A quick fedback from London Rising Tide's action at BP boss's talk on 'the role of energy in sustainable development' at the Royal Institute of British Architects.
A small number of London Rising Tiders and friends gave leaflets titled 'John Browne, the future will hold you to account for the crimes of your company - BP: More climate chaos; less social justice' (echoing their new ad campaign) to the mostly engineers attending the gig. We also had banners reading 'Say No to Pipelines of Mass Destruction', 'No Pubic Money for Baku-Ceyhan pipeline', and 'BP sponsors climate chaos'.
BP had sub-contracted security to a private firm who admitted the names of people applying to attend the talk had been vetted by BP, with at least one name being dropped from the list. They outnumbered police present, who mooched around making notes and picking up 'Falun Gong' leaflets; (they have a permanent protest outside, since the Chinese Embassy is opposite).
Meanwhile, one person had managed to make it inside, and delivered a searing speech halting Browne in mid-flow, condemning his company's appalling record throughout the world. She was removed aggressively, leaving a few others to ask critical questions at the end, before Browne received a petroleum engineer's award from the Institute of Chemical Engineers.
At the end, we played cat and mouse with Browne, hoping to catch a glimpse of the great man and possibly even grab an autograph. We discovered his chauffeur-driven Merc in a mews at the back of the RIBA, protected by 5 or so security guards and police, but he didn't appear, possibly dreading any interaction with his LRT fan-base. His car drove off without him; his whereabouts are currently unknown.
So, 500 leaflets given out, a positive response from RIBA workers, passers-by and even some engineers, a positive article in the Guardian that morning, and a no-doubt seriously incovenienced BP boss. The turnout was low, but all in all it was a useful escapade with a few laughs thrown in for good measure...
BP had sub-contracted security to a private firm who admitted the names of people applying to attend the talk had been vetted by BP, with at least one name being dropped from the list. They outnumbered police present, who mooched around making notes and picking up 'Falun Gong' leaflets; (they have a permanent protest outside, since the Chinese Embassy is opposite).
Meanwhile, one person had managed to make it inside, and delivered a searing speech halting Browne in mid-flow, condemning his company's appalling record throughout the world. She was removed aggressively, leaving a few others to ask critical questions at the end, before Browne received a petroleum engineer's award from the Institute of Chemical Engineers.
At the end, we played cat and mouse with Browne, hoping to catch a glimpse of the great man and possibly even grab an autograph. We discovered his chauffeur-driven Merc in a mews at the back of the RIBA, protected by 5 or so security guards and police, but he didn't appear, possibly dreading any interaction with his LRT fan-base. His car drove off without him; his whereabouts are currently unknown.
So, 500 leaflets given out, a positive response from RIBA workers, passers-by and even some engineers, a positive article in the Guardian that morning, and a no-doubt seriously incovenienced BP boss. The turnout was low, but all in all it was a useful escapade with a few laughs thrown in for good measure...
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Leaflet text
23.10.2003 22:33
BP: More climate chaos; less social justice
Today, BP boss John Browne is speaking at the RIBA about ‘The role of energy in sustainable development.’ But how much do you know about BP? If most of your knowledge has come from BP itself, or from the institutions it sponsors, it might be worth digging a bit deeper before giving the company a clean bill of health. Many people believe that BP (not to mention the entire oil industry) causes human rights violations, oil wars, ecological devastation and the growing destabilisation of the world’s climate, (also known as global warming). All in all, not exactly ‘sustainable’.
9 issues John Browne would rather you didn't raise today:
* BP's planned Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil & gas pipelines, if built, would be a human rights disaster and produce over 150 million tonnes of CO2 every year for 40 years, causing untold damage to the world's climate. (More info: www.baku.org.uk).
* John Browne’s salary in 2002-3 came to over £3 million.
* BP has bankrolled Colombian paramilitary death squads in exchange for the 'protection' of its oilfields.
* BP invests less than 1% of its annual budget on solar and other renewable energy sources, much less than what they spend on ads and PR.
* BP has been investigated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) for serious and widespread safety breaches at its UK refineries. In 2002, the HSE fined it £1m for these breaches.
* 'BP and Shell have discussed with the government the prospect of claiming a stake in Iraq's oil reserves in the aftermath of war', FT, 11.3.03
* '$319m US lawsuit accuses BP of pollution offences and lying', FT 14.3.03
* 'Alaska cites and fines BP over death of worker', FT, 28.5.03
* 'BP has been warned by experts…that it could trigger human rights abuses if it proceeds with a $2bn gas scheme in Indonesia.' Guardian on Tangguh, West Papua, 12.3.03.
This leaflet is just a snapshot of a company where profit is the only real bottom line, and where public relations tricks conceal a far more destructive reality. BP, like all companies, exists to generate maximum profits. Currently a ‘green’ image is required to increase those profits. That’s it. Capitalism itself relies on our unquestioning acceptance of its air-brushed, greenwashed version of the truth. As environmental crises loom larger, ending this profit-and-exploitation system is central to our survival. Replacing capitalism with other priorities such as food, health and freedom for all, is the only long-term solution for a socially just and ecologically sustainable future.
What can you do? Possibilities include minimising your oil & gas use, and taking action against the companies involved. Specifically, here in drought-ridden autumn 2003, voicing your opposition to the public funding of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline could make a real difference. Start by emailing International Development boss Hilary Benn ASAP:
And tell the RIBA how you feel about Browne's visit, tel: 7580 5533.
Contacts and further information
This leaflet was written and distributed by London Rising Tide (LRT). LRT is part of the Rising Tide UK and international networks, and takes direct action to confront the root causes of climate change, and to promote local, community-run solutions to our energy needs.
www.burningplanet.net
Rising Tide UK: www.risingtide.org.uk
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