The Green Connection

Making sustainable development a reality. The majority of South Africas ocean exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has been divided into oil and gas exploration blocks, licensed to various international and local oil majors. Oil and gas exploration and production is the search and production of petroleum and natural gas (hydrocarbons) condensate. It invol... ves locating hydrocarbon reservoirs and drilling into the earth, extracting the substance which is transported onshore. There are adverse consequences of oil and gas drilling including: high risk of spills, leaks of toxic chemicals, disturbance of marine life, ecosystem degradation and pollution. The impact of an oil spill would have devastating consequences for the coastal communities who rely on the sea for their livelihoods. Socio-economic risk assessment and feasibility assessment are lacking in these mega-projects, despite the socio-economic costs and threat to vulnerable communities and sustainable livelihoods of potential catastrophic oil spill incidents. Furthermore, the continual emissions of hydrocarbons which are fossil fuels is further exacerbating global climate change. Rather than allowing our ocean to be stolen in this way, ignoring climate science and the availability of vast reserves of sunshine and wind for renewable energy, we believe that our entire ocean should be protected, with fishing grounds and other activities demarcated as the exception, rather than the current system of dividing and selling off portions of our ocean to the highest bidders. The Green Connection, working with other NGOs ( SDCEA , groundWork , CER , OUTA , Masifundise, Coastal Links, ECEN ) has been raising concerns and participating in various processes to point out to decision-makers that oil and gas should not be an option for South Africa. The Green Connection has shown that the economics of oil and gas are not going to swing in South Africas favour, and that the methane emissions from twenty years or more of oil and gas exploration is not a climate friendly solution.Read More