On Saturday 11 May an important conference was held in Ravenna organized by the Ravenna Coordination for the Climate – Out of the Fossil and the Emilia Romagna Climate and Environmental Emergency Network against the fossil empire and all wars.
“2023 was one of the hottest years in human history. Extreme events are fearfully increasing year after year, deaths from pollution are hundreds of thousands in Europe and several tens of thousands in Italy. The Po Valley is also one of the most polluted areas in the world” is the dramatic context, to which is added the war, which starts and is also preparing from here.
The port of Ravenna has now become a crossroads for arms trafficking to Ukraine and Israel, by ship and train.
Ravenna has been home to the large petrochemical industry (formerly Enichem) and dozens of off shore extraction platforms for over half a century, and at the end of 2025 it will also host the floating regasifier Bw Singapore.
Mayor Michele De Pascale (PD) has always defined his city as a gas hub, in line with Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Region and extraordinary commissioner of the regasification plant.
Now that Bonaccini is a candidate for the European elections, De Pascale is one of the likely names to replace him, in perfect “pro fossil” continuity.
Meanwhile, in the Ravenna area, work continues unabated to connect the BW Singapore floating regasifier to the land.
In total there will be 40 km of methane pipeline, 8 km at sea and 32 on land, surrounding Ravenna with the pipe that transports the gas.
The ship, purchased by Snam for around 400 million euros, will arrive at the beginning of 2025.
“They are excavating land and sea with serious environmental impact. A breakwater will be created to protect the ship from storm surges and the shallow waters of the Adriatic will be continuously dredged, risking putting seabed pollution back into circulation. The damage to the marine ecosystem will be great, even with the LNG terminal in operation. The regasifier (which uses the heat of sea water to heat liquid LNG to -161 degrees and turn it into natural gas) will throw colder, chlorinated water back into the sea, sterilizing and altering marine life all around. In winter they will also have to heat sea water, using part of the gas, so that the water in turn heats the LNG. An absurd waste, with the risk, among other things, of climate-altering fugitive emissions. Everything was approved with fast, emergency procedures, without sufficient controls and without any participation. We have also made a complaint for the numerous irregularities” denounce the activists from Ravenna. Between the port and the petrochemical plant of Ravenna there are currently 27 plants at risk of a major accident, 24 of which are placed in the maximum risk category (upper threshold), an infernal domino to which is also added a 20 thousand cubic meter storage plant of LNG (Italian LNG Deposits). Obviously not counting the incoming regasification terminal.
Romagna will also be crossed by the Linea Adriatica methane pipeline, which involves excavation for approximately 400 km from Sulmona to Minerbio. The track for the vehicles will be 24 to 32 meters wide, with accessory and construction tracks it will be almost 40 meters wide. Millions of trees will be cut down.
“The Adriatic line crosses six regions, three national parks, a regional park, 21 sites of community importance, for 400 km millions of trees will be felled, in areas affected by earthquakes, landslides and floods. Even passing under rivers several times, such as the Savio” explains Chiara Bocchini of the WWF of Forlì Cesena, who recalls the damage caused by the flood.
Also present was Mario Pizzola, historic activist from Sulmona, veteran of a civil disobedience action, occupying the construction site of the Sulmona gas compression station, an indispensable work for the Adriatic Line.
“The construction site for the Sulmona power plant has expired permits, it is illegal, moreover it is located in an archaeological area where ancient necropolises have been found, we have made a complaint and we continue with actions of civil disobedience. It is also a valuable natural area, habitat of the Marsican bear” insists Pizzola who adds: “in Europe there are very strong lobbies, which are pushing for the construction of new infrastructures in Italy and in Europe although they are completely useless”.
The Adriatica line costs 2 billion and 500 million including the compressor station in Sulmona: “it is climatic and economic madness”.
“Current methane infrastructures are already oversized and can carry up to 105 billion cubic meters, while gas consumption has been reduced to 62 billion cubic meters. This decrease occurs both in Italy and in Europe. New infrastructures are not needed, they will remain stranded and unproductive” explains Francesco Occhipinti of Legambiente.
Also present were Vanni Destro from Polesine and Lucia Pozzato, among the twelve Italian citizens who together with Greenpeace and Recommon sued ( lagiustacausa ) Eni, the Cassa Depoisito e Prestiti, the Minister of Economy and Finance, for the damage caused by mining activities , for failure to comply with the Paris agreements and for violated human rights (climate litigation). “They profiled us and threatened us with a lawsuit” they say. “In Porto Viro we have one of the largest off shore regasifiers in Europe, we haven’t managed to stop it, and it is a constant risk for us, and production continues to increase. The regasification terminal has caused problems for the sea and fishing, as well as constant climate-altering fugitive emissions. Added to this is subsidence, caused by drilling and wild extraction. The land has subsided 3-4 meters in 30 years. The banks of the rivers have lowered, increasing the risk of floods, the rivers are salty for tens of kilometers from their mouths and the salt wedge makes much of the land no longer cultivable. In February 2024, the Meloni government’s Energy Decree gave the possibility to continue extracting gas up to 9 miles from the coast and up to the 45th parallel (south of the Venice lagoon). Because if Venice goes under, it’s an international problem, if we in Polesine go under, nobody cares.”
Subsidence and new drilling permits link Ravenna to Polesine, the lowlands of Italy, a few meters below sea level.
“We held demonstrations, appealed to parliamentarians and Mattarella against the conversion of the decree into law, we proposed amendments but confidence was imposed. The law has passed, we will appeal if someone presents a project.”
Also present were girls and boys from End Fossil, who contest the links between universities, ecocidal companies and war.
“Our university makes agreements with Eni – explains Viola Clemente, a UNIBO student – the “Offshore engineering” degree course was organized in Ravenna in collaboration with Eni, there are Eni professionals as teachers, the students do internships and internships in Eni district of Ravenna. “We are waiting for you,” is how they end their presentations, manipulating students with information based on greenwashing. All this contributes to socially legitimizing Eni, which moreover has an imperialist policy, exploits fields in Mozambique and last October signed an agreement with Israel to start the exploration of gas fields in the Palestinian waters off Gaza. We continue to talk and organize protests in universities, each time there are more and more of us. We must change the narrative, make it clear that dependence on fossil fuels is one of the main causes of all the ongoing wars and the growing risk of global conflict” then concludes “They have the money, we have the voice”.
The day ends with a demonstration in Piazza del Popolo and with the commitment to meet next Saturday 18 May in Rome, at 11am, with the other territories tormented by the fossil, to protest under the Ministry of the Environment.
