Letter of Day | Let’s be clear about what oil exploration really means

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As Jamaica continues its search for oil, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz has sought to reassure the public that the offshore work to be undertaken this month by United Oil & Gas does not involve drilling, but rather the collection of scientific data to determine petroleum potential.

Let us be clear, “setting the record straight” in this way does not address the concerns associated with oil and gas exploration.

Exploration is not a neutral or academic exercise. The purpose of oil and gas exploration is to identify and ultimately extract hydrocarbons from beneath Earth’s surface. No company spends millions of dollars exploring for oil for the sake of exploration alone. It is done because, if commercially viable quantities are found, drilling and exploitation will be the next steps.

By encouraging and facilitating exploration, Jamaica is sending a signal that it is open to drilling for oil and gas within its territory. That reality cannot be softened by emphasising that the current phase is “non-intrusive”.

The timing is particularly troubling, given that Jamaica is still grappling with the impacts of Hurricane Melissa, the first Category-5 hurricane to hit the island since records began and one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded.

The climate crisis, driven largely by the burning of fossil fuels including oil and gas, has intensified hurricanes, making them more powerful and destructive. To contemplate expanding the very industry that has fuelled this crisis, immediately after experiencing one of its consequences, raises serious questions about our ability to understand and plan for the future.

There is a growing moral and legal argument that expanding the fossil fuel industry is incompatible with Jamaica’s constitutional right to a healthy environment, which necessarily includes a safe climate. Small island developing states like Jamaica have long advocated for a rapid global transition away from fossil fuels precisely because we are so vulnerable to the impacts. Encouraging oil and gas exploration in our waters undermines that leadership and weakens our moral authority on the international stage.

At a time when Jamaica should be reinforcing its commitment to climate resilience and a just energy transition, pursuing fossil fuel exploration sends the wrong message.

JAMAICA ENVIRONMENT

TRUST