Greenpeace calls for post-election deal to reject “monstrous” new offshore oil project
Tuesday, October 2: Greenpeace has made an urgent call for parties engaged in post-election coalition negotiations to rule out an oil prospecting application, which if approved, could see one of the largest 3D seismic blasting surveys that has taken place in the Taranaki Basin.
The world’s largest oilfield survey company, Schlumberger, has applied to search for oil across almost 19,000 square-kilometres of the Taranaki Basin, including in and around the critically endangered Māui dolphin and Blue Whale habitat.
As well as harming whales and dolphins, a recent study published by science journal Nature, shows seismic blasting for oil has devastating effects on the most critical ocean lifeform, zooplankton, with “enormous implications for ocean ecosystem structure and health”.
Schlumberger will sell the information it gathers to oil companies, including Austrian oil giant OMV, which has recently been searching for controversial Arctic oil.
Greenpeace New Zealand climate campaigner, Kate Simcock, says if the political parties involved in the coalition negotiations really are serious about the environment, then they need to take a stand against “reckless” oil exploration like this.
“Many have called the 2017 General Election the ‘Environment Election’. Climate, conservation, and rivers were at the front and centre of the election campaign,” she says.
“All four of the parties involved in the negotiations to form a government pledged to improve New Zealand’s environmental performance. Now is the time to prove that they will take a moral stand when it matters most.
“This Schlumberger survey is absolutely monstrous. It comes at a time when we know beyond doubt that we can’t afford to burn most of the fossil fuel reserves we know about if we want to avoid climate catastrophe, let alone search for more.
“Our future leaders can no longer feign ignorance. Ending new oil exploration in New Zealand is the most basic first step you can take if you’re serious about taking climate action.
“Companies like OMV and Statoil are almost single handedly responsible for what’s happening to our climate. They’re named in the list of only 100 companies in the world that are causing 71% of global emissions.”
Earlier this year, Schlumberger brought the world’s biggest ship, the Amazon Warrior, to seismic blast off the Wairarapa Coast over a seven month period for oil companies including Statoil and OMV.
In April, Greenpeace activists including Executive Director, Dr Russel Norman, put themselves in the water in front of the ship 60 nautical miles out to sea, stopping it from seismic blasting for the day.
The activists and Greenpeace were charged by the oil division of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), under the 2013 Amendment to the Crown Minerals Act, dubbed the ‘Anadarko Amendment’.
They have pleaded Not Guilty and are due to next appear in the Napier District Court this Thursday, October 5.
Bloody good work Russel am in full suppport of you.
Oil ship “sonic boom” Amazon Warror has been linked world wide to causing earthquakes as we have expierienced in NZ of late.
This ship was caught on camera opperating off Kaikoura just before the huge quakes that have devistated this area and will do this to all other regions now if they continue.
Fight them hard Russel with this issue.
You really need to stop using all oil products if you want to stop all oil exploration .
Seismic is the only way to find oil. and if professional activists like Norman want to be taken seriously then then should stop using the products that they want to stop.
Hey Andy do you use oil.
We have know for over 40 years that oil must be stopped as a energy source. That knowledge has been ignored and our food system, transport and entire economy has been adapted to run on oil.
We have to change but meanwhile we have to eat and earn. The system needs to change. Minimising our personal carbon footprint is up to individuals. It may well be our duty as much as protest is.
Russel was an MP but had the guts to do more than what he could in that role.
Protecting of the commons and awakening people to what the hell is happening is hard work particularly when swipes are taken by deniers or those who ignore the negative aspect of business as usual.
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