Banners on the beach protest today

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, November 23rd, 2013 - 16 comments
Categories: disaster, Environment, Mining - Tags:

banners-on-the-beach

If you are looking for something to do and want to spend some time on one of our pristine beaches head off to a west coast beach today to get there by 12 pm.  Details of what is being planned can be seen here.

I will be heading off to Piha and will update this post with photos.  And if you want to see why the current deep sea drilling proposal is such a stupid idea consider the environmental spill response kit that the drill ship has on board.  According to ECONZ :

“The kit on the drillship includes:

  • 15-4’ socks, 5-8’ socks, 190 pads, 16 pillows;
  • 2-10 lb Albozorbit, 15 disposable bags with ties;
  • 4 pair of nitrile gloves, 4 pairs silvershield gloves;
  • 4 each splash resistant goggles, 4-Tyvek coveralls XL;
  • 1 non-sparking shovel; and
  • 1 emergency response guidebook.”

(page 58-59, Anadarko Discharge Management Plan from the Environmental Impact Assessment.)

Can you imagine what effect this would have after even a modest spill?

Update:  Just back from Piha and the crowd was huge.  There must have been a thousand people there.  The line of banners stretched most of the way along the southern side and then doubled over itself.

Piha no oil sea drilling protest-7 Piha no oil sea drilling protest-17 Piha no oil sea drilling protest-19

Piha no oil sea drilling protest-14 Piha no oil sea drilling protest-12

 

16 comments on “Banners on the beach protest today ”

  1. jcuknz 1

    Are you going to walk to the beach? Photos of something 100 miles out to sea is going to be pretty small in the frame however long a lens you have LOL

  2. Ad 2

    Love that list Mickey. Absolute darkest comedy.

  3. The mere thought of people driving to beaches today in their SUV’s, people movers and other gas guzzlers to protest against oil exploration is rich in irony. Wouldn’t people be doing the planet and its declining oil resources more good if they actually stayed home?

    • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 3.1

      Hmm let me see, use some petrol to send a message to our decision-makers encouraging moving away from this ongoing dependence on the stuff, or stay at home and just continue going along with the dependence?

      No it wouldn’t be better for the planet to stay at home

    • Naturesong 3.2

      That people are forced to drive if they wish to go to the beach is the result of decades of car / roading centric transport policy.

      It’s good to see you advocating for quality public transport as well.

      If there is a Labour / Green government next year, Julie Anne Genter should get Transport. It’ll be a nice change to have someone who actually knows what they’re doing as minister.

    • Paul 3.3

      As if you care..

    • karol 3.4

      Depends how many people per vehicle.

  4. Dumrse 4

    Looks like more responses on here than people at the beach. Rest of the beach goers are out there to sun themselves and get a good laugh.

  5. Ake ake ake 5

    Heartwarming to see there is still life in my fellow Kiwis back home:

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/thousands-picket-against-deep-sea-oil-drilling-5723279

    Be strong, hopeful, staunch in your protests in the coming months, and punish, punish and punish the National government at the polls next year!

  6. karol 6

    Great pictures, micky. It looks like a very positive spirit amongst people there.

    Would love to have been there. Was damned hot working inside today. Just the weather for a beach protest.

    Great work by all those involved!

  7. Rogue Trooper 7

    Yes, great pictures (I imagine the emergency response kit is for ‘on-board spills’.)

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