The true story behind Channel 4’s ‘Secret State’ – RBS’s dirty deals
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Dec 11, 2012
Sometimes Platform is really late off the mark, but luckily a friend in Liverpool gave us a nudge. Thanks Lena. WARNING – this blog post contains spoilers. Channel 4’s recent 4-part political thriller ‘Secret State’ has an oil and finance storyline, elements of which uncannily mirror some of Platform’s current and recent campaigns. The plot...
Pressure on Hague over Shell human rights case
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May 28, 2012
Pressure is mounting on William Hague after the UK government attempted to block a US lawsuit against Shell for its human rights violations in Nigeria. Kiobel v Shell alleges that Shell aided and abetted human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military against the minority Ogoni people of the Niger Delta from...
Party for Everybody? Eurovision and The Oil Road on Resonance FM Thursday 8pm
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May 23, 2012
Q: What do the Eurovision Song Contest, the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have in common? A: Blurred ‘continental’ boundaries The Eurovision Song Contest takes place this Saturday night in host country Azerbaijan, which is also home to the subject of Platform’s upcoming book release The Oil Road – the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan...
Holding Shell to account at the AGM
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May 23, 2012
Just returning from the Shell AGM in Den Haag, Holland feeling inspired and energised by the passion and courage of all those that worked to hold the board of the company to account – both in the Dutch meeting and in the parallel event (linked by video) in the Barbican in London. Outside the conference...
Activists intervene in Shell lawsuit
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May 22, 2012
Amnesty International and CORE have challenged the UK government’s attempt to block a court case that seeks to hold Shell accountable for its role in human rights violations in Nigeria. Platform supports the coalition of groups challenging the UK government and calling on it to reverse its position. The FT reports:
Draft cover for “The Oil Road” arrives in office – what do you think?
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May 21, 2012
The draft cover has arrived for Platform’s new book “The Oil Road”, due out with Verso in September. We’re gathering input from our circles and supporters. Would you pick this up in a shop? What are the three first words that come to mind when you see this cover? Please tweet us @platformlondon or email...
“Heritage called in the cavalry” – investigation reveals oil company’s role in Congo killings
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May 21, 2012
Documents sourced by Platform play a key role in a new Corporate Watch investigation revealing how British oil company Heritage triggered a Ugandan military operation that led to six Congolese individuals being killed, including a three-year-old child. The two-year investigation in East Africa exposes a cover-up and raises further concerns over oil extraction in the...
Out in the Cold – new report on Shell’s plans in the Arctic
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May 21, 2012
Shell’s Annual General Meeting tomorrow is unlikely to go calmly. The company’s problems range from anger over excessive executive pay to spills in the Niger delta. At this time, Platform, Greenpeace and FairPensions are putting to scrutiny offshore Arctic exploration as a key direction in the company’s strategy. The new report ‘Out in the Cold...
Exploring The Oil Road – Two Platform events in Bristol and London
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May 18, 2012
There are two Platform events coming up which explore themes in our forthcoming book The Oil Road by Mika Minio and James Marriott, due out in September. The first event is a talk in the Bristol Festival of Ideas – What if we left the oil in the ground? Taking place at Arnolfini on Sunday 20th...
Tate Modern removes oil from its new galleries
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May 17, 2012
What were “The Oil Tanks” at Tate Modern have now been rebranded as “The Tanks” within recent Tate press communications it has been noted by campaign group Platform [1]. It appears that the forthcoming launch of its new space has prompted Tate to remove the word ‘oil’ from the name of its new galleries that are now referred to...
Live With It! a new iPhone app from Shell-apps.com
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May 14, 2012
With Arctic drilling imminent, significant expansion into the tar sands and over 50 years of damage in Nigeria, the case for targeting the oil giant Shell has rarely been greater. A new campaign launched this month by Friends of the Earth Netherlands is challenging Shell to clean up its oil spills in Nigeria’s oil rich...
RBS outed for pro-tar sands lobbying
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May 10, 2012
Despite vehemently protesting our calculations of £2.5 billion in Canadian tar sands finance 2008-2010, the Royal Bank of Scotland is today reported by Reuters to be closely involved in the pro-Canadian tar sands lobby in Europe.
