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BP attempts to silence Community Resistance to BP’s ‘Extreme Energy’ at Annual General Meeting

Five years after the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, representative of devastated communities from Gulf Coast confronts BP board over failure to address environmental and social damage. Solidarity activists refused entry into the meeting.    Suzanne Dhaliwal (UK Tar Sands Network) on +44 (0)7772694327 Today, outside the BP Annual General Meeting, UK Tar Sands Network, CoResist and Rising Tide held up a 30ft colourful fishing net decorated with messages, images, and slogans from the coastal communities who still feel the impacts of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Monday, 20th April 2015 marks the 5th anniversary of the offshore drilling accident that killed eleven workers and spewed over 4.9 million barrels of oil  into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days.  “Once abundant oyster, shellfish and fin fish populations […]

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Facebook infographic

Two Energy Futures: we don’t need fossil fuels to power the world

New interactive infographic based on latest research demonstrates that by 2035 everyone on the planet can have a high-quality lifestyle, fuelled by existing clean energy technologies Explore the infographic Today we are launching a groundbreaking new web resource, which brings to life two possible models of energy production and consumption for the year 2035. The first, ‘Fossil-Fuelled Future‘, is the future the International Energy Agency forecasts we are heading for if governments and fossil fuel companies follow through on their current promises on energy and climate change. This future is not the worst-case scenario – it’s the best that politicians and businesses are currently offering us. In this world, global temperatures will rise by at least 4 to 6°C this […]

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Tar Free Oxford

Oxford Becomes Europe’s First ‘Tar-Free City’

[Post first published on the Tar-Free Towns website] June 25, 2013: Yesterday evening, in a near-unanimous vote, Oxford City Council declared itself a ‘Tar-Free City‘ by voting in favour of a motion (see below) tabled by Green Party councillor Sam Hollick. This makes Oxford the first city in Europe to reject the use of highly-polluting tar sands oil, by adjusting the policies governing the procurement of fuel to the Council for municipal use. It comes as Europe faces the real possibility of tar sands oil being importehttps://www.no-tar-sands.org/files/category/latestupdates/d in large quantities for the first time. the canadian tar sands are the largest energy project on earth, and oil companies are increasingly turning to this ‘unconventional’ source of fuel. However, tar sands […]

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Around 50 protesters turned out at UK Parliament to protest Harper - credit Rajan Zaveri

Stop Harper!: Canadian PM met by multiple tar sands protests in London

– Stephen Harper met by large crowd of protesters from 30 environmental and human rights groups – Five activists arrested after blocking the entrance to Harper’s speech and scaling the roof of Parliament – 6 MPs table an Early Day Motion to keep tar sands out of Europe – Harper criticised for using trip to lobby against EU climate legislation and spread misinformation – Brigette DePape’s iconic ‘Stop Harper’ page protest recreated outside Houses of Parliament Facebook photogallery Today, Canada’s controversial leader Stephen Harper was met by three separate protests as he attempted to deliver a prestigious speech to both Houses of the UK Parliament. He arrived in the UK on Tuesday, and has been using the trip to lobby […]

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Tar Sands protests to greet Canadian PM as he addresses Parliament

Tomorrow, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in London to address both Houses of Parliament, in advance of the G8 summit. This is the first time in nearly 70 years the honour has been extended to a Canadian leader. But his visit will be greeted by anti-tar sands protests outside, and an Early Day Motion from MPs calling on the UK government to support EU legislation discouraging future tar sands importshttps://www.no-tar-sands.org/files/category/latestupdates/. the protest has transatlantic support from 30 organisations, including greenpeace uk, council of canadians, friends of the earth – england wales and northern ireland, the canadian indigenous tar sands campaign and the world development movement. concern in the uk over the impact of tar sands extraction has grown steadily in […]

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Eriel Deranger, Robert Thompson, Ron Plain, by Ben Powless

Indigenous communities oppose ‘extreme energy’ at Shell’s AGM

Shell to face barrage of criticism tomorrow over financially risky and environmentally damaging new projects. As the business case for tar sands extraction falters, Arctic drilling is suspended, and the company is investigated for price fixing, Shell’s board will be under pressure to defend the direction it is taking at its AGM in The Hague on Tuesday 21 May. You can watch a live webcast of the event if you register. Two Indigenous women, representing communities impacted by Shell’s operations abroad, will attend the AGM to confront the Chairman and Board over the massive human and ecological rights violations and economic devastation that the company’s operations bring to Indigenous communities. They will argue that Shell’s decision to pursue highly risky […]

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FOEE and UKTSN Brussels protest

UK caught in battle over Canadian tar sands

Leading scientists in London today to advise UK government on tar sands damage Leak reveals government’s pro-tar sands stance, Norman Baker’s response unconvincing Second Canadian Minister in two weeks visits UK on lobbying mission Comprehensive new tar sands fact-check website launches Today the UK government is under fire for rejecting an EU proposal to classify oil from tar sands as highly polluting, a label that would deter EU countries from importihttps://www.no-tar-sands.org/files/category/latestupdates/ng it. as revealed in the guardian yesterday, the uk government supports a controversial methodology for the eu’s fuel quality directive (fqd) legislation which would treat tar sands oil the same as conventional oil, despite it being 23% more polluting. transport minister norman baker has hit back at the allegations, […]

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The protest begins!

Outrage in Oxford as University launches partnership with Shell

Protests from students, staff and alumni as Energy Minister Ed Davey attends opening ceremony   Today Oxford University launched a new research partnership with Shell, and opened the Shell Geoscience Laboratory. The ceremony was attended by Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Andrew Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University and Alison Goligher, Shell’s Executive Vice-President for Unconventionals. The partnership with the Earth Sciences Department has drawn criticism from alumni, staff and students in a letter published in today’s Guardian. There are over 75 signatories (with more continuing to come in) including prominent environmentalists Jonathon Porritt, George Monbiot and Jeremy Leggett, Emeritus Fellow of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute Brenda Boardman, and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare […]

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Activists rally outside G8 and send Kerry a message: Say No to Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline

LONDON — Approximately 60 activists, including some from Texas and the Gulf Coast, gathered outside the G8 foreign ministers’ meeting at Lancaster House in London today to tell US Secretary of State John Kerry to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, address the global climate crisis, and keep tar sands out of Europe. Over the past month, activists have confronted Kerry and President Obama at nearly all of their public appearances, including an event last week that drew over 1,000 people in San Francisco to a rally outside of an Obama fundraiser. This is the first time a US politician has been met with an anti-Keystone protest on foreign soil. The activists were joined by representatives of Texas and […]

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Pembrokeshire community urges Nick Clegg to keep tar sands oil out of Europe

Member of local group travels to London to present petition Today Eleanor Clegg, Llangolman resident and member of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, was joined by a coalition of concerned citizens and campaigners to present a petition to Nick Clegg in Whitehall, London. The petition, organised UK Tar Sands Network, 350.org, Campaign Against Climate Change, People & Planet, and Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, urged the Deputy Prime Minister to support the EU Fuel Quality Directive (FQD), legislation which will discourage imports https://www.no-tar-sands.org/files/category/latestupdates/of tar sands oil to europe. the petition pointed out that increasing amounts of tar sands oil are expected to be imported to the uk, especially via valero‘s refinery in Pembroke. Valero, a key supporter of the Keystone […]

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