From: Greenpeace Ship MV Solo tracking Pacific Pintail
Date: THU 23-MAR-95 06:14:00 GMT - DAY 29, PART I
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF TODAY SOLO'S PHONE NUMBER HAS CHANGED TO: PHONE: 874-1301166, FAX: 874-1301167 -- WARNING $10 PER MIN.
The Pacific Pintail steamed into the Pacific Ocean this morning. The present position of the Pintail at 0700GMT is 53 degrees 51 minutes south, and 082 degrees and 03 minutes west. The ship's course is 290 degrees and it is sailing at a speed of 12.5 knots.
For additional information on the Pacific Pintail's voyage or it's cargo of plutonium waste contact Bas Bruyne on the Solo (phone: ++874-1301166), or Karen Richardson at Greenpeace UK (phone: 44-171-226-3151). Photo, video, or other media requests should be made to Blair Palese or Mark Warford at Greenpeace Communications (phone: 44-171-8330-600).
Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/
Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)
From: Greenpeace vessel MV Solo tracking Pacific Pintail
Date: THU 23-MAR-95 19:26:36 GMT - DAY 29, PART II
The Pacific Pintail steamed into the Pacific Ocean this morning. The present position of the Pintail at 1900GMT is 52 degrees 55 minutes south, and 085 degrees and 50 minutes west. The ship's course is 290 degrees and it is sailing at a speed of 12 knots. The first Pacific Island that the Pacific Pintail will pass on its journey to Japan will be Easter Island, famous for its immense statues.
Behind the Moai cult statues of Easter Island goes an amazing and tragic story of ecological disaster caused by the unawareness of human society. The island's statues looking South over the waters where the Pacific Pintail with it's nuclear cargo will sail towards Japan, gaze also over much overused and depleted lands. For most of its history Easter Island was forested, while these days hardly any trees remain. Growing population, and rapid deforestation for agriculture and the Moai cult accelerated centuries ago the island's ecological destruction. The remains of a vanished culture look down through the eyes of Easter Island's statues, while Pacific Island states are preparing for the passage of the most dangerous waste that our society has produced.
In the Pacific, already some states have expressed their concern and opposition to the 14 tons of radioactive waste onboard of the Pacific Pintail. On Feb 23, '95, the Government of Fiji formally contacted the Japanese Government to protest the shipment and demand that it not be allow it to pass through the waters of the Fiji Economic Exclusion Zone. Fiji further called on Japan to reconsider its policy on the transport of highly radioactive waste.
On Jan 17, '95 the Federated States of Micronesia issued a statement of concern regarding the possibility of Japan making transports of highly radioactive nuclear waste through the region which could lead to "catastrophic" accidents. The FSM voiced its desire to see the South Pacific Forum put into force an agreement which will ban the importation or transboundary movement of such transports through the region.
On Jan 17, '95, in a letter to the Japanese Embassy in Suva (Nauru) the Nauru Department of External Affairs conveyed to the Japanese Government its strong concern regarding highly radioactive waste shipments sailing through the South Pacific Islands region. In the letter the Nauru Government opposed the planned shipment of nuclear waste through their Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 miles and called upon Japan to respect Nauru's concerns. The Department also called on Japan to postpone the shipment until a full safety and environmental analysis, to guarantee the elimination of all possible risks, had been undertaken by the responsible governments and made available to all concerned.
Previously, on Dec. 12, '94, US Representative for Hawaii, Abercrombie, and the Delegate for Guam, Underwood, issued statements of concern over the shipment of HLW from France to Japan. The two members of the US House of Representatives stated that the people of Hawaii and Guam should not be placed in harm's way, and that the US should make a good-faith, timely effort to address the unresolved safety questions raised by plans to ship high-level radioactive wastes by sea through US ports and/or territorial waters.
For additional information on the Pacific Pintail's voyage or it's cargo of plutonium waste contact Bas Bruyne on the Solo (phone: ++874-1301166--$10 per minute), or Karen Richardson at Greenpeace UK (phone: ++44-171-226-3151). Photo, video, or other media requests to Blair Palese or Mark Warford at Greenpeace Communications (phone: ++44-171-8330-600).
Media and others interested in tracking the shipment's route daily should access Greenpeace World Wide Web site at: HTTP://WWW.greenpeace.org/
Best regards and No Nukes!
Ulf Birgander (Captain)
Bas Bruyne (Campaigner)