Press release - 22 November, 2010
Coast of Veracruz, Mexico, 22 November 2010 - As countries finalize their positions for the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Cancun, Mexico four Greenpeace activists scaled the deepwater oil rig “Centenario”, located 100 kilometers away from the coast of the State of Veracruz, in Mexico. The climbers deployed banners that read “Stop Deepwater Oil Drilling”. With this peaceful protest, Greenpeace Mexico calls for an end to deepwater drilling and sends a strong message to all the nations that will soon meet in Cancun: It is time to end our addiction to fossil fuels.
Alejandro Olivera, a Greenpeace Mexico campaigner onboard the Arctic Sunrise, which is about a kilometer away from the occupied platform, said: “Deepwater drilling creates unnecessary risks that threaten our oceans and shores while increasing greenhouse gas emissions. We have to go beyond oil and invest in clean energy technologies that won’t pollute our seas and overheat our fragile climate”.
The BP oil spill highlighted not only of the lack of technical competence to prevent and deal with a deepwater emergency, but also the greed of the oil companies, that trade security for larger revenues. In 1979, the Ixtoc I blow out resulted in more than 3 million barrels of oil spread in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico over a period of ten months. “If Mexico doesn’t stop drilling for deepwater oil now, it will be exposed to the risks of a large spill and also threatened by the economic dependence on a finite resource that will soon end” said Olivera.
“This platform represents a dark future for the climate and a contradiction between the government’s positive climate rhetoric and Mexico’s harsh reality, where the government has much more interest in supporting oil then investing in solving climate change.” added Olivera.
“Climate change is already here. In order to avoid the worst climate change impacts, global emissions must peak by 2015, and be reduced to as close to zero as possible. Politicians need to realize that more ambitious targets and investments in renewable energies will also spur economic recovery and benefit the environment and society. It’s a choice between climate chaos, energy dependency and unemployment or a healthy environment, new jobs and a safer future. It’s a no-brainer” said Joao Talocchi, Greenpeace International Climate Campaigner.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Joao Talocchi, Greenpeace International Climate Campaigner, +31 646 1973 32
Cecilia Navarro, Greenpeace Mexico Communications, +52 1 55-4084-5320
Szabina Mozes, Greenpeace International Communication on +31 646 16 2023
For video and stills contact Michelle Thomas, Greenpeace International Video Desk: +31624941942; John Novis, Greenpeace International Picture Desk: +31 629 00 1152