By Jo Nova
A jury in North Dakota has ordered Greenpeace to pay $660 milllion USD to a Texas pipeline company called Energy Transfer. Greenpeace will appeal, but the suit named both Greenpeace USA and also the international arm, and the damages are so large, if they survive the appeal they would bankrupt the US branch entirely and prevent Greenpeace operating in the USA.
The payment is to compensate for damages and losses from protests in 2015 and 2016 that damaged and delayed the North Dakota Access Pipeline. The protests were so large and so out of control, the clean up bill cost North Dakota $38 million dollars.
Perhaps most importantly, this case may inspire other corporations to fight back. Kelcy Warren, the magnate who owns Energy Transfer, said in 2017 “Everybody is afraid of these environmental groups and the fear that it may look wrong if you fight back with these people,”. “But what they did to us is wrong, and they’re gonna pay for it.” (– Wall Street Journal)
The 1,172 mile long pipeline did eventually start operation in 2017. It shifts about 5% of the daily oil production of the United States. Presumably every month it was delayed would have cost US customers money, time or a better choice, and there’s no compensation for them. Taxpayers also likely funded some of the Greenpeace budget through USAID and the Tides Foundation. It’s easy to imagine how a million dollars here or there could whip up angry protests that cause hundreds of millions in losses…
Sadly it’s now nine years after the protests, justice still isn’t done yet, and the only guaranteed winners are the lawyers. But the message to Greenpeace and all the activist groups is they no longer have a sacred social license to damage, trespass and interfere with law abiding operations. They can and will be sued, and that should take the wind out their egotistical sails around the world.
We’re living though the great realignment of politics. The New York Times points out that among the environmentalists and celebrities who flocked to the site for the protest, were Robert F Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard. Who would have had any clue in 2016, that today they’d be the current Secretary for Health and Human Services and the Director of National Intelligence, and for a Republican President?
Court Slams Greenpeace With $660-Million Damages Order in Pipeline Suit
By Irena Slav, OilPrice
A North Dakota jury has ruled that Greenpeace must pay $660 million in damages to pipeline major Energy Transfer after the group was found guilty of defamation, conspiracy, and physical damage to the Dakota Access pipeline.
Greenpeace called the case an attack on free speech, but the company replied that “violent and destructive protest is unlawful and unacceptable.” (Are you listening Tesla-haters?)
The environmental group had said the lawsuit, over its role in a protest movement, could mean an end to its operations in the United States. — New York Times
Greenpeace’s defense was that they didn’t organize much of the action:
The group has maintained that it played only a minor part in demonstrations led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It has portrayed the lawsuit as an attempt to stifle oil-industry critics.
But the American Energy Institute feels differently (and apparently the Jury in North Dakota too)
Greenpeace played a leading role, mobilizing activists who trespassed on private property, vandalized equipment, and disrupted lawful commerce. These protests, portrayed as peaceful by the mainstream media, caused millions in damages and left the state to shoulder over $38 million in law enforcement costs. Property owners faced destruction and intimidation, and vital energy infrastructure was attacked – all under the banner of environmental justice and free speech.
After the case they vowed not to stop with their legal battle
We absolutely believe in our legal defense. We believe the law is fully on our side. We believe in what we did at Standing Rock, and that ultimately we will prevail against this meritless lawsuit.
Sure.
Protesters camping in North Dakota
The $660 million dollar bill is split between the three wings of Greenpeace:
Of the total damages of $USD666.9 million, the jury found Greenpeace USA must pay nearly $USD404 million, while Greenpeace Fund Incorporation and Greenpeace International would each pay roughly $USD131 million.
Taxpayers of the USA probably helped fund Greenpeace whether they wanted to or not. Only a few days ago it was reported that USAID gave about $25 million dollars to the Tides Center, which in turn funded radical organisations, including Greenpeace. h/t RickWill.
Who knows how much other money ultimately found its way from taxpayers through The Blob to Greenpeace. DOGE may well uncover more.
Time Magazine (does anyone still read it) posted the most incompetent coverage on the topic allegedly written by one Hallie Golden/AP. Or maybe an AI just phoned it in. In “What to Know About Greenpeace, After it was Found Liable for $650M” someone or something wrote three paragraphs saying the obvious and then three pages reproducing a Greenpeace brochure they got in 1995 or something. Their softball questions were so soft it was more like throwing teddy bears — “How was Greenpeace Founded”, and “Where did the name Greenpeace come from” as if the chumpy chumpy promo stories from 50 years ago have any meaning at all in this case. It was so bad I wondered if the domain name was hijacked.
But Google still put the Time article as number 7 on it’s first page as “news”. It says a lot about the search engine.
Thanks to Fuel Filter, David Wojik, RickWill, and David E
Protest photos: Pax Ahimsa Gethen and Maligh.
Schadenfreude!
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It sounds like beautiful, soothing music to my ears. Play it again & again & again & again, Sam. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
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Wonderful news this morning and their ABC are even yapping about this well deserved kick in the Greenpeace wallet.
I hope they have to pay ASAP and this stops their future activism for a long time.
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Wonderful. It is about time these fronts for anti-Western governments started to pay a price for their actions. I just hope that sort of justice will come to Australia and put a stop to the war being waged against every proposal to use or create resources in this country. More people but no dams, needed electricity being replaced with unreliable wind and solar, anti-nuclear protests, attacks on farming, removal of irrigation water for the environment, stopping the exports that fund our way of life, stopping pipelines that carry gas to consumers and on and on. This is a coordinated attack on our country that is being ignored by our politicians and written off as just an expression of free speech. It is not. The authorities should be tracking the funding of these destructive groups.
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Patrick Moore, who was one of the founders will be enjoying this, as he left that rabble long ago on the basis that they had gone feral; they went anti-human and he could not stomach their self righteousness.
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I’d wager that Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore will be very happy this morning.
He has ripped into these left wing loonies decades ago and clearly understands how evil they are.
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Jinx!
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That situation is reminiscent of how Bob Brown now thinks the Greens have veered away from their founding principles.
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To show it’s not a totally random comment,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinx_(game).
Neville and ‘no name man’ made very similar comments within a minute. It’s uncanny.
It’s more of a thing for the 80’s and 90’s, school yard speak.
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Presumably there will be an appeal so it’s not all over yet, unfortunately.
The kind of press cover that they get is no doubt partially funded by USAID.
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Without USAID who funds the appeal?
I remember the unholy mess at the camp so did a search and found this:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4201402/Search-possible-bodies-pipeline-protest-trash.html
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Ugh! They may be green as in naïve, yet they sure ain’t clean as in tidy responsible adults.
Keeping the planet free sure looks expensive.
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“Salad days” is a Shakespearean idiom referring to a period of carefree innocence, idealism, and pleasure associated with youth.“
It would appear that Greenpeace’s lettuce has wilted, the tomatoes have gone soggy and the avocado has browned. Time to toss it out?
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With nearly US$700m at stake, of course this will be appealed. All the way to to the SC … which now seems quite unpredictable.
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Great news.
What a wonderful case to demonstrate the utter hypocrisy of the Left and their total disregard for the environment and the working people the delay of this affected due to both it making energy less accessible and via taxes to USAID to fund protesters.
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I was wondering about “Time Magazine (does anyone still read it?) I thought it had died years ago. I can recall there was a lot of adds/letters about subscription quite a long while ago (when Australia Post delivered letters daily etc.
TIME may have been kept alive by USAID etc. TIME for euthanasia.
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I read in The Spectator that “Denmark’s postal service is to end all letter deliveries at the end of this year”.
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Paradoxically, this will probably help Greenpeace. Because they simply are a vehicle designed to attract funds. Either by signing up sucker contributors or probably gaining USAID type funding of some sort. They’re an organization which love stunts , which in turn raise exposure to Greenpeace which then produces more donations. I can vividly remember the Greenpeace Nufarm stunt they conducted at the Laverton North plant in western Melbourne. Back in the 1990’s. A really stupid dangerous protest which could have lead to a major industrial incident. What will happen here? Possibly the fine will be challenged. But maybe Greenpeace will lean on their past donors in some super GoFundMe like exercise. Which could mean the Greens party asks our government to donate money to the defence. Remember how the Australian government donated to the Clinton Foundation? Did GP ever really save any whales or was it just another publicity stunt.
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The whales were saved because whale oil was replaced by mineral oil.
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US$666 million: a fitting number indeed.
That photo of the campground shows a heavy reliance on fossil fuel extract products – cars, vans, trucks, tents, thermal clothing, shoes/boots, gas cylinders, phones, laptops, coffee machines, toilet paper… or did they use 100% natural snow or grass.
Hypocrisy knows no bounds. They’re FIRED!
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I’d be willing to bet that the typical Leftist would have no clue about the vast variety of products produced from fossil hydrocarbons and probably wouldn’t care if they did.
Like when Saint Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic on a hi-tech carbon fibre yacht to avoid flying. The cluelessness is simply staggering.
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We need words similar to “illiterate” and Innumerate” to describe people who have no idea about basic science, engineering or manufacturing.
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How about academia?
Or expert or climate scientist?
Or renown [sic] hockey stick man bear pig?
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My care factor for Greenpeace is zero.
I’ve got greater concerns. My toenails need trimming.
ho hum 😊
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The Indian government declared Greenpeace to be an enemy of the state years ago and proscribed any and all of its operations.
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The Tides Foundation is bankrolled by none other than George Soros.
Color me surprised
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DM, and greta had a petroleum rain jacket on, and all the ropes and ship were made from petroleum.
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“Time Magazine (does anyone still read it) ”
About 30 years ago we subscribed to TIME. Haven’t since.
Today I got a letter offering a special rate of $10 per year because we had been readers years ago. Garbage is garbage despite the low price.
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“Garbage is garbage despite the low price.”
But wouldn’t it be more and better garbage at a low price?
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Steady on, Another Ian.
Firstly you have to pay for the Time garbage, then you have to pay for the rubbish collection and as a further problem you will have the mess left when luny Greenies scoure your bin desperate for some reinforcement for their fantasies.
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