Mass Petition Launched Against Canaries Oil-Drilling Plan

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

A growing campaign against plans to drill for oil off Spain's Canary Islands has united politicians, environmentalists and personalities including the mother of Hollywood star Javier Bardem, a native of the archipelago.
An online petition launched on Monday against the plan by Spanish energy giant Repsol to prospect for oil off the islands had drawn more than 33,000 signatures by Tuesday afternoon.
In a manifesto read out in Madrid on Monday by Pilar Bardem, the Oscar-winning actor's mother, campaigners said the project threatened the Canaries' vital tourism sector.
"The drilling constitutes a serious threat to the natural assets of the islands, to its economy and its supply of drinking water, to it's tourism and therefore to it's present and future inhabitants," said Pilar Bardem, herself a well-known actress in Spain.
She was among several artists to throw their weight behind the campaign along with non-government groups such as Greenpeace; authorities including the Canaries regional government; local fishermen's guilds and Spain's main opposition Socialist Party. 

Above copied from several online news sites.

Please sign the petition:
http://savecanarias.org/

I make no apology for making this environmental post in 'Chat'. I am also posting the link in the 'Environment' section. I think it is important enough to warrant this. Admin, I hope you agree.


 

[Spike On Q]

Bit like the man interviewed on the BBC program about electricity generation.   Did he want:

Oil   -  NO
Coal  -  NO
Nuclear  -  NO
Wind  -  NO [they spoil the landscape]

Wonder where he thinks his power will come from in the future

When they had the first demonstrations in Puerto against drilling the Cabildo laid on FREE BUSES to get people there. Surely the protesters should have walked to the demo so as not to use fossil fuel and add more polution to the atmosphere

Would the NO to oil drilling campaigners tell me what they put in their car tanks and where do they think it comes from. Is it just the NIMBY thing where it's OK to drill for oil anywhere else but not close to home?

Sir Riddley's first choice to film Exodus was NOT Fuerteventura but local environmentalists in Tenerife campaigned to stop him filming there. Good for them - he bought work to hundreds of people and a huge influx of MONEY to Fuertevetura. It has given us a huge boost in moral

[tinklee]

I am not against people protesting against the drilling for oil off the coast of Fuerteventura but what I find is strange is that no one has ever protested against the drilling already taking place by Cairn Energy.  They are currently drilling between Fuerteventura and Morocco yet there has never been the slightest protest against this.  Perhaps some of you living in Fuerteventura can tell me why people are protesting against Repsol but not Cairn Energy!

[Captain Sensible]

Cairn Energy are working for Morocco in Moroccan waters, very close to Fuerteventura.

[Elite of the forum]

Google is a god just praise it and it shall reveal all

[SheilaW]

Cairn Energy are working for Morocco in Moroccan waters, very close to Fuerteventura.

I personally prefer the idea of Repsol doing the drilling to strict EU rules, over Moroccan companies doing it to no doubt more lenient ones.

But I'd rather they left the polluting stuff where it is, really, and put up wind and solar farms.

[sorepaws]

Just as an observation I find it interesting that Stars and Celebreties are the ones that protest to save the environment - but they are the people who can afford to live anywhere they choose and are not bound by local economics.
I think it would be better we have the jobs than someone else. Its all about the compromise of life

[Brightspark]

Personally don't see what the problem is really, it will generate money for the islands and unless your standing on the beach with a pair of speedos and a real expensive pair of binoculars it's not as if your gonna see them.
The background picture on that petition site seems a bit over exaggerated too, unless there was a serious accident I very much doubt you would see a drop of oil over time to be honest.

[Spike On Q]

I also forgot "fracking" - a new one for people to reject as a way forward

I'm all for renewables but to provide enough power for the industrial world in 2013 it is just a non starter. We need energy NOW. Once that energy provision from existing sources is in place and we can guarantee the lights stay on and industry can work then the boffins can tell us how we can get our energy without the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power

Lets us please try and be real and get on with getting the power we need NOW! - the UK government is already talking about high energy users going onto a three day week and being compensated by the government for lose of production - ridiculous!

Mind you after the "education" report earlier this week with the UK 28th out of 50 countries surveyed there is not much hope the UK can compete in the world market anyway - especially when Scotland gets home rule and UKIP win the next election and little old England leaves the EU to drift into the sunset! Can you imagine how people like me feel to see the demise of our great country bought about by it's own conceit

[appy ammer]

The thought of all those Scottish oil rig workers on there day off parading on the beach in there budgie smugglers that's wot worries me

[Spike On Q]

Thanks appy for getting me off my high horse - lol

[Can the Man]

The risk of an oil leak is always there, and if so would destroy the entire archipelago, I for one don't want to see it.

[glenys]

The drilling will happen and hopefully bring money and work to the island. The most important thing is to make sure it is done as safely as possible with least impact on the enviroment.

[appy ammer]

The drilling will happen and hopefully bring money and work to the island. The most important thing is to make sure it is done as safely as possible with least impact on the enviroment.

So we assume the tourist industry is dead and needs the heavy oil industry?  Least the brothels will be busy

[IsThisForumStillGoingWow]

The drilling will happen and hopefully bring money and work to the island. The most important thing is to make sure it is done as safely as possible with least impact on the enviroment.

So we assume the tourist industry is dead and needs the heavy oil industry?  Least the brothels will be busy

Tourist industry was alive and kicking at Nestors afew weeks ago Appy   

[appy ammer]

Good to hear hev, did you ave to batten darn the atches in Clacton 

[Spike On Q]

Canarian Red Cross appeal in process to provide food and support to people HERE in The Canaries

Unemployment here over 33% of the working population and 55% of under 25 year olds

Please don't belittle the the needs of people here - one of our neighbours, a married couple with two kids both lost their "tourist" jobs recently and had their telephone and water cut off. We put hose pipes from neighbours houses into their water tank and they use other peoples WIFI systems for phone and internet access to allow them to search for work - we don't have the social security systems like the UK so cannot be so smug

[glenys]

Tourism on the island is good but it's not financially viable to just really on tourism. Fuerteventura has to start thinking about other industries etc. Other countries manage to have industry and tourism so why not Fuerteventura?
I'm very sorry to hear about your neighbours Paul it's very hard for them. They're lucky to have friends around them to help.