picture by ulricaloeb
Fourteen young climate activists challenge the Norwegian Parliament and the politicians’ too generous plans for limiting oil exploration. They write that the plans do not respect the UN Convention on the rights of the child.
Greta Thunberg and 13 other Young climate activists on 13th of May sent a letter to Norwegian PM Erna Solberg, before the Parliament hearing on the Northern Ice Edge. They claimed that to limit oil exploration to areas where there would be ocean ice 15 percent of days in the month of April, is in opposition to the UN Convention on the rights of the child, since it prolongs the climate crisis by encouraging more usage of fossil fuel. The appeal was signed by youth from Argentina, France, Germany, the Marshall Islands as well as the U.S. The signatories to the UN convention are obliged to protect children from threats against their Health and welfare in the near and predictable future.
While several organizations expressed their critique of the current plan, Equinor, Norway’s largest oil company seemed content. The suggestion of moving the ice edge from areas with 30 percent ocean ice days in April to 15 percent, would not seriously affect their plans.
The letter claims that existing production of oil and gas contains enough fossil fuel to bring the planet towards more than 1,5 degrees global warming. Furthermore, the 14 young climate activists write that “all children who live today will face increased risk of death and illness in a world, which is fundamentally changed due to these destructive emissions. Norway should not, must not contribute to these losses of lives.
