Supporters of Just Stop Oil have disrupted oil supplies from a key Scottish oil terminal in support of their demand that the UK government end new oil and gas projects in the UK.
At around 4am, up to 40 Just Stop oil supporters blockaded the entrance to the Nustar Clydebank oil terminal in Glasgow by climbing on top of tankers and locking on at the entrance. Others have entered into the oil terminal itself and have locked on at height to halt operations. [1]
This is the first action of its kind in Scotland since the Just Stop Oil coalition began blocking the UK’s oil supply on April 1st, which has resulted in over 1,200 arrests and numerous court appearances.
This action comes against the backdrop of the Government’s recent energy strategy which failed to outline how it will ensure no-one is left behind in the coming transition to a zero-carbon economy, and failed to provide a route to widespread insulation which would protect the people of Scotland from the misery of cold homes in the face of ever increasing fossil fuel costs. [2]
The rationale behind Just Stop Oil’s demand for no new oil and gas is backed up by the United Nations and the International Energy Agency. Meanwhile, the government is pushing forward with new oil and gas fields including Jackdaw and Cambo and plans a new Autumn licensing round. Maximising economic extraction while also claiming to have a zero-carbon strategy is leaving the country at the mercy of eye-watering energy costs and is “moral and economic madness.” [3]
Eilidh, 20, a supporter of Just Stop Oil from West Lothian said:
“62% of Europe’s oil comes from the North Sea and Scotland doesn’t own a single drop of it . People in Scotland are currently suffering from fuel poverty whilst the billionaire oil CEO’s get richer and richer.Oil is already having and will continue to cause disastrous impacts for Scotland”.
A recent report outlined how the majority of workers in North Sea oil would welcome the ability to move from destructive oil and gas employment to well paid decent jobs; the Government’s energy strategy was also lacking how this will be achieved. [4]
Neil Rothnie, 69, a retired offshore oil and gas worker from Glasgow said:
“North Sea oil and gas does not offer energy security. The North Sea oil and gas industry has one priority and it is not the climate crisis. It’s not the future of North Sea oil and gas workers. And it’s certainly not whether the poor can stay warm. If the government was serious about a just transition we would be seeing it here in Scotland. Where are the turbine factories in Scotland? Where are the yards building platforms for offshore wind? Where are the projects to properly insulate our houses? When will we get free public transport?”
The Just Stop Oil Coalition is calling on all of those whose futures are being destroyed, who are facing poverty and who are outraged at the prospect of continuing our dependence on fossil fuels to step up and take action, join our daily zoom calls at 7pm. It’s 2022 and the time to stand by has passed. [5]
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
[1] Location
West of Scotland Depot – Nustar Terminals, Dock Street, Clydebank, Dumbartonshire, G81 1LX
[3] United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, April 5th 2022 https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1511294073474367488?s=20&t=KM2ZYgg7_UNcPNJn1WEz4Q
[4] https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/resources/offshore-oil-and-gas-workers-report/
[5] About Just Stop Oil
Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.
We must urgently end our reliance on fossil fuels to avoid irreversible changes in the earth’s climate system. We cannot continue to burn fossil fuels in the belief that future developments in carbon capture and storage and other so-called “unicorn technologies” will allow us to suck vast quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The UK must begin this process immediately. It starts by calling a halt to any further fossil fuel projects on the UK Continental Shelf. That would give us eight years of fossil fuel production left in which to rapidly transition to a zero carbon economy.
Everyone knows we have to engage in massive changes. Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups demanding the no-brainer things be done immediately – actions that will reduce the demand for fossil fuel energy dramatically such as insulating our homes, rethinking how we travel, getting on with renewable energy and making sure no-one is left behind.
We either come together as humanity or we die. Youth know which they choose. They have already chosen. They are in the streets to demand a future. We are all in the streets to make sure they get it. It’s as basic as that.
Further information about Just Stop Oil and our demands here: https://www.juststopoil.org
