[risingtide] CLIMATE ACTION NEWS SHEET 86
Rising Tide
info at risingtide.org.uk
Fri Feb 20 13:43:19 CET 2009
CLIMATE ACTION NEWS SHEET 86, February 2009
Compiled and sent out by Rising Tide UK.
To receive this News Sheet monthly, send an email to news-subscribe at
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UPCOMING/ONGOING EVENTS AND ACTIONS:
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1. ARTIVISM, Smash EDO's week of anti-war creativity - Brighton
24.02.09-01.03.09
2. Climate Rush London and Manchester 26.02.09
3. Camp for Climate Action Gathering Nottingham 7-8.03.09
4. Earth First & Treesponsibility Tree Planting weekend Hebden Bridge
13-15.03.09
5. People's Blockade of the World's Biggest Coal Port Newcastle,
Australia - 21.03.09
6. Direct action and carbon trading education weekend London and
Brighton 21-22.03.09
7. Fossil Fools Day all over 01.04.09
8. Coal Caravan Midlands, Yorkshire and North East 24.04.09-04.05.09
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RECENT HAPPENINGS:
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1. Biofuelled attacks in Sumatra, Indonesia 18.12.08
2. Plane Stupid turns Southampton airport into a refugee camp - 17.01.09
3. Climate Rush activists lock on to Parliament - 20.01.01
4. E.On Ref Off! 24.01.09
5. A not-so-Royal welcome for the nuclear industry - 09.02.09
6. Manchester RBS branch roof occupation - 11.02.09
7. Occupation of Kelsterback Forest, Frankfurt Airport, Germany - Ongoing
8. New report Catering for the Coal Industry
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UPCOMING/ONGOING EVENTS AND ACTIONS:
------------------------------------
1. ARTIVISM, Smash EDO's week of anti-war creativity - Brighton
24.02.09-01.03.09
Including an Art Exhibition, Music & Voices in Exile, Peace Choir, Images
from the Smash EDO campaign and the world events that inspired the
resistance to Brighton's local bomb builders. Events include Guy Smallman,
international photo-journalist; on the ground photography from Israel's
invasion of Lebanon in 2006; the classic drawings of John Catt, veteran
anti-war activist; photography by Medyan Dairieh, Al-Jazeera journalist;
'On the Verge' the film they tried to ban; Clandestine Rebel Clown
Training; Radical Cheerleading: make pom-poms, write cheers and practice
your moves; carnival creations and mask making; and Benefit Finale at the
Albert Pub.
www.smashedo.org.uk
2. Climate Rush London and Manchester 26.02.09
Climate Rush cordially invites you to an awards ceremony for the coal
industry, to honour the world's greatest emitters of CO2, on THURSDAY 26TH
FEBRUARY at THE LANDMARK HOTEL. Dress formally for cocktails in the Winter
Garden at 6.30 prompt.
www.climaterush.co.uk
And in Manchester, Northern Climate Rush will be paying a visit to the
UKs largest coal company UK Coal. Meet in front of the Student Union
building at 1pm.
www.northernclimaterush.wordpress.com
3. Camp for Climate Action Gathering Nottingham 7-8.03.09
With the G20, climate criminals and COP 15 in mind, be part of the
gathering inspiration, action and solidarity guaranteed.
www.climatecamp.org.uk/?q=node/468
4. Earth First & Treesponsibility Tree Planting weekend Hebden Bridge
13-15.03.09
The annual and sociable opportunity to plant thousands of native trees on
a ecologically degraded hillside is happening in March. Organised by Earth
First activists in collaboration with Calderdale community group
Treesponsibility. Based in Hebden Bridge in Calderdale. A weekend of hard
but satisfying work planting native woodland combined with good food and
socialising.
More info: treesponsibility at yahoo.co.uk or 07983743894
5. People's Blockade of the World's Biggest Coal Port Newcastle,
Australia - 21.03.09
Coal exports are Australia's single biggest contribution to global climate
change, and the fastest growing. In Newcastle, the world's biggest coal
port, community groups have been campaigning against the doubling of coal
exports from Newcastle Harbour. There have been three community blockades
of Newcastle Harbour now, and each of them has managed to keep coal ships
from entering or leaving for most of the day. The next one is on Saturday
21 March 2009.
www.risingtide.org.au
6. Direct action and carbon trading education weekend London and
Brighton 21-22.03.09
Climate Camp Carbon Trading Education Weekend, London. With Climate Camp
targeting carbon markets this year, find out everything you ever wanted to
know about carbon trading and more but were afraid to ask! More
info:international at climatecamp.org.uk
Also this weekend, a two-day direct action training at the Cowley Club,
Brighton. 10 AM start.
www.cowleyclub.org.uk
7. Fossil Fools Day all over 01.04.09
Climate Camp at the European Climate Exchange, followed by a celebration
of BPs centenary at the British Museum; interspersed with local actions
all over the country and the world!
Climate camp hits the city: stopping carbon markets // because nature
doesnt do bailouts
On April 1st the G20 leaders arrive in London. At a time of climate crisis
their response to the market meltdown is emergency loans to car
manufacturers, increased spending to encourage consumption, and bailouts
for the very people who got us into this mess - just the thing that will
make the climate crisis worse. Dont let them get away with it: join our
camp in the Square Mile! Gather at noon, April 1st, at the European
Climate Exchange, Hasilwood House, 62 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AW.
www.climatecamp.org.uk/g20
Celebrate BPs centenary: Tell them the partys over!
For reasons unfathomable yet deeply pleasing, BP has chosen Fossil Fools
to celebrate its centenary. This will take place at the British Museum,
where the not-so-great and the far-from-good will quaff cocktails, snaffle
canapes and watch a celebratory film. Join us between 6-7pm, to say Your
partys over!' Bring banners, musical instruments, a sense of climate
justice and a nonsense of foolery. Meet at 6pm at the British Museums Gt.
Russell St. gate.
www.fossilfoolsday.org
www.artnotoil.org.uk
8. Coal Caravan Midlands, Yorkshire and North East 24.04.09-04.05.09
The fabulous climate caravan lives on, as the COAL CARAVAN, walking and
cycling between the sites for proposed open cast mines and new power
stations in the Midlands, Yorkshire and North East. On our route we'll be
talking to local people, organising bicycled power films and events,
holding public discussions and displays, and linking groups from different
areas to help strengthen isolated campaigns. For route details see:
www.earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/21915
More info or to get involved: caravan at climatecamp.org.uk.
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RECENT HAPPENINGS:
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1. Biofuelled attacks in Sumatra, Indonesia 18.12.08
In the rush to clear subsistence farms and forest for agro-fuel
plantation, local villages in the global South are suffering. On 18th
December 2008 the village of Suluk Bongkal in Sumatra, Indonesia was
attacked by hundreds of armed police and paramilitaries with fire-arms and
teargas and was also fire-bombed from a helicopter. Hundreds of houses
were burned down and later bulldozed. Most of the villagers fled into the
forests and others were arrested. The attack is linked to a subsidiary
company of Sinar Mas, Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) which is clearing land for
pulp and paper tree plantations. Sinar Mas is one of the biggest owners of
palm oil and pulp and paper plantations in Indonesia. A protest letter is
collecting signatories to send to the Indonesian authorities.
To sign and for more info: www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/index.php
2. Plane Stupid turns Southampton airport into a refugee camp - 17.01.09
Activists chained themselves to the entrance of Southampton airport and
erected tents at the main entrance in a bid turn the regional airport into
a climate refugee camp. In addition to setting up camp, activists formally
submitted a planning application with Eastleigh Borough Council to turn
the airport into refugee housing.
www.planestupid.com
3. Climate Rush activists lock on to Parliament - 20.01.01
On the day that Parliament voted about the third runway, nine Climate Rush
activists highlighted the high farce that is UK democracy by chaining
themselves to the gates of Parliament. Despite staying for hours and
entertaining tourists and the press, when the police finally cut them out,
the activists walked away scot free.
www.climaterush.co.uk
4. E.On Ref Off! 24.01.09
On Saturday 24th January a group of London Climate Camp activists turned
up at Stamford Bridge dressed as football referees to show E.ON the red
card. Over 40,000 Chelsea and Ipswich fans arriving for the game heard us
blowing the whistle on E.ON's dirty FA Cup sponsorship money, and
thousands of them were personally handed an "E.ON F.OFF" red card
explaining how the company is making foul profits from the climate crisis.
It was all good fun and reactions were pretty positive - E.ON themselves
would have paid tens of thousands to get the opposite publicity for their
brand!
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/420346.html
5. A not-so-Royal welcome for the nuclear industry - 09.02.09
Hundreds of tourists, visiting the Palace for the Changing of the Guard,
were amused to see nuclear guards taking their place at the gates. They
held up a large banner reading Nuclear Power is Not the Answer to Climate
Chaos! and a placard reading Royal Nuclear Family? No Thanks!, drawing
attention to the fact that Prince Andrew, the UKs Special Representative
for International Trade and Investment, was hosting a gala lunch at the
Palace for the nuclear industry, presumably to plot how best to promote
their toxic greenwash agenda at home and abroad.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/02/421693.html
6. Manchester RBS branch roof occupation - 11.02.09
Around 35 students held a climate change Eviction Demonstration outside
(and on top of) a Royal Bank of Scotland branch at the University of
Manchester Students Union. The group from People and Planet also submitted
a motion to the Union General Meeting proposing that the Union does not
renew the lease for RBS branch when it expires in January 2010. Students
climbed up on to the roof of the branch, and dropped banners advertising
RBS fossil fuel investments. Others engaged in rapid information
dessimination, racing off to speak to as many people as they could in 20
minutes before returning back to the RBS branch to compare scores.
http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/22169
7. Occupation of Kelsterback Forest, Frankfurt Airport, Germany - Ongoing
The occupation of the threatened Kelsterback Forest continues. This is a
large and beautiful forest that has already been encroached upon for
existing airport infrastructure and is in the way of a planned,
additional runway.
http://waldbesetzung.blogsport.de
8. New report Catering for the Coal Industry
A personal account from an activist on the ground in Columbia,documenting
resistance to exploitation in Columbias coal industry.The report is
focused on the lives of those who prepare and serve the food necessary for
the mine to function. They want people outside of La Loma to hear of their
inhumane, dangerous and humiliating working conditions. Reading and
sharing this report helps to break the invisibility of the exploitation
within the global coal infrastructurae.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/419675.html
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Rising Tide UK,
c/o 62 Fieldgate Street,
London E1 1ES
www.risingtide.org.uk
www.artnotoil.org.uk
www.fossilfoolsday.org
Tel: 07708 794665
See also the Camp for Climate Action (www.climatecamp.org.uk), Network for
Climate Action (www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk) and Climate Indymedia
(www.climateimc.org)
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