24 April 2020 — If you're having a bad day, catch a wave.

This week marks 10 years since the largest oil spill in history. The Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico released 500 million litres of oil into the ocean, impacting more than 400 marine species and destroying nearly 3,000 m2 of coral colonies. The tragic accident claimed the 11 human lives.

 

Many organizations worldwide took this opportunity to call for bans on offshore oil & gas exploration and exploitation. Surfrider Foundation Europe, together with 21 other NGOs from all over Europe, urged the EU to act. They call for a stop to all new permits for both exploration and exploitation by 2023 and for no more renewals of existing permits, aiming for a complete phase-out by 2035.

A quick reminder: today 14 EU countries still have not prohibited offshore fossil fuel exploration and exploitation. However, a revision of the EU Offshore Safety Directive gives environmental organizations hope to push for a complete ban or at least major restrictions on this activity in European waters (e.g. in MPAs, in Arctic waters, etc.).

Read more here:

• Toward an EU offshore drilling ban – a Manifesto by Surfrider Foundation Europe and 21 other NGOs calling for a ban in the EU waters by 2035
• Hindsight 2020: Lessons We Cannot Ignore from the BP Disaster – an Oceana report about the causes and impacts of the Deepwater Horizon explosion
• Why vulnerable marine areas must be protected from oil and gas activities - article by the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI)

©Barbara Pozzi

If you are looking for ocean-related educational tools, check out the Ocean Campus which provides tutorials, videos, quizzes & articles on a number of ocean protection issues. The materials are available for different levels of knowledge in English, French, German and Spanish.