Blog: Climate

Atlantic Frontier threatened by oil exploration

In a High Court hearing in London, beginning on the 11th October, Greenpeace is challenging the UK Government's failure to conserve whales, dolphins and coral reefs under the EC Habitats Directive. If Greenpeace is successful all future oil licensing in the Atlantic Frontier will be illegal until the Directive is applied.

Renewable energy has the potential to create thousands of jobs and generate power without imperilling the climate.

The UK government must set a series of progressive renewable energy targets, leading to a fossil fuel phase out in the next 30 to 40 years and open up the huge UK offshore wind resource. At the very least this means announcing a licensing round for offshore wind. To assure industry that investment in UK offshore wind is worthwhile, the Government must ensure these rounds are substantial and regular.

Greenpeace has launched an online referendum on whether or not oil exploration should continue in the seabed around the islands of St Kilda, West Scotland. Rob Gueterbock, Greenpeace St Kilda historian and oil analyst, explains:

"Away from the public gaze, the Government has been carving up and selling off the Atlantic seabed around St Kilda, Britain's only Natural World Heritage Site, to multinational oil companies. Drilling could start any day now without any public debate having taken place. The Government has never set up a vote and the oil companies certainly haven't.

 

The remote volcanic islands had an active parliament, called the M&Otilded, for hundreds of years until its population was evacuated in 1931. Every morning the men of the island would gather in the cobbled street of the main island to decide on their work for the day and to exchange gossip about the latest visitors to the island. Work would have to be postponed until the following day if, as frequently happened, discussions continued into the afternoon without resolution.