Oil goliath BP, already forced to postpone its centenary party at the
British Museum on April 1st, (also known as Fossil Fools Day[1]), has
rescheduled the event for May 6th. Art Not Oil[2], the group behind the
original demonstration against its ‘tarnished centenary’, will be
throwing ‘A Wake for BP’ as guests arrive at the British Museum between
6pm and 7pm on the new date.

As before, people wanting to come and say ‘BP – your party’s over!’ and
wish the behemoth a happy last birthday are more than welcome. The British
Museum’s main gate on Great Russell Street will find a contingent of the
newly-formed Brazen Pranksters playing tunes to usher in a new era of
climate justice and ecological sanity. (Other musicians are also more than
welcome.)

‘This really is a case of “BP100 = World Plundered”, said Art Not Oil’s Jo
Castell. ‘Throughout its history, BP has spread the curse of oil wherever
it has operated, injuring (and sometimes killing) workers, tearing
communities asunder and decimating wildlife. And that’s long before the
CO2 from burning the stuff hits the upper atmosphere and wreaks havoc with
the climate. Perhaps the most valuable lesson we could learn from the 20th
century is that the 21st century will need to see us kick the fossil fuel
habit, and pretty damn soon. Art Not Oil would prefer to be in this for
the short haul, but either way we’re determined to see BP decommissioned
as a central part of that oily cold turkey.’

Sam Chase added that ‘Any company that can boast that it's replacing “2008
[oil & gas] production by 121% and aims to grow annual output through to
2020”(4) needs to be decommissioned forthwith, if we’re to have a chance
of avoiding climate catastrophe in the not-so-distant future. Fortunately,
Art Not Oil is not alone in working for this to happen, as movements of
resistance are gathering strength all over the world.’

Notes to editors:

(1) Fossil Fools Day was big and international in 2008 and 2009:
 http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2008/06/01/climate-campaigning;
www.fossilfoolsdayofaction.org

(2) Art Not Oil stands for 'creativity, climate justice and an end to oil
industry sponsorship of the arts', and is part of Rising Tide UK. Look out
for its nigh-on irresistible 2010 desk diary in September!
 info@artnotoil.org.uk
07709 545116
www.artnotoil.org.uk
www.risingtide.org.uk

(3) The Carbon Town Cryer has now posted his BP paean ‘Celebrate This!’
here: www.myspace.com/carbontowncryer

(4) What’s Right With BP?
(An edited version of this text is now available on a free Art Not Oil
postcard):
* Beyond Petroleum? 'BP replaces 2008 production by 121% & aims to grow
annual output through to 2020'; (BP press release)

* Fossil fuel-induced climate chaos hit Europe in August 2003, killing
tens of thousands of mostly older people in record-breaking temperatures.
150,000 may have died worldwide.

* In 2007, BP bought 50% of the Sunrise oil tar sands field in
Canada. Tar sands are most polluting of all the fossil fuels. ‘Fund
managers attack BP over tar sands plan’, Times, 18.4.08;
www.tarsandswatch.org

* ‘Exposed: BP, its pipeline, and an environmental time-bomb’,
Independent (26.6.04) on BP’s Baku-Ceyhan oil & gas pipelines, which will
produce
over 150m tonnes of CO2 each year for 40 years, causing untold damage to
the world’s climate; baku.org.uk

* ‘BP doubles corporate ad budget in $150m bid for greener image’, Times,
28.12.05; BP invests 2.6% of its annual budget in solar & other renewable
energy sources, much less than it ploughs into advertising and PR like its
sponsorship of the Olympics, Tate, NPG, NHM etc.

* ‘BP and Shell have discussed with the government the prospect of
claiming a stake in Iraq's oil reserves in the aftermath of war.’
Financial Times, 11.3.03.

* ‘BP slated for 'systemic lapses', FT, 18.8.05; 15 workers were killed
and 500 injured in an explosion at BP’s Texas City refinery on March 23rd
2005.

* ‘Oil gushes into Arctic Ocean from BP pipeline’, (265,000 gallons, to be
more exact.) Independent, 21.3.06.

* ‘BP profits soar 148%’, Guardian, 28.10.08. ‘Oil giant BP today beat
analysts' forecasts as its reported a 148% surge in third-quarter
profits to top $10bn (£6.5bn), boosted by record oil prices.’

* Community-controlled, post-capitalist renewable energy is already a
reality; see for example www.escanda.org

...and by the way, Shell's no better. In fact, they're all up to no good!

-- --------
Art Not Oil: for creativity, climate justice and an end to fossil fuel
industry sponsorship of the arts. Look out for our entirely irresistible
2010 desk diary, available from September.
c/o 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES; 07709 545116
www.artnotoil.org.uk - send us your art!
www.risingtide.org.uk
See also www.climatecamp.org.uk