Other – Page 41 – Earth First!

Shoshone Defenders of Mount Tenabo Constructing Encampment (occupied North America)

December 1, 2008
At some point today, several men will begin constructing a permanent arbor on the Southern flank of Mt. Tenabo, where they will camp and monitor the Canadian mining company Barrick Gold.

The encampment was called on during last week’s protest, where Shoshone Grandmothers and their supporters attempted to confront Barrick Gold and bring an end to the destruction of the pinion forest – which began almost immediately after the company got approval to go ahead with its ‘Cortez Hills Expansion Project.’

A massive cyanide heap leach gold mine, the project will ultimately destroy approximately 6,800 acres of land — fracturing along with it, the spiritual life and cultural practices of the Shoshone People.

“This is our treaty land. It was a treaty made with the federal government. It was not made with a foreign nation. And it is a foreign mining company that has come into our country and is destroying our mountain, our land, our food, our medicine and they have no respect,” stated one Grandmother at the protest.

“…It can’t go on. It’s perpetrating genocide against the Native American people. And we are not the only Native people suffering this distress,” said another. “It is happening world over; but we happen to be Western Shoshones and this is our land and we’re protesting the poisoned water, the destruction of the land, the road we’re standing on here, the big machines: everything that the mining industry stands for. They say they’re doing it responsibly, but they’re not because when they leave the Western Shoshone people will still be here and the land will be barren.”

To help make sure this doesn’t happen, the Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDP) asks that you help by making any of the following the donations:

24 Nuts and Bolts (bolts need to be 1 foot in length with matching nuts)
Gasoline for saws and hauling costs.
Food items such as eggs, bacon, meat, potatoes, beans, etc. (including some sweets!)
Helpers — to assist with construction of arbor and for support in the encampment
Monetary donations for all of the above
Moral support and prayers

You can contact Joyce McDade for additional information, e-mail: EJMcDade20@wmconnect.com

Enawene Nawe blockade dam construction site

12th December 2007
Continuing their struggle against a large hydroelectric dam project in the Brazilian Amazon, the Enawene Nawe set up a blockade at one of the dam construction sites late last week. According to Survival, about 100 members of the 420-strong tribe occupied the building site, demanding an independent study into the impact they will have.

The Enawene Nawe maintain the dams will have a devastating effect on the breeding cycle of the fish they depend on to survive. They say the fish might not even be able to make it to their breeding grounds. The grounds themselves are of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Enawene Nawe. If the 11 dams go ahead as planned, the area may be destroyed.

The grounds are already heavily burdened by cattle ranchers, and the Soya Industry–who is behind the dam project.

Of course, this would not be happening if the Brazilian Government demarcated the area, in fact the entire Rio Preto, when they recognized Enawene Nawe territory in 1996. The government refused to do so.

Since then, the Enawene Nawe have been working to have the Rio Preto included, but so far their voices have fallen on deaf ears.

When the dam project came into focus late 2006/early 2007, they increased their efforts, for one, by organizing blockades. The ongoing one is the third this year.

The previous blockade, set up on May 31, 2007, was met with some success.

Brazil Amazon Indians Take on Soy Barons Blocking Dam Site
From Brazzil Mag, 11 December 2007

The remote Enawene Nawe Indians have blockaded the construction site of a hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon, which they say will destroy their vital fishing grounds. Around 100 members of the 420-strong tribe occupied the building site and a nearby highway on Thursday, December 6. They want to stop the construction of a vast complex of hydroelectric dams being built on the Juruena river, upstream from their land.

Companies led by the world’s largest soya producers, the Maggi family, are pushing for the construction of the dams. But the Enawene Nawe, who eat no red meat, say that if the dams are built, the fish they rely on will no longer be able to reach their spawning grounds.

The Enawene Nawe say they have not been consulted about the dams. They are demanding and independent study into the impact they will have.

A previous blockade of a major highway in June led the government to negotiate with the Indians, but plans for construction of the dams continued.

After the first opposition action, the Brazilian government agreed to several key demands of the Enawene Nawe. The government’s Indian agency, FUNAI, promised that it would survey lands claimed by the Enawene Nawe and other tribes, with the aim of officially recognizing the areas as indigenous.

For three days in May, the Indians erected barricades in Mato Grosso state to protest against plans to build a series of hydroelectric dams along the Juruena river. They were also demanding the official recognition of their vital fishing waters in the Rio Preto area, which are being rapidly destroyed by cattle ranchers.

Neighboring tribes joined the protest in support of the Enawene Nawe’s demands, swelling the number of protestors to 200. The government responded quickly by dispatching officials to negotiate with the Indians on the barricade. It even agreed to pay for representatives of various tribes in Mato Grosso to travel to Brazilian capital Brasília to meet with FUNAI’s president.

Bath Bomb issue 5 now! & Bristle statement

Just your Christmas edition of the monthly Bathonian rabble rousiness, from deep within gentrify central

@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Never mind the Chronicle… here’s the ever-festive
The Bath Bomb

Just your Christmas edition of the monthly Bathonian rabble rousiness, from deep within gentrify central

@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Never mind the Chronicle… here’s the ever-festive
The Bath Bomb
Issue #5
free/donation
Dec ‘07

Bath Activists – 2 BNP – 0

Nazi Nick Griffin must’ve been having flashbacks on the 26th November as yet another BNP meeting got shafted by anti-fascists. This time the venue was Oxford Union, an upper class debating society who booked Griffin and holocaust denying bastard David Irving to speak to try and raise falling ticket sales. Bath Activist Network sent 9 activists to the 1,000 strong demo. After getting bored of speeches and placards, we put ourselves to good use blockading a side entrance to the meeting, our presence being enough to deter the cops from letting the doors open. All other entrances were blockaded and BNP supporters were turfed out of a pub they were hiding in! The demo mostly stayed peaceful, save a brief instance during which the cops tried to stop activists getting into the building. The cops – as they often do – failed, and the building was breached many times throughout the night. The meeting was delayed by nearly two hours, and the meeting ended up lasting just 8 minutes, with Griffin and Irving being held in separate locations for their own safety!

Annoying though the BNP were, they were nearly topped by the spoilt tweed-wearing little Harry and Wills wannabe daddy’s boys that constitute the majority of students at Oxford. Judging by the way they were whinging and crying in favour of the BNP, you could almost get the impression that they were fascists themselves. The rich supporting the nazis? Hmmmm. Added to this, they didn’t even try to conceal their superiority complexes derived from the over-priced crash course in sodomy and brandy quaffling that counts for an education at Oxford.

The same happened to Nazi Nick in Oxford as in Bath when the greasy hunch-backed little bastard came here, with a well-placed protest shutting his meeting down. The night was a huge success – blockades, nazis getting pelted with eggs, occupations, outwitting dozy cops – chaos! When will you get the message, Nick? Society hates you and your nazi views! Listening to sick bastards like Griffin is a good reminder that regardless of colour or nationality, the only significant divide in society is rich and poor, the many and the few. As one chant went on the night, ‘They say race war – we say CLASS WAR!’

Bristle Mag: R.I.P.

We here at the Bath Bomb would like to tip our hats in fond farewell to our literary forefathers at Bristle magazine. For many years, this rag provided Bristol and the south west With inspiring radical news and rants. It was a great read, and well worth the odd £1.20 of dole!

http://www.bristle.org.uk

Kebab Shop Carnage

Station Kebab Shop in Bradford-on-Avon has been forced to close after a vicious race attack left staff members with broken bones. The attack comes shortly after anti-racists were branded fascists for shutting down a BNP meeting in Oxford. This attack is evidence enough to demonstrate what happens when we let these bastards spread their poison. They whine about freedom of speech, but they only use it to spread fear, violence and hatred because of the colour of people’s skin – they’re racist thugs who need a fuckin hard boot to the face. The only debate worth having with a fascist is one where they end up inhaling their own teeth.

In a statement received by Bath Bomb today, local Antifa group have promised retribution against fascists operating locally, and frankly, good luck to them! As Adolph Hitler once said ‘The only way the rise of the German Nazi party could have been prevented was if its enemies had have recognised it for what it was and smashed it in its infancy with the utmost force’. The only true words he ever said, and as true to the BNP and NF today as it was to him back in the 1930s’.

http://www.thisisbath.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=180730&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232315&home=yes&more_nodeId1=163047&contentPK=19121961

Hunting As Usual, Sabbing As Usual

It was a sunny autumn day when a group of us went for a trip to the country. We rendezvoused with a group of peaceful veggie commandoes and went about our task. We were there to monitor and stop a group of sadistic inbreds who prance about on horses to satisfy their bloodlust and inferiority complexes (I am of course talking about fox hunters, of the Tedworth Hunt). Despite the ban, they are still hunting, this was further clarified on a previous week when a group of sabs stopped a dig out (which involves the hunt sending a terrier down a fox hole to fight the trapped animal, before yanking it out). They put on the pretences of drag hunting (following a fake scent) but this is normally only for show or insurance should they “accidentally” kill anything.

On arriving at the hunt there were the usual assortment of big-eared boys and other oddities of the human species. We did our best to follow the hunt; jumping fences, blowing horns and chasing them around the countryside. At one point after losing the hunt and then re-finding them again, something must have flipped in the psychotic mind of the huntsman and his followers and they tried to ride us down (No sabs were seriously injured). Shortly after this incident, their day thoroughly ruined by the sabs, the hunt packed up early. We then went round a mate’s house for vegan cake and tea. If you feel like getting involved give us a call on 07854 062336.

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

Events

every Monday Bath Hunt Saboteurs meeting — back room of the Bell, 8pm
every Wednesday London Road Food Co-op; 4pm—7pm, Riverside Community Centre, London Road
8th Dec Bath FreeShop — Stall Street 12-3pm
10th-24th Dec Anti-fur fortnight http://www.caft.org.uk
15th Dec Day of action against foie gras; contact bathanimalaction@yahoo.co.uk
16th Dec ‘Bubbling Under’ — Porter Cellar Bar, 1-4pm; showing The Yes Men
21stDec ‘Leftism’ at the Crown on Bathwick Street — 9-1am; funds towards RAINBOW
2nd Jan Bath Animal Action meeting — back room of the Bell, 7.30-8.30pm
3rd Jan Bath Activist Network meeting — downstairs Hobgoblin, 7.30-9pm
7th Jan Public meeting against Tesco’s; St Mary’s Church, Bathwick Hill; contact bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk for mnore details

Reclaim The High Street

Members of Bath Activist Network descended on town last Saturday for the mammoth day of demoing that was ‘Reclaim the Planet’. Moving away from the original ‘eco’ theme, activists adopted a more generously anti-capitalist approach to question the consumer nightmare that is Xmas shopping. Now, we’re not anti Xmas, but we did want to highlight why this time of year sees the sweatshop, animal abuse and climate change industries profits soar, in this, the season of good will. We started off helping out Bath Stop the War Coalition on their anti-war vigil which has been taking place every Saturday, between 11.30 and 12.30 outside the Abbey for the past several years. An unjust war for oil, so we can keep driving our 4x4s, importing our apples and buying our plastic crap.
From there, we moved on to Bistro No.5, an isolated bastion of animal abuse that continues to sell the bloated liver of force-fed geese, otherwise known as foie gras. Having already promised to take this sick ‘delicacy’ off the menu, but put it back on, they weren’t best pleased to see us again. The manageress called the cops, who threatened some arrests, exchanged some stern words, then left after the day’s first police-protester round of banter. This left a very unhappy manageress and during a short and sharp phone call, the owner promised to take it back off the menu!

We then moved on to Disney, who use their ‘cute and cuddly’ image to hide the fact that they employ third world children in sweatshops to produce their toys for slave labour wages. A banner was unfurled, leaflets distributed, and many customers left to shop in a more cruelty-free environment. The demo was effective and well received – we even received a visit from our fluoro-jacketed friends from the Bath Constabulary, who were happy to let us continue our peaceful protest, and moved off after a another spot of jovial banter!

From there we moved to the ever unpopular McDonalds, who were pleased as ever to see us. More banners, free cake and hundreds of leaflets were deployed as dozens of potential customers pledged to boycott the place on the grounds of their disregard for animal welfare, employee rights, the environment and the serious health implications of eating there! All in all a long but successful day despite the terrible weather. A follow-up event is being planned for next summer, and loads is gonna be going on in-between, so keep yer eyes peeled!

http://www.mcspotlight.org/
http://www.nosweat.org.uk/node/183
http://www.banfoiegras.org.uk/
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Puppy Punchers Pay The Price

On Saturday the 10th November, activists descended on Huntingdon Life Sciences in Cambridgeshire, furious at the company’s continued animal abuse. A research contractor for the pharmaceutical industry, HLS kill 500 animals daily in the name of profit, without ever producing a single paper. But not just the cute and fluffy animals suffer: 10,000 humans die every year in the UK alone as a result of dodgy drug side effects. But then what can you expect, when the government refuses to examine whether animal testing works or not? TGN 1412 horribly injured 6 volunteers in March of last year; like Vioxx, Contergan, and Thalidomide did before, to name a few. But the pharmaceuticals have lobbied hard for their privileges, and who cares about lives when there’s a quick buck to be made? Far easier to just lock up anyone who complains and call them ‘terrorists’ – just like the three SHAC activists in prison right now.

From 1 till 2, campaigners marched through Huntingdon centre, leafleting and chanting, before moving on to the labs itself. And what a place – ringed by razorwire, fences and grim-looking cops, HLS is nothing short of a modern day Auschwitz. For two hours we vented our rage, with megaphone, voice and siren, and heard how these bankrupt monsters have been bailed out again and again by taxpayers’ money, and also of the caught-on-camera HLS workers, laughing as they hit captive beagles in the face.

Recently, another shareholder, Axa, pulled out; but when will science finally learn to move to non-animal testing, so then we can all just get on with our lives, rather than waving placards, or bed-bound in cash-strapped hospitals?

http://www.shac.net/HLS/exposed.html

Who Are Bath Activist Network?

We 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

The Wheels Of Green Bull Go Round And Round

Ever straining to prove its green credentials, B&NES have recently invested in a pilot scheme of schoolbuses being run on rapeseed oil/biodiesel , as a measure to cut CO2 emissions– with one at Three Ways in Bath and another at Norton Hill, in Midsomer Norton. While my treehugger side welcomes this, my inner cynic gets sceptical: nitrous oxide emission from fertilisers are around 3oo times worse than fossil fuel emissions, so, unless organic, biofuels are no friend to the planet. Secondly, there is barely enough farmland around for food crops never mind fuel, which will jump food prices, when the world’s already got more than enough starvation problems. In the South, biofuel plantations will also ruin indigenous culture by forcing people from their land into the cities, and will also eat into nature reserves. Small scale production and recycling cooking oils may not be a bad thing, but means little profit for the agrofuels industry: yet again, the smell of ‘greenwash’ is in the air, and it’s starting to stink.

http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/

Suits, Gold Lamé And Videotapes

Carrying on from last month’s ‘Fourth World War’, the Porter Cellar’s keeping it up with another ‘Bubbling Under’ screening: Sunday 16th December, from 1pm till 4pm, free entry, showing ‘The Yes Men’. A darkly comical documentary, it follows the story of how two anti-corporate activists who set themselves up as bogus big business reps, making ever-more ridiculous presentations at swanky industry conferences. Following commercial logic to its nasty extreme, they hoped to shake the audience from their stupor by straight-facedly offering up business plans so brutal and downright disgusting, that even the most greedy and self-serving of fat cats would be incensed. But, whether proposing electro-shocking sweatshop workers into line with inflated golden dildos, or recycled human faeces into a new range of burgers, the only reaction they ever get is enthusiastic applause… Proving that once again, fact is stranger than fiction! Must be seen to be believed.

http://www.moles.co.uk/porter/view_porter_listing.ihtml?per=future
http://www.theyesmen.org/

GOT A STORY? WANT TO RECEIVE THE BATH BOMB BY EMAIL? HOPING TO SUE?
Contact us by e-mailing bathbombpress@yahoo.co.uk Large print e-versions are available on request.

And now, to the disclaimer: As anyone is free to contribute to this newsletter, 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…

http://www.myspace.com/bathbomb

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
bristle magazine (Bristol) – statement from the collective

Whilst the comrades at Bath Bomb are jumping the gun a bit by declaring ‘Bristle R.I.P’, the bristle Collective, publishers of bristle magazine, would like to advise activists, readers and Indymedia users of the following:

A statement from the bristle Collective

Before the Bristolian news-sheet came and went, before Bristol Indymedia was conceived, before the internet was a daily (hourly) part of your lives, and before anybody & nobody had their personal blog, there was bristle magazine.

What started as a cut’n’paste A4 photocopied & folded freesheet (see image), in times of hope and high activity when the Tories were beaten and we were reclaiming those streets, developed into a 2 or more colour magazine of between 24 and 40 pages. From a copied run of 50 to a professional print-run and sales of 1200, although normally half that, bristle evolved through the years. But its aim always remained the same: to give a space and a voice in Bristol & the south west to those shut out from the corporate media-mainstream of ads and bullshit. To be a publication written by activists that would try to reach out beyond the activist scenes to combat the misinformation of governments and capital.

Some 10 years and 24 issues (plus a book, various free-sheets, t-shirts, stickers etc) later that task remains as valid and vital as ever, in fact more so! But for now bristle magazine is dormant. The continued departure over the last 2 years of long-term collective members, and contributors, has not been countered by sufficient new people. We have had some interested new people, but their involvement, and usually their stay in Bristol, has not been permanent.

Sadly therefore, the remaining few collective members, who are all deeply involved in other projects too, have decided to take a long term break and suspend publication of the magazine. We would like to thank all those who have contributed in any way to the magazine over the years, and send our love and solidarity to all those continuing to struggle for a free and better world. We look forwards to seeing you behind the barricade of your choosing, be it wielding a pen, a spray can, or something a little heavier.

For now we are looking into other possible initiatives involving print media and the machinery needed. We would be interested to hear from anybody considering publishing alternative print media. Indeed if you have the time, energy, skills (research, writing, dtp, distro, art & cartoons, editing etc) and longish-term commitment we could be persuaded to relaunch bristle! Whilst we have closed the old bristle website & email, we can still be contacted c/o 14 Robertson Rd, Bristol BS5 6JY, or email bristle@riseup.net

Salud!

Police manhandle Tesco biofuel protestors – corporate protection gone mad?

3 protestors who arrived to set up a peaceful protest against Tesco’s investments into biofuels were manhandled by Police in central London on December 8th who forced them into a metal pen. Despite, this a peaceful protest was held for an hour including a stop by 300 cyclists and 1 minutes silence for those who are suffering or who have died as the result of massive expansion of large scale biofuel plantations across the South.

The protest had been well advertised as a peaceful protest, part of the cycle ride before the London Global Climate Action D8 march, that would start at 1030am and last until 1130am. On arriving at 1000 to set up, one protestor found that there were 5 police vans waiting on the corner of Regent Street and Jermyn Street.

As three protestors set up, police insisted that they stand within a metal ‘pen’ that had been placed on the pavement. The protestors refused as the pavement was very wide (see photos), there was only going to be a few of them, and they did not intend to obstruct pedestrians. The police then manhandled the protestors into the ‘pen’ (see photos).

The 3 protestors, Dr Andrew Boswell of biofuelwatch and a Green party councillor in Norfolk, Dr Derek Wall, Principle speaker of the Green Party and Claire Sims were joined by about 4 other protestors who leafleted shoppers going into Tescos and passers- by.

Around 300 cyclists arrived at 1115am, and Andrew Boswell and Derek Wall spoke to them (Andrew Boswell’s speech is appended below). The protest then concluded peacefully as it had started.

Tesco describe their biofuels investments on their webpage at:
http://www.tescocorporate.com/biofuels.htm

‘We are already the UK market leader in biofuels and during 2007 we aim to double the proportion we sell. This means that customers will be able to buy a 5% bioethanol mix at over 300 petrol stations in the UK. This helps our customers reduce their emissions, as a car driven with our bioethanol mix petrol is responsible for 4.5% less CO2. We were the UK’s first major retailer to incorporate biofuel into our standard petrol and diesel, with no price premium.

We also use a 50:50 biodiesel mix in our own vehicles – the highest percentage blend used by any major distribution fleet. We have a 25% stake in biofuel supplier Greenergy, which has opened the UK’s largest single-line biodiesel plant, on the Humber estuary, with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes. Greenergy buys rapeseed for conversion to biodiesel from around 1,500 farmers contracted through Grainfarmers, a large agricultural co-operative in the UK.’

An article in Auto industry magazine
http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/02-04-07_6
describes how ‘Greenergy’s biodiesel plant in north-east England began commercial production on Friday 30 March(2007), and should ramp up to full capacity of 100,000 tonnes/year in a couple of weeks, according to the company. The plant refines biodiesel from rapeseed oil, palm oil and soya oil. Chief Executive Robert Owens told Reuters that the second phase, which should take capacity to 200,000 tonnes is on schedule to be completed in November.’

Cyclist photos from Mike Greenville’s website at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikegrenville/2096155112/in/set-72157603404734034/
etc. Other photos by Andrew Boswell.

Speech by Andrew Boswell

Thanks for joining us here for this protest against Tesco and their investment in the large scale biodiesel industry. Thank you coming in a zero-carbon way by pedal power.

Biofuels are a climate justice issue, a social justice issue, a human justice issue. We are protesting here because of Tesco’s corporate involvement in the biofuel industry and in particularly Palm Oil for biodiesel.

Palm oil is in a lot of food products. In fact it is 1 in 10 of Tescos products.

But we are here today to protest against Tesco’s investment in Greenergy Biofuels Ltd and their role as a major distributor of biofuels. Tesco have been market-leaders of biofuels amongst supermarkets. Greenergy uses palm oil, soya and rapeseed oil in their biodiesel and also sells Brazilian sugar ethanol, and they thus contribute to further global warming, deforestation and threaten the livelihoods of many communities in the global South.

Let’s just touch on the ecological, social and human issues with biofuels. As the biofuel industry expands, we see biofuels cause poverty to indigenous peoples. People who have lived for generations on land and in the forest have their land grabbed. Social and land conflicts result. There’s abuses in human rights and labour rights.

When large monocultures are grown, often the people remain in villages within the large plantations of Soya or Palm. When pesticides are used, the pesticide plane does not select where to spray – people are often poisoned, become ill and sometimes die from pesticide poisoning.

Food security and sovereignty is another big issue. Globally we are seeing massive amounts of food crops for example Corn, Wheat, Soya, being sold for fuel. Or land where communities grew food becomes taken over for growing full crops. A more immediate problem is that biofuels, along with other causes (climate change droughts and increasing affluence in China and India – EXPAND), have forced up world food commodity prices. Wheat has gone up 75% in just the last few months. This impacts poor countries who cannot grow all their food and have to buy on the international markets – they can buy less food. These countries often have people close to starvation who are forced into starvation by these rising prices.

The UN has also highlighted that land displacement could cause up to 60 million biofuel refugees – 5 million in Kalimantan in Indonesia alone. Once displaced from their traditional lands, people may try to eak out a less than subsistence existence on what remains of their homelands, often having lost their traditional food sources, or they may migrate in the mega-cities of the global South and become the urban poor.

We will have 1 minutes silence at the end of this speech for those people suffering now or who have died as a result of the rich world’s mad rush to biofuels.

Massive biofuel production will also contribute to systemic ecological problems such as water depletion, soil erosion and chemical poisoning of the land by excessive fertilizers and pesticides.

But let’s return to Palm Oil.

Deforestation and peatland destruction is a massive contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions – about 20% of emissions each year. In really badyears like 1997 when there was massive peatland burning in South East Asia, even more – possibly 40% in 1997. Palm Oil plantations are planned on a massive scale across South East Asia and into pristine rainforest and peatlands.

So right now, Indonesia and Malaysia are set to destroy millions of hectares of rainforest and peatlands for Oil palm plantations to feed European cars.
And Tescos and Greenergy are helping them.

The New Scientist reported last month that palm oil biodiesel, produced this way, can produce up to 36 times – yes, 36 times, that is 3600% – more carbon emissions than ordinary fossil diesel.

We would do all better to start driving Hummers than use this fuel!

In South America, our demand for biofuels is pushing up the price of soya and fuelling the destruction of the Amazon, on which all our survival depends.
And Tescos and Greenergy want to sell us Soya biodiesel too.

We have to also address Governments.
Europe’s biofuel policies are driving deforestation and the EU wants a 10 fold increase in biofuels by 2020. If we do not stop them, then everything else we do as a movement will become irrelevant, because we will have no hope of stopping runaway climate change.

Such massive biofuel expansion is set to further damage the climate, further risk food supplies for many of the world’s most vulnerable, cause more strife and violence in land disputes, and create even more biofuel refugees displaced from their traditional lands.

We cannot grow all the necessary crops in the North.
Even biofuels grown on European soil with heavy nitrogen fertilizer regimes produce nitrous oxide – a greenhouse gas 300 times more damaging than CO2 that damages the climate.
And Tescos and Greenergy promote oil seed rape biodiesel too.
A recent study showed that the fertilizer used in growing it can produce up to 70% more GHG emissions that fossil diesel.

So Tesco and Greenergy are making us climate loosers, whatever biodiesel they supply – Palm, Soya, or Oilseed rape. We have to stop them, the EU and the our Government.

The UK Government is blindly following the EU and has mandated 2.5% biofuels at the pump from next April 15th. This will go down in climate justice history as April Biofools day. Unlike Apartheid South Africa, no one will be able to boycott their part in increasing global warming.

We need deep real cuts in our transport emissions … by travelling less, by using cars less, by using public transport more, by using cycling and walking more, by making the car industry deliver strict fuel efficiency standards, by transport policy that builds mass transit systems, by social and planning policy that helps people live closer to their work and travel less, by producing most of our food locally and by reducing imports and the volume of trade.

We must resist this ‘mad rush to biofuels’. Today, we will be handing in a letter to Gordon Brown at 10, Downing Street with demands for climate justice.

• The UK and EU governments must abandon all targets for biofuels
• They must ban all imports of biofuels
• They must implement a moratorium on growing large-scale biofuels in the EU

There is only one way to stop biofuels from pushing us into runaway climate change and that is such a moratorium. Over 200 NGOs from North and South have signed such a call to the EU, and this week a large number of NGOs from Africa published their own African Call for an Agrofuel Moratorium.

This won’t happen just because we ask the governments for it. We are up against the largest corporate interest alliance ever : big oil, big agribusiness, chemical, biotech, car manufacturers and venture capitalists, with the support of much of the global political elite, including the top neocon military and political establishment of the US.

We won’t stop the destruction without a large movement against agrofuels. We don’t want biofuels, AND we don’t want the climate, social and human injustice that they will cause. We must succeed for all our other efforts to combat climate change to be worthwhile.

This is why biofuelwatch is calling for a national week of local action against agrofuels from 26th January and would like all of you to contribute however you can in your area. Not just in January, but for throughout coming years to help us build a grassroots campaign throughout the UK.

Please help us with publicity and events in your local area. Get one of our leaflets being handed out today and check out our website www.biofuelwatch.org.uk.

We must demand that Tesco, and companies like them, disinvest from biofuels. They must drop the plans to sell biofuels.

We must resist and force the Government to listen.

We can defeat Brown’s biofueling bungling driven by his US and EU masters. We can defeat the biofuel madness. Let’s start resisting it today.

Let’s now have a minutes silence for those who are suffering for rapid, massive biofuel production across the Global South, and remember those who have died in protecting their land, or from pesticides, or from starvation, or from poverty.

http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk

EarthFirst! blockade at coal-fired power plant in Rotterdam, NL

8.12.2007
On Saturday morning 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. This day, December 8, has been announced as an international actionday in the protest against the coal industry. The growing number of coal-fired power plants worldwide and in the Netherlands at the moment is the biggest threath to the climate. Secondly, this action is part of the protest against the plans for a new E.on coal-fired plant, right next to the existing one on the Maasvlakte.

Several activists have locked themselves to the conveyor-belt which transports the coals to the powerplant. ‘Unfortunately that won’t mean they’ll shut down the entire power plant. There’s enough supply at the furnace to keep it running for a while. If we really manage to shut down the plant there’ll be enough other plants to cover the shortage’, according to Flip, one of the participating activists. The activists plan to stay as long as possible. They demand the cancellation of the construction plans for the new E.on coalpowerplant.

In the Netherlands five new coal-fired power plants are planned to be built. E.on is making a concerted effort to be the first company to start building next spring. E.on is also planning to build a coal-fired plant in Antwerpen, Belgium. These new power plants do not correspond at all with the climate-ambitions of the Netherlands and specifically Rotterdam to reduce CO2 emissions. Coals are the most polluting energy source possible, because apart from CO2, the emissions also include heavy metals, radioactive particles and other greenhouse gases. Because of this, building a new power plant makes sure any attempt to solve the climate crisis will never succeed. Besides, the building of new coal-fired plants interferes with the development of sustainable energy. The polluting sources fill the energy grid and sustainable development investments will only be used for carbon capture and storage.

The company E.on is running a PR campaign, using pretty words like ‘Clean Coals’ and ‘the Capture Ready preparation’ of the new plant to defend themselves. Both these terms have been proved to be based on nothing. The mining of coals is extremely polluting; so there is no such thing as ‘Clean Coals’. Large partsof the Earth are being destroyed; there is severe pollution of water and soil in the mining areas of the United States, Columbia, Indonesia and South Africa. In the coalmines, miners are being exploited and annually thousands of people die as a result of disasters.

The term ‘Capture Ready preparation’ used by E.on is a fraud. A carbon-capturing power plant will use between 24 and 40 percent of its produced energy on the capture process. It must therefore burn more coal to provide the same amount of output energy as a non carbon-capturing power plant.

The type of plant E.on is about to build has proven to be extremely unsuitable for carbon storage. The fumes released by this specific type of plant contain many pollutants and thus are complicated and expensive to treat. E.on’s promise to start capturing carbon ‘as soon as it is technically and commercially viable’ is therefore completely pointless and has only resulted in an empty spot on the blueprints, reserved for a future capturing installation.

So what if you cannot burn coals as an energy source? Flip: ‘Besides the possibility of decentralised and actual sustainable energy, it is most of all necessary to use less power. Sustainable power has its limits as well. If we really want to anticipate the depletion of natural resources and the ensuing climatic disaster, we’ll somehow have to find a different way of living that won’t include dogmatic economic growth. Play more with less’.

The Dutch EarthFirst! action is part of the ‘Shrink or Sink’ campaign, fighting both the climate and energy crisis and rapidly decreasing bioversity. Direct action against the construction of new coal-fired plants is one of the main topics of the campaign.

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!)

Ffos y Fran Coal Mine, 5th Dec 2007: activists chained to bulldozers to prevent work on open-cast coal mine (video added)

More than thirty climate activists and local residents this morning took mass direct action to prevent excavation work on Britain’s biggest ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales. (1)

Climate campaigners from all over Wales (2) joined with local people from Merthyr Tydfil to evade police and security before taking over the 1,000 acre site on a hilltop near Cardiff. They have chained themselves to bulldozers and other heavy machinery to prevent work on the mine and have unfurled large banners. They’ve pledged to prevent work on the site for as long as they can by climbing onto, and chaining themselves to the 1,300 horsepower yellow diggers. The leading environmentalist and author, George Monbiot, is amongst their ranks.

Climate Protestor, Tim Helweg-Larsen, from Machnynlleth, said:

“Gordon Brown’s officials this week jet off to Bali for UN talks on cutting carbon emissions but at home they’re trying to drag us into a new coal age.”

He added:

“Coal is the filthiest fuel known to man and projects like this mine could destroy all our chances of tackling global warming. The battle over this hilltop in Wales is a fight for the stability of the global climate and it epitomises this government’s hypocrisy on climate change.” (3)

Merthyr resident, Leon Stanfield, explained:

“We’ve protested this mine in all the conventional ways. Now we’re turning to direct action as a last resort. This project is wrecking both the local and the global environment and is putting the health of our community and its children at risk.”

Over 10,000 local people petitioned against the pit.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

(1) Background about the mine is here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/09/energy
Miller Argent is the consortium digging this pit. They are mining for 11 million tonnes of coal from the site. When this is burned, it will emit more than 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The edge of the mine pit will be just 36 metres from people’s homes.

(2) Activists are from the group who organised the Camp for Climate Action outside Heathrow during the summer. www.climatecamp.org.uk

(3) The government has convened a UK coal forum to “bring forward ways of strengthening the industry, and working to ensure the UK has the right framework to secure the long term future of coal fired generation.”
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39568.pdf (page8)

– ENDS –

Streaming for online viewing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuCn5HMI2M4

Full rez screening copy
http://blip.tv/file/get/Undercurrents-PolarBearsPopulateWelshCoalMine312.mp4

Golf course in Sydney dug in with warning

24.11.2007
The anonymous visitors were clear about why they caused the damage they did. “Warning!: you bastards kill one bird and we will destroy all your greens at our leisure. We will be watching and waiting” read a note on a piece of cardboard that was stuffed into one of the holes.

Sydney, Australia – Vandals visited the Warringah Golf Club over the weekend and during the night wrecked extensive damage on four putting greens and dug holes in three others. The anonymous visitors were clear about why they caused the damage they did. “Warning!: you bastards kill one bird and we will destroy all your greens at our leisure. We will be watching and waiting” read a note on a piece of cardboard that was stuffed into one of the holes.

Animal rights advocates and neighbours have been in an uproar since the club hired a marksman to shoot native wood ducks who land on the course. The ducks are considered by the golfers to be a nuisance because the make small holes in the turf as they forage for food. The club and some employees have been inundated with phone calls and emails since the shooter was hired.

Totally Immoral – A Day of Action against Total Oil

The Total out of Burma Day of Action took place on Saturday 24 November. Protests were held at 36 Total petrol stations across the UK. Some stations were blockaded and all the protests received great support from the motoring and pedestrian public.

On Saturday 24 November, protests were held at 36 Total petrol stations across the UK. The protests called upon Total Oil to pull out of Burma and stop financing the Burmese military regime. Protest locations included Bradford, Brighton, Chatham (Kent), Cardiff, Guernsey, London, Manchester, Oxford and Virgina Water (Surrey).

Blockades occurred at some stations, with several lasting for an hour or more. In Camden, London 10 protestors blocked the York Way Total station for an hour, while 15 students in Surrey blockaded the Virginia Water petrol station for more than 2 hours. Throughout the UK the protests received support from motorists and pedestrians alike. Many drivers turned away from the petrol stations upon seeing the protests, some informing protestors that they would not to buy from Total again. At all the targetted petrol stations business was noticeably slow, and in some cases virtually non-existent, during the protests.

Paul Golding, one of the protestors, said, “Total’s investment in Burma is the largest in Europe. By paying millions of dollars to the Burmese dictatorship every year they are helping keep it in power. If the West wants to help end the oppression and ongoing human rights abuses in Burma, then quite simply, we must stop our companies from funding the oppressors.”

In London, protests took place at 14 Total petrol stations during the course of the day. The final protest in London attracted over 30 supporters and took place at the Baker Street petrol station on Marylebone Rd, NW1, from 4pm to 6pm. In Guernsey, campaigners protested at all 14 Total stations on the island, and picketed the main station on the island for 3 hours. [2]

The day of action was part of a growing global campaign calling on French oil company Total to stop funding the Burmese junta:

– Boycott: Last week, the global internet advocacy website Avaaz.org launched a global boycott of Total, as well as US oil company Chevron, for their presence in Burma – with nearly 50,000 signing up in ten days [3].
– Divestment: European pension funds withdrew almost £110m in investments from Total in a matter of days in protest at the company’s involvement in Burma. [4]
– Popular protests: Since October weekly protests have taken place in London outside Total Oil’s offices. Other spontaneous protests have occurred outside Total garages around the UK. [5]

Photos are available from http://www.flickr.com/photos/toastyoneuk

For more information & photos contact:
– Jonathan Stevenson on 07818 651124, jjjstevenson@fastmail.fm
– Paul Golding on 07984 799 958 or paul@pellarin.demon.co.uk

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

[1] Total Oil has had a joint business venture with the Burmese government since 1992. Its major project is the Yadana gas project in southern Burma, which earns the military regime hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s democracy leader, has said that “Total is the biggest supporter of the military regime in Burma.” For more information about Total Oil’s investment in Burma see the Burma Campaign UK website: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/total.php.

[2] A full list of protests on 24 November, plus further information about the campaign, can be found at: http://totaloutofburma.blogspot.com.

[3] See http://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_corporate/. Total’s products in the UK include its network of petrol stations, as well as such brands as Bostik (makers of Blu-tack) and Spontex cleaning products.

[4] See http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,2204744,00.html

[5] For reports, see http://totaloutofburma.blogspot.com

Bristol Cycle Circus 8th December

Join a colourful critical mass of people and peddlers of all shapes and sizes and let our cycling circus upstage and reveal Bristol’s climate criminals.

Roll up Roll Up:

Calling all : bicycle tricksters, bike powered gizmos, jugglers, banner makers, poets, storytellers, mobile musicians, performers.

Join a colourful critical mass of people and peddlers of all shapes and sizes and let our cycling circus upstage and reveal Bristol’s climate criminals.

Roll up Roll Up:

Calling all : bicycle tricksters, bike powered gizmos, jugglers, banner makers, poets, storytellers, mobile musicians, performers.

Lets bring the reality and causes of climate change to our streets..

Meet: College Green, 1pm
8th December

International day of action on climate change

We want to take creative action on climate chaos! We invite you to join us on our Cycle Circus where together we will reveal the climate criminals with their confidence tricks and green wash.

Our first stage will be The Royal Bank of Scotland where last month saw 30 actions in the UK on this biggest investor of oil and gas projects, they haven’t gone away and nor have we.

The next stage is up to us all. Talk, share ideas, plan ,prepare, turn up, transform!

Climate change is the biggest issue of our time effecting everyone and most of all the poor. We can take back control together, create the world we want to live in and have fun along the way! Lets take the stage of those who green wash our streets and our minds to make us think its all better. Picture this, people taking to the streets because enough is enough, no more exploitation! Our planet’s on the brink of ecological crisis and we won’t let corporations get away with our world.

Lets halt the infrastructure of more fossil fuel projects locking us into a future of climate chaos and that offer big buck high tech non-solutions.

Bristol Rising Tide is an open group making collective action dedicated to tackling the root causes of climate chaos and creating climate justice. We want to invite people to join this international day of action on climate change.