Climate Change

SANTA'S ACID-FRACK TRIP to Horse Hill, Horley.

Submitted by lrt2 on Tue, 12/18/2018 - 21:24

"My home has melted!" mourned Santa from the streets of Horley!
Having been forced to abandon his waterlogged Lapland home due to climate breakdown caused by the burning of Fossil Fuels, Santa and his elves ironically stowed away in the lifeboats of a Liquid Natural Gas tanker to escape his now flooded former snowbound winter wonderland. Sleigh's were not an option as Rudolph and comrades are now merely starved carcass, after the recent 50% catastrophic decline in reindeer/caribou numbers due to the warmer climate in the arctic eradicating their food supply. Last Saturday, upon UK landfall the former seasonal folk made their way to Horley to find the Fossil Fool culprits who were responsible for his loss - UK Oil&Gas (UKOG),the lead company of HorseHillDevelopments Ltd, who are acid-fracking the nearby Horse Hill site. It was tragic to see Santa & his elves flaunting the Vagrancy Act and especially Santa who seemed to have turned to the drink.

STAY GROUNDED LAUNCH : WEEKS OF ACTION :4thOCT'18 - SOLIDARITY RALLY at #NoToHeathrow COURT HEARING

Submitted by lrt2 on Wed, 10/17/2018 - 19:04

Members of Stay Grounded:- RisingTideUK, Biofuelwatch, Reclaim the Power, Vote No Heathrow and the No3rd Runway Coalition joined more than 100 others for a morning of music, speeches and solidarity outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London from 9am to show the government and Heathrow Airport Ltd what we thought of their irresponsible and dangerous plans to expand the airport.
The hearing determined that all of the legal claims against Heathrow’s expansion will go to a full Judicial Review (of the National Policy Statement on Airports - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/airports-national-policy-sta… )by 2 judges for 2 weeks from the 11th or 18th of March in 2019.
There were 5 submissions: Local Authorities backed by Greenpeace and Mayor of London; Heathrow Hub, the rival expansion scheme; one by a resident impacted by Heathrow; Plus Friends of the Earth (EW&NI); and Plan B (both of these 2 specifically on grounds that the government has failed to deliver an effective plan to tackle the climate change implications of expansion).
The UK Government has argued that the Paris Agreement does not impose “a legal duty or obligation… to ensure that no more than these maximum temperature increases [1.5°C to 2°C] are reached”. This claim implies that because it is not against the law to bring about dangerous levels of climate change, the government is under no obligation to protect people from such threats. Plan B argued that Chris Grayling, the Transport Minister, has failed to give proper consideration to the impact Heathrow expansion would have on the Government’s ability to meet targets for avoiding catastrophic climate change. Grounds of claim brought by others include noise, traffic congestion and air pollution.
Tim Crosland, Director of Plan B, said:-
“This Government seems to believe that tackling the climate crisis means sticking to ‘business as usual’ with a sprinkling of ‘greenwash’ promises that improved future technology will come to the rescue. That’s fantasy politics and it’s grossly irresponsible. If we want to safeguard the climate stability on which we all depend, we need less emissions, not more; and we need a Government committed to investing in the cleanest forms of transport, not the most polluting kind. The broad coalition of devolved government and civil society lining up against the Government, is proof that this is not a political issue, it’s a coalition for the future of life on earth – one that everyone can get behind.”
John McDonnell, Labour Party, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, MP for Heathrow constituency Hayes & Harlington (most of which would be destroyed) - called for Direct Action, warning that if the democratic and legal processes fail, then direct action will win and that the third runway must not be built for the sake of the planet. Others echoed the call for Direct Action against Climate Change including RisingTideUK; a VoteNoHeathrow hunger striker and from Rising Up's Extinction Rebellion.
RisingTideUK also told of the International dimension and the launch of Stay Grounded. They said:-
"This week saw the launch of Stay Grounded an International Network offering solidarity to resist expansion around the planet. We are aviation and climate campaigners, NGO's, academics, trade unionists, frontline & indigenous communities, transport workers and affected residents - working for a just transition.
Aviation, one of the fastest growing GHG sources, in 2017 growing 7% with freight up 9% (doubling in 10 & 7 years respectively). There is a wave of global expansion with over 1000 new projects: 423 new airports; 121 new runways; 205 runway extensions; 262 new terminals and 175 new terminal extensions! Stay Grounded have launched a position paper outlining "13 Steps for a Just Transport System & for Rapidly Reducing Aviation and we urge you to join the 120 organisations that have signed-up to support it. This week and next are Weeks of Action on aviation infrastructure with open events organised in 15 countries and maybe some clandestine actions too? Resistance is worldwide: from Turkey where ancient forest is threatened with a new Istanbul Aerotropolis; Kenya, Nairobi Airport, where the Masai have been forced off grazing land held for millennia ; Indonesia, where homes destroyed while people were at work; and Austria, where Vienna's 3rd runway was ruled out by a regional court on climate change grounds, then overturned by a higher one.
So there's "Law" and "Justice". Different. Lets see which prevails today? International aviation emissions are not included in the UK Climate Change Act or the Paris Agreement but the Talanoa Dialogue Pacific Islands initiative may try to ensure that they are. The UK Government is trying to use the space in the UK emissions count set aside for future International aviation emissions, to justify and allow Heathrow expansion. 10 years ago the last UK Planning Act paved the way for the Infrastructure Planning Commission - through which all major infrastructure projects like Heathrow and Hinkley C (nuclear power station) now bypass local democracy. At the time Friends of the Earth said it stripped away 100 civil rights to protest, leaving only 2, the Law and Direct Action. Today we'll see if there are still 2? Also 10 years ago, John McDonnell, then a backbench MP, said the campaign to stop Heathrow Expansion would not be won without Direct Action. He was right then and he still is.".

Stay Grounded Network Weeks of Action enjoyed 27 events in over a dozen countries in 3 continents, that we so far know about https://stay-grounded.org/action-weeks/ .
Find some photos on flickr https://www.flickr.com/gp/164860673@N04/EfNB56
and a video clip on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/StayGroundedNetwork/videos/1212273742244823/?_…
"McDonnell calls for Direct Action" https://realmedia.press/stop-heathrow/
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/protesters-take-stand-environme…
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/heathrow-airport-t…

4thOct18:-SOLIDARITY RALLY at #NoToHeathrow COURT HEARING- STAY GROUNDED LAUNCH Weeks of Action

Submitted by lrt2 on Mon, 10/01/2018 - 19:57

RisingTideUK will be joining others for a morning of music, speeches and solidarity outside the Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, from 9am to show the government and Heathrow Airport Ltd what we think of their irresponsible and dangerous plans. The hearing will determine whether some or all of the 6 legal claims against Heathrow’s expansion will go to a full trial in 2019. For those of you who must dabble on the dark side there is a FB event. This Rally falls within the Stay Grounded fortnight of Aviation Actions. https://www.facebook.com/events/248337659159577/
“STAY GROUNDED” SUPPORTING STATEMENT
RisingTideUK are Founder Members of the Stay Grounded Network, launched today and have joined with more than 110 organisations worldwide to support a position paper from Stay Grounded, outlining 13 steps for a transition towards a transport system that is more socially just and ecologically sustainable. This growing global network is working to curb the unrestrained expansion of the aviation sector which is causing ever increasing damage to the climate, to biodiversity and local residents. The network is made up of local airport opposition groups and frontline communities, NGOs, trade unionists, academics, climate justice activists and groups supporting alternatives like night trains. From 1st-12th October 2018, Stay Grounded action weeks take place in more than 15 countries around the world. They will show that resistance against new airport infrastructure and aviation growth is rising. The network and these actions will send a message to policy makers and the industry, rejecting the greenwashed aviation pseudo-strategies being fostered right now, like CORSIA, carbon trading and tanked biofuels. Please join RisingTideUK to support Stay Grounded, and follow its facebook and twitter accounts: @staygrounded3

Bristol Rising Tide protest at Environment Agency, Bristol, 15/9/18

Submitted by lrt2 on Mon, 10/01/2018 - 17:46

Climate activists BristolRisingTide hung a nine-metre banner from the atrium of the Environment Agency in Bristol in a protest against fracking. The 50-strong group accused the regulator of facilitating fracking by granting environmental permits to shale gas companies. The Environment Agency’s offices had been open for the Bristol Open Doors Day, an event offering free tours of the city’s landmark buildings. Laurie Underwood, from the group, said:-
“On the one hand, the Environment Agency is preparing the country for adapting to the impacts of climate change but on the other, it is dishing out permits for onshore oil and gas drilling which will exacerbate the climate crisis....we call on the Environment Agency and its workers to take a tougher stance against a reckless fracking industry which threatens our air quality, our water quality and our climate.”.
The group pointed out that the Forestry Commission, another agency which comes under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, decided recently not to renew the lease on an exploratory drilling site near Leith Hill in Surrey. The decision was based on the risk of damage to nearby ancient woodland. Laurie Underwood called on the Environment Agency to be:-
“more pro-active in speaking out against the environmental impacts of new, unwanted fossil fuel extraction.....they should follow the Forestry Commission’s lead and tell the government that licensing fracking isn’t compatible with its environmental mission. Stop the fracking permits. Stop approving climate change.”.

Over 100 freewheel to Tour de Frack, Saturday, June 23rd, 2018

Submitted by lrt2 on Mon, 10/01/2018 - 16:56

Over 70 cyclists completed 3 seperate "tours" of the Acidification Fracking sites at Brockham, Leith Hill, Balcombe and Horse Hill, all starting at Meadowbank Park, Dorking at 10.30am, joined by friends and supporters in a highly organised event with food and speaker stops culminating in an after-party at the Leith Hill Protectors Camp.
A film of the day is now available at https://www.facebook.com/SoapboxEN/videos/1618086074984087/ . As you know RisingTideUK do not advocate the use of Facebook so get off as soon as you've watched it! ;-p. RisingTide's contingent were joined by among others our friends from Biofuelwatch who also took some footage which you can find here:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRxT39Y6aZY - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3A49nhkaQA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV3YG81y4cY . Rumours of a return Tour next year are surfacing.

JOIN US ON LE-TOUR-DE-FRACK (South-East), Saturday 23rd June 2018

Submitted by lrt2 on Wed, 05/23/2018 - 20:13

We would love you to join us for:-
LE TOUR-DE-FRACK - a day of Anti-fracking activist & family-friendly cycle rides in Surrey & W.Sussex
When: Assemble from 9.30am for 10am, Saturday 23rd June. https://www.facebook.com/events/1629452990496106/
What: 3 levels of cycle "Tours" around South-East Oil & Gas Drilling Sites.
Where: Dorking Meadowbank Community Park - with info,refreshments,face painting,badge-making and to send off the cyclists.
Who: You. plus your bike if you're cycling! Please bring food & drink. Wear appropriate clothing and bring your antifrackers style!
How: Trains to Dorking from London Waterloo and Victoria, Brighton and elsewhere, then on yer bike or head to the Leith Hill Protection Camp or one of the other stops.
Register for a ride by signing-up at Eventbrite https://tinyurl.com/y74t75b4

GET ON TRACK FOR ANTIFRACK SUNDAY 25th MARCH

Submitted by lrt2 on Fri, 02/23/2018 - 19:32

UNFORTUNATELY TOMORROW'S EVENT (FRIDAY 2nd MARCH) HAS BEEN POSTPONED
due to adverse weather conditions and transport unreliabilities, but, if you are in the vicinity of Leith Hill Camp you are welcome to drop in, especially if carrying firewood and food!
https://leithhillprotectioncamp.co.uk/ Please try and come next time which is:-

When: 11am-6pm-ish, Sunday 25th March.
What: South-East Anti-Fracking Site "Tour".
Where: Meet outside Dorking Station at Antifrackers banner.
Who: You! Please bring food & flask. Wear warm waterproof clothing with stout footwear (its muddy!).
How: Trains from London Waterloo and Victoria. Pick-up to Leith Hill , Horse Hill, Brockham, Balcombe and Broadford Bridge.
RSVP AT:-
https://www.facebook.com/events/605353503140115/
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/solidarity-sunday-and-tour-of-weald-dril…
Or email NILS.RESPONSE@RISEUP.NET if you hate data harvesters ;-p.
Along with the usual Leith Hill Protection Camp Solidarity Saturday, there's a chance there could be a Public Meeting on the 24th. Maybe make a weekend of it and camp overnight at Coldharbour?
Following the successful RisingTide/RtP Gathering we're endeavouring to help activists & residents near local sites to see how best we can support local communities in opposing the fracking threat in the South-East, throughout 2018 and beyond (look out for a Tour-de-Frack too). We'll visit Leith Hill Protection Camp and there may be work going on at some of the sites at the time, with a chance for optional "investigations". Any logistical problems on the day 'phone 07549-018610. If you can help with transport please let us know.

CLIMATE Vs. CAPITALISM ACTION PLANNING MEETING -13th Feb

Submitted by lrt2 on Mon, 01/25/2016 - 19:04

Capitalism or the works
Invitation to the Climate vs Capitalism action planning meeting, London, Sat 13th February. Organised by Corporate Watch, Rising Tide UK and others.

This meeting is intended to be a follow up to the workshops Corporate Watch organised in 2015. The workshops aimed to bring people together to discuss capitalism and climate change and consider 'where next' for the movement in the UK.

This meeting will move on from more theoretical discussions to organising and action, focusing on 3 specific projects aimed at re-vitalising the grassroots, anti-capitalist climate movement in the UK. A draft agenda is at https://network23.org/climatevscapitalism .

Ahead of the meeting we said we would chose the themes in advance and tell everyone attending before the meeting. This way people will know if there are areas they are interested in and we get on with organising instead of spending the meeting deciding what we are going to discuss(!). There will be a chance in the wrap-up session to report on other campaigns/actions/projects that do not fall under these three themes:-

Oil and Gas:-
The Trans-National Oil and Gas Industry is ubiquitous and runs our world together with the Banks that finance their projects. Their products affect our everyday lives; dictate our energy supply; and their profits play a major role in pension funds. Anti-capitalist critique is rarely these days, transformed into action against these behemoths. We want to explore ways of addressing this, illustrating alternatives, whilst showing we can target not only those companies themselves but the Banks and service companies which facilitate their destructive projects around our world.

Aviation:-
There's growing resistance in local communities around expanding airports but an anti-capitalist critique which links these campaigns together is wholly absent. Vociferous campaigns like the one against Heathrow focus on noise and air pollution, whilst there has been little action to curb carbon emissions. So-called International Emissions fall outside any UN-COP CO2 reduction targets, so the Government looks like giving the go-ahead to expansion at BOTH Heathrow and Gatwick, despite UK climate legislation which should rule this out. It's time for us to halt all expansion and make binge-flying socially unacceptable.

Mobilisations
To plan for participating in climate mobilisations on an anti-capitalist basis, including getting people from the UK to the ZAD mobilisation in France on 27 Feb (http://earthfirstjournal.org/newswire/2016/01/22/notre-dame-des-landes-… ) and the Ende Gelande open cast coal mobilisation in Germany on 13–15 May (https://www.ende-gelaende.org/en/). We will also discuss other possible mobilisations.

We emphasise again strongly that we think there's a gap in UK anti-capitalist climate organising. We know that issues around being explicitly anti-capitalist, reformist politics etc. were discussed at some of the previous workshops, and we know there are some differences of opinion over this. We are also aware that others are organising 'post-Paris' strategy meetings and while we see the need for a diverse movement, we want to use this space for those who want to focus on the more explicitly anti-capitalist side of the movement.

PLAN FOR TIME TO ACT CLIMATE MARCH SATURDAY 7th March & AFTER ACTION AT TATE BRITAIN

Submitted by lrt2 on Tue, 03/03/2015 - 20:09

Join us on the:- 1)ART NOT OIL BLOC will be part of BLOC 5:Red:Fossil Free Future.
                           Meet from 12noon till 12.30pm to move off at 1pm,    at Meeting Point 5:Red, NE or top right hand corner of Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC1, on the street, Newman's Row. Look for the Art Not Oil BP subvertised helios logo banner.
                          2)OIL SPILL ACTION AT TATE BRITAIN
                     Meet
at the human Viking Longship about 4pm or during the last speaker, scheduled to be Caroline Lucas MP. Moving off ASAP along Millbank to create an oil spill on the steps of Tate Britain. See you there, further info below and at http://www.timetoact2015.org/ :-