Greenpeace fined for environmental damage

[firemonkey]

MANILA (Reuters) - Greenpeace said Tuesday it will pay nearly $7,000 in damages after the environmental group's flagship, the Rainbow Warrior II, hit a coral reef at a world heritage site in the southern Philippines.

The accident Monday was "very regrettable," Greenpeace said in a joint statement with the Tubbataha National Marine Park, but it laid some of the blame on maritime charts showing its ship was 1.5 miles from the reef.

Officials from the marine park assessed the area of damaged reef at 96 square metres (113 square yards) and valued it at 384,000 pesos.

"This accident could have been avoided if the chart was accurate," Red Constantino of Greenpeace Southeast Asia said in the statement. "We feel responsible, however, and this amount will be transferred Wednesday."

The visit to the reefs in the Sulu Sea was part of a four-month tour by the Rainbow Warrior II to Australia, China, the Philippines and Thailand to raise awareness about global warming and promote renewable energy.

The ship suffered no serious damage while briefly running aground, Greenpeace said.

The area of the maritime park is designated as a world heritage site by the United Nations.

[amyb]

Oh really?

[Potato Salad]

That is by far one of the funniest things ive read.

[geoscomp]

That is by far one of the funniest things ive read.

Why? other than the irony that a Greenpeace ship is governed by the same problems and situations that affect every other vessel, how does a shipwreck sound funny? Inaccurate charts are very prevalent, especially post-tsunami, and are affecting lots of vessels. In fact, most people believe that uncharted sandbars are what wrecked the E. Fitzgerald on Nov. 10th 1975, killing 29 people. Anyone that has ever piloted anything in deep water knows this kind of risk.

[El_Squid]

It's funny because it happened to Greenpeace, who tend to be a bit self-righteous and judgemental. This being said as a former, long-time contributor to Greenpeace, in fact I donated to help launch the Warrior II, after the French scuttled the first one.

Maritime disasters and accidents are not funny, especially if they involve loss of human life. Accidents to pompous, self-righteous jerks, is funny, and always will be. Kind of like Jimmy Swaggert and his multiple peccadillos with prostitutes at motels. You just can't help but snicker.

[geoscomp]

Actually, I was asking Potato Salad..but thank you for your usual insigtful comments. I do find this confusing though...

Maritime disasters and accidents are not funny,
vs
Accidents to pompous, self-righteous jerks, is funny,

[El_Squid]

I have an annoying habit of interjecting my two cents,... and completing other people's sentences. I blame it on my short attention span and megalomaniacal tendencies. So, my apologies to you Geo and to Tater.

I did neglect to clarify that accidents, where no one is injured, are funny when they happen to self-important folks. The damage to the reef is the regretable loss. The damage to Greenpeace's pride is hilarious. It is a cosmic lesson in humility, an ironic twist of fate, which puts the shoe firmly on the other foot.

The personal note from my experience was just to clarify that I am not opposed to enviromental organizations, just to those who lose sight of their original mission and become, primarily, another radical lobby group.

[Major Kong]

Greenpeace has had their problems in Alaska waters too. Basically their attitude is that Alaska's Open 90 regulations only apply to others...not to them...

[TripleRLtd]

Greenpeace has had their problems in Alaska waters too. Basically their attitude is that Alaska's Open 90 regulations only apply to others...not to them...

So then, you agree with the Squid, right?:

I am not opposed to enviromental organizations, just to those who lose sight of their original mission and become, primarily, another radical lobby group.

I'm not surprised at their "progression" btw. Something about supposed power...