The Green Party are welcoming a pause on all remaining oil and gas exploration, and call on the Government to stop it all together.
“Now is the time to take a leadership role stop oil and gas exploration once and for all. Keep fossil fuels in the ground,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for energy and resources, Julie Anne Genter.
“The latest IEA World Energy Outlook made clear that to keep global warming to within 1.5 degrees, countries need to phase out fossil fuels.
“We cannot have our time over, and the clock is ticking fast.
“To limit global warming and keep the climate healthy for future generations, we have to keep fossil fuels where they belong – in the ground.
“The Green Party has long been calling for an end to oil and gas exploration.
“We’re glad the Government is not issuing a block offer this year. Oil and gas exploration should have stopped decades ago. The Government should be sending a clear signal that time’s up for fossil fuels in New Zealand.
“The Government should also adopt Eugenie Sage’s member’s bill to ban any new coal mines anywhere in New Zealand and protect conservation lands and waters from any new coal, gold and other mines,” says Julie Anne Genter.
Will we use any less oil or gas if we keep importing them .Gas is very important to many industries for their power and as we see the results of lack of supply in Europe it is a World wide situation. If there was a large find it would solve many of NZ financial problems and we could better afford to help our Pacific neighbors.
Giving up advances made in our life style to save the plant will hit the poeerest hardest so the problem needs to be solved by man’s skill and resourcefulness just as we have over the centuries. When I was younger the World was worried about there being enough food but science has solved that problem I am sure global warming will be the same .
You are right. This announcement is more Malthusian clap-trap from the pretend-left.
We already had a way to start winding down imports: synthetic gasoline, from natural gas (GTL), and eventually from coal (CTL). Foolishly shut down by the government.
If Michael J. Savage was alive (certainly a real left leader), what would his government be doing? The Savage-Nash administration was running State Mines, a new State Refinery, and supporting exploration to increase production – what is required in an energy crisis!
Full electrification of the economy will require an exponential rise in mining and energy production. You simply cannot build enough batteries, power lines and power stations (especially solar) without this.
No party can credibly claim to be on the ‘left’ when its policy does not oppose the privatisation of the mines, refineries and Synthetic Fuels Corporation. Limiting energy supply is similarly anti-labour: you are ‘solving pollution’ by deindustrialization and raising energy prices, leaving workers unemployed and unable to afford fuel.
Ha ha ha. No. Unless they want us all to starve to death. Actually, that’s probably more likely the reason.
An interesting article. It is usually about this time, when a major political party has had two terms in power and is about to start campaigning for a third term in government, that MP’s from the Green Party typically speak out about various issues.