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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 getactive@uk.greenpeace.org with Trident Network

in the subject line.

Become a Trident blogger to spread the message

Contact getactive@uk.greenpeace.org 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 Sgetactive@uk.greenpeace.org

Rachael King020 7865 8174rachael.king@uk.greenpeace.org

Jo Melzack (Scotland, North England& Northern Ireland) 0161 448 1929jo.melzack@uk.greenpeace.org

Malcolm Carroll (West)

020 7865 8172malcolm.carroll@uk.greenpeace.org

Richard Martin (South England)020 7865 8178richard.martin@uk.greenpeace.org

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

take20@hotmail.co.uk to book

Lewes, Saturday 8 May. Email Evie at

eviesier@02.co.uk 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

lobbying@uk.greenpeace.org with Lobbyist Training in the subject line.