Look What the True Cost of Chevron Network Did Last Week

Last week was a busy one for the True Cost of Chevron Network.

Dozens of activists including those from Angola, Nigeria, Canada, Alaska, and the U.S. Gulf Coast traveled to San Ramon, California to attend Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting to deliver a new report: The True Cost of Chevron: An Alternative Annual Report. This report includes accounts by more than 40 authors and records egregious corporate behavior in locations as diverse as California, Burma, Colombia, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the Philippines and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Outside the Chevron AGM, activists joined together to fight back in protest against the dire impacts of Chevron’s reckless pursuit of profits.

Two days before Chevron’s shareholder meeting, members of communities from around the world that have been impacted by Chevron’s reckless business operations participated in a True Cost of Chevron Teach-In.

To find out more about what happened during these events, here’s info on photos, videos and press clippings for you:

PHOTOS OF CHEVRON AGM PROTEST

Check them out here on Flickr.

MEDIA CLIPPINGS

For more press clippings, visit our Energy Program in the News web page.

VIDEO FROM OUTSIDE THE CHEVRON AGM

Watch Videos from outside the Chevron AGM here.

Here’s one of Global Exchange Energy Program Director Antonia Juhashz:

NOW IS STILL THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION!

Get your copy of The True Cost of Chevron: An Alternative Annual Report. Download the report or make a $15 contribution to Global Exchange to receive a hard copy of the book.

Sign on to the petition “Leave it in the Ground: Statement against Arctic Offshore Drilling”: Please take 30 seconds to sign the petition here.

The following post was written by Tonya Hennessey, Global Exchange Energy Program’s Chevron AGM Campaign Coordinator:

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“2010 was an outstanding year for Chevron.”

With these words, CEO John Watson opens Chevron’s 2010 Annual Report.

The communities who bear the costs of Chevron’s operations do not agree. On May 23, you can hear directly from community leaders who will travel from Angola, Nigeria, Ecuador, Indonesia, the tar sands of Canada, Alaska, Texas, Richmond, CA and beyond to the Bay Area to share the true cost of Chevron’s operations where they live.

JOIN US AT A TEACH-IN ON THE TRUE COST OF CHEVRON

Monday, May 23 from 7-10 PM PST
David Brower Center, Tamalpais Room, 2150 Allston Way
Berkeley, California 94704
Tel: 510.809.0900

Elias Isaac will travel from Angola to share his story at the teach-in. Elias, of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, wrote in the forthcoming True Cost of Chevron: An Alternative Annual Report for 2010 (our third installment of the report to be released soon):

“The impacts of oil activity in the Sea of Cabinda are so disastrous that most of the sand on the shores is polluted and black in color, and most of the beaches cannot be used. Chevron barely acknowledges or accepts responsibility for these impacts. According to fishermen, the shortage of fish in the Sea of Cabinda started in the 1980s, reaching its peak in the late 1990s when serious environmental destruction began.”

Also speaking at the teach-in is Mardan Pius Ginting of WAHLI-Friends of the Earth Indonesia. Pius wrote in the True Cost of Chevron: An Alternative Annual Report for 2010:

“Chevron has employed brutal measures to quiet protests, including utilizing Indonesia’s notorious security services, bringing charges of human rights abuse, violence and intimidation.”

Other teach-in speakers traveling to the Bay Area from Chevron-affected communities include:

  • Humberto Piaguaje, Amazon Defense Coalition, Ecuador
  • Emem Okon, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Nigeria
  • Gitz Crazyboy (Ryan Deranger), First Nation Dene/Pikini (Blackfoot), Alberta, Canada
  • Bryan Parras, Texas Environmental Advocacy Services and the Gulf Coast Fund, Houston, Texas
  • Tom Evans, of the Native village of Nanwalek, CookInlet Keepers, Alaska

While the company touts its “Human Energy” PR message of corporate social responsibility, we will bear witness to the social and environmental costs that go unmentioned by Chevron. Chevron’s current “We Agree” ad campaign asks: “Oil Companies Should Support the Communities They’re a Part Of: Do You Agree?”

A close look at Chevron’s operations worldwide shows a very different picture.

JOIN SUPPORT RALLY DURING CHEVRON SHAREHOLDER MEETING

On May 25, these community leaders and many more will go to Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting in San Ramon. We ask you to join us there at a support rally outside of Chevron’s gates.

More information about this event will be available on our website soon.

Photo Credit: Jonathan McIntosh

Shareholders and shareholder representatives from around the globe holding legal proxies were refused entry to Chevron’s annual meeting on Wednesday. Five members of The True Cost of Chevron Network were subsequently arrested at the oil giants direction, including GX’s own Antonia Juhasz, Director of our Chevron Program.

Protestors and press gathered outside the meeting as news spread like wildfire. Some folks tweeted live from Houston, others wrote articles and blog posts centered on the Chevron shareholders meeting.

We thought we’d throw together a little list to update folks about where things are at, so here you go:

A sampling of some recent live Tweets
from @changechevron:
#Chevron blocking nearly all 30+ impacted community leaders at Houston agm. All have legal proxies. Locked out. http://twitpic.com/1r8e8f

BREAKING: #Chevron is blocking valid proxy shareholders from entering its mtg one by one if they suspect we’ll raise concerns.

from @AmazonWatch:
5 arrested at Chevron Shareholder meeting! Antonia from @Global Exchange yanked from inside the meeting! Share: http://goo.gl/EPiX

From @codepinkalert:
@AntoniaJuhasz arrested at Chevron shareholders meeting for trying to expose the true cost of chevron! #arrestchevron  (not antonia!)

The following folks are tweeting live from Houston:
https://twitter.com/AmazonWatch
https://twitter.com/coldmtn
https://twitter.com/nickmagel
https://twitter.com/bandawatch
https://twitter.com/ChangeChevron
https://twitter.com/RAN

Check out some recent articles about the Chevron shareholders meeting:

  • Climate Connection posted arrest and protest videos including this one featuring Richmond, CA resident Dr. Henry Clark of West County Toxics Coalition:

Stay Connected!

Check out We Can Change Chevron’s Facebook destination with updates on Chevron resistance events.

Keep checking back with this blog for frequent updates.

Visit the Global Exchange Chevron Program Take Action page for a complete list of ways to get involved.

If you are involved in spreading the news about Chevron related activities, we’d love to hear about it.