Protest the CLimate Change and Business Conference

Monday 18 August - 4pm - Outside the Skycity Convention Centre 88 Federal Street Auckland

Protest the Lack of real action on climate change and demand real and adequate change.


This Monday the Climate and Business conference will be held at the Skytower Convention Centre

schedule: The event goes from Monday morning (18th) till Wednesday (20th) 5.30pm evening. - Programme available here:
http://www.climateandbusiness. com/program. html

The official start is at 4pm on Monday 18th at 4pm.

Meet outside the entrance to the Convention Centre and give a clear message that immediate action is wanted, and half way measures are not going to cut it.

Greenwash and marketing

New Zealand is known for its clean and green image, but the reality reveals something else. Emissions trading schemes are the new corporate 'solution' to rising emissions and unsustainable growth dependent on fossil fuels. Simply re-branding industries like the coal and oil industries and allowing 'offset options' for airfares does not change the reality of a warming world and changing climate.

Demand change, and call for real action and polluter pays, not public subsides and corporate wellfare for the largest polluters, like Fonterra, Comalco and NZ Steel.

Take part in the welcoming committee for the government ministers and corporate lobbyists and CEOs who are debating out future, supposedly on our behalf, and make your voice heard.

There will be other events held too.

Read more about the climate and buisness conference:
http://www.climateandbusiness. com/

Read about carbon trading and the limits of offsets:
http://carbontradewatch.gn.apc. org/

Heathrow climate protest defies anti-terrorism laws

1,800 police sent in to deal with the climate camp at Heathrow - using “anti-terrorism” as an excuse

by Kelly Hilditch

New Labour’s anti-terror legislation is being used this week against protesters wanting to take part in the climate camp near Heathrow airport.

The government has given the police the go-ahead to deal “robustly” with campaigners.

This move follows the failure last week of an attempt to use anti-stalking laws to prevent protesters from “harassing” BAA, the airport corporation.

The police used anti-terror laws to stop and search everyone approaching the camp, to prevent any access to the site by vehicles, and to “inspect” the site.

The heavyhanded tactics have been paralleled by scaremongering in the mainstream media, with headlines such as “Heathrow Protesters ‘Are Terrorists’ ” and “Extremists To Hijack Climate Change Demo”.

But these tactics have not been enough to scare off the protesters. “The camp is brilliant,” one told Socialist Worker on Tuesday of this week. “People of all ages and backgrounds have been turning up to take part.”

Released

The police haven’t been exactly welcoming, he added. “A woman on her way to the camp was held for 30 hours under the legislation – then they let her go without charge. Another guy was arrested then released – the police said he looked too old to have his student rail card.

“The police are being heavyhanded because they can be. At one point they were refusing to allow water or medical supplies onto the camp. It’s basically petty bullying.”

The number of police at Heathrow has more than doubled from the 800 meant to protect the airport against a terrorist attack to the 1,800 to protect the airport from climate campaigners.

Alistair from Birmingham was cycling to the protest on Tuesday of this week.

He told Socialist Worker, “Cyclists are coming from all over to join the camp – I’ve met people who have got this far from all over Britain.

“We went to meet people near London City airport and picked up police along the way as well – at the last count there were eight coppers on bikes with us, and six vans full of police following behind.”

One activist from Edinburgh said there was anger at police use of counter-terrorism legislation to hold demonstrators:

“To invoke anti-terrorist legislation to stop us from our protest is really inappropriate and irresponsible.

“This isn’t just about people’s freedom to fly. This is about people’s freedom to live on a planet that has a future.”

The following should be read alongside this article:
» Campers win solidarity from local people against BAA

End of the line for coal: Protestors blockade coal trains

End of the line for coal: Protestors blockade coal trains


Press release: Save happy Valley Christchurch
Sunday 29th April 2007

Save Happy Valley members have locked onto the train tracks near Christchurch to call for an end to new coal mines in New Zealand. Other members have hung a twenty-two metre banner – 'Solid Energy: Govt Sponsored Climate Chaos – along two of the coal wagons. They are on Kirk Road, Templeton.

"Catastrophic climatic events are already occurring; climate change is happening now," said Graham Jury, Save Happy Valley Christchurch spokesperson. "Earlier this year New Zealand finally reached the end of the line for coal fired power stations. It must also be the end of the line for coal mining."

Two activists are locked onto the tracks, while a further twenty are on the tracks by the train. Save Happy Valley works for the protection of Happy Valley, proposed site of Solid Energy's next opencast mine on the West Coast of the South Island. The group also campaigns for a just and swift transition away from coal mining.

"Solid Energy is ever increasing its production, leaving decimated ecosystems and waterways in its wake. Already, they are responsible for annual carbon dioxide emissions approximately equivalent to New Zealand's entire transport fleet. Saying "no" to new coal mines would be an easy first step in actually addressing climate change," said Simon Riddel, one of the activists locked to the tracks.

"The world's climate is becoming increasingly unpredictable and human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are evidently responsible. The fossil fuel industry is a preventable cause," said Gregory Curline, the second activist 'on the line.'

"Half of the coal extracted is sent off shore, generating emissions outside of our Kyoto Protocol obligations. However, New Zealand is responsible for the coal it exports. The Government must pull its state owned enterprise back under control," said Mr Jury.

// ENDS

Media Contact
Graham Jury, Save Happy Valley Christchurch spokesperson, 0273070448


Notes
In March 2007, Mighty River Power, another SOE, announced that it had discarded its plans to turn Marsden B into an operational coal fired power station.

Related

* http://savehappyvalley.org.nz

Klimax Sweden occupy Airport runway- Stop Domestic Flights

On 14 April, activists broke into Bromma Airport in Stockholm to occupy the runway for half an hour. The scheduled flight to Gothenburg – a very short distance indeed – was delayed, and some planes had to divert their landing. The ten activists, linked by chains and carrying a huge banner which read “Stop domestic flights”, managed to enter the airport and runway without being detected. After some five minutes, police arrived to the scene, but refrained from violent intervention. When the blockade had been carried to its planned end, the activists were arrested and informed of the formal charge of aggravated trespass. The most likely punishment is some heavy fines, but prison terms are possible.

The action was carried out by Climax, a group in Stockholm formed two weeks ago. It is the seed of a direct action-movement against the root causes of climate change in a country which has just recently woken up to the facts of ongoing global warming. Climax is inspired by Plane Stupid and Rising Tide. The action of 14 April, coinciding with the enormous National Day of Climate Action in the U.S., was the first of its kind to occur in Sweden. More is bound to follow soon.

Global action against global warming!

Klimax Stockholm
2007-04-15