Tar Monsters on the loose!

Hello Tar Monster Thwarters!

There has been an incredible flurry of action in the past 48 hours as we escalate efforts to stop the UK from blocking the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD). And these are just the highlights! For more updates, check our facebook and twitter pages.

  1. Lewes tackles the Tar Monster
  2. HM Department for Tar Sands blockaded
  3. RBS caught out for climate greenwash
  4. Love oily paintings – hate oily money

Keep up the good work everyone – we’re nearly there!

Sue and Emily

1. Lewes tackles the Tar Monster
On Saturday we whizzed down to Lewes to meet up with our friends from South Coast Climate Camp, People and Planet, Lush, and Friends of the Earth Lewes. Residents and local activists sent a clear message to their MP Norman Baker that his move to block climate policy and further the interests of the tar sands industry is not on! As part of the Tar-Free Lewes campaign, Lush have had an image of Norman Baker tarred up in their stores in Brighton for the past week.

Continuing the theme of novelty-sized props, this action was characterized by an incredible giant tar monster puppet. Weaving its way around the Lewes High Street, the monster entertained dozens of children while their parents were illuminated about the metaphorical monstrosities happening in Alberta. The local community was shocked to hear that its formerly “eco” MP is now using wrecking tactics on essential climate policy. Many residents signed a petition to be sent to Norman ahead of the vote taking place in Brussels on Friday.

2. HM Department for Tar Sands blockaded
Norman Baker has insisted that he is trying to create an even more effective fuel policy than the one on the table. Yet, as was reiterated by this morning’s new evidence, Baker’s desire to delay the current proposal and research every fuel under the sun plays right into the hands of government and industry lobbyists. If tar sands wasn’t dominating the news enough already today, Greenpeace this morning blockaded the Department for Transport and rebranded it the Department for Tar Sands. This further escalates the campaign as we approach the EU member state vote this Friday, where we will see just how successful Baker has been at diluting other states’ climate policies. To have a go at steering Norman Baker in the right direction yourself, take People & Planet’s e-action.

3. RBS caught out for climate greenwash
Earlier this year you may remember that Climate Week‘s launch event was gatecrashed by dancing Greenwash Guerrillas. As part of a coalition of groups we pointed out the absurdity of RBS – the seventh largest global funder of tar sands companies – sponsoring an event claiming to be tackling climate change. Until very recently the company looked set to be a headline partner in 2012, but just a few days ago we heard RBS has “decided not to renew its sponsorship of Climate Week” ! This is a great boost to the campaign, in the words of Platform, “it prevents RBS from fending off mounting public pressure over its climate-trashing finance portfolio by saying, “how can we be the climate bad guys – we’re sponsoring Climate Week?””
Now we just need to get them to stop funding tar sands…

4. Love oily paintings – hate oily money
If you are free tomorrow night, join us as we help Platform celebrate the release of a great publication: ‘Not if but when: Culture Beyond Oil’. The beautifully designed ‘bookette’ discusses oil sponsorship of the arts and showcases images of all the amazing creative interventions that have been taking place to save our beloved art institutions from the stench of oil sponsorship. Don’t worry if you can’t make it down, you can still get involved by signing onto this letter calling on Nick Serota to dump BP sponsorship, or ordering a copy of ‘Not if but when: Culture Beyond Oil’.

Pipe Dreams: Keystone delayed until 2013!

Dear Winners,

We know you just heard from us, but we have same amazing news! Not only have we found out that Pete and Emily have had their charges dropped for the Oil Orgy, we have also just heard that Obama has delayed the Keystone XL pipeline decision for over a year!

What a month it’s been for tar sands action: we’ve staged an orgy, quashed a propagandist, built a White House, delayed a pipeline, and unveiled our first Tar-Free Town! But there is always more to do: the battle of the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) continues, with action heading to Baker’s local constituency in coming weeks.

Remember, as the IEA recently reminded us, we only have five years to stop building carbon intensive infrastructure if we want to stop runaway climate change. Tar sands are massively carbon-intensive, but also just massively massive: no matter how much they are ‘greened’, their sheer size poses a monumental threat to the climate. So if you’re involved in tar sands campaigning, or would like to be, drop us an email and we’ll see how we can provide support and publicity for your actions, or help you get started on a campaign.

  1. Keystone pipeline update
  2. Orgy charges dropped
  3. FQD action in Lewes
  4. People and Planet Beaver Lake Cree Exchange

Massive thanks for everyone’s hard work,

Sue and Emily

  1. Keystone XL pipeline update

A culmination of months of action was reached on Sunday, when 10,000+ people gathered around the White House in DC to urge Obama to reject the proposed 1200-mile tar sands pipeline. On the same day we held a solidarity action by the US embassy where we surrounded our own miniature White House, built especially for us by the lovely Ellie. A great report by Tim is up on Indymedia.

What happened next was remarkable. The Obama administration announced yesterday it would carry out a further environmental review and research alternative routes for the pipeline, delaying any decision until early 2013. This is a great victory! The battle isn’t completely over, but as Bill McKibben points out, the pipeline (on any route) is unlikely to survive a proper environmental review, because, unlike the last assessment, this one “won’t be carried out by cronies of the pipeline company…it will be an expert and independent assessment.” Well done to all involved!

  1. Orgy charges dropped

In other happy news, Emily and Pete, who were charged with criminal damage for spilling some molasses on some chairs and a table cloth during the ‘oil orgy’, have since had their charges dropped. The prosecution decided to discontinue to the case after friendly law firm Bindmans convinced them it was not in the public interest to prosecute.

  1. FQD action in Lewes

Local action in the constituency of Norman Baker, the minister in charge of the UK’s position on the tar-sands-discouraging-FQD, will take place on Saturday 26th instead of tomorrow as originally planned. A ‘tar monster’ will roam the area and local residents will speak out against tar sands, urging Baker to remember his environmental credentials and stop working with Canada to block the EU legislation. This will contribute to the mounting national and international pressure against Baker to agree to the FQD. If you live near Lewes try and get along to this action – Baker’s constituency is a key area to target in this battle.

  1. People & Planet Beaver Lake Cree Exchange

Wednesday evening saw an emotional event at Greenpeace in London, where Chance and Crystal spoke about the tar sands impacts on their community of Beaver Lake. If you missed this, there is still time to see them, and a host of other interesting speakers and workshops, at People & Planet’s Shared Planet event this weekend in Oxford.

Pipelines, Propaganda and Personal Stories

Dear Mini-White-House-Occupiers,

Momentum is building for the Tar Sands Action this Sunday. In the US, over 5,000 people have signed up to surround the White House to encourage Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline. We’ve planned a miniature action in London – see below for details. While the pipeline is dominating the agenda in the US, here in Europe all eyes are still on the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) – important legislation discouraging tar sands oil from entering the EU, which is STILL being stalled by the UK. In other news, People and Planet’s Beaver Lake Cree Youth Exchange culminates next week with Crystal and Chance coming to talk at a variety of events around the UK.

  1. Keystone Solidarity Action: Stop the Pipeline!
  2. Challenging a tar sands propagandist
  3. Fuel Quality Directive debate goes local
  4. Chance and Crystal visit from Beaver Lake

Love and solidarity,

Emily and Sue

 

  1. Keystone Solidarity Action: Stop the Pipeline!

This Sunday 6th November, from 11am, we will surround our own miniature White House outside the US Embassy in London. The anti-pipeline movement in the US has been incredible and for the first time Obama has commented publicly on the issue, letting on that “my general attitude is, what is best for the American people? What’s best for our economy both short term and long term? But also, what’s best for the health of the American people?” It is now essential not only to support the protesters in Washington, but to show that as far away as Europe this pipeline is a matter of controversy – particularly as we face the possibility of future tar sands imports to Europe.  More details about the solidarity action on our website and facebook event.

  1. Challenging a tar sands propagandist

Understandably, the FQD is a source of much dismay within the Canadian government, and the latest propagandist sent here to ‘fight’ it was Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver. Keen to not let him speak unopposed, we turned up with banners, critical questions, and a “Greenwash Propagandist of the Year Award” to present to the minister. As it was, the audience was so critical that we were met with a whole gang of tar-stoppers in the audience! This shows that word is getting out about tar sands and university students will not be convinced by government spin. Many thanks to People and Planet for their help in making this happen. Check out some excellent media coverage we received.

  1. Fuel Quality Directive debate goes local

One of the key things for us to focus on in the next few weeks will be challenging Norman Baker, the minister responsible for the UK’s uncompromising position on the FQD.  The amazing people in his local constituency of Lewes have started to up the pressure to hold him accountable to his previous commitment in the community to the climate movement. A group of people attended his surgery, questioned him on the FQD, distributed Tar-Free-Lewes posters to Norman and held a protest outside.  A friend of Norman Baker’s writes her powerful version of events here, explaining how she feels personally let down by his moves to stall the FQD. We are planning further action in Lewes on November 12th.  If you would like to take part please contact us at the usual address info@no-tar-sands.org.

  1. Chance and Crystal visit from Beaver Lake

People and Planet are hosting a visit from two young members of a community affected by tar sands. Chance and Crystal will be speaking at a variety of events, including in London on 9th November, at Shared Planet in Oxford on 12th November, and in Birmingham on 13th November. This will be a powerful opportunity to hear about the impacts of the tar sands industry on their environment, health and the treaty rights which are meant to protect their traditional ways of life. See you there!

  • October 15, 2011
  • Posted by: No Tar Sands
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  • Newsletters

Orgies or ecocide: who are the real criminals?

Dearest Tar-Sand-Strippers,

It has been one helluva week in the world of tar-sands-stopping.  The EU Commission has come out and approved the inclusion of a separate tar sands value in the FQD! This is a victory – but only of sorts – because we now need member states to agree. The UK government, egged on by Canada, continues its opposition. So we thought it was time to up the ante.

  1. ‘Oily Orgy’ erupts at Energy Roundtable
  2. Mock trial finds Tar Sands execs guilty of Ecocide
  3. Tar-Free Towns launch!
  4. UKTSN welcome for Canadian minister at LSE
  5. Putting a spanner in the Keystone XL Pipeline Plan

Peace not Tar,

Sue and Emily

 

1. ‘Oily Orgy’ erupts at Energy Roundtable

On Tuesday 100 or so delegates attended the London Energy Roundtable to see how the UK and Canada could “share strategic thinking on the commercial opportunities” presented by Canada’s resources. The attendees consisted of oil execs, opportunistic businessmen, high level government officials such as Canadian High Commissioner Gordon Campbell – whose self-styled job description includes lobbying against the ‘quality fuels directive’ [sic!] – and, as it happened, undercover activists.

The delegates didn’t know what had hit them when only half an hour into the conference Emily and performance poet Pete the Temp, dressed as Canada and the UK, climbed onto a table and descended into a messy, vocal ‘oil orgy’. The protest demonstrated quite visually what has been happening for over two years now: a foul intimacy festering between the UK and Canada over their mutual desire to sabotage the Fuel Quality Directive. The footage had more than 27,500 hits in 48 hours and been picked up by the Washington Post, Huffington Post and Vancouver Sun! Pete and Emily were detained for 11 hours and charged with criminal damage – boo! We will let you know how they are doing in the next few weeks.

2. Mock trial finds Tar Sands execs guilty of Ecocide

A few drops of molasses spilt on the carpet pale in comparison to what the real criminals are getting away with. The good news is that oil executives themselves may soon be held liable for the criminal effects of tar sands operations. Last month we celebrated an awesome achievement for international lawyer Polly Higgins, who is working to get ‘Ecocide’ recognised as the fifth international crime against the peace. A mock trial held on 30th September found the CEOs of two fictional companies operating in Alberta’s tar sands guilty of ecocide, for their tailings ponds devastating boreal ecosystems and killing wildlife. This shows just how powerful such a law would be! Support Polly on Facebook.

3. Tar-Free Towns launch at Transition Heathrow

Today we will be celebrating the first Tar-Free Town in the UK…. Transition Heathrow! Come and celebrate the beginnings of a tar-free future at the resistance jam! Transition Heathrow is the first of hopefully many communities to become Tar-Free. Get in touch if you want to learn more about becoming tar-free. We will have a shiny website coming soon to tell you all about it…ooooooh.

4. UKTSN welcome for Canadian minister at LSE

Canada appears to be upping its PR offensive, sending Joe Oliver, Canadian Natural Resources minister to give a free public lecture at London School of Economics on October 20th to discuss Canada as a “responsible” provider of energy. Oliver has been notorious for denying the impacts of tar sands on the lives of First Nations communities and recently declaring war on the Fuel Quality Directive. We don’t want to let him get away unchallenged, so we’re going to attend and present some alternative perspectives. Drop us a line if you fancy coming with us to thwart this pro-tar-ganda.

5. Putting a spanner in the Keystone XL Pipeline Plan

Put November 6th in your diaries: we’re planning a solidarity action with people in Washington D.C. who will be circling the White House to give Obama one final shove to come to his senses and not let the Keystone XL Pipeline be built. Read more about what Keystone will mean for Tar Sands entering the UK, yuck!

Phew, tar sands stopping never stops! If you ever want to get more involved we would love to meet up and have a chat. Email info@no-tar-sands.org

Tar sands coming to the UK…?

Dear Bitumen Blockaders,

We have some very scary news: tar sands oil, while currently entering Europe at a mere trickle, may start gushing here a lot faster, and a lot sooner than we thought! Don’t panic – well, maybe panic a bit – but there is still some time to stop this.

And the good news? Following the epic White House protests earlier in the month, Canadians are now speaking out against tar sands more loudly than ever. It is truly inspiring to see people from all walks of life – activists, members of impacted First Nations, scientists, doctors, actors, writers, lawyers and many others – all heading to Ottawa to fight this destructive industry together.

1. Tar Sands on fast track to the UK?
2. Ottawa Action – today!
3. H2Oil Screening in Oxford
4. UKTSN hot on the Prime Minister’s trail

Love and minor hysteria,

Sue, Emily and Jess

1. Tar Sands on fast track to the UK?!

US company Valero has announced to its shareholders the explicit intention of bringing diesel from the Gulf Coast to the UK, while taking European gasoline back to the US. Valero’s Gulf Coast refinery is right at the end of the proposed Keystone pipeline; this would deposit unrefined tar sands syncrude at Valero’s doorstep, ready to refine and ship here. This is yet another reason why the battle against the Keystone XL pipeline is so important right now! Valero has just recently invested in various bits of infrastructure in the UK, including a refinery in Pembroke, Wales, and a thousand Texaco-branded petrol stations. There’s also no stopping other companies making similar plans given the EU has not yet implemented any effective legislation to ban tar sands.

This is all explained in more detail (including ideas on how to stop it!) in a separate blog post.

2. Ottawa Action – today!

As we write this, our friends in Canada are gearing up for a mass mobilisation against tar sands. Endorsed by dozens of organisations and individuals, the Ottawa action will see hundreds of people converge on Parliament, sending a clear message that Canadians do not want to see their government propping up the tar sands industry. Send your love and support, and keep an eye out for press coverage of the action. See the Ottawa action website and facebook pages as well as updates on our twitter.

3. H2Oil Screening in Oxford

October’s monthly OARC screening will be H2Oil, an excellent introduction to the problems surrounding tar sands. If you or anyone you know is in Oxford on October 2nd, please come along. The film is a real eye-opener, and will be followed by a discussion hosted by UKTSN. More info here.

4. UKTSN hot on the Prime Minister’s trail

PM David Cameron last week visited Ottawa to both address parliament and meet privately with Canada’s PM Harper. Not prepared to let this opportunity slide, we quickly released a statement highlighting the many inappropriate ways Canada has been meddling with EU politics, while the UK, for its part, is complicit in helping Canada push its agenda. Our statement was picked up by the Globe & Mail, who gave a good report of our position on the matter.

 

Pipeline Pressure Hots Up

Dear Pipeline Picketers,

The last month has seen a burst of action against the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, with 1,252 people arrested during two weeks of sit-ins in front of the White House. Even Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama have spoken out! But the battle is far from over – keep 7th October free for some UK solidarity action.

  1. Keystone XL action update – do you want to do a solidarity action?
  2. Moving Planet
  3. Join our team!
  4. Help Take on Tarmageddon

Get out there!
Emily, Jess and Sue

P.S. BP is London 2012 Olympic ‘Sustainability Partner’ – you’ve probably seen the billboards. Don’t get excited, BP haven’t changed tack without us noticing, they are just talking their usual nonsense, trying to gain cultural acceptance while continuing to destroy the planet. We’ve created a facebook page to begin to fight back, and it won’t be the last they hear from us!

1. Keystone XL action update – do you want to do a solidarity action?

The Keystone XL pipeline debate is coming to a head. If this 2,147 mile-long pipeline is built across the US, it will encourage further expansion of tar sands extraction and open up the tar sands export market to Europe and other countries. If stopped, it could force Alberta to rethink its plans for expansion. Despite some recent bad news from the State Department, which in its final environmental impact report stated that the pipeline “would not cause significant damage to the environment”, there is still a 90-day period for objection before Obama makes his final decision on whether to give the go-ahead. If there’s a time to shout about this, it’s now!

Following the incredible scenes of dignified direct action outside the White House these past two weeks, the action is now spreading. Our friends in Canada are organising a day of action on September 26th to call the Canadian government to account for its reckless pro-tar sands agenda. Then on October 7th activists will return to Washington to target the White House.

We’d love to do a solidarity action in the UK to coincide with this date – but we need to know if enough people are interested. So if you are, or even better, if you want to help us organise it, please drop us a line at info@no-tar-sands.org. In the meantime, join almost 750,000 people worldwide who have signed this petition asking Obama to stop the pipeline. For more info, see this nice testimony from NASA scientist James Hansen, one of the many prominent figures arrested in front of the White House.

2. Moving Planet

On August 31st we joined with 350.org and other groups around the world to hand letters to Canadian embassies criticising the government’s proactive promotion of tar sands. As we’ve seen, Canadian lobbying spans from pressuring the US to build the Keystone XL pipeline, to the consistent meddling in European policy-making which we’ve been working to expose for some time now.

350.org are now mobilising for Moving Planet on 24th September, a global day of action calling for the world to go beyond fossil fuels. There will be plenty of events going on in the UK and halting tar sands developments will be a major focus.

3. Join our team!

UK Tar Sands Network is looking for an intern to join our small Oxford-based team. You would help us with a range of activities, including organising protests and campaign events, keeping our website and social media up to date, public education, outreach and network-building, and some boring day-to-day administrative tasks that help keep the show on the road.

If you are committed to ending humanity’s dependence on dirty fossil fuels, believe in working in solidarity with frontline communities, have relevant skills and experience, and would enjoy working in an informal but hard-working atmosphere, sometimes dropping everything to rapidly respond to unfolding events on a shoe-string budget (though it’s often not as exciting as that), then find out more!

4. Help Take on Tarmageddon

Friendly filmmaker Pete Speller is currently co-directing a documentary called Taking on Tarmageddon along with Zoe Broughton. The film is being made on a shoe-string budget, and needs your help to fund it! The documentary is about an exchange project between students from the UK and young people from the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, exploring the impact of Canadian tar sands on the environment and the way of life for the First Nation communities.

What you can do to help:

BP’s spirit successfully exorcised from the Tate – for now…

Dearest brethren,

Monday saw extraordinary scenes as we joined Reverend Billy and the Church of Earthaluyah to exorcise the beast that is BP from the Tate Modern Turbine Hall. Filling the huge space inside the former power station with singing, clapping and chanting, crowds of people joined the Rev in a piece of protest performance art that was at times sombre, at times raucous, at times oily – and ultimately incredibly powerful. Watch the film (above) to find out what the hell we’re talking about.

We dedicated this action to our comrade Alex Lee, an amazing activist and all-round beautiful person, who recently died.

Meanwhile, things are hotting up across the pond. A group of prominent individuals, including Naomi Klein, Maude Barlow, James Hansen and our good friend George Poitras, have called on people across the US to take sustained direct action against the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline this summer. Activists in Montana were first off the blocks last week, with an occupation of the Governor of Montana’s offices.

Finally, the UK government is still blocking the inclusion of tar sands in the Fuel Quality Directive.
Grrrr. There’s going to be a lunchtime protest next Wednesday (27th) at Norman Baker’s London offices, where we will join with Avaaz, the Co-operative and others to hand in a petition of over 52,000 signatures. If anyone can make it, we’d love some support, so please email info@no-tar-sands.org for more details.

Earthaluyahs all round,

Jess, Sue and Emily

Dodgy trade deals, royally oily hats & an exorcism

Dear Euro-stars,

We’re off to Brussels next week, as the latest EU-Canada trade talks kick off. We’ve got a hectic schedule planned, including meetings with MEPs and a protest tour of corporate lobbyists. Then when we get back we are going to attempt an exorcism of the Tate Modern, to expel the beast that is BP, with our good friend and spiritual leader Reverend Billy.

The past week has seen the UKTSN in every major Canadian newspaper as we co-launched a range of very cheeky tar-themed haute couture hats to coincide with Will and Kate’s first state visit to Canada.

Meanwhile, some positive news on the international tar sands front – it looks like Total’s attempts to start destroying Madagascar in the name of dirty oil has had a major set-back. Hurrah! More on all this below…

Earthalujah to you all!

Jess, Sue and Emily x

PS. Petroleum Economist website recently published an article that misrepresented our campaign on the Fuel Quality Directive quite spectacularly. Our rebuttal has been published by them today…

1. Stop the Tar Sands Trade Talks

On Monday 11th July, the latest round of shady negotiations between the EU and Canada for a free trade deal (CETA) begin in Brussels. We are concerned that these negotiations could greatly increase Europe’s involvement in the tar sands industry,  giving more power to oil companies like BP, Shell and Total to overturn social and environmental regulations in their quest for the nasty black stuff, and threatening EU climate policy such as the Fuel Quality Directive. So we are going there, with our friends Jasmine Thomas from the Indigenous Environmental Network and Stuart Trew from the Council of Canadians, to raise these issues in a variety of ways, including:

− a protest outside the negotiations themselves
− a ‘Tar Sands Lobbytour’, visiting the offices of those who’ve been lobbying so hard to get tar sands into Europe, including the Canadian government, oil companies and industry associations
− a meeting inside the European Parliament, hosted by supportive MEPs, to highlight the ways in which CETA could affect Europe’s ability to curb environmentally damaging industries like the tar sands

2. Exorcise your right to protest

Brothers and sisters, a dark beast lurks within the bosom of one of our most cherished cultural institutions. While good-hearted, god-fearing gallery-goers glory in the miracle of art, the beast below is encircling the planet with its oily tentacles, destroying righteous communities, poisoning God’s beauteous creations, and bringing us all ever closer to the climate apocalypse.

And the name of that beast is BP.

For 20 long years, BP has embedded its foulness deep within the Tate, using the fair face of the arts to mask the stench of its true nature. On Monday 18 July,  @ 5:30 pm join Reverend Billy and the Church of Earthalujah, www.revbilly.com along with UK Tar Sands Network, Liberate Tate, Rising Tide, Climate Rush and Art Not Oil as we lay hands on the Tate Modern, and cast out the evil demon of BP’s oil sponsorship.

The Reverend Billy & The Church of Earthalujah will also be performing in London the previous evening (17th July) at Conway Hall. UK Tar Sands Network will be there and can promise you an amazing evening that is part theatre piece, part performance art and wholly inspirational. Join us!

Info here:

3. Haute Couture Tar and Feathering!

Last week we teamed up with Environmental Defence to make sure that royal newlyweds Will and Kate didn’t get a one-sided view of Canada on their current Royal Tour. A snazzy website and Grazia banner ads launched a range of Haute Couture hats for Kate. With a cheeky and fun nod to Canadiana, they highlighted how – in the pursuit of becoming a petro-powerhouse – Canada is no longer the peace-loving, green nation it used to be. Hats for Kate was lots of fun and we managed to reach some suprising new audiences. We were in nearly every Canadian newspaper and even got interviewed by Canadian TV!

4. Oil giant Total pauses Madagascar tar sands plans

Our friends at the World Development Movement have some good news: French oil company Total has paused its plans to mine tar sands in Madagascar! It will, however, continue its exploratory work in one of the country’s poorest regions.

Almost 1,300 people emailed Total’s CEO Christophe de Margerie in June, aiming to influence Total’s decision on mining in Madagascar. Total began to test-mine tar sands in the Melaky area of Madagascar in 2008, but this June the company’s licence to drill was due to end. It had to decide whether to move on to full scale mining of the tar sands or to abandon the project.

We now know the mining has been put on hold.

Total’s business partner, Houston-based Madagascar Oil, announced last week that the two companies would not start full-scale mining, but will continue to test for the viability of both conventional oil and tar sands extraction.

Madagascan campaigners fear that that the tar sands would disrupt and poison the water supply of up to 120,000 people in the country’s Melaky area and threaten its unique biodiversity. Campaigner Holly Ratokondralambo visited Europe from Madagascar in May to gather support for her campaign against the project, speaking to politicians, journalists and campaigners. ‘International support gives us strength,’ she said.

The Madagascar tar sands are safe in the ground – for now. Madagascar Oil has admitted the economics just don’t stack up. But Holly will need more international support to ensure that Total abandons its mining project, permanently.

Help keep the pressure on by emailing Total.

TELL NORMAN BAKER TO STOP BLOCKING TAR SANDS BAN

Dear giant petition-signers,

Thanks to everyone who came to London for Saturday’s International Stop the Tar Sands Day. If you organised something elsewhere, tell us about it!

1. International Stop the Tar Sands Day
2. Stop the UK blocking action on tar sands!
3. New briefing: ‘Stop Tar Sands Going Global’

Love and erratic weather,

Jess, Sue & Emily

1. International Stop the Tar Sands Day

Events took place around the world, gathering a storm of media. Lush stores across Europe covered people in molasses; People & Planet students up and down the UK performed ‘tarring and feathering’; and actions in Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand brought tar sands awareness to new outlets. See the international site for videos and photos of the day.

In London we were very focused on the UK’s involvement in blocking the inclusion of Tar Sands in the Fuel Quality Directive. See here for our write-up on the past few days including a video by Nancy Boulicault.

2. Stop the UK blocking action on tar sands!

Our giant petition from Saturday’s action got safely delivered to the Department for Transport on Monday. Minister for Transport Norman Baker’s getting pressure from all sides, but so far hasn’t shifted. Please add to the pressure by signing this Avaaz online petition to add to the 40,000+ people who have already expressed their concern about the UK blocking EU climate legislation.

3. New briefing: ‘Stop Tar Sands Going Global’

While Saturday may have sent a clear message that the world is watching Canada, we know that we can’t afford to let tar sands in other places slip through our fingers. We have launched a new briefing, outlining some of the likely countries being targeted for tar sands exploitation – unless we can stop it. See our resources page for more info, or download it directly.

Meanwhile, the World Development Movement (WDM) is leading the fight to cajole French oil giant Total out of the Madagascan tar sands. If you haven’t already, write to Total’s CEO.

UK is blocking Tar Sands progress – take action on 18th June

Dear Tar Sands truth-tellers,

We are so excited to see that cities around the world are mobilising for an international day of action against the Tar Sands this month!

It couldn’t come at a better time as the UK government has apparently given in to Canada’s attempts to stop an important piece of European climate legislation going through parliament, which could see Tar Sands banned from Europe.

1.    International ‘Stop the Tar Sands’ day

2.   UK bends to Canada’s bullying

3.   Tar-iffic Triathlon!

Love and resistance,

Emily, Sue and Jess

1.  International ‘Stop the Tar Sands’ day

There is an incredible array of marches, protests, critical masses, subverted sports and installations being planned for Saturday, June 18th, as international ‘Stop the Tar Sands’ day hits cities all over Europe and North America. If you are in London, join us at the Canadian High Commission at noon, with sombre messages and flowers as we mark the sacrifice of life that has already taken place for Tar Sands extraction. Bring banners, cameras, flowers and messages, and prepare to create a giant petition to the UK government. Entertaining speakers, music and a game of oily volleyball will follow.

In other parts of the UK you can team up with your local People & Planet group who have some ‘Tarred and Feathered’ shenanigans planned. Find out more here and contact tarsands@peopleandplanet.org to get involved.

You can also attend a screening of Dirty Oil at the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth, organised by the Co-op.

2. UK bends to Canada’s bullying!

 

 

If you have been following us lately you may know that Canada has been on an all-out offensive to try and stop European legislation from going ahead which would effectively ban Tar Sands imports into Europe, known as the Fuel Quality Directive. Some good news is that today a resolution was passed in the European Parliament which stated that the EU should not bow to this pressure. Although the EU is currently in trade talks with Canada, MEPs have expressed commitment to addressing the concerns we all have with emissions and environmental destruction from the Tar Sands.

 

Unfortunately the UK government has been much more swayed by Canada’s Tar Sands PR and is now standing in the way of the Fuel Quality Directive. At our protest on June 18th people will sign onto a creative petition to Norman Baker, Transport Minister, urging the UK not to bow down to crude Canadian lobbying. We willhand-deliver the petition to the Department for Transportat lunchtime on Monday 20th June. Let us know if you can come alongby emailing info@no-tar-sands.org

3.  Tar-iffic Triathlon!

To raise some much-needed funds to help the UK Tar Sands Network keep doing what we do, the amazing Ellie Smith is going to be doing a 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and a 10km run. Incredible!  So if you fancy helping us out and egging Ellie on, take a look at her Facebook page and sponsor her.