Bountiful Bristol Bulletin

A chance to hear nationally and internationally acclaimed speakers,
plus workshop time to meet local people who have visited Palestine.
This conference is unique in the UK - Not to be missed!

SATURDAY 26th APRIL
BRISTOL NAKBA-60 CONFERENCE
10.30am til 5.00pm at Malcolm X Centre, City Road, St Pauls, Bristol.
Headline speakers include: (more…)

Date: Saturday 26th January
Time: 2.30pm
Venue: St Werburghs Community Centre, Horley Road, Bristol, BS2 9TJ
Admission: £5 (£3 concessions)

Map: http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|bs2%209tj#t=l&map=51.46797,-2.57287|16|4&loc=GB:51.46797:-2.57287:15|bs2%209tj|BS2%209TJ

Refreshments will be available

‘Offside’ is about a group of young women who break into a football stadium to watch their national team compete in the World Cup qulaifiers. From acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Pahani (White Balloon, The Circle, Crimson Gold) this film challenges many misconceptions surronding Iran and Iranian women. More info at: http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=155197

This showing is to raise funds for Bristol Stop The War Coalition - come along and bring your friends.

For further information email bristolstopwar@hotmail.com

Circomedia, 6th Feb 7.30pm, £8 / £5

“The chemical war is never won, and all life is caught in its violent
crossfire”*

Breaking the Silence is a play about the life and works of Rachel
Carson, probably the most influential ecologists of the 20th Century,
She took on both the US government and the agro-chemical industry in
her ground breaking book “Silent Spring” published in 1962.This show
is not a history lesson, it’s not about fear and despair, it’s a love
story which reverberates with the world we face today.

Tickets available from
7 Generations, Picton Street, Montpelier, 0845 330 3934
Earthbound, Abbotsford Rd, Cotham, 0117 904 2260

OR

Book online by sending an email to silentspring. bristol@gmail. com
these tickets can be collected and paid for on the night.

Where?
Circomedia, Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol

When?
Wednesday 6th Feb 7.30pm

How Much?
£8, £5 concessions.

Sustainable Solutions and Survival International are showing the film ‘The Heart of the world’ - a film about the Kogi people of Columbia who have a message to give to the world.
Their survival is under threat and so are many other indigenous tribes in the world. This will be followed by a short film by Survival International and a discussion.
Event is free
Venue-the Fielden Theatre at the City Academy, Russell Town Avenue
Time - 7.15 for 7.30 start on Thursday November 8th
Bar and refreshments available before the film.

This Monday, October 15, the foreign ministers of the 27 European Union states will meet in Luxembourg–and decide whether to live up to their warnings to the Burmese junta.

Three weeks ago, the EU vowed to step up sanctions on the Burmese regime if it cracked down violently on the protesters. If the EU fails to take action now, the Burmese regime will take it as a sign that international pressure is mere talk, and won’t hesitate to commit further atrocities.

Burma isn’t a democracy, but EU countries should be. (more…)

One might argue that the british summer never really begun, but the impending inevitability of its end marked by leaves falling and nights closing in is almost upon us. It’s time to maximise on sunshine and take advantage of al fresco events like this…
Where: Bristol Urban Beach, Redcliffe Wharf, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6SR

When: August 28th 6-8pm

What: Climate change impacts the whole planet, but the poorest countriesin the world are where it will be felt the most. In the richest
countries where the problem is caused, it is tempting to think that
easy solutions - like offsetting - will suffice. Meanwhile, going low
carbon in places like the UK is seen as a middle class luxury leaving
low income areas with the worst environmental problems. This event
will explore how our responses to climate change can meet the greatest
need first- home and abroad.

Dear friend

We work for a small environmental non profit in Oxford, England which specialised in public communication about climate change. Although we always welcome initiatives aiming to increase public awareness we don’t think that the Live Earth concerts are doing enough to encourage new songs or support the amazing talent of people who are really trying to say something powerful or orginal. And, to be honest, we’re skeptical of the big rock star approach to big issues.

So we had a brainwave. We thought it would be fun to create a web based parallel concert called Alive Earth for everyone who has something they want to say.

(more…)

andykisaragi

After the success of their Mulambo night last December, James and Clare are doing it again on the 15th of June. It’s on a bit more of a psychedelic theme this time and has expanded into the second room at the trinity for a chillout / chai shop / multimedia space.

eat static and banco de gaia should need no introduction… fromem ory is a rising star of fullon psytrance making his first visit to bristol and andykisaragi is of course me, and i rock. It’s a great line up and should make for a great night, and rest assured the chillout lineup, still being finalised, will be just as special.

Also, it’s all for charity! So no excuses, get yourself to Bristol Ticket Shop now…

andykisaragi

Just got this in me inbox…

Sustainable Solutions presents a filming of ‘Power of Community’

‘This is the story of how Cuba transitioned from large, fossil fuel intensive farming to small, less energy-intensive organic farms and urban gardens…’
Film screening + informal meeting and discussion + plant swap (just bring along any spare plants you have to swap) - refreshments and drinks available from bar.
Thursday 3rd May 2007 7.00pm FREE ENTRY

Fielden Theatre
City Academy (main entrance)
Russell Town Avenue, Bristol, BS5 9JH
For further information contact Matthew Cheney, Neighbourhood Solutions 0117 353 2308/ matthew.cheney@ndcbristol.co.uk

…anyone who hasn’t seen this, you really should! It’s a very inspiring, thought provoking film, and it was partly Nadia screening it last year at the Audi garage which made me realise that I not only should but could be doing something (or at least trying) to futureproof our world.

Cuba has one of the best quality of life / ecological footprint balances in the world, with a human development index of about 0.8 and ecological footprint of less than 1.9 ha/person (the global average earthshare). When you compare this with the UK’s HDI of just over 0.9 and eco footprint of about 5, and consider the fact that our large footprints probably help keep quality of life down in poorer countries, you can see that we have a lot of lessons to learn from Cuba.

So next week is all planned out: Rob Hopkins at the Trinity on tuesday (see below), then the Power of Community on Thursday. Then after that, for a little light relief, why not head to Mr Wolf’s to see The Mandibles? rockin.

It’s back, following the sucsess of last year - Bristol Latin American Forum, Saturday March the 10th, 2007 - : Themed around social and cultural changes in Latin America, the LAF is a vibrant day event with workshops, plenaries, discussion, music, film, and food by Kebele. It also includes a related evening event with Cuban hip hop artists and a 16 piece salsa band.

(more…)

andykisaragi

Good headline eh?

Democracy Now! reported last Thursday on a train crash in Minot, North Dakota back in 2002. A 112-car train was derailed and an explosion leaked hazardous chemicals - 240,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia - into the atmosphere, leaving a plume of vapour drifting through the town. Anhydrous ammonia burns eyes, skin and lungs on a brief exposure - prolonged exposure can shut down the respiratory system entirely. Hundreds in the town were hospitalised; one was killed.

So far, so horrible. But what’s this got to do with the media?

Well, all six of the town’s local radio stations were owned by media giant Clearchannel. When the train derailed and the town started to fill with noxious gases, panic ensued. Residents who called 911 were told to listen to KCJB, the town’s designated local emergency broadcaster, for instructions. When they tuned in they were surprised to hear nothing but the usual smooth talking djs and Britney classics. Tune to the other local stations. Smooth talking. Britney classics.
(more…)

Cuba, a laboratory for Urban Agriculture. How has the collapse of the Soviet Union and a decrease of 80% of fossil fuel imports in the country given birth to a healthier, more sustainable society.

Speakers are Dr. Humberto Rios Labrada, top agricultural researcher and Head of the Cuban Participatory Plant Breeding Programme and Green Party Councillor, Charlie Bolton .
Thursday 1st February, 7.30pm Southville Centre, Beauley Road
Bristol South Green Party and Bristol Cuba Solidarity Campaign
FFI Tess, tel 0117 9852795 or Yvonne, 0117 9445383

andykisaragi

A couple of (vaguely) encouraging articles in the Guardian today:

Firstly, this one which states that, according to Downing Street, Bush “is preparing to make a historic shift in his position on global warming” - ie, admit that it might actually exist - in his State of the Union address.

So is it all change for America? Is the USA going to take the lead on climate change? Well, it’s difficult to take Bush too seriously on this when he’s just commited 20,000 more troops (presumably increasing the budget from - last I heard - $10,000,000 an hour in Iraq) to policing some of the world’s largest fossil fuel reserves. And as the article says, Bush last year talked about how America is “addicted to oil” - and it’s easy to trace the action he’s taken on this because it amounts to precisely nothing. It’s hard, therefore, to hold out much hope for action by the Bush administration on this. His lip service to the issues, however, speaks of the American public’s concern with the climate change which in itself is massively encouraging.
(more…)