On Friday the German parliament gave approval to a new law that bans fracking but permits conventional drilling for oil and gas.
Hydraulic fracturing involves blasting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under the ground to release shale oil and gas.
The current oil contracts in Portugal are part of an attempt to deceive an entire country with the promise of untold riches, cheap petrol, thousands of jobs and a safe clean environment to pass on to our grandchildren - none of which will happen.
Now that the national fuels authority (ENCM) finally has explained to MPs that the concession contracts it is overseeing are for exploration through to production, not ‘exploration only’ as the Prime Minister would have us believe, the lid is being prised off an oil barrel of deceit, corruption and lies – the normal mix when big money is at stake.
The presentation of the Algarve’s anti-oil petition to parliament on Wednesday by members of ASMAA has provoked an early result with the Minister of the Sea extending the 'Aljezur drilling' public consultation period by a month to August 3rd.
Ana Paula Vitorino published the notice to extend the period of public consultation due, she says, to concern that the subject is an important one and that there was insufficient time for people to respond and lodge their opinions.
The Algarve-based petition against oil exploration has been delivered to Parliament by ASMAA’s head activist Laurinda Seabra, alongside Aljezur mayor José Amaralinho (both pictured below) and supporters demonstrating in front of the Assembly building in Lisbon.
The urgency triggered by the Galp/ENI consortium bringing forward its drilling start date to July 1st has been firmly countered with a public petition completed by 4,670 people in record time, and a leaflet campaign that has gathered a further 22,000 signatures from across the Algarve.
Fossil fuels, seawater and tourism do not mix
“Many of your tourists come to the Algarve for the beaches and the sea. Your government shouldn’t think about giving concessions in your offshore areas to oil companies. It’s like they want to play Russian roulette with your environment and your economy”
Portugal's environmental organisation ZERO has called on the government to suspend the current public consultation for oil exploration off the Alentejo coast and has listed five reasons why exploration for oil and gas off the Alentejo and Algarve coastlines should not go ahead.
The current public consultation period for the proposed July 1st start of drilling activity off the Alentejo coastline runs until this Wednesday, June 22nd.
The Algarve anti-oil 'public petition,' signed by over 4,400 people, is to be hand-delivered to parliament on Wednesday June 22nd.
This initiative, one of many organised and promoted by Algarve based pressure group ASMAA, saw the collection of the minimum 4,000 signatures within ten days. This means that parliament has no option but to debate the petition's demand that the planned July 1st drilling off the Alentejo coast is cancelled.
A message from Laurinda Seabra last week, as head of the Algarve's anti-oil campaign organisation ASMAA, highlighted the need for just 4,000 signatures to force a parliamentary debate on 'oil and gas in the Algarve.'
The total numner of signatures hit the target of 4,001 on Tuesday at 21.20. (4,405 as of Friday 16:40)
"This was the best way to get the oil exploration and extraction contracts challenged in court and stopped," said a delighted Seabra "We need to support this cause, more signatures will be really helpful in reinforcing the message that the Algarve has had enough," she added.
