Category: Uncategorized
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They Huffed and they Puffed…
My last Activist Winds post told of the Edinburgh uni Occupation for Gaza. Well since then the hurricane has continued to spread like that hilarious super-storm in the Day After Tomorrow, with further occupations and protests in St. Andrews, York and Aberdeen. So we can see which way the wind is blowing: a lot of…
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You’ll be eating lots of homemade chutney where we’re going Mr. Johnson
So you’re reading the *new* People & Planet blog huh? Presumably that must mean you’re interested to listen to the ideas and opinions of people around you. Well, perhaps you should give yourself a pat on the back then – because that puts you one step ahead of our beloved Mayor of London. Two weeks…
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The Time Has Come
When it comes to climate change the powerful have a lot to gain from espousing contradictions. Banks will tell you they exist to conserve the environment. Oil companies will tell you they don’t like oil. Airlines will tell you that flying can be sound. Supermarkets will tell you you need to spend more (1p from…
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Oil price volatility and its impact on Kenyan families
In 2008 I completed an MSc in Environment and Development at the University of Edinburgh, passing with distinction. This is the abstract of my dissertation. “It was found that there was a wide body of evidence supporting two views over the future of oil supply: an ‘optimistic view’ stating that there is enough oil to…
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The Eyesore at Faslane and the Joy of Resistance
Nuclear warheads are the most destructive objects present anywhere on the surface of our planet and they have been constructed and maintained by six of the worlds most powerful democracies1. If the arguments against nuclear proliferation are both moral and pragmatic (which I believe they are), then how has this been allowed to happen? Why…
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Ethical Investment: Ethical Consumerism for Institutions – A means to an end
Universities hold many of the same characteristics as individuals – they manage an income, they make choices about their financial systems, and they spend money. Many NGOs have spent the recent years challenging the spending habits of individuals, institutions and corporations through schemes such as FairTrade. This has become so popular partly because it is…
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Climate Camp and Real Direct Action
Good Company “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” (Matthew 21:12) Non-violent direct action is a vague term. It is usually about stopping something happening yourself, not waiting for someone else, or…
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The Trident Farce. Discuss.
In the autumn of 2006 Tony Blair announced that Britain needed to replace its nuclear weapons system, ‘Trident.’ This will cost £15,000,000,000 of taxpayers money and occupy years of government and industry time. Is this really what our government should be preoccupied with? If Trident is a weapon we will not use, it is worthless.…
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DESO: A helping hand for all Your Weapons Export Needs!
DESO is bad. Let’s just make that clear. This mag is called good people against bad things. DESO fits into the latter quite cosily. There’s not a lot good about it. But before you run out on the streets to let everyone know this, I’ll let you in on a little more info. The Defence…