In the UK –
BP ad campaign hoax kicks off the Fortnight of Shame
BP today had to halt the launch of a multi-million pound ‘Back to Black’ ad campaign. That’s right, BP’s award-winning ‘beyond petroleum’ brand took a hit today when a, previously unknown, PR agency delivered 22,000 revamped BP logos and a new sign to the company’s headquarters in St. James’ Square.The ad agency misinterpreted the brief to come up with a new logo that took account of BP’s decision to invest in the Canadian tar sands, and launched the multi-million pound ‘Back to Black’ campaign.
… What day is it? April Fools Day, a day for pranks both silly and serious.
So here’s what really happened:
Posing as representatives of a PR company, climate campaigners played a Fossil Fools Day prank on BP today by delivering 22,000 new logos – one for every BP logo in the UK – to the company’s HQ.
The campaigners, from London Rising Tide and the UK Tar Sands Network, piled boxes of ‘Back to Black’ logos on BP’s doorstep and d-locked a matching sign onto the building in protest at the company’s reversal of its decision to stay out of Canada’s controversial tar sands.
BP’s ‘beyond petroleum’ brand was never more than a slick charade and BP’s plans to move into the tar sands reveal the company’s true colours. We visited BP today to present a logo that’s more fitting for a company about to invest in the most destructive project on the planet.
Today marks the start of the BP Tar Sans Fortnight of Shame, which will see actions taking place up and down the country, all with a common message. Extraction in the Canadian tar sands is fuelling climate chaos and trampling indigenous rights, and we won’t let BP go into the tar sands without a fight.
If you want to get involved then come along to the BP Tar Sands: Party at the Pumps on Saturday 10th April, meet 1pm, Oxford Circus – more info at: www.risingtide.org.uk
tarsandsinfocus@googlemail.com
http://www.tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com
Video
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Rising Tide disrupt Shell in Bristol
Activists from Bristol and Bath Rising Tide visited the Shell garage in Muller Road, Eastville at 8.30am yesterday to highlight the repression experienced by communities in County Mayo, Ireland who are trying to stop Shell building an onshore high pressure pipeline and gas refinery.
The community in Erris, County Mayo has seen continued harassment and intimidation by Gardai and Shell security, as well as the unlawful arrest and targeted jailing of key campaigners. In February fisherman Pat O’Donnell was sentenced to 7 months in jail for convictions of “breach of the peace” and of “obstructing a Garda”. The community has been fighting this project for over a decade. Construction of the gas refinery has resulted in the pollution of the local drinking water. Untreated waste chemicals from the refinery, including lead, mercury, arsenic and radon would be pumped into Broadhaven Bay despite it being a designated Special Area of Conservation. 1
The action was part of Fossil Fools Day, a global day of creative action against corporations who contribute to and profit from climate change. 2
Rachel Keevil from Rising Tide, chasing another activist with a large section of pipe, said “Shell are climate criminals. The gas pipeline in County Mayo will damage the environment and threaten the health and livelihoods of local people; all for the profit of Shell. It’s a pipeline to disaster.”
This street theatre was clearly a ridiculous representation of very serious events but opened up a space for talking with the public about the issues, many of whom took genuine interest, some saying they were inspired to write to Pat in prison.
Notes
1 http://www.shelltosea.com/node/21
2 http://risingtide.org.uk/node/336
Bristol and Bath Rising Tide
bristol@risingtide.org.uk
http://risingtide.org.uk/bristol
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Eon switch on to community renewables
PRESS RELEASE 01-04-2010
GREEN ENERGY GIFT FOR MEDWAY
German energy giant EON have announced that they are shelving controversial plans for a massive expansion of coal and gas
electricity generation in the Medway region. The surprising news emerged today as Eon contractors broke ground at the offices of Medway Council on Dock Road, Chatham, and started installing wind turbines and solar panels.
Eon media relations officer, Joe King announced, “We realise that continued investment in fossil fuels is a dangerous distraction from the urgent need to develop truly sustainable technologies so we’ve abandoned our dated plans to continue burning gas and coal. This wind farm for Medway council is just the beginning, we’re also offering all our customers heavily discounted shares in future community wind farm schemes, so they’ll actually co-own the systems that provide their power”.
In a leaflet passed out to passers by, Eon admitted that until now, only a trivial amount of their investments had gone into renewables but promised that would now change. Acknowledging the urgent need to drastically cut emissions in order to curb global warming and avoid disastrous climatic tipping points, the company promised they’d abandon their plans to turn Medway into a CO2 pumping hub, end further investment into fossil fuels, and instead commit to truly sustainable energy such as wind and sun.
However, a local activist Bennie Factor, expressed disbelieve, “This is a joke! All this renewable energy rhetoric represent nothing more than cyclical greenwash from these energy giants. Sadly, the reality is that they are still committed to business as usual, damning us all to continued greenhouse gas emissions and catastrophic climate change.”
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The FOSSIL FOOLS FARCE … is here!
Rising Tide-Plymouth & Art Not Oil-Plymouth took the Plymouth city centre streets to bring you the big “Fossil Fools Farce”, to remind us there are facts and names behind the Climate drama.
Today, on “Fossil Fools Day”, we bring you:
*The BIG OIL evil clown – Oil industry is the responsibility of the ‘taxpayer supported’ global expansion into the far reaches of the planet. Unless further exploration to find and exploit more oil and other fossil fuels is stopped, and instead accelerate the transfer of investment into renewable energy, the planet’s climate will not be able to withstand. Apart of massive CO2 emissions, the oil industry has been responsible for massive scale deforestation, local mortal diseases in oil field areas, ecological disasters, overriding indigenous rights and more human rights violations. All in the name of their profit.
Currently BP & Shell are investing in the tragic TAR SANDS project in Canada, which is the dirtiest and most expensive oil in terms of extraction and emissions that will lead us inevitably to runaway Climate Chaos -at a time when global oil resources are running out!
*The Crazy AVIATOR – In terms of damage to the climate, flying is ten times worse than taking the train. It’s responsible for 13% of the UK’s impact on the climate and it’s the fastest growing source of emissions in this country; between 1990 and 2050, emissions from aviation are set to quadruple, which scientists say could wipe out all other emissions savings we make in every other sector! The main cause of this massive growth in the UK is the proliferation of short haul routes – often unnecessary domestic ones.
In Plymouth we have Air South West ( owned by Sutton Harbour group – who also manage Plymouth airport!) publicising aggressively domestic flights between Plymouth-London and Newquay. Their ‘cheap’ price offers don’t tell you what we’ll all have to pay afterwards – the REAL price behind it: a planet that will never stop warming up. Besides, trains to Cornwall aren’t expensive! – and it’s a great landscape.
Fossil fuels are the main source of Greenhouse Gas emissions. However last December in Copenhagen the politicians sold us out to the fossilfools, corporate lobbyists and big banks. Now we’re left with “green capitalism,” a deeply unjust carbon market and continued assaults on our communities and ecosystems.
The stakes couldn’t be higher: destabilisation of the global climate, local communities destroyed by dirty energy extraction and combustion, devastating freak storms, droughts, floods, the list goes on …
If we’re going to stop climate chaos, the only real solution is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
Join the positive characters of this drama and change the script of our future!
Join the inspiring WIND FAIRY, playing and trusting clean energy; the committed CYCLIST, who claims the future with pedal power! and
the down to earth PERMACULTURE, who respects the land, grows their own food and sows the seeds into our chance to be healthy and economically independent communities!
We can be the problem ..or the solution. That is our stance today.
NOTES:
-Join ‘Transition-Plymouth’ grassroots local initiative for a sustainable Plymouth!
Email: plymouthtransition@nature-mail.com or phone: 01752 222152
– Get the facts on Tar Sands: http://www.tarsandswatch.org/
– Stop supporting unethical fossil banks like RBS & Barclay’s. Switch yourself to an ethical one: the Co-operative or Triodos, or see:
http://www.vegansociety.com/Lifestyle-And-Nutrition/Finance/Ethical-Banking.aspx
– More alternatives: http://risingtide.org.uk/resources/positivesolutions
Rising Tide-Plymouth takes creative non-violent direct action and provides popular education to confront the root causes of Climate
Change.
www.risingtide.org.uk
www.artnotoil.org.uk
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Brighton – RBS out of order over Tar Sands
Royal Bank of Scotland cashpoints have fallen prey to an April fools prank in protest at RBS’s investments in Canadian tar sands. The cashpoints were disabled by local activist group Brighton Against Tar Sands (BATS) with signs which read ‘Investing in tar sands is OUT OF ORDER’. The signs were fixed to half a dozen cashpoints in Brighton and Lewes in the early hours of Thursday (1st April) morning.
The practical joke had a serious message. Tar sands oil extraction in Alberta, Canada is the single largest industrial CO2 emitter on the planet and has been responsible for destroying an area of ancient forest the size of England.
It is also home to First Nation tribes who have lived off the land for millennia. Due to the pollution they now have high rates of cancer and are losing their ancient hunting grounds.
BATS spokesperson Dan Stars said: “RBS is out of order. Tar sands is likely to be responsible for runaway climate change if the exploitation continues unchecked. It is wholly irresponsible for the bank to invest in what amounts to tarmageddon.”
http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/wdm/4327600119
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Back in the USA –
Colorado activists pulled an elaborate prank on Xcel Energy today, April Fool’s Day, announcing that the utility company pledged to switch to 100 percent renewable electricity statewide by phasing out not just coal plants, but natural gas as well. More
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Protesters boasting signs that read “Break America’s Oil Addiction” and “Coal is Dirty” crowd around Bank of America in downtown Asheville shouting and chanting slogans like: “What do we want? No Coal! When do we want it? NOW.” More
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An activist was arrested this afternoon at the Waterloo Branch of RBC Bank. Mark Corbiere was charged with mischief for hanging a banner reading “Boycott RBC” and “Stop the Tar Sands” from the roof of the branch, located in uptown Waterloo. More
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Pepco announces plan to shift all power facilities to wind and solar energy, may cancel planned rate hikes Pepco notifies its customers that it wishes “to serve the energy needs of our customers for generations to come – Washington DC. More
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Late last night volunteers with Portland Rising Tide blasted the city with over 3,000 fake newspaper covers wrapping the Willamette Week. With content including an interview with Bigfoot about pipeline plans. More
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Philadelphia environmentalists told morning commuters not to be “fossil fooled” by PNC Bank – a bank that calls itself “A Green Bank with Eco-Friendly Service”. PNC Bank has direct and indirect connections to mountaintop removal coal mining. More
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Blame Canada
In the spirit of April Fools day, 13 Cities in Canada have pulled creative pranks on fossil fuel industry supporters, or “Fossil Fools,” pleasantly confusing security guards, police, and the general public. More
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It’s not Down Under – New Zealand/
Camp for Climate Action Auckland has visited the offices of OMFinancial to present them with this year’s Fossil Fools day award for helping New Zealand’s biggest polluters cheat their way out of dealing with climate change. More
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Beware what happens in The Netherlands
Shell Apologises for Human Rights Violations in Niger Delta, The Hague. More
Fossil Fools Day 2010
In the new summer edition of the EF! Action Update, read about coal trains blockaded, peat bogs defended, and gas terminals shut down. Find out about the dangers of nanotech, current state of nuclear GM trials in the UK, Tesco uprisings, golf course trashing, tar sands action and much more. 
Since 2005, Oxford Action Resource Centre (OARC) has been a part of the local activist landscape: a social space, meeting venue, office and shared library for campaigners, activists, agitators and community groups. 
Ecological Direct Action without Compromise