The Bahamas-flagged Skandi Atlantic was preparing to leave the Port of Timaru and travel north to meet the 34,000 tonne oil rig commissioned by OMV, now stationed off the coast of Taranaki.
OMV is about to begin drilling three oil wells there, followed by one in the Great South Basin off the Otago coast where it will undertake the riskiest kind of oil drilling, at extreme depths.
Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, Amanda Larsson, says those taking part in the occupation are a broad mix of people and many are prepared to stay overnight.
…
“We’ve brought the resistance here to disrupt its chain of support. We won’t let this rig carry out its climate-destroying activities quietly, out of sight and mind.”
OMV is one of just 100 companies that have caused over 70% of the world’s climate emissions.
…
Larsson says OMV can expect continued resistance from people all over the country while it is operating in New Zealand.
“People are over it. We’re over companies being allowed to search for new oil to burn in the middle of a climate emergency, threatening the lives of millions of people. At every turn, OMV can expect us to be all over them,” she says.
Representatives from a variety of environmental groups are also taking part in the occupation, including Extinction Rebellion, Oil Free Otago, and 350 Aotearoa.
The action follows protests last month outside OMV’s headquarters in Austria, where Māori climate activist, Mike Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu), announced a lawsuit to be filed at the International Criminal Court against OMV’s CEO, Rainer Seele. In the past few days, OMV has also faced protests in Dunedin, Wellington and New Plymouth.
More actions are planned for the 2 – 4th December.
Petition to require the EPA to hold a public hearing into OMV’s application to drill for new oil and gas in the Great South Basin.
Petition to demand OMV ceases oil and gas exploration in New Zealand, and gives up their drilling permits here immediately.
"We’re over companies being allowed to search for new oil to burn in the middle of a climate emergency"
But they're only looking…
Of course, and when they find anything worth gold they’ll plant a flag and go home.
Very hard to take these activists seriously when they consume petroleum based products.
Promoting alternative solutions would be a better option.
They’re breathing out CO2 (AKA carbon dioxide). Bloody hypocrites.
Can you come up with anything less pathetic or is this the best you’ve got to offer?
Naki man protests about the protesters, but is HE "promoting alternative solutions would be a better option."?
Come on Naki Man, don't be a hypocrite! When it comes to sending the OMV rig home, what action do YOU recommend those Greenpeace people take?
nek minit he's voting Green so we can finally have a transition off fossil fuels via renewables.
Unless by alternative he means nuclear 😉
Greenpeace could reduce their own carbon foot print.
How about meetings via skype rather than jet setting around the world.
What's their carbon footprint exactly?
Greenpeace promise to meet only via Skype and OMV heads home?
Who knew it would be so easy? Naki man – genius!
What is Greenpeace NZ's international travel budget?
"Very hard to take these activists seriously…" Yeah. Being chained and padlocked onto the mast of a ship whose passage you are preventing; angry crew, police arriving to arrest you, the prospect of a night in the rigging; those protesters need to get serious!
I assume you are talking about Lucy Clueless who has more air miles than most.
Not impressed by publicity stunts by the rich and famous. They should have paid the costs of the oil company
What is Lucy Lawless' international travel budget?
A shit load more than mine
Ok then, what is your carbon footprint? Surely, you know the answer to that question?
It's not possible to publicly show objection to oil extraction and completely eschew the use of oil. Therefore, Naki man is asking the impossible, either knowingly, in which case he's insincere, or unwittingly, in which case he a bit dim; who could not know this? I hear this refrain often, generally from National Party supporters and in my opinion, they haven't thought it through, stopping short of seeing the whole picture of what is really a simple idea. The use of "Roman" and "Greek" to describe the two sorts of thinking ;prosaic and pragmatic, experience-based and blunt, versus philosophical, experimental, global thinking, shows how divided the tribes are. From my point of view, obviously, the Roman's are buggering the place up with their truncated thinking. Naki man's as Roman as they come.
Nice analogy.
and this,
https://twitter.com/GreenSolitaire/status/1189992163590987777
Who is being pathetic now? Stopping breathing isn't going to catch on.
Most people would prefer not to use petroleum based products but we need better alternatives. Activists should be leading by example.
Your argument might have some merit if orgs like Greenpeace, the Green Party, 350.org, and so on weren't also working hard on alternatives. BUT THEY ARE.
Well that is good to see but it's not what is getting the media coverage.
Media coverage? Read all about it! Activist uses bicycle!
That'll have the journalists banging on those activists' doors!
Naki man – I get that you don't like protests or protesters, unless they are driving their tractor up the steps of Parliament or holding up signs that demean Left wing female Prime Ministers, but your pretence at knowing how best those opposed to fossil fuel extraction of G.E. or poverty, should effectively bring about the changes they seek, is not strengthened by your ineffectual suggestions; they "should be leading by example" – well, come on, WHAT examples do you suggest they lead with?
In other words, you fully support their actions and laud their motives but you have an issue with the way the media covers them? Why didn’t you say so in the first place? It could have saved us many comments to find out you’re on the side of the good ones.
Isn't the issue here, that even if Greenpeace was successful in shutting down all the the oil and gas production and exploration in NZ then all that would mean in practical terms is the NZ would end up importing more oil and gas to cover any loss of local production.
In other words the total effect on the net production of climate change gases by the NZ population would be zero but a few environmental activists would somehow consider that they've achieved 'something'.
How ignorant are you, ieuan? Greenpeace are campaigning this way world-wide, not just in NZ. Your blinkered response is an attempt to diminish the efforts that Greenpeace is making. Your basic argument seems to be that the problem is so big that little people like us are wasting our time if we do anything at all to try to fix things.
All over the world? I call BS on that. I don't believe Greenpeace will be rowing to China any time soon and chaining themselves to a coal mine. You know the largest polluter on the planets
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/
Yes, activists in totalitarian dictatorships are less likely to engage in this kind of protest because the murderous creeps running their countries are likely to disappear them or charge them with terrorism and give them decades of hard labour in a concentration camp. Was there some point you were trying to make?
It is the USA that is the largest polluter.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/01/chart-of-the-day-these-countries-have-the-largest-carbon-footprints/
Exactly rather than importing gas we would probably be burning more coal,
Same applies to you, Numpty Naki
Isn't the issue here, that even if Greenpeace was successful in shutting down all the the oil and gas production and exploration in NZ then all that would mean in practical terms is the NZ would end up importing more oil and gas to cover any loss of local production.
Er, no. Well, I guess you could mistake that for the issue if you also mistake current business-as-usual for an immutable law of the universe, but that would be a pretty foolish mistake to make. Is it really that hard to figure out that Greenpeace and others are pushing for less reliance on oil and gas, not for some bizarre outcome of continued reliance on oil and gas, just not oil and gas that's extracted here in NZ?
" if you also mistake current business-as-usual for an immutable law of the universe"
But they do. That's just what they do. The alternative you might be considering, Psycho Milt, a downscaling of operations, a less energy-reliant practice, a change of habit, is unthinkable.
It appears so. Unfortunately, every bell curve has half the population on the wrong end of it.
EDIT: the above reminded me: thank you for your efforts to stand against the wrong end of that particular bell curve in your own regional council, it must have been a soul-destroying activity but it’s appreciated by many of us way beyond Southland.
That's kind of you, thanks, Psycho Milt. The mix in the council has changed for the better with the recent election and the "acid rain" of global events is rapidly eroding the old guards' armour. These coming 3 years, I reckon, will be pivotal.
+1 to PM, and my unstinting but very cheap moral support, RG
Austrian driller. Activists' message reads 'OMV raus aus Neuseeland' 'GET OUT OF NEW ZEALAND' Sounds good to me. Anything thinking youth considers these days, other than the propaganda sucker tubes from older greedies, suits me.
Old greedies are going to die with most of the global wealth, stolen at our expense. That includes NZ. They will happily leave unempowered NZ youth with a hell-hole of a country to try to survive in, in order to make money for their own greedy global spawn to live like sponges off others’ suffering. It needs to stop now.
Saw tweet from Greta announcing another day of protest on November 29th I think. So another go at the oldies and the greedies.
This morning on Radionz there was a speaker on the Hong Kong political protests. There was discussion on what effect long-term protests will have in that place. Planning and pacing is something the leaders need to do. But there is a feeling there that it is now or never for autonomy, greater independence. With climate change it certainly is now or too late, you missed your appointment with fate.
From a post put up yesterday on How To Get There by greywarshark
24 November 2019 at 11:01 am
“In a democratic country…”
From little acorns a mighty oak tree can grow.
This inspiring protest must galvanise even more people to act in their support and defence.
The lesson from the anti-nuclear movement is that high profile direct action protests like this one must also be accompanied by mass on shore protest actions in their support.
When the on shore protesters acting in support of Peace Squadron the high profile direct action on the water, rallied at the gates of the ports won over the port workers to ban all berthing servicing and supplying of nuclear armed and powered vessels, it was the beginning of the end for these visits.
We are not powerless
The lesson; these isolated actions must grow and become supported by the common people and their representatives, including unions, and even MPs and political parties.
Let's see some MPs join the protesters as they did during the anti-nuclear protests.
Let's see the unions putting bans on these ships.
All power to the OMV occupiers for taking the initiative and breaking the ice in this latest round in the campaign against off shore drilling.
In a democratic country
This is what democracy looks like.
[Fixed typos in user name. Please be more careful next time]
Just for anyone interested in those pesky things called "facts", OMV published a press statement a week ago – last Monday, 18 Nov 2019 – that I have not seen in any media reports but I have not really searched widely.
This press release states that OMV have agreed to divest their stake in the Maari Oil Field off Taranaki to concentrate on their NZ natural gas operations in NZ.
https://www.omv.nz/en-nz/news/191118-omv-agrees-to-divest-its-stake-in-the-maari-field-new-zealand
I don't know whether the proposed effective date of 1 Jan 2019 is correct but nevertheless this looks like a first step at least by OMV to reduce its own overall operations in NZ albeit that Jadestone Energy will be picking up these oil interests if the proposed sale is approved.
As an addition to the above quotes, the press release also includes the following background to OMV's NZ and worldwide operations, with the quotes above and this below making up the full press release. The above link does give access to OMV's full NZ website for further information.
As a follow-up to the above, here is a link to the Jadestone Energy website which shows that:
* The Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.
https://www.jadestone-energy.com/about-us/
Here is a link to Jadestone's very long detailed press release on the proposed Maari field acquisiton also dated 18 November 2019 which clarifies the proposed timeline, ie:
https://www.jadestone-energy.com/jadestone-energy-inc-to-acquire-an-operated-69-interest-in-the-maari-project-offshore-new-zealand/
I see the police have removed and arrested eight of the protesters.
‘
The longer these ten can maintain their protest occupation, the longer the chance of other local body politicians like Lan Pham and even government MPs issuing statements of encouragement and support.
The longer these ten can maintain their protest occupation, the longer the chance a movement to support them can build outside the port.
The longer these ten can maintain their protest occupation, the longer the chance of the port union meeting to decide whether to support them or not.
The longer these ten can maintain their protest occupation, the longer the chance of stopping these ships coming here at all.
Selective reporting by mainstream media, care of Naki man
As mainstream media maintains strict radio silence on this unfolding drama. It would be easy to believe that this dispute was over.
Thank God for social media.
Spot the glaringly obvious contradiction. It is incorrect, BTW.
Indeed.
“As mainstream media maintains strict radio silence on this unfolding drama. It would be easy to believe that this dispute was over.”
Checkpoint last night https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018724028/greenpeace-protestors-unmoved-on-timaru-oil-drilling-vessel
TVNZ in the past hour https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/police-in-process-removing-more-protestors-occupying-oil-and-gas-exploration-ship-timaru
An epic struggle is being played out.
Lucy Lawless managed to stay in the rigging of an oil exploration ship 174 feet above the deck, for four days.
The ten protesters on top of the OMV vessel will be aiming to best that record.
With the use of drones their occupation could possibly even get fresh supplies of water and food.
Every day their protest is maintained the more powerful it will become the bigger their support will build.
Every day their protest is maintained, the more the politicians will be pressured to come up with a political response.
But not in the NZ media, which have universally dropped following this unfolding drama from their newsfeed.
Zero mention of this ongoing occupation in any of the mainstream media newsfeeds this morning.
[When you cite or quote you must attribute – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 7:15 AM.
The longer these ten can maintain their protest occupation, the longer the media will be forced not to ignore it.
Good morning to the protectors.
Greenpeace NZ @GreenpeaceNZ
Two days and two nights straight, on the mast of @OMV’s oil exploration henchboat, stopping it enabling the hunt for more oil and gas that would drive the #ClimateEmergency #climateuprising #makeoilhistory
Briefly heard on RNZ that the police had a scaffold erected to reach the protectors, then used grinders to cut the metal they had fastened themselves to.
Bastion Pt. Ihumatao prove the longer you can maintain a protest for a good cause the more your support will build until it overwhelms all efforts by the establishment to defeat it.
The determination of the authorities to get the protectors off as soon as possible, shows their understanding of the importance of not letting it drag on, with the potential to build and strengthen their support.
The CEO of Emirates Airlines has penned an article titled ‘We will not win’
Sir Tim Clark’s article is acknowledgement that we are all in this together…
But, with a vested interest in a major emitting industry his essay could have more accurately been titled ‘You will not win’. If climate protesters blockaded his companies planes, Sir Tim Clark also would order in the police to arrest and charge them.