Minutes: 8th Feb 2006

Hello,

There will be a stall in Belmont Street this Saturday, 18th February, 1-3pm. Please come along if you can!

Below are the minutes of yesterday's meeting. Please note the Scottish Groups meeting in Dundee on Saturday, 25th February. If you are interested in going along then please email me!

1. Fundraising:
Dissent!Aberdeen organised a gig on 12th February which raised 172.15 pounds for our group. Many thanks! 37 pounds of this have to go to the Art Centre which just invoiced us for the public meeting in November, and about 25 pounds will have to go to the Dyce Community Centre for the next public meeting. Sponsored mountain hike to be discussed at a later meeting

2. Airport Campaign:
We will have three speakers at the public meeting: Susan Dye, Information Worker for Airport Watch and member of Stop Luton Airport Expansion; John Stewart, Chair of both Airport Watch and Transport 2000, and Harry Horsley, lecturer in Health Studies.
The public meeting will involve no costs to the group other than the venue and perhaps some photocopying of posters.
I will say a few words about the aims of our group and about the reason why we are campaigning against Aberdeen airport expansion.
We still need a chair, and will ask both Emma Morison and Penny if one of them might volunteer.

Stalls: 3-4 people have volunteered for a stall this Saturday, 18th February, 1-3pm in Belmont Street,

Leafletting: 3 people have volunteered for door-to-door leafletting in Dyce on Sunday.

Posters - I will be emailing them to everybody shortly. It is important that all of us put up as many posters as possible!

Press release: To discuss with the speakers from Airport Watch and send out.

BAA Meeting: Two of us to attend the BAA drop-in session next Wednesday, in order to get full information about the flight path and the land to be used for runway expansion.

Shared Planet: We will ask Shared Planet to book a venue and help advertise a students' meeting with the speakers from Airport Watch.

3. Critical Mass:
First event has been organised on Saturday, 25th February, 1pm at the Castlegate. Calvin will put the fliers on our website (http://climatechangecampaign.blogspot/ ) . Everybody to print ut and distribute as many as possible on bikes in Aberdeen. Also, everybody to spread the word, including through email lists. We will hand out our generic leaflet and the leaflet about the public meeting at the event.

4. Feedback from the National Planning Meeting:

Calvin and I went to the London meeting on 11th February. Unfortunately for us Calvin was so impressed with people there that he will now be moving to London to help out in the Londong office of the campaign! Thanks for all his work here.

It was inspiring to hear that this year's climate change demonstration (on 4th November, coinciding with the next international climate talks in Nairobi) will almost certainly be far bigger than any climate change demonstration before. Stop Climate Chaos are taking a very active role and want to make it the size of Make Poverty History last year. The Campaign Against Climate Change work to make sure that there is a strong focus and that this will build a stronger movement in years to come. The national campaign focuses on a binding international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and on the Big Ask, which would oblige the UK to reduce emissions by 3% every year. The campaign also works closely with Stop Esso, because Exxon Mobil have helped to destroy any attempt at regulating CO2 emissions and are behind the US decision to abandon Kyoto.

There will be a national day of action on climate change in June, where groups will organise marches, vigils or other events across the country.

5. Scottish Groups Meeting:
This will take place in Dundee on 25th February (unfortunately the same time as the Critical Mass). We will talk about building a stronger Scottish campaign, and some of us from Aberdeen may have to think about supporting people in other citities which have no active groups at present (ours is the most active Scottish group just now). There are 10 people in Dundee hoping to form a group, which is good news.

We had a brief discussion about a Scottish demo on 4th November. There was a feeling that people would rather be part of the big demo in London, but that there should be vigils or solidarity actions by those who could not get to London. A decision will be made at the Scottish meeting in Dundee.

6. Next Meeting:
Wednesday, 8th March, 7.30 pm at New Kings Building (venue to be confirmed). We will be showing a series of short videos by Christian Aid about climate change and developing countries.

Minutes: 6th February 2006

Hello,

here are the minutes which Alister wrote from the meeting on Monday, 6th February (I was not able to be there myself):

1. Campaign against airport expansion:
Leafletting in Dyce went well, with relatively little negative feedback. There will be a stall in Belmont Street on Saturday, 18th February, 12.30-2.30 pm
Public meeting will go ahead on 28th February, speakers still being contacted.

2. Critical Mass:

The first event will be on Saturday, 25th February, 1pm, starting from the Castlegate. Alberto presented ideas for flyers which will be left on bikes all over Aberdeen.

3.

Penny suggested that the group discuss a focus once the BAA consultation period on airport expansion finishes. To be discussed fully at the next meeting.

4.

Kris mentioned a debate/meeting on "wind farms versus scenery" on 23rd March at the United Services Association (United Nations Association??), Bon Accord Square. [NOTE: Can anybody with details of time, speakers, content please send them to me and I can email others. Thanks].

7.

Dave reminded everyone of the ACCC benefit gig being held at the Tunnels this Sunday from 8.30 onwards. Funds raised will go to Aberdeen Campaign Against Climate Change

9. Next Meeting

Mondays clash with Shared Planet and AU Socialist Society meetings, so a Thursday was suggested. Alister to book the Blue Lamp.

Minutes: January 23rd 2006

Minutes from the Aberdeen Campaign Against Climate Change, 23rd January 2006

1. Campaign against airport expansion in Aberdeen:

The leaflet, poster, draft objection letter and fact sheet are now on www.climatechangecampaign.blogsport.com/ . Almuth to adapt the leaflet for door-to-door leafletting, so that it announces the public meeting and has the poster on the back. Aly and Penny will copy that leaflet. We will also have simple postcards before next weekend. We have had two stalls so far. It is important for as many people as possible to write their own individual letters to BAA and to copy them to their political representatives.

Door-to-door leafletting: Next two Sundays, meet 11am in Victoria Street, Dyce. To be done in pairs for personal safety.

Public meeting: We will book the Dyce Primary School dining hall for Tuesday, 28th February, 7.30-9.30 pm. Calvin will try and get a speaker who has campaigned against expansion of an existing international airport, if possible. We could also contact Transform Scotland for a speaker, as well as the Unison health workers' branch in Aberdeen.

Posters will be done for the public meeting and go to all libraries, community councils and different venues. Aly will ask shops along the flight paths to put them up. Caitlin will do publicity at the University, particularly at the Fair Trade Cafe.

We have written to the Community Councils most affected by airport expansion. So far, we have only had one (positive) response. Calvin will follow this up.

Almuth to write to local environmental/conservation organisations about airport expansion. Kris to raise this with the North East Mountain Trust.

We will do a full press release shortly before the public meeting.

2. Groups get-together:

We suggest Saturday, 25th February for a Scottish groups meeting, in Dundee.

3. Critical Mass Cycle Ride:

This should still go ahead at the end of February. Alberto will follow up on this and forward full details. Information about the general idea can be found on www.critical-mass.org/ .

4. Outreach:

Almuth has spoken to Camphill, and to Aberdeen Trades Council, and has been invited by a retired workers' T&G branch. We will try to build more contacts, inlcuding with other trade union branches. Any ideas for possible talks welcome. Anybody can do them, if they like. A display at the Central Library was suggested - to be discussed further next meeting.

5. Film shows:

The recent films Letters from Brazil and Letters from Grangemouth (about BP's impact in Scotland and the destructive eucalyptus plantation they fund in Brazil in order to 'offset' their emissions here) has now been released. We will contact the Belmont Cinema to ask whether they might wish to show it - otherwise we can try and show it ourselves.

6. Fundraising:

Dissent!Aberdeen are organising a gig on 12th February at 8pm at the Tunnels. The money raised will go towards this campaign (thanks!).

We will have a sponsored hill-climb at the end of March. Anybody interested to contact Calvin.

7. Next Meeting:

We will aim for two meetings a month - one standard planning meeting and the other with a topical talk or video. Our next meeting will be on Monday, 6th February at New Kings Building (venue to be confirmed). We will be showing a video about public and media perception of climate change, followed by a discussion and then by a shorter planning meeting.

Minutes: 16 Dec 2005

Hello,

We will be holding a stall tomorrow, Saturday, 12 noon at Belmont Street. Please come along if you can!

Here are the minutes of Wednesday's meeting:

1. We had a long discussion about the Montreal climate change conference and protests. All agreed that a much stronger campaign and international movement was needed if there was to be any hope of avoiding catastrophic climate change.

2. Following a brainstorming session, the following ideas were taken forward:

MEDIA:
Mary Scott to send an edited version of our general leaflet to the Green Diary and ask them to print it. Future media work to be discussed - anybody who has any useful contacts, please let us know!

LOCAL ACTION ON TRANSPORT:
Road building, including the Western Peripheral Road, is one of the main reasons for Scotland's rising CO2 emissions. Aberdeen Friends of the Earth are taking the lead in campaigning on this, and members might wish to join their mailing list to find out more [if you contact myself, I will forward your details to the FoE mailing list, if you wish].

Shared Planet and Dissent are planning a Critical Mass cycling event, to be held monthly from the end of February. This will be supported by our group, and we will highlight the impact of road transport on the climate.

AVIATION:
BAA are consulting on their Outline Masterplan to extend the runway and help to increase air travel from Aberdeen. The consultation ends on 24th March. The group decided to work on this issue over the next few weeks. This will involve a new leaflet (Calvin to draft), stalls, door-to-door leafletting, a draft objection letter, contacting Dyce newsagents to try and distribute materials, attending residents' meetings (BAA will inform us when they will be held), and making local contacts. First stall this Saturday, 12 noon, Belmont Street.

OUTREACH/CONTACTS:
We have been invited to speak at the Aberdeen Trades Council on 11th January. [Also, since the meeting, to speak at Camphill on 16th January]. We are looking to approach other groups to make contacts, and try and get more people involved in the campaign and in work against climate change. Penny will contact unions whose members work in public transport, and the amnesty international group. Everybody to think of ideas for other groups to approach.

FUNDRAISING:
A sponsored swim on Boxing Day was suggested, but didn't appeal to anybody! Alfonso will be printing badges to be sold. Please contact him if you have an idea for a design other than the CCC logo. Fundraising to be discussed further next time.

NEXT MEETING:
Monday, 9th January, Blue Lamp, Gallowgate


UPDATE ABOUT THE TWO CLIMATE CHANGE MEETINGS THIS MONTH:
There has been a lot of positive coverage about the Montreal Climate Change Agreement. At last, Kyoto is workable - so the world is now where it should have been in 1998 had it not been for US and other obstruction. The Kyoto signatories have agreed to discuss future targets by 2008. The US have had some bad press coverage, but have essentially not given ground. They went back to the conference only when they were assured that talks would not be binding. Altogether a more positive outcome than expected. It would give us a lot of hope if we could avoid dangerous climate change by stabilising the atmosphere at 550 ppm CO2 (now about 380 ppm CO2) by 2050.

BUT...
At the same time, top climate and earth scientists have been meeting in the US. Many of them are convinced that, within 10 years, the world will be committed to temperatures not seen for over half a million years, and to a climate catastrophe involving massive methane/CO2 releases from melting permafrost, collapse of major ocean currents, mass extinction on land and at sea, runaway polar melting, and megadroughts and flooding. James Hansen from NASA says that the result will be a very different planet. Read here for more: http://www.climateark.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=49507 Many top scientists have expressed fears for their own and their families' futures Only massive cuts in emissions now will save us - Montreal got nowhere close to avoiding catastrophe. No grounds for euphoria, or complacency.

Minutes: 8 Nov 2005

Hello,

There will be a stall for the Aberdeen Campaign Against Climate Change this Saturday, 12 - 2pm. We will meet at the Third World Centre at 11.50 am and the stall will be in Belmont Street.

So far, there are only two of us, and having one or more people would really help with the leafletting! Please email me if you can help for even part of the time, or just turn up.

Next Wednesday or Thursday, we will need volunteers who can help at a stall for an hour or two between 10am and 4pm. Please contact me if you can help!

Also, under minutes, please note that we need all the help with putting up posters we can get!

Thanks!

Minutes of our meeting on 8th November:

1. Feedback from the national Campaign:

The Demo in Edinburgh is being widely advertised by local groups, and Stop Climate Chaos have asked all their member organisations to contact their members and encourage them to go.

There is now an e-group for the Scottish groups, which you can join if you wish. The website address is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CCC-Scotland/ .

2. Public meeting

The speakers confirmed for the public meeting on 23rd November are Nick Gotts from the Aberdeen Greenpeace group, Gavin Smith from the Scottish Campaign Against Climate Change (main organiser of the Edinburgh demo), and Duncan Hart, Oil in the City. A speaker about Oil and War is yet to be confirmed.

We have been unable to get a speaker from any of the development NGOs, despite contacting all relevant organisations. Penny Howard will speak about climate change and Southern Africa (I will send her relevant studies and background information, which Calvin will also publish on his web-blog).

Penny will ask Emma whether she might like to chair the meeting.

Power point projector and screen to be arranged.

3. Posters and publicity:

It is important that we put up as many posters for the public meeting and the demo as possible. I attach the poster for the public meeting. The poster for the demo can be downloaded from
A flier can be downloaded from http://climatechangecampaign.blogspot.com .

PLEASE PRINT OUT POSTERS AND PUT THEM UP WHEREVER YOU CAN. IF YOU CAN PUT UP A POSTER AT WORK OR LOCALLY, BUT CANNOT PRINT IT OUT OR COPY IT, PLEASE EMAIL ME AND I WILL SEND YOU SOME!

I will put up posters around Belmont Street and Union Street and in the libraries.

Calvin will speak to a freelance journalist. Penny will contact the local media this week and ask for the public meeting to be included in the local events diaries. Full press release to go out on 21st November.

4. Stalls:
Calvin and I can do the stall this Saturday, 12-2 pm, Belmont Street. More volunteers welcome.

At the Abergreen event next week, we can have a stall any time Wednesday or Thursday, 10am to 4pm. Caitlin and I can do a couple of hours, but more volunteers are needed.

5. Film Night:
I have a short FoE video called Pumping Poverty and we can get a short Rising Tide video. Film night to be organised at the university on 30th November, and to be advertised at the public meeting.

6. Transport to the Demo:
We discussed hiring a bus or a minibus. If the Dundee group wish to share a coach and have sufficient interest, then we will book one. Calvin kindly offered to pay upfront, on the understanding that between both groups we will fill the seats or, failing this, will do a fundraising event after the demo to raise the difference.

7. Funding:
No information about out application to UNISON as yet.

8. Next meeting:
Monday, 21st November, 7.30 pm, New Kings Building


Almuth Ernsting

Minutes; 5 Oct 2005

Hello,

here are details of the next meetings of the Aberdeen Campaign Against Climate Change:

Tuesday, 18th October, 7.30 pm (venue to be announced) - organising meeting - please see agenda below

Tuesday, 22nd November, 7pm - public meeting (venue probably Art Centre, to be confirmed)


The group met last Wednesday, 5th October to discuss how to mobilise for the 3rd December Climate Change Demo. Here are brief minutes - apologies if they are not at precise - it was quite late and a noisy venue!

Minutes:

1. Public Meeting:

The date suggested for a public meeting was 16th November, however some of us later realised that this would clash with the Abergreen event, a major event at Aberdeen University. This has now been changed to 22nd November, 7pm. Venue Art Centre, King Street (to be confirmed).

Title: "Climate change, poverty and war"

Suggested speakers/talks:

- climate chaos in the developing world: Calvin to contact a speaker from one of the development NGOs who are part of the Climate Change and Development Group (eg Oxfam, Christian Aid, Tearfund, Action Aid)

- the politics of climate change (post-Kyoto negotiations - will our government help or sabotage them?): Almuth to contact WWF for a speaker

- oil and war - people will think of a speaker to contact (Joshua to explore?)

- trade unions and the campaign against climate change - UNISON speaker (Gerard to contact?)

- possibly a speaker for the national/Scottish Campaign Against Climate Change

2. Publicity:

Calvin will edit the national leaflet for the demo on 3rd December so that it applies to Aberdeen.

Calvin and Almuth to look at visual materials (photos of climate change impacts) prior to the first stall.

Leaflet for public meeting to be designed once speakers are confirmed and before the first stall.

3. Stalls:
It was decided to hold stalls on the two Saturdays before the public meeting. (NOTE: The Abergreen event on 16th/17th November would also be a good venue for a stall - either an extra one, or replacing one of the Saturdays - to be discussed at next meeting).

4. Funding:
Almuth to contact Gerard McCabe, who previously offered to apply for UNISON funding for group expenses.

5. E-group:
The Campaign Against Climate Change have a website where local groups can set up their own egroups. Almuth and Calvin to explore.

5. Next meeting:
Tuesday, 18th October, 7pm (Joshua to organise and confirm venue)


Proposed agenda for 18th October:

1. News from the National Campaign Against Climate Change
2. Contacts with other CCC groups in Scotland
3. Public Meeting
4. Stalls and publicity
5. Funding
6. Structure of and communication within the group (including date of the next organising meeting, and e-group)
7. Transport to demo (bus or train?)
8. AOCB

Hope to see lots of you on the 18th!

Best wishes,

Almuth Ernsting

Minutes: 18 Oct 2005

Hello,

Here are the minutes of our meeting on 18th October, with dates coming up.

1) FEEDBACK FROM THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN:
Calvin went to the national planning meeting in Oxford on 1st October. This was well attended, and he has posted a good summary on his blog:

The national demo in London appears to be well organised and widely publicised - same for the national campaign.

Concerns were raised that no details have been forthcoming about the Edinburgh demo, and that there seems to be very little publicity.

[NOTE: I have since spoken to Gavin Smith from Edinburgh who states they are awaiting approval of the route but plan to meet at 11am for a demo. So, at least there will be a demo, but organisation is way behind that of the London demo.]

2) Public meeting:

I have booked the Art Centre room from 7-9pm on 22nd November 2005. Cost 37 pounds.

NOTE:
[Penny Howard has just emailed me now to say it clashes with George Galloway's talk in the Music Hall. Will or can we re-schedule? Please await further mail shortly!]

SUGGESTED SPEAKERS:

WWF - have been asked to provide a speaker about the Kyoto/post-Kyoto negotiations. Awaiting confirmation.

Oil in the City: David has contacted Duncan Hart from Edinburgh and asked him for a talk. He would speak about the impact of oil on our own lives and options for living without oil. Oil in the City did an art project on the topic in Aberdeen some time ago.

Speaker on Oil and War: Penny and Joshua have contacted Angela McCormick from Glasgow, who is a member of Globalise Resistance and the Campaign Against Climate Change.

Development NGO: Calvin to follow up. If he has not got a speaker yet, John McAllion, who works for Oxfam in Dundee might be a good choice.

All speakers to be asked whether they need Power Point or any other equipment.

We will try to finalise speakers by 25th October, if possible.

PUBLICITY:

Everybody to look at suitable images for display at a stall, prior to the first Saturday in November. Almuth to get them printed out. Please email myself with web-addressed for pictures!

David and John will draft an information leaflet about global warming and the campaign and post it to the group for comments. Penny can get leaflets printed.

Calvin will draft the leaflet for the public meeting and demo once we have got the full details.

Stalls -

Stall at Abergreen student fair - time to be confirmed (16th or 17th November)

Stall every Saturday in November, if possible. Penny and Joshua can provide the table.

Leafletting:

Saturday, 29th October, Belmont Street (market), 12 noon onwards.

VIDEO:

Everybody please try and find a suitable video to show!

FUNDING:

Details of costs to be sent to Gerard for funding application to UNISON. [NOTE: Done.]

E-GROUP:

We can use the national website to advertise our meetings, but just now we will email full details to everybody on this list (ie everybody who is getting this one), and important announcements to the bigger G8A list. Please send emails to myself and I will forward them to everybody on this list (I will try to get it changed so everybody can email everybody else, but am still trying to find out how to do this, sorry).

NEXT MEETING:
8th November, 7.30 pm New Kings Building