Oil refinery explosion in Venezuela – Friends of the Earth Scotland comment

Commenting on news today (25 August) of a large explosion in the biggest oil refinery in Venezuela, Paul Daly, Corporate Accountability Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“Our thoughts are with those affected by todays tragedy.  It is shameful to think that in this modern age disasters are never far away.  We must learn lessons and move towards safer and cleaner sources of energy production.  

“If such a disaster should occur in the Arctic, the operation to stop and clean up an oil spill would be severely hampered if not stopped by the severe weather and threats from ‘iceberg alley’.  Cairn Energy are a Scottish based oil exploration company drilling in the Arctic- we have to let them know it is unacceptable that they are gambling with one of the worlds most threatened and delicate ecosystems.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland
t: 0131 243 2719

Notes to Editors

1. Blast in Venezuela oil refinery: BBC and Reuters

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland is * Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation * An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland * Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups – covering every continent. www.foe-scotland.org.uk