What a jolly afternoon some new Climate Rushers had in the town of Hitchin, Hertfordshire. We ‘occupied’ another Oil Aisle chanting ‘Dump Shell’, spoke to bemused customers who were appalled to discover that the lovely Waitrose was getting into bed with heartless Shell, and read out our letter to an extremely embarrassed-looking store manager:
Dear Waitrose,
You were our favourite supermarket.
You have always provided us a choice of ethical products and so we have faithfully shopped with you. The things we like most about you are your wonderful customer service, your commitment to the local community through your lovely green coin charity boxes and your delicious selection products which are fairly traded or locally grown, organic and sustainably sourced.
Before Shell came into your life I could always trust you to do the right thing. All that is good about you is now overshadowed by your relationship to Shell.
• Shell is the most carbon intensive oil industry in the world and is responsible for on-going human rights abuses and daily oil spills in the Niger Delta forcing the local communities there to drink water and eat fish polluted with oil.
• Shell is trying to drill for oil in the Arctic – the last pristine environment in the northern hemisphere, where 75% of ice has already melted because of climate change.
• Shell is involved in the tar sands project in Alberta Canada and in the dangerous and polluting practice of shale gas fracking.
This does not square with your ethical mandate on climate change that made us so proud to shop with you. We want our Waitrose back, this has gone on too long – Dump Shell and we’ll get back with you.
With love,
Climate Rush
The store manager told us that he knew we were having some kind of sit-down protest but that we would be causing a disruption to the aisle. So we politely let him know that he didn’t need to worry about us blocking his aisle, we had no intention of settling on the floor because we would rather speak to as many customers as possible. We then scampered off round the store, separating ourselves and wandering every aisle, handing out leaflets and letting shoppers know what they could do to end this fling with Shell. He was rather cross so I hope we managed to reassure him that we love Waitrose, but can’t abide their choice of partner. I cannot contemplate shopping at Shell until they clean up their act – starting with the 13bn tonnes of oil spilt in the Niger Delta and investing more than 0% of their £18bn profits into clean renewable sources of energy.
Hitchin Waitrose were left in no doubt about our feelings this afternoon and until they ditch their bad romance, we will keep intervening.
