Lake Malawi is at risk of ecological catastrophe -- thanks to greedy oil companies working with our government.
The UK used stacks of aid money to push oil drilling at this beautiful world heritage site. Why? Simple: because British oil companies stand to profit.
Using aid money meant for the world’s poorest to grease the wheels of business is bad enough. But boosting fossil fuels and risking environmental disaster is next level. The government assumes people won’t pick up on its dirty deal -- let’s prove it seriously wrong.
Tell the Foreign Office: don’t damage Lake Malawi so UK oil companies profit, and stop misusing aid money.
Lake Malawi is a beautiful, freshwater lake with a fragile ecosystem, and UNESCO have warned drilling could mean ecological disaster. Problem is -- the lake covers *big* oil deposits. Drilling companies are eyeing it up, and our government’s misuse of aid money is about to let them off the leash.
The threat is imminent. One UK company already has a stake in oil blocks on Lake Malawi, and is carrying out seismic surveys. It doesn’t matter it's been accused of corruption -- it is still poised to sink its teeth into the lake. Just what our government wants.
The UK government’s confessed it’s vying to be the “partner of choice” in Malawi’s developing fossil fuel industry. Priti Patel, the MP in charge, is actually proud that she’s diverting funds from alleviating poverty to doing business favours! But we can embarrass the government into backing down if enough of us band together.
This is everything SumOfUs supporters stand against: greedy oil companies, dodgy government deals, corporates threatening our environment. Almost 150,000 of us spoke up to keep fracking out of our national parks, and over 230,000 more challenged Shell’s dangerous drilling in Nova Scotia.
Now let’s pool our energies, multiply our strength, and help protect Lake Malawi from dirty oil companies backed by misused government money.
Our government needs to know we won’t stand for this. It shouldn’t use aid money to line the pockets of corporations, let alone boosting the fossil fuel industry and endangering a world heritage site. Let’s get this scandal out into the open.
More information
British government uses aid money to back oil drilling in UNESCO World Heritage Site
Energydesk. 21 November 2016.
Energydesk. 21 November 2016.
UK aid money spent trying to boost British role in Malawi oil sector
The Guardian. 21 November 2016.
The Guardian. 21 November 2016.