The planet is currently burning down around us. So naturally, Shane Jones has decided to grant another fossil fuel exploration permit to make it worse:
Only a single onshore petroleum exploration permit has been granted through the Block Offer 2020 competitive tender process.And today in Parliament he was gloating about his plans to restore offshore drilling, adding oil spills on top of emissions.Greymouth Gas Turangi had been granted a permit for an area covering about 70 square kilometres, north-west of Stratford in Taranaki, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said in a statement.
The permit was for a period of 10 years commencing 1 April 2024 and was subject to work programme conditions.
This flies in the face of the International Energy Agency's 2021 advice that there can be no new fossil fuel development. And in the face of that advice and the current crisis, it is simply arson.
As for what to do about it, the next government needs to pass legislation to sunset fossil fuels, revoking all permits and consents and prohibiting new development. There's an outline of the required legislation here; I look forward to some party adopting it as a member's bill.
