Activists against BP gathered outside Oxford Circus tube station at 1pm to be taken to a secret location in order to demonstrate against the Tar Sands industry and the Sunrise Project. London, United Kingdom, 10/04/2010.
After gathering in the centre of London everyone got the central line to Shepherd's Bush and walked to the BP petrol station on Shepherd's Bush Green. Some people were already there with banners blocking the entrance and exits and people were dancing in the forecourt and playing drums. The action concerns part of the 'BP Fortnight of Shame' campaign which runs from April 1st until the 15th and provides opportunities for the UK Tar Sands Network, Rising Tide and The Camp for Climate Action to pressure BP into reversing their plans to move into the Tar Sands industry.
The Tar Sands industry is the dirtiest in terms of producing petroleum and it is also turning ancient forest in the Canadian wilderness into post-apocalyptic landscapes, whilst producing toxic pollution that is directly affecting the health and quality of life of the region's Indigenous First Nations Communities. In terms of business, Canada's Tar Sands are the biggest energy project in the world, producing 1.3 million barrels of oil a day. These reserves are located mainly in Alberta and span 140,000 km, an area larger than England.
Back in 2007 BP announced the Sunrise Project in partnership with Canadian company, Husky Energy. This extraction project aimed to produce 200,000 barrels of oil a day by 2012. The SAG-D (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) process would superheat water into steam with natural gas and inject it into the ground to melt the oil from the sand and clay. As a result of the financial crisis, the project was put on hold in 2008.
Whilst BP continues to suggest it has moved 'beyond petroleum' the Tar Sands seem to be pulling it away from renewables and helping to be on the front line relating to climate issues, change and moving forward. The Annual General Meeting will be held on April 15th and shareholders will be deciding whether the company will go ahead and be a big player in the Tar Sands industry.
