Greenpeace give ultimatum to the PM in Palma

PALMA
INTERNATIONAL ecologist organisation Greenpeace fired a broadside at Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero yesterday, saying that if he wanted to be the champion of climate change which he claims he is, then he must stop using polluting energy sources, such as coal at electricity production plants.

Carlos Bravo, coordinator for the Greenpeace climate change campaign, was speaking yesterday aboard the organisation's flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, currently in the Bay of Palma. The vessel's presence here follows Thursday's surprise boarding of coal transporter the Playa de Alcudia, 20 miles off the coast of Majorca by two Greenpeace militants.

Bravo said that the protest was not so much against the transport of coal but rather at the lack of commitment by the European Union to take tough measures on climate change. Representatives of the EU have been meeting in Brussels this week but Greenpeace said Zapatero should have attended the talks. “Far from spearheading the drive to stop global warming,” said Bravo, “the EU, through their complacency, have set the scene for a major débâcle at the all-important conference in Barcelona on climate change to be held next week.”.