Camp for climate action!

[Matt S]

ag,

Whats with your extremely defensive reaction?

As someone who played a part in the fundraising for this event (as a favour), works next to the office of many of the people involved in organising it, and works full time on climate change action, I think I have earned the right to say what I think - or are we in activist doublethink land, where no-one is allowed to question or ask whether putting effort in a certain direction is the best use of energy?

This has nothing to do with the Green Party, or my involvement in it - I was a direct action activist and climate change activist well before I even joined the Greens - I'm trying to constructively criticise the Climate Camp initiative. Which, apparently, isn't allowed.

Matt

 

[llantwit]

You're living in cloud cuckoo land if you think that soley by changing individual behaviour within communities alone is going to solve the problem. We need radical action from governemnt, and that is only going to happen if people demand it.
I've just watched the News24 bulliten, and they're discussing how Drax is THE most polluting power station, which has not happened before. This action is making people aware of thingsa that were not widely known before.

Totally - to emphasise individual behaviour as the most important thing to change is shortsighted. Corporate anf govt behaviour is also pretty key, here, isn't it? And that's what big actions like this can ram home.

 

[llantwit]

Mat, I think you haven't even bothered to read the climate camp programme, if you had, you would see your comments are misguided.
What's wrong, are you feeling gutted that the Green party had no part in this dynamic initiative?

Bit personal there AG?

 

[Matt S]

llantwit,

Fair dos. Perhaps my earlier posts were a bit *too* critical - for clarification, I'm not suggesting that the Camp will achieve nothing, or that its 'pointless' in the style of some other posters. I'm just suggesting that, in my view, energy could have been better spent to achieve *more*.

Matt

P.S. ag - I'm certainly not suggesting that individual action alone will change the problem....much of it is rooted not only in governmental but in the industrial/capitalist system. What I'm saying is that (IMHO) the best way to get people to *realise* that is to pour our efforts into community organising which begins withlifestyle change and education/outreach - not a big DA campaign.

 

[llantwit]

Okely Dokely.

 

[aurora green]

Whats with your extremely defensive reaction?

If I'm defensive, it's because I am so delighted to see action like this happening, and think there are plenty enough people, with great power, slating it, without people who are on the same side joining in.

 

[In Bloom]

My point is that while this is clearly so, yet at the same time the issues involved do become more part of the public conversation, if you will. Animal rights are more important now than they were when all that stuff kicked off. I strongly disagree with the people who do it, but it some ways they might claim their course has been vindicated.

It's a more visible issue, but people are far more hostile to the idea than they were before. This sort of shit only hurts a cause.

 

[treelover]

Matt,

I think you have been misinformed: the camp was incredible, amazingly efficient and very supportive towards the disabled etc. I would say it was groundbreaking, possibly historic and a living example of how communities 'could ' live together sustainably with a focus on how 'this message could be taken to a wider world. There was also hundreds of workshops, talks, and plenty of interaction/networking. I for one will be looking at my ecological footprint and am thinkng more deeply about the environment. As for the action, that wasn't for me, but each to their own and it does seem now to be generating massive publicity.

Life at the Climate Camp - a personal perspective

Poppy | 30.08.2006 22:06 | Climate Camp 2006 | Ecology | Education | Free Spaces | Leeds Bradford | London

I think it's important to get across to others not here, that this camp is a great example of people working together to create a vibrant living environment. It's probably been noted elsewhere in reports on Indymedia or other websites, but I've been really impressed with the whole set-up here - from disabled compost loos, to fab food served up three times a day without fail at each of the five camp neighbourhood kitchens, to impromptu singing sessions at night, to kids play and workshop areas, to an Indymedia field media centre complete with satellite link-up. And not to mention the impressive array of workshops about different aspects of climate change going on every day.

The toilets: for some of us, it's been a new experience! From Thursday onwards, teams of volunteers have constructed timber-frame compost toilets around the site. The seats are positioned above wheely bins, with buckets of sawdust to aid the composting process, and more volunteers cart the bins off when they're full and replace them with empty ones. There are thoughtfully and well constructed toilets onsite for the less abled, as well as a dedicated kids toilet block (the same, just in minature The basic principle is that the compost loos are poo only, with separate areas with straw bales for peeing on. For peeing, the gals have a set of strawbales with a wooden platform over for squatting on - modesty is preserved by means of a tarp screen. The girls have been joking about getting nicely tanned bums from all that exposure to the sun, but it's been a hoot chatting while peeing, with great views of the camp (not so good views of Drax too...). Again, volunteers are replacing the bales when needed, although to be honest none of the loos - bales or wheely bins - have been smelly at all.

Tea-tree oil and aloe vera handwash is at every tap, and waste water is captured in buckets and put through a grey water recycling system which was built on site. The kitchen waste water is also filtered and then distributed in pipes to soakaway areas to prevent the ground from getting boggy. Everyone is encouraged - and is adhering to - not wasting water, but using only as much as needed. Recycling bins are everywhere on the site, and you have to search hard to find a scrap of discarded litter.

The various neighbourhood kitchens have all been great too. Teams of kitchen volunteers must be working round the clock - and all managing to be friendly and helpful (the meals have been pretty much always on time too!). Special care has been taken to make sure the kitchens rotate allergy-free meals each day, so everyone can be sure to find meals that they can eat without fear of allergic reactions. Each kitchen has its own menu style - for example, Scotland stated quite clearly they would be having bacon 'n sausages! Most kitchens have been serving well-balanced vegan/veggie meals, all for donations to cover costs. Folks wash their own dishes etc. after eating, and this system seems to have been working pretty well.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/349545.html

 

[Matt S]

Dear all,

I think I'm not getting my point across, apologies. I'm really glad that the Camp is working well, getting publicity, friendly/well organised etc. Indeed, I'm not surprised, because I've been involved to some extent in my worklife with its organisation, and the people doing the work are great.

However, I don't think that putting on workshops and actions for the kind of people who have the inclination and time to spend a week in a field to talk about climate change should be the focus for our movement. The focus should be engaging the kind of people who *won't* have that inclination, or don't as yet. And yes, of course its not an either/or, and of course the Camp will enthuse people which is a good thing. I am simply not convinced that the outcomes from it are worth the input of energy and time by committed activists. For me, convincing people like my family and their friends (who would never ever in a million years dream of going on a Climate Camp or something like it) in *their own communities*, on their own terms, is much more productive.

I'm not saying that the Camp won't achieve anything - just that if (IMO) you have two options, one of which is much more effective in creating change than the other, it makes little sense to dedicate loads of effort to the less effective one - especially when the more effective one is massively under-resourced and under-exploited.

Oh well, sorry to be a wet blanket. Of course I'm glad that people are doing *something* and the people at the Camp have my solidarity, support etc. I just want to offer some constructive strategic ideas as well.

Matt

P.S. The reason I am saying this is that I think climate change is a different issue than many others. It's not something that is conducive (IMO) to proper DA targetting or pressure. It's a global issue which needs to be dealt with, more than any other (although they all do to some extent) by community outreach and mobilisation. DA makes us feel good, and gets some publicity - but will do bugger all to change the behaviour of the average personon the street....*or*, crucially, their attitude to the problem, to industry, their outrage at governmental inaction, etc etc.

P.P.S. I'll stop stirring the pot now, as I should do some work. Being as I'm meant to be working on climate change.

 

[In Bloom]

However, I don't think that putting on workshops and actions for the kind of people who have the inclination and time to spend a week in a field to talk about climate change should be the focus for our movement.

Thank you.

This is what I've been saying for months (usually responded to with a mixture of abuse, derrission and acusations).

 

[treelover]

But thats what they were doing:confused, all the time

It's a global issue which
needs to be dealt with, more than any other (although they all do to some
extent) by community outreach and mobilisation.

 

[In Bloom]

Anyone interested in buying this fabulous bridge?

 

[In Bloom]

More seriously, the activist milleu come out with this same "building up to community action" rhetoric in an attempt to justify every stupid thing they do. Leaving aside the fact that it never actually happens (just look at the grand claims they made about the now defunct Dissent network), it's elitist as fuck.

 

[TeeJay]

...What right do these people have to disrupt the ordinary lives of perhaps thousands of people?...

Isn't the same thing said every time there is a rail or tube strike or any other industrial action by public workers?

 

[In Bloom]

Isn't the same thing said every time there is a rail or tube strike or any other industrial action by public workers?

The two aren't even comparable.

For a start, an industrial action has some chance of working. Furthermore, a strike is an attack on the bosses of a company, not the working class.

 

[TeeJay]

Thank you.

This is what I've been saying for months (usually responded to with a mixture of abuse, derrission and acusations).

Except unlike Matt you haven't made any actual constructive suggestions of your own, particularly about climate change, just loads of negative sniping.

 

[treelover]

Yes, whats happening to you, IB? the camp was amazing and will be a blueprint for future sustainable activities worldwide. I am totally for community action, (see the next anouncement about benefit campaign) and certainly take your point about elitism, certainly hidden hierachies, but this was on a different scale.

 

[In Bloom]

Except unlike Matt you haven't made any actual constructive suggestions of your own

That's partly because I'm sceptical of the possibility of achieving anything of any use whatsoever at the moment wrt climate change.

 

[treelover]

So if you have 'issues' about activism, social change, people, etc at the moment as we all do from time to time, imo, its not a good idea to diminish others activities, unless its the SWP of course

 

[In Bloom]

So if you have 'issues' about activism, social change, people, etc at the moment as we all do from time to time, imo, its not a good idea to diminish others activities, unless its the SWP of course

If we can't debate tactics, we may as well do nothing at all, how else are we going to make sure our actions are always effective and worthwhile?

 

[greenman]

I must say I agree with Matt on this one - posted this on my Blog the other day about the various "green" stories circulating the media :

A Climate Change Action Camp has been set up on squatted land near Drax Power Station in England. The camp is to draw peoples attention to the contribution of dirty old coal fired power stations to global warming and give a space for activists to meet, discuss and plan. So far, so good. There are plans apparently to blockade or invade the plant to symbolically "shut it down" for a period of time. Spokespeople for the protestors have been quote on the media as saying they want Drax immediately shut down and this in turn has been attacked by the National Union of Mineworkers amongst others.

Coming in a week where two big environmental stories in Britain have been "spy chips" in wheelie bins and the New Labour think tank IPPR arguing for something which sounds suspiciously like Ireland's notorious "Bin Tax" on waste, the Climate Change action raises further questions about what is meaningful action for Greens, and what is counter productive. As a libertarian ecosocialist I have problems with all these proposals.

The media are able to present the climate change action as unreasonable, with no practical proposals - as the NUM representative pointed out that rapidly closing Britain's coal fired power stations at the moment would cause the "lights to go out". Aggressively calling for industrial closures has bad memories for miners and others in the energy industry. It drives a wedge between campaigners and workers. From an ecosocialist perspective, miners and energy workers are potential allies in calling for technical changes that will make a "fossil fuel bridge" to a largely renewables based energy system possible. Clean coal and carbon capture technology must be a common demand. Of course energy consumption and demand must also be reduced and there is much scope for energy efficiency, micro/local generation, fast expansion of renewables etc. But the question is, how do we counter the demand for a new generation of nuclear power, or avoid the import of nuclear or fossil fuel generated energy from Europe? There must be planned conversion, under democratic control, from dirty fossil fuel (and Drax is amongst the dirtiest) and nuclear energy to renewables, with help and protection for displaced workers and their full involvement in the process.

It must be added that I have no problem with the form of the action at Drax, direct action is an important weapon in our armoury, nor with the criticisms of the plant's pollution record - it is the presentation and stated demands I am questioning.

Back to the other stories - The less said about the IPPR the better, and it was interesting to see the "big business friendly" so-called 'Green' Alliance chiming in, in support of them. Here is some of what I have posted on Urban 75 on the issue:


Without indulging in excessive ad hominem we have to look at the source of this idea and the talking heads called in to back them. It is I understand an idea of the new-labour friendly IPPR. The talking heads called in in support are from Green Alliance - Porritt et al's big business greenwashing outfit. It is of a piece therefore with the rest of the neo-liberal, nulabour corporate agenda. Charges and profit making potential are a favourite to make 'services' more appealing for private sector take over (PFI, contracting out etc etc)
Friends of the Earth also back this sort of idea - I have criticised this. In our local campaigns we crossed out the bit in FoE's recent standardised letter on the waste stratgy review that called for this sort of thing.
The "Bin Tax" in Ireland was a similar shameful initiative.
It seems that the neo-liberals only have to paint some marketising, punitive or regressive initiative in terms of some essential 'green' aims for some on the 'progressive' left to roll over and stuff the workers and those on low incomes.
The fact is, there are at least three major reasons for the low UK recycling rate IMO -

1/ Councils have not developed doorstep collection of a broad enough range of materials yet, leading to in many areas 50% plus of the waste stream being classified as non-recyclable or compostable even in the best case scenario. Whilst this is the case, talking of charges for non-recyclables is just a smoke screen as suggested above. Many councils still have pathetic recycling/composting rates, made worse where incineration is an option - see the effect in places like Sheffield where they see no reason to exceed minimum rates that are set.
2/ The government, in hock to the waste companies and their greedy desire to convert much of the waste stream to profitable (for them) mass burn incineration are quite happy to let 40-50% plus of the waste stream go up in smoke. (And recyclables create more calorific value in burning for "Energy from waste" plants etc than some other parts of the waste stream)
3/ Packaging is one of the most profitable of industries. It made the fortune of the Rausing family who regularly used to top the rich lists. Despite their protestation that Tetrapaks etc are recyclable, these companies know that two or three-ply type materials like these are damned hard and expensive to recycle and account for a large amount of residual waste. Governments have shown a marked reluctance to confront these powerful vested interests (surprise surprise)



All this is just more proof of the need for an ecosocialist perspective to become more broadly held and known in both the green and labour movements and facilitate prctical and co-operative action for economic, ecological and social change.

The camp itself may well be great, good luck to it if it allows for discussion and development of ideas - but was any attempt made to link up or discuss with workers at Drax? Or in the energy industry as a whole (coal, power stations, distribution?) before embarking on an action that is being presented as 'unrealistic greenies trying to shut down 7% of the UK generating capacity immediately with no concern for workers or ordinary people'.....

 

[Cobbles]

The last thing they want is to be faced with the prospect of a sustained and effective DA campaign
.

"sustained and effective DA campaign"

14:00 - 28 arrests, Drax functioning at 100%

When it starts to get chilly and the cider runs out, who'll be left?

LOL

 

[llantwit]

In my experience of shutting down places in protest workers are usually pretty pleased to have the paid time doing nothing, and more than happy to talk about why an action was done.
It remains to be seen how the public will react to a power cut, if there is one.

 

[llantwit]

"sustained and effective DA campaign"

14:00 - 28 arrests, Drax functioning at 100%

When it starts to get chilly and the cider runs out, who'll be left?

LOL

Very droll.
Hindsight's a wonderful thing.
My point still stands, btw.

 

[In Bloom]

In my experience of shutting down places in protest workers are usually pretty pleased to have the paid time doing nothing, and more than happy to talk about why an action was done.
It remains to be seen how the public will react to a power cut, if there is one.

Can you really not take an educated guess how they might react?

 

[aurora green]

The point is (again), that Drax, the most polluting power station in the country, is now being discussed in the mainstream media.
I think this alone, makes the day worthwhile.

 

[llantwit]

Can you really not take an educated guess how they might react?

In the middle of the day, in the summer? I wouldn't give much of a shit to be honest. So I can't sit in front of a computer for a few hours? Would you mind?
How long before someone starts to talk about lifesupport machines and murdering hippies I wonder.

The point is (again), that Drax, the most polluting power station in the country, is now being discussed in the mainstream media.
I think this alone, makes the day worthwhile.

Quite. Nice one to all involved.

 

[greenman]

The point is (again), that Drax, the most polluting power station in the country, is now being discussed in the mainstream media.
I think this alone, makes the day worthwhile.

Fair enough, though the action itself is not likely to be reported sympathetically other than by the usual suspects.....

The problem is that once again the green movement is presented as anti-worker and idealistically unconcerned with the day to day difficulties in the lives of ordinary working people. Just think what a stir 'teamsters and turtles' made. Not much chance of that here at the moment is there?

 

[TeeJay]

I must say I agree with Matt on this one - posted this on my Blog the other day about the various "green" stories circulating the media :

Just a point of information/trainspotting/anorakism:

"The talking heads called in in support are from Green Alliance - Porritt et al's big business greenwashing outfit."

Porritt is not connected with the Green Alliance (except merely as one of many ordinary members). Porritt's outfit is called "Forum for the Future" and he is also chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission.

links:
the green alliance: http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/default.aspx
forum for the future: http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/
porritt's CV: http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/porritt.html

 

[TeeJay]

If we can't debate tactics, we may as well do nothing at all, how else are we going to make sure our actions are always effective and worthwhile?

Saying that it isn't worth doing anything is not 'debating tactics', neither is constantly slagging people's actions off without suggesting any better alternatives.