End Oil

9 comments on “End Oil ”

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1. Jenny 1

   30 March 2018 at 8:48 am

   MP Gareth Morgan sacrifices his dignity to demonstrate a simple science based fact;

   Humanity already have more than enough oil and gas to destroy the climate.

   When all the known oil reserves, if burnt, are more than enough to completely destroy the climate as we know it, it is complete and utter lunacy to look for more.

   Currently we have a government and Ministers that know this fact, they understand it.

   But these same Ministers also admit that they have no political ability to act, to constrain the continuing search for new oil and gas reserves in this country under existing permits. (Nor the eventual exploitation of these reserves, once they are discovered, necessary to recover the huge investment that will be made for this continuing exploration.)

   This is the summation of Megan Woods comments to the Petroleum Conference.

   “I know that the investment decisions and the planning for projects that people in this room make have enormous lead times and involve huge amounts of money. You have told me that what you value most is certainty and predictability.”

   Megan Woods
   Speech to the Petroleum Conference

   “There are several points I want to make crystal clear today.

   One, no one is suggesting changing any existing permit or project.

   Two, we are not talking about losing jobs or revenue that already exist or investments which have already been planned or committed to.”

   Megan Woods
   Speech to the Petroleum Conference

   “And we know we have ten years or so of natural gas consented for drilling, and potentially many more years that could be discovered under existing exploration permits. Some of these permits run as late as 2046.

   They are not under threat.”

   Megan Woods
   Speech to the Petroleum Conference
   • solkta 1.1

     30 March 2018 at 9:12 am

     Gareth Morgan is not an MP. Did you mean Hughes?
     • Jenny 1.1.1

       30 March 2018 at 9:57 am

       OMG. Facepalm.

       My apologies to Morgan and Gareth.

       Thanks for catching that awful typo, Solkta

       I hope this glaring typo hasn’t detracted too much from my message.

       Cheers. J.
2. Jenny 2

   30 March 2018 at 9:53 am

   (As is my wont, I try to never make a post that just bemoans the state of the world as it is. I always endeavor to the best of my ability to propose a solution.)

   “We live in an age when activists must become politicians, and politicians must become activists.”

   MP Gareth Morgan [Hughes] sacrifices his dignity to demonstrate a simple science based fact

   J

   Unfortunately Gareth Hughes and other progressive MPs, if they are serious in wanting to make a change, will have to sacrifice more than just their dignity to prevent the continuing search for, and exploitation of, new oil and gas reserves.

   Canadian MPs show the way.

   BURNABY, B.C.—Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and a New Democrat MP were arrested Friday at a protest against Kinder Morgan’s expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline in British Columbia.

   May and New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart acknowledged they risked arrest by joining activists at a Trans Mountain pipeline terminal in Burnaby after the B.C. Supreme Court placed limits on where demonstrators could protest.

   As she was led away by police, May said the permits issued for the project to proceed did not respect the rights of Indigenous people on their territory.

   “The commitment to build a pipeline in 2018 when we are in climate crisis is a crime against future generations and I will not be part of it,” she said.

   https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/03/23/green-party-leader-elizabeth-may-ndp-mp-arrested-at-trans-mountain-pipeline-protest-in-bc.html

   And not since the days of the nuclear ships protests have MPs been involved in such similar blockades.

   And more recently Te Whanau a Apanui and Greenpeace blockade of Petrobras oil prospecting ship shows how effective such protests can be in stopping oil and gas exploration.

   “Rainbow Warrior crew celebrate Petrobras exit with Te Whanau a Apanui”

   Whangaparaoa, Wednesday 16 January 2013: Today as the new Rainbow Warrior anchored off Whangaparaoa Bay near East Cape, Greenpeace crew came ashore where they were warmly greeted by Te Whanau a Apanui. It is the first time both groups have met to celebrate the oil giant Petrobras abandoning their oil drilling plans in the Raukumara Basin.
   “Initially we felt lonely in the face of this David and Goliath battle and we were heartened when Greenpeace said they would stand by our side. Taking on the third largest oil company in the world is not something to do lightly. But it just goes to show that united we can win. It has been our recipe for success”, said Adelaide Waititi, Chairperson of Te Runanga o te Whanau.

   “What we have achieved together with Te Whanau a Apanui shows it’s absolutely possible to protect our coastlines and waters from our Government’s crazy plan to open them up to deep sea oil drilling”, said Greenpeace NZ Executive Director Bunny McDiarmid. “It’s an encouraging example to other communities who are under threat of deep sea oil drilling off their coasts. We do not need to do this to be a prosperous nation, we have choices. Having the new Rainbow Warrior here to celebrate this win is very fitting as she is an example of choosing to do our campaigning in a smarter, cleaner way.”

   http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/press/Rainbow-Warrior-crew-celebrate-Petrobras-exit-with-Te-Whanau-a-Apanui/

   If we are ever to break the political logjam that prevents our government cancelling the search for new oil and gas reserves in our waters, the same sort of leading actions must be taken again.
   • Jenny 2.1

     30 March 2018 at 10:51 am

     So what prevents MPs and others, from taking to the water to protest as we have done in the past?

     The Andarko Amendment

     As a response to the successful waterborne protests that drove Petrobras from our shores, the Previous National Administration passed a law forbidding all future sorts of protests. This law is commonly known as the Andarko Amendment, after the US oil drilling giant, Andarko.

     Wanting to proceed with oil and gas prospecting without having to face the same sort of waterborne protests that confounded Petrobras, Andarko successfully lobbied the National Government to enact the harshly punitive Andarko Amendment to deter any protesters who dared to blockade their ships.

     Can the Andarko Amendment be defeated in court?

     In defiance of the Andarko Amendment Greenpeace Director Russel Norman and other Greenpeace activists have put their liberty and their personal finances and the financial viability of their organisation on the line.

     They need our support.

     The first ever test case brought under the Andarko Amendment is set to be heard in the Napier Court before Judge Nevin Dawson on Thursday morning April 30, 2018.

     Greenpeace will presenting considerable defence evidence, including expert witnesses into the dangers of climate change.

     Can they win with this defence?

     Under a jury trial an acquittal would be almost a certainty, the scientific evidence of the danger of climate change, and the need to take urgent action, is overwhelming. (Hence the political decision made by the Crown to go with a Judge alone trial, because a judge does not have the same freedom of action as the Little Parliament).

     Even with this constraint, there is legal precedent from overseas that this form of legal defence can succeed.

     “Anti-pipeline campaigners found not guilty by judge because of ‘legal necessity’ “

     https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/pipeline-protesters-boston-protest-not-guilty-climate-change-karenna-gore-mary-ann-driscoll-a8276851.html
3. timeforacupoftea 3

   30 March 2018 at 8:35 pm

   Russel N is safe as oil, baby Gareth H and the wealthy Green Party will once again be lining up to bail you out !!!!
   • Jenny 3.1

     31 March 2018 at 10:07 am

     Wealthy Green Party?

     Bit of a sore point for you there, timeforacupotea?

     That a progressive organisation may have access to some finances to put it on a more equal footing with far more wealthy well funded conservative organisations, lobby groups and political parties?

     Do you find it offensive that the power of big money, that generally allows conservative, even reactionary, minority viewpoints to dominate the political discourse, could be challenged by a progressive party with access to at least some resources?

     Luckily for us democracy is not limited to voting once every three or so years.

     The majority of us may not have money, timeforacupotea, but we do have numbers, that is why the right protest, alongside universal franchise, is an essential part of any true democracy.

     You and the groups you support might have the power of money to buy influence, and consciences, but you can’t mobilise tens of thousands of genuine Kiwis onto the streets to protest FOR Nuclear ship visits, or FOR sporting ties with apartheid regimes, or for Deep Sea Oil Drilling.

     Because conservatives can never mobiles mass support, is why the National Party and ACT, who are the political representatives of the wealthy minority, have tried to constrain protest against deep sea oil drilling with the Andarko Amendment.

     The power of democratic mass protest has the potential to counter the power of money to influence the direction of the political discourse, and win benefits for the majority instead of the conservative monied minority.

     The first thing any kleptocratic autocracy, or dictatorship, do on gaining power is remove the right to protest.

     Defending the right to protest which is what has brought Russel Norman and Sarah Howel before the courts.

     It is a right that they, on our behalf, will not give up lightly even at the cost of their personal liberty.

     Nor will we.
     • Jenny 3.1.1

       31 March 2018 at 10:19 am

       Wealthy Green Party?

       Would a “wealthy Green Party” do this?

       “The Green Party has always stood for more transparency around lobbying and access to politicians,” said Green Party Co-leader James Shaw.

       “Now we’re in government, we think it’s important to take the lead on this issue, and to try to counter some of the influence of money in politics.

       “There’s no reason why big wealthy corporates should have better or more access to politicians than those organisations who can’t afford to shout free tickets to the rugby or a corporate box at the tennis.

       “The organisations doing the shouting aren’t usually representative of the community at large, and tend to benefit from maintaining the status quo, rather than pushing for the progressive change the Green Party stands for.

       “MPs often consider this sort of treating as a perk of the job, but it actually isn’t essential to the role.

       “It also gives wealthy corporates an advantage when it comes to influencing our country’s decision-makers.

       “Additionally, we think New Zealanders deserve to know who’s meeting with our MPs and ministers, and what the purpose of those meetings are.

       https://thestandard.org.nz/green-party-announces-new-transparency-measures/
4. timeforacupoftea 4

   31 March 2018 at 8:28 pm

   I am pleased the Greens spend cash raised by themselves in the way they want to, that’s democracy.
   The same goes for Julie Anne Genter who is happy to pay for herself to hear Obama while other wealthy individuals got to hear him for free.

   What I was saying it is clever of the Greens to poole the resources they have and protest in just about every thing.
   if anything goes wrong and they do something wrong then greens are wealthy enough or raise the cash to pay fines etc.

   To me it is always a interesting game the Greens organisation play and brought to our TV’s often, which is mostly good advertising for the Green Party.

   I have heard but not sure how true it is, that the Green elected members of parliament pay a sizeable portion of individuals income into a fighting fund.
   Can’t imagine any other Party do that !

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