Action Reports – Page 256

Santas of Excessive Consumption in Norwich & London

Subversive Singing Santas Spread Seasonal Sanity

15.12.2007
Today, on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, activists from Norwich Rising Tide dressed up as Santas and visited Chapelfield Mall to sing a different tune to the usual buy, buy, buy madness of the holiday season.

Subversive Singing Santas Spread Seasonal Sanity

Bearing a festive banner reading Lapland is Melting and singing subverted Christmas carols (Welcome to Consumer Wonderland, Oh Little Town of Chapelfield, etc.), the Santas set up outside the temple to consumption that is Chapelfield Mall.

Many stressed-out shoppers broke into smiles of recognition as the lyrics reached their ears: ‘Hit the malls with wads of money fa la la la / Breathing air that’s stale and sterile fa la la la’ or ‘To some folks Christmas means a time for gathering with friends / But TV says it’s time for pricey gifts and selfish ends’. Mall security however were not so pleased with the ‘please don’t shop here’ tunes, and the Santas were moved on – but not before sending a streak of sanity through consumer wonderland.

The Santas’ carols also highlighted the fact that binge consumption at Christmas-time is directly linked to climate change (‘This shopping toil is wasting oil’). Holiday food, travel, lights, and gifts produce on average 650 kg of CO2 emissions per individual. In total, that’s 5.5% of the yearly carbon footprint of the UK.

‘Every gift that’s produced, transported, bought, used, and thrown away uses up energy that we don’t have, and creates emissions that our climate can’t handle. And if that product is made of plastic (like all those cheap toys that will be broken or discarded in a week’s time), then it’s literally made of oil’, said one Santa from Norwich Rising Tide.

Said another: ‘Us Santas aren’t suggesting you don’t give your loved ones presents this year. But why not make one or two of them, trade with friends, or buy locally. Think about the products you’re buying – what they’re made of, where they came from, how they got from there to here… and whether they’re actually going to make someone any happier.’

norwich@risingtide.org.uk
http://www.risingtide.org.uk/norwich

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Santas of Excessive Consumption on Oxford Street

Santas singing alternative carols on Oxford street in London today (15 December).

Today, on the last big shopping weekend of the year, LRT went to Oxford street to sing alternative carols for all the lovely boys and girls who were busy racing around in a rush to spend.

Dressed as Santas and Elves, we brought not only cheer, but some hope too, as we got loads of positive feedback. The Santas sang for about two hours.

Christmas Carols (thanks to The Center for a New American Dream)

1
Consumer Wonderland
(To the tune of Winter Wonderland, lyrics by Erica Avery)

The TV’s on / are you watching?
Another product / that they’re hawking
one more thing you need
to make life complete
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

In the stores / you will hear it
“Pricey gifts / show holiday spirit”
That’s what they call it
to get to your wallet
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

At the mall we can go out shopping
and buy lots of stuff we can’t afford
we’ll have lots of fun with our new toys
until we realize that we’re still bored
When you shop / ain’t it thrilling
until / you get the billing
the money you still owe the stuff broke long ago
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

2
Uh Oh We’re In The Red, Dear

(To the tune of Rudolph the red-nose reindeer)

Uh oh we’re in the red, dear
On our credit card it shows
Christmas is almost over
But the debit line still grows
Shopping like Santa’s zombies
Sent our budget down in flames
But all our Christmas spirit
Helped the giant retail chains

I’m so foggy Christmas Eve
Wondering how we’ll pay
Christmas doesn’t seem so bright
When our finances are tight

So here’s a plan for next year
Let’s forget the shopping spree
Let’s give a gift of love, so
All our Christmas gifts are free

3
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Slow down ye frantic shoppers for there’s something we must say
If you would spare a moment all the stores would go away
Big business has been telling us what Christmas means today

Now it’s time we decided for ourselves, for ourselves
Yes it’s time we decided for ourselves.

To some folks Christmas means a time for gathering with friends
And enemies might take it as a time to make amends
But TV says it’s time for pricey gifts and selfish ends

Now it’s time we decided for ourselves, for ourselves
Yes it’s time we decided for ourselves.

Some people feel that Christmas is when Jesus makes a call
For others it’s a time to stress good will and peace to all
But advertisers tell us it means Santa’s at the mall

Now it’s time we decided for ourselves, for ourselves
Yes it’s time we decided for ourselves.

4
Jingle All The Way
To the tune of Jingle Bells

Chorus:
Profits here, profits there,
profits everywhere
Christmas time is funny
we smell money in the air
Advertise, glamorize,
fool you with a flair.
Let’s make sure that Christmas
is a businesslike affair.

You’re eating up our lies and dashing to the stores
Then all our prices rise and how the money pours
If we don’t keep you drugged and watching your TV
You might see the hypocrisy
then where would business be?

Chorus

We’ll tell you how to think and tell you what to try
What to eat and drink and how to live and die
And if our plan succeeds, when Christmas-time is nigh
Instead of seeking love and peace you’ll hunt for gifts to buy

Chorus

5
To the tune of Little Town of Bethlehem

Oh gentle folk of London Town
Think how they feed us lies
All through the streets the shops compete
Urging us to buy and buy
Whilst elsewhere explodeth
Another bomb tonight
As innocents fall
Were in the shopping mall
This doesn’t quite seem right.

Spend all our cash, we’re feeling flash
As the queues grow and grow
Buying luxury goods and loads of food
for folks we hardly know
Whilst in so many places
The people starve and die
As I carve my bird
It’s quite absurd
We buy into this lie

Then at new year the sales appear
And everything’s reduced
In store we see new product lines
And know that we’ve been duped
We wish that we had waited
Until now to buy
The model’s been updated
It makes us want to cry.

6
To the tune of Once in Royal David’s City

Once in dirty London City
Stood a huge big fuck off shop
Where they sold their goods aplenty
And the shopping did not stop
Branded bags all overflowing
All their savings quickly going
Thus consumerism wild
Yule’s cheer message has defiled
Thus consumerism wild
Yule’s cheer message has defiled

7
To the tune of Silent Night

Silent night holy night
Bombs go boom,Soldiers fight
Round the stores the suckers trawl
Buying crap for one and all
Shop until you drop
Shop until you drop

8
To the tune of Oh Come All Ye Faithful

Oh come all ye shoppers
Burdened and despondent
Come all ye followers of ma-a-mon
Come and buy things
Sparkly and redundant

Oh come let us ignore it
Oh come let us deplore it
Oh come let us abhore it
Money and greed.

Ring tills with profit
Ring in exploitation
Ring all ye registers of capitalism
Glory to profit
At it’s highest

Oh come let us ignore it
Oh come let us deplore it
Oh come let us abhore it
Money and greed.

9
To the tune of Away in a Manger

Away in a sweatshop
A pittance for pay
Work under age children
With no time to play
Making trainers and T-shirts
And luxury goods
Threatened with violence
And given no food

The stars in the media
Encourage our greed
They’re making us want things
We don’t really need
Still wasting resources
And scrambling our brains
We’re using up carbon
With little to gain.

10
To the tune of “Frosty the Snowman”

Cheney the oil man
Was a jolly happy crook
With a secret past and alot of cash from cooking up the books
Cheney the oil man
Was a greedy guy I’m told
Because he wanted Halliburton to buy up all the oil
There must have been some magic in that pacemaker he wore
Because somehow his heart could handle the violence and the gore
Thumpity Thump Thump Thumpity Thump Thump Look at Cheney toil
Thumpity Thump Thump Thumpity Thump Thump Over fields of oil.
Cheney the oil man
got his dream come true
He stole 87 Billion from me and you.

11
To the tune of “Joy to the World”

Joy to the World the Love has come
To Liberate us all.
The workers all are poor
From shopping at these stores
Let heaven and nature sing,
Let heaven and nature sing,
And stop and stop shopping.
Joy to the World the Love has come
To Liberate us all
No one can afford
This birthday for Lord
Lets join together and sing
Lets join together and sing
And stop and stop shopping

info@londonrisingtide.org
http://londonrisingtide.org.uk

Rising Tide Rooftop Protest at Newquay airport 15.12.07

Sometimes you’re lucky…

For the recently formed Kernow and Plymouth Rising Tide groups, yesterday marked an escalation in their fight against climate change and for environmental justice. However the planned rooftop protest at Newquay airport was given an unlikely boost when builders at the airport left a ladder propped up…which was just as well because ours broke!

Sometimes you’re lucky…

Newquay airport specialises in climate-wrecking short haul flights and is an obvious legitimate target for environmental action. However, we were also raising the issue of a recent report into the airport which shows that the economic case for expansion is unsound.
http://www.groundswellcornwall.org/newquayairport

Yesterday we arrived at the airport on the bus. We weren’t the most likely looking bunch, but as usual the place was pretty deserted and we were able to reach our chosen point to access the roof. However our ladder ( from a kid’s bunk-bed ) broke, leaving our birdman dangling comically. Luckily for us, the builders’ shiny new ladder was unattended, so we used that one instead! The birdman regained his footing and five activists occupied the roof. We had two big banners reading; NO PUBLIC DEBATE, NO PUBLIC DEMAND, ALL PRIVATE GAIN and NO MORE HOT AIR ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

We managed to get the press there before the police. When the police did arrive they were happy to let us have some coverage and even complete a TV slot before asking us to get down or get arrested. The five activists on the roof were supported with music, dancing and puppetry from the ground. We also had a media team and legal observer present.

We made local TV and radio headlines and expect good coverage in the local papers. All in all it was a fantastic day, if a bit nippy! For the groups involved it was an energising, empowering experience.

We are also arranging a public meeting about the expansion plans ( St. Mawgan Community Hall 12.1.08 at 7pm. ) and are hoping to get representatives from Grounswell and the airport alongside ourselves.
Here’s a link to a BBC report on the action; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7146159.stm

15.12.2007
PRESS RELEASE

Climate Activists Spotlight Newquay Airport

Climate activists from Rising Tide[1] have occupied Newquay airport today. The demonstrators are calling for an immediate halt to expansion of the airport[2] and a public debate on its future. With banners, leaflets and costumes – the peaceful protest calls attention to the airport as an obstacle to sustainable development in the County.

Aviation currently accounts for 13% of the UK’s contribution to climate change and is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions[3]. Newquay airport offers only domestic and short haul flights[4], condemned by MPs[5]. Flying does ten times more damage to the climate than taking the train[6], while destinations served from Newquay are easy to reach by train or coach[7].

This year we have seen the worst flooding in decades, from central Africa and South Asia to Yorkshire and Gloucestershire. Meanwhile, Greece, Italy and California have struggled with bush-fires in tinder-dry conditions. Despite these warnings, delegates at the UN climate talks in Bali continued to resist meaningful cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Today’s demonstrators are also alarmed following the conclusions of a recent report[8] commissioned by Groundswell[9], which refutes the County Council’s claim that Cornwall’s future development depends upon expansion of the airport. The report concludes that the economic case for expansion of the airport is weak and that the airport’s current operating deficit of around one million pounds per year is met by Cornwall County Council[10], through higher council tax or cuts in services.

In light of the imminent problems of climate change and peak oil it is crucial that local government invest in sustainable public transport. A recent report by Visit Scotland concludes: “A tourism economy without a sustainable transport policy and system means less tourism in the long term” [11]

Substantial public funds must not be invested in a project which would increase Cornwall’s CO2 emissions and damage the local environment, under a plan which takes no account of rising oil prices. The expansion of Newquay airport must be stopped.

Notes:

1. Rising tide is a global network of local groups, taking action against climate change and building a movement based on social and environmental justice.
2. Expansion plans, backed by…
3. 13% – from Answer to Commons Parliamentary Question 2 May 2007.
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/tags/emissions
4. http://www.flightmapping.com/UK/Newquay/
http://www.newquaycornwallairport.com/index.cfm?articleid=40516
5. The Battle of Newquay: Green lobby launches war to curb domestic flights
By Jonathan Brown and Ian Herbert
http://environment.independent.co.uk/climate_change/article2366512.ece
6. http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/tags/emissions
7. http://www.seat61.com
8. Newquay Airport Expansion The Case Examined
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9dytjtz5n2v
9. Groundswell is an independent group of Cornish decision makers
http://www.groundswellcornwall.org/who
10. Newquay Airport Expansion: The Case Examined, Elizabeth Baines,
Commissioned by Groundswell Cornwall. Page 40.
11. Visit Scotland Research ( http://www.visitscotland.org),
Tomorrow’s World: Consumer and Tourist, vol. 2, no. 1, May 2006, page 12:
http://www.scotexchange.net/tomorrow_s_newsheet_180506.pdf

NB: Cornwall County Council became sole owners of the airport in 2004… Newquay Airport Expansion: The Case Examined, Elizabeth Baines, Commissioned by Groundswell Cornwall. Page 5.

NB: Rising Tide activists in Cornwall also took part in a recent national day of action to highlight the climate impact of RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) investments, RBS branded itself The Oil and Gas bank. The activists appeared with banners and leaflets outside the RBS branch in Truro.

kernow [at] risingtide.org.uk
http://www.risingtide.org.uk

Save the Woodhead Tunnel – first meeting details

A previous post here outlined the threat to the Woodhead Railway Tunnel by the multinational energy corporation, National Grid.

A new campaign has organised a meeting for those who wish to become involved in the fight against these proposals. It is to be held at Bradbury Community House (Market Street, Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 8AR) on Tuesday 18th December, commencing at 7.00 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting is primarily to hear more information about the situation and to debate and formulate ideas and action to keep the Woodhead Tunnel open for what it was built for – trains and not cables that facilitate unsustainable – and rising – energy consumption.

The campaign has a website www.savethewoodheadtunnel.blogspot.com and an email address savethewoodheadtunnel@gmail.com.

What Better Time? Issue One out now!

What Better Time? is a free news sheet from the Scottish Climate Activist Network. Issue one is out now, get em while they’re hot (actually after the demo on Saturday they’re a bit wet and soggy).
This monthly news sheet aims to inform people across Scotland, and further, from a wide range of back-grounds about a fight to save the planet (yes, that old chestnut). As I am sure you are aware human induced climate change is imminent, and every person on the planet has to do something about it. The Scottish Climate Activist Network brings together activists and concerned individuals from across Scotland so we can support each other in our work to stop climate change through protest and direct action along with building sustainable alternatives.

It is available in hard copy in all good social centres and hippy hang-outs or online.

Email: whatbettertime [at] riseup.net
Website: whatbettertime.livejournal.com

No Christmas Cheer as Arms Giant Lockheed Gets Locked Out

“We never forget who we’re murdering and spying for”. Cornerstone of the UK military-industrial complex / Orwellian state, US-based arms firm Lockheed Martin was targeted early on Thursday morning (13th December) at its central London HQ as activists from Trident Ploughshares and London Catholic Worker delivered a seasonal message to the company, locking workers out of the building for 45 minutes.

Lockheed Martin, whose corporate slogan is “We never forget who we’re working for”, was paid a visit on Thursday morning by a group of non-violent activists from a Trident Ploughshares affinity group called the Muriel Lesters, and London Catholic Worker. The group chained shut and blocked off all the entrances to the building for 45 minutes, from around 8am. The anonymous building (Manning House, 22 Carlisle Place, London. SW1P 1JA), hidden away in a side street near Victoria station, houses the UK corporate headquarters of the arms giant, which makes Trident nuclear weapons (warheads and missiles) and produces surveillance systems used by intelligence services to spy on the public and for commercial espionage. Several banners and placards were on display, including one that read “Lockheed Martin – Nuclear Crime Scene”, and workers and visitors to the building were leafleted, as well as passers by.

A crowd of workers and visitors trying to gain access to the building had gathered on the pavement within a quarter of an hour. Several accepted leaflets. Belgravia police were called to deal with the protesters. There was a delay as the police awaited bolt-cutters and back-up, but the chains were eventually removed from the front door, after which the protesters blocking the back entrances, including an elderly lady in a wheelchair, decided to unchain the doors and move round to the front. Police were admitted to the building for discussions, but no arrests were made (either of the peace campaigners or the arms dealers). The protesters were allowed to continue demonstrating and leafleting peacefully outside the building, until finally leaving of their own accord at 9.30am.

Father Martin Newell, a Catholic priest from east London, says: “I feel it is my duty as a Christian to follow the prince of peace and oppose the horror of nuclear weapons.”

Myra Garrett from east London says: “I felt I had to target the company because of the new nuclear weapons facilities they are developing right here in the UK, at Aldermaston.”

Chris Gwyntopher from east London says: “the building had to be closed in the interests of public security and world peace. Unlike Lockheed, I feel my purpose is to save life, not destroy it. I wish the workers would leave the building for good and seek more humane employment.”

Irene Willis from Essex says: “Christmas seems an appropriate time of year to reflect upon the horrific effects the arms trade and nuclear weapons have in the world and to ask ourselves whether we really need them.”

The group intends to pay the company another visit in the near future.

Notes:

1. Lockheed Martin, SERCO and – currently – British Nuclear Fuels Plc (BNFL) are equal shareholders in AWE Management Ltd, which the UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a multi-billion pound contract to manage and operate the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield, both in Berkshire, until at least 2025. This is where Britain’s nuclear weapons are developed and maintained, and where new facilities are being constructed to enable the production of a new generation of nuclear weapons.

http://www.awe.co.uk/main_site/about_awe/the_company/index.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/385666.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/385357.html
http://www.awe.co.uk/main_site/scientific_and_technical/publications/Strategy_Plans/index.html

2. Lockheed Martin promotes itself thus:

“Our vision: As an increasing number of nations of all sizes around the world indicate the desire and capacity to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction, it is necessary to expand our field of vision.

“Our aim: To sustain capability to design a warhead to succeed Trident by facilitating production of British nuclear warheads.

“Our priorities: The key elements of the science-based programme we are putting in place to maintain the country’s nuclear stockpile.

“Our future: We can now look forward to a long-term stable future for AWE and for the UK nuclear weapons programme.”

Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest arms company. Besides nuclear weapons, it produces a host of killing and spying machines, devices and systems, including ‘bunker buster’ bombs, cluster bombs and landmines.

The company also provides military interrogators for places like Guantanamo Bay and Iraq. It is also a leading partner in the Echelon global surveillance network. Its employees work alongside the American NSA (National Security Agency) at Menwith Hill spy station in Yorkshire.

See the following for details of the above: http://censusalert.org.uk/lockheed_martin.html

As well as being one of two lead bidders for the 2011 UK Census
http://censusalert.org.uk/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/09/census_boycott/ , Lockheed Martin also has civilian contracts in the UK with:

Metropolitan Police Service
http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk/products/metpolice.html

Transport for London
http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk/products/lul.html

Network Rail
http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk/products/networkrail.html

Railways – Positive Train Control
http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk/products/ptc.html

Royal Mail
http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk/products/ai.html

More on the company here: http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news402.htm

The company’s corporate websites:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com
http://www.lockheedmartin.co.uk

3. Trident Ploughshares is committed to bringing about the disarmament of British nuclear weapons through peaceful non-violent direct action. They call upon the British government to stop deploying its submarine-launched Trident nuclear weapons system with immediate effect, safely decommission every one of its warheads as soon as practicable, reverse its decision to renew / replace its (US-dependent) Trident system, and insist that the UN adopt a global Nuclear Weapons Convention outlawing all nuclear weapons at the very earliest opportunity.

See: http://www.tridentploughshares.org

Reports on recent Trident Ploughshares actions against Lockheed Martin (Oct 2007):

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/384043.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/384284.html

Reports and pics from Trident Ploughshares London ‘weapons inspections’ earlier this year (Feb 2007), which included Lockheed Martin:

http://www.tridentploughshares.org/article1485

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/363646.html

Reports from previous Trident Ploughshares actions at Lockheed Martin’s UK headquarters:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/09/351270.html

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/314195.html

http://www.tridentploughshares.org/article1248

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2004/12/302877.html

Sustainable Xmas – Cheadle leafletting, free space & bike protest

CheadleHighStreet Against Climate Change say ‘A planet is not just for Xmas’

Activists from CheadleHighStreet Against Climate Change have commenced their campaign for a sustainable Xmas. National research has indicated that people through holiday eating, travel, Christmas lights, and gift giving produce on average 650 kg of CO2 emissions per individual. This is 5.5% of the yearly carbon footprint of the UK.

CheadleHighStreet Against Climate Change say ‘A planet is not just for Xmas’

The average person during the Holidays produces 26 kg of CO2 from Christmas food, 96 kg of CO2 from Christmas Car travel, 218 kg of CO2 from extravagant lighting displays, 310 kg of CO2 on Christmas Shopping.

CACC members recieved a good response from shoppers of all nationalities with their leaflets ‘ A planet is not just for Xmas’. Shoppers were urged to buy locally grown conifers in pots rather than imported Scandanavian trees and to use solar powered lights . An exchange has been set up for recycled presents and those wanting an alternative to farm produced cruelty have been offered soya textured protein in exchange for the Xmas turkey.

A ‘Xmas free space ‘ will be opened for those suffering stress at Xmas and those who worship other religions or who are aetheists and pagans.There will also be a Boxing Day bike protest against traffic congestion

National Squatters Meeting 9-10 February 2008 Leeds

So we are inviting people involved in all squatted autonomous spaces around the UK to meet and discuss the squatting situation and some preparation for the days of action in April.

So we are inviting people involved in all squatted autonomous spaces around the UK to meet and discuss the squatting situation and some preparation for the days of action in April. The idea for this meeting is inspired by the recent international meeting in Dijon.

Some of the ideas of what could be discussed at this meeting are…
• Building a stronger network between the squats/Autonomous spaces throughout the UK.
• Initial planning for the days of action.
• The repression and resistance facing Autonomous spaces in the UK.
• How we can make better use of Autonomous spaces in terms of connecting them to issues such as increased surveillance, housing problems, gentrification and the fundamental issue of who owns and controls our land, space and lives.
• The impact of non squatted Autonomous spaces on the squatting movement.
• Breaking out of the “squatting scene”.
• The impact of drugs on the movement.

This is just some ideas of what could come out of this meeting, obviously there is no set agenda as this is decentralized so we want to make a collective decision about what will be discussed at the start of the meeting.
We feel this could be a really positive weekend; we’d like to see loads of you there. We’ve chosen Leeds as a location even though not all of us live there, because although it might not feel like it to you down south but it’s a central location on this island!
Please get in touch if you’re gonna come along, our e-mail is below. It is important for us to know how many people to expect. Please also get in touch if you want help set up or get involved in any other way… Hope to see you all in February….

Squat Network
squatmeetup@googlemail.com

LOGGING LOCK ON in Bridgetown

2007-12-13
Concerned south west citizens hold up Jarrah log truck in Bridgetown to highlight the continual destruction of native forests.

Today 12 concerned residents of the Southwest have stopped a log truck on Bridgetown’s main street to highlight the continual destruction of Australia’s native forests.

Australia has just been named the biggest carbon emitter in the world on a per-head basis. Industrial scale logging and burning of native forests is a major contributor to carbon emissions in Australia.

“By keeping the carbon in the forest and protecting native forests is one of the easiest and simplest solutions to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brett Thompson. “Native forests are the lungs of the planet they store vast quantities of carbon. By protecting native forests Australia can significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and halt the devastating affects of climate change,” commented spokesman Brett Thompson.

Bridgetown local resident Saffire Grant quotes” “We need to take action on a local level. Native forest logging in our own backyard needs to be stopped now if our community is to actively help provide solutions to climate change.”

“We call on Federal and State Labor parties to protect native forests as an active strategy to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and become a world leader in the struggle against climate change.”

6 Arrested in Brigetown halting a Jarrah Log Truck for 6 hours in main street

Concerned residents of the S.W have halted a log truck for six hours on the S.W highway in Bridgetown. This follows an action at Simcoa three weeks ago highlighting the continual destruction of native forests throughout the S.W and Australia.Six protests were arrested for disorderly behavior with police confiscating mobile phones cameras and video equipment. Protesters have vowed to continue to highlight the destruction of native forests in W.A throughout the coming months with further actions planned. The six arrested will face court in Bridgetown next Wednesday the 19th of December with a peaceful gathering of support out the front of the court planned for 9:30am.

Thursday the 13th of December 2007, six protesters were charged with disorderly conduct after holding up a log truck in Bridgetown.

During the protest police seized cameras, video recorder, mp3 player, all recording equipment and mobile phones.

See the video footage here:
http://www.globalwarmingfg.com/

Fed Up Polar Bear Disrupts National BBC Wildlife Magazine HQ

This morning, Tuesday December 11th, at 10am, two members of “Arctic Associates” (aka Bristol Rising Tide), and one grumpy refugee polar bear paid a visit to the national offices of the BBC Wildlife Magazine at the top of Tower House in Broadmead, Bristol. More than a hundred employees looked on aghast (some winking in support) as “J. Smith” from Arctic Associates, flanked by Mr. Pole R. Bear, made a long and passionate speech about the sad and dangerous irony of allowing the world’s second largest oil company- responsible for endangering thousands of species through oil spills, toxic pollution, and climate change- to sponsor their Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award Contest, which is coming to Bristol Museum this Saturday December 15th.

The visit evidently created quite a stir, as employees of BBC Wildlife gathered around to hear what the commotion was all about, and the press team, directors, and building security simultaneously converged on the protesters, who were finally asked to leave, after circulating through both the 9th and 14th floors of the building, and speaking to the entire national staff of the BBC Wildlife Magazine, who are now more aware than ever of the historic blunder than was made when Shell’s £1,500,000 two year sponsorship deal was accepted.

Ironically, the poster child of this year’s Photography Award is a polar bear stuck on a melting iceberg, the most visible symbol of the climate-damaging nature of Shell’s core business.

If you’d like to get involved, come to the sHELL Wildlife Photography Exhibit PROTEST this Saturday Dec. 15th starting at Noon, in front of the Bristol Museum at the top of Park St. Please come dressed as any wildlife that sHELL is endangering, and invite all your friends- putting a stop to greenwashing is a key battle in the war against climate change, and we want to stop our public museums being used for this purpose**

The exhibit will remain at the Museum until the 13th of January.

**We are having a costume making party/ planning session this Wednesday the 12th at Kebele- 14 Robertson Rd. in Easton from 1700 to 2200 or so, with an open discussion happening at 1930. There will be at least one sewing machine there, so bring material, (fake) fur of the Shell- damaged wildlife of your choice- available at all fine fabric shops, newspaper, black felt, banner and sign making materials, and your favourite beverage to share.**

More information about the campaign:

Despite dozens of people contacting the Bristol City Council and the museum and asking them to reject the exhibition, these requests have been met with excuses, buck passing, or simply silence. It’s clear that our leaders would rather not face up to the fact that our public museum is in fact advertising and greenwashing one of the worst multinational oil companies which is wreaking havoc on people, wildlife, and habitat the world over (all in the name of wildlife protection?)

Apparently the Bristol Museum, Bristol City Council, the Natural History Museum, and BBC Wildlife Magazine see no problem with exhibiting photographs of endangered polar bears on melting ice as part of a photography exhibition sponsored by Shell. Do they think we’re stupid?

Our goal is to put pressure on the latter two organisations to reject Shell as a sponsor, and for Shell to decide that the negative publicity involved with sponsoring the competition simply isn’t worth it anymore.

More information about Shell:

http://onthelevelblog.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/shells-wild-lie/

Shell operates in 145 countries worldwide- one of the worst impacts is in Nigeria, where Shell was complicit in the 1995 murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa, an environmental activist, as well as eight others by the Nigerian military junta.

Shell has been working in the Niger Delta since 1956, causing problems to:

• local communities – gas flares burn day and night, roaring like jet engines and polluting the air with thick sooty particles that stick to almost everything and have serious health impacts

• livelihoods – oil is a root of conflict and suffering in Nigeria. Over 1000 law suits have been filed against Shell, yet it still refuses to pay compensation costs.

• the environment – polluting oil spills and fires have occurred for decades due to Shell’s rusting pipes seriously affecting local villages, biodiversity, and contributing towards climate change.

Come to the protest at noon on Saturday, and let ‘em know that Bristolians won’t stand idly by while our planet is ravaged, and our museum is complicit in covering up oil company lies.

The time for blind obedience has passed- it’s time to start disobeying…..

“Where oil reigns, life is hell”

-Oronto Douglas, Environmental Lawer, Niger Delta

rampART gets eviction papers – meeting planned

12.12.2007 – the rampART social centre in London today received court papers for re-possession on the grounds of Trespass. The hearing date is the 20th Dec.

So much for the season of good will.

The rampART and neighbouring houses have all been served court papers for a hearing on the 20th Dec. Bad timing to say the least as a bunch of us were off to do a presentation about the space and show films at an event in Barcelona next week and are potentially homeless by xmas.

We’ve started the process of seeking advice regarding the court hearing but don’t hold your breath, the end is nigh.

This obviously impacts on a whole bunch of stuff. For example we’ve just had the a campaign group move their office into the rampART, Bicycology were planning on doing up the bike workshop this weekend and there’s various groups got dates booked for events next year, not to mention the new years eve party.

Basically we need to have a meeting of all the effected groups/individuals to discuss our response and plan what will happen over the next month or so.

Assume this meeting will be at the rampART next monday 7pm.