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Greenpeace Cyber-Action

To Act now go to: http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/action/nukes

Believe it or not the French nuclear company Areva (www.arevagroup.com) is sponsoring the French yacht Defi in the next America's Cup to the tune of 31 million dollars.

This is a cynical attempt by Areva to "greenwash" its business by linking itself to the clean, green image of sailing. The presence of a Nuclear company in New Zealand is an affront to our Nuclear Free stance and to the spirit of yachting.

Areva is comprised of companies like COGEMA who is responsible for polluting the seas around France by pumping up to 230 million litres of radioactive waste into the sea from its reprocessing facility every year. COGEMA is also involved in the shipping of plutonium fuel, despite New Zealand and international opposition, across the world's oceans and through the Tasman sea. Furthermore Areva's majority owner, the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is responsible for the overall development of France's nuclear weapons and also oversaw the testing programme at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in the South Pacific.

Areva is responsible for polluting the seas, developing nuclear weapons and shipping plutonium through our region.

Greenpeace is not opposed to the America's Cup and we recognise the significant impact it has on the New Zealand economy particularly the boat building sector and tourism. But we are opposed to a major sporting event being used by the nuclear industry to promote and sanitise its dirty business.

We are asking Areva's Director of Communications Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier to leave their dirty business at home and withdraw their sponsorship of the French entry into the America's Cup.

You can send a message to him at http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/action/nukes

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