28-01-2006 11:20
Bechtel which has been controversially awarded reconstruction contracts in Iraq is now setting its sights on the £15bn City led Crossrail scheme after the abuse of taxpayers money over the tube. UK politicians and the media refused to consider how much it will cost taxpayers as it is seen as a Millennium Dome
Read more >>18-01-2006 13:01
The hidden threat to all planetary life from US use of depleted uranium weapons in 4 wars
Read more >>18-01-2006 00:12
Today, the highest oil prices in more than three months led to the largest drop in the stock market in over six weeks and knocked back big consumers such as British Airways Plc. But will increasing oil prices help to temper the increased demand for air travel, the fastest growing contributor to greenhouse gas emissions?
If air travel were to grow at the predicated rate it would soon become the biggest single obstacle to curbing climate change and put all other efforts to cut greenhouse emissions in danger of being swamped by aviation emissions.
The UK, for example has set a target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. But it also predicts a quadrupling of air travel by the same date. If the predictions are accurate then air travel would use up every last tonne of British emissions entitlements.
But as we reach the peak of world wide oil production, can the air industry survive until 2050 anyway? In fact can the economy and indeed civilisation as we know it survive until 2050 or even 2020 for that mater...
Read more >>16-01-2006 21:44
A review of news, opinion, and photography recorded, from the Indymedia Newswire. With times and freqs for tuning in anywhere you can, at your leisure. Free to rebroadcast. The world & recorded for the community archive!
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16-01-2006 13:37
Apparently as part of its 'expansion' plans Lydd Airport (Romney Marsh Kent) bosses (Saudi owners!) allowed a 737 jet to fly in over the weekend. The Keep The Marsh Special Alliance is trying to highlight the arrogance of this with local media....
Read more >>16-01-2006 05:40
The Bicycle Film Festival is seeking submissions for its sixth annual Festival. The event will feature dozens of different films on a variety of bicycle styles - from BMX to urban bike culture, cycling to commuting.
Read more >>13-01-2006 21:27
Bush is really scraping the barrel now. Having failed to convince the congress last month to hand over the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to his buddies in the oil business, he has had to satisfy the countries growing thirst by sacrificing the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area instead. The move sweeps aside decades of environmental protection and is just one more sign of the desperation of a dying empire in the face of a global peak of oil production.
Read more >>13-01-2006 17:27
Most analysts agree that once we pass the half-way point in the world’s oil reserves, production will begin to drop off as the remaining reserves are more difficult to extract. Some believe that point will come in the next 12 months, others think we have 10 years or more left. But either way, we need to prepare now by reducing our dependency on this finite resource.Oil and gas supply 85% of the energy used in the UK. By comparison, nuclear supplies 4% and renewables 1%. Can nuclear be expanded by a factor of 20, or renewables by a factor of 85? Will coal fill the gap, and at what cost to global warming? Do we have enough coal left to expand its use 12 times over?
We rely on energy to produce, process and transport food. As energy becomes more expensive, will our food system revert to local production and organic methods? Can the world continue to feed 7 billion people at all without cheap energy? What steps should we be taking right now to avert future hunger?
Does the end of cheap oil herald the end of globalisation? Is the notion of continual economic growth consistent with a shrinking energy supply? Some observers predict a recession of 1930s proportions, but lasting much longer. Others believe the economic system could be reinvented along sustainable lines.
The article below is just one news story out of many that illustrate the scramble already taking place to secure the dwindling supplies of oil...
Read more >>13-01-2006 14:30
Regular Anti Mcdonalds demo's in Central London
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12-01-2006 19:40
A review of news, opinion, and photography recorded, from the Indymedia Newswire. With times and freqs for tuning in anywhere you can at your leisure. Free to rebroadcast. The world & recorded for the community archive!
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12-01-2006 12:52
•Tuesday 24th Jan, 6pm The Cowley Club, 12 London Rd, Brighton
* Report back from a recent trip to Venezuela
•* FILM: Bolivarian Venezuela; people and struggle
•* Short film from a new libertarian social centre in Caracas
•* Information on indigenous struggles in the rural North West
Read more >>12-01-2006 11:12
BBC must tell trtuth about Crossrail hole Bill attack on the East Ende. BBC is wrong to give plugs for Tower Hamlets Counciol which has colluded with Crossrail poromoters in the planning of the attack on the BRick Lane London E1 and Bow London E3 areas
Read more >>12-01-2006 01:20
We cannot let the Australian and U.S. Governments shirk their responsibility for tackling climate change. Click here to write to your newspaper, help expose this week's talks for what they are, and urge the Government to take real action:
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11-01-2006 15:39
GUE/NGL is opposed to the cultivation of GMOs and strongly believes that coexistence of GM plants and conventional plants is not possible as they pose a potential threat to human, animal and plant health.
Read more >>11-01-2006 12:19
Here's another set of old (murky) photos from the first Newbury bypass reunion, held on 11th January 1997, which saw a mass site invasion.
Between one and two thousand people turned up for the 'reunion rampage' which was billed as a commemoration and fence decorating rally. It was a very cold and misty day as people gathered at Newbury train station before marching towards the construction route at Middle Oak.
I remember so many people being shocked at the destruction - for many this was their first visit since the work had started and the months of evictions.
My memory is a little hazy, but at the compound near the Middle Oak people were lining up along the fence. Then suddenly to our right there was a hole - the fence had been cut. About twenty people stormed through followed by a few more, running into the mists, into the murk. I remember looking back expecting to see hundreds, but there was no one. There was a lot of shouting however. Some police had steamed in to try and block the hole. Security were now advancing from out of the mists in front of us, and then there were mounted police coming at the gallop bearing down onto the crowd by the hole in the fence - this was just well over the top, dangerous and provocative.
Those inside the compound were shouting to the others - "come on!". Then another part of the fence started to go - people were literally pulling it apart. More scuffles as police tried to push people back - but soon the tide of people was unstoppable and they streamed into the construction site.
At first security and police tried to push people away from the machinery, there were scuffles and arrests, but in the end all of the machinery were occupied with people sitting and standing ontop of them.
The site was fully occupied for what seemed like ages. A huge tall crane was scaled by several people as the entire site was taken over. The tree at middle oak became an impromptu social centre. People were drumming and sharing food, talking over old times, remembering the beautiful countryside that had been destoryed.
Some went further than others. As time wore on the machinery was getting a pounding. Hydraulic cables were cut and instrument panels smashed. Later as darkness approached the portacabin offices which had been occupied were set alight, as was some of the plant machinery. I remember many a heated discussion taking place, many people disagreed with burning the machinery, but understood the anger that drove people to do it. The Newbury bypass battle had seen endless property damage, with machinery put out of action, sand in fuel tanks, things smashed and so on, but some thought the burning was in a different class. Many were pleased to see it happen, others worried it would look bad in the press. It was a real mix of emotions, many of them raw.
Either way with darkness now replacing the eerie fog light, and bright orange flames licking the night, people soon began to stream away from the site. Job done, in one way or another.
See end for more reports and links.
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10-01-2006 19:00
After the reunion reports published on Indymedia about it being 10 years since work started on the Newbury Bypass, and the recent reports revealing the larger than expected traffic growth, I thought I'd dig out a few pictures of today, seven years ago at Newbury and the "End of the Road Reunion Rally"...
Sunday 10th January 1999 was the first reunion event since the bypass had opened (it opened nov '98), and marking three years since destruction work had starting on the road. Previous re-unions had seen large scale direct action but this time most people expected a quiet day - but really the opportunity was too good to miss, a chance to say again that this was an outdated destructive and crass road scheme, that opposition was still there.
And so people took to the new road... (see links at end for reports)
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09-01-2006 13:58
We have now asked the MP a very brief question on the veracity of one report in particular that ahs appeared on the London Evening Standard website. We are going to issue a statement later on today [Monday 9 January 2006] based on what we are able to find out about these assertions relat8ng to the present MP.
Read more >>08-01-2006 13:10
Newsletter from one of the groups opposing the expansion of Lydd Airport on Romney Marsh, Kent, (LAAG) see first post below and some info from the Keep The marsh Special Alliance.(2nd item)
Read more >>05-01-2006 11:51
04-01-2006 15:06
Part B of the Brick Lane London E1 Area Manifesto 2006 for the scheduled May local council election to the east London borough of Tower Hamlets Council. That Council has been controlled by elements that are pro
Big Business and pro the city of London interests. The result is that a serious assault on the East End of London under the Crossrail hole Bill is due to be made lawful. The best way to stop[ this is to make the local Council representative of the community which needs and deserves fullest support and defence by its 'elected local council'. This manifesto has been drawn up to hell that defence.
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