check back soon to see a full gallery of shots from Fossil Fools Day actions from around the world…
April - 1 - 2010
Fossil ‘Fools Day Protests Set for 30 Cities; Target Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Big Banks
More than 30 cities throughout North America have organized demonstrations against the fossil fuel industry, corporate banks and big environmental organizations for April 1’st national Fossil ‘Fools’ Day. Demonstrations are being coordinated by Rising Tide North America , which has also launched an online campaign targeting “Big Green” groups that have taken money from the worst corporate polluters. Key targets of the campaign include Conservation International, National Wildlife Federation and Environmental Defense.
Facebook Action Group: http://bit.ly/8XDk09
The National Day of Action – organized by Rising Tide North America, Mountain Justice, a coalition of Canadian climate activists and others – will feature clownish parades, flyering, subversive advertising, creative street theater, and non-violent direct actions targeting the coal, oil, natural gas and banking sectors. Cities where actions will take place include Asheville, Boulder, Chicago, Edmonton, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Ottawa, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Washington D.C. Corporations targeted will include Chevron, JPMorgan Chase, NW Natural Gas, Pepco and Shell. (more…)
April - 2 - 2010
As the Sky Train pulls up to the VCC-Clark Station a small cluster of activists in life jackets filter out of the train and onto the platform.
Gathering into a small circle, the group put snorkels over their faces and towels over their shoulders. One young man took off his jacket to reveal tight spandex shorts and an extra-small tank top, and, just as the group burst into laughter, he added a swimming cap and nose plug to his attire.
“Are you ready?” said a large cardboard sign as the group began displaying their cause, while people on the platform laughed and asked what was going on.
“Today is Fossil Fools Day,” said a female member of the group. (more…)
April - 1 - 2010
An activist was arrested this afternoon at the Waterloo Branch of RBC Bank. Mark Corbiere was charged with mischief for hanging a banner reading “Boycott RBC” and “Stop the Tar Sands” from the roof of the branch, located in uptown Waterloo.
The protest was one of eight “Fossil Fools Day” protests at RBC branches across Canada. For the last five years, activists around the world have adopted April Fools Day as a day of pranks and protest against fossil fuels and climate change.
Those present report that Corbiere was joined by 10 supporters chanting and holding banners in front of the bank branch during the protest. After an hour of negotiations, police removed Corbiere from the roof and confiscated his banner.
April - 1 - 2010
photo credit: Tristan Glenn Cyclists at an oil refinery in East Montreal
In the spirit of April Fools day, 13 Cities in Canada have pulled creative pranks on fossil fuel industry supporters, or “Fossil Fools,” pleasantly confusing security guards, police, and the general public. People for Climate Justice, a national coalition of concerned residents in Canada, announced 6 nominees for the dubious Fossil Fool of the Year Award: Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach, Environment Minister Jim Prentice, Royal Bank of Canada CEO Gordon Nixon, and Shell Canada President Brian Straub. All nominees have a history of supporting Canada’s tar sands industry and related projects such as pipelines and refineries, with no consideration for the human rights violations and environmental atrocities associated with tar sands developments. In the spirit of Fossil Fools day, 13 Cities in Canada have taken action and pulled creative pranks and tricks on tar sands supporters.
7 communities in Canada: Toronto (ON), Waterloo (ON), Peterborough (ON), London (ON), New Westminster (BC), Duncan (BC), and Victoria all targeted RBC as the top financier in dirty tar sands projects. In Waterloo, one indigenous activist was arrested after a banner drop at a local branch of Royal Bank of Canada. This is the second day of action in which RBC was targeted. On March 3rd, the same day as the bank’s Annual General Shareholders Meeting where 11 communities in Canada held rallies and actions at RBC branches. “This is the second year that Royal Bank of Canada is receiving the Fossil Fool of the year award,” says Taylor Flook, organizer with the Rainforest Action Network Toronto.
In Montreal, 70 people staged a bike bloc protest shutting down the roads in and out of Montreal’s oil refining sector with clean, green people power. (more…)
April - 1 - 2010
by Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt
Protesters boasting signs that read “Break America’s Oil Addiction” and “Coal is Dirty” crowd around Bank of America in downtown Asheville shouting and chanting slogans like: “What do we want? No Coal! When do we want it? NOW.” They are also asking people to close their accounts with Bank of America, asserting that the bank supports mountaintop removal, coal mining and fossil-fuel consumption. (more…)
April - 1 - 2010
Denver, CO – On April Fools’ Day – as part of the international ‘Fossil Fools Day’ – Colorado activists pulled an elaborate prank on Xcel Energy, the largest utility company in the state. With a farce website (www.xcelresponsiblebynature.com), a satirical press release, and a letter to Colorado ratepayers, activists helped Xcel Energy become a renewable energy leader. The announcement said that Xcel Energy would switch to 100% renewable electricity in Colorado by phasing out all coal plants and abandoning plans to convert existing coal plants to natural gas.
In the spoof initiative, Xcel Energy agreed to pay for the transition to renewable energy out of its own deep pockets. The letter assured Colorado ratepayers: “While, over the past several years, we have raised rates for our customers numerous times, our new approach will put the burden on Xcel’s executives rather than our loyal and hardworking customers. And, rest assured, we can afford it. With an annual profit of nearly $700 million and CEO pay in the millions each year, our ‘responsible by nature’ executives are volunteering to take pay cuts to ensure the success of our plan.” (more…)
April - 1 - 2010
Pepco announces plan to shift all power facilities to wind and solar energy, may cancel planned rate hikes Pepco notifies its customers that it wishes “to serve the energy needs of our customers for generations to come.”
Washington DC – In an unprecedented move this morning, Pepco Holdings Inc. executives announced plans to shift all of their energy facilities to wind and solar energy by the year 2020. The DC-area power giant has already delivered the news of its green energy transition to thousands of its customers in the DC area through door-to-door flyers distributed this morning. Pepco is an innovative power company serving 1.9 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New Jersey.
Pepco is now reconsidering proposed rate hikes that would have raised the cost of electricity bills to its customers. In letters to their customers this morning, company executives implied the planned rate hikes may not be necessary after the shift to alternative energy sources. The company may also cancel rate increases to many of its customers. Customers can call (202) 833-7500 to find out if they apply for a Pepco rate adjustment. (more…)
April - 1 - 2010
German energy giant EON have announced that they are shelving controversial plans for a massive expansion of coal and gas electricity generation in the Medway region. The surprising news emerged today as Eon contractors broke ground at the offices of Medway Council on Dock Road, Chatham, and started installing wind turbines and solar panels.
Eon media relations officer, Joe King announced, “We realise that continued investment in fossil fuels is a dangerous distraction from the urgent need to develop truly sustainable technologies so we’ve abandoned our dated plans to continue burning gas and coal. This wind farm for Medway council is just the beginning, we’re also offering all our customers heavily discounted shares in future community wind farm schemes, so they’ll actually co-own the systems that provide their power”.
In a leaflet passed out to passers by, Eon admitted that until now, only a trivial amount of their investments had gone into renewables but promised that would now change. Acknowledging the urgent need to drastically cut emissions in order to curb global warming and avoid disastrous climatic tipping points, the company promised they’d abandon their plans to turn Medway into a CO2 pumping hub, end further investment into fossil fuels, and instead commit to truly sustainable energy such as wind and sun.
However, a local activist Bennie Factor, expressed disbelieve, “This is a joke! All this renewable energy rhetoric represent nothing more than cyclical greenwash from these energy giants. Sadly, the reality is that they are still committed to business as usual, damning us all to continued greenhouse gas emissions and catastrophic climate change.”
April - 1 - 2010
Climate Camp pranks the carbon traders.
Don’t be fooled by Carbon Trading!
Newmarket, Auckland: 1st April 2010
Camp for Climate Action Auckland has visited the offices of OMFinancial to present them with this year’s Fossil Fools day award for helping New Zealand’s biggest polluters cheat their way out of dealing with climate change
April 1st, Fossil Fools day is an international day of action against the fossil fuel industry with pranks being pulled on key players of the fossil fuel industry.
“Climate change is no laughing matter, but carbon trading is a sick joke that won’t do anything to stop New Zealand from being dug up to get even more fossil fuels out of the ground. We’re here to turn the tables on these fossil fools and give them what they deserve. The 2010 New Zealand Fossil Fools day award.” says climate camp participant Gary Cranston.
“Carbon markets are geared towards prolonging the fossil fuel economy for as long as possible rather than developing strategies for a rapid, just transition away from carbon-based fuels. The complex system of carbon credits and offsets allows polluters to continue the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure rather than forcing them to abandon these projects. The only thing your average New Zealander will get out of this charade is rising electricity bills and rising sea levels.” says Gary Cranston.
“Last December in Copenhagen, the politicians sold us out to the fossil fools and corporate lobbyists like the International Emissions Trading Association. Instead of 350 parts per million (ppm) of carbon in the atmosphere as ‘required by science’, the Copenhagen Accord signatories’ promised 15% emissions cuts from 1990 levels to 2020 could in reality translate into a 10% increase once carbon trading and offset loopholes are factored in. We’ve been left with nothing but carbon market shenanigans designed to distract us from the truth. Stopping runaway climate change means leaving fossil fuels in the ground.” (more…)
April - 1 - 2010
Contact after 9AM PST
Chris Noble, Cascadia Rising Tide, 503-249-6343
Sara Jenkins, 503-231-2904
pictures, newspaper available at www.CascadiaRisingTide.org
Fossil Fool's Weekly
Late last night volunteers with Portland Rising Tide blasted the city with over 3,000 fake newspaper covers wrapping the Willamette Week. With content including an interview with Bigfoot about pipeline plans through Mt. Hood and a chart explaining the Columbia River Crossing project as understood by Glen Beck. The action was part of Fossil Fools Day, a national day-of-action with the tag-line, “Pull a prank that packs a punch” meant to inspire playful actions targeting the fossil fuel industry.
The action was pulled off to provide light-hearted education to the public and simultaneously call out those corporations and projects that have been using an elaborate public relations campaign to “green” their image.
Ryan Caraway with Portland Rising Tide explained the action, “Our region is threatened by a number of projects that would increase our dependency on fossil fuels as well as threaten some of the most pristine areas left in this country. Unfortunately, we feel that we don’t see enough critical media surrounding these issues and we wanted to change that – at least for one night.” (more…)
April - 1 - 2010
Today the Yes Men called a faux press conference and posed as Shell Oil apologizing for human rights violations in the Niger Delta.
Great fun. Hopefully we’ll see more pranks and publicity stunts tomorrow as Fossil Fool’s Day kicks into high gear.
February - 17 - 2010
The fossil fools ain’t no joke – but that doesn’t mean we can’t fight them with one!
The Fossil Fuel Empire is real and it’s here. The stakes couldn’t be higher: destabilization of the global climate, communities from Alaska to Alberta to Appalachia being destroyed by dirty energy extraction and combustion, devastating super hurricanes, droughts, flooding, the list goes on…
Last December in Copenhagen, the politicians sold us out to the fossil fools, corporate lobbyists and big banks. Now we’re left with “green capitalism,” carbon market shenanigans and continued assaults on our communities and ecosystems. If we’re going to stop climate change, the only real solution is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
This April, join Rising Tide North America as we pull some pranks that pack a punch. Use the simply subversive to the downright disruptive: office occupations, banner drops, road blockades, clownish parades, spoof product launches, sub-vertising, leaflets, street theater, lock-downs and laugh-ins. Whatever works for you and your group!
Climate change is no laughing matter, but we can’t take things too seriously all the time. Join us this Fossil Fools Day as we employ our senses of humor to hatch some harebrained schemes that will strike a blow to fossil foolery everywhere!
And remember what Abbie Hoffman said: “The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it.”
Let us know if your group wants to endorse or co-sponsor!
WHAT: Actions, Jokes and Pranks Galore to Stop the Fossil Fools
WHERE: Your Town Planet Earth
WHEN: April 1st, 2010
CONTACT: fossilfoolsday@risingtidenorthamerica.org
RSVP on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=445447160709&ref=mf
Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood radical climate justice network, Rising Tide North America
