campaign – AmeliasMagazine

If you walked over the Millennium Bridge today you might happen upon a small city of tents, cost cure this is in fact not a new city of borrowers or a miniature tourist town as a few people were in under the impression, price but a new campaign by Oxfam to get people involved with the fight against climate change.

Oxfam have teamed up with a German artist Herman Josef Hack who has meticulously produced hundreds of tents that aim to highlight some of the 26 million people forced from their homes around the world. Human impact and wars have misplaced millions and now the evil of climate change is creating droughts and flooding around the world that is forcing huge numbers of people into temporary accommodation.

The installation pushes the message home with the backdrop of St Paul’s and the Millennium Bridge creating a contrast with the tents that millions worldwide are forced to live in. It was all a bit lost on the rush hour commuters as they kept their heads down, sidestepping all the shelters that blocked their way. As the day progresses, however, people are showing a real interest, stopping to chat and having a look around. As it is on the path of the tourist walk and with the half term break it looks like it will attract plenty of people, which makes it a shame that it is only a temporary exhibition.

The event, however, is being replicated today in four other cities – Dublin, Berlin, Madrid and Brussels – hoping to get hundreds of people to sign up on their website and send messages to governments. The aim is to put pressure on the European heads of state that will meet tomorrow in Brussels to decide what they can take to the table at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December.

Oxfam have another exhibition, Under Water Colours, being held at the Truman Brewery at the Dray Walk Gallery, which I popped into today. The free exhibition focuses on the human cost of climate change in Bangladesh and features nine watercolours by Jamie Hewlett, the artist who produces the artwork for the GORILLAZ.

He took a trip to the country with Oxfam and documented what the devastation facing the communities that he saw to produce some amazing watercolour images. It will be on until Saturday (31st) so make sure you get down. You can also buy some of the limited edition prints if you’re feeling a bit flush.

Oxfam are also urging people to attend ‘The Wave’, one of the UK’s biggest ever demonstrations in support of action on climate change, held by Stop Climate Chaos Coalition on 5th December. At this event thousands of people will flow through the streets of London to put pressure on the government to kick start a green economy and safeguard the world’s poorest communities around the world. It’s going to be an empowering day so make sure you put it in your diary.

Written by Adam S on Wednesday October 28th, 2009 3:55 pm

Categories ,art, ,Bangladesh, ,campaign, ,Climate Change, ,Gorillaz, ,Herman Josef Hack, ,installation, ,Jamie Hewlett, ,london, ,Millennium Bridge, ,miniature, ,oxfam, ,oxfam campaign, ,shelter, ,St Pauls, ,tents, ,the Wave, ,Truman Brewery, ,water colours

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999 it’s time, sildenafil erectile is another green focused campaign. As the website notes “We are in a state of emergency – socially, store economically and ecologically. What do we do in an emergency? In the UK, viagra 100mg we dial 999…” Well that all sounds pretty heartening until you realise that the 999 campaigns reaction to this emergency hasn’t exactly been particularly speedy so far. I can’t help feeling that the climate emergency we are facing means groups should be advocating some real direct action rather than just planting a tree or joining the 10:10 movement. However the campaign has some great initiatives to get the ball rolling and hopefully get more people thinking about the global crisis.

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All illustrations by Suzy Phillips

Of course the campaign does have some credibility, it encourages people to get more environmentally friendly, and behind the celebrity endorsements 999 has some forward thinking ideas about how communities in particular can work together to create a more sustainable world. Transforming rural and urban spaces into shared land to grow food has been one of the most successful elements. Capital Growth is the place to start with a great run through of the process and steps and how to get involved. Land sharing empowers people by growing their own food and creating stronger links in communities as well as reducing the reliance on supermarkets. A definite step in the right direction.

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I caught up with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the rural country celebrity chef, to talk about his part in the 999 campaign.

Can you outline what 999′s main priority is about and why you’re here today?

999 is about driving home the issue of climate change and what we ourselves can do to combat the emergency situation we have found ourselves in. I’ve come today because our aim ties in with the Climate Rush campaign, and its a great way to get talking with the local community, and of course it’s the 9th of the 9th 09.

How is the 999 campaign coming along? It doesn’t seemed to have gained as much prominence in the press such as campaigns like the recent 10:10?

It’s an on-going process, im specifically been looking at the food aspect, and as the ambassador I’m really interested in what small scale communities can do to combat the threat of climate change.

Can you please give some examples of the message your trying to get across in relation to the food aspect of the campaign?

With my books and TV series I’ve been highlighting the importance of locally grown produce and recently I’ve been pushing the idea of land sharing. The idea is to find land, whether in urban or rural spaces where people can grow their own food, there is so much land wasted around the UK that can be used. With over a thousand people on waiting lists for allotments especially in the south, it is vital we utilize all the land we can instead of relying on foreign markets for our vegetables. Food is a great way to create a cohesive community and bring people together.

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How is the land sharing campaign going, have you had much success?

We’ve had over a thousand land plots given to us and up to 30,000 people signing up to the website, so it’s defiantly getting people interested. The campaign is also working with groups like the Church of England and a range of British NGOs. The National Trust for example has just given us 1000 plots of land, so although it’s quite a slow process, there’s been a real positive reaction across the country.

With your interest in climate change, have the facts about the meat industry’s huge carbon footprint persuaded you to become vegetarian yet?

No, not yet, I’m aware of the issues, and I keep by own pigs and livestock, and always advocate buying locally soured meat to keep the carbon footprint low.

So let’s hope this campaign can help to stop this emergency from escalating, with 1 day, 11 hours, 9 minutes since 999 Day, the pressure is on.

Written by Adam S on Thursday September 10th, 2009 12:34 pm

Categories ,999 Day, ,campaign, ,Capital Growth, ,Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, ,land sharing