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| Newsletter | September 2001 |
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This report concerns only licensing criteria, which solely involve flight safety. It does not cover environmental factors such as noise, nor public safety zone questions outside the aerodrome. Neither of these subjects is a CAA responsibility ... These matters are not within this author's expertise. -- Chris Hedge, expert retained by Rushmoor
The planning meeting (Wed 8 August 2001) to consider the TAG application for runway configurations at Farnborough Airport transcended the usual farce, it was a complete travesty of justice.
The agenda was fundamentally flawed - reports were missing, but TAG's comment's rubbishing the reports were included, the recommendation that TAG's proposals met CAA criteria was to misuse the independent reports.
The chairman and several other councillors were advised the agenda was seriously flawed and asked to defer the decision, but they carried on regardless. The issue was not even raised.
At the meeting the councillors were lied to by officials. They were told that the experts engaged by Rushmoor had stated the TAG proposals met CAA criteria, their reports said the opposite. Officials, as at last year's planning meeting (BVEJ newsletter #0004 September 2000), aggressively promoted TAG's case.
The discussion degenerated into councillors waffling. None stood up and raised a single valid point. None stood up and said the TAG runway configuration failed to meet CAA criteria. Councillors are quite happy to approve a runway configuration that needs CAA dispensation to be licensed. This fails to meet the Local Plan requirements of the 'safest possible runway configuration', and even TAG admit their runway configuration has been 'shoe-horned in'.
Councillors received new information that evening. Not a single councillor suggested the meeting be deferred. Not one questioned why they had been given a new agenda, no explanation was given, nor any mention or explanation of the pages missing from consultant's report in the original agenda.
A detailed report by Des Treadgold, a follow-up to an earlier report missing from the agenda, was handed to councillors at the start of the meeting. No one questioned the late receipt, or demanded the item be deferred to allow proper consideration.
The only councillor who said he was not happy was Tony Gardiner (Tory, Aldershot) and to his credit voted against. He was the only councillor to vote no.
Officials told councillors there had been several reports on risk. What they failed to mention was that several reports were needed because the earlier reports were based on flawed data. Officials led councillors to believe the reports dealt with safety on the ground. They do not, they consider CAA criteria for the TAG 1800/2000 metre runway configuration. Independent consultants were quite explicit in stating they were not considering safety on the ground. Officials told councillors there would be monitoring under the Section 106 agreement between TAG and Rushmoor. What the officials did not say was that under the Section 106 agreement it will be TAG who carry out the monitoring, or that the Section 106 agreement is a worthless bit of paper. Officials told councillors they had to approve the runway configuration as they had already granted planning permission the previous year. Not true, last year outline planning permission only was granted, the runway configuration to be determined by safety considerations.
Councillors were wringing their hands. It is slowly dawning on them that if anything goes wrong, they personally could be liable. That is their only concern, not the local community, but themselves personally. It was this that drove the compromise, which officials had hastily cobbled together. Instead of voting to approve the planning application, they would leave the matter to be resolved by the CAA, the chairman and head of planning would then approve the application if CAA said yes.
On his return from his freebie trip to the Paris Airshow courtesy of Farnborough Airshow organisers SBAC, Tory council leader John Marsh (employee of BAE Systems) claimed it had nothing to do with the TAG planning application (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001). The main item of discussion by the councillors, apart from how to protect their own backs, was the possible effect upon the Farnborough Airshow.
John Starling was forced as usual to leave the room as he has a vested interest, ie he has trees in his back garden which TAG wish to destroy. Even though asked to do so he did not raise that his trees were still there, thus exposing the TAG lie that all the trees had been destroyed. If the trees had gone then why was Starling forced to leave the room as the trees in his back garden, to which he is refusing access, are his only vested interest?
One councillor made the point of saying he was pro-flying and always had been. Surely a reason to leave the room, but no, only those who oppose TAG or represent the community have a vested interest, the rest are hard working councillors of integrity.
John Debenham, chairman of the planning meeting, is a member of the Basingstoke Canal Society. An interest that was not declared.
Had the meeting been handled properly, apart from ensuring councillors had all the relevant information before them, the two experts engaged by Rushmoor would have been invited to make a presentation then been available for questions.
Contrary to the lie by John Debenham in the Farnborough Mail there was not 'comprehensive public consultation' (Farnborough Mail Tues 28 August 2001). The consultation that took place was minimal. Most people who are affected were not consulted. The Canal Society, for example, were not consulted even though the runway is being extended towards the canal for take off. They were only able to respond because they were tipped off by an alert member of the public. Objections by the Canal Society were not included in the agenda placed before councillors, but TAG's comments rubbishing the Canal Society were included. FARA failed to alert the local community to what was going on and only a couple of their committee troubled themselves to turn up to the planning committee. BVFoE were as usual noticeable by their absence.
Following the planning meeting, John Debenham told the Farnborough Mail that he was reacting with 'surprise and disappointment' at Patrick Kirby's condemnation at the councillors scant regard for the safety of local residents (Farnborough Mail Tues 28 August 2001). Quite why Debenham should be surprised is a mystery as before the planning meeting several people had expressed their grave concern over the agenda and the recommendations it contained. Debenham lacked the courtesy to respond to their concerns.
[BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001]
It must be emphasised that the CAA are believed normally to require elimination rather than minimisation of obstacles as a condition of granting a license, and that they inevitably pay special attention to takeoff and approach surfaces in that regard. -- Chris Hedge, expert retained by Rushmoor
I understand that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is presently dealing with penetrations by trees and terrain, including those within private property by agreement with owners. -- John Boyle, expert retained by Rushmoor
Mr Treadgold's information is out of date as trees that were originally obstacles have now been treated. -- Ann Bartaby, TAG director
TAG want a runway configuration of 1800 metres landing, 2000 metres takeoff. This would not meet CAA criteria due to the penetration into the inner horizontal and approach flight surfaces. Not just our opinion but also that of local expert Des Treadgold and the experts engaged by Rushmoor. Obstacles that penetrate include land around Aldershot, telecom masts on Beacon Hill, trees to the west of the runway, high-sided vehicles on the Fleet-Aldershot road running parallel to the Basingstoke Canal and trees in residential Farnborough. The TAG 1800/2000 metre runway cannot meet CAA criteria unless these obstacles are removed (highly unlikely in Farnborough). To meet CAA criteria either the obstacles have to be removed, or a shorter runway configuration that avoids the obstacles.
The experts engaged by Rushmoor made an assumption that the trees in Farnborough had gone, TAG lied and claimed the trees had gone. An aerial photo by Gibb's survey shows the trees in Farnborough and identifies those that have to go for the runway configuration proposed by TAG. Many of these trees are still there. Local residents have made it very clear they will not allow access to their trees. Des Treadgold has identified many more obstacles than TAG.
A third, but highly undesirable option, is for CAA to grant dispensation for Farnborough. If dispensation were granted the Local Plan objective of the 'safest possible runway configuration' would not be met. The risk contours calculated for Farnborough would no longer be valid as they assume CAA criteria is met, ie no obstacles.
CAA are unlikely to relax their criteria unless political pressure is applied at board level.
[BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001]
Day by day, the capitalist world order produces a diversity of violence. Poverty, hunger, expulsion, exclusion, the death of millions of people and the destruction of living spaces is part for their policy. This is exactly what we reject. Smashed windows of banks and multinational companies are symbolic actions. Nevertheless, we do not agree with the destruction and looting of small shops and cars. This is not our policy. However, we also do not let us be divided. To divide resistance is a usual way to weaken resistance. We appreciate and count on solidarity criticism. -- Black Bloc, Genoa
Shock horror, Sunday Times hack John Elliot has looked at an anarchist web site and discovered that military style tactics are planned for the next action - small self-contained groups, central co-ordination, cycle outriders etc. If Elliot had done his homework he would know that such tactics were used a year ago in Prague. If he had tried a bit harder he could have reported the truth that it wasn't the Black Bloc that were attacking small family businesses in Genoa, but then that would be shock horror for a Murdoch news comic.
Shock horror, Elliot is actually paid to write this crap. Shock horror, people actually pay to read this news comic.
To be on the streets of Genoa during the summit days was the closest to being in a war zone that I ever hope to experience. I was at the anti-World Bank/IMF protests in Prague last September, and what happened in Italy made them look like a tea party. -- Paul Kingsnorth
It was just endless, I really thought I was dying. It's a horrible thing when you feel your bones breaking inside you. And after a while I just tried to keep one eye open, trying to stay alive. I finally blacked out and couldn't remember anything else till I woke up in hospital. -- Marcus Cavell, attacked in Genoa
After all the people had been brought out either to the hospital or jail everyone flooded in. The cops had sent in cleaning teams, but it was still a mess. Blood was smeared on walls and the floor, the gear of everyone was torn open and thrown everywhere. Doors and windows were smashed. The computer terminals were lying on the ground in pieces. Absolute chaos. -- eyewitness to attack on GSF HQ in Genoa
It was inevitable that the centre would come under attack. The night before, we'd discussed this and there was a strategy to stash all the videotapes gathered by IMC. We had known that the raw footage may contain incriminating evidence, with people saying that the cops 'know that we have video evidence of police presence in the black bloc'. -- SchNEWS correspondent
It is a hard fact, uncomfortable for fluffy white liberals, that no real, radical social and economic change has ever been achieved without some level of violence. -- Paul Kingsnorth
What happened in Genoa is the norm for fascist regimes in Latin America, Black bastards in Africa dancing to the tune of the West, but not what we expect in a member country of the EU, a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights.
As word trickles out of Genoa it looks increasingly likely that the violence was the result of police and fascist infiltration, and the instructions for beating protesters came from the very top.
Who are the G8 who condemned the protesters on the streets: Blair was elected with only 25% of the popular vote, many were too disgusted to vote at all; Bush illegally seized the US Presidency by getting his brother to stop thousands of black people in Florida from voting in the presidential election; Putin is pursuing a genocidal war in Chechnya and was handed the presidency by drunken slob Yeltsin his predecessor; Chirac is facing allegations of corruption; Berlusconi, the summit's host, has a such a massive personal fortune that he could pay off the debt of several African countries with his spare change, owns most of Italy's media, and has been convicted of illegal party financing, bribery and false accounting (meanwhile his right hand man is on trial for consorting with the Mafia). No surprise the African Monitor described them as 'opulent idlers hiding inside a steel cage'.
The Black Bloc believe the symbols of global capitalism should be destroyed - Nike, Gap, McDonald's are OK targets. What they don't do is trash working class areas. In Genoa, people dressed in black went on a spree of destruction in working class areas, smashing phone boxes, emptying recycling bins, burning cars and looting corner shops. Although the police were nearby, they did not intervene. An hour before the IMC centre was raided la7, an Italian TV company, showed 'black bloc' climbing in and out of police vans in the red zone. The state storm troopers turned the GSF HQ and IMC media centre into a bloodbath but left alone the Black Bloc camp.
Indymedia Centre UK has set up a legal fund to help with the legal work for the Genoa prisoners. Cheques or Postal Order can be sent to: The Independent Media Centre (IMC) UK, PO Box 587, London, SW2 4HA, UK. Please write LEGAL FUND to distinguish between donations to IMC UK and the legal fund.
On arrival six British activists were deported from Genoa before the protests even began. They all had one thing in common, they were all arrested (but not charged and convicted - whatever happened to innocent till proven guilty) at the peaceful Trident Ploughshares blockades at Britain's Faslane nuclear submarine base. In good company as Caroline Lucas MEP has been arrested then released without charge at past protests. But hardly riot tourists part of an anarchist travelling circus intent on mayhem and destruction.
The following morning, three of the deportees went to London's Italian consulate and constructed a shrine to Carlo Giuliani. They were watched by two armed police and around 30 riot cops in attendance. Later that evening, one person was dropped at a train station by his son, who was then surrounded by 30 police officers, four pointing automatic weapons at him, they ordered him from his van, which was then thoroughly searched. The police claim they were acting under the Terrorism Act, and kindly left him a note 'thanking him for his co-operation'. Nice to know they care.
[see BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001 for treatment of the SchNEWS crew under the Terrorism Act for just picking up the latest copies of the SchNEWS book from the printers (reviewed in the same issue)]
Another example of the free flow of information between police states is that of university librarian Paul Robinson who has been sentenced to a year for his part in the Gothenburg riots. He was filmed throwing a stone that landed a few yards in front of him. The court was not shown a video of the cops beating the shit out of him a few moments later. Robinson may have been selected for special treatment because he was at the protest at Euston against rail privatisation that coincided with Seattle during which a police van was overturned and burnt out. Robinson was arrested and subsequently acquitted.
Carlo Giuliani was not the first martyr to globalisation, and will certainly not be the last, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and the first to be killed in the West under the full glare of the world's media. We should not forget sweatshop workers who have died from their appalling working conditions, trade unionists killed by Central American death squads, Zapatistas killed by the state, protesters in Bolivia killed for taking to the streets against water privatisation, landless peasants in Brazil killed by the security forces.
For the duration of G8, Genoa was turned into its own little fascist police state. A state of the future if thugs like Blair have their way. 10,000 people who live in the red zone become concentration camp prisoners in their own city for the benefit of the G8.
Renato Ruggiero (former boss of WTO) has been appointed by the Italian authorities to investigate the police violence at Genoa. Renato Ruggiero is now Foreign Secretary in the near-fascist government of Berlusconi.
It was action on the streets of Seattle that brought globalisation to the fore not polite dialogue with the deaf. Day after day, pages and pages were devoted to Seattle. Even the Murdoch news comics were not immune. Subsequent summits have been no different. Before Seattle all we had was a communique and a few words hidden in the foreign or business sections.
Blair spoke of democracy and queried what these people had to offer. In the week before G8, meetings were held addressed by speakers like Susan George where an alternative future to the G8 Blair neo-liberal model was discussed. A future to which growing numbers of people world wide are subscribing to.
A senior British police office who sits on an EU liaison committee for policing summits, has questioned whether the problem of policing summits is a police problem at all rather than a failure of democracy. He has put forward the radical suggestion that we should ask why the people are on the streets and what do they want, rather than ask for additional resources for policing.
Excellent coverage of Genoa, G8, WTO and globalisation in SchNEWS special Genoa double issue 314/315 and issue 316, with follow up in issue 317. Also read the excellent article by Paul Kingsnorth in this month's copy of The Ecologist (The Ecologist September 2001).
A simple and far more effective method of reducing carbon emissions by 90% and stabilising climate change is to reduce public transport fares by 90%. This is more than just a nice idea it's essential for our survival. For a 90% for 90% info pack and more info on climate change contact; Rising Tide c/o Manchester Earth First!, Box 29, 22a Beswick St., Manchester, M4 7HS.
[SchNEWS issue 314/315 Friday 27 July 2001]
We felt the protest was worthwhile and raised the issue of the harm airport expansion can do. -- Rising Tide
Two weeks after the BAA AGM at which they were warned that they faced direct action if they continued to ignore public opinion (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001), their corporate HQ was invaded and the boardroom occupied.
Rising Tide with excellent intelligence and advance planning managed to get into the BAA headquarters and occupy the boardroom for 5 hours. The board were scheduled to meet that day and arrived to find the boardroom already occupied. The boardroom was only retaken by smashing down the door. The Rising Tide protesters were then escorted from the building. BAA are still trying to figure out how the protesters gained access to the building.
The police response was a little over the top, including armed officers. As far as we know no arrests took place. The police attempts to film the supporters outside the building were foiled by the supporters being uncooperative and turning their backs.
BAA response was rabid. They threatened the press with loss of advertising if they covered the occupation.
The action had the full support of HACAN. The reaction of BAA was to threaten HACAN with loss of membership!
During the climate talks in Bonn nine activists from Rising Tide climbed a 50 metre crane outside the congress centre on Godesberger Allee and dropped a banner which read: 60% CO2 Reductions HERE and NOW. After four hours the cops finally managed to get the activists off the crane. All nine were released without charges.
A profile of a leading Rising Tide activist can be found in the current issue of Ethical Consumer (Ethical Consumer August/September 2001).
BAA are currently facing difficulties as they wish to realign Colne Brook and this issue was not discussed by the Planning Inquiry. BAA wish to reopen the Inquiry. This is not possible. BAA would have to request a new inquiry to consider this new issue or probably have to go back to square one and seek planning permission. No wonder Fuehrer Blair wishes to appease Big Business and remove the public from the planning process (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001).
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
Based upon a flawed agenda and blatant lies by planning officials, Rushmoor has given the green light to the 1800/2000 metre runway configuration desired by TAG.
No sooner had Rushmoor granted planning consent (or at least raised no objections) than heavier aircraft were flying into Farnborough. Currently a heavier version of a BAE 146 and a Boeing Business Jet. These are flying in daily.
Also following hard on the heals of planning consent came destruction of trees in the grounds of Farnborough College of Technology. The college could have said no, claims that they were ordered by MoD or had no choice, is bullshit. The only obligation of the college was to the safety of its own staff and students. The college has let down not only its own staff and students but also the local community.
The devastation of the heathland to the west of the runway (BVEJ newsletters passim) is causing siltation of Fleet Pond.
TAG have put in a planning application to move Cove Brook (which drains the airfield). Hopefully Cove Brook Group will kick up a stink. Cove Brook Group have not been consulted, another example of Rushmoor's extensive public consultation.
Cove Brook Group Secretary, Dora Deacon: 01252 545062
The realignment of Cove Brook is part of a parcel of work which includes construction of internal airfield roads and destruction of a very large number of trees (the list of trees to be destroyed runs to ten pages). Destruction of the trees is in addition to the trees that are to be destroyed in the copse where the control tower and associated terminal buildings are to be located. Loss of the trees, plus the extra hard standing, will increase the risk of flash floods.
FARA have had excellent legal advice from a barrister and are now seeking funding for a judicial review of the recent planning decision on the TAG 1800/2000 metre runway configuration.
HACAN obtained funding from surrounding local authorities for a human rights case for Heathrow night flying, Guildford Borough Council is providing funding for a judicial review of the Environment Agency granting the Guildford Incinerator a licence to pollute. In Farnborough funding is needed for legal action against the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor who are colluding with TAG.
Work on the runway extension takes place even whilst planes are taking off and landing. A risk to the contractors and to aircraft from the heavy equipment. TAG obviously have the same cavalier attitude towards the safety of their contractors and aircraft using Farnborough as they do towards the local community. Something HSE should investigate further. CAA too, as the heavy equipment forms an obstruction and is a breach of CAA safety regulations.
HSE, Basingstoke: 01256 404000 CAA, Gatwick: 01293 573256
1909 Thursday August 2001, Farnborough came within seconds of an accident. An executive jet was forced to abort its landing, it suddenly pulled up and roared away, had it not done so it would have crashed on residential Farnborough. The aircraft was within feet of a crash.
The following morning (Friday 31 August 2001) an aircraft came in to land exceptionally low.
These are unfortunately not isolated incidents (BVEJ newsletters passim). There is going to come a time when a plane fails to successfully abort or comes in too low. When this happens we expect the corrupt bastards at Rushmoor who created the situation to be crucified.
If you see a near accident or a plane coming in too low or any other form of unacceptable incident inform Keith Holland, Rushmoor Head of Planning <kholland@rushmoor.gov.uk> and Martin Townshend, Chairman of FARA <townshend@ntlworld.com>. Ask for details of how the incident is being handled. Points to note are the exact time and date, what the aircraft was doing, and a description of the aircraft.
The censors at the Farnborough News are still hard at work. Despite extensive briefings, stories are still failing to appear in print. Letters critical of the airfield are still not being published, though we are pleased to note that two letters, one from Ian Mattocks (airfield planning decisions) and one from Keith Parkins (destruction of college trees) have managed to escape the censors, though even then the letter from Ian Mattocks had critical comments on John Marsh deleted.
The good news is that Marnie Wilson (ed: Farnborough News) is leaving the Farnborough News (so maybe things will improve). The bad news is that she is leaving to take up the post of editor at the Surrey Advertiser.
At least one Rushmoor councillor is having difficulty gaining access to Rushmoor files on TAG. Planning officials and Borough Solicitor are causing the obstruction.
In 1988 Tanzania's per capita income was $280. Then, in 1998, it was $140. So I asked the World Bank what went wrong. Because for the last ten years Tanzania has been signing on the dotted line and doing everything the IMF and World Bank wanted. Enrolment in schools has plummeted to 63% and conditions in health and other social services have deteriorated. -- Julius Nyerere, former leader of Tanzania
BAE Systems - with more export credit guarantees than any other company - boast on its web site of being a 'global citizen', which must mean it doesn't mean they care who their weapons kill - black, brown, white or yellow, everyone's a winner! -- SchNEWS
After years of IMF/World Bank meddling, Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in Africa - per capita income less than $1 a day for half the population, high infant mortality, land degradation, crippling $5 billion foreign debt. As one of the world's poorest countries there are many things Tanzania needs, a brand new air traffic control system is not one of them.
At G8 Blair blathered about the needs of Africa not being heard above the noise from the street. As an example of aiding Africa, Blair and BAE Systems, with the aid of ECGD, are trying to push a £28 million air traffic control system (with military capabilities) on to Tanzania.
ECGD is to the forefront in backing dodgy deals that even the companies backing the deal won't back. ECGD is backing the Ilisu Dam, even though the World Bank won't touch it with a barge pole. [BVEJ newsletters passim]
IMF/World Bank consider the Tanzania air traffic deal so dodgy that not only are they refusing to back it that they are threatening to stop any further loans if the deal goes ahead.
Maybe John Marsh, Rushmoor Tory leader, can blag a freebie trip to look at the air traffic control needs in Tanzania, on the grounds that TAG is installing a new control tower at Farnborough Airport! [BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001]
BAE Systems is embroiled in a corruption scandal in South Africa - £500,000 has been donated to the ANC military veterans association, cabinet ministers and senior MPs have been on an expenses paid freebie foreign trips. A very familiar situation to the residents of Farnborough (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001), the only difference is that in South Africa it triggers a corruption investigation whereas in Farnborough it is seen as 'no big deal'. Prior to the BAE Systems largesse, cheaper and more modern Italian planes were the South African choice. If Africa is corrupt it's because they have had good teachers.
BAE Systems has failed to win a contract for Hawk aircraft in India. After years of wooing, Russian aircraft, at $5 million a piece cheaper, are being chosen instead.
[SchNEWS issue 318 Friday 17 August 2001, BVEJ newsletters passim]
[Defence exports] enable us to spread and bolster enlightened concepts of democracy and free will. -- Baroness Symons, former Minister of State for Defence Procurement, DSEi 2000
DSEi is an arms bazaar funded by the UK taxpayer where dodgy arms dealers rub shoulders with dodgy regimes. Last year banned anti-personnel landmines were on sale. Our old friends Beyond All Ethics will be pushing their wares.
Turkey, Israel, Syria, India, Pakistan, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and many other pariah regimes and regimes with internal conflict or border problems in unstable regions or too poor to feed their own people will all be honoured guests of the British Taxpayer with British Army liaison officers at their beck and call.
EXCEL Exhibition Centre, London Docklands. 11-14 September 2001.
COPEX is where you can buy anything from riot control equipment, tear gas, stun guns, handcuffs through to torture equipment. It has in the past been held in Farnborough, where it was shut down by CAAT. More recently it has been held at Sandown.
COPEX, Sandown Racecourse, Tuesday 30 October - Thursday 1 November 2001.
The claim that arms exports are essential for the national wealth has long been exposed as a lie. A joint report by Oxford Research Group and Saferworld shows how big a lie.
Subsidies to arms exports amount to a little under £1 billion a year, that amounts to £11,000 per worker in the arms industry.
The Export Control and Non-proliferation Bill is passing rapidly through parliament. The good point is that brokerage will be included. The bad points are what is excluded: foreign licencing of production, end users, prior parliamentary scrutiny.
Northern Cyprus is blessed by some of the island's best beaches and cursed by occupation by Turkey. This part of the island resembles one large concentration camp.
Northern Cyprus lacks tourists. There exists a Europe wide tourist boycott which will remain in place until every single Turk leaves the island.
Wal-Mart has the dubious honour of being the world's most sued corporation. Law suits filed against Wal-Mart are currently running at the rate of one filed every two hours. Wal-Mart is determined to play hardball. No matter how just or valid a case against Wal-Mart may be, each and every case is being very aggressively contested.
If being the world's most sued corporation wasn't enough, Wal-Mart has just been kicked out of the Domini400 Social Index for its dealings with Burma and its use of sweatshops in China and Central Asia. Ethical funds are dumping millions of dollars of Wal-Mart stock.
Wal-Mart has been fined $1 million for violations of the Clean Water Act at 17 location in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Massachusetts. In addition Wal-Mart has to draw up a $4.5 million environmental management plan for future environmental compliance.
Wal-Mart owned ASDA in Farnborough regularly flouts noise and other environmental controls. No action is ever taken by Rushmoor.
Last year Wal-Mart posted sales of $191 billion.
[BVEJ newsletter #0005 October 2000]
No one likes to receive junk e-mail, it is an absolute pain in the arse. Consider then Labour MEP Michael Cashman who is introducing an amendment in the European Parliament to an EU directive to enable us all to receive corporate junk e-mail.
Please complain to Cashman. We also suggest you forward to him all your unwanted junk e-mail, add him to every mailing list you come across, so that he can enjoy what he claims to be the benefits of junk e-mail.
Yet another example of New Labour with its snout firmly in the pocket of Big Business.
Governments once battled for physical territory; today they battle for market share. They see their primary job as that of ensuring an environment in which business can prosper, and which is attractive to business. The role of nation states has become to a large extent simply that of providing the public goods and infrastructure that business needs at the lowest costs and protecting the world free trade system. In the process, justice, equity, rights, the environment and even issues of national security fall by the wayside. Social justice has come to mean access to markets. -- Noreena Hertz
And that system is rotten. Political scandals are unveiled all too frequently: Kohl, Schmidt and Mitterrand are among those we already know or suspect. Even those politicians not on the take are increasingly indebted to or enmeshed with business, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the 2000 American presidential elections, whose candidates' very ability to run depended upon their securing of corporate funding. George W Bush's campaign war chest was $191 million. -- Noreena Hertz
Anyone not putting money into the machine - working people, poor people, inner-city blacks - won't get anything out. -- Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman
If faceless financiers and their tool, the corporation, aren't completely out of our lobbies, out of all campaigns, and out of our constitution soon, looks like We, the People are going to come in the middle of the night with a can of gasoline in every hand and one fat match. -- Carolyn Chute
The world today is run by global corporations, governments are bought and dance to their tune.
It doesn't have to be so. The money that is used is our money. Pension money is invested on our behalf.
To ask politicians no longer to accept money from business is like Canute commanding the tide to turn. Instead we should turn the money off at source. Corporations do not see bribery, simply an investment that has a good return. Invest in Bush and see him deliver. The corporations that invested in Bush and Blair have so far seen a very good return on their money.
If the investment no longer pays, or becomes too costly, it will not be made. We therefore have to hit corporations where it hurts. If they buy our politicians then we will turn off their investment funds.
If politicians are no longer in the pay of business they will be forced to heed their electorate. We will then have a political climate that benefits people not business.
It turns my stomach. I don't know how low we can sink. It just shows how out of touch the Labour leadership is with the rank and file of the movement. -- John McDonnell MP
I hope this is not the first step towards renaming us the McLabour Party. If a company is prepared to pay £15,000 for the privilege of a glass of warm wine white wine with the prime minister, then it can afford to pay decent wages. -- John Edmonds, GMB
Just when we think New Labour cannot sink any lower, that the New Labour snout cannot push any deeper into the pocket of Big Business, they prove us wrong.
New Labour have been auctioning off prime slots at the New Labour conference in Brighton this coming autumn. One of the most sickening is the sponsorship of the chairman's evening gala, invite only, by McVomit to the tune of £15,000. McVomit agreed to sponsor the food and drink only after receiving assurances that Tony Blair would be present. The reception will be officially hosted by Charles Clarke. Party chairman is an elected post. Never one to be bothered with the niceties of democracy, Charles Clarke was imposed on the party by Fuehrer Blair.
There will be an anti-globalisation rally at the New Labour conference in Brighton on 30 September 2001. Small farmers, anti-aviation campaigners, GM activists, McVomit trashers are all expected to be out in force.
McVomit were recently fined £12,400 for exploitation of child labour in Camberley. [BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001]
Oil revenue contributes $1 million a day to the brutal war the Arab Muslims in the North of Sudan are waging on the Christians in the South. Villages are razed to the ground.
Sudan has now obtained ballistic missiles to use against Christians in the south.
Zeneca is not developing any system that would stop farmers growing second-generation seed, nor do we have any intention of doing so. -- Zeneca, 1999
Syngenta is keen to see to see that biotechnology is used to bring benefits to farmers and consumers around the world and, as such, we would not seek to produce a product that did not offer farmers genuine value and benefit. -- Syngenta, August 2001
GM companies have rediscovered the old way of dealing with reluctant customers: if persuasion doesn't work, use force. -- George Monbiot
The outlook is less certain than it was three years ago. The euphoria has gone. Growth has fallen significantly. The industry has overstated the rate of expansion and underestimated the resistance of consumers. -- Sergey Vasnetsov, Wall Street analyst
Let's stop pretending we face food shortages. There is hunger but we face no food shortages. GM food is for the rich world. -- Sergey Vasnetsov, Wall Street analyst
Syngenta (formed from the merger of the agribusinesses of AstraZeneca and Novartis) have plans to test a terminator gene at its research site at Jealott's Hill (near Bracknell, Berks). This conflicts with the assurances by Zeneca that it would not develop terminator technology.
Syngenta are at pains to explain they are not developing a terminator gene. Although the gene will switch off the plant's reproductive capability (ie produce sterile seed), it can be switched back on by the application of chemicals from Syngenta!
GreenWatch has been formed to oppose Syngenta. Help would be much appreciated. Opposition to Syngenta has attracted the unwanted attention of Special Branch.
Two years ago the Roushes of Indiana planted a quarter of their fields with Monsatan's genetic crap. Detailed records were kept, confirmed by independent audit. Monsatan are claiming that all the fields were planted with their mutants and are claiming punitive damages. Lawyers for Monsatan offered a get-out, plant all your fields with our mutants. The Roushes have caved in, even though they know they are in the right, as they cannot afford the legal battle.
The case against Percy Schmeiser has set an awful precedence and scared other farmers shitless. Percy Schmeiser wouldn't touch mutant crap with a barge pole and has spent his life breeding his own strains of oil seed rape. He found, or rather the devil's spawn acting for Monsatan found, genetic contamination from Monsatan's mutants. Percy should have been able to have sued Monsatan for genetic contamination, instead he was done for using Monsatan's shit. Percy is now appealing. [BVEJ newsletters passim]
The Welsh Assembly has said no to mutants. Fuehrer Blair has said yes. Aventis has a licence to trial its GM maize in Wales. As Aventis already has a licence to grow commercially, what is the purpose of the trials other than deliberate contamination?
New Zealand had planned to adopt what can only be seen as a sensible policy for an island, that is to declare itself GM free (something the UK should have done long ago). This may fall by the wayside following a government report to go GM.
Sri Lanka has gone GM free, but for how long remains to be seen as the US has threatened to club it with the WTO.
The GM bubble may have finally burst. Investment is down on what it was five years ago, although conversely 25 times the acreage is devoted to GM crops as five years ago.
In North America farmers are beginning to switch to non-GM crops as the only way to be sure of an export market. A recent survey of 14,000 members of the American Corn Growers' Association revealed 78% willing to switch out of GM crops to recover lost export markets. Consumer resistance to GM crops is starting to grow in the US.
Draft EU laws announced in July would allow 1% GM contamination of non-GM crops, ie 1% too much.
The latest figures show that many popular fruits and vegetables like apples, pears and cucumbers, are still being contaminated with toxic residues. Some of the pesticides which are found regularly in our fruit and veg are hormone disrupters - they should not be in our food. -- Sandra Bell, FoE Real Food Campaigner
Many consumers will be shocked to find out that about half the fresh fruit and veg they put in their shopping trolleys comes laced with dodgy chemicals. It's past time that all the supermarkets backed their claims about getting pesticides out of their food with some action. Fruit and vegetables are crucial to a healthy diet - they should not come with toxic residues. -- Sandra Bell, FoE Real Food Campaigner
A government survey has shown yet again that our fruit and vegetables are heavily contaminated with pesticide residues. The survey also exposes the lie that supermarkets are minimising their use of pesticides.
81% of pears were found to contain pesticides. Almost three quarters (74%) of apples contained pesticide residues, and 35% contained more than one pesticide. Somerfield had the highest incidence of apples with multiple pesticide residues, followed by Sainsbury's.
A survey by FoE on the performance of supermarkets since 1998 (based on official data) shows Marks and Spencer had the highest incidence of residues in fruit and veg (63%) closely followed by Somerfield (59%), in contrast less than a third (29%) of Waitrose fruit and veg contained residues.
In response to the FoE survey, M&S will now follow the example set by the Co-op and publish its pesticide residue testing on its web site.
Recent research has shown a correlation between pesticide use and the number of pests, ie as the pesticide use increases the number of pests goes up. Many farmers are now finding that it is cheaper to save the cost of pesticides and lose some of the crop.
[BVEJ newsletter #0011 April 2001]
A Food Poverty Bill is to be pushed, but we first need to generate a large ground-swell of grassroots support. It is crazy that on the one hand farmers cannot get a decent price for their produce, whilst on the other hand poor families cannot afford to put a decent meal on the table. More info from:
Food for All 62 Bargery Road London SE6 2LW 020 8698 3682 07951 761 229 ron@camhosts.net
We need a modern and fair process for making decisions about big infrastructure projects such as new airports, runways and roads. -- Stephen Byers
The current planning system is a problem for Big Business, it slows them down, it costs them money, it occasionally acts for local communities and stops business in its tracks.
Never one to miss a trick, Blair is now wishing to change the planning system and reduce the public to spectators (BVEJ newsletters last few issues).
If Blair were to have his way we would have no say on Farnborough Airport, Heathrow T5, Dibden Bay.
Please object on these proposals to:
Stephen Byers MP House of Commons Westminster
Any replies please forward to Stephanie Roth at The Ecologist.
There may be a problem, even if this does goes ahead, as it would immediately be in breach of the Human Rights Act, as there would be a denial of the right to a fair hearing.
A remarkable thing happened down in sleepy Somerset, a public inquiry was stopped in its tracks.
Once home to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Nether Stowey is tucked into the foothills of the Quantocks. A greedy builder wants to build on a brown field site, extending into a green field site. Local residents naturally objected and the matter was referred to a public inquiry. The local council through negligence or worse, neglected to tell those eligible to attend of their right to attend and when and where the inquiry would be held.
One villager turned up armed with no more then her solicitor. No sooner did the inspector attempt to get the inquiry under way than the solicitor lodged an objection on behalf of his client. Said client had been disfranchised and said client reserved the right to take action under the Human Rights Act. The proceedings could not proceed.
The Inspector adjourned the proceedings whilst he consulted higher authorities. Half an hour later the inspector came back to say he would be terminating the inquiry and it would have to be held at a later date when he expected all interested parties to be notified.
This has far reaching implications. Can a planning meeting be overturned when the council fails to notify all affected parties? If yes, then we can have a field day with the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor.
Further info: 01278 733684
With the exception of the Giant Panda, no species have had as much attention as the Great Apes. And yet we have failed, within 5-10 years the Great Apes will have been driven into extinction.
The tropical rainforests of Sumatra, home to Orang-utans, will have been destroyed in five years time. Corruption, aided and abetted by the West, is endemic in Indonesia, as touched upon by John Pilger in a recent TV documentary (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001). It is we in the West who buy the forest products, it is we in the West who will be using the palm oil and rubber from the plantations. The FSC is bloody useless (The Ecologist July/August 2001 and September 2001). Only a few rivers are used to float out the logs. These rivers could easily be interdicted. Globalisation is destroying the rainforests of Sumatra.
The Dayaks, the local tribal people of Borneo, are at last fighting the Muslim immigrants from Java, shipped in by World Bank and UK Overseas Development funding.
Orang-utans were once endemic across most of Southeast Asia. Their populations numbered hundreds of thousands. Now all that remains are remnant pockets in Borneo and Sumatra, numbering around 15,000 (down from 27,000 a decade ago).
Coltan is being illegally mined in the Congo by the Rwanda military. The UK Overseas Development is providing the funding and turning a convenient blind eye to the human rights abuses. Coltan is used in the manufacture of tantalum capacitors, essential in today's micro-electronics. The area is home to Great Apes. The apes are being slaughtered for bush meat.
The genocidal pygmy wars in Central Africa have come close to wiping out the Mountain Gorillas.
The UN is so concerned at the dramatic decline in the population of Great Apes and their inevitable extinction that GASP, the Great Apes Survival Project, has been launched. A special UN Envoy has been appointed to represent the Great Apes.
How this planning application is dealt with is a real test of the democratic process. We believe that public opinion must prevail over the business interests of Thames Water, now just another multinational company. The Surrey Conservatives must decide whose side they are on. -- Colin Mathews, GAIN chairman
GAIN are touring Surrey in a van to highlight the dangers of the Slyfield Incinerator proposed for the outskirts of Guildford. Not a wise move as one form of pollution does not justify generating another no matter how just the cause.
Surrey County Council could be making a decision on the incinerator any day now. If you have not made an objection to Surrey please get one in quick. Any councillor who supports Thames Waste Management in their application for the Slyfield Incinerator must be kicked out of office.
Site occupation has started at a planned incinerator site in Swansea. The Independent has published a map showing all 85 incinerators so far in the system. [The Independent Monday 27 August 2001]
A recent study of birth defects has found a correlation with closeness to landfill sites.
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
A Home Office grant of £50,000 a year goes to the Arabs via Rushmoor to provide town centre security. Since Reliant were fired there has been a noticeable absence of security. No one is seen patrolling. The argument for lack of patrols is that they are in the control room monitoring the situation, but who knows when no one has access to the control room.
When questioned, one of the security guards said no they do not patrol, they sit in the control room. He also said they do not provide security for the shops as they provide their own security. This was news to the shops as they are paying the Arabs for the security. In fact, the Arabs are being paid twice over, once by the retailers and once via a Home Office grant for what appears to be non-existent security.
Why is Rushmoor not carrying out an audit to see how public money is spent, or are they quite happy to hand over £50,000 a year of public money with no proper checks?
Shopping centres are required to have fire evacuation procedures, fire wardens etc, but not it seems Kingsmead. Following a tip-off the Fire Service are now investigating.
Kingsmead is a No Smoking area, though from the absence of signs people would be forgiven for not knowing. A blind eye is being turned to smoking at the tables for the newly opened cafe at the northern end.
Several more shops are either closed, closing or in the process of closing.
It looks increasingly likely that the attempt by the Arabs and Rushmoor to close the highway between the old Post Office site and the Pizza Hut may be thwarted as the closure is likely to be referred to a Public Inquiry. It seems no one was notified of the attempted closure, not the retailers, not Farnborough library, or indeed any other affected party. A lot of very dirty linen is likely to get a very public airing.
If you have not already objected to the highway closure the deadline has already passed, but if you have a case please make it to:
Mark Fulleylove Government Office for the South East Bridge House 1 Walnut Tree Close Guildford Surrey GU1 4GA mfulleylove.gose@go-regions.gov.uk www.go-se.gov.uk
Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the stopping of highways in Farnborough town centre in the County of Hampshire ref GOSE/029/001/HAMP/51.
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
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