17th April 2009, Campaigners occupy biofuel company office
Blue NG offices in Bath occupied by 13 members of Action Against Agrofuels
13 climate and social justice activists are currently occupying the office of Blue NG, the company which is planning to build the UK's first biofuel power plants. Banners are being hung from the building and activists are demanding that the company stops investing in biofuels.
BlueNG initially plans eight power plants which would run on virgin vegetable oil. Campaigners warn that those power plants will significantly boost the UK's imports of palm oil, which is linked to deforestation and the displacement of rural communities, including indigenous peoples. Blue NG speaks about using rapeseed oil but has failed to rule out using palm oil. In Germany, 1.3 billion kWh of energy are produced from palm oil burning because this is the
cheapest vegetable oil and German providers have found it impossible to afford rapeseed oil.
Jess from the group says: "Hundreds of civil society groups, many scientists and institutions have warned that biofuels are causing more deforestation, more climate change, more people going hungry and more people being evicted from their land. Yet Blue NG wants to open up a vast new market for vegetable oil in a country which already uses far more than it can produce – making a bad situation even worse.!
James adds: "Blue NG has made misleading claims to garner political support. They have miselad people about the technology they will use and they've mislead people by claiming their biofuels will be sustainable. They claim that half a million hectares of formerly set aside land is available to grow more rapeseed oil, but that land is not available, and converting set-asides threatens to further wipe out bees
andother pollinators on which all of us depend, and makes climate change even worse."
The European Environment Agency has recently confirmed that using European rapeseed oil means that other industries and companies are likely import more palm oil and this will cause more rainforest destruction in countries like Indonesia.(1)
Blue NG has been granted planning permission to build its first plant in Beckton in East London and has recently applied for a second one in Southall, West London.
Action Against Agrofuels chose 17th April for this protest because this is an International Day of Action to defend the rights of peasants/small farmers, called by Via Campesina.(2) The group supports calls by Via Campesina and many others for policies which support food sovereignty, rights and support for small farmers, and policies which support biodiverse, integrated and sustainable farming
which has been shown to help mitigate climate change. According to
Alan, "Biofuel companies like Blue NG unermine hopes for an agriculture
which can feed people, protect biodiversity and protect the climate. This is why we are here to call on them to stop investing in biofuels."
Call for Solidarity actions with the accused COP15 activistsWednesday, 11 August 2010 | The Climate Collective
On the 18th of August there will be a solidarity demonstration in Copenhagen to mark the trial of the first two people accused of 'organizing' the protests around the COP 15. We urge everyone to spend the day or the following days on demonstrations and statements of support and solidarity – demonstration and manifestations outside Danish embassies, press work and articles - all are welcome and appreciated.
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Global Day of ActionMonday, 02 August 2010 | Climate Justice Action
Call for a global day of direct action for climate justice
The disaster that was the climate summit in Copenhagen highlighted one thing above all: That we cannot expect UN-negotiations to solve the climate crisis for us. Governments and corporations are unable (even if they were willing) to deliver real climate justice. Only powerful, global climate justice movements can achieve the structural changes that are necessary, whether it is ending our addiction to fossil fuels, replacing industrial agriculture with local systems of food sovereignty, halting systems based on endless... Read More
SIGN ON to the No REDD Statement!Tuesday, 20 July 2010 | Durban Group for Climate Justice
Affiliates from the Durban Group for Climate Justice request urgent solidarity in a statement rejecting schemes for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). The REDD Statement recognizes the need to support the growing voices opposing REDD and REDD-like projects and draws attention to the dangers of REDD including land grabs and the inclusion of REDD in the carbon market.
No REDD! No REDD Plus!
Global Sign-On Campaign against Schemes for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
As part of a mounting global civil society... Read More
Statements of Support for the Climate9Tuesday, 04 May 2010 | Climate9
"Civilisation has never progressed by squatting in its comfort zone. The great human breakthroughs have always been led by small clusters of brave individuals taking costly stands. History will be the ultimate court of opinion that will judge the climate protestors. In so doing, may its hand not be forced to judge our wider British society too harshly." Professor Alastair McIntosh, Centre for Human Ecology.
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A Call to drop all charges of those arrested during the COP15Sunday, 14 March 2010 |
This Tuesday 16th and Friday 19th they will appear before the Danish courts.
Dear friends,
As you know, many politicians and corporations attended the COP15 summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 – and so did thousands of activists who were prepared to represent the interests of the majority of the world's population.
The Danish police, under orders to "keep the streets clean" for the media spectacle of the climate summit, engaged in a campaign of intense repression against those who would make their voices heard in the streets, and take action... Read More
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Some people are discussing upcoming international... Read More
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For almost three years we have kept alive the proposal to keep the oil underground in the ITT block of Yasuni National Park in Ecuador.
International support has been impressive. However, we are now in a high-risk stage.
The initiative to keep the oil underground needed a trust-fund as a tool to, amongst other things:
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COP-enhagen.netMonday, 25 January 2010 | COP-enhagen.net
net-working to tackle repression, police brutality and civil rights violations during - and beyond - COP15
http://www.cop-enhagen.net/
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Copenhagen Cronology of ActionsWednesday, 23 December 2009 |
Police Search Ragnhildsgade Sleeping Space
http://indymedia.dk/ articles/1432
“The police seized many items including work tools, meeting notes and work notes, documents and permits, paint, and items for self defense including shields”
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Press release from CJA:
http://indymedia.dk/articles/1443
10... Read More
Coverage of US Chevron ActionTuesday, 08 December 2009 | Mobilization for Climate Justice West
www.mercurynews.com/ news/ ci_13949158?nclick_check=1
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ blogs/green/detail? entry_id=53032
Live links for stories below here:
news.google.com/news/story?ncl= http://www.mercurynews.com/ news/ci_13949158&hl=en
make sure when you do a google hit for stories, that you always hit the "more stories like this" because if the story uses the same heading, they wont automatically show you the links unless you click on "more stories"
Police arrest 29 during protest outside of Chevron
San Jose Mercury News
AP SAN RAMON,... Read More
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Today, on November 30, one week before the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen open, and on the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Organization (WTO) protest in Seattle in 1999, major demonstrations, teach-ins and civil disobedience are taking actions place in cities around the U.S
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CALL TO ACTIONS IN COPENHAGENTuesday, 24 November 2009 |
Climate Justice Action call of action:
english : spanish : dutch : italian : german
Logistics:
www.climate-justice-action.org/practical-info/copenhagen-info
Action calendar:
www.climate-justice-action.org/mobilization/action-calendar
www.climatecollective.org/en/cop15/mobilization
Alternative Summit - KlimaForum:
www.klimaforum09.org
Collective in Denmark - Clima Collective:
www.climatecollective.org/en/start
Caravan - From WTO to COP15:
www.climatecaravan.org
CEO Angry Mermaid awards on the worst... Read More
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In order to stabilize the climate before billions of people around the world suffer the consequences, it is imperative that carbon-trading schemes are stopped and real, democratically determined solutions are implemented.
We cannot afford to waste any more valuable time and resources relying on such market-driven strategies to deliver science-based goals (such as 350 ppm of... Read More
2010 Carbon Trade Watch