Climatecamp TV Film of Carbon Casino Action

It was a particularly early start for around 20 Climate Campers this morning. Bleary eyed but refreshed from our first night on Blackheath we dressed for our day. But whilst wellies and t-shirts might be the usual get-up for a campsite, today called for feather boas, glitzy dresses and tuxedos. We were off back to the European Climate Exchange on Bishopsgate and we were keen to show up this building for the shady casino it is. Meeting at London Bridge we set off by bus to the familiar site of our G20 camp. Jumping off the bus just opposite the Exchange we confidently headed across the road and claimed our space at one of the building's entrances. 

We hung our banner across the grand gates. It proclaimed 'Climate Casino' in shocking pink. Beneath this we set out our roulette wheel and the games commenced. Cries of 'I'll raise you the Amazon' and '3 aces for low-lying island states' abounded. We invited passers-by to 'take a punt on the planet'.

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But why go back to Bishopsgate? Because carbon trading - the Climate Exchange is the system's European stock market - must be exposed for the dangerous global financial game which it is. Carbon trading has not and will not reduce emissions. It simply makes corporations richer and allows governments to put on a charade that they are doing something about climate change. It is allowing Heathrow's third runway to be built and the Kingsnorth coal-fired power station to go ahead, both of which would spell disaster for the climate. Anyone with any common sense can see this is a false solution which must be exposed. It is a dangerous game that we’ve been sucked into, and our future depends and getting ourselves out of it.

At around 11am we felt our work had been done and set off to relax and replenish before we headed back to Camp. All in all, we felt this was a great way to kick off the Camp.

http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/blog/2009/08/27/everyone-s-a-loser-at-the-climate-casino

See video of action here:

http://climatecamp.tv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ui02IMrmOM