Actions and Resources for Fossil Fools Day 2009

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/23/2009 - 16:24

FFD LogoFFD is soon! We know of various affinity group actions around the UK but thought we’d upload some inspirational public actions you can get involved with on the April 1st and some resources to help inspire you to take action in you local area. So, whether you’ve been looking for a chance to dip a toe into the growing climate action movement, or have had your kick-ass action planned since last year, now is the time to do it – whatever it is. On April 1st, join the global day of resistance and pull a prank that packs a punch.

MARCH 31ST UPDATE
PUBLIC ACTIONS IN THE UK ON APRIL 1st

If your action isn't listed below (wherever you are), email us and we'll put it up here!

1230 LONDON
HELP BUILD A CAMP FOR CLIMATE ACTION IN THE CITY OF LONDON

Stopping carbon markets - because nature doesn't do bailouts.
Meet at the European Climate Exchange, Hasilwood House, 62 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AW. Bring a pop-up tent, sleeping bag, wind turbine, mobile cinema, action plans and ideas ... let's imagine another world. Don't let the financial and fossil fools make the rules! For more details visit Climate Camp G20.

11 AM LONDON
FINANCIAL FOOLS DAY STREET PARTY

Assemble at Cannon Street, Moorgate, Liverpool Street or London Bridge stations 11am to form four marching blocks heading towards the Bank of England for 12-noon, in the 'Square Mile' of the City of London. Bring a portable radio! G20 Meltdown

MIDDAY TOTNES
TRIAL OF OLD KING COAL ! in TOTNES by Climate activists

The International Climate Criminal known as 'Old King Coal' has been apprehended in Totnes and will face trial on April 1st. The prisoner, who is not in good health, will be lead from The Plains at 12.00 up to the Civic Square where he will be tried before a jury of local citizens and schoolchildren. Unfortunately other members of the Fossil Fools Gang, including Oil and Gas, remain at large and are a continued danger to the planet.
Contact Chris:01803 866835

12.30 - 7.30PM LONDON
TAKE THE CLIMATE MESSAGE TO THE G20

Join the ice-berg at the G20 !
Ice-berg “Climate Emergency” demo - outside the Excel Centre (‘Royal Victoria’ stop on Docklands railway from Bank). We’ll be outside the Excel Centre (Western entrance – or as near as we can get) the day before the G20 meets there, from 12.30 pm. to 7.30 pm. (evening rally 6.30 pm). We will have a giant ice block – bring your own ice blocks and dress in white! For action updates visit the CACC website.

OTHER ACTIONS

FROME (SOMERSET)
Sustainable Frome will be performing fossil fool themed street theatre.

LONDON NEWS FLASH : OIL GOLIATH BP FELLED BY FOSSIL FOOL'S DAY DAVID
BP has postponed its centenary party at the British Museum on April 1st, as word leaked out and triggered a demonstration Art Not Oil and Rising Tide.
For reasons unfathomable yet deeply pleasing, BP had chosen Fossil Fools Day to celebrate its centenary. This was due to take place at the British Museum, where the not-so-great and the far-from-good would have been quaffing cocktails, snaffling canapes and watching a celebratory film.
Art Not Oil and Rising Tide encourage you to be present at BP’s AGM on April 16th to make sure it gets this message, and to wish its employees well in their new low carbon, post-corporate careers. Contact Art Not Oil for more information.

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC ACTIONS ON APRIL 1st
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, USA

BP deal with University of California.
Under this deal, the oil giant BP is investing $500 million for the university to research biofuels - this raises so many issues from greenwashing to false solutions to biotech/agribusiness and over to the interaction between a public university and private corporations. Planned meet up: 6 p.m. at Berkeley BART then a bike ride/march to an undisclosed location for an artful, creative, fun event. Email: berkeleyfossilfools@riseup.net

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
SASOL TO GET AN AWARD

Activists from Earthlife Africa Jhb and allies will be highlighting the role Sasol plays in warming our planet. From 12:00 to 14:00 on the 1st of April 2009, protestors will converge on Sasol's Corporate Headquarters in Johannesburg (1 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank) to present Sasol with the "South Africa's Fossil Fool of 2009" award. It takes hard work, years of application, and significant capital investment to win a Fossil Fool Award. The decision to award Sasol the 2009 title was based upon:
1) For producing 72.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually; total annual greenhouse gas emissions for South Africa are 446 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent.
2) For planning to build a new 80,000 barrels/day coal-to-liquids plant in South Africa. This would add an estimated 23 to 37 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere on an annual basis.
3) For fixing prices of its goods, both in South Africa and Europe.
Email: makomaphil@gmail.com

PUBLIC ACTIONS AFTER APRIL 1st

APRIL 3RD Royal Bank of Scotland AGM
The Royal Bank of Scotland (which owns NatWest) is two things:
1) The UK's private high street bank with biggest investments in fossil fuel projects around the world
2) Over 70% owned by UK citizens. People & Planet will be taking action at the RBS-NatWest AGM in Edinburgh and at RBS's HQ in London. We need as many people there as possible to clean up RBS-NatWest. *Especially now that about 70% of the bank is in public ownership, we’ll be telling RBS-NatWest: we’ve cleaned up your finances, now stop messing up our climate.
Edinburgh: EICC, MOrrison St, 12.30pm. Time to get out the feather dusters and marigolds for an RBS-NatWest spring clean, let's tell them to stop sweeping their coal under the carpet!
London: RBS HQ, 280 Bishopsgate, 12.00 noon. Kitted up as comedy bankers (monacles, giant top hats, and yuppie suits) we'll expose how greedy bankers vote for a future of climate chaos.
More info here: http://peopleandplanet.org/fossilfools and here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=62204867311#/event.php?eid=58662813965

APRIL 3RD READING "DO SOMETHING" POST FOSSIL FOOLS DAY EVENT
As part of the Reading Fossil Fools day! exhibition and event 1ST April – 30th April 2009,

Reading International Solidarity Centre and Rising Tide We are looking for artworks to be exhibited at Global Cafe (RISC www.risc.org.uk/global) in April as part of a live arts event on issues surrounding climate change (ranging from comical to informative outlooks) in partnership with Reading Rising Tide, celebrating fossil fool's day on 1st April (www.fossilfoolsday.org). Artworks can be in 2-D or film format, to be displayed in the cafe space. We are also looking for films, 2-D, 3-D and other artwork for the free event in at the Global Cafe in Reading 9pm-1am featuring spoken word and music performances, an exhibition of artworks and an 'On The Sofa' session with Johnny Hoggett, on which he will interview climate activists to hear their 'Tales of Daring Do from the Carbon Revolution'. See flyer for details

It is free of charge to exhibit however all works need to be framed (if needed) by the artist. Delivery costs and travel expenses of performing artists will be reimbursed by RISC.
For more detail on RISC please see www.risc.org.uk

RESOURCES FOR LOCAL ACTION

Action Ideas
For a short guide on why and how to take direct action against the fossil fuel industry ... including planning tips, target locations, examples of successful actions and much more download 15 Actions to Topple the Fossil Fuel Empire (PDF).

Media
Rising Tide has produced an 11 page Media Q&A for Fossil Fools Day. If you think you’ll be talking to the media on the day and want a few tips for tricky questions send us an email and we’ll email you a copy.

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 editable Photoshop files can be downloaded here - front and here - back.

If you don’t have Photoshop, the leaflet is also 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.

Local press release (Word)
A sample press release from last year for local groups to use as a starting point. Obviously you will need to fill in the gaps and change the details from last year's. tense depending on if you send it out before or after your action.

User tags