11:30 Saturday 19/01/2008

Metro Station Heysel, Brussels

action "Agro-fuels" at the Brussels Motor Show

The action group 4x4info, Friends of the Earth, IEW and IEB invite you to join an action against the use of agro-fuels. Agro-fuels are promoted as a way to allow the ever increasing use and sale of heavier and faster cars that waste huge amounts of fuel. The increased use of agro-fuels without decreasing the use of cars has catastrophic impacts on the environment, and also leads to increased food prices. The higher the price of crude oil, the higher the price of food.

When?

10:30 sharp at the entrance to Metro Station Heysel (Brussels)

How?

Come dressed for the kitchen (cook, chef, etc.) with kitchen equipment: apron, dish cloths, cooks hats, oven gloves, wooden spoons... Bring pots and pans to make some noise. Please leave your knives and other sharp items at home!

Bring bread or sandwiches (in the case of rain, wrapped in plastic)

What?

Under the slogan "Driving or eating, you can't do both", we will offer up our daily bread to King Car. The participants in the action will make a procession to place their bread on an "altar", to feed a 4x4 car. After the procession and the offering of food to the car, the bread will be distributed to visitors to the motor show along with a leaflet explaining the action.

Why?

Agro-fuels (also know as bio-fuels) are used as an excuse to allow the continued production and sale of heavy and fast cars that consume large amounts of fuel, and cars in general. In the current European proposal to limit the emission of CO2 from new cars, agro-fuels are proposed as an alternative to reducing car use. Nevertheless, it is far from certain that the use of agro-fuels will have a positive impact on the climate. This depens on the way in which the fuel is produced. The large scale use of agro-fuels also have some serious side-effects: the supply of food here and in developing countries is linked to the price of petrol; the deforestation of ancient woodlands; the increased impact of industrial agriculture on the environment; and the loss of biodiversity.

Tell your friends and family about this action, and invite them to join you! Mark 19th Januray in your diary!

Read more about the impacts of agro-fuels, and their impact on developing countries:

http://www.wervel.be/biobrandstoffen/

http://www.oxfamsol.be/nl/article.php3?id_article=1197

"The grain required to fill a 25-gallon SUV gas tank with ethanol will feed one person for a year" - Earth Policy Institute -

For more information about this action, contact: jeroen.lh.verhoeven@gmail.com or visit the website: www.4x4info.be