Community opposition to Viva’s proposed gas terminal in Corio Bay will continue this weekend as members of Extinction Rebellion lead a protest action this weekend.
The protest group will set up a ‘fossil fuel-free crossing’ at the intersection of Princes Highway and Refinery Road, displaying banners and signs on Saturday, September 3 between 1-3pm.
Extinction Rebellion spokesperson, Jess, said governments and industry needed to heed the warnings of the United Nations (UN) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and refrain from investing in new fossil fuel projects.
“The UN and the IPCC have sent us a really strong and clear message that not only do we need to stop any new projects, but we actually have to reduce what we’re already doing,” Jess said.
“We can’t justify new fossil fuel projects when we’re getting these clear warnings that this will lead to extinctions, more floods and fires, and more suffering for humans and animals.”
Jess said members of the public were more than welcome to come down to the event and express their opposition to the project.
“We’ll be having a gathering of people there with banners and signs around the intersection, and we’re going to set up a fossil-free crossing,” she said.
“That will be a pedestrian crossing at the traffic lights, and this will be our really clear message to Viva that we don’t want them to build the proposed gas terminal. We’d love people to come along.”
Jess said that while many people perceived gas as a more climate-friendly energy source, that wasn’t the case.
“I think sometimes people get confused with gas, because it’s been sold as a clean energy, but again, the UN and the IPCC have been very clear that it’s a fossil fuel and is leading to the same climate destruction as other fossil fuels,” she said.
