Norwich: About Rising Tide

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/03/2007 - 13:05

What is Rising Tide?

Rising Tide is a vibrant grassroots network made up of groups and individuals who take creative direct action to confront the root causes of climate change, and promote local, community-run solutions to our energy needs. Rising Tide argues that climate change is an issue of social injustice, and is linked to the economic domination of Northern interests and transnational corporations. Rising Tide is skeptical of market-based ‘solutions’ to climate change such as carbon offsetting and sequestration schemes, and calls instead for a just, community-led transition to a non-carbon society. Rising Tide believes that an immediate end to oil exploration and a dismantling of the fossil fuel economy are necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change. To learn more about what Rising Tide stands for see the Rising Tide political statement

Rising Tide is a non-hierarchical network, and organises through decentralised local groups and consensus-based decision making.

What do Rising Tide groups do?

*2006 saw the third year of RT’s Art Not Oil project, a counter-exhibition and campaign designed to end oil industry sponsorship of the arts.
*BP and Shell’s AGMs, sponsored galleries, and other events are rarely without a creative, noisy and/or confrontational RT presence.
*Actions at Shell petrol stations and its HQ in London in solidarity with the campaign to stop a dangerous gas pipeline in County Mayo, Ireland.
*Helping set up a protest camp to stop the National Grid gas pipeline from slicing across South Wales.
*Through the Airport Pledge, teaming up with Plane Stupid, and a campaign at Bristol International Airport, RT is attempting to bring the government’s crazy airport expansion plans to a swift halt.
* RT helped to organise an international day of action on climate change during the G8 meeting in Scotland in 2006, and the Camp for Climate Action in 2006.
*Not to mention gigs, stalls, school talks, street theatre, and all manner of other ways of getting our message out as far and wide as possible.

It’s been a busy few years and the Rising Tide network is growing by the month, with active groups based in London, Reading, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cardiff, and further afield in New Zealand, Australia and the US. And now … Norwich Rising Tide is born!

What’s happening in Norwich?

Without radical action now, Norfolk will be hit hard by climate change. Norwich Rising Tide is taking action locally. Among many other exciting plans, so far we are targeting the construction of the Northern Distributor Road and the expansion of Norwich Airport, and taking action to reclaim the city from cars. We also organise events and activities to raise awareness about climate change, what we can all do about it, and how this global threat just might be an opportunity to build a better, saner world.

Getting involved

To truly tackle the root causes of climate change, there is a need for us, yes us, not some career path politician or greenwashed oil executive, to unite and start building real, just solutions based in our own communities. Once we recognise the nature and huge scale of the climate crisis, there's a danger that we might lose sight of our power to change it. But collective action is a powerful force – and it is a power that can make this a more just and joyous planet. So, no matter what your previous experience, come along, get involved and help bring about the radical change that’s needed.

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