Today, I was in the main courthouse in central Copenhagen together w/activists from @ScientistRebellion @XRDK @ExtinctionR & #Debt4Climate. We were standing in support of Esteban Servat, a fellow Argentinean scientist facing trial. He & 20+ other activists occupied the Scandinavian HQ of #TotalEnergies in 2021, confronting its CEO for the company's ecocidal activities around the world, including in my native Argentina. 1/n
#ClimateJustice #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency #dkpol #dkforsk
Total is the 3rd largest oil company in the world, responsible for roughly 1% of global CO2 emissions between 1988 and 2015. Its operations in the Niger Delta have caused massive pollution and deaths across West Africa.
Its new EACOP oil pipeline is also causing freshwater contamination and wildlife habitat loss, & displacing 1000s of small farmer communities in Tanzania & Uganda. Once built, the pipeline will emit 379 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of Denmark. 2/n
But Total is also hitting close to home. Vaca Muerta in my (and Esteban's) native Argentina is a massive shale oil and gas formation, being exploited by Total, Exxon and several other #FossilFuel companies.
The #fracking operations demand huge amounts of water, and are devastating agriculture in the region. The sludge waste from these operations is also polluting the land at an incredible scale, and the native Mapuche populations are demanding this madness stop but are not being listened to 3/n
A verdict for Esteban's action is expected in mid-September.
Even though this was a peaceful & legal demonstration, there was still heavy police presence in the area, with over 3 police cars dispatched, & several officers around us.
Our right to protest seems ever more restricted these days in #Denmark. n/n
Fernando Racimo