You Can Be Sure of Shell

Scratch video made in response to August 1989 Shell oil spill in Mersey estuary which caused a 20 mile slick and killed at least 300 sea birds, putting another 2000 at risk due to oil ingestion. The nearby New Brighton mussel beds were also contaminated. The incident was made worse because Shell, against the warnings of local police and councillors flushed the pipeline with lighter crude and water, in order to stop oil from solidifying and blocking the pipe.

Shell was fined £1 million at Liverpool Crown Court, with costs of £6,573 - the largest ever fine in the UK at the time for a pollution incident.

Transcript:

"Shell unleaded petrol is good news for badgers"

"The Shell oil company in Britain says it will pick up the bill for the clean-up following the oil leak in the Mersey estuary"

"blackbirds and blue birds"

"Dozens of birds have already been caught in the black tide of crude oil"

"because Shell unleaded is not only less harmful for the environment"

"environmentalists say lasting damage has already been done"

"You can be sure of Shell"

© tvnewswatch 1989

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• scratch
• environment
• news
• Shell
• oil
• propaganda
• Environmentalism
• Energy
• Power
• video-art
• art