ENERGY

We analyze and disseminate high-quality information about the severe impacts caused by the expansion of offshore hydrocarbon activities on the biodiversity of the Patagonian Sea, other human activities, and the global climate.

Context

In recent years, the hydrocarbon exploration for exploitation purposes has accelerated in the marine environments of some countries where the Forum operates. For example, in Argentina, between 2017 and 2020, the Ministry of Energy granted seismic study permits for more than 1,000,000 km² of marine surface until 2028. As a result of these studies, 38 blocks were offered for concession, and 18 of them were awarded to 13 energy companies.

In Uruguay, 7 exploration blocks covering almost the entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) were auctioned off under an open round system. Four companies won the bid, either in consortia or alone. They have begun preliminary studies for seismic exploration in a context of skepticism and concern over the impacts on fishing from past projects and the negative results of exploratory drilling.

Seismic prospecting is the most widely used method internationally for locating marine deposits. The intense acoustic pulses emitted underwater can travel great distances and cause severe damage to marine life, ranging from the deterioration of vital functions to death.

The threat of large oil spills and the certainty of direct impacts from chemical and acoustic pollution, inherent in the operation, jeopardize the stability of key ecosystems in the Patagonian Sea.

In response to this advance, the Forum has been addressing this issue for several years, producing information based on the best available science, participating in public hearings, and conveying our position to authorities at various levels and other key stakeholders.

The burning of fossil fuels has another negative impact on the oceans: acidification. Combustion releases carbon dioxide, much of which dissolves in the oceans. The chemical changes this causes affect all marine species, especially mollusks, corals, and others with calcium carbonate structures in their bodies, including several commercially important species.

Global warming and climate change are predominantly linked to the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas). Non-renewable fuels account for 75% of greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of carbon emissions.

Changes in ocean currents have been documented. The South Atlantic subtropical gyre and its western boundary current, the Brazil Current, have shifted at a rate of 0.11° per decade. In parallel, the confluence between the Brazil and Falkland currents has moved southward (between 0.6 and 0.8° per decade).

To keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C, CO2 emissions must be reduced by approximately 45% globally by 2030 (compared to 2010 levels) and reach carbon neutrality by around 2050. The transition to cleaner and renewable energy sources is crucial to avoid worsening the climate crisis. Despite international commitments made by most countries, including the Paris Agreement, the race to exploit hydrocarbons continues, even at great distances from the coast and at immense ocean depths.