Author: earthfirst

Australia: Climate activists do Banner drops in Boggabri and Melbourne against coal rush

Activists from Quit Coal were able to get a message across this morning: with a banner drop over the main entrance of the Victorian State parliament house. The banner said "'Coal is the single greatest threat to civilisation and all life on our planet' Prof. James Hansen, NASA.

Activists from Quit Coal were able to get a message across this morning: with a banner drop over the main entrance of the Victorian State parliament house. The banner said "'Coal is the single greatest threat to civilisation and all life on our planet' Prof. James Hansen, NASA. Why is Baillieu funding coal?" At the same time activists in central NSW at Boggabri climbed a coal-crusher and dropped a banner which said "Stop the Coal Rush: Protect Health, Water, Climate"

Related: Further subsidies for Victorian coal by Victorian and Federal Governments | Quit Coal photos: Parliament House Banner Drop & Lock On

"Why is Baillieu funding coal?" demand climate activists

Four activists eluded security and were able to climb the scaffolding at the back of parliament house to the roof to drop the banner just after 9am. Two chained themselves on the roof while two more dropped down with the banner on ropes. Nine other people chained themselves on the steps of parliament house. Protestor Dominic O'Dwyer said from the roof: "We are planning on staying here until the government does something recognising the threat that climate change poses. We would like the government to take the threat of climate change seriously."

 

The banner was present for a few hours before police peacefully escorted the protestors away. Bolt cutters had to be brought in to cut the chains of people on the steps. According to a police spkeswoman no charges have been laid at this stage.

MR Baillieu when asked about the protest by reporters commented "It will be a matter for the president and the speaker. Those people have endangered themselves but they have also endangered other people."

Energy minister Michael O'Brien called the protest a "stupid and dangerous stunt".

Dominic O'Dwyer, who chained himself on the roof, told AAP reporter and reported in the Herald Sun "We're disappointed that the government is not taking action on climate change and they've got their head in the sand. That's why we're here today, we're not here today because we enjoy this. We've seen record ice melts in the Arctic this year, that means more bushfires, more severe droughts, worse flooding, which affects millions of Victorian families."

Gavin Jennings, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and Shadow Minister of Health, tweeted during the protest:

 

One of the reasons protestors identified for the action was the State government decision to put $45 million into funding 'clean coal' initiatives along with another $45 million from the Federal Government. Mr O'Dwyer said "For a start they should withdraw that money".

Protest against coal expansion Gunnedah Basin, NSW

While the protest at the Victorian Parliament House was occurring there was also a protest and banner drop in central New South Wales, where activists scaled a coal-crushing plant at Boggabri Coal Mine on the Gunnedah basin.

According to the media release the NSW Government has recently approved a fourfold expansion of the Boggabri Coal Mine. The two protestors dropped a banner saying: "Stop the Coal Rush: Protect Health, Water, Climate". After more than 8 hours atop the coal-crusher two protestors were arrested and taken to Narrabri Police Station. The men were protesting against the destruction of Leard State Forest, in the Gunnedah Basin, for three open-cut coal mines.

Sources:

GM sunflowers – Faucheurs Volontaires in action

2 September 2012

Press release

In the early hours of 2nd September, a hundred Faucheurs Volontaires (voluntary reapers of GM) from all over France simultaneously decontaminated 8 test fields in the Isère region and 1 in the Drôme.

2 September 2012

Press release

In the early hours of 2nd September, a hundred Faucheurs Volontaires (voluntary reapers of GM) from all over France simultaneously decontaminated 8 test fields in the Isère region and 1 in the Drôme.

Par cette action que nous assumons pleinement, nous voulons : mettre en évidence qu’une partie importante des surfaces de tournesol de la région a été semée avec des variétés mutées, issues de technologies brevetées, tolérantes à des herbicides, véritables OGM qui ne disent pas leur nom. Dénoncer le passage en force des firmes semencières et des opérateurs de la filière, qui cachent aux paysans la véritable nature de ces variétés. C’est la politique du fait accompli : on colonise les champs, ensuite on discutera.

Par ailleurs, aucune traçabilité ni étiquetage n’est exigée pour les produits de consommation humaine (graines et huile de tournesol) et animales (graines et tourteaux) Les récoltes de ces parcelles seront mélangées avec les récoltes conventionnelles et se retrouveront donc dans nos assiettes

Nous attendons du ministre de l’agriculture et des Services de l’Etat : qu’ils garantissent aux consommateurs la liberté de consommer sans OGM qu’ils agissent pour que ces technologies ne soient plus exclues du champ d’application de la directive européenne 2001-18 sur les OGM (alors qu’elle les définit comme tels : art 2 et 3)

Ces variétés de tournesol muté constituent des impasses techniques : toujours plus de pesticides, risques de résistance de l’ambroisie… Les producteurs doivent les refuser et ne pas se laisser embarquer dans cette spirale qui les rendent encore plus dépendants des firmes semencières agrochimiques

PAS D’OGM DANS NOS CHAMPS ET NOS ASSIETTES QU’ILS SOIENT ISSUS DE TRANSGENESE OU DE MUTAGENESE

Les Faucheurs Volontaires

Japan Dolphins Day 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around 100-150 protesters held a rally outside the Embassy of Japan in London yesterday (31st August 2012) to send a clear message to Japan on the eve of the Taiji dolphin slaughter season- END THE UNNECESSARY & CRUEL MURDER OF DOLPHINS IN THE COVE. Similar events were held at Japanese embassies around the world, with thousands of passionate  people from all walks of life and of all ages coming together for the cause and celebrating lives of the beautiful and intelligent creatures on Japan Dolphins Day. We made a lot of noise and got a lot of attention from embassy staff, security and importantly the public.

 

For more information-

http://thecovemovie.com/

http://www.seashepherd.org/

http://savejapandolphins.org/

USA: Earth First! Blockades Florida’s Dirtiest Power Plant protesting Mitt Romney’s Acceptance Speech

Apollo Beach, FL—In the climax of the 2012 Republican National Convention, protestors with Earth First! have blocked access roads to TECO’s Big Bend coal plant on the eastern shore of Tampa Bay. The environmental action group is citing corporate influence in politics and ecological impacts of fossil fuel dependency as reasons for the disruption.

Apollo Beach, FL—In the climax of the 2012 Republican National Convention, protestors with Earth First! have blocked access roads to TECO’s Big Bend coal plant on the eastern shore of Tampa Bay. The environmental action group is citing corporate influence in politics and ecological impacts of fossil fuel dependency as reasons for the disruption.

Report from Indybay IMC: A30 Earth First! Lockdown at Tampa's Big Bend Coal Plant During 2012 RNC
| Youtube video: Environmental Protest in Tampa Bay during RNC , Protestors chained together, Protest ends peacefully

This year’s RNC was funded by an estimated $55 million in corporate pay-offs, with corporations including the Tampa based-TECO Energy, along with Chevron, Duke Energy and Exxon Mobil.

According to a report by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) last year, Florida is among the dirtiest states in power plant pollution. NRDC found TECO’s Big Bend plant to be in the state's, “top three most polluting smoke stacks.”

Earth First! activists chose this day for their protest in order to highlight Mitt Romney's plan to expand what the group calls the “energy empire” which favors the interest of big donors in oil, gas and coal industries.

Romney’s top energy policy advisor is the wealthiest oilman in the country and according to data analyzed by the Center for Responsive Politics, Romney has already raised more from mining interests than Bush or McCain raised from these industries in their entire campaigns.

Locally, TECO's Big Bend plant has a long history of pollution. Along with being declared Florida's number one dirtiest power plant by Florida Consumer Action Network, they were also documented discharging waste into Cobia Bay in Apollo Beach in years past.

But that's not all. TECO has been called one of the nation's worst offenders when it comes to mountaintop removal coal mining. In coal mining regions of the Appalachian Mountains, TECO has ruined entire communities to maximize their profits. Kentucky coalfield resident Doug Justice worked in the coal mines for 22 years and said “I have never seen an outfit treat a community the way TECO Coal has done us.”

In response to the devastation from floods caused be TECO's mining in 2002, Granville Burke of Letcher County, Kentucky, had this to say: “I wish TECO had never started mining above our home. Protection for families like ours is supposed to come from the state and federal regulatory agencies, but instead they look the other way as coal companies destroy entire communities for the sake of profit.”

“Dirty energy becomes dirty politics. We can't afford to stand by and watch it anymore. We have to fight back.” Said Rachel Kijewski, an organizer with the Earth First! movement in Florida.

xxx

 

Twyford Down anti-road protests gathering, September

There is going to be a Twyford Down anti-roads protest reunion to mark that it is 20 years since the protests started.  It's on 29-30 Sept, when it'll be the Harvest Moon.  

There is going to be a Twyford Down anti-roads protest reunion to mark that it is 20 years since the protests started.  It's on 29-30 Sept, when it'll be the Harvest Moon.  

There will be a camp run along the same lines as 20 years ago (bring what you expect to find… water butts, tents, food, etc).  That said, there will be some domes and the @ teapot are going to be doing catering (Sat dinner and Sun breakfast) – hurrah!  Camp location to be on top of St Catherine's Hill, near Winchester.

There will also be a protest / photo opportunity about this current Government's mania of roadbuilding. 

 Please spread this amongst your contacts who you think may be interestd.  There is a Facebook page if you do such things called Twenty Years Since Twyford: http://www.facebook.com/events/344190508996315/

More details and flyer downloadable at http://bettertransport.org.uk/blogs/roads/100912-twyford-20

Netherlands: destruction of potato GM trial site

Two GM potato trial fields at the University of Wageningen were destroyed by activists in July and August 2012. 

The potato trials were for mildew resistance.  They were in Lelystad and Valthermond. It was only recently, on 16th August, that the destruction was discovered.  The action has not been claimed. 

Two GM potato trial fields at the University of Wageningen were destroyed by activists in July and August 2012. 

The potato trials were for mildew resistance.  They were in Lelystad and Valthermond. It was only recently, on 16th August, that the destruction was discovered.  The action has not been claimed. 

Russia. Khimki forest (north of Moscow). Construction vehicles torched, tree-cutter assaulted, his arm broken

reported by activists in Russia:

"Russia. Khimki forest (north of Moscow). Construction vehicles torched, tree-cutter assaulted, his arm broken.

reported by activists in Russia:

"Russia. Khimki forest (north of Moscow). Construction vehicles torched, tree-cutter assaulted, his arm broken.

Unknown activists have torched several construction vehicles and assaulted tree-cutter at the new toll highway construction site in Khimki forest. These news appeared in joint declaration, published by state enterprise “Avtodor” and “North-Eastern concession” (subsidiary of Vinci). The accidents happened on nights of 19.07 and 21.07.
“Avtodor” representatives stated that an assault on tree-cutters took place on 19.07: one of the workers tried to prevent eco-activists from entering the construction site. In the following fight his arm broke.
On the night of 21.07 special construction vehicles were torched: several brand new harvesters and hydraulic excavator were completely destroyed by fire. Material damage is estimated to be over $ 2 000 000.
Earlier the same companies filed a complaint about unknown people opening fire on construction vehicles (supposedly from “Saiga”, a civil 12-mm carbine) and torching workers sheds with molotovs.
Eco-activists present at the site of eco-camp near the construction failed to provide police with evidence or ideas about the nature of perpetrators."

reported by activists in Russia:

"Russia. Khimki forest (north of Moscow). Construction vehicles torched, tree-cutter assaulted, his arm broken.

Unknown activists have torched several construction vehicles and assaulted tree-cutter at the new toll highway construction site in Khimki forest. These news appeared in joint declaration, published by state enterprise “Avtodor” and “North-Eastern concession” (subsidiary of Vinci). The accidents happened on nights of 19.07 and 21.07.
“Avtodor” representatives stated that an assault on tree-cutters took place on 19.07: one of the workers tried to prevent eco-activists from entering the construction site. In the following fight his arm broke.
On the night of 21.07 special construction vehicles were torched: several brand new harvesters and hydraulic excavator were completely destroyed by fire. Material damage is estimated to be over $ 2 000 000.
Earlier the same companies filed a complaint about unknown people opening fire on construction vehicles (supposedly from “Saiga”, a civil 12-mm carbine) and torching workers sheds with molotovs.
Eco-activists present at the site of eco-camp near the construction failed to provide police with evidence or ideas about the nature of perpetrators."

 

"On the night of 20-21 july, after having received news of new tree-cutting activity in Khimki forest, we decided to visit the workers. We aimed for 2 trucks and excavator parked on the clear cut. They were completely destroyed.

Our solidarity goes out to eco-activists who broke the arm of private guard who was guarding the clear cut (this piece we learned from news).

Enough of pseudo-legalism!

Do like us, do better than us.
– Autonomous autonoms

 

Protesters Shut Down Largest Mountaintop Removal Coal Mine in U.S.

Ramping up renewed efforts to end mountaintop removal mining in central Appalachia, scores of protesters staged a daring action at the controversial

Ramping up renewed efforts to end mountaintop removal mining in central Appalachia, scores of protesters staged a daring action at the controversial Hobet strip mine today in Boone County, West Virginia, shutting down operations through a series of coordinated lock downs, tree-sits and banner drops. In a symbolic challenge to the Obama administration’s failed regulatory policies, the protest targeted the Hobet 45 mountaintop removal mine, which had been granted a widely denounced permit over two years ago.”

Twenty protesters were arrested, and are being held for a total of $500,00 dollars in bail. A call for support to raise funds has been issued.

View a video of the action here. Learn more at rampscampaign.org.

5,000 March Against Fracking in DC

More than 5,000 people from all over the nation, and various parts of the world including Australia, united [Saturday, July 28] on the West lawn of the U.S. Capitol demanding Congress take immediate action to stop fracking.

More than 5,000 people from all over the nation, and various parts of the world including Australia, united [Saturday, July 28] on the West lawn of the U.S. Capitol demanding Congress take immediate action to stop fracking. After the rally that began at 2 p.m., rally participants marched for more than one hour, stopping at the headquarters of the America’s Natural Gas Alliance and American Petroleum Institute.

People impacted by fracking in their communities joined forces with 136 local and national organizations to call on Congress to Stop the Frack Attack and protect Americans from the dangerous impacts of fracking.

Rally speakers included, Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org; Josh Fox, producer of Gasland; Calvin Tillman, former mayor of Dish, Texas; Allison Chin, board president of the Sierra Club, and community members from swing states affected by fracking.

“As the increasingly bizarre weather across the planet and melting ice on Greenland makes clear, at this point we’ve got no choice but to keep fossil fuels underground. Fracking to find more is the worst possible idea,” said McKibben.

“The amazing thing about this problem is that there’s a solution… We know that  we can run the world on renewable energy. We know that we can run the world on the wind. And today, we have a reminder that we can run the world on the sun,” said Fox. [Ed. note: While we support actions to stop fracking, see our article critiquing this perspective on so-called clean alternatives]

Today’s rally was part of the first national event to stop the frack attack. The rally is the culmination of three days of training to further escalate the movement to stop abuse by the fossil fuel industry. Large groups from swing states including Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania and North Carolina attended the training and rally to make sure that fracking is a key part of the upcoming election.

“Just weeks ago in North Carolina, our legislature ripped up decades of groundwater protections for rural drinking water, in order to allow fracking and invite in dirty industry campaign dollars. So we add our voices to the national movement calling on Congress to protect our homes, our drinking water and our health by repealing the 2005 oil and gas exemptions,” said Hope Taylor, a farmer near Durham and executive director of Clean Water for NC.

Rally participants have three key demands: an end to dirty and dangerous fracking, closure of the seven legal loopholes that let frackers in the oil and gas industry ignore the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, and full enforcement of existing laws to protect families and communities from the effects of fracking.

“It is time for us to come together as a people and let the law makers that work for us know that we are tired of being run over by the out-of-control oil and gas industry,” said Tillman.

While at the headquarters of America’s Natural Gas Alliance, rally organizers delivered six jugs of contaminated water in hazmat suits and then headed to the American Petroleum Institute where a 20-foot-high mock oil rig was smashed to the ground.

This event was a launching point for the movement, and will be followed by events in Albany, NY on Aug. 25, Philadelphia on Sept. 20 and Sept. 21, and subsequent events in other states and regions affected by fracking.

Solidarity with Japanese anti-nuclear protests

Sixteen anti-nuclear protesters – half of them Japanese – gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Piccadilly, London on Friday morning (10 August), for the second week running, in a demonstration organised by London-based group Kick Nuclear.

Sixteen anti-nuclear protesters – half of them Japanese – gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Piccadilly, London on Friday morning (10 August), for the second week running, in a demonstration organised by London-based group Kick Nuclear. This was in solidarity with weekly demonstrations taking place outside the Prime Minister's offices in Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan against the restarting of nuclear reactors as the Fukushima crisis continues. The weekly numbers taking part in those protests have now swelled to well over 70,000.

 

All images are Copyright (c) 2012 Kick Nuclear, but may be reproduced free of charge for non-commercial use if credited. For larger, high resolution versions, please e-mail. More photos

See also:

film of anti-nuke protest at japan embassy – by Rikki

Upcoming actions and events:

– Friday 17 August, 9.30-11.30am – Anti-nuclear solidarity protest at Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1:

– 23 August – 1 September – Buddhist-led peace walk towards a nuclear-free future, Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment, Berkshire to Hinkley Point nuclear power station, Somerset.

– Tuesday 28 August, 7.30-9.30pm – Kick Nuclear open night

– with guest speaker from Indian anti-nuclear movement

Venue: London Action Resource Centre (LARC) – (ground floor)
62 Fieldgate Street, (corner of Parfett Street), Whitechapel, London E1 1ES
Nearest Stations:- Whitechapel / Aldgate East / Aldgate / Shadwell: Map

This event is open to new folks and old hands alike to come and discuss the latest from the murky world of nuclear energy and nuclear new build, share news about protests and actions that have been taking place in the UK and elsewhere, and plot how we can put a few spanners in the works.

Come and join us!

– Tuesday 25 September – Benefit gig: David Rovics – Songs of Social Significance, with support from The Noo and Mr Creedy – presented by Kick Nuclear and friends

Doors 7pm
Tickets: £5 on the door

Venue: London Action Resource Centre (LARC) – (ground floor)
62 Fieldgate Street, (corner of Parfett Street), Whitechapel, London E1 1ES
Nearest Stations:- Whitechapel / Aldgate East / Aldgate / Shadwell
Map: http://tinyurl.com/czzkpdg

(Listen to and download David Rovics songs for free at http://www.davidrovics.com )

– Stop New Nuclear camp and mass action against nuclear new build at Hinkley Point, Somerset, 5-8 October 2012.

http://stopnewnuclear.org.uk