Climate Chaos – Page 107

Climate suffragettes storm municipal city council! Stop the motorway!

On November 12th, 2008 at 5.15 pm. six climate activists dressed in period costumes as suffragettes complete with big hats, marched into a municipal city council meeting in Gothenburg, the second largest city of Sweden.

The politicians were debating a new six-lane motorway, called the Marieholm tunnel, planned to be built under the river that runs through the city. The six women, activists from the climate network Klimax, stormed in to the meeting blowing whistles. A banner was unfolded with the text: “No more tunnel vision – climate smart politics now!” The activists voiced two demands:

Stop Marieholm tunnel, no more motorways.
Local politics in accordance with the latest climate science.

From the stand other activists and members of the public cheered. Leaflets explaining the action were handed out. The action commemorated the 100 years anniversary of the Suffragettes bursting into the British Parliament to demand women’s suffrage.
The official climate goal of Gothenburg is to stabilize the emissions caused by the city to a globally sustainable and fair level by 2050. Still the politicians (conservatives, liberals and social democrats) are cooking up plans for a new six-lane motorway under the river, even though they know that new roads lead to more traffic. To build a new motorway is insanity. Its the absolut last thing we need in these times of climate change!
As did the Suffragettes 100 years ago, we are facing an urgent problem of huge injustice. It is women all over the world who will suffer the worst consequences of climate change, even though it isn’t women who are responsible for the largest sources of emissions. With this action we celebrate the strong women before us who fought for a better world. We have picked up the torch the suffragettes carried and we will pass it on!

greengoteborg at yahoo.se
http://www.klimatet.org

Bath Bomb #16 out now

The Bath Bomb
@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Issue #16
free/donation
Nov 08

Because now it’s okay to love America

We Won’t Pay For Their Crisis

The Bath Bomb
@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Issue #16
free/donation
Nov 08

Because now it’s okay to love America

We Won’t Pay For Their Crisis

Saturday the 22nd of November sees a new campaign taking to the streets of Bath. Going under the slogans ‘Can’t pay, Won’t pay’ and ‘We won’t pay for their crisis!’, the campaign will be taking the fight to the greedy politicians, bankers and bosses who are behind this financial crisis. The campaign will also focus on protecting the rights of average people and will centre around five key demands – 1) decent council subsidies on gas and electric bills, 2) affordable food and housing, 3) bailiffs and repossession men out of our communities, 4) protection of jobs and benefits, and 5) full control over the banks that our money has bailed out. These demands, and the campaign itself, are timely. Already, in the early stages of the crisis, unemployment is up 20%, gas and electric bill prices are up over 40% and home repossessions are up 70% on last year’s figures. Now more than ever, we need to group together to protect ourselves against the callous greed of the wealthy. We need to be ready to fight against bailiffs who for too many years have strode unopposed into our homes. We need to be ready to fight against the energy companies who increase our bills, leaving thousands to freeze while continuing to rake in profits. We need to be ready to fight against the government who cut our benefits and use our money to bail out their big business buddies and we need to be ready to fight against the bosses, who think nothing of making dedicated workers redundant to keep their own wallets fat. We have not caused this crisis, neither have we asked for it. It has been caused by greedy politicians, bankers and bosses, chasing after the big bucks, not worrying about who they crush to get there. Yet who is expected to pay when their shit hits the fan? Us. We are expected to pay with our taxes, with our jobs and with soaring food, rent and gas and electricity costs. Well no more! This campaign is not just about waving placards or ‘making a point’, it is about winning. It is about taking back what is ours from the greedy and wealthy who work so hard to take it from us, and it is a campaign that we can win together. If we are united in a belief that ‘enough is enough’, and a determination not to let them get rich from our labour while we struggle to make ends meet, we can and will win this campaign. So, to get involved, and wrench control of our lives back from the greedy bastards at the top, meet at 12.30pm in the Abbey courtyard on Saturday the 22nd of November.

Nude Girls Do It Together…

…Unionizing to improve their working conditions, that is. Screening on Sunday November the 30th as part of the monthly Bubbling Under radical cinema, from 1 til 4pm, get an eyeful of ‘Live Nude Girls Unite’, a documentary about the formation of the first union of strippers in the US. This raucous film is to be presented by Bristol Indymedia, who are sure to come back with future offerings. Entry is free, and the Porter veggie lunch is highly recommended. Get your placards out for the lads!

Minibar – 0 MegaBAN – 1

In the latest of a long line of foie gras victories, Minibar have pulled the delicacy from their menu after just two demos. At the end of the second 14 strong-protest, members of Bath Animal Action and Bath Activist Network reached an amicable agreement with the owner that foie gras would be removed from the restaurant with immediate effect. After this demo, activists paid a short and sharp visit to an eminently less sensible foie gras purveyor, Christophe LeCroix, owner of The Pinch in St Margaret’s buildings. Starting at 9pm, the demo lasted only 10 minutes, during which time the letterbox was flooded with leaflets, diners’ conversations were drowned out with a barrage of noise, leaflets littered the outside of the building and Christophe, seen cowering at the back of the restaurant, bravely sent a waitress to lock the doors and draw the blinds. Christophe has twice removed and replaced foie gras from his menu, and is now selling again, and despite his macho image, and a history of punching and sexually assaulting both male and female activists, has twice been seen begging protesters to leave him alone. Well, not anymore. BAA and BAN are back outside The Pinch until foie gras comes off the menu for good. The protests could come at any time, but for now, we will leave Christophe to ponder the fact that Hallowe’en is not the only time of year when things go ‘smash’ in the night! All foie gras-related complaints to:

Christophe LeCroix

The Pinch
11 St Margaret’s Buildings
Bath, BA1 2LP
01225 421251
info@thepinch.biz

Tofu Saladfest Ahoy!

Saturday the 22nd November is promising to be a busy day for Bathonians, as we also have the Bath Vegan Fayre! Running at the Percy Community Centre on New King Street from 12 til 3.30pm, all are welcome to come along and sample the delicious food, and find out how those pale and sickly lentil-eaters can still scrape up protein enough to draw breath without a nice slab of steak or cheddar. As well as information on veggie health, nutrition, environmental benefits, compassionate living, and vegan-catering eateries in the city, GeneWatch will also be there to talk about genetic modification of animals in scientific research, just like the franken-doctors do up at Bath University – such as potentially high-risk tampering with the genes of insects to control food supplies. Controversial? Contact eatoutveganbath@yahoo.co.uk for more information.

www.vegansociety.com/
www.genewatch.org/

EVENTS

Bath Hunt Saboteurs meetings, 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, 8pm, The Bell, Walcot Street

London Road Food Co-op, Wednesdays, 4-7pm, Riverside Community Centre, London Road

Bath Stop The War Coalition vigil, Saturdays, 11.30am-12.30, Bath Abbey Courtyard

‘Baked Alaska’ film screening, Monday 17th November, 7.30pm, upstairs at the Rummer, Grand Parade

‘We Won’t Pay For Their Crisis’ march, Saturday 22nd November, meeting 12.30, Bath Abbey Courtyard

Bath Vegan Fayre, Saturday 22nd November, 12-3.30pm, Percy Community Centre, New King Street

Green Light lecture: the Severn Barrage, Tuesday 25th November, 7.30pm, BRLSI, Queen Square

Anti-foie gras demo, Friday 28th November, meeting 7pm, the Circus

‘Opening the doors to autonomy’: a day of workshops, activities and artwork on urban survival – credit crunching strategies for getting through hard times; from the legalities and practicalities of squatting and resisting repossession/eviction & gentrification to urban foraging, a bike workshop, tai chi & self-defence, screenprinting and DIY wireless internet – this will be a day of sharing skills and building the networks to not only survive the economic crisis but to begin to collectively shape what may replace it; Saturday 29th November, 11-6pm, the Red Factory, Cave Street, St Pauls, Bristol

Bubbling Under, Sunday 30th November, 1-4pm, Porter Cellar bar, George Street

Bath Animal Action meeting, Wednesday 3rd December, 7.30-8.30pm, back room of The Bell

Bath Activist Network meeting, Thursday 4th December, 7.30-9pm, downstairs Hobgoblin

Bath Greenpeace meeting, Monday 8th December, 7.30-9pm, Stillpoint, Broad Street Place

Transition Bath Forum, Tuesday 9th December, 7pm, Widcombe Social Club

Bath Green Drinks, Wednesday 10th December, 8.30pm, the Rummer, Grand Parade

Bath FreeShop, Saturday 13th December, 12-3pm, outside Pump Rooms, Stall Street

Tally Ho-peless

Well, it’s November again, so that means hunting season’s back on, and another 3 or 4 months of pompous red-coated throwbacks and legal grey areas. Although hunting was officially banned in February 2005, it turned out to be the one law police chose not to enforce, and a law fraught with so many loopholes that most hunts could carry on just like as they like – pretending to follow a trail set by a scented rag rather than a fox, when they’re being watched. And so the fine tradition of hunt sabotage can’t hang up its mud-crusted wellies, just yet. On Saturday the 1st November, a small group from Bath, Bristol, Pewsey and Newport kept an eye on the Monmouthshire Hunt, following leaked info about their meeting point. Using citronella spray to mask fox scent, cameras to monitor activity, and a combination of hunting horns, voice calls and whips (cracking the air, not physically striking) to call off or confuse the hounds, a crisp autumn day out in the Welsh countryside was enjoyed by all, especially the two pursued foxes that we helped escape. If you want to help save innocent lives and reclaim rural space from arrogant thugs, then become an Anti: ring Bath Hunt Saboteurs on 07854 062336.

http://hsa.enviroweb.org/hsa.shtml

Green Space: Going, Going, Gone?

Residents and greens held a protest in Bath on Saturday the 8th November outside the Guildhall, hoping to save Bathampton Meadows from unnecessary development. Potentially a victim of yet another B&NES Council jobsworth’s twisted logic, the idea is we can save nature by killing it; in this case, the ancient meadow will make way for a 1,400 space Park and Ride concrete job to abate traffic congestion and pollution in the city centre. The problem here is that the main cause of congestion in Bath is the flow of east to west and west to east through traffic, rather than that of drivers coming into the city, so the Park & Ride will be barely used and whatever slack is saved will just be taken up by suppressed demand. The consultation ends after the 14th November and the consultation form can be downloaded from the Save Bathampton Meadows’ site: http://www.savebathamptonmeadows.org.uk. Why not sign up today? It can’t hurt.

Alder-Nasty Antics

One activist from BAN joined 300 others from around the UK to blockade the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment on Monday the 27th October, part of the ongoing campaign to kick weapons of mass destruction out of the UK. AWE Aldermaston is the site where experiments for the next generation of unpopular ‘Trident’ nuclear submarine armaments will be designed. A major part in this costly scheme is expected to be the ‘Orion’ laser facility, currently being built. The MoD has also recently applied for planning permission to carry out uranium enrichment there, too. Protesters from as far afield as Scotland, London, Norfolk, Plymouth and Yeovil took part, meeting to plan actions the day before. At 5.30am, activists locked on to barrels of concrete and blocked the first gate, causing police to promptly close the road. Another group of Greenham women (Greenham Common being a famous and long-lived peace camp, running 1981-2000) took a second, while several other groups locked and superglued themselves to Tadley gate, the main entrance for factor workers. The main gate itself was also held for a short time. Both the Rinky Dink pedal-powered sound system and band Seize The Day also showed up. Work at the factory was shut down most of the morning, and 33 were charged with Obstruction of the Highway. As usual, the state refuses to heed public opposition to Trident: the campaign to shut them down continues!

www.tridentploughshares.org

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When You Threaten One, You Threaten All!

So read the banner fluttering from the window of the 89 Ashley Road squat in Bristol as bailiffs last week clamoured at the door to evict the 20 residents who call the long disused building ‘home’. This came as a surprise to residents who had not been served the mandatory 7-day notice of eviction a landlord is required to provide. What happened next, and what of the sentimental message adorning the front of the building? Before we find out, a little look into the history, and intended future of the building, those inside, and those who hope to get rich off it. Owned by property developers ‘Places for People’, the building has been earmarked for ‘regeneration’ (read – gentrification) along with the surrounding area. Despite the group’s claims that they are primarily converting homes into assisted accommodation for the homeless and elderly, Ashley Road is earmarked to be turned into lucrative private flats, while the ‘charitable’ group is happy to allow otherwise homeless people to be turfed out into the street at the beginning of winter. After residents saw the bailiffs, a call for support was put out, and within an hour, around 50 activists, some from Bath, had descended on Ashley Road, making the illegal eviction a logistical impossibility. After a tense standoff, the bailiffs and their police mates left, dejected. A victory for solidarity, and a reprieve for the inhabitants of Ashley Road. While the bailiffs will certainly return soon, and may in the future be successful in their eviction attempts, the response of people to the fate of the squat demonstrates the power of solidarity and collective action over the often overwhelming seeming forces of authority and power.

Uncle Bulgaria Weeps

Regrettably, the Bath Bomb has just learnt about the demise of yet another of Bath’s greatest institutions: Envolve. Who? Under the motto ‘Partnerships in Sustainability’, the former environmental charity started out 14 years ago as the Bath Environment Centre on Milsom Street, and did exactly what it said on the recycled and biodegradable tin. Originally a resource for green activists and curious passersby, the centre got too big for its boots, and moved to larger premises in the subterranean tunnel complex beneath Green Park Station – now dependent not just on its benefactors but also on state funding. But such payouts rarely come without strings, and that proved the centre’s downfall. Becoming more and more corporate, Envolve began a campaign of ostracism towards its more pragmatic supporters, who recognise that ‘green capitalism’ is a contradiction in terms – they let go of staff and volunteers deemed too radical; arbitrarily chose between which local campaigns have a right to be advertised or not; and then, one-by-one, kicked out useful but unprofitable initiatives, like the green library, farmers’ market offices, meeting spaces for local greens, alternative transport offices, car-free schemes and food co-ops – after all, it doesn’t pay to be green. All that remained in the end was business consultants, education officers and a string of community schemes they didn’t quite have the heart to grind out: a textbook example of state co-option. Having commandeered and neutered yet another group of potential world-changers, they then cut the funding altogether – and that was that. The irony is that Envolve was held up entirely by compassionate people hamstrung by the restrictive conditions of their funding, dancing to the master’s tune… but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We here at the Bath Bomb hate to say I told you so, but… Let’s hope their successors, the Ethical Property Company, don’t go the same way.

Bath Activist Network are a local umbrella group campaigning on issues as diverse as development, environmentalism, anti-war, animal rights, workers’ rights and more. Helping to produce The Bath Bomb, we are open to anyone, and our members range from trade unionists to anarchists, liberals to greens, and people who just want to change Bath for the better. For details on meetings, demos, or just to get in touch, ring us on 07949 611912, email bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk, or see our website: www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork

Dancing On The Grave Of Capitalism

It is not just in Bath that people are getting angry about having to pay for a crisis caused by politicians and big business. Cardiff, Bristol, Edinburgh and London have also already seen mass action against the financial crisis. In London, the financial district has twice been invaded by hundreds of angry people demanding that the government stops using our money to bail out failing big business. The first London demo saw the police taken by surprise as hundreds showed their anger in the financial district, attempting, and only narrowly failing, to occupy the Bank of England. The second demo, called on Hallowe’en and billed as a chance to ‘dance on the grave of capitalism’ saw a larger turnout of both police and protesters and ended in clashes as people tried to make their way to the offices of recently bankrupted firm Lehman Brothers. Up and down the country, people are showing their disgust about a system that has failed us, and leaves us poorer and poorer while the rich continue to get richer. At both London demos, stockbrokers promised to violently confront protesters who dared to speak out about the system that keeps them rich and us poor, but, on both occasions, failed to materialise. We can only imagine they are flicking the last of the white powder from their nostrils, wiping a tear from their eyes, pushing the ‘top floor’ button on the lift and wondering how their little game has gone so badly wrong.

And now, to the disclaimer: As anyone is free to contribute, the opinions expressed in each article are not necessarily reflective of each contributor. Naturally, any right-wing or corporate bullshit will be binned and spat on. Needless to say, the opinions of the author of this disclaimer does not necessarily represent the views of any other contributor…

For further info on any of our stories see www.myspace.com/bathbomb

Activists in Dublin renamed the street where the Shell office is after Ken Saro Wiwa

Surprisingly, many streets in Dublin, capital of the Republic of Ireland, are still named after heroes of monarchy and colonialism.

Adelaide Road, which is home to the main entrance of Shell’s Irish head office as well as the government department which hands out licences for the exploitation of Irish gas and oil reserves, is named after Queen Adelaide, the unfortunate German princess who married the English King William IV (he already had a mistress and ten children).

At the weekend, opponents of Shell’s activities in Ireland and around the world took the decision to rename the street after Ken Saro-Wiwa. He was the leader, until his death, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People and a fierce critic of Shell’s destruction of the Niger Delta and its people.

Ken Saro Wiwa and eight others were executed by hanging in Port Harcourt prison on November 10th 1995. The Nigerian government claimed he was guilty of conspiracy to murder, but executives from Shell privately admitted that they were behind the prosecution, trial and execution of Saro-Wiwa and the others.

You can see a short video of the changing of the signs here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBHp–u4QVk

and a few more pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24935400@N06/sets/72157608792269359/

rememberkensarowiwa@gmail.com
http://www.remembersarowiwa.com

Manchester Students remember Ken Saro-Wiwa in University Shell protest

Students from the University of Manchester held a memorial protest in remembrance of Nigerian human rights activists who were killed by the Nigerian military in 1995. The protest highlighted the new partnership to research biofuels between the University of Manchester and Shell.

STUDENTS HANG MEMORIAL EFFIGY IN UNIVERSITY SHELL PROTEST

Monday 10th November 2008

Students from the University of Manchester held a memorial protest in remembrance of a Nigerian human rights activist who were killed by the Nigerian military in 1995. November 10th marked the 13th anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists.[1]

Shell oil company will be taken to court this February 2009, charged with complicity in his murder. ( http://www.unpo.org/content/view/8792/236/)

The protest highlighted the new partnership between the University of Manchester and Shell. [2] (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1068530_shell_and_manchester_universitys_biofuels_project)

The group held banners reading ‘Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa murdered on behalf of Shell on 13th of November 1995’ and ‘Shell operating at the University of Manchester’ outside the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre. They also displayed an effigy of Ken Saro-Wiwa as a powerful reminder of the execution of the environmental and human rights activist.

Philosophy student Gabriel Hassan said, “Until Shell sort out their human rights record and stop devastating the environment with their oil projects they have no business being on campus. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a man who stood up to the ruin brought upon his people in Nigeria by Shell and for that Shell had him hung. This is the kind of the thing that the university was always going to turn a blind eye to though.”

The group asked if someone from the Institution could explain the ethical problems concerning the University’s partnership with Shell but were told to speak to the University’s press office. The press office suggested writing a letter to President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert. The group will deliver an open letter to the Vice-Chancellor asking for an explanation.

Security were called and removed the banners from the University building wall. Some students remained to flyer outside. Meanwhile another group retrieved the banner and displayed them high up on a lamppost on the other side of the building on Princess Street.

The student group held a discussion on the role of Shell in the Niger Delta and Rossport later that evening attended by around 100 people.

( http://www.corribsos.com/)

—————————————————————————
NOTES TO THE EDITOR

[1] Ken Saro-Wiwa was a leader in the protest against the devastation of the Ogoni people’s homeland in Nigeria caused by oil extraction projects run by Shell and Chevron. For more information about Ken Saro-Wiwa and the circumstances of his execution visit http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/

[2] Shell is one of 17 companies working with The Centre of Excellence in Biocatalysis, Biotransformations and Biocatalytic Manufacture (CoEBio3) based at The University of Manchester. See http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/archive/list/item/?id=3983&year=2008&month=09 and http://www.student-direct.co.uk/2008/10/shelling-out/ for more information.

Manchester Campaigns Collective
mcrcampaignscollective@gmail.com

Climate Change Activists Occupy EONs Coventry Headquarters

Monday November 10th saw a noisy, 45 minutes long, office occupation and an attempted banner drop at EONs headquarters in Coventry in protest against plans to build Kingsnorth coal fired power station. Four activists were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

On the afternoon of November 10th, climate change activists’ occupied EONs Coventry headquarters in protest against plans to renew Kingsnorth coal fired power station. Activists’ entered the building at around 2.30pm and conducted a noise protest for around 45 minutes, causing work to be severely disrupted. There was a direct confrontation with EON management when they attended the scene of the protest. A separate team simultaneously attempted to scale the outside of the building and drop a banner from the roof reading ‘no new coal’. Unfortunately, one activist fell during the climb and broke his ankle, leading to the banner drop being aborted. Four activists were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. Two were released without charge, and two have been bailed without charge until late November.

EON was specifically targeted because their plan to build Kingsnorth severely undermines efforts to fight climate change. According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in order to avoid average global temperature rises of more than 2 degrees Celsius since 2000, the limit of what the planet can tolerate before feedback cycles make climate change cataclysmic (ref1), global CO2 emissions need to start to fall before 2015 (ref 2). In order to achieve this we need a massive reduction in energy consumption, a move to renewable energy sources and micro-generation of energy. In this climate building a coal fired power station, burning the dirtiest form of energy available, is suicidal.

EON have been attempting to greenwash their plans to build Kingsnorth, claiming that the addition of Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) technology will make the power plant more environmentally friendly.

However, it is unclear whether Kingsnorth is even due to be fitted with CCS, as EON have made no guarantee that if a bid for government funding to fit the technology fails, they will finance it themselves (ref 3).
Even if Kingsnorth is fitted with CCS, the efficiency of this process is dubious in that CCS itself uses up to 40% of the energy produced by the power station, depending on the method (ref 4). Additionally, only 20% of the station would be fitted with CCS, meaning the other 80% would be emitting CO2 as normal. Therefore, Kingsnorth would still produce almost twice as much CO2 as a gas power plant generating the equivalent amount of electricity (ref 5), and of course massively more CO2 than from renewable sources.

The government is due to make a decision on whether to approve plans to build Kingsnorth in the near future, which would be the first new coal fired power station to be built in the UK for over 30 years (ref 6). If approved, EON will face resistance not only at the Kingsnorth site, but also around the country as demonstrated by last Monday’s action.

(ref 1) ‘Too late to avoid global warming,’ say scientists The Independant, 19th September 2007, http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/too-late-to-avoid-global-warming-say-scientists-402800.html

(ref 2) ‘Too late to avoid global warming,’ say scientists The Independant , 19th September 2007, http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/too-late-to-avoid-global-warming-say-scientists-402800.html

(ref 3) Greenpeace Press Release, ‘Whitehall emails reveal government climate policy being dictated by German utility giant’, 31 January 2008, http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/press-releases/government-climate-policy-dictated-by-german-utility-giant-20080131 viewed 17/3/08

(ref 4) Fred Pearce “cleaning up coal” New Scientist 29/03/2008

(ref 5)World Development Movement “Kingsnorth Your Questions Answered”

(ref 6) Greenpeace UK shuts down coal fired power station Greenpeace International News 8/10/2007 http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/kingsnorth-coal-plant-protest071008

Anti-incinerator protest staged

The SCAI who are trying to stop an incinerator being built in south Oxfordshire have held a protest outside County Hall. The site at Sutton Courtenay near Didcot is one of two being considered by Oxfordshire County Council.

One of the campaigners, Callum MacKenzie, said they did not want to see an incinerator built anywhere in the Oxfordshire area.

The protesters also handed over a petition against the plans. “We are opposed to incineration, not just in Sutton Courtenay, but in Oxfordshire,” said Mr MacKenzie.

“We are not talking of what we can get out of this as a result of it coming here. We are talking about it not coming here full stop.”

More careers fair antics – Cambridge, Birmingham, Oxford – update: RBS & e.on no-shows

Update: RBS didn’t turn up to a Cambridge careers fair and e.on have given a few a miss now – keep on going folks, there’ll be lots of other murderous companies coming your way…

—

Careering Downwards, courtesy of Cambridge University!

Update: RBS didn’t turn up to a Cambridge careers fair and e.on have given a few a miss now – keep on going folks, there’ll be lots of other murderous companies coming your way…

—

Careering Downwards, courtesy of Cambridge University!
5th November 2008
Today and tomorrow, Cambridge University are hosting a Careers Fair, which seems to comprise a motley collection of arms manufacturers, planet wreckers and Vivisectionists.

To highlight just how dubious many of the exhibitors at this event are, some activists decided to go along today.

Despite the extremely fluffy actions undertaken by activists, which were handing out flyers to visitors (for a while inside the venue as well as on the road outside), and displaying banners, there was a high presence not only of the expected Proctors, but also many police, including a FIT team who made a point of photographing everyone while they were there, but seemed to be strangely camera shy themselves.

Apparently earlier in the day there were at least two van loads of police in attendance, although by the time activists arrived in numbers they had gone, with ‘just’ several cars having a visible presence there all of the afternoon, including (I witnessed) the searching of someone’s Guitar case at the door!

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Students Dying to Ditch Dirty Development

Last Friday (31st October) students from Keele, BCU, Birmingham, Warwick and Aston People and Planet groups staged a die-in at Royal Bank of Scotland’s stall in the Graduate Recruitment Fair at the NEC in Birmingham. It was the latest in a series of actions as part of People and Planet’s Ditch Dirty Development Campaign targeting RBS at careers’ fairs and presentations at universities around the country.

Students gritted their teeth through the security checks into the careers’ fair arena, as well as resisting the temptation to target other companies in a who’s who of unethical companies (including defence contractors such as BAE Systems, and the Arcadia Group owners of notorious sweatshop high street brand Topshop) before congregating at the RBS stall. At an agreed time the students performed a mass die-in in and around the stall, dying on oil slicks to make the point about oil extraction and climate change already killing those in developing countries.

Security arrived promptly to remove protesters from the scene, protesters singing “Oil and Gas RBS” as they were removed from the fair. Some students were then questioned by security and the police, while others were taken outside and told to protest in a specially prepared pen outside the main entrance. Those being questioned were then removed from the premise, one was even threatened with arrest by police officers in order for them to obtain their name and address, and were informed that should they return they would be arrested, on rather legally dubious grounds.

Those in the “protest pen” outside were subjected to sniffer dog checks of bags for explosives, and also of persons for drugs in an attempt to try and pin more on the protesting students. Once this ordeal had been endured, with no shortage of cynical humour and gritted teeth, the remaining students continued to protest outside, and, despite a security presence, attempts to stop students using a megaphone, not being allowed to leave the pen without an escort, managed to engage members of the passing public in the campaign. Spirits were kept high with chants and songs before students decided to end the protest and were escorted out of the area by security.

While those who took part were satisfied with the day’s protesting, police officers questioning and threatening participants with arrest as well as the use of sniffer dogs represents was a worrying development, especially in response to what was essentially a very fluffy direct action protest. However, protests against RBS at careers events will continue no matter how much they hide behind security and police. The campaign continues….

Some of the exhibitors include…

Proctor & Gamble (vivisection funders)

Eon (Pro Nuclear and Coal power)

Rolls Royce (Arms Manufacturers, sponsors of University Engineering Department)

Shell (archetypal oil greenwashers)

…And many more besides.

It would seem that despite previous years’ Careers Fairs also having activists in attendance, due to the moral bankruptcy of the companies being booked for said event, the University still hasn’t figured out that it’s actually better for their wider reputation to display some ethics in their booking choices for such an event.

You could always come along and see it for yourself, as it’s open again Thursday afternoon (November 6th), by The Mill Pond at The Graduate Centre, although if you’re not a Cambridge University Student, you may get ID’ed.

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E.ON Recruiters Targeted AGAIN – in Oxford

6.11.2008
Climate-trashing energy monsters E.ON continued their national recruitment tour with a stall at the Oxford Careers Fair today. They seemed miserable but not surprised when a group of local activists turned up too…

This afternoon, Oxford Town Hall played host to a thrilling smorgasbord of unethical corporate recruiters, at the “Science, Engineering and IT Careers Fair”. BAe, AWE, npower, BP, Proctor & Gamble, and the Army were all in attendance, but it was coal-burning climate renegades E.ON who were in the spotlight today.

Over the last few weeks they’ve been targeted by activists at careers fairs across the land, and today was no exception. A group of campaigners from Thames Valley Climate Action were in attendance, making sure that everyone at the fair had an anti-brainwashing leaflet detailing what E.ON were really up to (with more general information on the other side about evil corporate recruiters, so the rest of them didn’t feel neglected). The recruiters wasted plenty of time talking to undercover activists, and every genuine student who visited the stall got a friendly chat from a campaigner as well.

Eventually, though, the shiny corporate displays all got too much to bear, and some more action was required. E.ON were (loudly) presented with a fantastic prize for the most egregious piece of greenwash on display (despite some stiff competition): their display read “Tackling climate change isn’t something that’s tacked onto our agenda. It’s at the heart of our business” (oh, for a bit of paint to remove the word “tackling”). Their prize? A fantastic bag of (char)coal, scattered all over their stall, and the sight of the protesters being firmly escorted from the building, still loudly detailing E.ON’s activities, much to the entertainment of the watching crowd.

The activists then spent some time dishing out the rest of their leaflets outside the fair – we’ll post the leaflet here in case anyone else wants to use it (we cribbed bits of it from the Nottingham careers fair leaflet, so let’s keep sharing it all around!).

Thames Valley Climate Action
oxford@climatecamp.org.uk
http://tvca.atspace.com

John Gormley interrupted by Plane Mad

November 5, 2008

November 5, 2008
Environment Minister John Gormley was interrupted during his speech to the Green Infrastructure conference this morning in Malahide. The environmental campaign group Plane Mad disrupted the conference to express their opposition to another runway at Dublin Airport. The group oppose the runway on the grounds that it will double the aircraft emissions at the airport. These emissions play a dangerous part in causing climate change. Two activists dressed as cartoon criminals mimed building a runway around the podium that Gormley was speaking from. Aircraft noise was simultaneously played from the back of the room. One of the “criminals” moved among the audience passing out information about the proposed new runway form his bag of “swag”. The minister was also presented with a letter by the group which he accepted.

The activists were dressed as criminals to represent the crime that it would be if Fingal County Council and the Dublin Airport Authority(DAA) were allowed to double capacity at Dublin Airport. The activists had “DAA-CLIMATE CRIMINALS” written on their backs.

Minister Gormley said that he agreed with them on this issue, indeed he had mentioned the “serious threat” of climate change several times in his speech. After the campaigners had made their point they were peacefully escorted out of the conference suite and Mr Gormley was allowed to continue. Despite all he says Plane Mad continue to be disappointed that neither John Gormley or his party are clear or vocal enough in their opposition to expansion at Dublin Airport.

Ian Clotworthy, one of cartoon criminals, said
“Fingal County Council are not fit hosts for a green infrastructure conference when one of the least “green” pieces of infrastructure in Ireland is currently being built at Dublin Airport.”
“We support “UPROAR” in their campaign against this second runway and we oppose it ourselves because of the contribution of aviation emissions to climate change”

UPROAR (United Portmarnock residents opposing another runway) have been opposing the construction of a 2nd runway for 8 years, since 2000. 850 people from the area objected to the runway after the campaign was launched around Christmas 2000. UPROAR were initially extremely successful in that the Inspector reviewing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and all the information available about the planned development found in favour of the objectors. The Inspector recommended that the planning application be refused on mainly on the issue of noise pollution and community welfare. Her decision however, was overturned by An Bord Pleanala.

Tara Sheehy of Plane Mad who was also in the conference suit in Malahide said,
“Doubling capacity at Dublin Airport will also double the amount of emissions. Spending money in an economic downturn on such a project of pollution is madness.”

The Environmental Protection Agency allocated just over 20,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent for each of the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 to Dublin Airport. This is only 1% of the 2 million tonnes of CO2 (at least), emitted by Dublin Airport’s 21 million passengers.

On a day when even America can elect a president who claims to understand the importance of climate change, Plane Mad would like to see this “Green-tinged” government halt their airport expansion plans. Plane Mad will continue to fight the second runway until it is stopped.

http://www.planemad.org

CLIMATE ACTION NEWS SHEET 84, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2008

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UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS:
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1) RBS, E.ON and Shell university recruitment tours, Oct/Nov 08
2) Climate Camp National Gathering, Bradford, 8/9.11.08
3) Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa, 10.11.08
4) Shared Planet Conference, Birmingham, 21-23.11.08
5) 48 hours of action against E.On and new coal, 28/29.11.08
6) Buy Nothing Day, 29.11.08

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RECENT HAPPENINGS:
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1) Towards Copenhagen 2009 – the first global gathering, 13/14.09.08
2) Coal power station blockaded in Virginia, USA, 15.09.08
3) Rossport – Solitaire leaves Irish waters with no pipeline laid! 20.09.08
4) Flashmob against airport expansion a success! 23.09.08
5) Climate Camp policing condemned, 30.09.08 & 28.10.08
6) Boston (US) Rising Tide pay Citibank a visit, 7/10/08
7) Day of Action Against PacifiCorp dam, 10.10.08
8) Parliament rushed by climate activists, 13.10.08
9) Oxford students just say no to BP jobs, 14.10.08
10) Art Not Oil visit the NT and hoax boss Hytner, 15.10.08
11) Protesters disrupt European biofuels summit, 16.10.08
12) Scottish climate activists target Scottish First Minister, 16.10.08
13) Greenwash Guerrillas EDF Action, 22.10.08
14) Manchester students flashmob RBS and E.On recruitment stalls, 23.10.08
15) Barclays’ coal investments targeted in Leamington Spa, 25.10.08
16) Protestors stop work at Shipley open-cast; Shipley Bodge court case
collapses, 27.10.08
17) The Rainbow Warrior goes to Kingsnorth, 29.10.08
18) Bristol University Death Fair
19) Conveyer belt lock-on stops Australian coal power station, 1.11.08

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UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS:
————————-

1) RBS, E.ON and Shell university recruitment tours, OCT/NOV 08
Climate criminals are recruiting now, in a University near you. Find out when and where, as they have kindly posted their itineraries online.
www.makeitrbs.com/events/

www.shell.com/home/content/gbr/aboutshell/careers/students_and_graduates/calendar_of_events/calendar_of_events_30052008.html

www.eon-uk.com/Careers/Graduates/807.aspx

Stuck for a direct action idea? Check out Rising Tide’s “15 ways to topple
the Fossil Fuel Empire” on our website.

2) Climate Camp National Gathering, Bradford, 8/9.11.08
The next Climate Camp gathering will be in Bradford on the 8th and 9th November. Come along and get involved.This month we will be in the fair city of Bradford, based up at the student union. Food will be provided by the delicious Treehouse Cafe and crash space will be nearby.

Large Group Facilitation Training
Seeds for Change are running a Large Group Facilitation Training for Climate Campers on Friday November 7th in Leeds (just down the road from the gathering in Bradford), 11AM to 5.30 PM. Please email process at climatecamp.org.uk asap if you are interested.

3) Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa, 10.11.08
Film screening and fundraiser at 7PM at LARC in London, 62 Fieldgate St, E1 1ES. On the 13th anniversary of the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the rest of the Ogoni 9 by the Nigerian state in 1995, with Shell in close cahoots, we will be remembering what they fought for and what they died for. We’ll also be hearing about the inspirational resistance of people around the world to Shell’s unfortunately far from unique brand of destruction, duplicity and overall mayhem in the chase for ever-greater profits. There will be film screenings of ‘Those Who Dance’ and ‘Shadows and Light: Oil, Power, and the Niger Delta’, inspirational art on the walls and food and drink. Funds raised will go towards Art Not Oil’s new campaign against the Shell-sponsored Oedipus production currently running at the National Theatre.

4) Shared Planet Conference, Birmingham, 21-23.11.08
The University of Birmingham – Shared Planet is the UK’s largest student conference on world poverty, human rights and the environment. It brings hundreds of students together for a weekend packed with big-name speakers, skills and issue based workshops, debates, discussions, film and a massive party! http://peopleandplanet.org/events/sharedplanet

5) 48 hours of action against E.On and new coal, 28/29.11.08

The UK Government is calling for an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, we are calling for 48 hours of action against E.ON and new coal NOW. Join us in saying ‘No to New Coal’: get your friends together and plan an action for your area. Go stickering, blockading, serving direct action warning notices at supply chain premises, organise an awareness raising talk, hang a banner, get creative on the streets, the options are endless. Get together, get creative, and plan an action! For more information visit – www.e-onf-off.org – where a list of potential targets, action ideas and plenty of resources will follow shortly.

6) Buy Nothing Day, 29.11.08
Saturday November 29h 2008 is Buy Nothing Day. It’s a day where you challenge yourself to switch off from shopping and tune into life. The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from consumerism and live without shopping. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending – better yet, get together with some friends and challenge consumer culture directly!
www.buynothingday.co.uk

7) National Climate March, 06.12.08
March on Parliament to demand that the government acts on climate now! The march this year goes to Parliament Square to demand that the government act now on climate. The march will start at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park – assemble 12 noon. The march will be preceeded by a climate protest bike ride starting from Lincoln’s Inn Fields at 10.30 am: see more here. There will be an After-Party in the Synergy Centre from 5.00 pm till late.!
www.campaigncc.org/index.shtml

8) Earth First! Winter Moot, 6-8.02.09
The Earth First! Winter Moot is a weekend to reflect on where we are as a radical ecologist movement and on where we are going. The moot will be about discussing strategy, strengthening the EF! network, security and communications and action planning. A session is also reserved for discussing a UK mobilisation for the UN climate conference in Copenhagen late 2009. The moot will be held in Brighton (t.b.c.). Please check this website nearer to the time for further details and email any items you would like to add an item to the agenda to moot2009 at earthfirst.org.uk.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/21557

9) Fossil Fools Day 2009, 01.04.09
Just in case you missed the news last month – Fossil Fools Day is back! Whether you’ve been looking for a chance to dip a toe into the growing climate action movement, or have had your kick-ass action planned since last year, now is the time to do it – whatever it is. On April 1st, join the global day of resistance and pull a prank that packs a punch. Call-out now available on the website, so get spreading the word. Info and resources will be posted on the website soon, and look out for leaflets to distribute in December.
www.risingtide.org.uk/fossilfoolsday2009

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RECENT HAPPENINGS:
—————-

1) Towards Copenhagen 2009 – the first global gathering, 13/14.09.08
The first social movements’ meeting was from 13-14 September 2008, in a free school in Norrberg, hosted by the Danish movement ClimaX (klimax2009.org). There were about 100 people present from 21 countries around the world, and mobilisatations towards December 2009 were well and truly launched. For the call to action, translations, and a personal perspective on the meeting, see http://risingtide.org.uk/copenhagen. To get involved, send an email to climate09-int-subscribe at list.riseup.net.

2) Coal power station blockaded in Virginia, USA, 15.09.08
At 6:00am on September 15 around 40 people blockaded the construction site of Dominion Virginia’s Wise County coal-fired power station. Eleven protesters were arrested after four hours. Protesters locked their bodies to eight large steel drums, two of which had operational solar panels illuminating a banner that read “renewable jobs to renew Appalachia.” In addition, protesters held a 10’x30′ banner, which said: “we demand a clean energy future.”

3) Rossport – Solitaire leaves Irish waters with no pipeline laid! 20.09.08
On Friday the 20th September, the pipe laying ship, the Solitaire, finally left Irish waters. During the ship’s time in Ireland, Shell failed to lay any part of the offshore pipe line. The departure of the Solitaire is a massive victory for the Shell to Sea campaign. Resistance in the past six weeks has taken many different forms: fishermen preventing the ship’s access to the bay by refusing to move from her path, site invasions by local people and the Rossport Solidarity Camp, numerous waterborne actions to prevent work by supporters from other parts of Ireland and further afield, national and international solidarity actions and finally, an 11 day hunger strike by local campaigner Maura Harrington, that continued until the ship left Irish waters. The events of the last 6 weeks have inspired not only those involved, but also many who witnessed them from afar, new links and friendships have been forged and many lessons learned. In the aftermath, the Shell to Sea campaign can clearly be seen to have been revitalized, both locally and nationally. It is unclear when the ship will attempt to return to Broadhaven Bay. It is possible it could still be this year if repairs are quick and a suitable weather window appears, or it may not be until next spring. However, while it may be uncertain exactly when the ship will return, what is certain, is that it will meet even greater opposition upon its next arrival. Come and be part of it! The Rossport community is calling on people everywhere to put pressure on Shell, Allseas (the company that owns the Solitaire) and Irish embassies to demand that the Solitaire leaves Irish waters immediately.

4) Flashmob against airport expansion a success! 23.09.08
Over 100 campaigners staged a colourful flashmob against airport expansion at midday today outside Manchester Town Hall. The group included London campaigners opposed to the expansion of Heathrow. The flashmob was timed to coincide with the Labour Party Conference. At 12.45 precisely the campaigners stripped off to reveal red t-shirts with the words ‘Stop Airport Expansion’ emblazoned across them. They then lay down to form the words ‘TAKE TRAINS’ with their bodies. The protest marked the public launch of the recently formed ‘Stop Expansion at Manchester Airport’.

5) Climate Camp policing condemned, 30.09.08 & 28.10.08
A spokesman for Medway Trades Union Council said “We have decided to hold an inquiry into the Policing of the Climate Camp because of our concern over the level of policing and various incidents such as a policeman in riot gear assaulting a protester with a riot shield, as shown on TV, and other allegations including local campaigners being subjected to pepper spray and a local councillor being pushed to the ground”

Also, in the House of Commons, MPs accused police of unnecessary aggression towards climate campers. Home Office ministers were told that officers “provoked violence against peaceful protesters” and even arrested someone for “aggressively picking up litter”.
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/09/409732.htm

6)Boston (US) Rising Tide pay Citibank a visit, 7/10/08
Four activists chained themselves to the front entrance of the Citibank branch in Harvard Square, Cambridge. The action started as a protest in front of the Bank of America branch a block away before marching down the street to Citibank, where the four activists had already chained themselves to the front door, closing the bank for a period of time. Over 150 people attended the protest, while many more onlookers gathered in Harvard Square. The action, using the tag-line “Not With Our Money”, was intended to raise awareness of the connections between the current financial crisis and the impending climate crisis. Both Bank of America and Citi Bank are responsible for funding dirty coal power that harms the environment, and engaging in predatory lending practices that are fuelling the foreclosure crisis and have left families in Boston homeless. Several groups were involved with the protest including Rising Tide Boston and Rainforest Action Network, both environmental justice groups, and City Life/Vida Urbana, a tenants’ rights organization.

7) Day of Action Against PacifiCorp dam, 10.10.08
A coalition of Klamath River Indian tribes, fishermen, conservationists and local supporters (including Cascadia Rising Tide) ramped up their campaign to remove four fish-killing dams on the river today when they held a spirited protest in front of PacifiCorp’s headquarters in Portland. The “Day of Action Against PacifiCorp” started off at 8:30 a.m. on September 18th when local activists hung a banner proclaiming “Warren Buffett Kills Salmon, Jobs and Communities” over Interstate-84 in solidarity with the Tribes. Around 200 people converged in front of PacifiCorp for a press conference. After the conference, 70 people occupied the area in front of the headquarters, effectively shutting down the front entrance to PacifiCorp as company staff locked the doors.

8) Parliament rushed by climate activists, 13.10.08
Demanding deeds not words from the government, 500 Climate Rushers gathered in Parliament Square to celebrate 100 years to the day since the Suffragettes rushed parliament demanding votes for women. After sharing tea and cake on the lawn of Parliament Square, men and women dressed in Edwardian garb became a little less civilised, and the doors of to Parliament were locked as climate activists rushed the main entrance. Although no one got in, the sounds of protesters striking the doors were clearly audible from the inside.
www.climaterush.co.uk

9) Oxford students just say no to BP jobs, 14.10.08
Activists infiltrated an attempt by BP to woo Oxford graduates at a top-notch hotel on October 14th. One interrupted the cheesy BP PR man’s presentation as he claimed that he ‘loved the countryside’ – while putting the gloss on oil and gas exploration, extraction and financing – to ask, why then, has BP spent more on its green sunflower rebranding than on its annual renewable energy budget? Activists then gave their own presentation of BP’s activities around the world, why major oil companies are counter-productive to climate change solutions, and why any tempted graduates should reconsider their career options. A member of Colombia Solidarity Campaign gave a first hand account of BP’s complicity in environmental destruction, subverting peaceful social movements and funding death squads. A moment of stunned silence was followed by applause as the re-educated audience abandoned the shindig.

10)Art Not Oil visit the NT and hoax boss Hytner, 15.10.08
After a visit to the theatre (Darling!), arty climate activists cooked up a letter claiming to be from NT boss Nicholas Hytner questioning the use of oil sponsorship in the arts. The NT were none too pleased about this and the ensuing row reached the letters pages of luvvie-weekly “The Stage”(a first for the direct action movement?). Art not Oil ask: “We’re asking people if they’re up for making an artwork of some kind as a response This could be an image, song, film or poem to appear on our website, or to be printed on a postcard or something similar. We’re open to ideas. (Unfortunately, we aren’t able to pay for your work, but we have no wish to possess it!) If this is of interest, we’d love to see it as soon as possible, as ‘Oedipus’ runs until January 2009 only.”
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411200.html and
http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/feature.php/22157/chit-chat-hytner-miss-or-maybe-an-attack-

11) Protesters disrupt European biofuels summit, 16.10.08
On World Food Day, 16th October, activists from Action Against Agrofuels disrupted the Biofuels Expo in Newark, one of the largest biofuel industry conferences in Europe. Four banners were dropped, as protesters climbed on the roof outside the main entrance and on a ledge inside the main exhibition hall, where they remained for over three hours. Rape alarms were set off across the exhibition centre. Banners read “Agrofuels for cars and power plants worsen climate change”, “Land-grabbing for agrofuels causes hunger”, “Agrofuels – a climate crime” and “Greenwashing hunger and deforestation”. Separately, Leeds University students held a banner and leafletting protest outside the conference.

12) Scottish climate activists target Scottish First Minister, 16.10.08
At 4am, residents from Clydebank, Paisley, Kirkliston and Cramond peacefully set up a stereo and blasted aeroplane noise through the entrance of the First Minister’s private residency in Edinburgh. The action stands as a protest ‘dawn chorus’ to highlight the experience of living life in the shadow of a growing airport. Ironically, the stereo caused 110 decibels of noise – the equivalent of a jumbo jet taking off. For half an hour about ten residents surrounded the building dressed in bright pajamas, night caps, clutching teddybears, with ear defenders to display the dangerous levels of noise pollution endured by their families and communities. Their placards stated “It’s time to wake up to the impacts of aviation” and “have a taste of your own medicine”. The residents took these steps to state loud and clear to the First Minister, who holds ultimate say over the fate of the expansion plans, that he cannot ignore any of the effects of airport expansion. These impacts include dangerous noise levels, rising air pollution, climate change and increasing economic uncertainty during the current credit crunch.

13) Greenwash Guerrillas EDF Action, 22.10.08
London Rising Tide’s Greenwash Guerillas Brigade, Detection Platoon #1, moved into action on Monday morning, 22 October, at 08:00 hours – targeting energy corporation Électricité de France (EDF) at the central London headquarters of their UK subsidiary EDF Energy. EDF has recently bought out British Energy and have announced that they plan to build 4 new nuclear power stations in the UK in the coming years. Inspired by our counterparts in France demonstrating against new nuclear power, we chose to target EDF’s attempts to muscle in their FALSE nuclear solution to the looming disaster of catastrophic climate chaos. Our action (consisting of 12 Greenwash Guerillas) highlighted the dangers of nuclear power to the biosphere, humanity, and REAL renewable energy solutions.

14) Manchester students flashmob RBS and E.On Recruitment Stalls, 23.10.08
A busy careers fair at Manchester’s GMex was interrupted yesterday by several long whistle blasts. 30 or so protestors suddenly revealed their yellow ‘Leave it in the Ground’ t-shirts and surrounded the Royal Bank of Scotland stall, holding banners and chanting ‘leave it in the ground!’. A protestor then read some extracts from the excellent report “Cashing in on Coal”, which shows that RBS is a climate criminal, pouring money into new fossil fuel extraction projects. The security guards eventually began dragging protestors out so they didn’t get a chance to visit the E.ON stall. However the protest continued outside where people handed out leaflets explaining how E.ON (with a fat loan from RBS) plans to build the first new coal power station in the UK in 30 years, while security guards repeatedly threatened to have them arrested for trespassing.

15) Barclays’ coal investments targeted in Leamington Spa, 25.10.08
Leamington Rising Tide took aim at a town centre Barclays on Saturday 25 October 2008 in protest at the bank’s heavy investment in dirty coal. Banners, leaflets and balloons let people know that ‘Barclays are fuelling global warming’. One of the banners used an image of scales to demolish the myth that Barclays cares about climate change: they invest a whopping 3,300 million invested in coal against 15 million in renewable tech on the other. Over the last two years, Barclays has been involved in 17 separate loans to the coal industry, and together with RBS and HSBC, has loaned $70 billion to E.ON alone.

16) Protestors stop work at Shipley open-cast; Shipley Bodge court case collapses, 27.10.08
Protestors from Earth First! stopped work at an open-cast coal site for over two hours – they ran onto the site and clambered on diggers & dumpers and held out banners stopping the work safely. Some of the digger drivers were very friendly and were glad to have a break as they work very long shifts, from 7am-6:30 with only lunch & half hour breaks at 10 & 3. Today work had not been able to start till 10 as nature was fighting its own corner, with rain drowning the site, and it was stopped again at 1 for 3 hours due to the protest.

Meanwhile, the first court case arising from the eviction of Bodge House, Shipley, where protesters occupied the site of the proposed open cast coal mine from June until August, collapsed today after the prosecution admitted that it didn’t have the evidence to support its case. The crown prosecutor asked for an adjournment, the defence objected, the district
judge agreed with the defence and dismissed the case. Let’s hope the others go the same way.

17) The Rainbow Warrior goes to Kingsnorth, 29.10.08
The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior led a peaceful armada of boats down the Medway to Kingsnorth, and thirty campaigners, each carrying flags from 30 nations, disembarked onto Kingsnorth’s jetty. E.on’s proposed new plant would emit as much carbon dioxide as the world’s 30 least polluting countries combined (hence the flags), dashing our chances of beating climate change and spelling disaster for millions of families around the world. Meanwhile, another group of volunteers – including two of the Kingsnorth Six (recently cleared of criminal damage to Kingsnorth’s smokestack using the defence of climate change) – occupied a small, concrete, E.ON-owned island just next to the jetty until they were forced to leave by a high court injunction.
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/vigil-ends-20081030

18) Bristohl Uni Death Fair, 29.10.08
This time it was the 4 horseman of the apocalypse (well, 2 of them) who highlighted the reality behind the shiny facades of companies like E.On and BAE Systems.
http://westsideclimateaction.wordpress.com

19) Conveyer belt lock-on stops Australian coal power station, 1.11.08
29 people from Rising Tide Australia have been arrested after a climate change protest at Bayswater power station today. Four people attached themselves to machinery, stopping the conveyor belts that carry coal to Bayswater’s furnaces for six hours while 25 others occupied the coal piles.
http://www.risingtide.org.au/node/802

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Compiled and sent out by Rising Tide UK.

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29 arrested after six hour Climate Protest at Australian power station

1st November 2008
29 people have been arrested after a climate change protest at Bayswater power station today. Four people attached themselves to machinery, stopping the conveyor belts that carry coal to Bayswater’s furnaces while about 25 others occupied the coal piles in protest against the Federal Government’s failure to stop Australia’s greenhouse pollution rising.

Spokesperson, Georgina Woods, said, “Australia’s greenhouse pollution is still increasing and our addiction to coal-fired power is the main cause. We are here because every day we hesitate, we are killing the Great Barrier Reef.”

In 2006/07, Bayswater Power Station created approximately 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide pollution, making it equal greatest single source of greenhouse pollution in the country and among the top 100 polluting power stations in the world.

The Federal Government is expected to announce medium term greenhouse emission reduction targets at the end of the month, but protestors say that 2020 is too late, and want a commitment that 2010 will be Australia’s “peak emissions” year.

The Bayswater power station near Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter and the adjacent Liddell power station together supply around 40% of NSW’s electricity.

Details of People’s Blockade of the World’s Biggest Coal Port – 14 March 2009 Ma href=”http://www.risingtide.org.au/node/794″>here
The protestors say power stations like Bayswater will need to be shut down over the next few years: “Where is the plan to phase out facilities like these? Why are we twiddling our thumbs?”

“The nation and the world are watching and we will not get another chance. The people that are here today are parents and grandparents, professionals and tradespeople. We are demanding a commitment from the Government today: Australia’s greenhouse emissions must start dropping from 2010, we must do whatever it takes to save the Barrier Reef from wipe-out and the world from devastating runaway climate change.”

The fight for the climate is far from over; the need for people to protest our failure to reverse greenhouse pollution is greater than ever.