Climate change is no laughing matter – but that doesn’t mean we can’t confront the Fossil Fuel Empire with subversive humour.
WHAT: Direct actions, practical jokes and throwing a spanner in the works to stop the fossil fools.
WHERE: Your street, town or city.
WHEN: April 1st, 2010.
Last December in Copenhagen, the politicians sold us out to the fossil fools, corporate lobbyists and big banks. Now we’re left with “green capitalism,” a deeply unjust carbon market and continued assaults on our communities and ecosystems. If we’re going to stop climate chaos, the only real solution is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
The stakes couldn’t be higher: destabilisation of the global climate, local communities destroyed by dirty energy extraction and combustion, devastating freak storms, droughts, floods, the list goes on …
This April 1st, join Rising Tide in some creative direct action … use the simply subversive to the downright disruptive: office occupations, banner drops, clownish parades, road blockades, spoof websites, subvertising, street theatre, leaflets, lock-ons or laugh-ins. Whatever works for you and your group.
Join us this Fossil Fools Day and hatch some harebrained schemes that will strike a blow to climate criminals everywhere!
WANT MORE? Fossil Fools Day also marks the launch of the BP Tar Sands Fortnight of Shame: a two-week campaign culminating in actions surrounding BP’s AGM on April 15th. The goal? To stop BP from going into the Canadian Tar Sands – the biggest, dirtiest fossil fuel project on earth. Find out more: Tar Sands in Focus.. And a word to BP: be afraid… be very afraid.
NEED A HAND? If you would like ideas for actions, graphics for leaflets or websites, advice on dealing with the press, etc., send us an email and we’ll do our best to help out: info@risingtide.org.uk
If you want to see what people around the world got up to last year, you can read the 2009 - action round up. If you are organizing a public action email us the details and we’ll advertise it on the Rising Tide website. Lastly, once your action is over email us a photo and short write up and we’ll put it up on the website.
For more information see: Fossil Fools Day.
Click here to download FFD 2010 Graphic for your website or leaflet.
In the words of that master of pranks: “That’s All Folks”.
www.fossilfoolsday.org
Email Us
Phone: 0796 191 7535
Fossil Fools Day on Facebook
Click on the resources below (under 'Attachments') to download, print, put on your website, create your own leaflets, etc. If you'd like the action ideas booklet in hard copy contact us and we'll post them to you straight away!
Leaflet to hand out on the day
Explains the basics of Fossil Fools Day but has a big empty white space for you to add the specifics of why you are taking action in the way that you are, why you are at the location you have chosen and your website or contact details. The leaflet is available as a Word file so you can print it off (4 per piece of A4) then physically glue your text in the empty space before you photocopy the leaflet.
15 Actions to Topple the Fossil Fuel Empire (PDF)
Why and how to take direct action against the fossil fuel industry... including planning tips, target locations, examples of successful actions and more.
Now available: Q&A sheet for answering media questions about Fossil Fools Day. Email us for a copy.
Resources
Ideas for action, a leaflet to hand out on the day, graphics to make your own posters and leaflets and a Q&A sheet to help you in talking to the media are all available on the Resources page
Publicity
If you're planning a publicly announced action, let us know and we can help spread the word.
Media
We'll be sending out a national press release and may be able to direct journalists to you on the day if you wish, so any info you can let us know in advance will be really helpful – and/or a phone number to contact you on the day if that's possible. And call or email us as soon as your action’s happened so we can include it in the end-of-day actions round-up, which we’ll be press releasing as well. Get in touch if you’d like help writing and/or sending your own press release - check out the Network for Climate Action's great guide.
Also check out the Network for Climate Action website for all of the following:
-advice on planning actions
-action ideas
-where to look for legal advice
-local group contacts
-media strategy, press releases etc.
-more resources for creating your own leaflets
Although lots of people are keeping their plans under wraps, public demos will be announced across the country, so get involved!
If you know of a publicly announced action, let us know and we'll list it here.
Email: info@risingtide.org.uk
Phone: 0796 191 7535
Press Release To Follow
For more information, contact Rising Tide UK:
Tel – 07961 917535
Email – info@risingtide.org.uk
Web – www.fossilfoolsday.org / www.risingtide.org.uk