Climate activists pull a prank that packs a punch on April Fools DayToday the Edinburgh battalion of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army (CIRCA) paid a visit to Sainsbury’s and Tesco to highlight the absurdity of Food Miles, as part of “International Fossil Fools Day”.Ten clowns descended upon the supermarkets between 4 and 6 o’ clock in the afternoon, in time to intercept shoppers on their way home from work. The red-nosed army marched into the new Sainsbury’s on Middle Meadow Walk, where they acted out the carbon intensive process of transporting food from farmer to plate. The clowns then dispersed throughout the store in search of an elusive ‘Scottish banana’, encouraging fellow shoppers to find (if they could) any produce in the store which was actually from Scotland. The battalion placed flyers in shopping baskets and amongst pineapples, peaches and pears reminding shoppers that 50% of vegetables and 95% of the fruit eaten in the UK now comes from overseas1. The clowns then marched to the Tesco on Nicolson Street where they ridiculed the latest invention of green supermarket spin, ‘carbon labeling.’ Shoppers seemed surprised, but amused by the presence of the clowns. The clowns were eventually forced to leave by security at both Sainsbury´s and Tesco.At Tesco today, Clown combatant Major Look said, “We are here to draw attention to supermarket food mile freaks such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s who adopt extremely harmful practices in order to sell food from all over the world, all the year round. Instead of promoting local Scottish produce and seasonal fruit and vegetables, big supermarkets air-freight food into the country from far away, contributing tons of CO2 to the atmosphere. Transporting food by plane is one of the fastest growing methods of distribution, and also the most polluting.”1When asked to comment on the tactics of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army, Kernel O’Truth commented,“It’s better to be foolish than fossil fuelish!”Fossil Fools Day, called by the international Rising Tide network and its allies, has seen over one hundred actions take place around the world. Protests have focused on the companies responsible for runaway carbon dioxide emissions, as well as complicit governments and those promoting false solutions.Groups who have taken action today in the UK include CIRCA, Rising Tide, the Camp for Climate Action, World Development Movement, People and Planet, the Network for Climate Action and Earth First!While The Edinburgh battalion were visiting Sainsbury’s and Tesco, other groups around the UK were in Parliament Square (where People and Planet built a coal power station complete with 12ft cooling towers), at the Porsche HQ in London (where a public apology was issued on behalf of Porsche), the Department for Enterprise, Business and Regulatory Reform (where WDM held the world’s first laugh-in over plans for new coal at Kingsnorth) and Manchester City Centre (where a parade toured the city’s biggest fossil fools).“We are taking action to prevent the fossil fuel industry from destroying our future,” said CIRCA’s Trooper Toast. “Vested interests in business and government are bent on pursuing economic growth at all costs. Squandering our limited fossil fuel resources on flying strawberries to Scotland so we can eat them in the middle of winter is beyond ridiculous. We need to shrink, not protect, the fossil fuel economy if we are to survive climate change.”For interviews and more information about today’s action at supermarkets contactContact: Warrant Officer Waffle Phone Number: 07766343683 Emails: edinburghrebelclowns@riseup.net <ailto:edinburghrebelclowns@riseup.net”>1.http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/foodmiles.shtml <ttp://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/foodmiles.shtml”>Please find photos from today´s mission attached. If higher resolution is required please contact above email address.