27 Dec 2007

Uganda's rainforests to be axed for biofuel


So the captain of the Earthrace has liposuctioned the fat from his ample arse to run his biofuel boat (I think he got the idea from Fight Club)...however the reality is that forests will be cut and energy crops grown on them massively reducing the rich biodiversity of the forests.

Earthrace is a tawdry way of legtimising the destruction of our beautiful planet for speed, mobility and corporate goals.

In Uganda the President has announced planes to cuts the forests to grow sugar cane to produce biofuel.

all very Vietnam rhetoric..we had to destroy the Earth to save it.

The real need for a localised economy, good public transport and more use of the net rather than driving more and more is ignored...the needs of the great car economy are literally more important than global ecology.

My challenge to all the would be green politicians is that they should oppose enclosure and work to protect the forests, the people and animal species

In Gramscian terms the modern Prince i.e the political agent of necessary change is the social movement, on the streets protesting and building alternatives.

Indigenous struggle is the thing and Green Parties need to be supporting it....last time the President tried to attack the Mabira forest there were huge protests.

KAMPALA, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni on Friday revived a controversial plan to hand over a swathe of rainforest to a local company to be destroyed and replaced with a sugarcane plantation.

Enclosure and burning with some sub-Mugabe threats: "This issue should be resolved," Museveni said. "If we do not industrialise, where shall we get employment for the youth? I will mobilise the youth to smash ... these cliques obstructing the future of the country."

On wonders whether this is 'development versus the environment' or development of bank balance of elites versus sanity.

Corruption surely not in Uganda!
After trying to find some Ugandan cash we were heading for ‘Garden City’, a large and very new shopping centre, built and owned by Janet Museveni the wife of the current president. The fact the source of the building funds have yet to be disclosed and the site for Garden City is smack in the middle of protected wetlands just adds fuel to the already fanned corruption debate. notes a blog diary of a journey through the country

1 comment:

yachtwork said...

Derek-“The captain’s ample arse”? You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. Have you ever seen Pete Bethune? He is rail thin and the idea you would call his arse ample demonstrates yet again why you and the green party are not viable options for the disgruntled masses. It saddens me to think you claim to be a spokesman for such an environmental claiming organization. Take a look at Ron Paul to see how the masses might react given a true option.

At least get your facts straight before you go giving random slaps to those who pose a threat to the oil giants. I rode Earthrace for three months around Europe and we used locally grown rape seed oil on every fill up. The two single sponsors you mention were left over from the last race almost a year ago.

Locally grown oil means we supported other Europeans in jobs. We supported NOT shipping oil from across the world to power our cars. We support local control over our oil supply. We support a lower carbon footprint when we were done with a tank of fuel, and we support less waste oil in our landfills.

These are options worth talking about and why the bio fuel industry is flourishing without the need for the support of the green party and YOUR outdated views.

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