Democratic Republic of the Congo to auction oil and gas permits in endangered gorilla habitat

[UngulateNerd92]

Sale calls into question protection deal signed at Cop26 as expert warns Congo auction could be a catastrophe for wildlife, health and climate.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has announced it will auction oil and gas permits in critically endangered gorilla habitat and the world’s largest tropical peatlands next week. The sale raises concerns about the credibility of a forest protection deal signed with the country by Boris Johnson at Cop26.

On Monday, hydrocarbons minister Didier Budimbu said the DRC was expanding an auction of oil exploration blocks to include two sites that overlap with Virunga national park, a Unesco world heritage site home to Earth’s last remaining mountain gorillas.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...il-gas-permits-endangered-gorilla-habitat-aoe

 

[UngulateNerd92]

Here is another relevant article. This is really upsetting news! I am quite sad and angry to learn of what is happening here...

Congo to Auction Land to Oil Companies: ‘Our Priority Is Not to Save the Planet’

Peatlands and rainforests in the Congo Basin protect the planet by storing carbon. Now, in a giant leap backward for the climate, they’re being auctioned off for drilling.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, home to one of the largest old-growth rainforests on earth, is auctioning off vast amounts of land in a push to become “the new destination for oil investments,” part of a global shift as the world retreats on fighting climate change in a scramble for fossil fuels.

https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproj...4/world/africa/congo-oil-gas-auction.amp.html

 

[Zooplantman]

I am a bit of two minds about this. Of course I want these wild areas preserved.
But from a global climate change perspective, as long as North America, Europe, China, Japan etc are adding carbon to the atmosphere as we are it is not up to these rain forest nations to be our janitors, devoting their future to controlling our mess.We (the developed fossil-fuel guzzling nations) create the demand and then tell them not to be part of the supply.