Oil Companies should expect more direct action

Oil Free Wellington says oil companies should expect more real climate action like that seen today in Auckland.

“It is clear that the connection between oil exploration and climate change justifies putting ourselves in the way of business as usual,” said spokesperson James Barber.

Protesters successfully used peaceful civil disobedience to show the growing opposition to the oil industry and the government's block offer process. The government announced over 500 000 square kilometres is available for oil companies to explore in the 2016 Block Offer.

"Chevron, Statoil and Anadarko have already got permits to explore for oil off Wellington's coast. Now the government is again offering up even more of the Pegasus Basin. We know we cannot burn the oil reserves that currently exist if we are to avoid runaway climate change, yet these oil companies and this government are still keen to put profit above people and the planet," said Oil Free Wellington spokesperson James Barber.

"It is just four months since the Paris climate talks celebrated a goal of keeping warming well below 2 degrees, while offering no binding pathways to get us there. This month, reports have shown that February has been even hotter than scientist expected, and last month Fiji faced the devastation of Cyclone Winston, the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Southern Hemisphere."

Meanwhile, Oil Free Wellington has displayed a large banner saying "DeCO2lonise".

"Oil Free Wellington's banner DeCO2lonise suggests that the same exploitative systems that appropriated lands and resources from tangata whenua here and elsewhere are echoed in the way the profits from fossil fuels and CO2 are being appropriated - while the negative effects of climate change are experienced much more by those who have benefited least."

"Prospecting for oil that will tip us further towards climate catastrophe is the act of climate criminals. Oil companies can expect increased resistance by people who want real climate action."

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