Arts Council to embed sustainability into its funding
Feb 24, 2012
Last week I gave a talk at the State of the Arts Conference in a parallel session on Artists & Our Future Environment. What was inspiring about that session, the one that followed in the afternoon, and the general discussion around the conference, was just how many people were talking about how the arts can,...
The Ugandan draft oil law: A search in vain for accountability and democratic oversight
Feb 22, 2012
Platform has released a new briefing analysing Uganda’s draft “Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill” The report – entitled “The Ugandan Upstream oil law: A search in vain for accountability and democratic oversight”, highlights the lack of parliamentary oversight, transparency, or consultation or involvement of affected communities in the proposed oil law. At the same...
Rules for Living – artists and climate change, by Andy Field at #sota12
Feb 21, 2012
This is the text from Andy Field’s talk last Tuesday afternoon at State of the Arts, in the ‘Artists and the Future Environment’ panel. 1. My friend Kieran Whilst we are all here in Salford, my friend Kieran is on a train from Glasgow to Lisbon. Or more accurately Kieran is on one of several...
Don’t throw activist histories away: Huntley Conference on Arts & Activism, Culture & Resistance
Feb 21, 2012
18th February, London There were over a 100 artists, activists, community workers, young people, archivists & conservators, educators, parents, grandparents, policymakers. We were taking part in talks, creative “Groundings” sessions, a parallel youth conference, music & poetry performances, from the fabulous El Crisis, younger talented artists, and the more experienced, discussing race and power, creativity and...
Art & Oil: guest review of ‘The Oil Show’ in Dortmund
Feb 17, 2012
The Oil Show art exhibition at the Hartware MedienKunstVerein in Dortmund, Germany, is a group show about oil and its deeply rooted influence in economy and society. This major exhibition, on til 18th March 2012, states “We have reached Peak Oil – the maximum capacity of global crude oil extraction and production. After Peak Oil, the...
The Big 3: oil co’s and legal cases this month
Feb 16, 2012
Three of the world’s biggest private oil companies face landmark legal actions this February. Here is a brief run down of the main cases, what they are about and why they matter. 1. US v BP At the centre of the legal fallout from BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster in April 2010 is a complex civil...
Platform at State of the Arts Conference, #sota12
Feb 15, 2012
Presentation by James Marriott on 'Artists & the Future Environment'* The first speaker was writer Jay Griffiths, author of 'Wild', followed by myself, James Marriott, speaking for Platform. You can watch an interview I did after the presentation at the bottom of the text. Thank you Jay for a beautiful exposition of the relationship between...
Film: Oil for Nothing
Feb 6, 2012
Oil for Nothing | ENG from Luca Tommasini on Vimeo. A new documentary by CRBM (Italy) examines the impact of multinational oil extraction in the Niger Delta today.
Video: Chevron rig blazes off the coast of Nigeria
Feb 6, 2012
This disturbing video from Al Jazeera shows what’s left of Chevron’s KS Endeavour gas rig, which exploded on 16 January 2012. Over 20 days later the site is still ablaze and the intense flames and plumes of smoke can be seen from the nearby fishing village. Local community activists released this footage:
Move Your Money – “bank on something better”
Feb 1, 2012
At Platform we’re very excited about the launch of Move Your Money following our campaigning to stop UK banks fossil fuel finance. This is a guest blog by Danni Paffard on this week’s launch of Move Your Money UK: The banking sector isn’t working for people, small business or wider society. Despite plunging the economy into...
What I’m reading about this week
Jan 31, 2012
Metro: ‘Sustainable’ funds investing millions in oil companies and banks. This article mentions Platform’s work on Shell Nigeria and uses it to question the ethics of investment in oil companies. Heat or Eat? Fuel Poverty Action occupy British Gas headquarters.
Legal Oil, Ethical Oil and Profiteering in the Niger Delta and the Canadian North
Jan 30, 2012
In this guest blog post, Professor Anna Zalik of York University Canada explores how governments and multinationals criminalise protest and gloss over the environmental injustices of oil extraction. Q: What does the Canadian Government’s fury at opponents of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline have to do with the Nigerian ‘legaloil’ campaign? A: Both positions are...
