on Sunday Ella, Ari, Otis and I met up with Barb
for the Stop Deep Sea Oil March
to protest against the government’s oil drilling programme
and the risks to New Zealand’s
marine mammals, oceans, coasts, economy and way of life
It coincided with the start of the Petroleum Summit
where the National Government is making
2015 block offers for deep sea oil exploration in
a set of onshore and offshore territories
totalling over 429,000 square kilometers
Otis dancing
and a chance to say hello to
Michael Franti
before he played at the start of the march
best start to a protest march ever
with Michael Franti singing
while 6000 people left the park
once the march reached sky city
the thousands of drums played to mimic
the seismic blasts that are created by ships
prospecting for oil in New Zealand
The blasts, which can be heard from over 100km away
are the first step of oil exploration
and involve a ship firing off repeated seismic booms
from underwater airguns every few seconds
,day and night.
,day and night.
Even though the blasting is known to
distress marine mammals
distress marine mammals
it’s being carried out right now
over huge tracts of ocean
over huge tracts of ocean
and very close to the habitat
of the critically endangered Maui’s Dolphin
of the critically endangered Maui’s Dolphin
tired little drummer boy
who couldn't say STAT Oil go home
so instead yelled "Ella"
and wouldn't let us take the drums off him
the next morning Ella joined other Greenpeace activists
in a silent demonstration of the effects
of oil spills and climate change
