Conflict Between
Economic
Development and
Environmental
Protection
Jim Ryan
SPC
An Irish Case Study
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Conflict in Ireland (Local)
The Mayo Gas Terminal
Development
Highlights the need to manage the
development of our natural
resources and protect the
environment and the safety of the
local population
Background
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Corrib Gas Field - 70 km offshore
from Mayo coast
Will provide a lifetime of aprx. 20
years and aprx. 60% of Ireland’s
gas needs
Will reduce the amount of gas we
need to import from areas such as
North Sea (Interconnector with UK)
Processing The Gas
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The owners of the Gas Field Shell Cosortium want to process
the gas onshore in Mayo
Need to get out impurities and add
odour for safety
Investing 900 Million Euro in
processing plant
Gas will be pumped ashore near
Rossport and be piped to the
terminal at Bellanaboy
Processing
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It will be processed and added to
the National Gas Pipeline Grid
The Construction is creating 500
jobs in an area which has very little
employment
50 Permanent jobs will be created
in the terminal when finished
Conflict
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Jobs may not go to locals
Safety of pipeline for local
Safety of pipeline for environment
Accidents
Safety of Processing Plant
Destruction of Natural Habitats
Resulted in long court
battles/picketing of site/violent
assaults/local feuding
Concerns of Locals
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High Pressure Pipeline close to
residences and roads
Proposed pipeline only 70 metres away
from some homes - International
guidelines state should be 750 metres
Locals want it processed at sea and sent
ashore in lower pressured pipelines
Excavation of peat from area for the
terminal could cause landslides
Why Not Process at
Sea?
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Too Expensive
Delays
Weather Issues
Would not provide jobs to locals
Rossport 5
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2005 Five local landowners jailed for
blocking access to the site - spent 90
days in jail - inflamed the situation
Highlighted the way Irish Government
were granting licences to foreign MNC’s
rather than keeping the resource for
Ireland
People believe these licences have not
benefited locals only make MNC’s richer
- Inefficient use of Natural Resource Unlike oil in Norway (Statoil)
Resolution
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International team of inspectors carried
out a safety review and reported to Irish
Government
Mediator appointed to help locals and
gas company resolve their differences
2006- Gas Company offered to re-route
the pipeline
They also offered to pay over 1.3 Million
Euro into a Community Fund - to be
used to create local employment and
develop local business
Resolution?
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In 2007 the Company was granted a
licence by the EPA with 85 conditions - It
stated that under these grounds the
terminal would not adversely affect the
health of the locals or the local
environment
Further objections were raised by the
local objectors and An Taisce
The terminal is now almost complete but
has created great divide within the
community and between the Gas
Company and the Community
International Case Study
Deforestation - Amazon Rainforest
Background
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40% of World’s remaining Tropical Rainforest
Vital role in maintaining
Biodiversity/Climate/Water Cycle
A Global Sink for Carbon Dioxide - absorbs it
from the atmosphere as it grows
Vital resource for food for local tribes
Protects the soil against soil erosion and
landslides/mudflows
Critical resource for medicines
Advance Brazil
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2001 - Announced by Brazilian Government
$40 Million plan
Replace much of rainforest with:
10,000km of roads/HEP
Dams/Reservoirs/Power
Lines/Mines/Gasfields/Oilfields/Canals/Ports/
Logging Concessions/Industry
Conflict
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The damage that will be done has been predicted by
scientists using satellite imaging
In 20 years they predict the following damage:
42% of region will be totally deforested
Less than 5% of the land will be pure forest
Forest destruction could be permanent
Loss of rainforest will more than likely affect Global Warming
due to decrease in Global Sink
Brazil is a developing country and needs to develop its
economy - Developed countries have always exploited raw
materials
The Future?
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The Advance Brazil plan is a means for speeding up
Brazil’s development
The plan may be overly ambitious so - may not be as
destructive as predicted
The plan has helped stop previous government policy of
re-settling people in the rainforest which has been a
major cause of deforestation
The plan has been submitted to an Independent
Environmental Impact Assessment by local Brazilian
protestors and the International Community - They fear
the global damage it could cause
Global Concerns
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Lungs of the World being destroyed
Deforestation causes poverty
Deforestation causes mass movements of
people - Refugees
Destruction of Natural Habitat/Indigenous
People
Climate Change
Destruction of possible Medical Remedies