IT’S HERE…
As swollen rivers burst their banks and regions of Britain disappear underwater, and as extreme weather events increase
globally, it’s clear that human-triggered climate chaos is here. Even if we drastically cut emissions tomorrow, our children will be unlikely to see the back of it. We need to face up to the problem, and soon.

WHY NOVEMBER 13TH?
Not only is this the date nominated by fuel protesters as the end of their ultimatum to government to reduce fuel duty, but it is also the first day of the COP6 climate change conference in The Hague, Holland. Rather than being a
chance to address the problem, COP6 will be nothing more than a glorified trade fair as a new market to trade carbon emissions is conjured into existence. This will amount to the wholesale privatisation of the atmosphere, and it's a
market that many London companies are gagging to get a piece of. But the truth is that market-based solutions to a market-induced problem will produce plenty of profit but no meaningful reductions in emissions and no climate justice.

Even though the point is rarely made by the media, environmental NGO's, governments or fuel protesters, these events are intimately linked by that one simple word: profit.

When you consider that climate change is caused by the over-consumption of fossil fuels by the rich, and that the first people to feel the effects of climate change are the poor, because only the rich can pay for expensive adaptation
measures; when you consider that the process to prevent climate change is dominated by the rich, who come up with solutions that impose upon the poor...then you must stop seeing climate change as a problem of atmospheres
and gases and start seeing it as a problem of social and ecological justice.

If we are going to avoid economic, social and ecological meltdown then we must challenge the structures that maintain this growth-at-all-costs economic system. This means changes at all levels, from adapting personal
consumption to a revolutionary transformation of the way we run the economy and live our lives.

BEYOND PETROLEUM, OR BEYOND BELIEF?
It’s oil that has fuelled economic growth for over a century, while the oil industry and the financial structures it supports has torn apart communities,
trashed ecosystems and helped trigger climate chaos. Not to mention exploiting and laying off its own workforce in the ceaseless shabby hustle for ‘shareholder value’. It’s the same company bringing you its rebranding as a company ‘beyond petroleum’ that got rid of half its workforce in the 1990’s, whose employee safety record at its Grangemouth refinery is appalling and yet which still manages to pay its Chief Executive almost £20,000 a week. This is an industry that expects us to believe that it instructed its tanker drivers
not to cross picket lines out of fear for their safety but which is quite happy to sponsor the military of countries like Colombia and Nigeria to protect its installations with great brutality.

It's the same social system profiting from the poor working conditions and high taxes of farmers and hauliers as from fossil fuel emissions and the entirely dodgy free trade solutions to climate change itself that are up for grabs this month in The Hague. We hope to make these connections more apparent, by visiting not only the oil companies, but also parts of the whole support structure that makes a killing from the exploitation of people and the planet.

ON JUNE 18TH 1999, many actions in the City - including a Carnival Against Capitalism - sought to make these connections, as did many other people in financial centres all over the world. The situation in November 2000 has
changed just a little: we can now see better the seeds of a global movement of resistance to this rampant exploitation (see www.agp.org) We can also see climate change starting to knock on our own doors (instead of the doors of the
apparently dispensable third world.) And lastly, we can see the endlessly squeezed people at the bottom of the economic heap realise a little of their own power, (albeit with a little help from oil companies flexing their muscles
to avoid any taxation on their North Sea profits).

SEA-CHANGE NOT SEA-LEVEL RISE
The Hague conference will be a sea change in public perceptions of climate change and those who seek to exploit the atmosphere for financial gain. It’s inevitable that the struggle for climate justice - the right of the majority of
the world’s people not to be washed away by the profits of a very few - will soon eclipse the attempts of fuel protesters to lower fuel duty. But we shouldn’t forget that it’s possible (and crucial) for those seeking decent
livelihoods to forge alliances with those trying to save the planet. After all, it’s only those sorts of alliances that can pose any real threat to the vested interests we plan to 'commemorate' on Monday 13th.

why is there no link to the indy media site for Cop6 on the home and uk sites? For anyone wishing to check it out (its amazing) its at www.climateconference.org.

Come and join activists from across the world at the Hague to add your voice to the demand for a real solution to climate change. Hundreds of British students will be there from People and Planet (the student campaigning network). Check out there website at www.peopleandplanet.org/climatechange

The boat, from Harwhich to Hook of Holland only costs £17.20 for a group booking.

See you there.

There's a small banner link at the top of the newswire to the COP6 IMC site.

It's been set by Engage! Tactical Media to report on the conferences and actions.

It's at:
 http://climate.indymedia.org
(also available as www.climateconference.org)

Info on the counter conference and Rising Tide protests can be found at:
 http://squat.net/climate/

Why do you defend the fuel protesters? The "poor" people forced by greedy devils in suit and tie to buy oil/petrol? After all we are still free to choose what to buy and nobody is HAS to drive a car. In the fight for global justice and a green future the ignorance and egotism of the everyday citizen (be they working,middle or upper class) seems as big an obstacle as the all so powerful multinational corporations.(Remember that the majority of the people are quite content with the "system" as it is and do not want to reduce their consumption of goods which ,of course, would be necessary if this planet was to survive.) Anna

no no one has to buy fuel, however in a rural area, with no public transport, there are limited options, especially as i run a local delivery service for people even more isolated than myself.What are the sensible alternatives or even the outrageous ones, I'd be delighted to hear any ideas.