Eastern England – Page 19

Mayo Shell blockade & 15-17th March London demo & action call-out

Blockade of Shell site, thurs morning, 24/1/8, approx 100 cars blocked for 45 mins

This morning, local residents’ yet again braved the bitterly cold wind to show Shell that it will never have their consent. Knowing that only they can protect the health and safety of their community and environment, people peacefully held banners at the gates, shutting down the site and preventing approx. 100 Shell cars from entering. There were no Gardai for approx. 45 mins!
Yesterday, people were stood by the side of gate 2, not blocking the cars, but were forcibly removed by the Gardai, who refused to give a reason. As usual, there was disagreement between the Gardai themselves on why we were being removed and some were clearly uncomfortable with their colleagues’ unreasonable behaviour (‘public order act’ ‘Trespass’ ‘miscellaneous housing act’ and my personal favourite, ‘you are causing a destruction’). The morning pickets are still happening and there are frequent blockades, so come and support the Kilcommon Parish who are simply calling for the gas to be refined at sea and to renegotiate the deal to benefit the people of Ireland. Shell to Sea!
Who’s cops?
It came as no surprise to see the recent Shell Project Monitoring Committee praising Supt Gannon for his work in the locality.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

hey all, hope you can join us in London to bring the pipeline back to Shell – 15-17th March.

Gluaiseacht are mobilising people from all over Ireland to travel to Shell Headquarters in London on St Patrick’s Day to protest the giveaway and mismanagement of our national resources. We will be carrying a 200ft pipeline to Shell’s front door.

The Irish people will not benefit from the Corrib Gas Project. We will have to buy back any gas that Shell will sell to us at the ever increasing full market value. As well as this, Shell will destroy a pristine environment and the health and safety of the local community.

If you can’t get to London, there’s a call out for solidarity actions to happen at St Paddy’s Day parades, Shell offices & garages and Irish Embassies all over the world during this weekend.

What is Gluaiseacht?
Gluaiseacht is a non-hierarchical environmental and social justice movement bringing together grassroots organisations, concerned individuals and student groups from all over Ireland to take action on social, environmental and political issues.

For more information, please email back. many thanks!

http://gluaiseacht.nologic.org/

Biofuel week of action – 26th January-2nd February 2008

Biofuelwatch are calling for a national week of local action on agrofuels between 26th January and 2nd February 2008. Rather than organising one central protest, UK groups and campaigns are encouraged to organise local protests and actions – which could involve a banner protest outside a Tesco or BP petrol station or outside an agrofuel refinery (click for map of biofuel refineries), leafleting and/or street theatre in the city centre, a press release, a public film show, etc. Please email us at info[at]biofuelwatch.org.uk if you can help in any way, or if you would like to find out if anything is already planned in your area.

If you are planning a local event and would like us to put the details on our website, then please email us at info[at]biofuelwatch.org.uk.

Click here for details of events in London, Teeside, Cheltenham and Aberdeen.

Click here for resources!

Saving Iceland Update 2008 – Mini-gathering – Friday 22nd February 2008, Sumac Centre, Nottingham

Saving Iceland Update 2008
Mini-gathering

A day of talks and film showings to pass on information about the on-going international campaign and the current situation in Iceland

Friday 22nd February 2008, Sumac Centre, Nottingham

Saving Iceland Update 2008
Mini-gathering

A day of talks and film showings to pass on information about the on-going international campaign and the current situation in Iceland

Friday 22nd February 2008, Sumac Centre, Nottingham

The event is aimed at:
Activists who have been involved with Saving Iceland in the past, have parted company for whatever reason, but would like to know what’s happening now
UK-based Saving Iceland activists who were unable to make it to the recent organising gatherings abroad and would like an update
People who are new to the issue but are interested to find out about this great ecological threat to our relatively local wilderness.
Anyone with questions about the campaign

Please book in advance (email savingiceland@riseup.org, subject heading “UK mini-gathering”) so we have some idea of catering requirements, and let us know if you need accommodation. We will be asking for a small donation to cover costs of food and venue.

We will start at 10 a.m. with an introduction to the issues. If you already know the basics, aim to arrive by 11a.m.

* * *

www.savingiceland.org

Climate Camp– Open invite to a UK wide decision making meeting – Leeds 26-27 Jan

The Climate Camp on its own didn’t stop climate change – but it’s part of a growing social movement that can! Come and take the next steps forward at the upcoming UK-wide meeting on Jan 26-27 in Leeds. Everyone is welcome, whether you came to the camp, or were simply inspired by it.

The Camp’s at Drax and Heathrow had 4 key aims: popular education, direct action, sustainable living, and building a social movement to collectively tackle climate change. Regional meetings have been happening up and down the country, and the last national meeting was in Oxford .We will meet in Leeds to collectively share all our ideas for taking our aims into 2008.

The meeting will start at 11am on Saturday morning and end at 4pm on the Sunday- although if you can’t stay for the whole weekend you are still welcome!

If you are planning to arrive on the Saturday morning please head straight down to the venue which is The Common Place, 23-25 Warf Street, LS2 7EQ
www.thecommonplace.org.uk – you can find a map at
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|LS2%207EQ and you will notice that it is walking distance from the train and bus stations.

If you are planning on arriving the Friday night – before the gathering- please email process@climatecamp.org.uk so we know! There will be accommodation available for the Friday night – but at a community centre called Oblong ( http://oblongleeds.org.uk) rather than at the Common Place.
Food will be served at the Common Place over the weekend- so please bring about £10 to contribute towards the food and accommodation costs if you stay the whole weekend. Of course if you really can not afford it then you are none the less very welcome!

There will also be a travel pool (whereby people who live nearby and who have minimal travel costs will be asked to make donations to off set the expense for those who had to make much longer journeys to attend). Accommodation is simply floor space- so please bring a camping mat and sleeping bag. If you have particular access needs, and/or if sleeping on the floor is not suitable for you please email us as soon as possible so we can make appropriate arrangements.

If you are planning to bring children who will need child care facilities please let us at process@climatecamp.org.uk know as soon as possible. The agenda for this meeting has not yet been set – if you have any ideas about topics you think it is important for us to discuss, please email
process@climatecamp.org.uk- by Friday the 19th January
Hope to see you there!

camp for climate action networking group
networking@climatecamp.org.uk
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

129 rabbits liberated from lab breeder

It has been reported that on the 6th January 2008, 129 rabbits were liberated from a lab breeder in Lincolnshire. This breeder supply HLS, as well as several UK universities. The photo’s show the cramped, unclean conditions of this hell hole – would we expect anything else?

Click here to watch the video (.wmv format):
http://www.shac.net/images/generic/2008_images/january/rabbitlib/rabbits.wmv

Click here to download hi-res images of the rescue:
http://www.shac.net/images/generic/2008_images/january/rabbitlib/rabbitlib.zip

SMASH HLS

CLIMATE ACTION NEWS SHEET 75, JANUARY 2008

CONTENTS:

———————————————-
UPCOMING ACTIONS AND EVENTS:
———————————————-
1) FOSSIL FOOLS DAY – NATIONAL, 1.4.08
2) LONDON RISING TIDE BENEFIT – LONDON, 11.1.08

CONTENTS:

———————————————-
UPCOMING ACTIONS AND EVENTS:
———————————————-
1) FOSSIL FOOLS DAY – NATIONAL, 1.4.08
2) LONDON RISING TIDE BENEFIT – LONDON, 11.1.08
3) NEWQUAY AIRPORT EXPANSION, PUBLIC DEBATE – CORNWALL, 12.1.08
4) RADICAL ACTION VS. CLIMATE CHAOS, NATIONAL MEET – NOTTINGHAM, 12.1.08
5) CLIMATE CAMP NATIONAL GATHERING – LEEDS, 26-27.1.08
6) BIOFUELWATCH WEEK OF ACTION – NATIONAL, 26.1.08 – 1.2.08
7) MANCHESTER CLIMATE FORUM – 1.3.08
8) DAY OF ACTION VS. GLOBAL AGRIBUSINESS – INTERNATIONAL, 26.1.08
9) LOW-IMPACT SMALLHOLDING – BUCKS, 11-13.1.08
———————————————-
RECENT HAPPENINGS:
———————————————-
1) NEWQUAY AIRPORT ROOFTOP OCCUPATION – 15.12.07
2) SANTAS AGAINST EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION – NORWICH & LONDON, 15.12.07
3) BRISTOL RISING TIDE TAKES ACTION VS. SHELL GREENWASH – DECEMBER 2007
4) SHELL TO SEA SCALE GOVERNMENT OFFICE – IRELAND, 19.12.07
5) NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE MARCH AND ACTIONS – 8.12.07
6) DUTCH COAL ACTION – 8.12.07
7) FLIGHT CENTRES SHUT FOR BUSINESS – MANCHESTER, 7.12.07
8) CHEADLE-HIGH-STREET AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE – DECEMBER 2007
9) SUBVERTISEMENTS IN LONDON AND MANCHESTER – DECEMBER 2007
10) WOMEN’S BLOCKADE OF DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT – 7.12.07
11) THE TIDE IS RISING! – 7.12.07
12) CLIMATE ACTIVISTS STOP WORK AT COAL MINE – SOUTH WALES, 5.12.07
13) INTERNATIONAL RT HOAX TARGETS BIG CARBON – 3.12.07
14) HOMELESS POLAR BEARS IN COURT – BRISTOL, 14.11.07
15) KEEP OIL UNDERGROUND – DECEMBER 2007
16) SIZEWELL NUCLEAR CLIMATE ACTION – 1.12.07
17) MANIAC MOTORIST MARS MASS – GLASGOW, NOVEMBER 2007
18) VIVA’S ‘HOT!’ CAMPAIGN – DECEMBER 2007
19) WHAT BETTER TIME? – DECEMBER 2007
20) BATH BOMB, ISSUE 5 – DECEMBER 2007
21) PACIFIC CURRENTS – DECEMBER 2007
22) A HOUSE OF CARDS – DECEMBER 2007
23) SOUTH WEST AIR ACTION – DECEMBER 2007
24) RISING TIDE LEAMINGTON SPA – DECEMBER 2007
25) RISING TIDE ON YOU TUBE

———————————————-
UPCOMING ACTIONS AND EVENTS:
———————————————-
1) FOSSIL FOOLS DAY – NATIONAL, 1.4.08
Just three months to go – are you out practising your routines? rehearsing your songs? building your props yet? I should get out more over Christmas…
However, it will soon be time to hatch your mischievous scheme, so get your friends round and start plotting!
http://www.fossilfoolsday.org/

2) LONDON RISING TIDE BENEFIT – LONDON, 11.1.08
In support of London Rising Tide, AMP is organising a night of live music at The Others, Manor Road, Stoke Newington. Entrance £5.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=38074566

3) NEWQUAY AIRPORT EXPANSION, PUBLIC DEBATE – CORNWALL, 12.1.08
Organised by Rising Tide with speakers from Groundswell and Plane Stupid.
7pm St. Mawgan Community Hall, Nr. Newquay, Cornwall. For more info. email; kernow@risingtide.org.uk

4) RADICAL ACTION VS. CLIMATE CHAOS, NATIONAL MEET – NOTTINGHAM, 12.1.08
11am – 6pm at The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham.
This meeting came out of the last Climate Camp gathering in November. It is focussed on growing our movement – how can we encourage more groups to form and more actions/campaigns to happen? What things do we want to do to help build a vibrant network of regional action groups doing actions locally and nationally?
For instruction on how to get there: http://www.veggies.org.uk/sumac/map.html
Also, 11 people are going to trial in Nottingham on Monday 14th for ‘shutting down’ the local coal power station, If anyone wants to stay to support them that would be great!

5) CLIMATE CAMP NATIONAL GATHERING – LEEDS, 26-27.1.08
The Climate Camp on its own didn’t stop climate change – but it’s part of a growing social movement that can! Come and take the next steps forward at the upcoming UK-wide meeting on Jan 26-27 in Leeds. Everyone is welcome, whether you came to the camp, or were simply inspired by it.
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/nextmeeting.php

6) BIOFUELWATCH WEEK OF ACTION – NATIONAL, 26.1.08 – 1.2.08
Biofuelwatch are calling for a national week of local action on agrofuels between 26th January and 1st February 2008. We will shortly update our website to provide more background information about the UK agrofuel industry and policies, as well as a draft leaflet and other resources. If you would like to get involved or find out more, please email us at info[at]biofuelwatch.org.uk.
http://biofuelwatch.org.uk/

7) MANCHESTER CLIMATE FORUM – 1.3.08
Manchester Climate Forum “Climate Change: it’s time to prepare”
9.15am at the Methodist Hall, Oldham St, Central Manchester
http://www.manchesterclimateforum.org.uk/index.html

8) DAY OF ACTION VS. GLOBAL AGRIBUSINESS – INTERNATIONAL, 26.1.08
On January 26 self-organized groups from all around the world will take creative action in their community. This will manifest in many ways, from nonviolent direct action, civil disobedience, street theatre, convergences, teach-ins and other activities and events. Grassroots movements around the world are making their voices heard and saying “Another World is Possible”. In coordination with the World Social Forum.
http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org/wordpress/category/front-page/

9) LOW-IMPACT SMALLHOLDING – BUCKS, 11-13.1.08
Next course by the Low-Impact Living Initiative;
http://www.lowimpact.org/courseoutlinelowimpactsmallholding.htm

———————————————-
RECENT HAPPENINGS:
———————————————-
1) NEWQUAY AIRPORT ROOFTOP OCCUPATION – 15.12.07
For the recently formed Kernow and Plymouth Rising Tide groups, this action 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!
http://risingtide.org.uk/node/248
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7146159.stm

2) SANTAS AGAINST EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION – NORWICH AND LONDON, 15.12.07
Subversive Singing Santas Spread Seasonal Sanity in London and Norwich On one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Rising Tide activists in both London and Norwich dressed up as Santas Against Excessive Consumption and hit the high streets to sing a different tune to the usual buy, buy,
buy madness of the holiday season.
http://risingtide.org.uk/node/247

3) BRISTOL RISING TIDE TAKES ACTION VS. SHELL GREENWASH – DECEMBER 2007
A series of actions is being taken against the organisers of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award and Bristol Museum, in protest at the sponsorship of the event by Shell. A grumpy polar bear visited the offices of BBC Wildlife magazine, then activists disrupted Bristol Museum’s posh reception to kick off the exhibition with a Yes Men-style intervention. And on the opening morning, dozens of humans, polar bears, a snow leopard and a tiger gathered (complete with the Shell’s Wild Lie counter-exhibition) in front of the museum. They handed out leaflets and created quite a spectacle. Protests are expected to continue through Jan. 13th.
http://risingtide.org.uk/bristol

4) SHELL TO SEA SCALE GOVERNMENT OFFICE – IRELAND, 19.12.07
A special prayer and carol service was held on 16th December at Bellanaboy, County Mayo, marking the end of another year of community struggle against Shell’s proposed raw gas pipeline and inland refinery.
On the 19th, a small group of Shell to Sea activists scaled the heights of the Department of Natural Resources to place a banner reading PROTECT IRISH NATURAL RESOURCES on the balcony outside Eamon Ryan’s office.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17942
http://www.corribsos.com/

5) NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE MARCH AND ACTIONS – 8.12.07
Over 10,000 climate campaigners took to the streets to take part in marches in London and Glasgow over the weekend, despite pouring rain. Protesters braved the weather in one the biggest demonstrations calling for climate justice the UK has ever seen.
http://www.campaigncc.org/
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/12/387497.html
Environmental activists from direct action group Plane Stupid shut down travel agents and airline offices along the route of the Climate March in London.
http://www.planestupid.com/
Meanwhile, in Manchester airline billboards advertising cheap flights to European cities were subverted.

6) DUTCH COAL ACTION – 8.12.07
A collective of twenty Dutch EarthFirst! activists blocked the coal conveyor- belt to a plant owned by the German energy giant E.on on the Maasvlakte near Rotterdam.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17893

7) FLIGHT CENTRES SHUT FOR BUSINESS – MANCHESTER, 7.12.07
All Flight Centre branches in Manchester city centre were super-glued shut in time for Saturday trading and to coincide with the climate march in London. They were pasted with notices saying: “Closed – we want your kids to have a planet” The UK’s only Hummer dealership, Bauer Millett, was also D-locked shut.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17887

8) CHEADLE-HIGH-STREET AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE – DECEMBER 2007
Activists from Cheadle-High-Street Against Climate Change held a “A planet is not just for Xmas” campaign for a sustainable Xmas.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17917

9) SUBVERTISEMENTS IN LONDON AND MANCHESTER – DECEMBER 2007
Two adverts promoting DVD’s by Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson now have large stickers stuck on declaring “This causes climate change”. Also, FlyBe appears to have spotted the errors of their ways and cancelled their short-haul summer routes. Bravo FlyBe!
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17937

10) WOMEN’S BLOCKADE OF DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT – 7.12.07
Women climate activists blockaded the Department for Transport preventing staff from getting to work and carrying out their policies which are catapulting us towards dangerous run-away climate change. This action comes in response to the Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly confirming the government’s intentions to build a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow and coincides with the opening of their first “consultation”.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17883

11) THE TIDE IS RISING! – 7.12.07
A banner with this warning/statement was dropped to welcome all those entering the city of Manchester on the Princess parkway.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17886

12) CLIMATE ACTIVISTS STOP WORK AT COAL MINE – SOUTH WALES, 5.12.07
More than thirty climate activists, including members of the Rising Tide network, joined with local residents from Merthyr Tydfil in stopping excavation work for a full day on Britain’s biggest ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales. Activists evaded police and security before taking over the 1,000 acre site on a hilltop near Cardiff. Dressed as clowns and polar bears, they chained themselves to bulldozers and other heavy machinery to prevent work on the mine.
http://risingtide.org.uk/node/242

13) INTERNATIONAL RT HOAX TARGETS BIG CARBON – 3.12.07
Climate activists with the international Rising Tide network embarrassed the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a lobby group composed of 33 prominent businesses and organizations, by distributing a spoof press release declaring that the consortium’s members had committed to a 90
percent reduction in their greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In addition, the spoof release called for an immediate moratorium on the construction of all new coal-fired power plants.
http://risingtide.org.uk/node/240
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/dec/03/oil.bp

14) HOMELESS POLAR BEARS IN COURT – BRISTOL, 14.11.07
Four homeless polar bears appeared before Bristol Magistrates Court on 14th November. They were arrested after blockading the Royal Bank of Scotland corporate offices on Avon St. during the Rising Tide national day of action. After pleading guilty to charges of “wilfully obstructing the public highway with a non motor vehicle” (i.e. a suit case) they were given a conditional discharge and went on to picket the RBS branch on Baldwin Street!
http://risingtide.org.uk/node/243

15) KEEP OIL UNDERGROUND – DECEMBER 2007
The only way to fight climate change. A new report by OilWatch.
http://www.oilwatch.org/doc/documentos/Keep_oil_underground.pdf
http://www.oilwatch.org/

16) SIZEWELL NUCLEAR CLIMATE ACTION – 1.12.07
What else would you do at this time in the morning at a nuclear power station, other than lay on the road, lock yourselves together, unfurl your banner reading “nuclear power is not the answer to climate chaos” and wait 15 minutes for the security to notice you.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17868

17) MANIAC MOTORIST MARS MASS – GLASGOW, NOVEMBER 2007
Unburdened with festive spirit, a middle-aged woman leant out of her car and pulled a cyclist off his bike.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17889

18) VIVA’S ‘HOT!’ CAMPAIGN – DECEMBER 2007
“Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency.” United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation 2006
find out more at
http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/hot/index.php

19) WHAT BETTER TIME? – DECEMBER 2007
A free news sheet from the Scottish Climate Activist Network.
http://whatbettertime.livejournal.com/

20) BATH BOMB, ISSUE 5 – DECEMBER 2007
Christmas edition of the monthly Bathonian rabblerousiness.
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17905

21) PACIFIC CURRENTS – DECEMBER 2007
For updates on the work of Pacific Environment, a non-profit organisation that protects the Pacific Rim’s wild places and wildlife, see;
http://www.pacificenvironment.org/article.php?id=2658

22) A HOUSE OF CARDS – DECEMBER 2007
From fantasy finance to global crash.
Your guide to understanding the crisis that is sweeping through the global financial system and what it means for ordinary people.
Endorsed by Kevin Smith of Carbon Trade Watch and filmmaker Ken Loach.
http://www.aworldtowin.net/about/HouseOfCards.html

23) SOUTH WEST AIR ACTION – DECEMBER 2007
A new website.
http://www.swairaction.org.uk/

24) RISING TIDE LEAMINGTON SPA is born – DECEMBER 2007
The group had its first meeting on 3rd January and is now swinging into action. If you live in the area and want to find out more or get involved contact becqke@riseup.net

25) RISING TIDE ON YOU TUBE
Rising Tide action footage has been springing up all over youtube – check out http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RisingTideNetwork for some RT films, some of the latest actions and links to other’s videos of RT actions.

———-

Please send anything you’d like included in this news sheet to:
newssheet@risingtide.org.uk

To view previous editions of the Rising Tide News Sheet, visit the News Sheet Archive at http://risingtide.org.uk/newssheet

This News Sheet was brought to you by Rising Tide, a grassroots network of groups and individuals committed to taking action and building a movement against climate change.

For more information…
email: info@risingtide.org.uk
Phone: +44 (0)845 458 8923 / +44 (0)7708 794665
Address: 62 Fieldgate St, London, E1 1ES
Web site: http://risingtide.org.uk

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO A FRIEND AND INVITE THEM TO JOIN THE LIST

To subscribe or unsubscribe visit:
http://risingtide.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/rt-news

END

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

—————————————-

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

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

Fossil Fools Day, April 1st 2008

Rising Tide International is calling for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st 2008…

Rising Tide International is calling for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st 2008…
FOSSIL FOOLS DAY!

Roll up, roll up! The climate circus is in town. Climate change threatens our very survival, but the fools at the head of the fossil fuel empire continue to plunder the earth, with governments the willing court jesters at their side.

They would have us believe that we can escape climate change with techno-fixes, market mechanisms and offset schemes – all technocratic acrobatics that distract us from the truth: the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

For over a century the fossil fuel industry has been fooling with our lives. From extraction to combustion they have poisoned our air, polluted our water and ruined our climate. On April 1st, 2008, we’re going to turn the tables and show them who the real fools are.

Find a local fossil fool – the coal-mining clown, the offset contortionist, the aviator tripping on the high wire, the supermarket food mile freak show, the oily strong man, or any other fool that deserves your attention – and join with thousands around the world in taking one step closer to dismantling the fossil fuel industry.

On Fossil Fools Day, bring the spirit of carnival and mischief to the fight for climate justice.

www.fossilfoolsday.org
www.risingtide.org.uk

(More info and resources coming soon… for now, put the date in your diary, spread the call-out above far and wide, and start scheming!)

Sizewell Nuclear Power Blockade

1.12.2007
At 6:50 am this morning 8 sleepy protestors arrived at the gates of Sizewell A and B in Suffolk. What else would you do at this time in the morning at a nuclear power station, other than lay on the road, lock yourselves together, unfurl your banner reading ‘nuclear power is not the answer to climate chaos’ and wait 15 minutes for the security to notice you.

As the shift change began, we lay comfortably on the wet and cold road, and only one worker threatened to run us over.
The griffins arrived (civil nuclear police), Suffolk police, and a couple of gnomes (or maybe security people). Apparently, people wanted to go to work, and so the police asked us to move. We declined.
After 2 and a half hours of shift change disruption (job done!) we made a deal with the coppers that we could leave, with all of our equipment, not get arrested, and be free to come and do it again another day. Bizarrely, the police agreed to this. Watch the video below of what happened just after release – apparently, they couldn’t arrest us under the human rights act – proportionality and all that, innit.

Videos:
The reasons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i7-Z3wdjAM
Interactions with the police http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57OiMfCGC94
Leaving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnPMcvj7BBQ

Below is the press release we sent out.

This week it was announced that Sizewell is one of the four sites proposed for the new build of nuclear power plants. Brown indicated that large government incentives for new nuclear stations will be promised in the new year. These would include a planning reform bill that will speed up the planning process. The protesters say that this will take away the ability to refuse permission on a local level and that many safety features were introduced during the extensive planning phase for Sizewell B.

One of the protesters, Peter Lux from Norwich said, “Gordon Browns statement is completely at odds with what we should be doing to combat climate change. The proposed aviation policy with the expansion of Heathrow will cause several times more greenhouse gas emissions than could possibly be saved by replacing our existing nuclear power stations even if nuclear power was carbon neutral which it is not.”

Another protester said: “It is so frustrating to think that we do not even have a democracy when it comes to our energy needs and use. That’s why we have to come and take direct action, how can we sit back and watch when we know this is the wrong route to be taking?.” Said Mell Harrison, one of the protesters and Campaigns Coordinator for Eastern Region CND. She went on “The government are going ahead with building new nuclear power stations without proper public debate and consultation. All you ever hear from the Government is about our growing energy needs, but the real answer is energy conservation and more sustainable life styles. For example we hear about China’s ever growing energy needs, but it’s the West’s desire for more cheap goods from China that is one of the biggest reasons for their carbon emissions.”
Sizewell B was the last nuclear reactor to be built in the UK and was completed in 1995. It took 15 years to complete, cost over £3billion with about £800 million in cost overruns, which resulted mainly from additional safety features.
The nuclear industry also suffered a setback earlier this month when it was announced that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority was unable able to say what the costs of cleaning up Britain’s nuclear power stations would reach, but last month it raised its estimate by more than 12 per cent to £72.7 billion. This rising cost will be met by the taxpayer rather than the nuclear industry.

plunk@hushmail.com
http://www.easterncnduk.org