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A weekend of big green happenings.

JimDog* | 26.05.2009 10:08 | COP15 Climate Summit 2009 | Climate Chaos | Culture | Energy Crisis

This bank holiday weekend saw a wide variety of goings on to mark the start of a summer of action leading up to the Copenhagen summit later this year.

The bank holiday weekend kicked off at the 1 in 12 club in Bradford for the Age of Stupids official national launch. Being screened simultaneously at 77 locations around the country, the film was followed by a live internet linkup with the screening at the royal Academy where the issues were discussed in detail by the films director and George Monbiot, in conversation with various influential figures around the world. Contributors included a spokesperson from the met office and a fantastic report on how the maldives are striving to become carbon neutral and harness their natural resources. At the end of the film, a spontaneous round of applause broke out amongst the 30 or so people packed into the 1 in 12 library and a clock on screen counted down to Copenhagen.

On saturday, the focus shifted to the events happening for the big green weekend in Hebden Bridge and the Climate Camp national gathering up the road at Hebden Hey. A green marketplace was set up in the town centre providing information on alternative sources of power, lifestyles and done was available from the Whistlestop Cafe which is a newly formed Vegan catering collective of local activists who will be at this years big green gathering. The centre for alternative technology as ever provided an abundance of activities and advice from their location on the canalside.

Up at the beautiful Hebden Hey the Climate Camp national gathering got underway with a series of discussions and planning meetings focused on this years camp which will take place near London. A truly positive atmosphere and genuine closeness between the attendees meant that these discussions were highly productive and anyone with an interest is encouraged to get involved in their closest neighbourhood meetings and contribute whatever skills they might have to making this years camp as big a success as the previous camps at heathrow and kingsnorth.

Saturday and Sunday night saw a variety of entertainment organised at locations around Hebden bridge, including a party for everyone involved in the weekend at the trades club hosted by the local transition towns group, which meant the weekend took on a party atmosphere as a celebration of green lifestyles.

The grand finale to the weekend was the secret garden party on monday. Flyers with a phone number for information and word of mouth saw a large group of people descend on a secret location, plants and shovels in hands and turn a piece of previously barren land into a brand new community garden, left as a lasting monument to the energy that went into this weekend by a community led piece of direct action.

Events in Hebden Bridge are ongoing throughout the year and any groups who wish to promote them are asked to email the details to imc-leeds-contact at lists.indymedia.org and they can be displayed in the events section at the top of the site.


JimDog*