Margaret River Oil Threat
Recently revealed plans to open up a massive new oil lease offshore from Margaret River have prompted the Surfrider Foundation and Conservation Council of WA to join forces with local SW groups in a call for large marine sanctuaries in WA's southwest.
The Save Our Marine Life Rally will be held at 12pm, Saturday 8th May, in Reuther Park, Margaret River and feature expert speakers and performances from local musicians.
The rally comes as plans for new offshore oil development highlight the growing threat to the Southwest's unique marine environment; Resources Minister Martin Ferguson plans to release a new oil lease at a petroleum industry conference on the 16th May. The new lease would be just 83kms offshore from Margaret River and in an area designated for assessment for future marine sanctuaries.
Drew McKenzie from Surfrider Foundation Margaret River said, "This new oil lease in an area of proposed marine parks has woken up the Southwest community. We realize that we can no longer take a healthy ocean for granted. It is clear we need marine sanctuaries to protect our marine environment and clean beach and surf lifestyle."
"We want marine parks, and also our politicians to more thoroughly explore alternative energy sources."
Conservation Council of WA spokesperson Tim Nicol said, "Recent massive spills in northwest WA and now in Louisiana have highlighted the very real threat posed by oil exploration. If a spill the size of the recent Montara oil spill off Northwest WA had happened in the Southwest, there would be oil on the beaches from Perth to Margaret River."
"Up to 90% of marine life in the Southwest is unique, and half the world's whale species use the region. Before we roll in the seismic ships and oil drilling rigs, we need marine sanctuaries."
The strong science case for marine sanctuaries has been bolstered with recent high profile reports highlighting the need for more marine sanctuaries in WA1 and the benefits of existing marine sanctuaries on the Great Barrier Reef2, including a doubling in the abundance of reef fish within only two years of establishing marine sanctuaries.
A recent report by the Allen Consulting Group also found that there would be long term sustained economic benefits for the Southwest economy from a network of marine sanctuaries3.
Conservation Council is a part of the Save Our Marine Life Alliance who last Friday launched an email campaign against the new oil lease: http://www.saveourmarinelife.org.au/email_minister/
MEDIA: TIM NICOL 0422235774
Comments
"We want marine parks, and also our politicians to more thoroughly explore alternative energy sources."
How about not driving a ute with a 4.0 litre V8 engine which guzzles the petrol these oilrigs are built for for a start? I support the campaign for sure, but Australians also need to seriously reconsider the amount of horsepower they (think they) need to get around.
Surfers have to be careful in not sounding to hypocritical here
Surfboards made from hydrocarbons
Wetsuits made from hydrocarbons
Legropes made from hydrocarbons
Board grip made from hydrocarbons
Wax made from hydrocarbons
Sunscreen partly made from hydrocarbons
Drive to the beach -hydrocarbons
Fly to indo -hydrocarbons
Take boat trip in Indo -hydrocarbons
Although I do in this case support the call for the zones just do not sound holier than though!
But what are the alternative life choices?
Stay at home, be a hermit, avoid conveniences, deny yourself experiences? Or be judicious with your use of resources but agitate for change?
Hi Stu ,yes what are the alternatives life choices? ,we are basically stuck with what we have on a macro scale although of course the think global act local cry is relevent.
We have to be very careful in regards as a group of concerned people from a surfing point of view not to look too hypocritical re hydrocarbons.
Being a devil’s advocate here (I have signed and support the petition last Monday) the sport of surfing as we now know it would cease to exist if Oil production stopped overnight (maybe not such a bad thing)
You/We/I can sound very nimby like if as a group we yell shrill like from the cliff tops ,stop not in my back yard (The South West).
The surfing media has to take a very considered line here and raise the issue of the reliance on hydrocarbons in our sport to balance out the obvious ecological concerns and they are obviously
evident after the balls up north and the current clusterfuck in the gulf off the US.
What the options there are is beyond my pay scale but I am talking about surfers here as a vocal and visible pressure group, That if to be taken as a positive and legitimate group will need an answer to the above. And if asked by a wanker from a current affair about being hypocritical for example and not to look like a rabbit in the headlights.
IMO
good topic
Cheers
Just because I drive a petrol powered car doesn't mean I WANT to drive a petrol powered car.
Just because I wear a petrochemical wetsuit doesn't mean I WANT to wear that wetsuit.
After all, even a soapbox is made of petrochemicals.
Unfortunately for those who see the world in B&W this issue involves philosophical, political and economic trade-offs and negotiations, many of them very personal. Like you say a360, the surf industry has to raise the issue, and not in a simplistic way. We've got to counter the charges of hypocrisy with considered talk.
There are alternatives to oil!!!!
Hemp boards, not to mention the million other things it can be used for.
We should be driving electric cars refueled by renewable energy.
It can all be made a reality by taking control of the decision making. We can legislate taxes on hydrocarbon products (if peak oil doesn't up the price enough) and subsidise enviro friendly products.
VOTE GREEN!!!
I agree spleen and audiochris.
I am not an engineer and unfortunately don't have the knowledge to make a 100% green car or surfboard or energy/power... but there are people who do, or could if given enough incentive. We the people need to promote demand for this and they build it. Just need to move all that oil based cash flow to another market.
I recently bought a petrol car (first time in 10 years) and it bugged me that there was still no viable mainstream alternative to this silly practice yet. I hope it will be my last petrol car.
yep i agree audio chris. i choose to do many things with enviro conscience. but there are those things i simply can't yet. the barriers that stop us doing things enviromentally are greater than we think.
but the one simpe thing we all can do to help make important changes, is to VOTE GREEN
see this link which includes this statement
http://www.srosurf.com/news09/swoilrally.html
The rapid evolution of cleaner technology in surfing products mean that surfers have the opportunity to reduce their fossil fuel reliance in the near future.
I work in the ''surfing industry'' and I have not seen any progress at all in this area.
Please someone put link up a contact for cleaner industry products and I do not mean Token Hemp boards so I/we can start accessing these products.
Thanks
It is completely futile to dig ever deeper fossil fuel holes to stop rampant decline in existing oil fields. Look at the production profiles on my website, using government and industry data:
5/5/2010
Western Australia's battle for offshore oil
Crude Oil dropped by 27% in 2009
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=1425
Our true oil dependency with many other graphs on the Australian oil supply situation:
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?page_id=1225
While at the same time global oil export volumes will shrink:
4/7/2010
OPEC going sideways; not a good time for oil importers
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=1691
3/7/2010
IEA: Iran's crude oil production to decline by 700 Kb/d by 2015
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/?p=1669
No matter how much we drill, the oil import crisis is pre-programmed.
Howard botched it. It wa his historic duty of care to prepare Australia for peak oil and declining oil production. Rudd was not better. And Gillard?
The end result of all this drilling will only be CO2 in the atmosphere:
The incredible journey of oil
http://www.abc.net.au/science/crude/