It is not a good idea to have oil and gas extraction in the Black Sea, said Desislava Mikova, coordinator of the campaigns of “Greenpeace Bulgaria“ in Varna. The ship of the global organization Arctic Sunrise is docking for a two-day visit to the city. Its visit is related to the new campaign of “Greenpeace“ - “Black Sea without oil and gas“, BTA reported.
Arctic Sunrise has been all over the world, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, from the Amazon to the coasts of Africa, and has witnessed both the incredible biodiversity of our planet and the terrifying effects of the climate crisis and the destructive practices of the extractive industry in different places around the world, Mikova pointed out. She specified that this year the ship is in the Black Sea in support of the campaign to stop oil and gas extraction in the water area.
There are two concessions for oil and gas extraction in Bulgaria, Mikova recalled. She specified that the purpose of the visit of the "Greenpeace" ship is for the representatives of the organization to tell the public why this is not a good idea either for the energy system of our country or for the ecosystem of the Black Sea. Fossil gas actually has the manipulative image of a clean fuel, as it is widely known as natural gas, Mikova added. According to her, the problem is that this is actually a fossil fuel, like coal and oil. The burning of this type of fuel is responsible for 22 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, Mikova pointed out.
She added that the gas itself consists mainly of methane, which is a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the short term. Scientists say that our best chance to prevent the horrific consequences of the climate crisis is to reduce the consumption of fossil gas, Mikova pointed out. She also emphasized that the Bulgarian energy system is not dependent on gas and can be transformed and used from domestic renewable sources. There is no longer a need for centralized sources and fossil fuels, Mikova pointed out. She added that Greenpeace representatives have repeatedly talked to the authorities about these problems and will continue to work actively to change the situation.
Arctic Sunrise will be in Varna on August 7 and 8 and will be open for visits. Its visit will take place under the motto “A Living Black Sea Without Oil and Gas“. In Varna“ Greenpeace Bulgaria will also launch the “Cities Without Gas” initiative, which encourages municipalities to invest in energy efficiency and local renewable sources instead of new gas infrastructure.
The icebreaker will be available for visits on August 7 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and on August 8 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM.