Peoples Republic of South Devon

Fooling, but it’s no joke (video)

posted by Howard

Last Tuesday was Fossil Fools Day, a day of direct action taken by hundreds of people around the world. In the UK alone there were 34 actions.

Here in Plymouth we decided to take on one of the worst climate fools – ExxonMobil. Our climate circus descended on the Esso garage in Exeter Street while our climbing climate clowns ascended to the roof. We shut the petrol station down, seven people got arrested. We were all reunited that evening to share the excitement and a few beers.

So, why did we risk our liberty and why did we choose Esso?

We risk our liberty because we are fully aware of the implications of climate change. There is absolute concensus amongst climate scientists that man-made global warming has kicked off the recent chaotic climate events, and there is much, much worse to come! I spoke with a climate scientist working with the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and he told me that we have 10 years to make 90% reductions in our carbon usage or face extinction.

Interested readers should consult the IPCC (which informs the United Nations), NASA, or our own Met. Office (Hadley Centre) for equally bleak predictions. So what on earth are ExxonMobil doing funding climate denying scientists and lobbyists that were actively involved in America’s decision not to sign Kyoto? What on earth are ExxonMobil doing promising in March of this year to increase production by more than 725,000 oil-equivalent barrels PER DAY.

What on earth are WE doing allowing the biggest oil company in the world to fuel our cars and run our lives? If we are being rational about climate chaos we must consider that some form of limit to human excesses, some form of restriction might not be such a bad idea, compared to say, our children inheriting a dying earth.

We must realise that massive social change will be needed. Corporations like ExxonMobil are programmed to profit above all else and will continue to drag us towards disaster. Our government is neither brave enough to challenge the corporations and their notions of profit nor the electorate itself… and all this time; the ice melts, the forest burns…

We’ve got to cut ourselves free! We’ve got to organise ourselves to lead localised low-carbon lifestyles and it’s going to be fun!

From the activism of Rising Tide to the community resiliance of the Transition Town movement, there are many ways to get involved, as get involved we must.

April 4th, 2008

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Running out on race

posted by Cptn

The Devon Race Equality Council (DREC) may be on its last legs, bids to the Big Lottery and Commission for Equality and Human Rights have failed, leaving the organisation without essential funding.

In the short term, Devon County Council has stepped in with an emergency rescue package which will keep the race equality council going for three months.

DREC chairman Peter Boeuf told the PRSD: “Without Devon County Council’s support the future for DREC would have been bleak indeed. The limited funding made available together with the professional help promised by the Council gives us a lifeline and will enable us to make realistic plans for the future.

“It is important to note however that unless other organisations especially in Devon and Exeter rise to the challenge of matching the generosity of the county council the comprehensive range of services currently provided for and frankly urgently required on a day to day basis by our clients may have to be reduced even further.”

April 4th, 2008

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Walk the walk

posted by Cptn

There’s so much going on in Plymouth that you can’t fail to have an opinion, even if you just think it’s ‘a good thing’. And whatever you think about cultural regeneration in the city, Plymouth Arts Centre has set up a blog so you can say it with ease.

It’s part of an online arts project, that aims to log, map and assess regeneration while getting people involved, of course.

The site is an experimental addition to the current SOS: Social Operating System for Plymouth, which is at the arts centre at the moment – a collaboration the with i-DAT, Institute of Digital Art and Technology, University of Plymouth.

Mapping Culture, which is on the blog, “was a proposition to James Coulton, assistant director of culture, sport and leisure, Plymouth City Council to create a drawing through a GPS system to map his experience and knowledge of cultural development. The task was to walk around the city locating points and references where culture is happening now and where significant changes are planned”.

Do the walk, then talk the talk – we’d all like to hear from you.

April 4th, 2008

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