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RiffRandell

(5,909 posts)
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 11:59 AM Jun 2014

Soco Halts Oil Exploration in Africa's Virunga National Park.

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/11/soco-oil-virunga-national-park-congo-wwf

Conservationists have claimed one of their greatest successes in recent years following the unexpected decision by British oil company Soco to stop exploring in the Virunga world heritage site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The company, which operates in Angola and Vietnam, caused international outrage when it was given permission to conduct seismic testing in Africa's oldest and most diverse national park, which is home to around half the world's 950 mountain gorillas, as well as hippos, elephants and chimpanzees.

The decision to pull out of Virunga national park follows legal mediation in London last week with WWF, but Soco is believed to have ultimately bowed to pressure from the British government, Unesco and high-profile individuals including Richard Branson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and US financier Howard Buffett. All condemned oil exploration in what is considered one of the world's most volatile regions. Leading conservation groups collected the signatures of more than 700,000 people.
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Soco Halts Oil Exploration in Africa's Virunga National Park. (Original Post) RiffRandell Jun 2014 OP
Good news, but it boggles the mind that they had started in this area... joeybee12 Jun 2014 #1
They are. RiffRandell Jun 2014 #2
 

joeybee12

(56,177 posts)
1. Good news, but it boggles the mind that they had started in this area...
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 12:00 PM
Jun 2014

Oil companies and the people who run them are pure evil.

RiffRandell

(5,909 posts)
2. They are.
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 12:25 PM
Jun 2014

I hate them. I'm old enough to remember the Exxon Valdez spill...I literally cry whenever there is a spill...then the damn BP one.

My husband went to Germany a few weeks ago on business for the first time and loved it...said it's beautiful and "green" as they are big into solar: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/13/3436923/germany-energy-records/

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