Climate Chaos – Page 102

26th Feb Climate Rushes – north and south

Northern Climate Rush – Rush on UK Coal!

Fresh from their Manchester Airport incursion, Northern Climate Rush is back, and we are paying a visit to the UK’s largest coal company! We will be travelling by minibus to the headquarters of UK Coal in Doncaster. Meet in front of the Manchester University Student Union building at 1pm on Thursday Feb 26. Dress in Edwardian fashion (if you so desire) and bring food to share, banners, and musical instruments.

WHAT IS NORTHERN CLIMATE RUSH?

It’s a group of intrepid activists who, taking inspiration from the suffragettes, use civil disobedience to bring about a transition to a low-carbon economy. We believe that, given government’s total failure to take meaningful action on climate change, a campaign of civil disobedience is necessary, and in fact it is the only responsible way forward, given that the fate of all future generations rests on the decisions that are made now and in the next couple of years.

Our sister group of Climate Rushers in the South will be paying a visit to a coal industry awards ceremony in London on the same day.

WHY UK COAL?

Coal companies such as UK Coal are actively standing in the way of the necessary transition to a low-carbon economy based on renewables. They invest in new coal mines, and by lobby government against the changes needed for a transition to alternatives.

HOW CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT COAL?

Various recent scientific reports* have shown how the UK could transition from fossil fuels, to a low-carbon economy. We would have to switch to renewable power sources (mainly wind and wave) and reduce our energy consumption by flying much less, by reducing the use of private cars by creating a vastly improved public transport system, by ensuring that within the next few years all UK homes and buildings are properly insulated, and by requiring all appliances to have the highest standard of energy efficiency.

WHAT ABOUT JOBS?

During the miners’ strikes of the 70’s and 80’s most coal mines in the UK were deep pit mines, which required hundreds of miners to work them. But now most of the coal that can be deep-mined has already been dug up, and new UK coal mines are open-cast – huge diggers are used to rip the top off a hill, and then coal is sifted from the rubble. It is tremendously destructive to local ecologies, and also employs far fewer workers.

By contrast the creation of new wind and wave-power infrastructure, a program of building insulation installation, and laying on more trains, trams and buses, would all create new, sustainable jobs. We are calling for government to provide training programs so that workers from fossil fuel industries which need to be phased out can move directly into positions in the new, sustainable industries.

It’s now or never time for the climate, join us!

All genders welcome.

* See for example:
– Nicolas Stern, “Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change”, http://www.occ.gov.uk/activities/stern.htm

– Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, “Decarbonising the UK”, http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/media/news/tyndall_decarbonising_the_uk.pdf

northernclimaterush@googlemail.com
http://www.northernclimaterush.wordpress.com

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UK Coal will be presenting celebratory awards to the most damaging companies in the coal industry on February 26th February at the Landmark Hotel on Marylebone Road, London. Climate Rush will be in attendance to offer alternative awards based on the ecological damage that the coal industry is inflicting on the environment.

We invite you to join us in your best cocktail finery (fabulous hats a recommendation, and sooty styling a suggestion) to show UK Coal precisely what “industry players can expect to challenge them in 2009.”

NO NEW COAL AWARDS

THURSDAY 26TH FEBRUARY

THE LANDMARK HOTEL
Dress formally for cocktails in the Winter Garden at 6.30 prompt.

WHAT CLIMATE RUSH SAYS TO THE UK COAL AWARDS

No new coal to avoid runaway climate change
Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel, and by far the dirtiest way to produce electricity. We must leave coal in the ground and not build any new coal fired power stations if we want to avoid runaway climate change. CCS is an unproven technology that may never be a viable option. Climate change is happening now and we must act now to stop it.

We can’t have infinite growth on a finite planet
At this outdated and fossilized awards ceremony UK Coal is celebrating the worst excesses of our failing economic system. Just like overpaid bankers these heads of corporations are receiving plaudits for plundering the planet.

A transition to a low carbon society with sustainable jobs
We must counteract any jobs losses from the coal industry with a major re-skilling program in sustainable trades. Many more jobs will be created by a huge retrofitting program of old housing stock and in the new renewable energies sector than in new coal. The German clean energy revolution has seen the creation of 250,000 new jobs.

http://climaterush.co.uk/

Plane Stupid turns Southampton Airport into climate refugee camp

17th January: A group of activists from local anti-aviation group Plane Stupid Southampton have just chained themselves to the entrance of Southampton airport and erected tents at the main entrance in a bid turn the regional airport into a climate refugee camp. In addition to setting up camp today, activists have formally submitted a planning application with Eastleigh Borough Council to turn the airport into refugee housing.

The planned expansion of Southampton airport, along with 34 other regional airports in the UK, will do enough damage to the climate to force an estimated 1.3 million people in impoverished parts of the world to flee raising sea levels, flooding, drought and famine.

Increased flying is one of the main culprits of climate change. While the government has committed the UK to reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050, the expanding aviation industry alone would destroy any hope of hitting this target. BAA hopes to increase passenger traffic for Southampton Airport form 1.5 million passengers a year to 3 million by 2015.

In order to get flying under control, the government needs to halt all airport expansion, and encourage people to take the train. Train journeys are ten times less damaging to the climate, and Southampton has excellent rail links to the rest of the UK, making flying unnecessary.

“People in the UK fly more per capita than anyone else, so the UK aviation industry has the greatest responsibility for the consequences of climate change. It makes perfect sense for Southampton to take on the burden of housing some of the world’s climate refugees”, said Pete Barker of Plane Stupid. “It’s crazy to imagine that we can tackle the serious threat posed by runaway climate change whilst still allowing airports to expand.”

info@planestupid.com
http://www.planestupid.com

Plane Stupid activists accuse Ed Milliband of plane hypocracy

12th Feburary 2008

12th Feburary 2008
Plane Stupid Brighton Activists have interrupted a public meeting during a speech by Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, unveiling a banner highlighting the hypocritical actions of the government in relation to aviation and climate change. The action exposes the contradiction between the government’s stated aim to cut 80% of CO2 emissions by 2050 and their plans to massively expand the aviation sector in the UK. The banner accuses the government of becoming a “Hypocracy” – a democracy governed by hypocrites.

The Plane Stupid activists dressed in t-shirts reading ‘Ed’s Popular Mobilization Team’ referring to Miliband’s call late last year for ‘Popular Mobilization’ on the issue of Climate Change[2]. Flyers listing the 34 airports planned for expansion within the UK[1] were handed out to the audience, demonstrating the apparent lack of government resolve for tackling the environmental issues that are crucial for safe-guarding our future. Demonstrating their disapproval of the governments un-democratic pandering to corporate interests, the audience made paper aeroplanes, which took flight in the direction of Ed Miliband.

“It is all very well for Ed Miliband to request the public to take action but it is time for the government to provide real leadership in tackling climate change.” Said Larry from Plane Stupid, “passing the buck is not an option if we are to avoid the chaos and loss of life Climate Change is predicted to bring.” The activists feel that their actions demonstrate their willingness to take responsibility in mobilising around the issue of Climate Change, and expect the government to similarly accompany their rhetoric with strong action.

“The government’s farcical plans for airport expansion are incompatible with meeting the required targets for preventing runaway climate change. We are engaging with the democratic process in every way we know how, but at the same time the government has hypocritically supported continued airport expansion.” Said Clare, one of the activists Brighton Plane Stupid.

Last year Ed Miliband championed the Climate Change Bill, yet in January he undermined this by supporting a Third Runway at Heathrow. The actions of Plane Stupid at this meeting highlight the incompatibility of these two positions, and challenge not only Ed Miliband but the Labour government in general to be held accountable for their commitments. Their actions similarly challenge Nancy Platt, Labour Party candidate, who will potentially perpetuate this style of government which is so full of promises, and yet so devoid of conviction. The democratic structures in place have been worryingly bypassed not only during the government’s decision on Heathrow, but also on Stansted’s second runway; where BAA has had more say than both local councils and respected scientific organizations, who oppose the planned expansions. There is a concern that these rigged consultation procedures may become commonplace, and this is what the activists do not want.

Brighton Plane Stupid activist Lucy stated “Anyone with as much access to science as Ed Miliband knows that the aviation industry cannot continue to expand. Miliband and a host of other MP’s have failed us on Heathrow, proving their words to be as reliable as quicksand, the global environmental situation does not allow us enough time to see this track record of deceit and hypocrisy grow”.

Mr Milliband was interrupted but not obstructed from making his speech in support of the Labour Party candidate Nancy Platt at the Brighthelm Centre in Brighton.

Ends

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[1] Taken from the Government’s White Paper ‘The Future of Air Transport’ Decenmber 2003
http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/air/utureofairtransportwhite5694.pdf
Accessed Feb 1 2009

[2] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/3681149/Ed-Miliband-urges-popular-mobilisation-to-tackle-climate-change.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/08/ed-miliband-climate-politics-environment
Accessed Feb 1 2009

Manchester students occupy roof of Royal Bank of Scotland

Around 35 students held a climate change ‘Eviction Demonstration’ outside (and on top of) a Royal Bank of Scotland branch at the University of Manchester Students Union on Wednesday 11th February 2009. The group from People and Planet have submitted a motion to the Union General Meeting proposing that the Union does not renew the lease for RBS’ branch when it expires in January 2010.

The demo began on the steps of the Student Union at noon. RBS had hired in extra security, and the campus cops were sniffing around. So a group went to the front of the RBS and talked loudly of their plans for ‘rapid information dessimination’.

Whilst this distraction ensued, tieing up security, a second group snuck round the back and climbed aboard the roof. From here they dropped banners advertising RBS’ fossil fuel investments and advertising the Union general meeting the following week.

Meanwhile the rapid information dessimination went ahead with everyone racing off to speak to as many people as they could in 20 minutes before returning back to the RBS branch to compare scores.

The Royal Bank of Scotland provided $16 billion for coal companies and exploration projects from May 2006 to April 2008. This has included some of the dirtiest and most dangerous oil and gas projects including the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline in Tiblisi, Georgia which has been criticised by Amnesty, WWF, and Friends of the Earth for its human rights and pollution impacts. The embedded emissions from RBS loans total more than those of the whole of Scotland.

Toby Brett, 19, Physics Student at Manchester University says; “We hope to send a clear message to RBS that if they continue with their irresponsible investments then they will not be welcome to rent branch space from our student union.”

This action was part of a wider national campaign calling for a boycott on RBS in September 2009.

Manchester People and Planet have previously staged a flashmob protest against RBS at a University recruitment event
(http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/21650)

And awarded RBS a spoof greenwash award at their regional headquarters in Deansgate.
(http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/21907)

For more detail on RBS’ climate crimes please visit:
www.peopleandplanet.org/ditchdirtydevelopment
www.oyalbankofscotland.com

Earth First! tree planting weekend in Pennines Fri 13th-Sun 15th March

The annual and occasionally hedonistic opportunity to plant thousands of native trees on a ecologically degraded hillside is happening in March. Organised by Earth First!

The annual and occasionally hedonistic opportunity to plant thousands of native trees on a ecologically degraded hillside is happening in March. Organised by Earth First! activists in collaboration with Calderdale community group Treesponsibility we will be based in Hebden Bridge in Calderdale. If you fancy a weekend of hard but satisfying work planting native woodland combined with good food and socialising put the weekend of the 13-15th March in your diary.

Earth First! tree planting weekend…

Date: Friday 13th – Sunday 15th March

Venue: We will be staying in a camping barn with comfy beds and heating. Bring a sleeping bag.

Transport: Get yourself to Hebden Bridge train station for a pick up at 6pm or 8pm on the 13th. Pickups are available by arrangement at other times if you e-mail in advance.

Food: All food will be cooked collectively and will be vegan.

Cost: £25 for the weekend. This includes all food and accomodation. You’ll have to supply you own beer. We will be visiting the famous Blue Pig public house on the Saturday night.

Need more info? Contact: treesponsibility@yahoo.co.uk or call 07983743894

Climate Camp hits the City of London on April Fools Day, the eve of the G20 leaders’ London Summit. Join us!

Climate camp 2009 /// Stopping carbon markets /// Because nature doesn’t do bailouts.

First the city traders speculated with our homes, jobs and money – with disastrous results. Now they are speculating with our climate and the very future of life on earth – and once again our governments are cheering them on.

By creating a brain-bending system of carbon pollution licenses, fossil fuel companies and trading firms have found a way to keep on churning out global warming gases and to reap huge windfall profits at the same time.
Meanwhile, the UK government is justifying a third runway at Heathrow and a coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth by saying that these new “carbon trading” schemes will magically make all their emissions vanish.

They are handing control of our climate over to the same people and systems that caused the financial collapse. All the workable and fair alternatives aren’t getting a look-in

We need to stop this foolishness.

We’ve camped against the Heathrow runway, we’ve camped against the Kingsnorth coal power station. Now its time to camp against the over-arching problem: absolute faith in unfettered markets and endless economic growth. On April 1st the G20 leaders arrive in London. At a time of climate crisis their response to the market meltdown is emergency loans to car manufacturers, increased spending to encourage consumption, and bailouts for the very people who got us into this mess – just the thing that will make the climate crisis worse.

Don’t let them get away with it: join our camp in the Square Mile! Gather at noon, April 1st, at the European Climate Exchange, Hasilwood House, 62 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AW. Bring a pop-up tent, sleeping bag, wind turbine, mobile cinema, action plans and ideas…let’s imagine another world.

Don’t let the financial and fossil fools make the rules!

for updates, details on back-up plans, and moreinformation, visit us again at http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/g20

To get involved, come to our planning meeting on Saturday February 14th in London (arrive at the library houuse, 52 Knatchbull, at 1 pm for a 1:30 start) or come to the gathering on March the 6th/7th in Nottingham.

Email g20 [@] climatecamp.org.uk for more information.

Join the announcements list, the facebook page and event.

Please post this link, paste this text, and otherwise spread the word!

Help celebrate Fossil Fools Day and Financial Fools Day

Stop Incineration Now! SchNEWS Film and Roast Fundraiser !

Stop Incineration Now Film and Roast Fundraiser –
Just released:SchNEWS Film:Wasters:The quirky & inspiring story of a group of climate activists from Stop Incineration Now! & Climate Camp, who occupied the site of proposed Newhaven Incinerator last year, July 2008.
Also featured:The Story of Stuff.
Announcement of International Day of Action against Incineration: 11 July 2009

Address: The Cowley Club, 12 London Road, Brighton BN1 4JA
Directions: From frnt of Brighton Station, turn left down Trafalgar St to end, then left ont o London Road, keep walking till u come to Somerfields, the Club is just a few steps further down the same road.
Nearest Public Transport: Buses on London Road, Brighton train Station
Postcode: BN1 4JA | View Map
Time: 2pm onwards
Price: Nothing to enter, £3.50 donation for roast
Phone: 07505016362
Email: mkechnge7@wildmail.com
Web: http://stopincinerationnownetwork.wordpress.com

15 years on – Solsbury Hill anti-road resistance photo exhibition, book launch and on-line archive

Solsbury Hill near Bath was the setting for an early ’90s battle against road building (and by extension depending who you talked to from the campaign – unsustainable development/romans/global warming/industrial infrastructural growth/spectacular society/babylon/illogical transport policy/the tories/civilisation.)

Adrian Arbib a photographer who was also active in the campaign (and who has worked with indigenous groups worldwide) is publishing a book of his photos from the campaign and has set up a linked on-line video/document archive.

The book is being launched at a viewing and party of the Solsbury Hill Photo exhibit on Friday 20th February 6 – 8:30pm In the Walcot Chapel Gallery, Bath and over the road after to the Bell Pub.

The Exhibition is running until March 8th and the book of photo’s is coming out to coincide with the opening.
(Bring old photo’s/ news paper cuttings/ posters etc to up-load on the web page to make a bigger archive.)

For more details and to check out the archive see: www.solsburyhill.org.uk

ps please forward to any contacts from the hill.

Climate Rush gets chained to Parliament

28 january 2009

28 january 2009
As I write this blog our MPs are debating the subject of the third runway in the Commons. Although any decision made will not be binding it is possible that there will be a labour revolt over the current decision to go ahead when a vote is held at 7pm this evening. A not insignificant amount of MPs are seriously annoyed with our government’s collusion with BAA, with two MPs deciding to resign over the issue this morning.

Climate Rush were outside the gates of Parliament to show what they think of our farcical democracy at 10.30am this morning, cunningly bearing chains under large coats. It was an easy stroll over to the railings and a leisurely padlocking ensued before any police even took any notice. Eight women and two men dressed in assorted Edwardian-style gear unfurled their lovingly stencilled aprons bearing the immortal DEEDS NOT WORDS, and proceeded to smile for the attendant press.

After about an hour the police decided to move everyone else off the area with a bit of force, before then making a u-turn and letting everyone back in. They threatened arrest several times, for protesting in a SOCPA area (you have to apply to protest anywhere near Parliament) without a permit, and then for refusals to unchain. This was much to the amusement of the pro-cannabis lobby over the way in the square, who heckled us through their megaphone. I think they may take tips from us in the future. Tourists stopped to have their photos taken. Suffragettes drank tea from a flask and ate turkish delight.

Eventually, the boltcutters arrived, and the police chopped through the chains. But still no arrests, in fact they appeared desperate to avoid any arrests, clearly dreading the extra publicity over our demonstration of true democracy in action – orders seemed to change rapidly from whomever was passing them down from on high. After all the Suffragettes had been freed a group huddle ensued to decide on whether to further attempt arrest, but it was decided that this might prove nearly impossible given that it had already proved so difficult, and instead we went off for a cup of tea and a plate of chips in the Methodist Church Hall cafe.

I’d like to think that something sensible might occur in government today, like our elected politicians realising that building a third runway is not compatible with cutting 80% of our CO2 emissions, as already agreed. Alas I fear not….
Join the fun with Climate Rush if you’d like to voice your opinion on this matter on a future date.

climaterush.co.uk

More photos at http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/amelias_blog/2009/01/climate_rush_gets_chained_to_p.php

Arson attacks on luxury/railway cars, construction machines and airport fencing, Germany

26/01/09: Again cars torched

26/01/09: Again cars torched
22/01/09: Arson attack on cars of the German Railway Service (Deutsche Bahn)
19/01/09: External fence property of the police damaged
14/01/09: Three upperclass cars burned
10/01/09: Two cars and a moto burned down
09/01/09: Unknown persons set construction machines in flames

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Again cars torched

Berlin, 25 of January 2009

Again arsons attacks in Friedrichshain.
In the night to Sunday, three cars got burned.
In the Eldenaerstr. a Porsche Cayenne got torched, together with a Golf parked next to it.
A few minutes later, a passer-by discovered a burning DHL vehicle in the Thaerstr.
The state security took up the investigations.

Source: Berliner Zeitung

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Arson attack on cars of the German Railway Service (Deutsche Bahn)

Berlin, 22 of January 2009

a claim we received:

„Attack the handymen of the nuclear-lobby

Before the Castor’s transport 2008 took place, several railways line have been sabotaged through hookclaws in France and Germany. Shortly afterwards, 9 comrades have been arrested in France, accused of membership within a terrorist organization and of being responsible of the sabotages.
One of them is still in prison.

It is not a new thing, that in France one inprison activist upon antiterror laws. Already in January 2008, it came to the imprisonment of five persons, described by cops and press as part of the „ultraleftists, anarcho-autonomen“ movement, and they are waiting since then for their trial, in the dungeons of the french justice.

Such a way of proceeding seems to be a strong trend within european authorities responsible for the security issues. Also the german state security works a lot on its terrorist-construction, which newly landed in a trial against alleged members of the Militant Group.
In Greece, 13 youths are sitting in prison since the beginning of the December insurrection, also confronted with the antiterror paragraph.

That is why on the 22 of January we torched 5 cars of the Deutsche Bahn during the action week for the Tarnac 9.

As long as the Deutsche Bahn will keep on offering its railways for the nuclear transport, they will remain always a target of our protest.

Solidarity means attack

a few „ultra-leftists-anarcho-autonome“.“

More pictures here: http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/foto/
_bin/index.php/Berliner+Zeitung/wieder_brannten_autos/2

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External fence property of the police damaged

Frankfurt’s airport, 19 of January 2009

Monday the 19.1.09 one reckoned that unknown persons damaged the external fence put by the police had been seriously damaged, precisely on its northern and western side.

The amount of the damage is quite high.

Tuesday the 20.1.09, a group, which is clearly against the expansion of the airport and calls itself „frankfurt’s general sweeping blow“ (n.t.: wordgame in german, the group name is almost the same as the one of the most important frankfurt’s newspaper), took responsability for the attack by sending a claim.
Solidarity with the „frankfurt’s common sweeping blow“!

Source: http://waldbesetzung.blogsport.de

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Three upperclass cars burned

Berlin, 14 of January 2008

Three cars have been destroyed by arson on the early hours of wednesday.
A passer byer notice a mercedes burning in the Wienerstr. (Kreuzberg) around 2.20am and called the cops. The firebrigade came to extinguish the fire, the car got seriously damaged though.

At Michaelkirchplatz, Mitte, a bmw burned around 3.15am.
Just 100m faraway, in Leuschnerdamm, Kreuzberg, another bmw burned. The fire brigade extinguished both fires. The cops suspect a political motivation behind the actions, state security investigates.

Source: Tagespiegel

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Two cars and a moto burned down

Berlin, 10 of January 2009

Unknown person set last night a car and a moto on fire, in the Gethsemanestraße. The moto was a bmw, an opel car parked next got also damaged. Few minuted later, cops reckoned that an audi parked in the area was also in flames.

Since cops believe a political motivation behind the facts, state security investigates.

Source: Tagespiegel

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Unknown persons set construction machines in flames

Berlin, 9 of January 2009

Unknown persons set up several construction machines in flames, it happened on a construction site in Pankow.
Inhabitants saw the flames on the spot, sited in the Richard-Ermisch-straße and called the cops.
A digger and two radlader got burned. State securtiy investigates, since a political motivation is believed, there is no trace of the authors.

Source: ddp

infos about the construction site: http://www.concepta-stadthaeuser.de/en/news/building-projects.html

Note for english speaking persons: several luxurious houses are being build on this spot, close to an area where several houseprojects are located.

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direct action news from greece
http://directactionde.blogspot.com