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25th August 2006, Issue 557
WAKE UP!! WAKE UP!! IT'S YER NOT-SO-FAIR-WEATHER...
SchNEWS
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READY? CHARGE! - SURVIVING THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
The double-whammy of peak oil and climate change have recently become much
more mainstream, but the (if you'll pardon the expression) 'roadmap' to a
sustainable future is still very sketchy. Of course our governments are
still too focussed on unsustainable growth of an oil-based economy to do
anything much about either issue. But there's little point in waiting for
them to sort it out, when there's so many positive ideas and capacity for
real change to be found at the community and grassroots level.
As well as dismantling the political structures which have been built
around the free market economy's addiction to oil, if we are to deal with
the challenges of the 21st Century without a massive die-off of our species
(and every other), individuals and groups need to change en-masse to other
ways of generating and using energy. Carbon emissions will have to be
reduced by 60-90% to prevent further damage to global weather systems, and
even if we did this tomorrow we'd still be heading towards some climate chaos.
The only way out is a combination of massive scaling back of usage, and a
sharp turn towards renewables... in other words a drastic change in the way
we eat, travel and house ourselves. Our ability to influence geo-politics
might be limited but we can make changes right now on a local level.
POWER POLITICS
Although we don't want oil-based market capitalism to simply jump onto the
renewables bandwagon and maintain the consumption-led status quo, there are
viable zero-emission, renewable power options.
You can cross nuclear off the list straight away (See SchNEWS 522). Apart
from the danger of reactors, and waste deadly for thousands of years,
estimates of global uranium deposits suggest we'd get less than a decade of
power before we started running out - 'peak uranium'!
Solar energy is the most abundant renewable source on earth. A recent
report claims that every year, "each square kilometre of desert receives
solar energy equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of oil. Multiplying by the
area of deserts world-wide, this is nearly a thousand times the entire
current energy consumption of the world." * It suggests the use of
Concentrated Solar Panels (CSPs), which focus heat on solar arrays using
mirrors, driving conventional steam powered generators. This has been used
in California since the 1980s and costs half the amount per unit than oil
energy. (* For more see
www.trec-uk.org.uk)
While all-year sunshine isn't something we're blessed with, the British
Isles are estimated to have enough wind power using current turbine
technology to meet our power usage three times over. And when it comes to
the wave power, it would be economically viable to meet 25% of our current
demand.
That our government isn't pursuing these options with any real intent shows
how clearly it is in the pocket of the oil companies. As any good anarchist
will tell you, power needs to be decentralised down to the grassroots level...
GET OFF THE GRID
A wide range of actions are needed, both in terms of shutting down the
causes of climate change, and building a sustainable future, globally and
in your own community. Here is just a few areas to get involved in if you
want to do something about it...
* Air Travel is the fastest growing cause of greenhouse emissions - yet
Britain has a programme for massive Airport Expansion. For contacts to
campaigns across the country fighting individual airport expansion plans
see SchNEWS 553-554.
* Avoid flying - calculate the amount of carbon created for each seat on a
plane, per mile, at
www.climatecare.org/calculators/flights_calc.cfm
* Road Building: In 2005 the UK Govt laid out a programme of road building
with over 200 approved schemes. To get involved in local campaigns see
www.roadalert.org.uk
* In Glasgow, plans have been approved for the M74 Northern Extension,
which would put a 6-lane elevated motorway through the southern suburbs of
Glasgow. To join the campaign to stop it going ahead see
www.jam74.org
* Protect Forests Worldwide. Over the past 150 years, deforestation has
contributed an estimated 30 percent of the build-up of CO2; likewise
climate change will have a devastating effect on the remaining forests. For
an international roundup see
www.ran.org
* Ride a bike, don't drive a car and get involved in campaigning to make
cities more bike friendly. Critical Mass events are held all round the
world for cyclists to reclaim roads - to see if there's one in your area
visit
www.urban75.com/Action/critical.html See also Sustrans - a charity
which designs and builds routes for cyclists and walkers.
www.sustrans.org.uk
* Food Production: Buy local food, go vegan and/or grow your own. Get your
own Allotment - for advice see
www.allotments-uk.com The transportation of
food on a large scale gives rise to 'food miles' and is directly related to
oil consumption and climate change. For more see
www.sustainweb.org
Permaculture is a theory and practice for sustainable, localised food
production, as well as having other applications - for more see
www.permaculture.org.uk To find out how supermarkets are stitching up the
food market see
www.tescopoly.org
* Generate Your Own Energy: While the start-up costs can be expensive, it
is possible to set up a 12 volt system in your house using batteries
charged by wind turbines, photovoltaic panels - or pedal power with a bike
generator. Normal domestic appliances can be powered using an inverter.
While photovoltaic panels are expensive and resource-intensive to create,
it is not too expensive to build your own wind turbine (if you've got the
room). For info on building small scale turbines see
www.scoraigwind.com To
build a Bike Generator see
www.stewardwood.org/resources/DIYcyclepower.htm
* For advice on making your home more energy efficient, and grants for
those on low income to get better insulation see
www.est.org.uk
* For info on Bio-Diesel, and how to use it see
www.schnews.org.uk/diyguide/howtomakebiodiesel.htm however while using
waste oil for fuel is good, this could lead to large scale intensive fuel
crop farming.
* For info about Peak Oil and other large scale energy issues see
www.energybulletin.net
* And most of all, bite the bullet(point) and CONSUME LESS!
The Camp For Climate Action
It's happening now at a site in Megawatt Valley, near Leeds, home of the
Drax power station, the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide in the UK.
This ten day camp goes on until September 4th and features 150 workshops
discussing and planning actions around climate change.
See
www.climatecamp.org.uk
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GM MOTORS ON
The genetically modified food giant Monsanto continued their buy up of the
seed industry this week with the announcement of their takeover of the
world's leading cotton seed company Delta & Pine Land Company (D&PL). Once
the merger is complete Monsanto will control over 57% of the US cotton seed
market and will hold power over millions of cotton producers over the
world. Farmers have always been at the forefront of the fight against GM,
with the storming of a biotech plant in Brazil in 2001 (SchNEWS 292) and
the trashing of a research centre in India in 2003 (SchNEWS 425), just two
examples of local resistance. But will they be able to resist the ever
expanding Monsanto? And what are they so worried about anyway?
Delta & Pine Land (
www.deltaandpine.com for the corporate webshite) is
notorious for its early development, with the US Department of Agriculture,
of Terminator technology - plants that are genetically modified to produce
sterile seeds at harvest. With 75% of the world's farmers saving their
seed, there's some serious cash to be made. With the risk of cross
contamination so high, a farmer whose crop becomes contaminated by a
neighbour's GM variety will find their own harvest infertile, and despite
having sewn seed saved from previous years' crops for generations will be
forced to buy "new improved" seed, from their chisel-jawed Monsanto sales
rep, who says, "I'll be back" every year for ever more.
Monsanto originally responded to the worldwide outrage against the
commercialisation of Terminator technology by pledging in 2005, "not to
commercialize sterile-seed technologies in food crops." Sounds good,
however, the pledge went on to say, "Monsanto people constantly re-evaluate
this stance as technology develops." So even if they don't 're-evaluate'
their position, what about non-food crops, like cotton? Cotton production
already uses more than 25% of all the insecticides and 10% of all
pesticides used in world agriculture, causing untold damage.
If Terminator and other GM technologies are allowed to spread around the
world this can only get worse. The whole point of herbicide resistant
strains is to allow the use of yet more herbicide, and according to the
D&PL website, new varieties allow the use of insecticides "from crop
emergence until one week prior to harvest". Get th' face masks and gloves
out, Marg'ret, it's sprayin' time! For more chemical free resistance see
www.etcgroup.org
* It looks like GM crops might be grown in Britain again soon. The
government is considering allowing BASF to conduct two field trials of GM
potatoes modified to resist blight.
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COURTING PUBLICITY
The trial begins in Bristol next week for Margaret Jones and Paul Milling,
who are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage to military
equipment at RAF Fairford in March 2003. They used hammers and bolt cutters
to disable several dozen vehicles used to fuel and load cluster bombs onto
US B52 bombers at the base during the initial invasion of Iraq. They acted
accountably, putting warning notices on the trucks and notifying police.
After three years and nine court appearances, the maximum sentence is ten
years if convicted. There will be a Peace Vigil outside Bristol Crown
Court, Small St, on the first day of the trial, September the 4th at 9am.
The trial is expected to last two weeks, with witnesses being called for
the defendants to prove they were acting to stop war crimes including Jo
Wilding, and other British and Iraqis who were in Iraq as 'Shock And Awe'
devastated the country. Anti-war protesters will maintain a presence each
day of the trial. For more info email nabataat@??? or see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bristolsocialforum
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YOU CAN F.O.
Earlier this week (Monday 21st) Anti-war activists managed to blockade the
Foreign Office in central London for two hours in a protest against the
UK's warmongering in the Middle East. Unfurling a giant banner reading
'Foreign Offensive: Blood on Your Desks', around 50 protesters blocked
vehicle access at the King Charles Road entrance to the FO from 8am. An
hour later, truckloads of barricades arrived. Workmen constructed a small
fenced area near to the activists, who, wishing to avoid getting penned in,
collectively and calmly shifted to the opposite side of the road. Busily
building more barricades didn't work, as these were frequently re-opened by
the demonstrators, who eventually decided to just move round to the main
entrance, where they linked arms and effectively blocked all access for
another hour.
A samba-band attempted to liven up the bored bureaucrats with their funky
drumming, and some serious clowning around occurred, with dramatised scenes
of war, death, and destruction on the street until cops nicked a bunch of
clowns for spilling drops of fake blood. Although easily removable with a
spot of water, the police claimed that they had caused 'criminal damage'.
The police became increasingly frustrated and resulted in some odd and
aggressive behaviour including rough shoving, elbowing, and the occasional
inappropriate grope. They then decided to prevent the group from leaving
and nicked someone for sitting on the pavement. Email
bringthewarhome2006@??? for more info. For report and pics see
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/348828.html
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HIGH MORAL GROUND
Following the successful recent lock-on protest (See SchNEWS 552), two
Brighton SMASH EDO activists occupied the roof of local arms dealers EDO
MBM on Wednesday (23rd). The pair unfurled a banner saying, "16 dead
children in Qana, Lebanon - EDO profits from murder." Peering down from on
high, they were supported by a day-long noisy demonstration in front of the
factory.
One protester said, 'We know for a fact that parts for the Hellfire missile
are made by EDO MBM in Brighton. They are, as far as we are concerned, as
complicit in murder as the generals who ordered these killings and the
fighter pilots who carried out the bombings. They are a link in the same
sorry chain.' Sarah Johnson, press spokeswoman for Smash EDO, added, 'Over
a thousand civilians have died as a result of Israel's bombing of Lebanon.
Israel continues to kill civilians in the West Bank and Gaza with weaponry
armed with components made in Brighton. EDO MBM are profiting from murder,
and we will not tolerate their presence in Brighton.'
As soon as news of the protest was published by news agencies, by strange
coincidence EDO MBM's parent company, US arms giant EDO Corp took a 50 cent
hit in their ever decreasing share price (easy to follow at
www.finance.google.com/finance?q=edo). Smash EDO demonstrate every
Wednesday at EDO MBM, Home Farm Road, Brighton.
www.smashedo.org.uk
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Party & Protest
* AUGUST 25th - 29th One Life Free Festival back for its 4th year in a
secret countryside location not too far from London. A very non-commercial
event for campers to enjoy anarchist bands, soundsystems, alternative
therapies and more. For details call 07922 103690 or 07922 103693
* 26th - Fur protests at shops selling real fur in London including Harrods
in Knightsbridge and branches of fashion chain Joseph Ltd. From 11am til
late afternoon. For Harrods, exit at Knightsbridge tube and meet at
Harrods' Brompton Rd entrance. Call 07899 775493. For more animal rights
actions see
www.veggies.org.uk/arc.php
* SEPTEMBER 2nd - BASS Community Fayre, free one-day festival at The Level,
Brighton, 11am till 7.30pm. Web
www.bass23.org We'll be there!
* 2-3rd Soil Association Organic Food Festival - the fast growing food
festival with 150,000 visitors and over 200 exhibitors. Bristol
Harbourside,
www.organicfoodfairs.co.uk
* 4-9th - Week of action against vivisection at Oxford University. Part of
the campaign by SPEAK to prevent the building of a new animal 'research'
lab, culminating in demo and leafleting on Sat 9th, 12pm outside The Church
of St. Michael, Cornmarket Street, Oxford, OX1 3EY. For more see
www.speakcampaigns.org.uk
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Save The Wales
On Wednesday protesters blockaded the entrance to Hafod Quarry - part of
which is an SSSI home to great crested newts - in Johnstown near Wrexham,
which is to become a landfill site for Liverpool's rubbish. The campaign,
led by local Johnstown residents, have fought the planned landfill site for
years through legal channels, but this week the dump trucks arrived at
Hafod Quarry, so they took direct action to stop it, and are calling for
more support (nearest station Ruabon). They blocked the entrance for
several hours before police removed them, and are calling out for more
support from Wrexham and Merseyside for subsequent actions. Mersey Waste
Holdings are dumping in Wales because of a legal loophole which allows
landfill in Wales without penalty. For more see
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/348841.html
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...and finally...
In the home of overreaction and paranoid fear, three men of "Middle-Eastern
descent" were arrested on suspicion of plotting a terrorist act after
buying a large number of mobile phones from a WalMart store in Michigan, USA.
An eagle-eyed cashier alerted the cops after the men purchased eighty $20
phones, which is in violation of the store's policy restricting the number
of phones to three per customer.
Stopping the men's van, cops found a cache of nearly 1000 mobiles. When
questioned the men said they were going to sell the phones on at $38
dollars each to a merchant in Texas. Just yer pure naked capitalism in
action (American DreamT) - but the police accused the men of plotting to
use the phones as detonators to blow up a local landmark, the five mile
long Mackinac Bridge. The plod knew that this was the target as they found
pictures of it on a camera owned by one of the men. Must have seemed odd
that, photos of a local attraction on the camera of a man visiting the area
for the first time... No shi'ite Sherlock.
Despite the FBI saying that there was no evidence to link any of the men
with terrorist organisations or activities, local police and prosecutors
are pushing ahead with the case - salivating at the chance to get fifteen
minutes of fame in their very own high profile "terror" trial.
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Disclaimer
SchNEWS warns all readers if you've got a Drax to grind, be blunt about
it... Honest!
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What's On? Check out out Party and Protest guide at
www.schnews.org.uk/pap/guide.htm - it's updated every week, has
sections on regular events, local events, protest camps and
more...
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