Conflict Between Economic Development and Environmental Protection

1
Conflict Between Economic Development and
Environmental Protection

• Jim Ryan
• SPC

2
An Irish Case Study

• Conflict in Ireland (Local)
• The Mayo Gas Terminal Development
• Highlights the need to manage the development of
  our natural resources and protect the environment
  and the safety of the local population

3
Background

• Corrib Gas Field - 70 km offshore from Mayo coast
• Will provide a lifetime of aprx. 20 years and
  aprx. 60 of Irelands gas needs
• Will reduce the amount of gas we need to import
  from areas such as North Sea (Interconnector with
  UK)

4
Processing The Gas

• The owners of the Gas Field - Shell Cosortium
  want to process the gas onshore in Mayo
• Need to get out impurities and add odour for
  safety
• Investing 900 Million Euro in processing plant
• Gas will be pumped ashore near Rossport and be
  piped to the terminal at Bellanaboy

5
Processing

• It will be processed and added to the National
  Gas Pipeline Grid
• The Construction is creating 500 jobs in an area
  which has very little employment
• 50 Permanent jobs will be created in the terminal
  when finished

6
Conflict

• Jobs may not go to locals
• Safety of pipeline for local
• Safety of pipeline for environment
• Accidents
• Safety of Processing Plant
• Destruction of Natural Habitats
• Resulted in long court battles/picketing of
  site/violent assaults/local feuding

7
Concerns of Locals

• High Pressure Pipeline close to residences and
  roads
• Proposed pipeline only 70 metres away from some
  homes - International guidelines state should be
  750 metres
• Locals want it processed at sea and sent ashore
  in lower pressured pipelines
• Excavation of peat from area for the terminal
  could cause landslides

8
Why Not Process at Sea?

• Too Expensive
• Delays
• Weather Issues
• Would not provide jobs to locals

9
Rossport 5

• 2005 Five local landowners jailed for blocking
  access to the site - spent 90 days in jail -
  inflamed the situation
• Highlighted the way Irish Government were
  granting licences to foreign MNCs rather than
  keeping the resource for Ireland
• People believe these licences have not benefited
  locals only make MNCs richer - Inefficient use
  of Natural Resource - Unlike oil in Norway
  (Statoil)

10
Resolution

• International team of inspectors carried out a
  safety review and reported to Irish Government
• Mediator appointed to help locals and gas company
  resolve their differences
• 2006- Gas Company offered to re-route the
  pipeline
• They also offered to pay over 1.3 Million Euro
  into a Community Fund - to be used to create
  local employment and develop local business

11
Resolution?

• In 2007 the Company was granted a licence by the
  EPA with 85 conditions - It stated that under
  these grounds the terminal would not adversely
  affect the health of the locals or the local
  environment
• Further objections were raised by the local
  objectors and An Taisce
• The terminal is now almost complete but has
  created great divide within the community and
  between the Gas Company and the Community

12
International Case Study

• Deforestation - Amazon Rainforest

13
Background

• 40 of Worlds remaining Tropical Rainforest
• Vital role in maintaining Biodiversity/Climate/Wat
  er Cycle
• A Global Sink for Carbon Dioxide - absorbs it
  from the atmosphere as it grows
• Vital resource for food for local tribes
• Protects the soil against soil erosion and
  landslides/mudflows
• Critical resource for medicines

14
Advance Brazil

• 2001 - Announced by Brazilian Government
• 40 Million plan
• Replace much of rainforest with
• 10,000km of roads/HEP Dams/Reservoirs/Power
  Lines/Mines/Gasfields/Oilfields/Canals/Ports/
• Logging Concessions/Industry

15
Conflict

• The damage that will be done has been predicted
  by scientists using satellite imaging
• In 20 years they predict the following damage
• 42 of region will be totally deforested
• Less than 5 of the land will be pure forest
• Forest destruction could be permanent
• Loss of rainforest will more than likely affect
  Global Warming due to decrease in Global Sink
• Brazil is a developing country and needs to
  develop its economy - Developed countries have
  always exploited raw materials

16
The Future?

• The Advance Brazil plan is a means for speeding
  up Brazils development
• The plan may be overly ambitious so - may not be
  as destructive as predicted
• The plan has helped stop previous government
  policy of re-settling people in the rainforest
  which has been a major cause of deforestation
• The plan has been submitted to an Independent
  Environmental Impact Assessment by local
  Brazilian protestors and the International
  Community - They fear the global damage it could
  cause

17
Global Concerns

• Lungs of the World being destroyed
• Deforestation causes poverty
• Deforestation causes mass movements of people -
  Refugees
• Destruction of Natural Habitat/Indigenous People
• Climate Change
• Destruction of possible Medical Remedies