Rising Tide-Ecuador (Marea Creciente) is opening its way as the newest member of our International Network by joining forces with other grassroots groups, which includes the Ecuadorian indigenous movement.
"Mining industry out!"
First, to resist the big fossil fuel national battle against mining on a large scale, which is an aggressive project that the ecuadorian assembly and government are trying to put forward.
Today saw not only mass protests in London ahead of the G20 summit, but local demonstrations in cities around the UK and across the globe. Under the banner of Fossil Fools Day, activists held protests at banks, energy companies and power stations across the UK, the USA and South Africa to highlight the twin economic and climate crises.
More action reports and photographs will be added here as they come in.
Email us with your Fossil Fools Day action report.
In the UK ...
29 people were arrested after a climate change protest by Rising Tide Australia at Bayswater power station in New South Wales on 1 November. Four people locked themselves to machinery (the conveyer belt and its motor), stopping the conveyor belts that carry coal to Bayswater’s furnaces while about 25 others occupied the coal piles.
Spokesperson, Georgina Woods, said, “Australia’s greenhouse pollution is still increasing and our addiction to coal-fired power is the main cause. We are here because every day we hesitate, we are killing the Great Barrier Reef.”
The mobalisation meeting that happened in Copenhagen this weekend was very successful. 21 countries and 5 continents were represented as well as a very diverse mix of organizations, individuals, networks, and political perspectives. An international call out text was finalised and the debate regarding shutting down the negotiations or locking them in until we get a genuine solution - was begun. This will continue at the next international climate meeting (probably March of next year). What needs to happen now is this call out needs to spread around the world, so please cut, paste and email it to any lists you havn't seen it on yet.
Rising Tide NA, with a lot of support from other groups, have just set up a new website with information from the grassroots, for the grassroots radical and progressive response to Hurricane Gustav and those that have followed. They are currently receiving and collating information from a dozen or so groups in the area.
To visit the website click here.
In the run up to the April 1st Fossil Fools Day of Action, on Saturday 29th of March, Housmans Bookshop at Kings Cross will be screening 2 short docs that highlight the struggle of communities at the frontline of the fossil fuel empire.
Saturday 29th March - 5 PM
Housmans Bookshop
5, Caledonian Road, 2 mins from Kings Cross
Today, the International Rising Tide network pulled off a Yes Men style hoax targeting the 33 businesses and organisations that form the US Climate Action Partnership (including BP, Caterpillar, ConocoPhillips, Dow, DuPont, Ford, General Electric, General Motors Corp., Shell and Xerox to name but a few). The hoax was timed to coincide with the opening of the United Nations climate summit in Bali in an effort to expose the disproportionate influence of large corporations on the climate negotiations, and the greenwash these companies spin instead of taking any real initiative on fossil fuel reduction.
As of May 2007, following discussions at our 2007 National Gathering, the UK Rising Tide network has adopted the Peoples’ Global Action Hallmarks.
Shell to Sea campaigners have set up a blockade and halted traffic on the
road between Belmullet and Ballycastle in Co Mayo.
Two men have chained themselves to a van on the road leading to the proposed
gas refinery site at Bellanaboy.
Trucks working on the site have been unable to gain access to it since
shortly after 9am. The fire brigade from Bellmullet has been called to try
and untie the men.
The campaigners want Shell to refine gas from the Corrib gas field at sea
rather than at Bellanaboy.
Reports have so far come in of actions in London (Esso and lastminute.com targeted), Bristol (Critical Mass), Norwich (petrol station blockade) and Nottingham (activists picket A453 exhibition) in the UK, Evershagen (Shell garage) in Germany, Lisbon and Porto (battle for climate justice and carbon trading street theatre) in Portugal, Sao Paulo (Critical Mass) in Brazil, Whanganui-a-Tara (Tour of EEEVil) in New Zealand and Asheville (Bank of America targeted), San Francisco (Critical Mass), Florida (natural gas plant targeted) and Portland (anti-dam/no boarders) in the US.
