“Soapy suds of truth in a bathtub of b*llshit!””
Oh, Just More Shops…
Walking past the rubble of the Southgate Centre, could my ears be deceiving me? I have now heard several people remarking how nice the view looks without the buildings. The latest one of these came when I was walking behind three very fashionable looking girls who looked like they were ‘born to shop’:
“What are they putting there?”
“Oh, just more shops.”
Could it be that more people than we realize would like more from life? Could it be time for something new? Could it be that consumer culture is really on the wane? Coz it’s gonna take more than a Debenhams to impress me.
What would the people of Bath like to see in a new shopping centre’s place? What could happen if we let our imaginations run wild? Why not get in touch with your ideas?
Reduce Carbon, Cut Capitalism!
Sunday the 16th September saw the arrival of the ‘Cut the Carbon’ march in Bath. The group, including a member of MST, a Brazillian peasants movement who take land back from the rich to cultivate and feed their families, has been marching all over the UK, starting in Dublin, and ending the following week in London, to publicise the effects of climate change on the planet. The group was met in Abbey Courtyard by 50 supporters, including a contingent from Bath Activist Network, waving red and black flags and a banner reading ‘social change not climate change!’.
Their message was simple, we can all do our bit to help stop climate change, but it is the rich and the big businesses, from oil companies to coal mining corporations to the road building industry, that are really raping the planet. We reckon that the solutions to climate change, poverty, wage slavery and greed can all be solved when we get together and take the power away from those causing the problems — politicians, the idle rich and the corporations. Bath Bomb would like to wish the ‘Cut the Carbon’ marchers well on the last leg of their journey and good luck in spreading their important message.
Work Kills
A new campaign has started in Bath to highlight the dangers of casual and temporary work. This campaign is aimed at students and young people, many of whom are killed and injured doing this type of work each year. The campaign is being run by the Trades Council, a grass-roots trades union group, and the Simon Jones campaign (an action group set up to demand justice for a student killed at work due to the neglect of company management)
The campaign will be talking at schools and universities, offering advice and help. In early 2008, there will be a public meeting and an exhibition (keep an eye on the Bath Bomb for further details!)
This campaign is needed because the state justice system and bosses care more for control and profits at work than safety.
www.simonjones.org.uk
Events Listing
Monday nights Bath Hunt Saboteur meetings back room of Bell, Walcot Street, 8pm
6th Oct Fight the Pipe benefit gig, 8pm, The Plough in Easton, Bristol, with Crowzone, Drug Sniffin’ Dogs and Burnt Porkchops
13th Oct Bath FreeShop outside Holland & Barretts, Stall Street, 12–3pm
14th Oct Permaculture Collectiec Cafe food, film & workshop, Kebele Kulture Projekt 14 Robertson Road, Bristol, from 5.30pm
15th Oct Day of action against Royal Bank of Scotland, details tbc
19th Oct ‘Leftism’ Benefit club night in aid of B.A.N., downstairs at The Crown, Bathwick Street, 9pm-1am
19th Oct Anarchist Black Cross benefit gig, 8pm, The Junction, 51 Stokes croft, with Born Dead, Jesus Bruiser, 7 Crowns and War/System
21st Oct ‘Bubbling Under: Behind The Mask’ Porter Cellar Bar, George Street, 1–4pm
23rd Oct cheap house clearance, benefiting animal shelter in Kent! Ring 07990 847700 for details
27th Oct Anarchist Bookfair in London www.anarchistbookfair.org.uk
1st Nov Bath Activist Network meeting downstairs Hobgoblin, St James Parade, 7.30–9pm
1st-11th Nov Bath Film Festival www.bathfilmfestival.org
3rd Nov Bash The Rich, Notting Hill, Portobello road, London, 2pm www.bashtherich.org.uk [come along if you’re Class War or cop]
3rd Nov Gagged! benefit gig, Le Pub, Caxton Place, Newport, 9pm, with No Choice, Kilnaboy & Gunrack?
7th Nov Bath Animal Action meeting back room of the Bell, Walcot Street, 7.30–8.30pm
10th Nov SHAC demo Huntingdon town centre, national day of action against animal abuse in Huntingdon Life Sciences, www.veggieromance.com/f/61290
13th Nov Green Light Lecture — ‘Peak Oil: how to face the challenge of global oil decline’ — BRLSI, Queen Square, 7.30pm
24th Nov Punk all-dayer gig, benfitting legal costs from the National Camp for Climate Action, from 1pm at backroom [Walcot Palais!] of the Porter Butt on London Road — Tofu Love Frogs, Kilnaboy, Spanner, Jesus Bruiser, and more!
Fur Patrols
Here in the Bath Bomb office it’s starting to get a bit nippy, now that winter’s on its way. But don’t worry, this isn’t a call for heating donations — we’ve still got plenty of Chrons to feed the fire! What this does mean though, is that fur will soon start returning to our high streets, and we can’t have that. Around 40 million innocent animals die every year to feed the fashion market, often spending their entire lives in tiny cages, going mad with hunger and fear. ‘Pelting’, or slaughter, often takes the form of brutal hangings, electrocution, car exhaust gassing — that is, if they’re not skinned alive.
For the last couple of years, Bath Animal Action and friends have been campaigning against fur outlets in the city, with a string of successes: Square signed the fur-free pledge last year, and John Anthony the year before. After weeks of regular demos, it now remains to be seen as to whether Eleanora Brown at AH Moda will bring in rabbit fur, again. Crying wolf like any of today’s best actresses, she collaborated with police last year to try and fit up a couple of activists on false Public Order charges back in January, both of whom were found not guilty.
BAA sleuths are now investigating the shopping centres of the city to see if any stores are intent on profiting from this animal abuse. Real fur is softer than synthetic fur, and if you do suspect any stores of selling, please drop them a line: bathanimalaction@yahoo.co.uk.
How Many MPs Does It Take To Veto Nuclear Power…
We are hearing more and more that nuclear is the solution to our power needs, how plants are so much safer these days, blah blah blah. STOP. This is a dangerous thing to be considering and will not even achieve what we need it to (nuclear power, which only supplies electricity, would only cut UK emissions by 4% by 2025–2030, by the government’s own figures). Renewable energy will get forgotten about in the process, with hardly any funding allocated to research.
Nuclear power is wasteful, causes a lot of pollution, is dangerous in many ways and isn’t even more reliable seeing as it still needs a fuel source which we must get from other countries. Renewable energy offers a supply of clean fuel that is right on our doorsteps (such as wind, solar and geothermal), it will achieve much more and sooner. The government’s stubborn insistence on nuclear power is another example of a quick fix that seems like it’s solving a problem when really it’s only a temporary measure that will come back to bite us in the ass in the future. Hard. We’ve got to stop cutting corners and take the route that might take a bit more effort, may be a bit less familiar, but that is ultimately the only way to begin to get us out of this mess we’ve got ourselves into.
Have your say here www.greenlightonbath.org/ with a questionnaire or send out the model letter to add your views to the Government’s review of the future of nuclear energy. Also on this site, under the resources link is an interesting DVD you can view amongst other things. The deadline for this is the 10th October, but if you miss that, as it’s short notice, there’s bound to be more opportunities to have your say. We must all shout loud and be determined in our refusal of nuclear. The definition of stupid is doing the same thing (over and over) and expecting different results. Also remember two easy things you can do to reduce your energy use — low energy light bulbs (they cost more but last much longer) and turn off your standbys!
www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/index.php
http://nuclearpower2007.direct.gov.uk/reg/reg.asp
Director’s [Bolt] Cut
The second film in the ‘Bubbling Under’ alternative cinema series screens on Sunday the 21st of this month, downstairs at Porter Cellar on George Street, at 1pm. Keith Mann, former animal liberationist jailbird, introduces ‘Behind The Mask’, a documentary about people who risk their liberty to save animals. He’ll also be discussing his book ‘From Dusk Til Dawn’. Great veggie food also available.
www.fromdusktildawn.org.uk
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
Dirty Money
Not a week goes by now without another climate change and severe weather horror stories hitting the press, causing around annual 160,000 deaths worldwide. And we know some of the culprits, too: while companies like Esso, Shell and National Grid plunder the earth and endanger our lives, the finance to do this has to come from somewhere. This is where the Royal Bank of Scotland come in. The self-proclaimed ‘Oil & Gas Bank’, whilst other investors are jumping to fund renewables projects round the world, RBS is busy undercutting competitors, and funding the deadliest and dirtiest projects around: liquefied natural gas in Qatar, oil pipelines in Azerbaijan/Georgia, tar sand extraction in Canada, North Sea Oil, and another drilling project off the coast of Russia, the summer feeding ground of the threatened western grey whale. And then they fund airport expansion, too!
In 2005, their various funded projects produced nearly 4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, as well as displacing indigenous peoples and encouraging oil wars the world over.
Also, remember Bath Climate Camp? That was set up to oppose Land & Marine’s LNG pipeline in south Wales, also funded by RBS, putting the lives of thousands in jeopardy from potential gas explosions. Eco-campaigners are calling for a national day of action against the bank [who also own NatWest, Direct Line and Churchill Insurance] on the 15th of this month, so keep a look out!
www.theoilandgasbank.com
www.risingtide.org.uk
www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk
www.carbonweb.org/documents/Oil_&_Gas_Bank.pd
To find your nearest RBS branch or office:www.rbs.co.uk/microsites/general/branch_locator/step1.asp
HOT OFF THE PRESS!:
Cadbury’s prove yet again that they couldn’t give a Fudge about their staff, with the announced closure of their successful factory in Keynsham, Wink-ing out 500 jobs. And whilst it’s Time Out for the workers who have helped make the Mr Big execs rich, the relocation to Poland will no doubt prove a tidy Boost to the confectioner’s profits; as well as stirring up Moro racism and anti-Pole resentment over here. Greedy bastards.
Well Fed Not An Animal Dead!
Saturday morning of the 22nd September saw Bath Animal Action and supporters holding a stall of vegan food, gratis, proving that there is such thing as a free lunch! Held as part of ‘Go Veggie Month’, it all went like hot cakes, and the public enjoyed it, too! Recipes were swapped and debates were had, and a real feeling of community was [not Don!] fostered.
Fox Hunting’s Fishy History
Did you know that the expression ‘red herring’ originates from peasantry in centuries past trying to sabotage fox hunts? Pissed off with low pay, long hours and crap working conditions, it was a weekend pastime for many of the 18th and 19th Century rural poor to ruin their rich masters’ hobby. Amongst other tactics, they did this by laying herrings and other fish in the undergrowth, distracting the hounds from the scent of the fox, allowing it to escape. Our methods may have changed since then, but hunt saboteurs are still out in the fields every weekend protecting hunted wildlife from the over-rich, under-IQ’d inbreds that constitute Britain’s ruling class. If you are interested in publicising Bath Hunt Saboteurs, helping us raise money, or better yet, coming out and helping us actively sabotage local hunts, email bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk or give us a bell on 07854 062336
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring
http://hsa.enviroweb.org/hsa.shtml
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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…