Thread by @David_Ritter

Yesterday Woodside told the ASX it had reached Final Investment Decision to open up the Scarborough offshore gas field - part of the most climate-polluting project ever proposed in Australia. It's a big deal and could have disastrous consequences for WA and the world.
Here’s why:

Let’s start with the magnificent wildlife that is at risk. The Scott Reef complex is home to pygmy blue whales, endangered turtles and numerous other wonderful creatures, all of which are threatened by Woodside’s Scarborough project:
aims.gov.au/sites/default/…

Then there’s the small matter of the global climate emergency… The IEA has recommended that there should be no new gas projects at all, to give the world a chance of a safer climate. On that logic alone this mega beast should not proceed:
iea.org/reports/net-ze…

The Scarborough project is forecast to produce an extra 1.6bn tonnes of climate emissions. The equivalent of building 15 new coal-burning power stations:
reneweconomy.com.au/woodsides-plan…

And let’s remember that just weeks ago in Glasgow the world recommitted to keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees - this project is inconsistent with what is needed to give us a chance of keeping within that objective:
ukcop26.org/cop26-keeps-1-…

Public outrage about Scarborough is increasing.
The FID decision has come earlier than expected and reeks of corporate desperation to rush the thing through so as to avoid scrutiny and opposition: abc.net.au/news/2021-11-2…

Some more about the direct environmental impacts:
If a major incident was to occur, there are eight marine parks and protected areas that could be impacted:

The project involves blasting & dredging over a million tonnes of seabed, driving giant concrete piles into the ocean floor & dumping millions of tons of crushed coral and rock within the Dampier Archipelago – the richest area of marine biodiversity in WA:
ccwa.org.au/scarborough_ln…

Earlier this year the ocean was literally on fire, due to a leak from an underwater gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Scarborough project would mean a highly risky 430km of underwater gas pipeline through WA’s oceans:

So, does FID mean the project is going ahead? No. There’s a long road ahead.
The project still needs approvals from at least five regulatory authorities:
smh.com.au/business/compa…

Commercially, the project still only has customers for a third of its gas:
afr.com/companies/ener…

The proposal also faces an unresolved legal challenge to the primary approvals process in the WA Supreme Court. Additional legal challenges remain possible:
theguardian.com/australia-news…

So, what about Woodside’s corporate reputation?
The world has committed to rapidly slashing emissions, but Woodside is planning to increase carbon pollution over the next decade jeopardising the future of West Australians and the world:
theguardian.com/australia-news…

The ASX Announcement also confirmed the $40b merger of Woodside and BHP Petroleum businesses - creating one of the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies smack bang in the middle of our biggest planetary crisis, caused by fossil fuels.
theguardian.com/business/2021/…

Meanwhile, the world is moving, and Australia is being left behind - yesterday Japan, Australia’s biggest LNG customer, announced plans to shift its transition to green power:
afr.com/world/asia/ene…

In the middle of a planetary climate emergency and so soon after #COP26, Woodside’s scheme to unleash the Scarborough Gas project on the planet is grotesquely cynical, showing real contempt for the safety and wellbeing of people and nature.

For so long as the company persists with the climate-wrecking Scarborough gas project, the corporate name of Woodside will become synonymous with pollution, destruction and threats to the wellbeing of the people of Western Australia and the world.
#auspol #ClimateAction