Climate Chaos – Page 116

Police try and enter Bodge House

Earlier today (25 July) several police turned up to look at a hole in the field, in actual fact it is a tunnel, but hey!

The police then came on site after apparently swearing was heard and was there excuse for entering the boundary around the house. they tried to get up on to the roof of the house and fetched a crow bar and to leverage there way in through one of the boarded up windows but failed to get in any ware as the house has had a month of fortifications built into it.

Details at this point are sketchy, the police claim swearing came from the tree house, but according to the site crew, it was from elsewhere so they attempted to arrest the occupier to no avail, and have threatened to come back latter with police climbers

Not content at that one of the female crew at Bodge house, striped naked and jumped into the bucket of a digger working at the bottom of the drive and refused to move, this meant that the police had to go back to the house and plead with some of the female crew to come and ask her to give up the protest. There was no answer from in the house and one protester they should knock on the front door, the police man was puzzled and said he didn’t know there was one, and was sent around the front to look for it….only to return embarrassed for being taken for a fool

So are if you are around and want to join in the fun get down to Bodge house

http://leaveitintheground.wordpress.com

Art Not Oil Plymouth & friends protest inside & outside Shell Wildlife Exhibition, 12.7.08

On Saturday 12th July, activists from Art Not Oil Plymouth, Greenpeace Plymouth and Peace Boat, took action – for the second time – inside and outside Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, to protest against Shell’s sponsorship of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. (Shell will not be sponsoring the new Exhibition, but the 2007-8 version is still touring.)

Activists dressed as Greenwash inspectors entered the Museum to detect and spotlight the terrible greenwashing that Shell is trying to do in this city. The activists spoke with the people inside about it and found that there was strong agreement that Shell is guilty of trying to launder its image as a friend of wildife and of the planet!

Outside, the rest of the Art Not Oil group and Peter Le Mare (who had just docked his Peace Boat nearby, on his way to Climate Camp and beyond) held banners and gave away more than 130 leaflets about the protest. BBC news were there and interviewed both groups giving to the action a central place in the local news that evening!

In September, Art Not Oil Plymouth will be showing the ‘Shell’s Wild Lie’ exhibition in one of the local cafes of the city, which features images of what this oil and other companies are really doing to our planet.

www.artnotoil.org.uk
www.littlepeaceboat.net

Community halts illegal work on Special Area of Conservation, Ireland- pls help!

24th July 2008
The fight goes on- be part of it.

24th July 2008
The fight goes on- be part of it.
This is an urgent call for support to protect the community and environment of Rossport in Mayo, Ireland. Shell is now attempting to construct the first 200m metres of the onshore section of the pipeline without any planning permission. 13 residents were arrested on Tuesday and this morning a 10ft fence was erected and guarded by40 police & 70 security.
Help is urgently needed. Come if u can. Protest at Irish Embassy, Shell garages etc.

At 8am this morning, over 40 police, who are now stationed in the Shell compound, and 70 Shell specialist security forced the local community away from Glengad beach. The crowd who had assembled to monitor the illegal work being done on the cliff-face at Glengad were peacefully protesting on the beach. However the local community were then forced off the beach to allow 10ft high fencing to be placed down to the water edge. This has blocked of the right of way on Glengad beach. All attempted questions regarding the legality and the consents for the work were ignored by both Gardaí and Shell staff alike.

The legality of the consents given is still an issue of major concern to the people of the locality as it is still unclear what permissions Shell have received and for what exact work. While Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan has claimed that it was just an “oversight” that the latest authorisations for the project wasn’t published, this clouding of what consents have been granted has been a characteristic of the whole Corrib Project.

Local resident Terence Conway said “The fact is that this first onshore section is the most dangerous part of the whole project as the pressure could be as high as 345bar and still it will not have gone through any planning if it is constructed”.

Shell is now attempting to construct the first 200m metres of the onshore section of the pipeline without it going through planning permission at all. Although the remaining 9.2km of the onshore pipeline is currently being examined by An Bord Pleanala, Shell are attempting to lay the first 200m metres before a decision is made.

On Tuesday 22nd July, 13 residents were arrested at Glengad, while challenging Shell on the permissions they had to do excavation and other works around the site of the proposed landfall area of the pipeline. The arrested people included Goldman Prize winner Willie Corduff as well as Shell to Sea trailer hostess Mary Horan. The 13 were arrested around 2pm and held at Belmullet police station for 3 hours before being released without charge, with files being sent to the DPP. One of the people arrested had to be brought by ambulance to Castlebar Hospital after seeing a doctor in Belmullet station. The mood of the arrestees after release was definitely one of resolute defiance. After the 13 were arrested, Shell attempted to re-commence the excavation work however another group of around 20 locals arrived and halted the work for the remainder of the day.

On Wednesday 23rd July, a Shell digger began clearing the topsoil from the area around the cliff-face to begin the procedure of creating a causeway down to the beach. Roughly an hour later they were requested by local residents to produce the permissions but were only met with silence from the line of security which at first tried to let the digger continue but eventually the digger retired to behind security gates.

While Shell have received a Foreshore Licence in 2002 by the then Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources for the offshore part of the pipeline, this Licence is only valid up to high-water mark. However Shell are seeking to do work that would involving creating a pipe pull-in facility that would lay the pipeline up to the proposed pressure reduction facility which will be over 30m back from the cliff-face. Planning permission for all of the onshore pipeline section is currently before An Bord Pleanala since May 2008 under the new Strategic Infrastructure Act and it is believed that an Oral hearing will be heard before An Bord Pleanala provides the necessary rubber-stamp.

However in the meantime it is believed that all the work currently being done in Glengad doesn’t have the necessary permission. Shell have now installed about 5 large port-cabins which include office and cafeteria facilities on the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) only about 300m away from where the Rossport Solidarity Camp stood, until they were removed less than a year ago.

After about an hour standoff, the gardaí led by Superintendent John Gilligan arrived at the scene, parking all their squads, jeeps and paddy wagons inside on the Shell compound on the SAC. After speaking with Shell personnel, Supt Gilligan approached the group and was told about the concerns over the permissions for the work. Supt Gilligan was told that members of the assembled protestors had met with Conor Ó Raghallaigh, Director of the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) on the previous day and that it had been agreed that the necessary permission were to be sought from the Dept of Energy, Communications and Natural Resources and the Dept of Agricultuture & Fisheries. However, the Departments hadn’t replied to any of the queries sent so far, and so it was requested by the protestors that the work be halted until the situation was clarified. After again speaking with Shell personnel, Supt. Gilligan said that Shell were willing to stop for 2 hours so queries could be made into the permissions granted, however he was told that it was believed that this would not be long enough. Supt. Gilligan was also reminded how last October he had attempted to push through drilling work in the area for Shell that was challenged by locals and which was subsequently found to be illegal. Supt. Gilligan then once more spoke with Shell personnel inside the compound and after warning all the people assembled, people began to be arrested.

I would like to say that I have been trying to establish the legality of these works for almost 2 weeks now, and have sent off countless emails and made a lot of phone calls and am still no clearer than when I began (and many other people have hit blank walls too). I have been dealing primarily with NPWS which is the section of the Dept of Environment whose duty it is to oversee work on SACs and other sensitive areas. I was first of all told on the phone that the work was under the Foreshore Licence and I would receive a detailed email which would clarify my concerns. However no clarification has been forthcoming and now NPWS have decided to wash they hand of it and have started referring any queries to the other 2 departments involved. The whole episode once again shows way that this project has been split up from start to finish and how no person or department will take any responsibility once questioned.

It should be noted that NPWS in their report seeking the removal of the Rossport Solidarity Camp, stated that site where the camp was would take “10 to 15 years for the site to fully recover” and recommended that the camp be removed and “the habitats allowed to recover naturally”. Now NPWS turn a blind eye when a whole compound (which is probably illegal) has been set up.

One of the most infuriating sights of the day was the 2 NPWS rangers who hung out with the Shell paid ornithologist on the beach for the day watching over the sand martin colony while only 10 metres away a digger had begun destroying the cliff-face. Luckily however the people of the locality have long given up hope that any of these authorities will protect either them or their environment and took action.

If you wish to join the fight and visit the area, there is space to stay in the Rossport Solidarity House ( http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com).

The fight will go on regardless but any help is invaluable.
http://www.shelltosea.com

Little Peace Boat on the way to Climate Camp, arrives in Brighton Marina

Update on veteran peace campaigner,
Peter Le Mare, in his Little Peace Boat,
“Be Disarming”
…on the way to The Climate Camp and then to Westminster, London for this 50th anniversary year of CND peace symbol on Hiroshima Day, August 6,
….to draw attention to the linked problems of Catastrophic Climate Change and World Peace.

Peter under sail on the “Be Disarming”

The journey so far:
Monday 7th July the “Be Disarming” little peace boat slipped out of Penzance Harbor gates, the start of its voyage, moored in Newlyn for the night. Tuesday headed for Falmouth, arriving late after an eventful first days sailing including storm sun rain and calm.
Plymouth Friday for the SW regional Climate Camp meeting.
Sunday arrived in Brixham and stayed there to catch the tides right for Exmouth, arriving Monday,
leaving Wednesday morning for Weymouth catching some good winds taking the 20ft boat to 8 knots.
Arrived in Southampton Sunday after an easy trip through the Needles and with the tide managed 10 knots.
As they sailed towards Selsey Bill a RIB with 2 MOD Police came along and one boarded the Little Peace Boat.
Very pleasant conversation and enquiries, lastly asking if there was any intention of doing anything on “Navy Days”
They were given a Give Peace a Chance sticker!
Wed morning (23rd), arrived in Brighton marina just before 1am
Now looking around for support and interest in Brighton before leaving for Hastings in the morning tomorrow

Call Peter on mobile 0788 619 5596

Peter says:
“Almost every war that involves the Major Powers is about oil and the global power it represents.
He is using his epic voyage to highlight the UK Government’s decision to deploy new nuclear weapons.
In 1967 the UK signed a treaty obligation to get rid of these weapons of mass destruction.
In 1996 the World Court ruled that they were subject to international law which says that any weapon which incinerates and irradiates people indiscriminately could never be used lawfully.”

Peter argues that billions of pounds are being squandered on useless, illegal, and dangerous nuclear weapons. If we concentrated on measures to combat climate change we could effectively reduce our Carbon Footprint.

The email: info@littlepeaceboat.net
News, downloadable leaflet PDF’s and links will be established through the website.
www.littlepeaceboat.net

The project is running on a shoestring budget, sailing close to the wind.
Please help in any way you can

Plane Stupid Activist Glued To PM Inside Downing Street

22nd July 2008
A campaigner from the climate action group, Plane Stupid, is currently super-glued to Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the State Dining Room of 10 Downing Street.

Dan Glass, a 24 year old MSc student based in Scotland, gained access to the PM’s official residence at 5pm this evening. He greeted Mr Brown and asked the Prime Minister why he and his ministers have refused to meet West London residents opposed to the construction of a third runway at Heathrow. He simultaneously put his super-glue covered hand onto Brown’s polyester suit. When Brown went to turn away he found he had been super-glued by his clothing to Plane Stupid, and had no option but to listen to Dan.

Dan read messages to the PM from people whose villages will be bulldozed if Brown agrees to BAA’s expansion plans. He also read out testimony from communities across the world threatened by climate change while Downing Street aides attempt to extract the Labour leader from the green campaigner. Dan hoped to stay glued to the PM long enough to begin quoting from confidential documents secured through the Freedom of Information Act, which reveal the government’s public consultation on Heathrow expansion was fixed. The papers reveal Ministers have engaged in an extraordinary level of collusion with airport operator, BAA, fiddling pollution figures and developing a joint strategy to beat opposition groups.

The government consultation received 80,000 responses from the public, almost all of which opposed the government’s plans, despite the fact that people were not even asked whether they wanted a third runway and no consideration of the climate impacts appeared in the consultation documents.

Dan took today’s extraordinary step because Brown and his Transport Secretary, Ruth Kelly, have refused to meet residents from Sipson – the west London village, which would be wiped off the map if new Labour gives into BAA’s demands for a third runway. Some of the messages Dan is reading out to the Prime Minister are quotes from newspaper interviews with Sipson residents.

Plane Stupid activist, Graham Thompson who is currently facing prosecution for scaling Parliament in February and branding the Palace of Westminster “BAA HQ,” today said:

“Gordon Brown’s only got two possible legacies, the first Prime Minister to really get climate change or the last one not to. Brown needs to realise we can beat climate change, but not by doubling the size of the world’s biggest international airport. That’s why we took our peaceful campaign from the roof of Parliament to 10 Downing Street.”

When BAA first sought permission to build Terminal 5, the company wrote to nearby residents promising never to seek further Heathrow expansion. Now they have colluded with the government to get a third runway and a sixth terminal by manipulating the consultation process which has been widely condemned as unfair, undemocratic and fundamentally dishonest.

Graham Thompson continued:

“Brown’s consultation was a fix, pure and simple. It was the single most anti-democratic thing this wretched government has done since the Iraq war, and that’s saying something. Dan thought that if super-gluing himself to the Prime Minister was the only way to cut through the power of giant corporations like BAA and ensure he hears what people from West London really think, then so be it.”

– ENDS –

MORE INFORMATION AND AUDIO OF THE ACTION:

www.planestupid.com
press@planestupid.com

NOTES:

Dan Glass biog:

Dan Glass is a 24 year old student from Barnet, north London. He is currently studying an MSc in human ecology and climate change at Strathclyde University in Scotland where he is researching the impacts of airport expansion on community cohesion. Dan joined Plane Stupid about 18 months ago after he was inspired by reading George Monbiot’s books. Dan is a graduate of Sussex University where he studied Geography and Development Studies and where he was elected to be president of the university student union. His father is a lawyer and his mother works for a Jewish Music Institute. Dan says he draws his motivation to stand up for what he believes in from his grandparents who are holocaust survivors.

Details of the FoI documents detailing the fixed consultation:

Sunday Times revelations: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3512042.ece

FoI documents: www.greenpeace.org.uk/baa

Audio link available here

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

Cambridge Critical Mass Bike Ride

On Saturday 19 July more than twenty cyclists took to the streets of Cambridge in the evening, to regale in the joy of two-wheeled transportation. From the meetup point at the underpass of the Newmarket/East Road roundabout, the group covered some ten kilometres in a little over an hour. On the way we managed to pick up some random cyclists who decided to join forces with us.

Besides the predictable odd cheesed-off car driver, the event went smoothly. The ride ended up in the Cafe on Jesus Street. Given the success of this critical mass event, the participants decided to make it a monthly outing. So watch this space…

Camp for Climate Action: mass action promo video, Heathrow conference & newspaper

CLIMATE CAMP MASS ACTION PROMO VIDEO

How to take down the fences at Kingsnorth & have fun while you’re at it! Watch it & forward to your mates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVaUYVF-Cfk

CLIMATE CAMP MASS ACTION PROMO VIDEO

How to take down the fences at Kingsnorth & have fun while you’re at it! Watch it & forward to your mates.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVaUYVF-Cfk

—-

Climate Camp goes back to Heathrow
Heathrow Conference
Saturday 26th July, 12 noon – 5pm,
Harlington Baptist Church,
High St, Harlington

All Welcome

Last August thousands of people spent a week camping in a field in the village of Sipson, which would be destroyed if Heathrow expansion went ahead, to draw attention to the threat of climate change. The event transformed Heathrow expansion into a national and even international debate on how we respond to climate change.

While this year we are concentrating our efforts at Kingsnorth where energy giant E.ON the Government is proposing to build a new coal-fired power station, we have not forgotten Heathrow. So, we decided to organise a conference to discuss with local residents and environmental organisations the next steps in the campaign to stop Heathrow expansion, titled:

“What do we do if the worst comes to the worst and the Government says ‘yes’?

The conference brings together the Camp for Climate Action, local campaign groups HACAN and NoTRAG (No Third Runway Action Group), and Greenpeace to discuss a broad strategy against expansion. This is the first time that local campaign groups and international environmental organizations have teamed up with the Camp for Climate Action to stage an event. We see this cross-fertilisation of ideas and experience as essential parts of Climate Camp strategy to develop a diverse social movement against climate change and for social justice.

The conference will focus on fusing our different ideas on how to stop expansion, from political lobbying to mass direct action, so we can all support each others efforts. More than that, we hope that we can learn from each other and develop new ideas that can have broad appeal.

The day will begin at 12 noon with short introductory talks on the latest state of play, on the implications of expansion for noise, climate change and community destruction, and around ideas for effective campaigning. After lunch, the bulk of the day will involve more structured discussions around moving forward together, followed by a final plenary session.

We’ve had conformation that in addition to many climate campers and local residents, politicians and trade unionists will be attending, so it looks like being an exciting event!

The following day Camp for Climate Action will set off in ‘a climate caravan’ on their journey to Kingsnorth in Kent where this year’s camp will be held.

Directions to the Conference are:

Heathrow Conference
Harlington Baptist Church,
High St, Harlington

About 8 minutes walk from Bath Road.
Take the 90 bus from Feltham, Hatton Cross or Hayes and Harlington Station;
Or take the 140 from Heathrow or Hayes and Harlington Station
Or the H98 from Hounslow, Cranford or Hayes and Harlington Station.- all stop outside the church.

NB there is only limited parking available.

The event is free but small donations on the day towards lunch and venue hire will be welcome!

Feel free to just turn up but it would be ideal if you could let us know before if you will be coming. Email info@hacan.org.uk or call John Stewart on 020 7737 6641

—-

Climate camp newspaper [5.3MB] at http://climatecamp.org.uk/themes/ccamptheme/files/paper.pdf

Shell to Sea Update

Dear Friends,
Hope this email finds ye well. Here is a brief update on the current situation:

1. Shell activity in the area is ramping up lately and if you are thinking of visiting the area we would call on you to do it over the next few weeks as help in resisting the work that is listed below is needed. You are always more than welcome to stay at the new camp house; email us (rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com) or phone 0851141170 to say when you can come. Check out our new website too: www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com

2. Shell plan to start offshore pipeline laying shortly as the Soltaire (pipe laying ship) is currently off the coast of Donegal. Shell have also been visiting houses lately around Glengad where the pipeline is due to come ashore saying that there would be some digging and noise disturbance in the area shortly. However they have hit a hitch with the Erris Fishermen as this week they had a protest to object to where Shell are placing their waste outflow pipe. Pat O Donnell said “We’ve been fishing these waters for generations and we all have licences to fish them. So let the Minister for Justice and the Government protect our rights now the way they brought in the Gardaí to protect the workers on the gas refinery,”
He added that if Shell wanted to remove his crab pots from the route of the pipeline, they would have to get a court order. “And I won’t heed the court order so they’ll have to send me and other fishermen to jail”. Read a report of it here http://www.indymedia.ie/article/88366

2. Shell have begun working on their compound in Glengad by starting to put in security fences which are in order that work will be able to begin on some of the offshore work. (See pictures here http://www.corribsos.com/index.php?id=1815). Most of this work occurs on a Special Area of Conservation with some of the fencing only about 200m from where the camp was. This work is almost certainly illegal as planning permission has still not been granted for any of the onshore pipeline. But the powers that be are ignoring all attempts to highlight the situation and letting Shell operate as they wish. Two people were arrested in the last week on the site but were released without charge.

3. Shell security: There is now a new security firm operating in the area on behalf of Shell. Over the last week Shell have got some seriously bad press over the surveillance and intimation of local residents which included the filming of families and children on glengad beach (see: http://www.corribsos.com/index.php?id=1820). Now anyone who visits the area and goes for a swim in the sea just beside where the camp used to be, the chances are you will be filmed. Today Shell were put under pressure on national radio to identify the security firm but refused to do so, making it obvious that Shell have something to hide as to who the firm is (it is rumoured locally that it is the Golan group). However even these heavies need protecting as evidenced by how the gardaí escorted them off when the full security bus was stopped by locals for failing to display any tax or insurance but this infringement was as usual ignored by the gardaí.

4. Mayo County Council building a road for Shell. The local authority is building a road through the area specifically for Shell against the wishes of the local people. It shows how invidious the Shell mentality is, as now you have council employees going around bribing and threatening local residents to give permission for the council to widen the road. So far these bribes and threats have only swayed one or 2 of the landowners and the local resident are fighting the road upgrade through legal channels. (See http://www.indymedia.ie/article/88317).

There is also alot of other stuff going on, such as Shell being stopped from accessing Rossport commonage lately, loads of submissions gone into the planning applications and a European Petitions Challenge. As always we need help with everything from direct actions, to banner making, to helping out on the camp garden so please visit if you have time to spare. Also big thanks to the people in Leeds for the recent camp fundraiser.

Anyway see all the latest campaign news on http://www.shelltosea.com

Hope to see some of ye soon.

Best wishes from the Rossport Solidarity Campers x

www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com

Eviction gets go ahead – Bodge House

19th July 2008
Activists fortify Bodge House against UK Coal open cast mine and the eviction squad

The group of direct activists occupying Lodge House opencast site since 18th June have declared that they are ready to resist eviction.

19th July 2008
Activists fortify Bodge House against UK Coal open cast mine and the eviction squad

The group of direct activists occupying Lodge House opencast site since 18th June have declared that they are ready to resist eviction.

UK Coal plans to mine 1 million tonnes of coal over 5 years from the site near Smalley, derbyshire.

The company failed in its first attempt to evict the activists but succeeded in obtaining an possession order at the crown court in Derby today.

The activists are fortifying Prospect Farm and have built a number of treehouses and an underground tunnel system.

Sophie from Nottingham said ‘ The decision to mine this site was taken by central government against the wishes and best interests of local people and in spite of the council refusing planning permission. Occupying the land is our last defence now that democracy has failed. We are calling for people to join us in opposing UK Coal’s greed and contempt for local opinion.’

‘Opencast mining is particularly polluting and devastates large areas of countryside. Mining more coal is not a solution to our energy problems as it is a major cause of climate change. We need to reduce energy use and adapt to more sustainable ways of living.

We need help in making finale preparations so get your asses here for the fun…

for more information contact 07503 335870

or go to www.leaveitintheground.wordpress.com
http://www.leaveitintheground.org.uk

32 SUVs disabled across Oxford

18.07.2008
Up to 32 SUV owners awoke this morning to discover that their destructive vehicles had been disabled.

Using the ‘mung bean trick’, whereby a mung bean is inserted into the valve of a tyre before the cap is screwed back on, tyres were let down in Marston, Headington, and the highly affluent area of Summertown. Messages were left under windscreen wipers warning the owners not to attempt to drive their 4x4s, and explaining why it was felt that direct action had to be taken to resist their assault on this planet.

They were informed that more than a quarter of the UK’s CO2 generation is attributable to the transport sector, and that many Sports Utility Vehicles emit up to 300% more greenhouse gases than the average car.

They were also told that driving a car is not a ‘right’, and that driving an SUV is an unacceptably selfish act in the face of what may become unstoppable climate change.

This is a simple action that anyone can do, anytime or place.