Petrol shortage as Just Stop Oil disrupt supply from UK oil terminals
The Just Stop Oil actions began on 1st April, coinciding with loss of the energy price cap which saw household energy bills rise by 54% overnight resulting in millions being plunged into poverty.[1]
There is increasing evidence that this is having a knock on effect on oil supplies to petrol stations, with reports of fuel shortages in across the southern England and Wales including Oxford, Kent, Norfolk, Essex, Dorset and Gwynedd.[2]
Just Stop Oil is demanding that the government stop all new oil and gas projects in the UK.
The actions, which have affected 11 critical oil terminals across the 4 days, have included roadblocks, tanker surfing and people tunnelling underneath access roads to prevent oil trucks leaving sites. [3]
“I worked in the oil and gas industry for thirty five years, I have witnessed first hand the damage that burning fossil fuels has done.
There is billions of pounds worth of oil flowing through my community, yet it all belongs to a few private companies, who are literally stealing our children’s future.
They are making billions in profits while local people see massive hikes in fuel costs and their cost of living.
The government just needs to get a grip and make the no-brainer changes necessary to reduce our reliance on oil and gas – insulation, renewables and free public transport.”
Kenny Alexander, an ex oil and gas worker from Grangemouth Scotland
“I have studied what our consumption of oil is doing to countries across the world.
Those who burn the least oil or have contributed the least to this fossil-fuel addicted society, are now paying the highest price as their homes are washed and burnt away.
The same thing is happening in the UK.
Ordinary people are being forced to pay for our government’s love affair with oil, while those responsible get tax-cuts and have ‘more money than they know what to do with’.
Miranda Whelehan, a student from Brighton
The Just Stop Oil Coalition is calling on all of those whose futures are being destroyed, who are facing poverty and who are outraged at the prospect of continuing our dependence on fossil fuels to step up and take action, join our daily zoom calls at 7pm.
It’s 2022 and the time to stand by has passed.
Campaign Background
Allowing the extraction of new oil and gas resources in the UK is an obscene and genocidal policy that will kill our children and condemn humanity to oblivion.
It just has to stop.
If we continue down our current path it will destroy families and communities.
We will face the starvation and the slaughter of billions of the poor – and the utter betrayal of our children and their future.
Does our government get this?
They are actively enabling the fossil fuel industry through obscene subsidies and tax breaks for new fossil fuel extraction.
They are wasting billions supporting unicorn technologies such as carbon capture and storage projects which provide a fig leaf for business as usual to continue.
There has been no rapid and sweeping social change, no widespread adoption of low carbon technology, no war-style mobilisation.
In eight years we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels completely.
The transition will require massive investment in clean technology, renewables and energy storage but it cannot be done at current levels of energy consumption.
We need to cut energy demand by insulating Britain and rethinking how we travel including providing free public transport everywhere.
This starts by switching government subsidies from dirty fossil fuels towards clean energy, transport and insulation.
Killer fact: In recent years government subsidies for the production and consumption of fossil fuels amounted to £12 billion a year, that’s equivalent to £230 million every week.
The choice: rapid transition to a low energy and low carbon world, or social collapse.
We can do it now, in an orderly manner – creating millions of proper skilled jobs and protecting the rights of workers in sunset industries – or we wait for the unavoidable collapse.
Climate collapse will mean the end of workers’ rights, women’s rights, all human rights. It is already the greatest injustice visited on the global south in human history.
If you are not in resistance you are appeasing evil. If you continue to stand by you are betraying 200 years of struggle and the sacrifice of those that came before us.
It is time to put everything aside, we are going into resistance with or without you.
Are you bystander or are you going to rise up?
FAQ
- What is Just Stop Oil?
Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups working together to ensure the Government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production.
- What does Just Stop Oil want?
We demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.
- Why is Just Stop Oil needed?
“The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future”
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change, Sixth Assessment Report, Working Group II Co-Chair Hans-Otto Pörtner, 28th February 2021
“If governments are serious about the climate crisis, there can be no new investments in oil, gas and coal, from now – from this year.”
Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency, 18th May 2021
“What we do in the next 3 to 4 years will, I believe, determine the future of humanity”
Professor Sir David King, former UK Government Chief Scientist, February 2021
Our government wants to green light 40 new North Sea oil and gas fields, this is not compatible with protecting UK citizens, our brothers and sisters in the global south, or signalling to the world what action is needed to tackle the Climate and Nature crisis. The Government could pick up and pass the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEEBill), instead they are steamrolling and plan to continue steamrolling new oil and gas.
Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain have demonstrated that Civil Disobedience works. They also show that we need to do significantly more to stop the greatest crime against humanity. That’s why we are moving into Civil Resistance — it’s no longer about a single project or campaign, it’s about resisting a Government that is harming us, our freedoms, rights and future, and making them work for us.
- What is Nonviolent Civil Resistance?
Civil Resistance is a powerful way for people to Nonviolently demand their rights, freedom, and justice. When people wage NonViolent Civil Resistance, they use tactics such as strikes, boycotts, mass protests and disruption to withdraw their cooperation from the state.
- What are you going to do?
We are willing to take part in NonViolent Direct Action targeting the UK’s oil and gas infrastructure should the Government fail to meet our demand by 14 March 2022.
- Will there be arrests?
Probably, however there is a long established tradition in the UK of citizens, when they recognise that the state is acting immorally, taking action to prevent greater harm. In opening new oil fields our government is directly harming us, we therefore assert our legal right and moral duty to act.
- Who funds you?
We receive donations from members of the public who support the campaign and have received donations from foundations and groups who are as terrified as we are about the unfolding climate crisis.
- What do you do with your money?
Apart from tea and sandwiches we use the funds to organise, pay for accommodation and travel costs.
Play the video
Personal Remarks
Oil is not the real culprit of the ecological disaster; it’s just the sacrificial lamb.
There’s nothing wrong with fossil oil; it’s just another natural resource.
The real culprit of the environmental disaster is our materialistic lifestyle, greed and globalisation.
The world is run by “greed”; let me re-phrase this …. the world is run by “greedy” people and organisations who put profit and material gain above anything else.
The same people and organisations who put us into trouble are now telling us to stop using oil and to shift to other natural resources.
If we substitute our current oil consumption with other natural resources, we won’t stop the natural disaster, we will just displace it.
Globalisation has awaken the Chinese monster …. Chinese want to have the same lifestyle than Westerners. It’s unstoppable now.
I’m afraid there’s no way out of this ecological disaster …. so prepare for impact because judgment day is coming.
What can you do? Enjoy the last 25 to 50 years of “normality” that we have ….
If you really want to do something, reduce your personal consumption to the max …. dematerialise your life … try to enjoy non-material things like family, love, friends, spirituality, …. stop buying what you don’t need, stop investing for profit.
Liberate yourself from materialism and greed.
Maybe the Tibetan monks weren’t that wrong after all … we just didn’t get their message on time.
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Petrol shortage as Just Stop Oil disrupt supply from UK oil terminals