story & pix

Strike Oil!

Reclaim the Streets presents: STRIKE OIL!
- a wind-powered petrol-free service station to eclipse the Kyoto sideshow... Opened Saturday November 29th at the corner of City Road and Remington Street, London N1 - 5 minutes' walk from Angel tube station

[Tricycle rickshaw in the smog]

Oil; - n: viscous, black, carboniferous substance deposited in the earth's crust.

Oil industry; (now defunct) - n: pre-eminent sector of industrial capitalism in the second half of the 20th century. Abandoned early in 21st due to mounting opposition. Held responsible for: fuelling more cars; for tarmac slicks known as roads which clog the pores of the earth; for landfills choked with plastic trash and for disposable crap everywhere; for the devastation of indigenous people's lands; for the violation of worker's rights; for its pack of slick lobbyists (aka the Global Climate Coalition) stalling action on global warming; for gulf wars and militarism, for blackened beaches, asthma, smog, pollution, melting icecaps, climatic disaster...

The oil industry thinks it can con its way into the next century with talk of g-r-a-d-u-a-l reform on emissions and a pitiful commitment to renewable energy sources, (which should not be controlled by oil transnationals anyway.) We say the time has come to say goodbye, both to the oil pushers and to the addiction they feed.

STRIKE OIL! aims to kickstart this process by creating a living, breathing space to facilitate creative action against the oil sickness and for fossil fuel-free energy. It will speak a language of direct action, debate, display, performance and celebration. We invite all artists, activists, thinkers, makers, concerned parents, unruly kids, happy partygoers, unresigned pensioners and general citizens of the planet to come along and begin creating a future free from oil exploitation and dependence.

We need to hear from you if you can supply skills (alternative energy/ DIY/ entertainment/ whatever) or just your time.

E-mail (100 Days of Action Against the Oil Industry): 100days@waveland.org Offers of help & location info (from the w/e of 29/30 onwards): 0171-281 4621

People power not oil power!

Ridding the world of industrial capitalism takes... money.
Send your cheques etc (payable to Reclaim the Streets) to
PO Box 9656, London N4 4JY.

Ta.


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Update 13 November 2000 Greenpeace takes over the same garage - to give away "green" diesel made from vegetable oil. Fryin' tonite... but not quite the idea, we think.

Posted: December 5, 1997; update November 13, 2000