October's been a busy month and there's lots more activity planned for November - so here's a quick round up of events past, present and future.
OCTOBER
A week after a great 10/10/10 - day of global action, we well and truely launched the street campaign for 'Go Beyond Oil' in the city centre and Yate (see previous blogs). Members have been present at virtually all the dates of the month long Unchosen film festival held in Bristol and Bath. At the end of October we held a Jumble Sale which raised over £200 for group funds. We attended the 'Love Food' festival where another 65 Go Beyond Oil postcards were signed with a view to lobbying MPs later in November. Many thanks to every member who have put in the time and effort to make all these events worthwhile.
NOVEMBER → DECEMBER
Go Beyond Oil and the Big Climate Connection feature in the coming month's events. The film 'Beyond The Tipping Point' was shown at the Bristol University Union building in an event organised by People & Planet and Greenpeace. It attracted a good audience with healthy discussion afterwards. Wilf, Fi and I acquired another 71 signatures on Go Beyond Oil postcards during a 3 hour stint outside the Clifton Down Shopping Centre.
Our next Go Beyond Oil outing is Saturday 13th in Clifton Village where we will also be promoting the showing of the Dirty Oil film on Tar Sands scheduled for Wednesday 17th. On Monday 15th there is the 'Open Meeting' in Bath which aims to revitalise the Bath community to reform a new local group. We need Bristol members to be there to enthuse and network with the new potential members. Looking ahead to December there is the National Climate March in London on Saturday 4th - several Bristol members may be attending to rally outside Parliament
INTERNATIONAL NEWS - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!
CALL FOR AN EURO ZONE FREE OF GM CROPS. One cause we highlighted at the Organic Food Festival this summer was the campaign to get 1 million signatures for an EU moratorium on genetically engineered crops and in October this target was reached. The petition is the first petition to reach 1 million that will be submitted as a European Citizens’ Initiative. This initiative is part of the EU Lisbon Treaty allowing a million European citizens to formally request that the Commission take legislative steps to address their demands.
CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO - THE WORLD'S LARGEST MARINE RESERVE. Greenpeace has always campaigned for the protection of the World's marine ecosystems. Our support of the Protect Chagos initiative has helped persuaded the British Government set up Chagos as a 'no fishing' zone and this came into force as of 1st November.
MASS GERMAN ANTI-NUCLEAR RALLY AGAINST WASTE SHIPMENT BY TRAIN. An estimated 50,000 protestors took part in a rally in Dannenburg, German to show their opposition to the transport of nuclear waste from France to Gorleben. "I'm moved by the number of the people here but also their passion," said Greenpeace's international director Kumi Naidoo. "The fact is that at least 75 percent of the German people are against nuclear power. It's too expensive and too dangerous."
TAR SANDS DEVELOPMENTS. The proposed Canadian Enbridge Northern Gateway oil sands pipeline through British Columbia’s pristine temperate rainforests and coastal ecosystems seeks to export tar sand synthetic petroleum to Asia. Tar sands oil production will increase by 30%; causing up to five times the climate change pollution as conventional crude oil, and turning boreal forest the size of New York and New Jersey into an ecological wasteland. B.C.'s precious and fragile temperate rainforests and coastal waters will be placed at risk by major industrial development, and First Nations' salmon economy endangered. A whole series of new pipelines are being built and planned which, like needles, will inject the U.S. and Asia with another dose of dirty oil over-development. Tar sands and boreal forest destruction must end, not be negotiated upon and greenwashed. Read more here
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