Is now really the right time for Plane Stupid to be continuing with their Subvertising Campaign planned for this weekend? Given the disruptive events of the last week to both the aviation industry and to ordinary people, my first instinct it is a resounding No. Far better to wait until the volcanic dust has settled so to speak, than risk attracting negative press to what would ordinarily be a very healthy expression of very strongly felt beliefs.
However, having taken a cursory look at the impact of the grounding of all European flights, I am now beginning to think that action is needed now more than ever and perhaps striking while the iron is hot is exactly the right thing to do – any press is good press, right?
Reasons for this include:
The grounding of 63,000 flights over four days saved 1.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. That’s more than the annual emissions of many developing countries.
The carbon dioxide released by the volcanic eruption itself is dwarfed by the carbon savings generated by the grounding of all European flights.
The Environmental Transport Association estimated that by April 20th the flight ban had prevented the emission of some 2.8m tonnes of carbon dioxide since the first flights were grounded.
The aviation industry is already asking for a bail out to compensate for lost revenue (around £100 million so far). Given that the industry that has never paid fuel tax, most environmental campaigners understandably think this is a bit rich!
There is the hope that good lessons have been learnt from Mother Nature’s outburst. Firstly and most obviously, that she cannot and will not be messed with. Secondly, the world did not stop revolving because we couldn’t fly and people can and did find alternatives to air travel.
And so, the Plane Stupid Subvertising Blitz continues as planned – kicking the aviation industry whilst it’s down, but not without good reason. I shall leave you with some words of Subvertising encouragement and strong sentiments from the artist Banksy;
“F**k that. Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.” Banksy
Plane Stupid is inciting a ‘subvertising’ campaign on the weekend of April 22nd/23rd.
Designed to get activist’s voices heard above the noise of corporate advertising, the event encourages people to make their own stickers/slogans or download versions available on flicker: And then plaster them over advertisements for the aviation industry.
The event is also being run as a competition with prizes including spray cans, Culture Jam by Kalle Lasn, Do It Yourself, A handbook for changing our world by the Trapese Collective and Scribbleboy by Philip Ridley.
To win participants take photos of their stickers in situ and send them to info@planestupid.com using a temporary email address in an internet cafe and under a pseudonym. The group who stickers the most adverts in the 48 hour period wins.
The need for secrecy is explained in the Plane Stupid disclaimer: ‘Some officers of the law may be convinced that subvertising is borderline illegal, so take a friend as lookout, keep an eye open for CCTV and don’t get caught.’
I for one am going to be really interested to see the response to this event and whether it gets any positive or negative media coverage. An organized event of this nature could easily be termed as inciting vandalism and yet protesters are clearly being driven to take action because their views are not being heard, listened to or considered.
Clearly organizers intend the event a peaceful demonstration. The Plane Stupid disclaimer goes on to note: ‘Please be respectful about where you sticker. Corporate nasties are fine…..but the local old people’s homes may not appreciate your art on their walls! Use your head.’
In a world where we are bombarded with advertising from every quarter is this such a bad way to get your views across?
Spurred on by the recent success of the Great Climate swoopers? Then next stop Copenhagen…
From 7th to 18th December, a climate summit will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark. This event is billed as the ‘largest ever to be held’ and ‘our last best hope’. Frustrated by the lack of progress Plane Stupid and their cohorts intend to make an appearance and their feelings known!
The intention is to take over the summit on December 16th and have their say, transforming the conference into a ‘Peoples Summit for Climate Justice’.
Since talks began 15 years ago there has been no evidence of a reduction in greenhouse gasses and emissions continue to steadily rise. So more of the same type of promises regurgitating out of Copenhagen simply aren’t going to have any credence – seen and heard it all before and more to the point, they just don’t work!
Environmentalists believe alternative changes should be made, such as:
• No fossil fuels
• Community control of resources
• relocalising food production
• reducing over consumption
• recognising and dealing with ecological and climate debt
• respecting indigenous and forest peoples’ rights
Why are these alternatives so impossible for the summit to consider, when they appear so potentially achievable? It’s time to change the system not the climate!
Further to the posting on 24th September 2009, we can report that the Great Climate Swoop protest at Ratcliffe went ahead on 19th October as planned and has been hailed as a ‘massive success’!
The Ratcliffe coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire was the target for the environmental activists. The protesters gathered at various points on Saturday morning, broke through a perimeter fence within 5 minutes and swooped into the power plant in separate groups, thus achieving their aim.
About 300 protesters were present and police have confirmed reports that there were 3 people injured and that 50 arrests were made.
Demonstrators who were involved in the The Great Climate Swoop included supporters from; Climate Rush, Plane Stupid and Camp for Action. Their overall mission is to show that coal has no future and to take action, when and where possible, on issues climate change.
Climate change activists, such as: Camp for Climate Action, Plane Stupid, Climate Rush, Rising Tide and others have joined forces and as the result of an on-line public vote, have organised a mega pubic get together to close one of the UK’s biggest coal fired power stations: E.ON’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottingham
In the run up to Copenhagen, there is a mounting feeling of tension, which is spilling over into impressive calls for action. Growing numbers of people are feeling that it’s time to take action into their own hands as they become increasingly frustrated not to mention embarrassed by the extreme level of foot dragging going on in the UK over climate change – namely by the government and leading corporations.
The Great Climate Swoop openly recognizes the vital role coal has played in our nation’s past, however now it is time to take responsibility for our future. Burning coal is now the biggest single source of carbon emissions in the UK.
Although Drax is Europe’s biggest coal power station, and the UK’s largest source of carbon emissions, with a nod to the reality TV voting systems, the power station selected by thousands of interested parties for ‘Direct Action’ is Ratcliffe-on-Soar – the UK’s 3rd largest source of carbon emissions, with plans to build a controversial new coal plant at Kingsnorth.
The ‘Great Climate Swoop’ is planned for 17th and 18th October and will operate on the same basis as the G20 camp, which was deemed massively successful due to the fact that the protestors managed to set up camp completely avoiding police surveillance!
1. Increased flying is one of the main culprits of climate change.
2. The government commitment to the reduction of UK CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050, cannot hope to be achieved if the aviation industry continues to expand at the proposed rate.
3. If the 3rd runway goes ahead, Heathrow will become the UK’s single greatest producer of CO2
4. An independent study of the proposed 3rd runway suggests that the true cost of a third runway would lead to a £5 billion loss.
5. Included in the destinations industry is most keen to expand from Heathrow, are Manchester, Paris & Edinburgh, clearly destinations reachable by the train or bus alternatives which are over ten times less polluting.
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