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NETWORKNewsletter for Greenpeace activists March 2010
www.greenpeace.org.uk/active
Greenpeace
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INTERNATIONAL
As the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed El Baradei, put it: You cannot continue to have
a cigarette dangling from your mouth and ask everybody else not to smoke.
Above and cover: activists from all over the world have been taking
direct action in Indonesia, to stop rainforest destruction.
A worker carries a young palm oil
plant to be planted in freshly
cleared rainforest.
What to cut? Trident!Louise Edge, disarmament campaign
Equipped with the results of last years In the Firing Line investigation, showing that
Trident replacement will cost us a shocking 97 billion, Greenpeace is working to stop
the UK government building any new nuclear weapons.
On the eve of the pre-budget report in early December, we projected a 100 foot
high message onto Big Ben asking Chancellor Alastair Darling to give up on ridiculous
plans to spend 97 billion on a new nuclear weapons system to replace Trident.
In March we will be taking to the streets in 130 constituencies across the UK to pollpublic opinion about nuclear weapons. Then well present the results to the local
parliamentary candidates, in advance of the election.
March will also see the launch of a new web page featuring an animated film and
video statements from a wide range of people ex-military personnel, activists,
politicians saying how they would use the 97 billion currently allocated to
replacing Trident. We will also be revitalising the Trident Network using new online
tools which will feed out briefings, news updates, online fun and actions asks to its
members. As part of this network we are hoping to identify and work with a small
group of activists who are keen and active bloggers.
Our aim is to put the phrase cut Trident on everyones lips. With the huge expenditure
on Trident yet to be committed, and with Obama leading the charge for a world free
of nuclear weapons, the opportunities for action on disarmament are looking brighter
than they have since the end of the Cold War. Lets not waste this opportunity.
The pressures on for palm oilIan Duff, forests campaign
While the worlds attention was on the climate
negotiations in Copenhagen, Greenpeace was
sending tremors through the palm oil industry.
We released a dossier of evidence exposing the
illegal activities of one of Indonesias worst palm oil
producers, Sinar Mas. Greenpeace showed how this
company, a member of the Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), was breaking
Indonesian law and RSPO rules by clearing rainforestswithout the correct permits and destroying carbon
rich peatland for palm oil plantations. Shortly after
publication, Unilever announced it would end a
20 million contract with Sinar Mas. Since then a
number of other companies, including Sainsburys
and M&S, have said they will not buy from
Sinar Mas either.
Indonesias biggest palm oil company is now
under real pressure because of its aggressive
expansion plans into some of Indonesias
remaining rainforest. Activists have been building
dams to stop companies draining the peatland, as
well as blocking machinery.
Greenpeace will now focus on those retail
companies that are choosing to ignore Sinar Mas
destructive habits in order to make quick profits
out of its cheap palm oil. Watch this space for
opportunities to get involved.
Rante/Greenpeace
Behring-Chisholm
/Greenpeace
Cobbing/Greenpeace
Join the Trident network
Send your email details to [email protected] with Trident Network
in the subject line.
Become a Trident blogger to spread the message
Contact [email protected] with Trident Blogger in the subject line.
GET ACTIVE!
Rezac/Greenpeace
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SPOTLIGHT
Melina Laboucan-Massimo and her father Billy Joe Laboucan of the Lubicon Cree band of First Nations stand outside at Peace
River in northern Alberta, Canada.
Tar sands: counting the costsBen Ayliffe, climate campaign
During this climate crisis the last thing we need is companies exploiting new oil
eserves. But thats exactly whats happening.
The tar sands in Alberta, Canada, are home to the biggest industrial project on earth.
They contain billions of barrels of oil, locked under the Boreal forest. Because this oil is
mixed with sand, clay and water it needs vast amounts of energy to process. One
barrel of tar sands oil produces three times more greenhouse gas as a normal barrel.
Accessing it also destroys forests, creates lakes of toxic soup and causes serious
problems for the already marginalised First Nation communities who live there.
All the major international oil companies have a stake. Shell and Esso have been
nvolved for years and BP may join in too as conventional oil reserves dwindle. They
all see tar sands as a major new source of oil. If they get their way, oil extraction will
create a scar on the face of Alberta the size of England and ruin our chances of
averting catastrophic climate change.
We cannot stand by as companies pump more carbon from new oil sources like this
nto an already over-polluted atmosphere. This year, tar sands is a high priority for
Greenpeace and youll soon be hearing more about how you can help.
Until then, see if your money is being used to help support the destruction of the
Boreal forest for tar sands oil extraction. Its likely that most of us own a small piece
of the companies that are exploiting tar sands oil. Your bank, insurance company and
pension fund manager may be using your money to invest in BP and Shell. The
greatest impact we can have on tar sands today is to tell these investor companies to
ay no to BP and Shells tar sands projects.
Rezac/Greenpeace
GET ACTIVE!
Tell your pension company to stop investing your future in tar sands
www.fairpensions.org.uk/greenpeace/tarsands
Dirty Oil: go to the movies!
Our friends at The Co-operative have made a film. Dirty Oil is being launched around
the country on 15th March. Visit http://toxicfuels.com to find out how you can get
tickets to the premiere.
Emily Hall on getting and staying active
I grew up in New Zealand and was a Greenpeace
supporter there. Seeing people willing to take
huge personal risks to protect the environment
and stop environmental crime, on tv and in the
media, was inspiring to say the least I decided
that I wanted to do that too. I followed campaigns
and learned more about Greenpeace itself for
many years. Meanwhile I moved to the UK and
eventually joined the West London Greenpeace
network. After NVDA training I went on as many
actions as I could. I volunteered with the ASU and
was then lucky enough to run the Yes2Wind
network: a one day a week, year long volunteer
role with the climate team. Now, my full time job
at Greenpeace is Activist and Logistics Support.
I run the Legal Support
network. This involves
training new legal
supporters, updating the
network with new
legislation or processes
that will affect our
activists, recruiting a legalsupport team and briefing
activists prior to every
action so that people are
fully aware of potential
consequences. Once an action is over, I liaise
between activists who have been arrested, our
legal, campaign and support teams and action
coordinators (ACs) until all legal processes are
complete. Sometimes this is a matter of days,
sometimes if people are charged and we go to
court its many months.
My other roles include coordinating trainings,
assisting the ACs on actions, sometimes researching,
as well as developing logistical projects of my own.
I love my job. Like most of the actions unit, my role
is multi-faceted: a fortunate mix of exciting,
challenging and always incredibly interesting.
Emily is one of the Kingsnorth Six. You can watch their story
A Time Comes here: www.greenpeace.org.uk/atimecomes
Davison/Greenpeace
EMILYS 2009HIGHLIGHTS
Taking a team of UK
activists to the G8
actions in Italy in July.
Being skillfully
rescued from theside of a coal ship
during the June
Kingsnorth action.
8/14/2019 March 2010 Network
4/4Canonbury Villas London N1 2PN t 020 7865 8100 f 020 7865 8200 www.greenpeace.org.uk
Learn the skills to take Nonviolent Direct Action with
Greenpeace. Ask your network coordinator for information.
COnTACT DETAIl [email protected]
Rachael King020 7865 [email protected]
Jo Melzack (Scotland, North England& Northern Ireland) 0161 448 [email protected]
Malcolm Carroll (West)
020 7865 [email protected]
Richard Martin (South England)020 7865 [email protected]
ACTIVE SUPPORTER NETWORK OVERVIEWGreenpeaces active supporter network is made upof network coordinators, local networks andindividual active supporters. Today we have 91
network coordinators, 76 networks and 23,365active supporters.
TALK TALK
Prinz/Greenpeace
Above and below: thousands of activists went to Copenhagen in December, yet our world leaders failed us. Now you have
he opportunity to Ask the Climate Question giving politicians a new chance to succeed.
Ask the Climate QuestionLeila Deen, climate campaignf you live in a marginal constituency, for the next two months you will arguably have
more political influence than at any other time in a governments four year term, because
his election, political parties are spending most of their campaign money on winning key
marginal areas. Each party will want to know which issues you care about, so that they
can convince you that they care about them too. Thats why we want you to Ask the
Climate Question (ACQ).
The failed talks in Copenhagen and a resurgence in climate change denial are risking climate
changes status on the political agenda, but if enough people in marginal constituencies ask
or radical action on climate change, it will have to remain a key political issue. So, in order tomaximise numbers, we have joined a coalition including: Oxfam, WWF, RSPB, Christian Aid,
he World Development Movement, People and Planet, Tearfund and the Green Alliance.
Between us, we have between 7,000 and 15,000 supporters in each marginal constituency.
To make this work, we need you and your friends to seek out your Parliamentary
candidates, particularly in marginal constituencies, and ask them climate questions. And
f you want to do more, we can put you in touch with other people in your area who are
organising public meetings and events to push candidates further.
Some of the Climate Questions to ask your candidates:
What is your partys plan to make sure Britain makesthe emissions cuts required under the Climate Change Act?
What will you do to encourage renewable energy
such as wind power in the UK?
What is your position on airport expansion?
STrEET CAmpAIGnInG Tr AInInGNottingham, Saturday 13 March. Visit
www.greenpeace.org.uk/nottingham-sct for
more information and email Sue at
[email protected] to book
Lewes, Saturday 8 May. Email Evie at
[email protected] to book
Northampton, Brighton, Manchester and
Edinburgh dates are being planned, contact
Jo Melzack (below) for more information.
ThE pEnulTImATE pr InT ISSuE
After 10 years, we are stopping Network, the
final edition will be in April/May. Instead, an
e-newsletter will be distributed through
www.greenpeace.org/active so please, log on,
sign up and register with your local
Greenpeace network to receive your monthly
active supporters e-newsletter.
Aslund/Greenpeace
Buus/Greenpeace
GET ACTIVE!
Ask the Climate Question
To find out if you live in a key ACQ marginal constituency and get in touch with
others organising ACQ in your area contact your network developer.
The www.greenpeace.org.uk/acq webpage will be online from 8 March.
Train to be a lobbyist
If youre interested in regular lobbying, email your contact and constituency info to
[email protected] with Lobbyist Training in the subject line.
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