{"id":4259,"date":"2026-08-21T12:57:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scientistrebellion.nl\/?p=4259"},"modified":"2026-08-21T12:59:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T10:59:36","slug":"4259","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scientistrebellion.nl\/index.php\/en\/2026\/08\/21\/4259\/","title":{"rendered":"Actions at gas fields"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As part of the national \u2018Turn off the gas tap!\u2019<\/strong> (Draai de gaskraan dicht!) campaign, Extinction Rebellion and Scientist Rebellion staged a protest at the Waalwijk Noord gas field on Saturday 11 July 2026. For three hours, we occupied the gas field and made our message loud and clear: with 20,000 extra deaths in Europe during the last heatwave, it is unacceptable to extend gas extraction in Brabant by a further three years. 1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n

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The government and the Canadian fossil fuel company Vermillion must immediately stop fuelling the climate crisis any further. Whilst we sought relief from the heat in the shade of the silo filled with fire-fighting water \u2013 how fitting \u2013 the mayor of Waalwijk concluded that our presence \u2013 not the gas extraction itself \u2013 was unsafe and decided to proceed with the arrests of six protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as the protest in Waalwijk, demonstrations also took place elsewhere in the Netherlands: in Woerden, near the proposed Papekop gas field where Vermillion also intends to drill for gas: 2<\/a><\/sup> 3<\/a><\/sup>
And in Uithuizen, near the gas processing plant operated by Noordzeegas Transport. 4<\/a><\/sup> New gas fields are even being drilled in the North Sea, against which Scientist Rebellion has been campaigning since 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New gas drilling is not compatible with the energy transition needed to achieve the Netherlands\u2019 climate targets. 5<\/a><\/sup> The plans in the coalition agreement for a safe climate fall far short of what is required. We are currently exceeding the 1.5-degree warming threshold, yet there is no mention anywhere of closing the 84 gas drilling sites in the Netherlands. We would need far less gas if we were to fully commit to reducing energy demand and to fully renewable energy from solar and wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, three years after the parliamentary inquiry into earthquake damage in Groningen, a humane and generous compensation process is still nowhere to be seen. It is only right that local action groups such as \u2018Don\u2019t Let Woerden Down\u2019 and \u2018Stop Gas Extraction in Loon op Zand\u2019 are making their voices heard: local communities are often left to bear the harmful consequences of gas extraction. We stand in solidarity with them: compensation must be prioritised and the gas tap must be turned off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See also: Posts about SR\u2019s involvement in XR gas protests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udd25 Europe is currently baking under increasingly extreme heatwaves, yet governments and gas companies continue fossil fuel extractionToday, Scientist Rebellion joined @xrnl.bsky.social as rebels once again blocked gas extraction sites across NL.The science is clear: stop new gas drilling.<\/p>— Scientist Rebellion Netherlands (@scientistrebellion.nl)<\/a> 2026-07-11T15:35:40.281Z<\/a><\/blockquote>