SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Mexican Oil Spill Leaves 100K Without Drinking Water
Greenpeace Mexico says incident underscores problems with 'dirty' oil industry
Apr 16, 2015
An oil spill in the Mexican state of Tabasco has left roughly 100,000 people without drinking water on Wednesday.
The spill, which occurred on Sunday, was reportedly the result of a Pemex pipeline being breached by oil thieves.
It polluted two rivers, forcing the shutdown of four water treatment plants, which initially left half a million people without drinking water.
Mayor of the state capital of Villahermosa, Humberto de los Santos Betruy, said the spill caused "heavy ecological damage."
Greenpeace Mexico said the spill, along with the Pemex rig explosion earlier this month that left at least four people dead, were further evidence of how risky and dirty the oil industry is. Gustavo Ampugnani, head of the group's energy and climate change campaign, further condemned the "blind pursuit of more oil that causes pollution of the lands, rivers, seas, and air of our cities" and that will "worsen climate change."
Greenpeace International's Arin de Hoogt wrote following the Pemex rig explosion: "It's time to expose the fossil fuel industry for what it really is; a mindless, out-of-control profit machine hell bent on making cash while sacrificing the welfare of our planet.
"It's time to show them that we know the answer to our energy needs lie in the sun and the wind, and no amount of polluting emissions will hide this reality anymore," he wrote.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
An oil spill in the Mexican state of Tabasco has left roughly 100,000 people without drinking water on Wednesday.
The spill, which occurred on Sunday, was reportedly the result of a Pemex pipeline being breached by oil thieves.
It polluted two rivers, forcing the shutdown of four water treatment plants, which initially left half a million people without drinking water.
Mayor of the state capital of Villahermosa, Humberto de los Santos Betruy, said the spill caused "heavy ecological damage."
Greenpeace Mexico said the spill, along with the Pemex rig explosion earlier this month that left at least four people dead, were further evidence of how risky and dirty the oil industry is. Gustavo Ampugnani, head of the group's energy and climate change campaign, further condemned the "blind pursuit of more oil that causes pollution of the lands, rivers, seas, and air of our cities" and that will "worsen climate change."
Greenpeace International's Arin de Hoogt wrote following the Pemex rig explosion: "It's time to expose the fossil fuel industry for what it really is; a mindless, out-of-control profit machine hell bent on making cash while sacrificing the welfare of our planet.
"It's time to show them that we know the answer to our energy needs lie in the sun and the wind, and no amount of polluting emissions will hide this reality anymore," he wrote.
An oil spill in the Mexican state of Tabasco has left roughly 100,000 people without drinking water on Wednesday.
The spill, which occurred on Sunday, was reportedly the result of a Pemex pipeline being breached by oil thieves.
It polluted two rivers, forcing the shutdown of four water treatment plants, which initially left half a million people without drinking water.
Mayor of the state capital of Villahermosa, Humberto de los Santos Betruy, said the spill caused "heavy ecological damage."
Greenpeace Mexico said the spill, along with the Pemex rig explosion earlier this month that left at least four people dead, were further evidence of how risky and dirty the oil industry is. Gustavo Ampugnani, head of the group's energy and climate change campaign, further condemned the "blind pursuit of more oil that causes pollution of the lands, rivers, seas, and air of our cities" and that will "worsen climate change."
Greenpeace International's Arin de Hoogt wrote following the Pemex rig explosion: "It's time to expose the fossil fuel industry for what it really is; a mindless, out-of-control profit machine hell bent on making cash while sacrificing the welfare of our planet.
"It's time to show them that we know the answer to our energy needs lie in the sun and the wind, and no amount of polluting emissions will hide this reality anymore," he wrote.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy