Why I am not going to Copenhagen

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 18/12/09 at 12:12:51 pm

I keep being asked why I am not over in Copenhagen, so I thought I would take some time to anwser.  The main reason is that I don’t really think that using all of that carbon to travel there, just to protest outside a building, would make a difference. If I thought it would I would have been there in a flash.

A few years ago I emailed 100’s of Mp’s and wrote letters to various Supermarkets campaing for a plastax here in the UK. Ok, that did not happen but what has happened is that many Supermarkets are now at least making moves towards reducing their use. Was this down to me alone? Well, no of course not – although at one point when you googled “Tesco Carrier bag”, the top search linked back to this site showing a letter full of greenwash from Tesco along with my irate reply. So, every little helps. The point that I am trying to make is that, whilst I think there is a place for direct action, I also think that if many people took a bit more intelligent direct action real differences could be made.

Back to Cop 15,  the saying, “closing the stable door after the horse has bolted”, jumps to mind. I can’t imagine that they will do anything that will make a real difference such as taxing airline fuel, agreeing to stop using coal (Americas next big fuel) or even something small such as banning carrier bags!

Instead what will result will be some wishy washy agreements that won’t make any difference and really won’t mean anything. If Mp’s can’t be trusted with their own expense claims how can we trust them with something that effects other people? Even if they do they will not be in force until 2020 by which point it will be too late.

Rant ends

P.S. This seems to be the only way to save the UK music scene from banality.

3 Comments

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1. Thanks.what a lengthy and in depth article but full of useful information

   Comment by Roulette — December 18, 2009 #

2. Funny how even spam comments can seem rather sarcastic.

   Comment by Andy Hamilton — December 18, 2009 #

3. Sorry, that comment got the biggest laugh of the day from me! If you’re only going to bother to write a few words to post across all blogs, why make it sound so bloody rude?!

   Perhaps the only way to be an effective protester in Copenhagen is to be waving an American passport above your head?

   And I am very disappointed that that Christmas number 1 nonsense made it’s way in – don’t care who wins, but Rage Against the Machine is NOT part of the UK music scene, and is as teenager-y, angsty and banal as they come.

   Comment by Lucy — December 18, 2009 #

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