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.