N30 + 10 years – Remembering and celebrating “The day the political landscape changed forever”

As we still fight WTO in Geneva today, as we prepare for COP15 in Copenhagen

“The day the political landscape changed forever“, was how Fritjof Capra referred to events of N30, Tuesday 30th of November 1999, in his book The Hidden Connections. He was referring to the day when 1000´s of global justice activists came together and succeeded in shutting down the first WTO (World Trade Organisation) talks in the US using (mostly) non violent direct actions (NVDA) in the north western US city of Seattle. This was the event which brought the “globalisation” debate to the mainstream. It has been misleadingly described as anti-globalisation, what it should be accurately described as is anti corporate globalisation.

10 years on and again there is rubber bullets, tear gas and flames in the streets. This time in Geneva, as people from all over the world converge in the lead up to COP15, the climate change talks in Copenhagen… amongst others, the Social and Climate justice caravan.

A thing born once in Seattle amidst tear gas and protest > happy birthday indymedia

10 years later – attempts to shut down the WTO in Geneva

From rubber bullets, tear gas and flames in the streets of Seattle to the streets of Geneva today

This Is What Democracy Looks Like – the story of the battle of Seattle

Anti-WTO demonstration in Geneva (euronews- no comment)

(this article first appeared on Indymedia Ireland | more info here N30 )

BCN climate change talks 2009

Barcelona Pre COP15 Climate Change Talks – Main entrance shut down by activists while Africa boyotts talks

Ecological crisis – Can we really rely on them to solve the worlds problems?

(Original article written on Indymedia Ireland – re-edited into article on Indymedia Climate)

This week (monday 2 – friday 6) the Barcelona International Climate Change Talks are happening, five days of formal negotiations, in the lead up to COP 15. Since Saturday there have been a series of actions in the cities streets as well as at the conference centre to raise awereness, to unite eco movements and to try to force change during this window of opportunity in the conference centre at the far side of Montjuic. But will it be enough to get us out of our AGE OF STUPID? Perhaps not, news has just come through today that African countries have abandoned the talks.

Talks Timeline

Saturday – Manifestation in Barcelona streets; “The climate is not for sale” (vid | report)
Sunday – Outdoor film screening in city streets – 11th hour – Age of Stupid – Eco hopes (poster)
Monday – TckTckTck wake up call for climate talks – Greenpeace banner drop – Anarchist night greeting
Tuesday – Africa boycott U.N. climate talks – Evening Water Lobby group targeted
Wednesday – Main entrance shut down by activists

Zero Carbon Caravan > COP15. Live radio project(s), zero carbon world concert(s) for a zero carbon world

As Bucky Fuller, might have put it: We must learn again how to steer our little “Spaceship Earth“…

This article is in regard to the Zero Carbon Caravan (ZCC) and related ideas in lead up to COP15, in Copenhagen December 2009,which will be one of the most important times in our collective human story. The creator of the ZCC idea is Chris Keene, supporter of CAT (centre of alternative technology) in Wales. CAT are responsible for the ZERO CARBON BRITAIN project.

The article written here, arises from email to Chris and it will change as our ideas do. This very exciting project, of critical value, simply adresses the pressing issue of our time…. Adapt or Die

From OIL AGE financial crisis, to sustainable communities + COP 15

Now that the flawed financial system has taken its first fall due to absurd reliance on endless cheap energy, and the financial crisis has hit and is hitting further, now that the climate camp movement is growing, now that we are preparing for COP 15 in Denmark (cop15 call out + The Other call on COP – Nov 30 ‘09 global day of action: 10 year aniversary from N30 @ Seattle), …

Id like to pass on healthy ideas that are moving about: that now is the time to build truly sustainable communities and cities.

As eco city guru Richard Register recently said: Build out, don’t Bail out. Ecologically tuned cities are the answer.

Problem: Our recent oil dependance has got us into a lot of trouble!

Hubberts secret: We are running out of oil!

Watch M King Hubbert explain the importance of this graph on this video from 1976

Oil age in terms of Irish Stout. 1900, 2000, 2100 – Colin Cambell

Watch Colin Cambell explain it on The Oil Age – A Turning Point for Mankind

view a powerpoint presentation of his here

We`re consuming 5 times more oil than we`re discovering