Climate Criminals Critical Mass

Welcome to the Climate Criminals Critical Mass, called by London Rising Tide and Ecotopia Biketour 2002. On today’s ride we’ll be visiting 5 London locations, each in its own way implicated in the planned Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Pipelines System (or AGT). If built, just the oil it transports to us in the west will pump (when it’s burnt) 200 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year for 30 years. That’s a whole lot of climate change, not to mention human rights abuses.

We’ll be awarding each of the 5 locations a special commemorative certificate for their services to climate chaos. (The competition was fierce by the way.) Only one, however, will receive a Special Merit Award for Rebranding and Megadestruction (or SMARM). We wonder if you can guess which it will be. After all the excitement, all are welcome to join us for tea and cake at the London Action Resource Centre (LARC), 62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel.

Here are the 5 nominations:
1.) The International Finance Corporation (IFC), (4 Millbank, SW1; 020 7222 7711). BP hopes for the $3.3bn AGT project to be financed mostly (70%) from loans provided by the IFC (which is closely connected to the World Bank), and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD, based in The City).

2.) The National Portrait Gallery, (St. Martin’s Place, WC2; 020 7306 0055). BP are corporate benefactors of the NPG, as well as sponsors of the annual National Portrait Award. In fact BP is a major corporate brander of British culture, including the British Museum, Royal Opera House, Natural History Museum & Tate (Britain). What role do these institutions have in diverting public attention from the real impact BP has on the planet and its people?

3.) Enterprise I.G., (6 Mercer St., WC2; 020 7574 4000). These are ‘brand consultants’, responsible for the ‘Helios Awards’, which are BP’s in-house awards for employees exhibiting the best ‘on-brand’ behaviour. (By the way, ‘Helios’ is BP’s name for that green flowery thing that passes for their logo.)

4.) Cromwell & Sullivan, (Ironmonger Lane, EC2). They provide legal advice on the financing of the AGT pipelines.

5.) (last but not least…big drumroll…please make a whole lot of noise for/at/outside..:) BP, (1-6 Finsbury Circus, EC2; 020 7496 4000). BP is the leading player in the AGT process. It seems that we don’t have to travel as far as the White House to find ‘best-of-sector’ climate criminals - London is awash with them! Like all companies, BP exists to generate maximum profits. Currently a ‘green’ image is required to increase those profits. As environmental crises loom larger, ending this profit-and-exploitation system is central to our survival. Might replacing capitalism with other goals, such as food, health and freedom for all, set us on the path towards a socially just and ecological future?

London Rising Tide is part of Rising Tide UK, a new(ish), rapidly-growing grassroots network. It supports community initiatives and local protest against climate change, and for climate justice. It’s also a part of the international Rising Tide network (www.risingtide.nl).
www.risingtide.org.uk
tel: 01865 241 097
London Rising Tide:  shells@gn.apc.org

Ecotopia Biketour 2002: Biketour is an international DIY biketour coming to England, Wales and Ireland this summer. Along the route we do actions, give workshops, and have a good time. For more info visit the website, or email:  btour2002@yahoo.com
www.thebiketour.net
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...and this is the text of one of the awards, (though it loses some of its mysterious grandeur appearing in black and white and not mounted onto cardboard salvaged from an old packet of Frosties...)
This Flaming Helios certificate of merit is awarded this day of
Monday July 15th 2002

To:__BP plc__________

in recognition of services above and beyond the call of duty to the to the destabilisation of the world’s climate , (and to the pursuit of profit before people come to think of it).

This has been achieved in part by your central involvement in the planned Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Pipelines System. (Awarder’s note: Just think you could abandon the project now and sidestep all that dodgy PR, which is so corrosive to the share price m’noble Lord.)

(Coming soon - the London Rising Tide climatic ‘notice to quit’…)

www.risingtide.org.uk