Fracking the Contract

The Algarve region of southern Portugal has some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, where tourists and locals flock each summer. In recent years, oil and gas companies with dubious histories of environmental destruction have acquired contracts to explore off the coasts. “Fracking the Contract” highlights the galvanizing, grassroots strategies of those leading the movement to challenge these corporations. These voices include Laurinda Seabra, a former oil executive turned whistle-blower from South Africa, Angela Rosa, a local farmer with generations of history in the region, and Joao Camargo, a climate justice expert leading the NGO “Climaximo”.

In the Algarve region, activists have managed to gain some ground, however, other parts of Portugal are now under threat as well with fracking risk in Alcobaça and Bajouca. Portuguese politicians have shown they are affected by the efforts of Activists. The various groups working together have managed to help delay and push for cancellation of contracts; in 2014 there were 15 contracts, today there are five.

UPDATE:

This film was released in Portugal and toured to 22 cities on a grassroots public education/ public engagement campaign. Within one and a half years of its tour the Nation of Portugal committed to ending fossil fuel exploration in Portugal.