Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline: Not in Our Interest

In December 2016, an announcement was made of a nearly 5000 km Nigeria-Morocco offshore gas pipeline which at today’s prices will cost an estimated 20 billion US dollars. In reality, the actual costs will likely be much higher. This pipeline would be a continuation of the existing 678 km long West African Gas pipeline (WAGP) that has been in service since 2010. It aims to serve 12 countries on the African continent and some 300 million potential consumers, with a possible extension to the Europe.

We, the undersigned organizations, are concerned about this project for several reasons, including:

1. While the acceleration of global warming exceeds all expectations and greenhouse gas emissions have set a new record in 2016, the construction of this pipeline can only go in the direction of an increase of extraction and consumption of fossil resources, the main causes of global warming.

2. Contrary to what is often asserted, gas is not clean energy.  The methane in it is more volatile than CO2, and much more powerful in global warming potential[1]. Moreover, the concentration of methane in the atmosphere has accelerated dangerously since 2007.

3. The extraction, transportation and use of fossil fuels has considerable environmental implications: the disturbing effects of seismic studies on marine fauna, the use and release of various chemical substances and wastes, the risks of leaks, fires and explosions related to corrosion and navigation are additional risks to that of methane emissions. This will destroy livelihoods of millions of our people depending on fisheries in our regional waters.

4. The section already constructed (WAGP) was done without consulting the populations who rejected the environmental impact study.

5. It is a top-down project that does not consider the needs of the populations and the environment. They are not consulted and will not be the first beneficiaries of this pipeline. While Nigeria is Africa’s largest exporter of gas and oil, less than half of the population has access to electricity. In Benin, Togo, already served by the WAGP, barely a third of the population have access to electricity.

6. The proposed pipeline is a project for the multinational corporations. Nigerians do not benefit from Oil exploitation in Nigeria.

7. The energy produced will be used primarily to fuel agribusiness projects and export-oriented industrial clusters at the expense of small farmers and artisans and the satisfaction of the needs of the people.

8. This project will be a financial sinkhole. It is likely that the forecast cost of US $ 20 billion will be probably doubled and will lead to an exponential increase of the debt burden of our countries.

We the undersigned believe that the proposed Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline is bad for the region, our peoples and the Planet. We say NO to the project,

Because we choose the climate in place of fossil energy,

Because we choose the health of our planet against the appetites of multinationals,

Because we refuse to pay for projects that will not bring us anything,

We say no to the Nigeria Morocco pipeline.

Signed
1. ATTAC Morocco
2. Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nigeria
3. Peoples Advancement Centre, Nigeria
4. Justica Ambiental, Mozambique
5. Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE), Nigeria.
6. Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), Nigeria.
7. Les Amis de la Terre Togo (ADT-Togo), Togo
8. Jeune Chretien en Action Pour le Development (JCAD), Togo
9. Centre for Social Studies and Development- We the People, Nigeria
10. Oilwatch Ghana, Ghana
11. Environmental Justice North Africa (EJNA)
12. Green Concern for Development (GREENCODE), Nigeria
13. Social Action, Nigeria
14. Rainforest Resource and Development Centre (RRDC), Nigeria
15. Lokiaka Community Development Centre, Nigeria
16. Green Alliance of Nigeria (GAN)
17. Struggle to Economize Future Environment (SEFE), Cameroon
18. 350.org, Africa
19. Gastivists, International
20. Youth Climate Coalition, UK
21. Platform London, UK
22. Observatori del Deute en la Globalització (ODG), Catalunya
23. CoalSwarm, USA
24. Millieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands
25. Amigos de la Tierra (FoE Spain)
26. Oil Change International, International
27. Corporate Europe Observatory, Belgium
28. Association Pierre Domachal, France
29. Ecologistas en Acción (Spain)
30. Attac (France)
31. Climáximo  (Portugal)
32. Friends of the earth (USA)
33. Food & Water Europe
34. Friends of the Earth Europe
35. Non au Gazoduc Fos Dunkerque, France
36. Leave it in the Ground Initiative (LINGO)
37. Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Nigeria
38. Egi Human Rights and Environmental Initiative, Nigeria
39. Ikarama Women Association, Nigeria
40. Oil watch international

[1] IPCC experts estimate that methane is 84/87 times more powerful than CO2 in global warming potential on a 20-year timescale.

Checklist for sending Press Releases

We will be publishing simple practical lists for organizers, under the tag “checklists for activists”. The pdf version of this one is available here: Checklist – Sending Press Release v1 . If you download it, pay attention to the version number as we might update the files later.

This checklist is about how to send a Press Release, a much simpler task than writing one.

Before

⎕ I have the final version of the text. / I know where to find the final version of the text.

⎕ I have the list of emails (of media and journalists, and/or other organizations).

⎕ I know from which email account to send (and I have access to it): This is important, because some actions involve creation of a separate email account. This can be a false account (to avoid relating individuals to the action) or a common account (as in the case of a protest organized by many groups).

⎕ If photo/video will be attached, I have the contact of the person who will send them to me.

⎕ I know at what time to send:

⎕ immediately after an action (e.g. in mass mobilizations)

⎕ during an action (e.g. strikes)

⎕ at the beginning of an action (e.g. blockades, direct actions)

⎕ early in the morning (e.g. declarations, report releases)

Sending

⎕ The title of the email is “PRESS RELEASE: [title]”

⎕ I formatted the text carefully. It should look like this:

---

[date]

PRESS RELEASE

[Title]

[One-paragraph Summary]

[Text]

[signed collective/organization]

*

[Name of contact person: Phone number of contact person]

More information:

[Sources and links, if any]

---

⎕ The email has the logo and website of the organization sending it.

⎕ Email has contact person information.

⎕ I am sending always BCC.*

⎕ I am sending in smaller groups of 20 contacts instead of one massive email: This is because large amount of recipients may cause the email to be marked spam. For instance, Riseup servers do not allow for such use.

⎕ At each re-send, I pay attention to any formating errors.

After

⎕ I prepared an image to accompany online publications.

⎕ I published the Press Release on our own website: Sometimes it is better to wait for 1-2 hours before doing this, to see if media covers the story in their own words.

⎕ I deleted the contact person information in public posts.

⎕ The contact person is ready to receive phone calls.

⎕ I follow the news website carefully for 3-5 hours.

⎕ I share all news coverage on social media.

⎕ Also, I share the full text of the Press Release on all social media accounts that the organization has.

⎕ I deleted the contact person information in public posts.

⎕ I check email and other social media accounts for if any journalist tries to contact us.

⎕ I updated the contact list, deleting the email addresses that bounce back.

In coastal Portugal, 25% of all mayor candidates pledged to fight against oil and gas projects

PRESS RELEASE
24 September 2017

The campaign “Autarquias Livres de Petróleo e Gás” (Fossil-Free Municipalities) presented the campaign results last Saturday. A total of 81 candidates for the town hall pledged to “do all they can to make their municipalities free from oil and gas extraction.”

Eighteen organizations and collectives joined forces to push forward the fossil-free agenda in the upcoming local elections. In the last months, the campaign contacted 261 candidates from 58 municipalities affected by oil and gas concessions. The fact that the contact information for the candidates is not easily accessible caused some technical difficulties during the process. However, the campaign was successful in contacting more that 80% of the candidates.

One week ahead of the election (October 1^st), the campaign announced 81 pledges in 44 municipalities by 10 political parties. These pledges represent 25% of all the candidates and 28% of the contacts the campaign made. Particularly worrisome are the absence of pledges in some of the municipalities (namely, Alvaiázere, Ansião, Batalha, Cantanhede, Espinho, Lourinhã, Mira, Monchique, Murtosa, Ourém, Peniche, Porto de Mós, São Brás de Alportel and Soure), as well as the absence of pledges by CDU (PCP-PEV coalition). Until the eve of the elections, the campaign will continue to accept pledges via email and update the map (accessible at autarquiaslivresdepetroleo.pt.) accordingly.

The organizations involved in the campaign pledged to continue the struggle against fossil fuel projects in Portugal until all the contracts are cancelled and the country enters into a just energy transition away from fossil fuels.

Portuguese government cancels four offshore oil and gas contracts in Algarve, the struggle continues against drilling in Aljezur.

PRESS RELEASE
31/03/2017

The four contracts for exploration and extraction of oil and gas – namely Lagosta, Lagostim, Caranguejo and Sapateira – belonging to Repsol and Partex Oil and Gas (the fossil fuel company of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) disappeared from the National Authority for Fuel Market website, confirming the cancellation of these contracts in Algarve. The fossil-free movement is committed to the immediate cancellation of the upcoming drill in Aljezur coast and the remaining concessions.

Climáximo considers this news as an important victory of dozens of movements who defend the sea and the coast against the infinite thirst of the fossil fuel industry. Following the cancellation in last December of Portfuel’s onshore contracts in Algarve, this offshore cancellation is yet another step forward. However, these cannot justify the other contracts, nor should they be imagined to calm down the movement against fossil fuels: we will do everything possible to stop the Aljezur drill and the continuation of the other concessions in Alentejo Coast, Peniche Basin and the West coast until Oporto.

We will continue the struggle against fossil fuels, not only because it is the only possible way to limit global warming by 2C, but also as collectives and individuals defending the oceans and the soil against extractivist practices destroying the geological, biological, economical and social systems we all depend on. Six contracts are cancelled, nine more to go. Keep the fossil fuels in the ground!

 

Climáximo
www.climaximo.pt

Oil and Gas Contracts in Portugal: 6 Left in the Ground, 9 to go

Climáximo, Portuguese climate justice movement fighting against fossil fuel exploration and extraction in Portugal and anywhere else in the world, celebrates the recent cancellation of the Portfuel and Repsol/Partex contracts in Algarve but highlights that there are more 9 fossil fuel contracts, onshore and offshore, in Batalha, in Pombal, and all over the Atlantic coast from Porto until Sagres. All of these contracts need to be canceled and Portugal should advance to a fossil-free future.

These cancellations are a fruit of continuous and determined struggle by the various local movements, in Algarve and in several other places of the country, which clearly demonstrated the contradiction between fossil fuel projects and the lives and sustenance economy of the local populations together with the fight against global climate change. Climáximo has been always and will continue to be on the side of the cancellation of all these irrational concessions.

The government’s decision is positive, but cannot be used to justify the other concessions: we are well aware of the power of the corporations behind these catastrophic concessions, but the government’s duty should be to defend the populations who elected them. Hence, the remaining contracts in Alentejo coast (offshore), zona Oeste (offshore) and in Beira Litoral (onshore). Mobilizations will be crucial to put these processes on the right track.

Last November in COP-22, Marrakesh, the Prime Minister António Costa declared that Portugal would be carbon neutral by 2050. This simply means that there cannot be any fossil fuel exploitation in this country. Being good words, it is also too far fetched in its time scale: the carbon budget to limit global warming by 2ºC implies a rapid transition to take place in the following two decades. Climáximo will do everything it takes to press for a rapid and just transition, and to disrupt the suicidal logic of the fossil fuel industry which is based on the extractivist capitalism that exploits the people and the planet simultaneously.

6 contracts are gone, now it’s time for the other 9 !