More than 200 musicians have called for a halt to drilling in the North Sea
More than 200 musicians, including Massive Attack, Brian Eno, and Thom Yorke of Radiohead, have appealed to British Prime Minister Andy Bernam, urging him not to approve further oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, according to The Guardian.
The letter was signed by 211 artists, including Robert Smith of The Cure, Ollie Alexander, Paris Paloma, Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, Ed O’Brien and Philip Selway of Radiohead, Romi of The xx, Anushka Shankar, Anna Calvi, David Gray, and the electronic duo Bicep.
The signatories called on the government to abandon the development of the Rosebank oil field, located approximately 80 miles northwest of the Shetland Islands. In the letter, they stated that the project would not lower energy bills or strengthen energy security, as most of the oil would likely be exported.
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The ministers must also decide the future of the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen. The public consultation on Rosebank ended on August 17, and that on Jackdaw ended a week earlier. The previous Conservative government had approved production at both fields, but those decisions were overturned following a lawsuit by Greenpeace, pending more detailed climate assessments.
Adura, the company developing both projects, stated that they could generate 10.8 billion pounds in investment. According to the company’s estimates, the projects will support 3,500 jobs at the peak of construction, and 880 workers will be employed throughout the entire production period.
Environmental activists believe that developing the largest of the UK’s remaining undeveloped oil fields will exacerbate the climate crisis. It is estimated that Rosebank could result in more than 250 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions over its entire operational life—equivalent to 70% of the UK’s annual emissions. The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stated that oil and gas will continue to play an important role in the country’s energy system for decades to come, alongside the transition to clean energy.
