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Action needed to stop deep-sea oil drilling
July 29th, 2012
Joanna Santa Barbara
On 4 August 2012 Kiwis will kick off the second international day of action against offshore oil drilling. Like last year, when 420 people stood united against deep-sea oil drilling in our region alone, events again are being coordinated across the Top of the South.
Organizers hope to increase the number of participants to reflect the growing opposition to deep-sea oil drilling in New Zealand. People in Nelson, Motueka and Golden Bay will join hands and draw a line in the sand, to say NO to expanded fossil fuel extraction in NZ and urge the Government to abandon their reckless fossil fuel agenda.
We want to build a movement to help NZ make the transition towards a Clean Energy Future and make the most of our Clean Tech potential, instead of buying into risky and polluting industries. On a local, national and global level, joining hands sends a powerful visual message of human solidarity to our leaders. We are unified in our concerns and our hopes for the future.
Exploratory deep-sea oil drilling could begin around our coasts as soon as this summer and major oil companies are targeting offshore sites that are up to 3000m deep - that is 25x deeper than any oil rig operating in NZ waters to date.
In the past year New Zealand has woken up to how an oil spill really looks. The Rena spilt around 350 tonnes of oil, killing an estimated 20,000 seabirds, as well as a host of other wildlife. A deep-sea accident could be much worse.
The Deepwater Horizon, an exploratory deep-sea oil rig operating in the Gulf of Mexico, spilt an incredible 650,000 tonnes of oil when it exploded in 1500m of water two years ago. An accident could destroy a whole way of life for many New Zealanders. We want to protect our coastal economies, fisheries and the marine environment.
We don't want to contribute to Climate Change by supporting further fossil fuel extraction. Instead we want the Government and the public to wake up to the economic opportunities NZ will miss out on, if we don't look after our "clean and green" international reputation and prioritize the development of home-grown clean technologies.
Every time we join hands this message is reinforced. Check out www.handsacrossthesand.com for information about the day of action. For more information about local events, contact Verena Maeder or email .
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