22nd October 2014

Protest at New Plymouth Oil and Gas Expo

About 30 protesters from Climate Justice Taranaki, Frack-free Kapiti, Te Uru Pounamu Action Group, Oil Free Wellington, Frack-free Manawatu and the east coast protested yesterday outside New Plymouth's biennial Oil and Gas Expo at the TSB Stadium. They surrounded the venue entrance over the lunch break holding placards and chanting, leaving many of the expo attendees too uncomfortable to exit the building.

The protest followed a weekend blockade of the world's biggest coal port in Australia by 'climate warriors' in traditional canoes from ten Pacific islands who are already suffering from climate change.

“We came here today to remind these profit-driven companies that it is completely irresponsible to keep extracting fossil fuels and that we are not going to let our Pacific cousins drown.” said CJT member Emily Bailey.

“Better drilling practice will not stop catastrophic climate change, and renewable energy and efficiency measures will be too little too late. What we need is a major system change that dramatically reduces energy use now before it's too late.”

“We are calling on people to stand up for climate justice. We have to leave fossil fuels in the ground and stop the drilling to transition to a low-carbon use economy based on justice and sustainability and not the illogical concept of endless growth and greed” said CJT spokesperson Urs Signer.

“Activist groups, environmental NGOs and the scientific community have all urged governments and corporations to take action for decades, with very little effect. Rather than taking the necessary steps to avert catastrophic climate change, world 'leaders' are leading the world down a path of no return. With our fossil-fuel addiction, we are all part of the problem. However, we could all be part of the solution if we first stop the drilling and leave fossil-fuels in the ground.”

Many companies and institutions have begun to divest from fossil fuels as the long term harmful effects of it are finally surfacing and it's proving to be more and more economically unsustainable and socially unacceptable. Companies at yesterday's expo attempted to show they were listening to concerns around their poor environmental and worker safety protections but they remained silent on climate change.

Community groups working against oil, gas and coal extraction have been steadily growing across the world as the effects of climate change are beginning to be felt. Fracking was voted one of the ten most important issues at the national elections this year.

There are photos on FB: www.facebook.com/events/462097513932786/

Other media:
• www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/10650820/Police-plug-oil-exhibition-protest see video
• www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/257544/oil-industry-meets-in-new-plymouth
• www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/20154422/protest-at-new-plymouth-oil-and-gas-expo - Audio clip from Checkpoint
• www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbnat/368033929-protestors-to-make-presence-felt-at-oil-conference
• www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/10648133/Protest-at-oil-and-gas-conference

ENDS

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