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Council workers’ largest trade union votes for divesting pensions
After two years of impressive mobilisation by UNISON grassroots members across England, Scotland and Wales, the trade union has officially taken on fossil fuel divestment policy. Yesterday the union’s National Delegate Conference voted unanimously to seek divestment of Local Government Pension Schemes from fossil fuels over five years giving due regard to fiduciary duty UNISON…
23 Jun 2017 anna -
Council workers’ largest union commits to divesting pensions from fossil fuels
Full text of UNISON motion (pdf). UNISON to “seek divestment of Local Government Pension Schemes from fossil fuels over five years giving due regard to fiduciary duty” Local government pensions have £14 billion invested in oil, coal and gas UNISON is the largest organisation representing pension-holders working for local government The largest body representing local government…
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Conversations with Suzi Gablik – Living in wartime.
I’ve recently returned from a visit to my friend and mentor, Suzi Gablik, in Virginia, USA. She has been an inspiration to so many over the past 33 years since the publication of ‘Has Modernism Failed’, and later her book ‘Conversations Before The End of Time‘. Her work harnessed an ecological sensibility in the…
29 Apr 2017 james -
Hackney Council as the climate vanguard – or is it just a laggard?
Hackney Council is voting tonight on its investment policy regarding fossil fuels and climate change. After years of campaigning by Divest Hackney and lots of media attention, this Tuesday is the big day for the Pensions Committee. But despite the hype and the repeated delays, the proposals are pretty disappointing. Hackney Council has £42 million in fossil…
24 Jan 2017 admin -
Secret subsidy: Tens of billions in North Sea clean-up costs to be dumped on the public
North Sea oil has generated billions upon billions of pounds in corporate profit since drilling began in the 1960s and 70s. But as oil extraction shifts into decline, it becomes time to clean up the mess – the rigs, pipelines and platforms that dot the sea floor. A general principle in law and common sense is…
15 Dec 2016 admin -
“Art is direct, it challenges the authorities, the power structure” Ken Saro-Wiwa jr, 1968 – 2016
Yesterday at All Saints Church in Fulham, London, we attended a celebration of the life of journalist, government special advisor, and digital tech innovator Ken Saro-Wiwa jr. His life was suddenly cut short at the age of 47. We are sorrowed by this profound loss to the Saro-Wiwa family, and of a talented man invested in…
29 Nov 2016 jane -
Today’s oil drilling round could bust us through UK’s climate limits
The UK government is pushing a massive new offshore drilling programme, that will take the UK beyond its climate limits. Oil companies had until 2pm today to bid for 1200 blocks covering large swathes of the sea off North-west and North-east Scotland and England. This is the the 29th Offshore Licensing Round, and it aims to identify hundreds of millions in…
26 Oct 2016 admin -
Subsidising spills – British public pays BP $300 million to drill and spill
BP came under criticism this week when it caused a 95 tonne oil leak from its Clair Field into the North Sea. The company decided not to clear up the spill, and wait for the oil to wash further out to sea. The new spill comes as BP no longer pays net taxes to the…
7 Oct 2016 admin -
The new is being born – reflections on Paul Mason’s ‘Postcapitalism’
In these days of constant turbulence, in which what is nonsense on Tuesday becomes common sense on Wednesday, and what is common sense on Thursday becomes nonsense on Friday, I have found Paul Mason’s ‘Postcapitalism’ a valuable touchstone. This is a book profound, provocative and demanding a response. With boldness and a breadth of…
27 Sep 2016 james
