French oil giant Total and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation are on the cusp of building a massive crude oil pipeline right through the heart of Africa – displacing communities, endangering wildlife, and tipping the world closer to a full-blown climate catastrophe (STOPEACOP). 

This pipeline signifies a catastrophe for the climate crisis, the African ecosystems, and its inhabitants: 

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline threatens one of the most ecologically diverse and wildlife-rich regions of the world. The nearly 1,445-kilometer pipeline would run through numerous important habitats and nature reserves – home to several iconic and endangered animals, such as lions, elands, lesser kudu, buffalo, impalas, hippos, giraffes, roan antelopes, sitatungas, sables, zebras, aardvarks, and the red colobus monkey.

Renowned American ecologist Bill McKibben commented: “The proposed route looks almost as if it were drawn to endanger as many animals as possible.” 

On its way from Uganda to the Tanzanian coast, the pipeline will disturb nearly 2,000 square kilometers of protected wildlife habitats, including the gorgeous Murchison Falls National Park, the Taala Forest Reserve, the Bugoma Forest, and the Biharamulo Game Reserve – these are multiple reserves critical to the preservation of vulnerable species such as the Eastern Chimpanzee and African Elephant.

The scientific evidence overwhelmingly tells us that we have about one decade left to dramatically decrease our carbon pollution if we want to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Put simply, there has never been a worse time to build the world’s largest heated crude oil pipeline so we can burn another six billion barrels of oil and generate over 34 million extra tons of carbon emissions each year.

Moreover, this pipeline will affect all local communities, as it runs through the basin of Africa’s largest lake, Lake Victoria, which more than 40 million people depend on for water and food production. It will cross numerous rivers and run through thousands of farms.

Just one spill or leak could have catastrophic effects on these vital freshwater sources and the millions of people depending on them. The likelihood of a spill or leak is high, not only resulting from accidental damage or poor maintenance but also because the pipeline will traverse an active seismic zone that regularly experiences earthquakes.