Press Releases

On Saturday 12th September, members of Oxford WDM were dressed as cooling towers from coal-fired power stations in Cornmarket St, Oxford, campaigning for the Big If, against more of these power stations in the UK. The group asked passersby to do anything, from writing to their MP to organising a protest, if Ed Milliband, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, decides to go ahead with new coal-fired power stations without committing to stop all carbon emissions from the outset.

The proposed new dirty coal power station at Kingsnorth in Kent could by itself be responsible for:

• More than 20,000 people being forced from their homes as climate refugees
• 100,000 people losing their dry season water supply due to glaciers melting
• 50,000 people being at risk of hunger due to drought and lower crop yields

Letting this happen would completely undermine the UK’s targets on climate change, and mean we have no credibility at crucial international climate talks in Copenhagen.

Chris Manley, secretary of Oxford WDM said: “The largest coal power stations in the UK emit more carbon dioxide than the whole of a country like Tanzania. By pledging to take action if the government goes ahead with dirty coal power stations, ordinary people in Oxford are sending a clear message to the government that they will not stand idly by when climate change is already devastating the lives of millions of people across the planet.”

Ends; notes below

1. For more details please see www.thebigif.org/

L-R: Philip Vander Elst (UKIP), Caroline Lucas (Greens), John Madeley (chair), Sharon Bowles (Liberal Democrats), Janet Keene (Labour)

Two of the South East’s Euro MPs have this week backed campaigners’ calls for  Europe to change its policy on trade deals that are bad for developing countries  and the environment.

Two of the MEPs for our area, the Greens’ Caroline  Lucas the Lib-Dems’ Sharon Bowles have signed a pledge brought to them by Oxford  World Development Movement (WDM). The WDM is campaigning with the Trade Justice  Movement to stop the EU pushing unfair trade deals with poor countries that will  exploit poor people and the environment.

The Green Party’s Caroline Lucas  said:

“I have signed the pledge to stop Europe’s unfair trade deals  because I believe that Europe should prioritise development, environmental  sustainability and human rights in poor countries. If I’m elected I will do  everything I can to make sure this happens.”

Caroline Lucas (Greens) signing the trade pledge

Campaigners claim new EU  trade deals will stop developing countries from being able to protect local food  production and key natural resources like forests  from the worst excesses of  the market.  And the deals could lead to more dumping of European products on  developing countries – putting farmers and home grown industries out of  business.  The Trade Justice Movement is calling on the European Commission to  review Europe’s trade strategy and place the interests of the world’s poorest  countries ahead of profits for Europe’s biggest companies.

Sharon Bowles, Liberal Democrats, presenting her signed trade pledge

Julieanne  Porter from Oxford WDM said:
“It’s very encouraging that these two MEPs  have pledged to support our campaign to put an end to unfair trade deals. Europe  is trying to negotiate trade deals that will hurt people and the environment in  developing countries. It’s vital that this is stopped and that the needs of the  poorest people are put first.”

ENDS

Contact: Oxford WDM Press  Officer, Jenny Nicholson
07766  676371
jenny.nicholson@live.co.uk

Notes to editors:

1.   Photographs follow in separate email

2.  To find out more about the  campaign to stop the EU’s unfair trade deals, and see the pledge, go to  www.tjm.org.uk

3. The World Development Movement (WDM) tackles the  underlying causes of poverty. We lobby decision makers to change the policies  that keep people poor. We research and promote positive alternatives. We work  alongside people in the developing world who are standing up to injustice.
See: www.wdm.org.uk or the Oxford Group on:  http://oxfordwdm.blogspot.com/.

4. Candidates present: Caroline Lucas  (Greens), Sharon Bowles (Liberal Democrats), Janet Keene (Labour), Philip Vander  Elst (UKIP)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ER_xCwVpI0[/youtube]

On Saturday 25th October, from 10am until 12noon in Cornmarket Street in Oxford, campaigners from Oxford World Development Movement (WDM) will be catching ‘fat cats’ in a net as part of a campaign for fairer European trade laws that will put people before profits.

WDM campaigner Sam Partington, nets an EU fat cat

Sam Partington, Secretary of Oxford WDM, said, “This is particularly relevant in light of the current global credit crunch – at the moment the European Union is negotiating trade deals with half the countries around the world, which will benefit big business at the expense of a billion people who are living in poverty.”

Big companies are making handsome profits while developing countries’ economies take a battering as prices for commodities fall. Coffee is one example: coffee farmers are now selling their coffee beans for much less than they cost to produce, while there is no evidence of prices falling here. And in Mexico a trade deal led to two million people having to leave their land as the price for maize collapsed – whilst corporate giants reaped the profits.

Kevin Meaney, Chair of Oxford WDM said, “There are over 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels who are dedicated to influencing European policy on behalf of their corporate clients, working secretively and unaccountable to anyone but their clients. Removing regulations on overseas operations is of key interest to these corporate lobbyists in their quest to maximise new profits and this is shown in the new trade deals that Europe is negotiating. This is wrong – people are suffering, so we must speak out against it.”

Mayor of Oxford, Susanna Pressel, netting a fat cat

Susanna Pressel, Mayor of Oxford, supports WDM in its campaign, “We need to support Gordon Brown in his campaign for fairer trade laws in the EU that will reduce the appalling poverty still found in some developing countries. I congratulate WDM for the work they are doing to publicise these important issues. Reducing global poverty is not only morally right, it is also in our long-term economic interests.”

It is possible to trade in a way that benefits the poor; WDM is campaigning for a system that works in the interests of people and the environment, lets developing countries choose their own development policies, is not dominated by corporate interests, and is transparent, democratic and truly representative.

ENDS

Notes:

1. Photo opportunity at 11am, Cornmarket Street.

2. For more details about this campaign please see

http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/trade/index.htm

3. The World Development Movement (WDM) tackles the underlying causes of poverty. We lobby decision makers to change the policies that keep people poor. We research and promote positive alternatives. We work alongside people in the developing world who are standing up to injustice.

Contact: Jenny Nicholson, Oxford WDM: 07766 676371 jenny.nicholson@live.co.uk