Amnesty International warned against a “chilling verdict” returned by a North Dakota jury on Thursday in a lawsuit against Greenpeace. The verdict orders Greenpeace, an environmental advocacy organization, to pay Energy Transfer, a fossil fuel company, $660 million US in defamation liability.
Amnesty International described the jury’s verdict as “chilling” according to its “severe implications for Indigenous Peoples, and other environmental defenders and climate activists.” Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, explained, “This devestating verdict sets an array of deeply damaging precedents on the rights to freedom of speech, association and peaceful protest and puts the very future of Greenpeace at risk.”
Energy Transfer, the plaintiffs, brought a complaint against Greenpeace, the defendants, in March 2019, alleging Greenpeace caused “financial harm to Energy Transfer, physical harm to its employees and infrastructure” and wanted to “disrupt and prevent” the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Energy Transfer aimed to recover “millions of dollars of damages” due to Greenpeace’s alleged conduct.
Energy Transfer’s complaint arose from Greenpeace’s alleged involvement in demonstrations against the DAPL. The DAPL is a “1,1172-mile underground oil pipeline” that transports oil from the “Bakken region in North Dakota, across South Dakota and Iowa, to Patoka, Illinois.” The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is an Indigenous nation that has a reserve on the North and South Dakota border. However, Energy Transfer argues the DAPL does not cross any land or water owned by the Indigenous nation.
Energy Transfer specifically alleges that towards the end of the pipeline’s completion in 2016, Greenpeace organized protests to “obstruct construction of DAPL” and distributed “defamatory falsehoods regarding DAPL’s” intrusion on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s sacred burial sites and water supplies. In March 2024, Greenpeace released a statement criticizing Energy Transfer’s lawsuit, in particular, because it attempts to “erase the Indigenous leadership” behind the protests. The statement goes on to explain how Greenpeace did not direct the movement, rather, “Native activists living on the frontlines of fossil fuel expansion” did.
Regarding the jury’s verdict, Greenpeace International General Counsel Kristin Casper made a statement promising the organization will continue to defend against Energy Transfer’s lawsuit:
Energy Transfer hasn’t heard the last of us in this fight. We’re just getting started with our anti-SLAPP lawsuit against Energy Transfer’s attacks on free speech and peaceful protest. We will see Energy Transfer in court this July in the Netherlands. We will not back down. We will not be silenced.
A similar demonstration against a pipeline project took place north of the border in Canada by the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in British Columbia from 2019 to 2023. The Coastal GasLink is a pipeline project that began construction in British Columbia on the ancestral, unceded territory of the Wet’suwet’en. Amnesty International released a report in December 2023 arguing the Canadian government violated the human rights of the Wet’suwet’en protestors.
150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership; plus
A $500 statement after spending $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel within the first three months of card membership.
150,000 points has been the regular offer for a while now, so earning a nice statement credit is the cherry on top. This offer ends on June 30.
Although its $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) may sound hefty, there are still plenty of reasons this business card is worth considering.
Here’s what you need to know about the current offer on the Amex Business Platinum.
Current Amex Business Platinum welcome offer
New Business Platinum applicants can earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.
Plus, they’ll receive a $500 statement credit after spending $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel within the first three months of card membership.
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This offer ends on June 30.
To earn the $500 statement credit, you can buy flights across any number of airlines (it doesn’t have to be just one). The bookings can be made either directly with the airline or through Amex Travel. Note that you must meet the $2,500 minimum spending requirement for airfare purchases within three months of being approved for the card.
To earn the full 150,000-point bonus and statement credit, your business must spend a lot on the card quickly and purchase airline tickets. With its hefty initial required spending and statement credits (which we’ll talk about below), this card is targeted toward businesses with multiple employees and fairly significant expenses.
The $500 statement credit could be even more lucrative if paired with an Amex Offer providing additional cash back or bonus Membership Rewards points for airfare purchases.
In total, the Business Platinum offers over $1,500 in statement credits that you could potentially maximize. However, some cardmembers will not be able to fully utilize them all.
However, a notable difference between the personal and business versions of the card involves the bonus categories. Amex Business Platinum cardmembers earn 1.5 points per dollar on up to $2 million in eligible purchases in the U.S. per calendar year with:
U.S. Cloud service providers
U.S. Construction materials and hardware suppliers
U.S. Electronic goods retailers
Eligible purchases of $5,000 or more
U.S. Shipping providers
U.S. Software
Cardmembers also earn points on other purchases at the following rates:
5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases
Who is eligible for the Amex Business Platinum welcome offer?
This Amex Business Platinum welcome offer carries Amex’s standard language regarding welcome offer eligibility:
“Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.”
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The personal and business versions of the Amex Platinum are considered different products. So even if you currently have the Amex Platinum, the issuer’s one-bonus-per-card-per-lifetime rule won’t prevent you from earning the business card’s bonus.
Likewise, you may be eligible to earn a welcome offer on the Amex Business Platinum even if you already have another Amex business card, such as the American Express® Business Gold Card.
However, Amex may not give you a welcome offer based on the number of American Express cards you have opened and closed, as well as other factors. So, look out for any messages or pop-ups while you apply. Amex’s welcome bonus qualification tool should notify you if you aren’t eligible for the welcome bonus and allow you to withdraw your application.
The welcome offer and statement credits are only part of the Amex Business Platinum’s appeal. After all, the Business Platinum also confers many other excellent ongoing perks, including:
FOUR SEASONS TOKYO AT OTEMACHI/ DANYAL AHMED
* Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply. ** Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Bottom line
The Business Platinum Card from American Express has an array of credits and benefits, but one of the main reasons to consider the card is its juicy welcome offer, which ends on June 30. Not a bad start for a small business and you can also begin taking advantage of its many value-added benefits.
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