Critical mass - it's the state that's arrived at when a groundswell of popular opinion gathers enough momentum to galvanize a wide cross section of society. And that's where a group called The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage has reached with its efforts to ban offshore oil exploration in Belize. The Coalition now boasts membership of 23 conservation oriented organizations and media houses and they chose today, Oceans Day to launch the their drive to basically force government to revise its position on offshore drilling. The forum was held this afternoon and it was a very full room at the Radisson. Jim McFadzean was there:..
Jim McFadzean Reporting
" The drive to forge an even more powerful alliance to challenge the government's unyielding position towards offshore oil drilling and exploration was formalized today right here at the Radisson Fort George Hotel, as a number of leading NGO's and other concerned groups, including members of the public met to form such a coalition."
Groups such as APAMO, COLA, OCEANA, BELPO AND HEALTHY REEF INITIATIVE have been at the forefront, leading the charge in the interest of the public, saying that the damage to Belize's great barrier reef and environment far outweighs any financial benefits to be derived from offshore drilling.
Melanie Mcfield Phd, Director Healthy Reefs
"This is what the industry is about and one of the thing that is really important that gets lost in the discussion sometimes is that it is not just the risk of an oil spill - a major catastrophe, that is not the only threat. The business itself is dirty, there is really no way around it. Even the best regulations and monitoring and having independent bodies and all of this, there is really no way around this because it produces these toxic metals. There the average life of a well, of an oil rig will drill about 50-100 wells and each of those wells dumps 25,000 pounds of toxic metals.
The ocean is faced with serious trouble on a global scale. Biodiversity is being lost at a rate that is unparalleled in possibly the planet's history. We are seeing what is being called the next major extinction event on the planet and coral reefs are the home to the highest biodiversity in the ocean. When you look at the major groups of organisms, the phyla that occur on the planet, coral reefs have the highest phyletic diversity of any ecosystem on earth. All of that is part of what we cherish when we talk about our great Barrier Reef here in Belize and the need to conserve it and that what's greatly threatened by the oil industry."
The launching of the Coalition was carefully planned to coincide with World Oceans Day, which is being celebrated today across the Globe. And at today's meeting there was a symbolic signing on to the new coalition by the more than 20 organizations which attended
Melanie Mcfield Phd
"This is World Ocean Day and so we say 'happy World Ocean Day to the ocean' but it is really not a happy day even without the things that are going on in the Gulf of Mexico right now. The ocean is faced with serious trouble on a global scale.
The coalition will charge itself with studying the socio-economic impact and the legal implications of the proposed oil drilling and exploration offshore, with a view to persuading the government of Prime Minister Barrow to reconsider its present policy and ban such activities in our waters and protected areas."
Geovanni Brackett, Vice President - COLA
"How can we say that we can prevent Belizeans from hunting in our protected areas or fishing in our protected areas but they are not off limits to petroleum which are far more detrimental than just fishing or hunting? We are sending a loud message to government as a coalition that, one: we are serious about a ban against offshore drilling and that we are serious about protecting our protected areas. This is a national movement, this is bigger than just saving our environment, it's protecting our people and sustaining humanity Belize's humanity. it is sustaining what is ours and what God has given to us and we are being good stewards of it. If we continue to allow companies to come in and degrade our natural resources, if we continue our natural resources to be mismanaged then we are not good stewards and so I hope the government will say this as a clear message being sent that the people of Belize are calling on you to listen and to act. It is important to understand that we want them to act and by acting it means to revoke every concession that has been given out for the exploration of oil offshore."
Jim McFadzean
"If today's overflowing venue is any indication of growing public concern about offshore drilling and exploration in Belizean waters, then the Barrow Administration might want to revise its policy on what has become one of this country's most urgent and sensitive national issues."
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