That the production wing of global energy corporation, Shell, has a presence in the west of Ireland is now well known. Shell have been joined by another of their kind; Exxon Mobil, sometimes known as Esso. It's a company which, like Shell, has left a long dark oil slick like trail of controversy and notoriety across the globe. Exxon Mobil are in alliance with Sir Anthony O’Reilly, Ireland’s most influential businessman

In March of this year, Exxon Mobil was awarded licenses for exploratory drilling in the Porcupine Basin, which is in the Atlantic roughly parallel with Clare and Kerry. For the exploratory bid Exxon Mobil combined in a consortium with Providence Resources, and Scottish firm Sosina Exploration.This isn’t the first joint venture involving these companies. In February 2006 they announced a program to develop the Dunquin prospects, which are finds of oil and gas, also in the Porcupine Basin. These finds alone are potentially worth 20 billion euro. Providence Resources are also engaged in exploration off the south east coast.

This morning at 10am, 15 Shell to Sea activists entered the water at Glengad Beach to stop Shell pipeline excavation work. Dinghies, surfers and swimmers surrounded the machine and stopped the work by their presence in the water.

3 members of the Garda water unit then began picking people out of the boats and the water and bringing the protestors into the Shell compound where other Gardaí conveyed them then to Belmullet Garda station. Gardaí were questioned by activists, asked to identify themselves, and give reasons why they were pulling people from the water. Gardaí were questioned as to what authority they had to give directions or use force against protesters in the water. They refused to account for themselves. “Public Order Act” shouted one very aggressive Garda.

Related Links: Shell to Sea Coverage on Indymedia.ie | Glengad, Mayo - July 29th | Shell & Gardaí Force Community from Glengad Beach

Today (Saturday) at noon a flotilla of sea kayaks reclaimed Glengad beach, Pollathomas, Co Mayo; the landfall site for Shell’s offshore pipeline.

Members of the ‘Great Rebel Raft Regatta’ recently deployed at the E.ON coal fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, England, have made their way from Climate Camp UK to Erris, in order to assist Shell to Sea campaigners in their opposition to this pipeline construction at Glengad.

The first wave of the Rebel Regatta arrived today following Marine & Public Information Notices which announced the arrival of the world’s largest pipe-laying vessel, the Solitaire, in Broadhaven Bay, any time from today onwards.

Captain Ahab of the Rebel Crew states, “It’s unacceptable what Shell are being allowed to get away with here in Mayo. We intend to plunder Shell’s compound at Glengad and board the Solitaire when she arrives in the bay. We take no prisoners. It’s the gang-plank for these boys. This environment needs protection from these marauders of Shell’s.”

Brian Guckian, a researcher into sustainable development and transport in Ireland, lays out the case against the proposed Cork to Limerick (M20) Motorway.

Mr Guckian claims that the scheme is not supported by traffic counts, that it breaches EU Law and government environmental policies, and that councils could face fines and funding penalties if it goes ahead.

Related Links: M20 on Wikipedia | M20 on Politics.ie

This is a series of daily video reports from the Climate Camp 2008 in Kingsnorth, Kent, UK

The Climate Camp 2008 at Kingsnorth has chosen that site, because there are plans to build a new coal powered generating station there and given that coal is a big emitter of CO-2 into the atmosphere, then this make sense to make it the focus of a climate action campagin.

The camp is ongoing; click here to access daily video reports from the camp.

It should be noted that the well known climate scientist James Hansen has come out strongly against any further coal plants and thinks there should be a complete halt to them, given that his and other scientists' recent research, including recent observations from the Arctic, show that the climate is turning out to be far more sensitive to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is happening much much quicker than anticipated.

Indeed, the level of the annual summer melt in the Arctic in 2007 was so great that projections for an (summer) ice free Arctic have been brought forward from around the year 2080 to anytime within the next few years. This should be an urgent wake up call to everyone.

Violence from the police has been reported. Dunk, an Indymedia.ie contributor, says: "police handling was very over the top: witnessed headbutts from cops, shields and batons to heads and one poor bloke getting full side baton blow to knee, didn't see him after, rumours were that his knee cap had been seriously injured".

Related Links: Climate Camp | Chart of Arctic Sea Ice Melt & Case for Sustainable Emergency | US Scientist calls for Prosecution of Energy Company CEOs for Global Warming Disinformation | Camp Feauture on IMC-UK: Climate Camp Ready For Action | Climate Camp TV | Climate Camp Radio live streams everyday