Graffiti artists who vandalised an Aberdeen eco-business say they did not make a mistake when writing “greenwashing” across its pavement and building.
The Society of Scottish Artists for the Continued Existence of Humankind said it would not sit down with the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) to discuss its “lies”.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for NZTC said it would like to speak to the perpetrators of graffiti that targeted the Queen’s Road business.
While police said they were investigating the incident, the culprits asked The Press and Journal to put on record its rejection of NZTC’s offer of sit down talks.
Won’t further discuss ‘lies’
In a statement, the Scottish Society of Artists for the Continued Existence of Humankind (SSACEH), branded the NZTC as nothing more than a “talking shop”.
They said: “The SSACEH kindly receives the invitation of the Net Zero Technology Centre to further discuss their lies, but we are unfortunately unavailable to meet due to our current artists’ retreat at Shell’s headquarters.
“We agree wholeheartedly with the NZTC, that a transition from fossil fuels without major technological advances would be impossible.
“However, as the continued existence of humankind is not compatible with the continued expansion of the oil and gas industry, the extensive fleet of projects hosted by the NZTC which aid and abet this industry cannot be part of the solution.
‘Talking shop’
“Only five out of 66 of NZTC’s live projects are designed to ‘reduce emissions’, and these five projects seek to do so by making oil extraction more efficient and cost effective, rather than by decarbonising Scotland’s energy sector.
“The other 61 support the maximum economic recovery of North Sea oil.”
It claimed NZTC’s projects in blue hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) would not “curb” the climate crisis.
Their statement added: “CCS is unlikely to work at scale.
“Luckily for the oil and gas industry, CCS infrastructure provides huge opportunities for ‘enhanced oil recovery’ from ‘mature hydrocarbon basins’ beneath the seabed.”
Focus on zero emissions not net zero
“We propose an alternative centre for transition technology, focused on zero emissions, not net zero,” the statement said.
“This centre would develop breakthroughs in grid-scale energy storage technology for wind and solar.
“It would offer free technical training to fossil fuel workers transitioning into renewable sectors.
“This centre would not seek to shave off pathetic percentages of CO2 emissions from the recovery of oil and gas. It would instead seek to eliminate CO2 emissions entirely.”
A spokesman for NZTC declined to comment.
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