earthfirst – Page 248

Canadian Coast Guard Rams Sea Shepherd Ship (twice) & other news

31.03.2008
The Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker CCGS Des Groseilliers twice rammed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Farley Mowat today. The Sea Shepherd is present at the baby seal hunt to document the killings. Witnessing a seal being clubbed is a crime in Canada.

The Coast Guard had ordered the Farley Mowat to not approach the area where seals are being slaughtered. When the Farley Mowat did not comply, the Coast Guard rammed the vessel near the port aft stern area. After the Farley Mowat stopped in the ice, the Coast Guard rammed the ship a second time in the same area of the ship causing damage to the plates in that area.

The Coast Guard has demonstrated extreme recklessness with this move. The crew of the Farley Mowat were engaged in documenting the slaughter of seals. They were not interfering with the hunt. The annual slaughter of baby harp seals has started off the east coast of Canada in Newfoundland last week. The slaughter of over 325.000 baby seals has been widely condemned around the world, but the Canadian government is adamant in its continued support for it.

“I’m beginning to wonder if anyone on the bridge of the Groseilliers has a license to command a ship,” said Captain Alex Cornelissen. “The incompetence of the Coast Guard has already cost the lives of four sealers this week-end and now they are ramming ships in dangerous ice conditions. This is unbelievable. It’s like the Coast Guard has declared war on seal defenders and the sealers are collateral damage.”

The Farley Mowat will remain in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and will continue to document the atrocities on the ice. Already the crew have seen enough evidence to understand that the Canadian government’s pretense that the slaughter is humane has no basis in reality – in other words it’s a state sponsored lie.

“It appears that Canada is prepared to use violence to cover-up the truth of this slaughter,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Our duty is to resist their violence and continue to document the truth.”

Background –

The annual slaughter of baby harp seals has started off the east coast of Canada in Newfoundland. The slaughter of over 325.000 baby seals has been widely condemned around the world, but the Canadian government is ademend in its continued support for the barbaric mass killings. The EU is said to pass legislation this year to ban the sale and/or export of seal products within its borders.

Last week, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship ‘Farley Mowat’ set off from Bermuda to make its way to the killing fields. The last time the Sea Shepherd went out to confront the seal hunt was in 2005 when eleven Sea Shepherd crew were arrested. The aim of this year’s ‘Seal Defence Campaign’ is to try and document the atrocities. In Canada it is a crime witness a seal being killed. Never mind going out there purposefully to document whats going on ” It is a crime to take a photograph of a dying seal. It is a crime to video tape or film a sealer doing his grisly work. Unless you have a permit and the government is not granting permits. And the regulations that ban anyone approaching the slaughter are actually called the ‘Seal Protection Regulations’.”

Four seal hunters drown after boat capsizes

Mainstream media outlets are reporting that four seal hunters have drowned off the coast of Newfoundland after their trawler capsized in the ice.

The Canadian Navy states that the three bodies have so far been located with one still missing presumed dead.

Footage obtained from the hunt has shown the hunters ignoring guidelines on animal welfare distributed by the Canadian government, seal carcasses have been left on the ice, whilst some reports are emerging on seals being skinned alive despite a ban on the practice. Further reports of malpractice and illegal activities are still incoming.

The direct action conservation group Sea Shepherd is expected to arrive off the coast of Newfoundland within the next day, despite threats from the coastguard warning of arrest. Sea Shepherd founder and director Captain Paul Watson has this to say:

“The Minister is making some very irresponsible statements here. Canada has no right to restrict entry of a foreign registered ship into the 200 mile economic exclusion zone when said ship is not engaged in economic activity. The Farley Mowat is a Dutch registered yacht crewed by international volunteers, none of who are paid to be on that ship. The ship has the right of passage and that is guaranteed by international maritime law. We suggest that the Minister consult with his attorneys before making further threats”

With the prospects of a European seal pelt ban looming and increased pressure by activists, it is only a matter of time before the hunt is finally stopped. By hitting the sellers of this product the hunt can effectively be bankrupted.

http://www.seashepherd.org/

Bio-fuels Action Edinburgh & Bristol 15 April

The Edinburgh Agrofuel Action group are planning a protest for April Biofools Day on the 15th April from 12 midday-2pm. It will be at a BP petrol station (as BP are high investors in biofuels). It will be creative and fun, attracting media attention as well as engaging with the public about the issues.
It’s part of a wider day of action, with local protests happening around the UK. April 15th is the day the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) comes into force, meaning all forecourts will be legally obliged to sell only fuel which is blended with 2.5% biofuel. Targets increase to 5% by 2010 and 10% by 2020.

Please get in touch if you want to be involved: agrofuelactionedinburgh (at) googlemail.com (also email this address is you want to go on the mailing list).

What’s wrong with agrofuels? (biofuels)

Deforestation, peatland destruction and nitrogen fertiliser use mean that agrofuels are actually worse for the climate than fossil fuel. For example, a study by Paul Crutzen (nobel prize-winner) shows that rapeseed biodiesel is 70% worse for climate change than ordinary fossil diesel (even though it’s grown in the UK so involves no deforestation or peatland destruction) due to nitrogen fertiliser use, as this emits nitrous oxide, a 300x more damaging greenhouse gas than CO2.

People are being evicted from their lands to make way for agrofuel plantations, often violently with deaths and human rights abuses taking place. In Argentina 90,000 families and in Paraguay 150,000 families have been evicted due to soya expansion. These are just 2 examples but this is happening on a wide scale in South-east Asia, India, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Colombia and the list goes on.

Food prices are soaring as a result of agrofuels. According to Jean Ziegler (until recently the UN special rapporteur on the right to food) there are 12 million more people going hungry now than a year ago due to rising food prices, something which agrofuels are a big contributer to. Instead we need to dramatically reduce fossil fuel use, live closer to work and family, reducing the need to travel, while reducing speed limits and increasing efficiency of cars.

For more info visit: http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/

———-

The Solution that is even worse than the problem it is meant to solve

On 15th April, the mandatory biofuel blending (RTFO) comes in, meaning that 2.5% of fuel sold at the pump must contain agrofuel. The Government is promoting this as yet another false technical fix for climate change, despite it’s Chief Scientist’s doubts about their sustainability.

We, Bristol Rising Tide, will be at Tesco, Eastville from 16.30 – 1900 on the 15th to highlight the disastrous impact that the promotion of agrofuels (biofuels) will have on food prices worldwide, and on deforestation in South America and Indonesia. We invite groups and individuals who share our concern to join us.

Tesco, who already sell biofuel at the pump have a vested interest in the technology’s’ promotion as they own a 25% share of Greenenergy, a biofuel company.

A Bristol Rising Tider says “Not only does Biofuel production causes greater global warming emissions than the equivalent for fossil fuels but for every acre of land used for fuel this is an acre less available for food. We demand that Tesco divest from this company and admit that agrofuels are not the solution.

Burning huge quantities of food in cars is a sure way of making people go hungry. Food prices are rising due to biofuels, causing the poor to suffer more malnutrition. This has been called a “crime against humanity” by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler

Furthermore, the United Nations has warned that 60 million people may soon become “biofuel refugees” – people forced off their land to make way for huge areas of biofuel crops due to the biofuel boom.

Indigenous organisations of Colombia and Ecuador say “We are rejecting the implementation of the palm oil project on our collective territories. Apart from the way in which this has been imposed on us, with massacres, threats, displacement of communities, bribery of some leaders there are grave environmental, social, economic and cultural impacts.”

For further information on the serious problems resulting from the mass production of biofuels visit: www.biofuelwatch.org.uk

See you on the 15th

Climate Camp open meeting: Glasgow, next weekend

Climate Camp − Open invite to a UK-wide decision making meeting − Glasgow 5th and 6th April
The next Climate Camp gathering is heading north to Scotland on April 5-6. The meeting/sleeping/socialising will all take place at Carnival Arts Centre, 34 Albion Street Glasgow. This is in Merchant City and about a ten minute walk from Buchanan Street bus station/Queen Street train station. See map

Proposed agenda items should be in by Monday March 24th. For guidelines on gathering agenda items see the following page on the website

The venue and sleeping space are both accessible. Accommodation will be crash pad and available from Friday night. Should you really need a bed for some reason be sure to get in touch. If you do not let us know in advance, we cannot guarantee we’ll be able to find you an alternative.

The organising team is working hard to make the gathering as kid friendly as possible. There will be an early to bed sleeping space at another venue, and a kids space throughout the weekend. If you are planning to bring kids, please get in touch so we can better plan activities.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided Saturday and Sunday. Everything will be vegan and mostly organic. Get in touch if you have allergy concerns.

We will be asking for a suggested donation (unless you really can’t afford it) of £5 to cover the venue and £10 to cover food. There will also be a travel pool. The idea is that people with more money or lower travel costs contribute towards the costs of people with less money or higher travel costs. Please contribute if you can afford it.

There will be a film night and introduction to Climate Camp on Friday evening. Also, exciting things are brewing for Monday. If you can stick around an extra day, bring your bike and join in on a critical mass to a site of some importance… Alternative transportation will be available for those who can’t or don’t want to bike.

It would be extremely useful if anyone planning on attending all or part of the weekend could let us know. This will help in buying food, booze and lots of other things too. RSVPs and all other queries/info should be directed to gathering (at) climatecamp.org.uk That is ‘gathering’ NOT ‘gatherings’ (the old email address has been nuked).

The Climate Camp on its own didn’t stop climate change – but it’s part of a growing social movement that can! Come and take the next steps forward at the upcoming UK-wide meeting on April 5th to 6th in Glasgow. Everyone is welcome, whether you came to the camp, or were simply inspired by it. The Climate Camp’s at Drax and Heathrow had 4 key aims: popular education, direct action, sustainable living, and building a social movement to collectively tackle climate change. Regional meetings have been happening up and down the country, and the last national meeting was in Nottingham .We will meet in Glasgow to collectively share all our ideas for taking our aims into 2008.

London Critical Mass visits the Chinese Embassy on its March 2008 ride.

Despite wet and windy conditions more than 100 riders started, accompanied by about 20 police cyclists and the usual police van. Police have a habit of blocking the front of the ride at some intersections and traffic lights which tends to make it slower than otherwise and holds up traffic. Under the notorious SOCPA law, which might soon be repealed, Critical Mass sound systems are not allowed to be played near Parliament.

The ride, which has no pre-planned route, just happened to pass by the Chinese Embassy where some riders expressed indignation about the treatment of Tibet.

http://criticalmasslondon.org.uk

Video http://www.archive.org/details/cml28-3-08

Westgate Demo, Oxford

For Immediate Release – 29th March 2008
Campaigners Celebrate Westgate Delay With Street Party Protest

Campaigners took a pirate ship, a dozen inflatable sharks and a samba band into the Westgate Shopping Centre today to celebrate a significant setback for its planned expansion. Building work on the expanded Westgate – which Oxford residents say will increase traffic, flooding and greenhouse gas emissions – has been postponed until 2009.

Local campaigners drew large crowds on Cornmarket and around (and inside) the Westgate Centre with the musical stunt, which had a watery theme to raise awareness of the flooding risk to neighbourhoods in West and South Oxford. They launched a new petition, calling for a full Environment Agency flooding assessment for the expansion plans. The campaigners were also distributing a “Real Consultation” document, to find out what Oxford residents really want to see in the middle of their city.

The protest had a fun and friendly air – a pair of pirates sailed around the City Centre in a home-made boat as campaigners asked the crowd to “stop the Westgate pirates from sinking Oxford”. There was only one unpleasant moment, when a security guard threatened to smash a photographer’s camera. The guard was reported to the Westgate Centre manager.

One of the campaigners, Jess Worth,said “We’re in the Centre today to start doing the consultation that the City Council failed to do. We’re asking Oxford residents what they want to see on this site – ninety new chain stores, or an eco-friendly development with affordable homes, a bus station, a marketplace and public green spaces?”

According to the Westgate Partnership, building work has been postponed because a public enquiry into the demolition of Abbey Place, a street of sheltered accommodation, won’t make its ruling on the legality of the plans until May 2008. However,the Partnership have not yet explained why this requires a delay until 2009.

Danny Chivers, a local resident and a member of the Oxford Against Westgate Expansion (OAWE) campaign, said: “This is great news- every month that the scheme is delayed gives Oxford residents more time to raise awareness about how bad the current plans are, and to put together some saner alternatives. It’s outrageous that they started felling trees in January when the public enquiry hadn’t given them the final go-ahead. Perhaps now they’ve realised that the many problems with the scheme – that have been highlighted by our campaign – aren’t going to go away and need to be taken seriously.”

ENDS

Notes for editors:

* A full briefing, “What’s Wrong With The Westgate Expansion”, is available at
http://westgatewatch.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/whats_wrong_with_westgate.pdf

* For interviews and more information,contact
oxfordagainstwestgate@activist.com

http://westgatewatch.wordpress.com

T5 a complete shambles, but Flashmob a success.

Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opened today with a great fanfair. By mid afternoon the much vaunted, computerised, luggage system was shut down and dozens of flights cancelled.

However the 11am Flashmob went ahead without a hitch.

10.59, and the International Arrivals area was a predictable dull grey.

11.00, and it turned red, as hundreds of activists stripped off their outer layers to reveal their ‘Stop Airport Expansion’ T-shirts.

We’d all taken cameras, expecting to crack of a couple of shots and run to the bogs to hide the memory cards but – no need!. The balcony above was packed shoulder to shoulder with photographers and film crews, all ignoring the meedja ops provided by BAA in favour of covering the Flashmob.

Later coverage was disappointing (dunno about tomorrows papers) but because even better news was emerging that the T5 opening had turned out to be a complete fuck up. After promising to the flying world that Heathrow’s problems were licked, the place ground to a miserable halt within hours.

Amongst others, www.news.bbc.co.uk writes:

“The suspension of luggage check-in was just the latest problem to hit passengers hoping to leave T5 on its opening day.

BA earlier announced “initial teething problems” with car parking provision, delays in staff security screening and staff familiarisation had resulted in a backlog of baggage. “

Very good news indeed for everyone except BA and BAA. Now all we have to wait for is for BAA and its parent company Ferrovial to go bust, widely expected to happen less than a year from now, see:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3ca6b20a-fad7-11dc-aa46-000077b07658.html

Watch some footage of the flashmob here

£1,700, Including Grant Money, Stolen from the Kebele Bike Workshop by Former Volunteer

The well-known Kebele Bike Workshop, serving the community for more than 11 years, was ripped off by a former volunteer earlier this month.

Harvey Tadman, who over the past year had been heavily involved in the daily operation and organization of the bike workshop, and also well-known through Critical Mass and the St. Werburghs’s Bike Project, emptied the workshop’s account on 14 March. He had no authority to do so, having been asked to leave both the Kebele Co-op and the Bike Workshop at the beginning of February.

The money stolen included a £900 grant that was given to the Kebele Bike Workshop specifically to run bike maintenance classes, on the basis of an application made by Tadman, by the Easton Neighbourhood Renewal scheme.

He was able to withdraw the money from the Bike Workshop account, protected by needing two signatures for transactions, by illicitly adding someone unrelated to Kebele to the account two days before making the withdrawal.

In a text message to Kebele members, Tadman wrote, ‘The resources stay to maintain/support bikes in Easton’. When confronted by Kebele members on 21 March, Tadman claimed that he had contacted the funders, and that they had given him permission to use the grant money ‘elsewhere’. Neither Easton Neighbourhood Renewal not grant managers Quartet Community Funding could confirm any contact from Tadman, and he has refused to provide any proof.

Kebele contacted Tadman and demanded that the money be returned in full, both the money belonging to the Bike Workshop and Kebele as a whole, and the grant money, designated for use by Kebele Bike Workshop. He has not responded.

Kebele has decided to release this information publicly as we feel we have a responsibility to warn other groups with whom this individual might be involved.

Other organizations, workshops, and community groups should take note that if Harvey Tadman offers any resources, in the form of money, bike tools, parts, or other, they are stolen property. He is not to be trusted.

T5 a complete shambles, but Flashmob a success

27.03.2008
Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opened today with a great fanfair. By mid afternoon the much vaunted, computerised, luggage system was shut down and dozens of flights cancelled.

However the 11am Flashmob went ahead without a hitch.

27.03.2008
Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opened today with a great fanfair. By mid afternoon the much vaunted, computerised, luggage system was shut down and dozens of flights cancelled.

However the 11am Flashmob went ahead without a hitch.

10.59, and the International Arrivals area was a predictable dull grey.

11.00, and it turned red, as hundreds of activists stripped off their outer layers to reveal their ‘Stop Airport Expansion’ T-shirts.

Amongst others, www.news.bbc.co.uk writes:

“The suspension of luggage check-in was just the latest problem to hit passengers hoping to leave T5 on its opening day.

BA earlier announced “initial teething problems” with car parking provision, delays in staff security screening and staff familiarisation had resulted in a backlog of baggage. “

Very good news indeed for everyone except BA and BAA. Now all we have to wait for is for BAA and its parent company Ferrovial to go bust, widely expected to happen less than a year from now, see:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3ca6b20a-fad7-11dc-aa46-000077b07658.html

Mainstream media links:

19 April Sheffield: Climate Action Movement Building Day

A date for your diary!

Climate Action Movement Building
Network for Climate Action
Saturday 19th April, 10am – 5pm
Friends Meeting House Sheffield
Map – http://home.btconnect.com/sheffieldquakers/hire.htm

A date for your diary!

Climate Action Movement Building
Network for Climate Action
Saturday 19th April, 10am – 5pm
Friends Meeting House Sheffield
Map – http://home.btconnect.com/sheffieldquakers/hire.htm

Are you involved in local climate action or would you like to be? Climate Chaos is getting real and we need to act now – building a vibrant grassroots movement taking action all over the country.

The Network for Climate Action is a Uk network of local groups and and national networks with the aim of sharing skills and providing support for each other as well as organising for action.

We’d like to invite you to a day of networking, skillsharing and organising!

What’s going to happen?

1) DAYS OF ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Review of Fossil Fools Day and planning the next round!
1 May: Invasion of the Climate Snatchers (day of action against false solutions to climate change)
3 June: Day of Action on Food and Climate Change
(for more info see: http://www.daysofclimateaction.org.uk)

2) NETWORK FOR CLIMATE ACTION
What do we want the Network to do? How should it function? What needs improving? How do we organise skillsharing, support, information sharing, direct action training, outreach etc?

3) BUILDING MOMENTUM for the Climate camp and beyond
Ideas for building momentum for the climate camp locally

4) WORKSHOPS
on topics such as getting a local group going/keeping momentum, planning actions and local press work. Let us know if you could contribute to a workshop, or even offer to run one.

We’re still in the planning stages – please get in touch if there’s something you’d like to see happening on the day!

PRACTICAL INFO
Saturday 19th April, 10am – 5pm
Friends Meeting House Sheffield
Map – http://home.btconnect.com/sheffieldquakers/hire.htm

We aren’t able to provide lunch, but there is a fantastic vegan/veggie cafe nearby or you can bring your own food.
We’re asking people for a donation of £2-3 towards the cost of the room. Some accommodation will be available (please email us if needed).

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Please let us know if you have any special requirements.

Please let us know whether you are planning to come, so we can get an idea of numbers! Email us at contact_NO@SPAM_networkforclimateaction.org.uk

Check out our website with hundreds of resources for climate action and a directory of local groups! http://www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk

For info about the days of climate action check out http://www.daysofclimateaction.org.uk

Appeal for international solidarity: Nianfors Uranium drilling blockade, Sweden

Activists organise blockade to prevent test drilling for Uranium in Nianfors, North Sweden. We appeal for your support!!

During the last three months local activists have been involved in a dispute with a drilling company over prospecting for uranium close to a small village called Nianfors in north east Sweden.

Nianfors is located in a breathtakingly beautiful valley at the foot of the Majsaberget Mountain, the area is renowned for it’s forests, crystal clear lakes and rivers which provide habitat for a wide range of wildlife, flowers. insects and funghi.

In a bid to prevent test drilling activists have set up camp and have set up a blockade to prevent test drilling going ahead. The weather conditions this time of year are tough, some nights the temperature reaches -20 the snowfall can be up to 30cm deep, but people dress heavily and the comradery is wonderful, so the spirit is strong. We make food, sing songs and tell stories among ourselves to pass the time.
Any comrades who happen to pass this way are welcome to join us, everyone is welcome (Except test drilling companies!).

Our website is in Swedish and English, so hopefully you can read about our campaign. We have posted an online Petition and appeal to our comrades to extend the hand of international solidarity and sign it.

We can prevent this, but we need all the support we can get, so please circulate this message to as many other comrades as you can. Say ‘NO TO CORPORATE PLUNDERING OF OUR PLANET – NO TO NUCLEAR POWER!’

In comradeship

Our site : www.nianfors.nu/engvers.html
Our online Petition : http://www.nianfors.nu/engjustnu.html