From Oliver.Salge@greenpeace.de 20/11/01

Dear friends and colleagues,

Greenpeace Germany "visited" todays morning the office of West LB,
Duesseldorf. We mounted a metal plaque that the Logo of the WestLB now
shows
"WestLB .. is financing ancient forest destruction." 30 activists protest
against the loan to finance the OCP Pipeline. Please find our press release
in englisch and german.
Thanks for your help


Liebe Freunde und Kolleginnen,
Greenpeace hat heute morgen die West LB in Duesseldorf besucht. Wir
befestigten eine Stahlplatte vor dem Firmenlogo, so das dort nun zu lesen
ist WEST LB  ... finanziert Urwaldzerstörung.
Anbei findet ihr unsere Presseerklärung in Deutsch und Englisch.

Beste Grüße und vielen Dank fuer eure Hilfe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oliver Salge
Greenpeace Germany
Waldbereich/Forest dept.
Phone +49 40 30618-336
(or switchboard 30618-0)
Fax + 49 40 30631-125
e-mail: Oliver.Salge@greenpeace.de
http://www.greenpeace.de

SAVE THE ANCIENT FORESTS NOW!
----


                      Press Release: 20 November 2001

              Greenpeace: Hummingbirds´ Ancient Forests Homes
                      Are Threatened with Destruction
     West German State Bank must stop the pipeline Project in Ecuador

Duesseldorf,  20  November 2001 ? Today in front of the headquarters of the
West German State Bank in Duesseldorf, Greenpeace is protesting the loan of
a  thousand  million  dollars  to  build  an oil pipeline right through the
Ecuadorian  rainforest.   Around 30 environmental activists mounted a metal
plaque  directly  underneath the State Bank's sign with the words "finances
the  destruction  of  ancient  forests".   They fastened a seven meter long
chainsaw  to  a  globe-like  sculpture  which stands in front of the bank's
entrance.   A  banner  reads  "Save  the Last Ancient Forests!"  Greenpeace
demands  that  the  West  German State Bank (WestLB), as the largest German
public bank, and the Northrhine Westphalia state government cancel the loan
to the oil consortium, which has already been approved.

"The  West  German  State  Bank  is  conducting  nothing  other than robber
capitalism.  It  must  immediately  cancel  the loan," says Michaela Braun,
Greenpeace  forests expert. "The bank is making itself an accomplice to the
destruction of ancient forests and the homes of numerous forest peoples."

The  `Deutsche Bank´, which was also involved in the financial negotiations
for the pipeline project, has refused to finance the project because of its
environmental  problems.   But  the  Duesseldorfer  bankers  have  not  yet
reconsidered,   even   though   Ecuadorian   political  resistance  to  the
construction of the so-called OCP pipeline is gathering.

Just  a  few  weeks  ago,  the  Vice  President  of the Ecuadorian National
Congress,  Dr. Antonio Passo, called upon the management of the West German
State  Bank  (WestLB),  as  well  as  the  Minister President of Northrhine
Westphalia   Wolfgang   Clement,   the  Finance  Minister  Peer  Steinbrück
(technical  supervisor  of the State Bank), and the Interior Minister Fritz
Behrens  (state  supervisor  of the State Bank)  in writing "to immediately
stop  any loan for the OCP project". Passo invites the bank representatives
and  politicians  to personally visit the villages and protected ecosystems
along  the  planned  pipeline  route  "to  prevent  a social, economic, and
environmental  tragedy".   Greenpeace has Passos' letter, dated October 30,
2001, which has not been publicized until now.

The  planned  route  cuts  right  through  one  of  the  world's  five most
biologically diverse areas, which has 450 different bird species, including
hummingbirds  and  toucans.   The  destruction  of  ancient forests for the
pipeline  construction  would  also drive the forest peoples, who depend on
ecotourism, into economic ruin.

"Time  is running out.  The state government and the West German State Bank
can  still  save the habitat of jaguars and pumas at the last minute", said
Michaela  Braun.   Over  12,000  tonnes of pipe have already arrived at the
city   of  Esmeralda  on  the  Pacific  coast,  where  the  pipeline's  500
kilometre-long construction is slated to begin.

On  November  26th, the Committee for European and One World Matters of the
State  Parliament  of  Northrhine  Westphalia will debate the loan of their
state bank.

Editorial Notice: Michaela Braun, Tel. 0171-8580555 or Press Officer Carmen
Ulmen, Tel. 0171-8780-840 are available to answer questions.  We are happy
to fax over background information on the State Bank's financing of the
pipeline.  Stills of the action can be obtained by calling 040-30618-376;
for footage, call 040-30618-375.  Further information at
www.greenpeace.de/urwald


----
                   Presseerklärung vom 20. November 2001

            Greenpeace: Kolibri-Urwäldern droht die Vernichtung
     Westdeutsche Landesbank soll Pipeline-Projekt in Ecuador stoppen

Düsseldorf,  20.  11.  2001 ? Greenpeace protestiert heute vor der Zentrale
der Westdeutschen Landesbank (WestLB) in Düsseldorf gegen die Vergabe eines
Milliarden-Kredits  für  den Bau einer Öl-Pipeline quer durch den Regenwald
Ecuadors.  Unmittelbar unter das Firmenzeichen der WestLB haben die rund 30
Aktivisten   eine   Metallplatte  mit  der  Aufschrift  WestLB  "finanziert
Urwaldzerstörung"  montiert.  Zudem  befestigen sie eine sieben Meter lange
Kettensäge  an  der  globusähnlichen  Skulptur,  die  vor  dem  Eingang des
Bankgebäudes   steht.   "Rettet  die  letzten  Urwälder"  steht  auf  einem
Transparent.   Greenpeace   fordert   die   WestLB   als  größte  deutsche,
öffentlich-rechtliche  Bank  und die nordrhein-westfälische Landesregierung
auf, den bereits zugesagten Kredit an ein Öl-Konsortium zurück zu nehmen.

"Was  die  WestLB  in  Ecuador  betreibt,  ist  Raubbau-Kapitalismus", sagt
Michaela  Braun,  Greenpeace-Waldexpertin. "Die Bank macht sich mitschuldig
an  der  Zerstörung  der  letzten Urwälder dieser Erde und den Lebensräumen
zahlreicher Waldvölker Ecuadors."

Die  Deusche  Bank,  die  ebenfalls  an  den  Kredit-Verhandlungen  für das
Pipeline-Projekt   beteiligt  war,  hatte  die  Finanzierung  aufgrund  der
Umweltprobleme abgelehnt. Doch die Düsseldorfer Banker bleiben bisher hart,
obwohl  in  Ecuador  auch von politischer Seite der Widerstand gegen die so
genannte OCP-Pipeline wächst.

Der  Vizepräsident  des  ecuadorianischen  Nationalkongresses,  Dr. Antonio
Passo,  hatte  erst  vor  wenigen  Wochen  den  Vorstand  der  WestLB sowie
NRW-Ministerpräsident  Wolfgang  Clement,  Finanzminister  Peer  Steinbrück
(Fachaufsicht  der  WestLB) und Innenminister Fritz Behrens (Staatsaufsicht
der WestLB) schriftlich aufgefordert, "jegliche Kredite für das OCP-Projekt
(...)   umgehend   zu   stoppen".  "Um  einer  sozialen,  ökonomischen  und
ökologischen   Tragödie  vorzubeugen",  lädt  er  die  Bankenvertreter  und
Politiker  zu  einer  persönlichen  Besichtigung der Dörfer und geschützten
Ökosysteme  entlang  der  Pipeline-Route  ein.  Das  vom  30.  Oktober 2001
datierte,  aber  bisher unveröffentlichte Schreiben Passos liegt Greenpeace
vor.

Die   geplante   Trasse   soll   mitten   durch  eines  der  fünf  weltweit
artenreichsten  Waldgebiete  mit  450  verschiedenen  Vogelarten,  darunter
Kolibris  und  Tukane  führen. Die Zerstörung der Urwälder für die Pipeline
triebe   auch   die   vom   Ökotourismus   lebende   Bevölkerung   in   den
wirtschaftlichen Ruin.

"Die Zeit drängt. Die Landesregierung und die WestLB könnten die Heimat der
Pumas und Jaguars noch in letzter Minute retten", sagt Michaela Braun. Über
12   000  Tonnen  Rohre  sind  bereits  in  der  Stadt  Esmeraldas  an  der
Pazifikküste  eingetroffen,  wo  der  Bau der 500 Kilometer langen Pipeline
beginnen  soll.  Am  26.  November  wird  der  Ausschuss  für  Europa-  und
Eine-Welt-Angelegenheiten  des  Landtags  in  Nordrhein-Westfalen  über den
Milliardenkredit der landeseigenen Bank debattieren.

Achtung Redaktionen: Rückfragen bitte an Michaela Braun, Tel. 0171-8580555,
und      Pressesprecherin     Carmen     Ulmen,     Tel.     0171-8780-840.
Greenpeace-Pressestelle,  Tel: 040-30618 340. Fotos von der Aktion erhalten
Sie    unter:   040-30618-376,   Beta-Material   unter:   -375.   Internet:
www.greenpeace.de/urwald

 

From Michaela.Braun@greenpeace.de 23/11/01
Dear all,
I just want to give a brief update of our action at WestLB bank in
Düsseldorf on Tuesday. I think you have already gotten the press release we
sent out.

We went to one of WestLB's buildings right in the centre of Düsseldorf to
demand the cancellation of the credit, WestLB and the government of
Northrhine-Westphalia being responsible for the destruction of unique
ancient forests in Ecuador, the violation of local and indigenous
peoples's rights and the destruction of the basis of the flourishing
ecotourism industry. We fixed a steel plate right under the bank's logo
West LB saying "finances ancient forest destruction", hang a banner with a
giant photo of the Amazon saying "Save the last AF!", put a 7m chainsaw
with WestLB written on it  in the globe-like divided sculpture right in
front of the building, an activist in a jaguar costume sitting on it.
Activists in costumes of the representative animals of the other six
ancient forest regions we are campaigning on handed out flyers. We reached
a lot of people passing by, who were very positve and supportive of our
demands.
 (See attached file: Westlb2.jpg)(See attached file: Westlb2.jpg)

We talked to the WestL's press officer and told him we wanted to hand over
info material to Mr. Sengera himself. A little later he came back with Mr.
Seibert from the board of WestLB. We then had a maybe ten minutes long
discussion in front of the building. Seibert could not agree with any of
our arguments though he couldn't  really present any good arguments for the
pipeline either. He was always referring to the Ecuadorian government go
for the project and the environmental assessment studies, which have been
carried out. Later we had a meeting with the finance minister's state
secretary Noack, arranged shortly after we started the action. We discussed
that with the OCP-project the WestLB violates its own policy, which states
that every project they finance needs to be carried out in the sense of
public interest and that profit is NOT the main focus. Though the OCP
obviously does not fulfill this option, Noack said that it is for public
welfare indeed and that we simply have a different understanding of it. He
clearly stated that the credit will not be cancelled. He said that WestLB's
image would be damaged much more from referring the credit than it would be
from financing the pipeline, which in his eyes would rather contribute to a
safer situation in oil production and transport. He also referred to the
environmental assessment studies and the Ecuadorian government's wish to
build that pipeline. We discussed about an hour and then stopped the
action.

That's it in brief. Don't hesitate to call me, if you have any questions or
remarks.
 So long,
Micha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michaela Braun
Kampaignerin Wald/Forest Campaigner

Greenpeace e.V.
http://www.greenpeace.de
Tel. +49 40 30618-322 (oder 30618-0)
Fax  +49 40 30631-211 (oder 30618-130)
Unterstützen Sie unsere Arbeit auch finanziell
http://www.greenpeace.de/spenden


Have a great day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From Svenja.Koch@greenpeace.de 29/11/01

Dear all,

today Greenpeace Germany put a banner (30 to 15 Meters) to a building in
front of the state chancellery in Düsseldorf. On the banner is the slogan :
 "WestLB destroys ancient forests
 - Red-Green just stand by
- Stop the money-flow, Mr. Clement!
Greenpeace"

Red-Green means the government of Nordrhein-Westfalen, SPD and the Green
Party and Mr Clement is the chief minister of this Federal German state. We
hope to get his statement to the Ecuador project today, he never took
position in this case.
In the moment there are discussions with police and fire brigade to take
off the banner and the climbers. And Clement will come in an hour. When we
get a statement, I will send a new mail.

cheers Svenja

A notice to all, who send protest letters to the government of
Nordrhein-Westfalen. Most of the adresses the letters are sent to are
wrong. So the letters went around in the offices and it takes weeks until
they reach the right persons.

Because of problems with corruption between WestLB and the government, they
have changed the supervision respondsibility last summer. Ernst Schwanhold
is not in charge any more. The joint supervision for the finance-projects
of the WestLB has now the Nordrhein-Westfalen State Ministry of Finance,
Peer Steinbrueck (SPD).

His name and adress:
Herrn Peer Steinbrueck
Finanzministerium
des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen
Jägerhofstr. 6
D- 40479 Düsseldorf

fon: 0049-211- 4972-0
fax: 0049-211- 4972-2750

The joint supervision for Nordrhein-Westfalen is in the hands of the
minister of the interiror, Dr. Fritz Behrens. So he is the right person for
next protest-mails too:


Dr. Fritz Behrens
Innenministerium
des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen
D-40190 Düsseldorf

fon: 0049 211-871-01
fax: 0049 211-871-3355