(August 17th) The Chicago Sun Times has declared a boycott on British Petroleum, the company which runs the 4th largest refinery in the United States located in Whiting Indiana. (http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/514460,CST-EDT-edits17.article) (http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/suntimes_says_boycott_bp.php).
It is very exciting to see instances where activism actually works. From the time BP recieved the OK to increase the amount of waste, 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more suspended solids allowed into Lake Michigan each year, people have come together to voice their concerns. Now these efforts have paid off. By protesting on a community level and by working together with politicians, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and none other than Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, activists have halted the progress of one of the largest companies in the world. "The company is... the second largest of Big Oil's super-majors in terms of production (only Exxon Mobil is bigger), with huge untapped reserves stretching from Russia to West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico" according to CNNMoney.com.
Students United For Peace is delighted to hear this news as we continue to work with faculty, and students (http://stopbp-berkeley.org/) at UC Berkeley to keep BP off of our campus. Last spring the University announced it was working with British Petroleum to sign a 500 Million dollar deal. Rerun claimed he was waiting for his MDD (Million Dollar Deal) when he quit the TV series "Whats Happening!!". He should have got a job with UC Chancellor Birgeneau. There has been little information this summer about the deal, but you can be sure that if the contract is signed without 1) more community and faculty oversight, 2) and less money going to GMO corn research, there will definitely be more molasses appearing on the doorstep of California Hall.
You can read about the BP deal at...
http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23290
http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=23176
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/31/BAGE5OV6G61.DTL&type=printable
Or drop Bobby (Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau) an email and tell him your thoughts (Pay for my textbooks, The only bio-fuel research on the Berkeley campus will be done by Willie Nelson)
200 California Hall # 1500
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-1500
Fax (510) 643-5499
chancellor@berkeley.edu
No comments:
Post a Comment