A seismic, ecological, and political threat disguised as climate action – Prinos is not the solution, it’s the problem
We are once again confronting a corporate scam dressed up as ‘green technology’ – the CO₂ storage project in Prinos, Greece. The government and fossil fuel giants want us to believe that burying CO₂ underground is a “solution” to the climate crisis. But we know better.
This is a dangerous distraction that prolongs our fossil fuel dependency while endangering communities and ecosystems.
The false promise of Carbon Capture (CCS): Earthquakes, contamination, safety threat
The Prinos project claims it will “reduce emissions” by injecting CO₂ into depleted oil fields. But CCS is an unproven, expensive failure – used by oil companies to justify more drilling, more pollution, and more profit.
Studies show CCS can leak, contaminate groundwater, and displace communities. This isn’t ‘green tech’ – it’s corporate greenwashing at its worst.
The Prinos reservoir sits on a seismic fault, with CO₂ stored in porous limestone – a geological recipe for disaster.
CO₂ under pressure erodes limestone, weakening the rock. Even minor earthquakes – common in Greece – could crack seals, unleashing deadly gas plumes. Think of the Lake Nyos disaster in Cameroon, which killed thousands.
Leaks would acidify groundwater, poisoning drinking water and fisheries. The Northern Aegean – already suffering from industrial pollution – could face ecological collapse.
Energean insists the site is “stable” but so did those behind Italy’s Stava Dam, which collapsed and killed 268 people. Profit-driven risk assessments ignore worst-case scenarios.
This is not climate action – it’s playing Russian roulette with an entire region’s future.
Who really benefits?
The same politicians slashing healthcare and privatising public goods are now handing millions in subsidies to oil companies like Energean.
This project doesn’t transition us to renewables – it delays it. The elite profit while the planet burns.
Local resistance is growing – so must our solidarity
The people of Thassos and Kavala are rising up. They’re demanding local referendums. They’re refusing to be sacrificed for corporate greed.
We must escalate the resistance:
- Expose the lies of CCS through media, direct action, and publications
- Reject the false “jobs vs. environment” narrative
- Remember: locals are not just defending their land – they’re fighting for their lives
Will we wait for the first leak? The first earthquake? Or will we stop this now?
This is a global fight
This is a global system of exploitation – where corporations and governments sacrifice people and the planet for profit.
From Prinos to the Niger Delta, from lignite mines in Greece to lithium extraction in the Global South, the pattern is the same: environmental destruction, displacement, and greenwashing.
And as we condemn CO₂ colonialism in Prinos, we must also denounce all forms of environmental violence – including the war on Gaza, where Israel’s bombing and blockade are destroying water sources, farmland, and hospitals. These are also acts of ecological warfare.
Our struggles are distinct – but our enemy is shared: a system that treats lives and land as disposable.
Key facts:
- Limestone leaks: CO₂ storage in calcareous rock increases leak risk due to chemical corrosion
- Seismic proof: Italy’s 2012 Emilia-Romagna quakes reactivated methane reservoirs—fuel storage makes seismic zones more dangerous
We won’t let Greece become Europe’s toxic dumping ground.
Our demands:
- Cancel the Prinos CO₂ project—no public money for fossil fuel lies
- Real, local renewable energy—100% public, democratic, and worker-controlled
- Stand with Thassos, Kavala, and all frontline communities
Comrades, the climate crisis won’t be solved by corporate tricks. It will be solved by us – in the streets, in our workplaces, in the fight for climate justice.
No to CO₂ storage – yes to our planet!
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