As another summer gets underway, climate change activists around Europe and around the world are ‘heating things up’ and mobilising towards this December’s UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen (www.peoplesclimateaction.net). With climate related camps and gatherings popping up all over the place, this month’s newsletter takes a closer look.
- What is a Climate Action Camp?
- Climate Camp Denmark (July 11-19)
- Climate Camp UK: Scotland (Aug 3-9), Wales and England (Aug
- Climate Camp Ireland
- Belgian/Dutch Climate Camp (Aug 3-9)
- Climate Camp France (Aug 3-8)
- Climate Camp around the world: Australia, US and India
- WISE Climate and Energy Summer School
- Via Campesina Reclaim the Fields
Climate Camp Denmark – http://camp09.dk
KlimaCamp09 is colorful mixture of summer camps, festivals, workshops, art, culture, music and climate activism. Combined, it will bring a new angle to the climate crisis, where the alternatives will be both explored, discussed and put into use. It is going to be a camp which aims to give all the participants a feeling of being part of a local solution to a global challenge.
In Copenhagen, from July 11-19, you will be able to participate in the process of achieving a more sustainable way of life. Come and experience performance, culture and art with a focus on the climate. Participate in and help shape over 100 workshops, debates, excursions and other projects.
Camp Climat France – http://www.campclimat.org
Activists campaigning against the proposed construction of a new airport 16 kilometers north of Nantes (Loire-Atlantique, 44) have announced a climate camp from the 3 – 9 August. The basic principles of the autonomous camp are: a minimal ecological footprint, strong local links, strong media impact, educational activities and exchanges, development of networks, and communal living with food at prix libre (contribute as you can afford). The camp forms part of a week of resistance at the site with a music festival on the 1 August, and an annual local picnic on the 2 August.
Climate Camp Scotland – http://climatecampscotland.org.uk/
This summer – as those in power once again place the economy over planet and people – we’re building a movement that is prepared to do what it takes to radically resist the growing threats of climate change, ecocide and corporate fascism.
We understand that a radical analysis of our society is necessary for effective resistance. So in order to extend and discuss this analysis we’re putting on: Boiling Over – Scotland’s Gathering for Climate Action between 11th-14th June in Glasgow and an info tour throughout the summer.
We need to take urgent action to address this disaster. So that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to set up camp somewhere around the Forth Estuary between 3rd-10th August and use it as a base for direct action.
Climate Camp Cymru (Wales) –http://climatecampcymru.org
Supporting the campaign to stop the Ffos-y-Fran open cast coal mine, Climate Camp Cymru will take place in South Wales from August 13-16. Four days of sustainable living, workshops and direct action to face up to the root causes of climate change in Wales.
Climate Camp Ireland – http://www.climatecamp.ie
Climate camp is for anyone who cares about climate change and wants to do something real about it. We are organizing a camp, to take place from August 15 – 23, where people who are concerned about climate change can gather, live, learn and take action together. We believe it’s time to stop the damaging policies of our government and climate polluting industries in Ireland – peat cutting and burning, coal burning, our transport dominated by cars, airport expansion plans and unnecessary emissions from agriculture. We believe it’s time to tackle the root causes of climate change. We want to explore the solutions, and we want to live them.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0813/1224252480500.html
Climate Camp UK – http://www.climatecamp.org.uk
In 2009 Climate Camp is hitting the city, concentrating on the underlying cause of climate change, airport expansion and coal-fired power stations: our economic system. We camped at the G20 in London on April 1st, and we’re still keeping a close eye on E.ON & Kingsnorth. In the Summer we’ll be pitching our tents in a city again, and come December we’ll be making sure that the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen becomes the hottest topic in town.
Every Camp for Climate Action event weaves four key themes: education, direct action, sustainable living, and building a movement to effectively tackle climate change both resisting climate crimes and developing sustainable solutions.
Everybody is welcome, so hopefully see you there. August 27 – September 2.
Climate Camp South Australia
September 9th, Port Augusta: www.climatecampsa.org
Climate Camp New Zealand/Aeotearea – http://www.climatecamp.org.nz
Right now people are coming together to tackle the crisis of climate change by creating a Climate Camp in New Zealand – to explore the problems and challenges we face, to share ideas, skills, education, enthusiasm and most importantly to act now! The camp is not just a single event. It’s part of an ever growing movement of diverse people who are alive to the fact that radical changes are essential and are making them happen. It is not about the experts, nor the governments, but about us. The necessary solutions already exist; we just need to put them into practice. Dates and location to be announced.
Hi, a while ago there was an email on the list about a protest camp against the coal-shipping in Sevastpol, Ukraine. Here are some more practical information about it. Coordinates of the initiators of the camp: Maksim Zhuravlev, P. O. Box 132 98600 Yalta AR Krym Ukraine e-mail: aktivirovannyj.ugol@gmail.com +3 8 (068) 878 01 77 (Aleksey) +3 8 (093) 099 75 82 For more information, contact initiators of the camp by any means you want. Practical info about the camp opening and the beginning of the camp will be from 7 August. The camp will be held until September. Place to camp under the city of Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine. Living in tents, the donations (contribution) to food, U.S. $ 2 a day. 1.food: - Make the local population - Order (buy) - Ask (environmentalists, etc.) - Gather (fruit, vegetables) 2. Information Center (it is composed of members with the skills: translation into foreign languages, Lawyer, writing agitational material, journalist etc.) 1) when people arrive at the entrance is obliged to fill in the registration form in which must be indicated: - Name; - Whence learned on ekoсamp; - Duration of stay in the camp; - Main activity in the camp; - Which is actively involved. In addition, people should have to go with preparing proposals, ideas, what he was going to say, to change experiences and to recruit him. We going to camp activities, rather than planning. 2) advocacy: - Formation of prizyov, leaflets, advertisements, letters, resolutions, appeals, complaints, claims, abstracts of technical and material, reports, articles, brochures, should be prepared prior to the opening of camp sidelines, slogans, etc. - Communication with the press, the local population, Internet news information dissemination; 3) an order of camp life (duty), update calendar, preparing for debates. Possible topics for discussion: - Experience of Angarsk (as to avoid the incident); - Experience ekoсamps, ekoactions; - Self-defense; - Self; - How to live without unnecessary cost in the camp; - How to make the necessary subject of improvised tools (banner, template, etc.); - Climate change and global warming; - Security at events; - Sat and kontrkultury; - Results of different directions; - Activity and the state, private organizations, grants; - The essence of the names and ways organizations. For your calendar: - This day in history; - Day today; - Actions of solidarity with other protest movements, anti and shares (as an example of a global day of climate change). 4) recreation, entertainment, cultural events (Flashmobs, games, carnivals, concerts, movies), protests etc. 5) selection and preparation place for meetings, protests, interviews, other activities. 3. Financial and technical part: needed in the first place: a tent, tents, sleeping bags, karimaty, toilet, shower, drain, kitchen to the sheets of iron stoves, firewood, tools, the means of self-lighting, speakers, projector, musical instruments, generator, garbage cans (inverted 2-liter plastic bottles or paekty prisobachennye to stick every 100 meters), information booths, materials for banners, banners and more., area for general assembly and local groups. 1) Medical - a list of available and needed medications; Duty medical orderly(санитар); 2) the financial part - the list of available revenues, the estimates for dues (donations) on food, materials, fund for emergencies. " *Call to protest camp against construction of a coal-shipping terminal to Sevastopol (Crimean peninsula, Ukraine) From 7th of August* Stevedore company «Avlita» wants to construct a coal-shipping terminal to Sevastopol. According to plan, terminal may load ships of up to 140 000 tons, with 16.5 meters of draught. Avlita company wants to build 150 meters of new berth, and dig 17 meter deep port, and also to build a new railway to the port. Coal will be transferred from railway to ships and vice versa. Planned scale of the operation will correspond to full annual production of 5 coal mines. And this is just one of the four planned terminals. Second planned terminal will transfer up to 6 million tons of coke and metals a year. It is planned to be constructed to area of a fish port in Kamyshovoy bay. In other side of the Kamyshovoy bay a third terminal is planned to be built, for transport of up to 1 million tons of kaolonite a year, besides these three projects there is also a plan to build a port for condensed gas in Interman. Already now, there is a grain terminal in Sevastopol, which is creating dust which makes life of local inhabitants intolerable. People are having respiratory problems and noise is also disturbing. There are already protests being organized against the port, so what will happen when when coal terminal is constructed? If in the past company was hiding their intentions, now they try to actively proof, that coal terminal will not be useful for the city, bringing economical gains (investment is estimated to be 850 millions of khryvnias). Project is not even officially called a terminal anymore but «universal shipping complex». Construction alone will cause a number of ecological disasters, such as spoiling of waters and death of everything living in the bay. When coal terminal will be exploited, city will be filled with coal dust and noise from harbor and railway. Coal will include also small amounts of Germanium, Beryllium, Boron, Antimony, Cobalt, Nickel, Copper, Chrome and Selenium. Thus spreading coal dust may pollute surroundings with heavy metals. Coal my also catch fire by itself, which happens at times at the stores at the mines. Exploitation of the terminal will mean that huge amount of coal dust will be released a year (company Avlita itself estimates amount of 300 000 tons a year). And coal dust, as is known, may cause various respiratory diseases such as Silicosis, which is a professional disease of miners. Tens of tons of the dust will not only cover walls of the houses and historical artifacts of the city built from white stone, but it will also make its way to lungs of the inhabitants, thus causing risk of lung cancer. It is widely known, that all of the Crimean peninsula has an unique, and relatively clean nature, it could be a nature park. Also one should not forget the streams in the sea - water from Sevastopol moves towards Yalta and around the whole Crimean, that is that any local pollution in the city area will influence directly peninsula, and sea as a whole. But in the upper echelons of the power, everything is already decided. Anti-monopoly committee of Ukraine allowed the purchase of «Alvita», «Sevmorzavod» and «Morskoy Industrialniy kompleks» by «Metalukr holding limited», registered in tax heaven of Cyprus, which is connected to group «Metinvest» of Rinata Akhmetova (through company System Capital Management). City authorities became more loyal to interests of big capital, and 2nd of September City council voted for giving company 6 hectares for warehouses and 0.6 hectares for building a train station (4.1 hectares is given for the new railway for the terminal). Also, government of Ukraine made a decision of leasing a part of the waters and land area of the city for Avlita, which announced that it will do reconstruction with its own funds. Question of reconstruction is currently on agenda of state committee under chairmanship of vice-premier Andrei Klyuev. Why a protest camp and why now? People, who work in Alvita, are confirming that construction has already started, railroads are being built, company is preparing to receive shippings. We should not allow the construction, as if we react slowly, soon it will be too late. There has been a series of protest meeting by inhabitants. Every time, inhabitants understand that politics are never going to solve problem of average people by cooperation with them, thus after each such history people will understand, that problems must be solved on their own, without official masters and other such «defenders of peoples' interests». Official hearing on the project were organized in the city, but society was not invited - inhabitants were «presented» by workers of Alvita, who were forced to take part by the administration. In end of summer of 2008 inhabitants challenged organization of hearings in the court, but courts are playing time, and proceedings have still not started. When hearings were organized and people were disagreeing with the development, authorities accepted a new procedure «on public hearings», which is substantially decreasing rights of the people to organisation of such events. Authorities do not care about opinion of the city inhabitants, and inhabitants of the neighboring regions. Organization of hearings is interfered, city council is making decisions before planned referendum has been organized. It is obvious, that we are being betrayed. «Democratic methods» of the society to influence decision-making of the politicians and business men are giving nothing, it is time for direct action. Every two weeks local inhabitants are organizing different kinds of protest actions - pickets, meetings, concerts, car rallies etc. Every city inhabitants, even those who have their own economical interests in launching the terminal, know that it endangers nature. It is important to support both those, who already are joining the protests and those, who are only thinking about such an alternative. And we also should not forget, that negative ecological consequences of the work of the coal terminal are not limited to local level. It is time for us to open our eyes and to see, that we are being poisoned, and that we have alternatives. Alternatives against capitalism and its unnatural and inhuman ways to gain profit. And alternative is alternative energy and alternative production. Alternatives Big corporations attempt to profit from «alternative» means of energy, but they know that there are sources of energy, which are practically inexhaustible - that is solar, wind, tide and geothermal energy. And it is not a problem of access to these sources of energy, but in technology which makes possible to exploit it. Today a variety of technologies are existing which would allow solution of these problems, if they were not forced to compete in the market with already existing corporations of the energy sector. And these are just few examples, of accessible sources of renewable energy. With the time, we will find more of them. If you think about it, it is obvious that we have enormous quantities of energy, and it is possible to go without pollution of the environment, without traditional means of protection of the environment and also without money. One should not destroy so much nature that you must protect it! It is difficult to talk about alternative metallurgy in a country, where such an enormous amount of different kinds of coal is mined. However with the current state of global environment is itself putting the question to order of day. On this question, such as with the question of alternative sources of energy, there are many myths which are used by those who benefit from polluting the planet. Huge scale of production, big variety of different goods produced and complexity of the production of steel, cast iron and alloy, mean that corporations of black metallurgy is one of the main sources of harmful emissions to atmosphere. It is often said that there are no alternatives to coke and metallurgy, but it is not true. They are just not currently profitable, and because of that you, your children, closed ones and friends are breathing smog and will get cancer. Thus we, participators of collective «Activated goal» are against construction of the coal shipping terminal, and we call you to joint protest camp, which starts 7th of August and we are demanding a total halt of the construction project! We demand to stop construction of such a dangerous object inside city limits of Sevastopol, to the coast of Black Sea and to any other place. We demand transition to alternative energy, to ecological metallurgy and other means of production. For ecologically clean and wasteless lifestyle! Goal of the camp is also to invite people from other regions and countries to defend ecology of the Black Sea, and to enlarge ecological movement in Ukraine, and also to empower movement for alternative energy and ecological production in the whole world.
Dear all, From the 30th of September to the 4th of October 2009, young people of the European Coordination Via Campesina organize a European camp in Minerve, Southern France. The camp aims at gathering people who wish to settle in agriculture, who are young peasants, landless peasants and/or who want to recover food sovereignty. You are welcome to take part to it and/or to propose activities in the camp. The camp is organized around four big topics: - Becoming Peasant. Youth, settling on land and peasant agriculture. - Working together to help each other, cooperation and collective activities - Peasant agriculture and agroecology. What major changes need to happen in order to "cool down the earth”? - Understanding the current situation of agriculture, strengthening our solidarity and our capacity for taking action : how to join our struggles in defending the peasants of tomorrow Please find attached the poster and the call for the camp: don't hesitate to circulate it around you. You can contact us by sending an e-mail to camp2009@reclaimthefields.org. We are looking forward to meet you in Cravirola! Morgan