Belize’s #1 Natural Resource: “In the End, We Will Only Conserve What We Love…”

The oil exploration that started in Belize two weeks ago, has been halted by the people who were un-informed of the decision and under the impression (RIGHTLY) that the government had agreed that there would be no oil exploration or drilling.  (Dec 2015, “Belize Beats UNESCO Deadline to Ban Offshore Exploration)  One could use the word ambush.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the Cabinet of Belize (the executive branch of the Belize Government – the 14 UDP appointees and the Prime Minister) meet to decide if the exploration will continue. There is a boat already scheduled to return in mid-November.

Belize's Barrier Reef - our livelihood and the greatest asset this country has - is at risk as oil exploration starts. PLEASE READ AND HELP!

I have heard that the exploration is not for oil…it is for shipping routes.  Why would you have an oil exploration company do that?  Why would you be moving back and forth to map the sea floor 2000-5000+ feet deep?  Even the largest mega-container ships have a draft of about 50 to 65 feet.

THE PEOPLE OF BELIZE NEED TO CONTINUE TO STAND UP – TO MAKE SURE THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS DO WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT IN THAT MEETING TOMORROW.

AND ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE, WE NEED THE BUSINESSES AND ASSOCIATIONS OF THIS COUNTRY TO STAND UP AS WELL.

Sorry for the shouting but this is SO important.

coral-heads

Last night a crowd attend the viewing of a heartbreaking Discovery documentary, Sonic Sea.  The documentary explored ocean noise – from ship traffic to oil exploration and drilling- the later was particularly interesting to our current circumstances.  As was the information about how seismic testing can drive away sea life for indeterminable amounts of time.

foot-damage

A foot can do damage, imagine what seismic airgun blasts do?  Or drilling?

Jacques Cousteau’s son mentioned his father’s quote “We Will Only Protect What We Love…”

Is there something that Belize loves more than her ocean and her barrier reef?  Is there anything that we rely on more?

The barrier reef and the ocean is our backyard.  OURS.

oceana

No red or blue, immigrant vs. native born, environmentalist vs. anything…

So, we wait for the CLOSED session tomorrow.  Oceana, representing the people of Belize, presented the government with 8 conditions that we would like to see in place for offshore drilling (it has been sitting with the government since June 2015).

bill3

What if they come out of the meeting and agree to just the first 7 points.  7 out of 8 will seem positive but the 8th BY FAR is the most important.  This decision is one to be made by the people of Belize.  Numbers 1 to 7 leave the country relying on and trusting the Government to regulate and monitor the situation.  What have the last few months done to our trust??

And there are SOOOO many articles and studies on-line to show that isn’t enough.  Just browse through the 10 Reasons Why BP Got Off and Why Offshore Drilling Became More Dangerous in a 2015 Rolling Stone article.

  1. BP Knew
  2. BP Lied

The list is pretty horrifying and based on information from law suits in the US criminal and civil courts.

If a company like BP (2015 Revenue:  $226 billion USD) can railroad the US government and the entire population of the Gulf Coast, WHAT CAN A COMPANY LIKE THAT DO TO BELIZE?  

green-turtle

 

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