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February 2011

That's gas -- bills up 15% after Corrib field opens

By: 
Maeve Sheehan - Sunday Independent

ONCE gas production comes on stream from the Corrib Gas fields off Belmullet, Co Mayo, next year the price of gas to Irish users is set to shoot up by 15 per cent.

Consumers are already facing a 20 per cent increase in gas bills from September. However, an internal memo from the energy regulator warns that the price will soar even higher once production starts at the Corrib gas fields next winter.

Political Party responses on renegotiating the oil & gas deal

On the 8th of February Shell to Sea emailed each of political party spokespeople for natural resources. Each party was asked:

If in government, would you renegotiate the current deals surrounding Ireland’s oil and gas resources to provide the people of Ireland with a greater return? What changes to the current system would you implement?

Fine Gael and the Green Party failed to respond

Below are the responses we received:

No gas to flow to Belmullet

By: 
Anton McNulty - Mayo News

The chances of gas flowing into Belmullet town received a big blow when representatives from Bord Gáis revealed that they had no plans to connect natural gas to the town because it did not meet their criteria.

New documentary sheds light on Shell hell in Mayo

By: 
Brian Fitzpatrick - Emigrant Online

“Once you come into Erris, all law is suspended. Shell takes over the law.” – Pat ‘The Chief’ O’Donnell.

Documentary on gas pipe saga harrowing viewing

By: 
Bernie O'Flathartha - The Connacht Sentinel

An Piopa on TG4 made for harrowing and sad viewing as the hour and a half long documentary showed the effects the gas pipe is having on a small rural community in North Mayo.

Of course it was one sided. It had to be, because Shell refused to take part in the documentary, saying they would only do so if they had editorial veto over the project.

Chevron fined for Amazon pollution by Ecuador court

By: 
BBC News

A court in Ecuador has fined US oil giant Chevron $8.6bn (£5.3bn) for polluting a large part of the country's Amazon region.

The oil firm Texaco, which merged with Chevron in 2001, was accused of dumping billions of gallons of toxic materials into unlined pits and Amazon rivers.

Campaigners say crops were damaged and farm animals killed, and that local cancer rates increased.

Condemning the ruling as fraudulent, Chevron said it would appeal.

A Letter for Politicians

By: 
Shell to Sea

Here's a proposed letter to send to some of your local politicians.  Also you can attempt to 'Find out what your TD thinks about the giveaway'  at http://www.candidatewatch.ie

********************

Dear politician,

Economically speaking we are being sold out by our elected representatives via the nationalisation of bank debt, while anything of value – such as our oil and gas resources - are given away via privatization.

“Corrib will pay no tax” – Brian O’ Cathain – former Enterprise Energy Ireland chief

By: 
Paul Lynch - RSC - Indymedia

A former chief of the Corrib Gas Project proclaimed that “Corrib will pay no tax” owing to the billions already spent on the decade late project.

Brian O’ Cathain - who was managing Director of Enterprise Energy Ireland before the company was bought out by Shell in 2002 - made the startling claim just before last December’s budget.

Ireland's Natural Resources:

By: 
Democratic Reform

Many politicians would have you believe that we have no natural resources. But they do exist, on land and under the sea, we have vast natural resources of Oil, and Gas. We also have vast mineral resources including Lead, Zinc, and many other Minerals, as well as significant deposits of Uranium and Gold.

The Pipe wins Best Documentary at the Irish Film and Television Awards

Congratulations to Risteard Ó Domhnaill and all at The Pipe who won The George Morrison Feature Documentary Award at the Irish Film and Television Awards on Saturday night.



You can see Risteard Ó Domhnaill acceptance speech on the RTE website.  The Documentary Award section starts 19 minutes into the show. See it here: http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1091535