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GREENPEACE BOAT, ARCTIC EXPLORERS CONNECT NORTHPOLE WITH SOUTHSHORE
CONTACT: Steve Smith (202) 413-8521 (c) or Gordian Raacke, RELI 516-313-6611 (c)
June 14, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GREENPEACE BOAT, ARCTIC EXPLORERS CONNECT NORTHPOLE WITH SOUTHSHORE
URGENT CALL FOR CLEAN ENERGY FOR LONG ISLAND
FIRE ISLAND, NY— Two Greenpeace explorers who are currently approaching the North Pole in the first summer crossing of the Arctic participated in an event to welcome the newest Greenpeace boat, WITNESS, to Long Island and urge support for the proposed Long Island Offshore Wind Park. ...more
URGENT CALL FOR CLEAN ENERGY FOR LONG ISLAND
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2006
CONTACT: Steve Smith (202) 413-8521 (c) or Gordian Raacke, RELI 516-313-6611 (c)
GREENPEACE BOAT, ARCTIC EXPLORERS CONNECT NORTHPOLE WITH SOUTHSHORE
URGENT CALL FOR CLEAN ENERGY FOR LONG ISLAND
FIRE ISLAND, NY— Two Greenpeace explorers who are currently approaching the North Pole in the first summer crossing of the Arctic participated in an event to welcome the newest Greenpeace boat, WITNESS, to Long Island and urge support for the proposed Long Island Offshore Wind Park. The explorers, Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen, spoke via satellite phone at an event with leaders of the clean energy push on Long Island to encourage a move towards a clean energy future, and to stop contributing to the astonishing ice-melting that they are witnessing first-hand on their unique expedition. (See http://www.ProjectThinIce.org for more info)
“We have two brave men on the ice right now, approaching the North Pole, who can lend a voice to the urgency that so many here on Long Island and elsewhere feel,” said Kate Smolski, Greenpeace climate expert. “The melting of our Arctic region will have serious far-reaching impacts, the polar bear is moving closer to extinction, and glacial melting threatens sea-level rise and the erosion of Long Island’s beaches. New York has the chance to take a step in the right direction with this Offshore Wind Park.”
The proposed park, to be located off the coast of Long Island, would provide enough clean energy for 44,000 homes on Long Island, is expected to undergo environmental review starting in July, and slated to begin construction in 2009. Greenpeace is awaiting the results of these reviews, but is at the forefront of the national movement to encourage greater investment in clean energy projects that provide Americans with safe, clean, renewable, and domestic sources of energy.
“By speaking via satellite link to the arctic explorers at the top of the world, we are literally making the connection between global climate change and the urgent need for renewable energy projects locally,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island. “As responsible citizens we must support projects like the planned Long Island offshore wind park because it will provide electricity without the emission of greenhouse gases.”
"We need to plan our Nation's escape from the grip of fossils fuels. As a Nation, we need to understand that we are making perilous energy choices today that will critically impact tomorrow. Ready or not, the time to choose sustainable energy production is right now and wind power needs to be a part of this important choice," said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"As Al Gore's movie points out, the global carbon levels in the atmosphere are far above any recorded from the past 650,000 years, due to our burning of fossil fuels,” said Neal Lewis, Executive Director of the LI Neighborhood Network. “We are pleased to be in a coalition with national groups such as Greenpeace to support clean energy for Long Island to reduce emissions that contribute to environmental as well as public health problems."
The Greenpeace boat WITNESS is the latest member of the global Greenpeace fleet, and its appearance on Long Island is its public debut. As the only U.S.-flagged Greenpeace vessel, WITNESS will continue to be at the forefront of Greenpeace’s campaigns that push for a clean and safe energy future.
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More photos are at
http://lioffshorewindenergy.org/index.php?module=photoalbum&PHPWS_Album_op=view&PHPWS_Album_id=6
Click below to listen to satellite link audio with Windows Media Player:
http://lioffshorewindenergy.org/files/uplink/LiveSatLinkNorthpole.wmv
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Listening to Satellite Link-up from Northpole
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