Protest deep sea oil? Join the Day of Action, April 20

Tena ano koutou!!

As many of you will know direct action has been organised against the Petro giant Brazilian company Petrobras in the sacred waters of Te Tai Rawhiti .. with a major event in

Wellingtons Civic Square next WEDS 20th April 10.00 am to 3.pm. There will be kapa haka, music, speakers, displays etc. Te Whanau a Apanui are coming down in force COME AND SUPPORT US! EVERYONE WELCOME!

Want to protest deep sea oil? Join the Day of Action, April 20
April 20 is the anniversary of when the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico began. To commemorate the disaster, independent activities across the country will be taking place to demand that our government stops its reckless exploration for the deep sea oil, risking further climate change and oil spills. This is also a move of solidarity to support the activists on flotilla in the East Cape, who are protesting the deep sea oil seismic testing. Groups all around the country are mobilising for April 20, from Coal Action Network, Climate Camp, Te Whanau a Apanui, Ngati Porou, Greenpeace volunteer networks, 350.org to Climate Justice Taranaki..

If you are keen to get active on the ground please email the volunteers and groups who are coordinating activities in your area.

Auckland
Help deliver an oily message to John Key. We will be making an oily cake, and oily cards and taking our message to John Key’s office in Kumeu. To get full details email Emily onemily.86.

Do you have a house in a high traffic area and would you like to put a banner or sign up? If so please email Emily to order or make a sign on emily.86

East Cape
Iwi protest cycle from Motu to Gisborne to support the flotilla.

Hamilton
Join a rally! Bring your placards and banners, meet at Steele Park, 11am. If you’re keen to get involved please contact Saffron: saffronsmith

Taranaki
Climate Justice Taranaki is organising a lunchtime rally in New Plymouth and evening ‘fires of warning’ along the coast from Mokau to Whanganui (timing TBC). Contact climatejusticetaranaki for more information and to get involved. Seehttp://climatejusticetaranaki.wordpress.com for the latest.

Wellington
Wellington volunteers will be organising an oily people grim birthday bash extravaganza on the Wellington waterfront on the 20th. There will workshop this Saturday to get materials and gear ready. They also need an experienced photographer to get the most amazing and best photos of this event. If you can help with any or all of this, please email Sinead -sinead_is_chillax_in

Nelson
On Wednesday 20th April 12.00 noon, Nelsonians will have the opportunity to join hands at Tahuna Beach and draw a line in the sand against expanded offshore oil drilling in our waters. To get involved contact Verena: verena_m

Christchurch
On New Brighton Beach, from 11am onwards Peter Donelly the sand artist (and GP supporter) from Christchurch has agreed to create a sand sculpture for us. His art is very cool you can check it out here.

We are looking for a videographer to film the artwork on the day. If you have experience in this area and are keen to do this please email jay.harkness.

Dunedin
Join a rally along George Street. At lunchtime on the 20th, join other volunteers for a rally on George Street dressed as oiled-up swimmers/fisherpeople/surfers marking the birthday of the BP oil spill, and protesting off-shore drilling in NZ. We will be wearing party hats, and handing out black balloons with anti-drilling messages to kids (it’s the school holidays), have signs, petitions, and some people (non-oily volunteers), will be baking an oily looking birthday cake to hand out. Anyone interested to get oiled up/ grab a sign/petition/flyers, and will be meeting at 11am (venue TBC). There will also be sign making on Sunday evening. They are also organising an oily photoshoot at Moeraki boulders in a few weekends time! To get involved with any or all of this activity please email Niamh for more details: niamhdo

Everywhere else!
If you live in a town that is not included so far on the Day of Action. Do not despair! This is what you can do:
Get your friends together and organise an independent activity!
– List your activity online here: http://www.extractionaction.net/
– Take photos and facebook your activity
– Call your local media and get coverage for your event
– Please remember that you will be organising an independent activity, (not a Greenpeace activity)
– Take photos of your event and upload them to:fernanda.shirakawa our wonderful Greenpeace webbie and she will be glad to post for you.
– Make a sign and put it up in a busy place that gets lot of foot or road traffic (see above for some inspiration from Te Whanau a Apanui).

Aaaand everyone! Can you please write a letter to your local paper?
Yes you can! Writing a letter to your local paper is a great way to highlight the problems of deep sea oil drilling and dispel some of the myths. Some ideas of things you can highlight in your letter are:
– The depths that are being explored in the Raukumara Basin on the East Cape are up to 3000m. The exploratory oil well in the Gulf of Mexico was half as deep at 1500m.
– The cost to the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to be over US$39 billion
– And it is far from cleaned up –http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/13/deepwater-horizon-gulf-mexico-oil-spill.
– The New Zealand Government spent at least $30 million on preliminary surveys before the seismic testing for oil could start. This helped it to sell the block offers and issue permits for oil drilling.
– It would be better for the long term sustainability of our economy and our environment to invest in clean technology.
– In a 2009 report Price Waterhouse Coopers estimated that New Zealand’s current clean technology market could be worth between £3 to £9 billion (NZD$7.5 to NZD$22 billion) which represents between 6 and 17% of the New Zealand economy – see http://www.investmentnz.govt.nz/common/files/NZTE-Clean-Economy-Report-Oct-2009.pdf
– Focusing on the health of our marine life, our water, saving our fishing industries and our clean, green image is a better way to go – we need a longer-term, more sustainable vision for New Zealand.

Finally – from your arm chair – add your voice to these articles:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10718567#cmnts_Add
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/navy-ship-route-greenpeace-oil-protests-4113890
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4874546/Police-can-act-over-oil-protest-Key
Kia kaha whanau kakariki! Go well! May the forces of Papatuanuku – Mother Earth be with you. We only have one planet and we need to look after her.