Fuel Protesters Strike Again- And This Time It's Serious
The Scene: Saturday morning, a bright August day. All is peaceful at the Esso
distribution terminal, Erdington. Tankers fill with petrol. Profits flow to Esso.
Carbon Dioxide pollutes the atmosphere. Climate change continues unabated.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere a hoard of people appears. A lorry blocks the entrance
to the depot, preventing tankers getting in. An enormous banner blocks the exit,
preventing them leaving. The fuel protesters have arrived.
Sounds familiar? It should do. Something similar happened one year ago. Except,
this time, it's different. This is the August 2001 fuel blockade, and everything
is turned upside down.
These protesters aren't lorry drivers but environmentalists. Rather than acting
out of their own self-interest, these campaigners have more global interests
at heart. The lorry runs not on fossil fuels, but on biodiesel made from recycled
cooking fat in the garden shed of a window cleaner from Salford!*
They're not dressed for long distance driving, but sport a bizarre mixture of
suits, animal costumes and ordinary clothes. Some have arrived on push-bikes
rather than 14-wheelers!
The police are calm, the protesters well organised, the media in a frenzy. Photographers
snap away. Three "business men" in suits stand in front of a tanker attempting
to enter the depot. They carry signs - "Hear No Evil", "See No Evil", "Speak
No Truth". They are accompanied by an Esso tiger holding "Take No Action". A
child and his mother stand with a mock road side "Climate Change Ahead: Danger
to Future Generations".
Tankers are turned away and eventually stop arriving. Esso staff refuse to talk.
A TV crew films everything in sight.
But why are they here? What's so special about Esso?
Esso put a large amount of funding into George Bush's election campaign. What
was the first thing he did when elected? That's right, he pulled out of the Kyoto
agreement on climate change. Coincidence or not? Esso funded advertising campaigns
in the United States to persuade people that climate change didn't exist. Where
did the money come from? That's right - from profits on Esso petrol.
Esso employ "experts" to dismiss climate change - but their experts have a subtle
twist - they're not expert in climate modelling or meteorology, but unconnected
subjects such as astrophysics! Once again, the money comes from your pockets
if you buy Esso.
So what can we do? The answer is simple. Don't buy Esso petrol. Tell your friends
"Don't Buy Esso Petrol." Easy.
Andy Pryke
Take Action:
Join us for our next action - date and details to be revealed soon.
Tell everyone - Don't Buy Esso Petrol. Check out the website: http://www.StopEsso.com
* Many thanks to Martin Steele, biodiesel expert and all-round fantastic bloke,
for the donation of biodiesel. See article in next Action Briefing!