Posted on 17-4-2002
Black
Magic Sails For French
17 April, 2002, Auckland: The French nuclear industry group,
Areva is
leasing New Zealand's 1995 America's Cup boat, "Black Magic"
as a promotion
tool in its campaign to promote its dirty nuclear business.
"Black Magic"
skippered by Sir Peter Blake brought the Cup to NZ after winning
the race
in San Diego in 1995.
"The leasing of Black Magic is adding insult to injury,” said
Greenpeace.
"Its quite unbelievable, first they hijack the race itself to
promote one
of the most dirty and dangerous businesses on the planet and
now they have
hijacked Sir Peter's boat to assist in that bid. "You have to
wonder what
they are thinking. This is not just any old boat. This is the
boat that
brought the cup to NZ and skippered by a man who in his later
days
redirected his sailing to advance the cause of protecting the
oceans. "The
tragic irony is that the boat is now being used by a company
that is
involved in polluting the oceans on a daily basis."
Sir Peter Blake gave his support to the nuclear free Tasman
flotilla last
year when seven boats sailed out to protest a shipment of plutonium
fuel
that an Areva company was making. He said, "I thoroughly agree
with a stand
being made to protect the oceans from what will, given time,
cause a
catastrophe of unheard of proportions."
Greenpeace is opposed to Areva's sponsorship because its subsidiary
companies have polluted the seas around France and Moruroa and
its
activities continue to put the global environment and the health
of
hundreds of thousands of people at risk. Moreover, the activities
and
interests of Areva continue to be central to the French nuclear
weapons
programme. Areva is the major sponsor of the French entry in
the America's
Cup sailing race.
|