Happy Hump Day Petition Supporters!

We know that we have not done this in a while, but we have been actively working on this campaign, shifting efforts a bit to petition newly elected Prime Minister Davis to enact a permanent ban on oil drilling in Bahamian waters.

One small victory is that it has been almost one year without any renewals of offshore oil drilling licenses. While this is an accomplishment for the Bahamas government, Our Islands, Our Future believes that uncertainty should be removed thus our push for the ban on oil drilling.

Despite the change in administration after the elections in September 2021,  there has been no confirmation to support the move away from fossil fuels extractive industries operating in The Bahamas. Prime Minister Philip Davis however has publicly said that to “do nothing” and “say nothing” regarding the impact of climate change was simply “not an option” for his administration.

A meaningful move is strengthening petroleum legislation and moving towards a more sustainable approach to new economies. We are petitioning Prime Minister Davis to protect our nation's economy and future before it is too late. 

The threat of doing business that has been imposed on the Bahamian people by Challenger Energy Group (formerly Bahamas Petroleum Company) is not gone. The company continues to leverage expired Bahamian licenses.  The world must see that The Bahamas, which has experienced a climate change fueled hurricane (Dorian) is closed to any industry that will continue to put its citizens at risk!

In the latest IPCC Report, Working Group III Co-Chair Jim Skea said “the reality is that greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing global warming, are at their highest levels in human history”. “It’s now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5˚C (2.7˚F). Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible.”

In full agreement with Mr. Skea and having reviewed the findings of the IPCC, the coalition believes no new investments in fossil fuels should be possible if we are to keep temperatures to 1.5˚C.

Signatures on this petition will push us closer to presenting a strong argument to support a permanent ban on oil drilling in our beautiful waters. WE NEED YOUR HELP to push us to 100,000 signatories.  

Our Islands, Our Future will continue pushing. We cannot afford to put our nation’s future at risk. Help us urge Prime Minister Davis to place a permanent ban on offshore oil drilling. Let us be known for pristine waterways and our commitment to building sustainable blue and green economies, not that of dirty fossil fuels but powered by the sun!. We appreciate the support from each one of you!