Tag: scote3

GREEN NEW DEAL – AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEIZE THE TIME

Mike Downham notes the publication of the Scottish Green Party’s proposals for a Green New Deal and the need to step up the action on climate at this time of political and constitutional crisis.

On the same day that the Government announced the proroguing of parliament, the Scottish Greens launched their proposals for a Green New Deal. Climate change remains the most urgent of all the issues pressing down on us, and the Green New Deal initiative gives us a concrete opportunity to flex our muscles in the new context of Westminster collapse.

So the people have finally had enough of this UK Government. Its decision to trash democracy left a governing vacuum. Yesterday’s broad-based and widespread protests shows the potential to fill that vacuum and take control. Kicked off by the proroguing of parliament, the protests have escalated to articulate anger against austerity cuts, privatisation and the whole political position of the Tory Party.

The Scottish Greens give this summary of their proposals:

Scotland can

  • Redirect massive investment into low carbon industries
  • Grow a world-leading low carbon manufacturing sector
  • Restore our natural environment
  • Give everyone a warm home
  • And provide access to cheap, reliable and green transport.

But to do this we have to ditch neoliberal economics for good.

At the heart of a Scottish Green New Deal is a belief that the Scottish Government can and must take a direct role, working in partnership with citizens, communities, and companies to deliver the change Scotland and the planet so urgently needs.

Rather than pick holes in these proposals, we can build on them by making three immediate demands. Demands which are focussed, achievable and directly address key desperate needs of working-class people – fuel poverty, poverty in general, and the need for jobs which are properly rewarded, secure and satisfying.

The three demands emerge naturally from the climate movement’s in-depth work over recent years:

  1. We demand a just transition from North Sea oil and gas to renewable energy, starting immediately with the phasing out of North Sea oil and gas extraction, as recommended in the Sea Change report co-authored by Friends of the Earth Scotland, Oil Change International and Platform (2019).
  2. We demand an immediate programme for the insulation and draught-proofing of all homes, public buildings and businesses, as recommended in the One Million Climate Jobs booklet produced by the Campaign Against Climate Change (2014).
  3. We demand an immediate nationwide Free Public Transport system, as argued for by the Scottish Socialist Party since 2007, and now by the Scottish Greens (2019)

We will make it clear that we won’t take no for an answer, confident in the new-found breadth of the movement for democracy and for a break with the Economy of Madness and the Politics of Division.

Green New Deal

Image by Bart Everson, CC BY 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/32447100627

Take action over Hunterston

In previous posts and briefing documents we have argued that HUnterston poses a grave threat to the safety of everyone living in the Central Belt and that moreover, nuclear should have no part in the transition to a sustainable economy.

The Office of Nuclear Regulation has given EDF permission to restart reactor 4 at Hunterston B.  The date is not yet certain but the probable date is 30th August.  Although cracking in Reactor 4 is not as extensive as in Reactor 3, there is an issue of some cracks openings that are greater than 1.2 cm wide (ie ~½ inch).

Actions you might wish to take: 

  1.  Write (with copies to social media) to the following people – (addresses are given below)
  • the Chief Inspector of the Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR),
  • the Chief Executive of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA),
  • your own MSP and the current Scottish Minister for Energy
  • the Scottish Government’s Director of Energy and Climate Change

In writing to the above and in using social media, you might express the views that:

  • both the Hunterston B reactors should remain closed for good
  • that EDF and North Ayrshire Council should publish their plans for evacuation in the event of a nuclear accident; and
  • that free potassium iodate tablets should be pre-distributed to the population within 50 km of Hunterston B.

Consider planning, organising and participating in demonstrations outside Hunterston.

Useful Addresses

Office for Nuclear Regulation

Building 4, Redgrave Court

Merton Road

Bootle L20 7HS

Or use the online form http://www.onr.org.uk/complaining-about-onr.htm

Scottish Environmental Protection Agency

Strathallan House, Castle Business Park

Stirling FK9 4TZ

or online form https://www.sepa.org.uk/contact/contact-us-via-email/

Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands

The Scottish Government
St. Andrew’s House, Regent Road
Edinburgh EH1 3DG

scottish.ministers@gov.scot

Scottish Government Energy and Climate Change Directorate

Director of Energy and Climate Change

Atlantic Quay, 150 Broomielaw
Glasgow G2 8LU

ceu@gov.scot

North Ayrshire Council 
Cunninghame House
Friars Croft
Irvine KA12 8EE
info@northayrshire.community

email: northayrshireperforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

East Ayrshire Council

London Road

Kilmarnock KA3 7BU

https://our.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/AchieveForms

(Thanks to Edinburgh CND for much of this information).

Sheep graze in fields next to British Energy Hunterston 'B' nuclear power station in west Scotland

By Jonathonchampton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11050069

‘Climate jobs, just transition and building a movement with social justice at its heart’

A report from Pete Cannell on a recent ScotE3 workshop.

Back in June I facilitated a ScotE3 workshop on the Monday evening of the Extinction Rebellion Holyrood Rebel Camp.  The workshop was titled ‘Climate jobs, just transition and building a movement with social justice at its heart’.

Around 30 of us squashed together under a gazebo on a bright but chilly summer’s evening.  There was an excellent discussion looking critically at what we mean by Just Transition and how we can make social justice more than just a distant aspiration.  The rest of this post is an attempt to capture some of the content of the workshop.

I framed the discussion by explaining the origins of ScotE3 as a collective of rank and file trade unionists and climate activists in Scotland looking to develop the movement for a just transition.   I explained that while ‘just transition’ is a contested term, ScotE3 has taken inspiration from several sources; initially from the campaign for a million climate jobs, from the grassroots campaigns in working class and indigenous communities in the US and from the Lucas plan campaigners; more recently from the BiFab workers, the school student strikes and the urgency injected by XR.  We see climate jobs, social justice and grass roots democracy as the key to just transition and also as central to building the social movement we require to avoid catastrophic climate change.

In the group we discussed the difference between ‘climate jobs’ and ‘green jobs’. Climate jobs are jobs that lead directly to cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.  So for example, workers building and maintaining offshore wind farms replace power stations that burn coal, oil or gas; bus drivers reduce the amount of oil burnt in cars.

We also discussed what is meant by just transition.  It can be a slippery concept because governments, unions and climate activists all use it.  I argued that its value comes from the way it has been used by working class climate rebels who have made it much more than just a vague aspiration. So to be useful just transition and social justice need to inform the demands we make, the priorities we organise for and the nature of the social movement we build.  It is about protecting the individuals and communities whose livelihoods currently depend on the carbon economy.   But it’s not just a conservative demand; it’s also about ensuring that the new sustainable economy is egalitarian, democratic and reflects the diversity of Scotland in the twenty first century.

Thanks to all the participants in the workshop for their contributions and questions.

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Image – Pete Cannell Flickr CC0

August organising meeting

We’ll meet at the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre 25 Nicolson Square on Thursday 15th August.

Draft agenda includes follow up on work from the July meeting including possible Fife Jobs Forum, Future public meetings (EWJF and Glasgow Sea Change Launch), invite to speak at North and Leith Labour Party event), Website and briefings, Nationalisation of Ferguson Marine.

The two main items for discussion and planning are the ScotE3 conference to take place in Edinburgh on 16th November and 20th September school strikes and solidarity.

Please email ideas for other agenda items to triple.e.scot@gmail.com

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Sign the UCU petition for strike action on 20 September

The UCU (the union that represents University Lecturers across the UK and College Lecturers in England and Wales say “Greta Thunberg’s call for a climate strike and for adults, workers and trade unionists to join the global school students’ strike on 20 September 2019 is one that trade unionists from all unions must take seriously.” UCU are bringing a motion to the TUC Congress (8-11 September) for the TUC to call a 30 minute workplace stoppage on the day of the strikes. Full text below and here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10181/30-minute-solidarity-climate-stoppage

This would be the first time in over 30 years that the TUC has issued such a call on any issue. To get this motion passed, UCU will need to demonstrate how widespread the support for it is. Please sign  and share, whether you are a trade union member or not.

Sign up here to support the call for a 30-minute workday stoppage in solidarity with the global school student strike on 20 September 2019: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10202/Support-the-30-minute-solidarity-climate-stoppage

You don’t have to wait for the TUC conference – see the model motion that you can use now and this video that looks at how to argue for a strike in your workplace.

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Confronting corporate power

A month ago we reported on the launch of the “Fife Ready For Renewal” campaign to insist that production work for the new Neart na Gaoithe wind farm should take place at the currently unoccupied Bifab yards in Burntisland and Methil.  On Friday 5th July the campaign stepped up a notch when 100 pickets assembled in Edinburgh.

IMG_4674Ex-Bifab workers, reps of 5 or 6 unions, School Strikers, ScotE3,  Friends of the Earth and others surrounded the EDF Renewables HQ in Morrison Street, Edinburgh. An expert bugler, echoing his fanfares round the tall buildings, attracted a lot of passing attention. No uniformed police. Four School Strikers were lined up behind a very long banner. They were shy so we got them to go to the front. Good speeches. The plan had been to present a letter to EDF, listing questions and demands. But we arrived to find their door locked. So the questions and demands were magicked onto two long scrolls, which were displayed at the front of the protest and photographed. Then it was decided we should march round the side of the building  to see if there was a back door open so the original letter could be presented. There was a back door – a big revolving one, behind which four large security guards retreated when they saw us coming – a lot of loud music and chanting by this time on a good PA system. Good large flags, multiplied by reflexion in glass walls. Two people were allowed inside to give the letter to the guards, then one worker managed to push his way backwards through the door with a big flag, which he waved at us through the glass with a big smile, while the guards pinioned him. There was a point when it looked as if the crowd would push through the door, but not this time. The guards nudged the worker back though the door, then decided to lock it. This was the best bit – a guard on his knees inside struggling to lock the door with a ground-bolt, but failing to get any of his big bunch of keys to fit. This gave a great photo opportunity, and was greeted with hilarity by the crowd, who offered technical training for EDF workers.

IMG_4675Thanks to Mike and Eileen for words and images.

Climate Emergency – model motion

Youth Strike For Climate are calling for support for their actions – there will be global climate strikes in September.  Please raise this motion (adapt it for your circumstances if necessary) and raise it in your union branch, community group or political party branch. You can download and editable version here.

Climate emergency – model motion

This (branch/region/trades council/union/conference) notes the urgent need for action on the climate emergency, both in response to existing negative impacts such as extreme weather, fires, droughts, floods and loss of habitat and species; and to avoid the catastrophic and irreversible climate damage which people increasingly realise the world is on course for, after the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

We recognise that big business, the military and the richest individuals are responsible for the vast majority of climate change, yet the global working class and poor are disproportionately at risk. A just transition is essential, not only because it is right, but because it is the only way the movement against climate chaos will secure the mass support needed to win and avoid a rich minority protecting themselves at the expense of the planet and the vast majority of people.

We congratulate the school students striking around the world for real climate action. We resolve to:

  1. Publicly state our support and solidarity with the climate strikers
  2. Invite climate strikers to speak at our meeting
  3. Give practical support to the climate strikes, without adults taking it over. This will include asking schools to commit to imposing no sanctions against striking students, promoting the strikes on social media, encouraging members to attend, taking our flags or banner if agreed with the strikers, providing megaphones and stewards if requested
  4. Support the call for workers to join the climate strike in September and to maximise member involvement
  5. Work with other local labour movement and environmental organisations to arrange discussions locally and within workplaces about practically how workers and unions can join the climate strike or show solidarity
  6. Call on employers and local authorities to declare a climate emergency and involve workers and communities in planning, implementing and monitoring to rapidly achieve zero carbon emissions, including ending investments in fossil fuels
  7. Call on employers to recognise union green/environmental reps and give them work time for their activities
  8. Call on unions the STUC and TUC to back the climate strikes, call and build action
  9. Demand massive public investment in the jobs required to address climate emergency, including massive improvements in renewable energy, housing and public transport
  10. Send this motion to our local trades council, up through our union structure, to the local Labour Party and local SNP branch.
  11. Affiliate to Scot.E3 (Employment, Energy and Environment) http://www.scote3.wordpress.com

No_Planet_B_-_Climate_emergency_-_Melbourne_-MarchforScience_on_-Earthday_(34077455041)

June organising meeting

We will be meeting at 7pm at the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre on Wednesday 19th  June.  The draft agenda includes discussion and organising on:

Our contribution to the Edinburgh World Justice Festival (28th September – 19th October) which this year has a theme of Climate Action and Social Justice.

The Fife Ready for Renewal Meeting in Buckhaven on 20 June

Taking forward action and writing on: Climate Justice, Defence Divestment and links to Climate Action, Re-engineering the grid for a sustainable future, State Energy Company

These are open meetings and anyone who wants to get involved is welcome.  If you want to add items to the agenda please use the contact form of email directly to triple.e.scot@gmail.com

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Image CC-BY-SA https://www.jisc.ac.uk/blog/open-science-many-hands-make-light-work-17-aug-2015

Climate Camp

We’ll be running a workshop at the XR Climate Campo at Holyrood on Monday evening (17th June), 7pm – it’s on ‘Climate jobs, just transition and building a movement with social justice at its heart’ – do come along if you can and in any case support the Climate Camp – on this week from this evening until Thursday.

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