Protected by toxic waste hazard suits and brandishing a top-of-the-line range of greenwash detecting devices, the 40 intrepid Greenwash Guerrillas swarmed around the building (the Business Design Centre in Islington, whose marketing managers were not best pleased at their presence and who might think twice about working with a climate criminal like E.ON in future), making sure that every delegate who entered knew about E.ON’s attempt to build the first new coal fired power station in the UK for thirty years at Kingsnorth, in Kent (site of this year’s Camp for Climate Action, which has other plans – like leaving fossil fuels in the ground!).
Some delegates happily took in bottles of (http://www.ev-eon.com) Ev-eon water (carbon capture in a bottle, the latest techno-fix here to save the day!), and ended up taking a little piece of subversion into the belly of the E.ON-sponsored beast. At one point, the word went out that greenwash had reached maximum toxicity levels, and some of the guerrillas temporarily succumbed in a mass die-in. The sounds of the Pedals pedal-powered sound system soon revived them, however, and the guerrillas went back to sucking greenwash out of the building and chatting to largely receptive passers-by and largely sheepish delegates.
One guerrilla was heard to say: “This summit is greenwash of the highest toxicity. E.ON is spending a lot of money trying to paint its dirty deeds as green. Those really concerned about climate change will be confronting their lies, at conferences and offices in London, at the (http://www.climatecamp.org.uk) Camp for Climate Action at Kingsnorth this August, and wherever else E.ON is committing climate crimes”.
After 1000 leaflets had been handed out and the ‘E.ON’s Greenwash Won’t Wash’ and ‘Caution: Toxic Greenwash Hazard’ banners rolled away (to be used another day, should any company ever be crazy enough to accept sponsorship from E.ON again), the guerrillas outmanoeuvred the police to have a debrief and late breakfast in the sunshine at a nearby park. Just as they were preparing to leave, a huge cheer went out: Oxford climate campers had occupied the roof of the London head office of Edelman, E.ON’s recently hired PR company!
Original Post
Join the Greenwash Guerrillas to show that E.ON’S greenwash won’t wash!
Wednesday, 16th July, 8.15 AM, London
Just two weeks before the Camp for Climate Action at Kingsnorth, E.ON are sponsoring a climate summit designed to help industry leaders ‘keep stakeholders engaged’. Just like their plans for ‘clean coal’ at Kingsnorth, this is greenwash of the highest toxicity: a laughable-if-it-weren’t-so-tragic attempt to distract us from the fact that E.ON are planning to build the first coal-fired power station in the UK for over thirty years. And that, in a time of unprecedented climate crisis, is an unacceptable insanity.
This hot-air-fest cannot pass without a visit from… the Greenwash Guerrillas!
Don a white painter’s suit and come on down to the Business Design Centre in Islington to join a crack team of greenwash detectors. We will be cordoning off the area and warning summit delegates about the high levels of toxic greenwash leaking from the building. (We suspect its source to be E.ON Managing Director Bob Taylor, who’s got a top spot on the panel.) To get a sense of what the demo will be like, check out the Greenwash Guerrillas in action.
This should be a fun, subversive demo, with the Camp for Climate Action, Rising Tide, People and Planet, Earth First! and WDM all helping to spread the word. Join us and help show E.ON that our actions won’t be confined to Kingsnorth this August. Climate Campers will go wherever we need to and do whatever it takes to shut down Kingsnorth – permanently.
Where: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper St, London N1 0QH
When: Wednesday, 16th July, meet 8.15AM in front of the Business Design Centre
Bring if you can: a white painter’s/boiler suit and any home-made greenwash detecting devices you can think up (eg. part of an old hoover, a remote control, a hair dryer painted green – get creative!) If you can’t bring these things, not to worry, extras will be on hand.
More info: info@climatecamp.org.uk / 07961 917 535
(Get in touch if you’re coming from out of town and need accommodation the night before)
Leaflets are available to help spread the word about the day – see here for copies
greenwashguerrillas.wordpress.com 