | | Worse, it removes its teeth | | | | | ging the environment, sued for | | 15 | 145 | | Hassled by animal rights de- |
| | | first. A few days ago it sued | | | 90 | | libel, although its adversary was | | | | | monstrations? Try the anti- |
| 35 | | Greenpeace for £1.4m for | | | | | a few penniless individuals, not | | | | | stalking law. Roads protests? |
| | | occupying its Stena Dee test- | | | | | an organisation. The company | | | | | Look to the legislation on secon- |
| | | drilling rig in the North Sea. | | | | | won, but can we say that its | | | | | dary picketing. In the US, 14 |
| | | Hallelujah! The autumn head- | | | | | image is what it was? | | | 150 | | states have adopted “food dispa- |
| | | lines were predictable. “Big Oil | | 9 | 95 | | This is an outcome that some | | | | | ragement” acts, which bar nega- |
| 40 | | vs the brave eco-warriors” per- | | | | | of us can bear with equanimity. | | | | | tive comments about perishable |
| | | haps? I never could compose | | | | | In a democracy there should be | | | | | comestibles. These bans amount |
| | | headlines. Then BP offered an | | | | | room for direct-action cam- | | | | | to a protection racket for far- |
| | | out-of-court settlement: stop | | | | | paigns, if only to stimulate media | | | 155 | | mers and commodity merchants, |
| | | harassing us and we will not | | | 100 | | or parliamentary debate. Future | | | | | following the powerful anti- |
| 45 | | bankrupt you. The action moved | | | | | disturbances are likely to incon- | | | | | green alliance between loggers |
| | | from the rolling seas on the front | | | | | venience corporations rather | | | | | and right-wing congressmen. |
| | | pages to the media backwaters. | | | | | than governments, because it is | | 16 | | | It is curious that such a curtail- |
| | | That is where Big Oil wants it. | | | | | the private sector that usually | | | 160 | | ment of free speech is acceptable |
5 | | | Leave aside the dubious | | | 105 | | has the most direct influence on | | | | | to so many Americans. We |
| 50 | | merits of this week’s particular | | | | | what happens to us. | | | | | may regard this as yet another |
| | | case. The Stena Dee might or | | 10 | | | Seen this way, Greenpeace | | | | | indication of the change in the |
| | | might not be worth fighting a- | | | | | no worse, and no more wrong, | | | | | balance of power between elec- |
| | | bout. Global warming, the | | | | | than was the Campaign for Nu- | | | 165 | | ted representative institutions |
| | | greenhouse effect, is a serious | | | 110 | | clear Disarmament during the | | | | | and free-ranging capitalist orga- |
| 55 | | matter. On this I am a believer, | | | | | Cold War. It tried to influence or | | | | | nisations. Now, where did I put |
| | | irrevocably converted by Marga- | | | | | topple governments, a suitable | | | | | that sandwich-board? |