A very effective meeting and a very wide range of new exciting projects coming up!
Summary of last months activities
Go Beyond Oil Campaign http://www.gobeyondoil.org/
If you have been noticing an oil drenched rainbow appaering on stickers everywhere the last months, yep that was us. The Go Beyond Oil are a collection of Green groups wanting to make sure the public knows what the big oil companies are up to, especially BP and Chevron.
Greenpeace recently launched an action against an oil drill of the North coast of Scotland with the Esperanza and a group of brave volunteers. Even though a Danish warship kept a vigilant eye on the operation 3 activists managed to chain themselves to a drilling ship and others camped in suspended “hammocks” on the platform itself for over 100 hours, bringing it to a total stop!
Our10:10:10:10 Pub crawl
The first celebration (more on that later) of the Camden Groups 10thanniversary was combined with the 10:10 campaign on the 10thof October. We went to ten Pubs and surveyed them on their recycling habits, heating, organic food while sampling a few pints along the way, of course for scientific study only. While the social aspect was brilliant and the weather begged to be enjoyed with a cool drink in hand, the results were a bit worrying. It seems many of the mainstream pub chains have no real green policies making it hard for the individual pubs to make differences, even though several where very keen on our ideas. As a group challenge we could try and think about how we can help pub recycle their glass bottles, something only a couple did and which comes to staggering amount just on a weekly basis.
Upcoming events and opportunities
Half Term Daylight Subvertising
If you have a few hours to spare during office hours this coming half term, send Neil a message and we'll try to arrange some daytime activism.
SmithSquare Debate – Hard Times: Why should we invest in climate change in the current economy?Monday 25 October 2010 Local Government House, London
Climate change is a difficult challenge facing our society and, depending on your belief, it is or is not something worthy of action. At this economically challenging time, should local government be investing taxpayers’ money in initiatives to combat the effects of climate change? Finances are tight in both the public and private realms –should council funds not rather be directed towards regenerating our economy and helping those suffering as a result of the economic crunch? But then if we do not address climate change now, will it soon be too late and will we be dooming the environment for generations to come?
To book your place at this event, please complete the online booking form available at www.local.gov.uk/events
Campaign Against Climate Change all day social with Caroline Lucas Green MP 30 October Friends House, Euston
Join us in challenging the new government to take the kind of action wereally need to address the Climate Emergency.
Speakers to include JohnMcDonnell MP (Lab,Hayes and Harlington),CarolineLucas MP (leader Green Party, Brighton Pavillion), Maria Souviron (Bolivian Ambassador), Alexis Rowell (‘Cutting the Carbon’, Camden CAN), Andrew Simms(New Economics Foundation),George Marshall (founder, COIN), Ben Brangwyn (Transition Towns), Vicki Hird (FoE Real Food Campaign), John Stewart (HACAN, Airport Watch), Stephen Murphy (‘Zero Carbon Britain’ Team),Chris Baugh (Asst Gen Sec PCS - Public and Commercial Services Union) – and more to be announced.
Halloween Music Fair at Cecil Sharp House Sunday 31 October
To embrace the many green aspects and active people that Halloween awaken every year, we will try and get a stall at the Cecil Sharp House for their pagan event, either inside or street at the entrance:
http://www.efdss.org/events/eventsdetails/eventsId/210/displaydate/2010-10-31
It's on FaceBook too:http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=622455585&v=app_2344061033#!/event.php?eid=103117453082721&index=1
Climate Countdown: will the UN climate talks help save the planet or is it time to look elsewhere? Monday 1st November, 7pm, at Kings Place (90 York Way, London N1 9AG)
What has changed since global leaders failed to secure a climate deal at Copenhagen? What are the prospects for Mexico, and the implications for poor countries? How can international agreement on climate action be reached? What role for sub-national, national and regional agreements?
These questions and more will be addressed by the following panel of speakers
Gregory Barker MP, Minister for Climate Change (invited)
Michael Jacobs, Grantham Institute, LSE and former Special Adviser to Gordon Brown
Matthew Lockwood, Associate Director, Institute for Public Policy Research
Kirsty Hughes, Head of Advocacy, Oxfam GB
Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director of Forum for the Future and former Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission (invited)
Tickets for the event can be purchased here:http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/spoken-word/words-on-monday/oxfam-debate
GREENON THE SCREEN Showing 'Money as Debt 2' at: Moors bar – 57 park rd, Crouch End, London N8 8SY on WEDNESDAY, November 3rd.
MONEY AS DEBT II' Bailouts, stimulus packages, debt piled upon debt…Where will it all end?
Camden Green Party Energy and Climate Change Working Group - 3rd November 7pm - Town Hall, Kings Cross
Last meeting Maya De Souza, Green Councillor of Camden visited and invited everyone who are interested in joining her new project, where members of the constituency can voice there opinions and do their bit for change. If you want to come along, send Maya an email (mayadesouza@hotmail.com) and tell her you are from the Greenpeace group.
Stop Climate Chaos 5-6 Nov http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/
Calling for people across the UK to connect with others in their communities on 5th-6th November and lobby their MPs! With supporters from more than 100 organisations coming together in their communities for the Big Climate Connection, we’ll show MPs that people from all walks of life – from environment to development groups, from unions to local community and health groups - are calling for action on climate change.
We want to show as much presence at this event as possible! Glenda Jackson MP from Kilburn/Hampstead will be there among other reasons for this. We have a member coordinating Hendon, but we need someone from Holborn/St Pancras to take care of Frank Dobson.
Street campaigning personal postcards to MP just like the 17th
With all the amazing events coming up we might be overbooked to the second degree, but if some of you have are up for even more we would like to get another Street Campaigning event a go. Get in contact with the dates you are free and we'll try to break our record from the 17th.
Political lobbying network 20 or 28 November
One of the best methods of getting our point of views to the top of the system is to actually use their own channels. We want to be in close personal contact with the local mp's and councillors, to make sure they are constantly aware of our view points on the current subjects, allowing them to come to us as well for advice and a freshperspective. To build up this contact we need people who will 3 or 4 times a year drop by their office and have a chat with the politicians personally, as well as send them an email response when they send out press releases or attend public events etc. If you are interested in getting the training and joining the network please get in touch.
Unconventional oil
We will also start looking at the unconventional oil disasters that the public normally doesn’t picture when they hear about oil drillings: Tar sands, Arctic drillings and deep water. And of course the masterminds behind it all, the oil companies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sands
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_drilling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Refuge_drilling_controversy
New campaign startup, contact Josh joshuaross@live.co.uk
Josh has expressed interest in starting a new campaign and would like to know who would be up for it.
Targeting transport
After a great victory over the airline industry it is time to take things to the streets. We want to try and make both corporations and the public aware of the alternatives they have to fuel, such as public transport, hybrid and electric cars etc.
Energy bill lobbying
With the new “Green Government” delivering absolutely nothing, we want to confront them with this “no show” attitude and get them to own up to their promises fx on emissions performance.
Party conferences
Following that strand of thought we want to get some of your ideas on how to best make sure the upcoming party conferences will have a strong green and active force represented.
Camden groups' 10 year anniversary!
It turns out that the Camden groups 10 year anniversary actually falls early next year, giving us another chance to celebrate! If you have any ideas that combine a bit of socialising and activism, give a bell. Some of the ideas that came to the table was: a repeat of our 10 green survey pub crawl or an introduction to Greenpeace with a collage or video showing the highlights and events of the Camden groups first decade.
Have a great time till next meeting! Onwards and upwards!!
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