Climate Chaos – Page 119

Activists disrupt work at site of opencast coal mine

29.06.2008

Activists yesterday obstructed a steamroller which was being used to set a tarmac ramp designed allow heavy plant machinery access to the fields where UK Coal intend to extract around 1 million tonnes of coal.

Once the steamroller had halted, one activist proceeded to d-lock themselves to the machine.

29.06.2008

Once the steamroller had halted, one activist proceeded to d-lock themselves to the machine.
All remained until the police arrived, which was a considerable time later. However, the spontaneous action clearly delayed their work, as the site foreman spent much time talking to the police etc.

Concerned of Smalley
http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitintheground/

London, Brighton & Manchester Critical Masses commemorate dead cyclists

June’s Critical mass in London saw a slightly different route. As always we met at Southbank and managed to leave at 7.15pm.

Following the killing of Marie Vesco on the A23 her friends, rampART and Food Not Bombs asked people to ride to Brixton, where she served free food every Sunday afternoon with Brixton Food Not Bombs.

Approximately 600 cyclists left Waterloo going South via Lambeth North, then Elephant& Castle, going round a few times stopping the traffic. Via the Oval we went to Brixton, where we stopped at Windrush Square. By now there were maybe 300-400 cyclists left (there was a bit of North-London snobbery). Different people spoke about Marie and how they missed her. How she died and why she worked with Brixton FoodNotBombs and how giving out free food was so important to her. There was a minute’s silence for her.

Then we cycled North again, police stopped us halfway up towards Stockwell. They had tried to dictate the tempo previously, but rogue cyclists broke through, stopped the traffic ahead of the police line and in that way forced the police to let the Mass go (Health and Safety and all…).

They managed to block Stockwell Road and we didn’t quite get the momentum of breaking through. To the coppers’ surprise the tip of the Mass turned around, cycling back on themselves and turning off the main road further down (Sidney Road I think). We made our way to the Oval, cycling past the Cricket knobs, some of which were using bad language, when we came in sight. Others were supportive.

Vauxhall Bridge ended up being a bit of a splitter were we lost a few people. Going across the bridge, past Parliament we hit the square, encircling it a couple of times, until something happened with the sound system (as always) not quite sure what. music stopped. Raising bikes, blocking road, we then went to see the queen. The whole ride took about two hours and a bit. Nice atmosphere, good mix of people and bikes and so good to have some music on the way (three sound systems).

What happened with the sound system on the North side of Parliament Square was that the police stopped it playing and riders strongly objected to this ban which caused a long traffic holdup.

The cycle police keep on targeting Critical Mass sound systems in the SOCPA zone around Parliament while doing nothing to stop sound systems in cars, buses and lorries. Also the SOCPA legislation is currently under review and other police are tending not to enforce it.

video of ride.

9th August: Day of Mass Action at the Camp for Climate Action!

JOIN WITH THOUSANDS IN MASS ACTION TO SHUT DOWN KINGSNORTH POWER STATION

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE – LAND, SEA OR AIR

JOIN WITH THOUSANDS IN MASS ACTION TO SHUT DOWN KINGSNORTH POWER STATION

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE – LAND, SEA OR AIR

This summer the Camp for Climate Action will be located in Kent near Kingsnorth coal-fired power station, where 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are pumped into the atmosphere every year. On Saturday August 9th, the camp will culminate in a spectacular mass action to shut down the power station. Why Kingsnorth? While the power station is scheduled for demolition, its owners E.ON are planning to build a brand new coal-fired plant in the same place – a ludicrous response to the climate crisis threatening hundreds of millions of lives around the world. The Camp for Climate Action has other ideas. Beginning on August 9th, we intend to shut down Kingsnorth – permanently!

Those at the camp will be joined by thousands more from across the UK to converge on the power station via land, sea and air. We are organising ourselves into four different groups, each using different tactics. There’s something for everyone (including a group accessible to parents and children).

The ‘Great Rebel Raft Regatta’ (GRRR) will be launching an armada of rafts of every shape and size. From pirate ships to Viking boats, a multitude of different themed rafts are being constructed out of recycled materials and every bit of scrap imaginable (materials will be available at the camp for you to build your own rebel raft – for more info see www.thegrrr.net). Once on the river, rafts will swarm towards Kingsnorth like a giant shoal of disobedient fish, all with a single aim – shut down the climate criminal. Safety is obviously of paramount importance and full safety briefings and equipment will be provided.

If you’re a landlubber, not to worry, you can join the ‘Orange Pod’, who will be putting on their dancing shoes and heading straight for the main entrance in a colourful, musical spectacle. And if you’re more of a fan of wild undergrowth than endless economic growth then the ‘Green Guerrillas’ will be approaching through the surrounding fields and woods, looking for weak points in the perimeter fence – up, under or through.. As for the aerial approach – these plans are strictly under wraps, find out more at the camp!

If you can’t make it to the camp, join us just for the day. Trains run from central London to a pick up point near Kingsnorth every few minutes and take less than an hour. If you have more time, come to the camp the night before, or for the full week (August 4th – 10th) where you can take part in over a hundred workshops and experience sustainable living in action, like 1,500 people did last year.

Times, transportation information and more details about the groups and their meeting points will be available at www.climatecamp.org.uk/massaction

Get involved today! Join our email list to get mass action updates:
http://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/climatecamp

For more information about the camp, visit www.climatecamp.org.uk

Be there on August 9th. Shutting down this power station promises to be a defining moment in the global struggle against climate change!

Anniversary of the first week at Shipley Bodge (& upcoming protest dates)

It has been a week already since climate chaos activists took occupation of a farm house on the site of the UK’s newest open cast site. Here is an update. The possession court case was chucked out of court for the moment – more here. Don’t forget the 14th July noise demo (link to left).

UK Coal have started some preparatory works at the Shipley open cast site. Many Tonnes of concrete has been cast to reinforce the public access road near the squatted site. This is allow 200 tonne machines to travel back and forth without doing damage to the public right of way. (I’ll pause here while you un-flabbergast yourself………)

Meanwhile, further along Bell Lane, telecom engineers were busy with their underground cable detectors. I don’t know why they couldn’t just phone BT and ask where they put them!

Clearly the angry owner of Whitehouse Farm gatehouse (map ref SK41619 44026) is gradually getting knackered from having to keep opening the gate for vehicles on UK Coal business, as he was having fancy new hinges fitted to the gateposts.

The route is still passable on foot or horse, which is just as well. We have confirmed with Derbyshire County Council that the path from Smalley to the gate at Whitehouse Farm is a designated footpath and from there to Shipley Park it is a public bridleway. The Rights of Way Officers at DCC are very keen to hear of any problems members of the public experience when trying to exercise their right to travel freely along this path.

There is no problem with vehicle access from the Shipley Park end, although the gate may be locked on Sundays (please confirm before you travel)

Meanwhile, back at Shipley Bodge…

The new residents have continued to modernise the old farmhouse so it now boasts a loft apartment, new flags and exterior décor. The garden has not been overlooked with nice new fencing, and several tree-houses under construction.

The protesters are in good spirits and well stocked but please keep the supplies coming. People are also needed, for an hour, a day or preferably longer.

Please bring water, timber and food etc.

See http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20918 for initial occupation report, and contact, map, wish list, access to the site, court papers & a protest.
See http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20943 for a report of someone’s visit there.

http://www.leaveitintheground.org.uk

Manchester & London Critical Masses this Friday + South London

OH MY!
It’s CRITICAL MASS this Friday….how ace is that?

Friday 27th June 6pm
Central Library Manchester

Afterwards we’ll have a BBQ and hang out a park, so bring BBQ’s, food, music, drinks etc. (vegan BBQs preferred as then it can be accessible to everyone!)

OH MY!
It’s CRITICAL MASS this Friday….how ace is that?

Friday 27th June 6pm
Central Library Manchester

Afterwards we’ll have a BBQ and hang out a park, so bring BBQ’s, food, music, drinks etc. (vegan BBQs preferred as then it can be accessible to everyone!)

A totally ace bike ride around our city to meet other cyclists and ride on our roads…For a few hours once a month we can show how beautiful our city can be when bicycles, instead of cars, dominate the roads.

it’s such a nice and sociable and fun way to spend a Friday evening on a bicycle..wow. so ace. and now we’re getting bigger and bigger..someone said they counted at least 150 people on the one last month, how ace is that?!!. come and be part of our lovely friendly cruise around..to collectively enjoy the beautiful experience that is riding a bike.

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People’s comments about Manchester Critical Mass

“…it’s brilliant. Usually I’m charging around on my bike, getting where i need to go as fast as i can. Critical mass is different. It’s about enjoying riding. It’s the most relaxed ride around the city I’ve ever had. Where all my worries and fears float away. And I’ve met some lovely people too”

“I was scared it would be some angry bike militants but everyone is so friendly and the ride is fun no aggro at all. See you next month!”

“it’s quite something to have that many peeps riding round at once.”

“Critical Mass sometimes has a reputation for being an angry rabble of cyclists that want to string up any car drivers they see. This is not true of Manchester Critical Mass, it is a fluffy mass of people that like to have fun on bikes, there are often have children with us and a bicycle sound system to add to the party fun atmosphere. As well as being fun and
a social event it is also to show how great a car free city will be. This is achieved every month by showing motorists an alternative, yet critical mass Manchester doesn’t aim to annoy drivers we want them to join us..”

“I spend all month, every month, riding around behind exhaust pipes and swerving out of the way from angry, disrespectful drivers, I live in a world that is dying from climate change..only the other day it was announced the white rhino is extinct, it tears me up inside. Riding a bike isn’t going to change all of that instantly but I believe that not only does it mean less cars on the roads but riding a bike also gives a feeling of connection with one’s surroundings and other people and through this we can start to act in other ways that can create social change”

“Critical Mass isn’t a place to vent the anger that comes from having to deal with cars (I don’t think), because it’s nice to, instead, spend that time enjoying riding my bike. Sometimes it can feel so alienating riding a bike surrounded by so many motorists. Critical Mass shows that we are not alone and that we are growing. It’s the most fantastic piece of direct action I’ve ever done- I want there to be less cars on the roads and by
being one less car there is!!!”

(taken from emails we’ve received)

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Critical Mass in London for Marie this Friday

Assemble under Waterloo Bridge 6pm on Friday

The Critical Mass in London will attempt to go all the way to Brixton to celebrate the life of Marie, who was killed by 2 cars on her way to the demonstration against the arms trade in Brighon, see:

https://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2008/06/400604.html

Assemble under Waterloo Bridge 6pm on Friday

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South London critical mass?!

The first ever south London Critical Mass is happening on Friday 4th of July, and every first Friday of the month there after.

It will take place @ 6.30, starting from Peckham library.

Help campaign for safer roads for cyclists. All other human powered transport welcome too!
Massive rolling sound system provided by rawkus rickshaws.

open cast plans for the north of england – meet in Newcastle to make plans, and for the Camp for Climate Action

The 2008 camp for climate action is to be held near to the proposed site for a new coal fired power station. E-on the company that wants to build the power station has stated that it will use a system called Carbon Capture and storage. C.C.S is still in an early development stage and has not been used on such a large scale.

The climate camp(www.climatecamp.org.uk) at Kingsnorth in the Medway valley will highlight and take direct action against the black hole in the governments climate change policy. COAL.

Power stations like Eggbrough, Drax and Kingsnorth produce huge amounts of filthy emissions, drax alone produces approx 21 millions tones of Co2 per year.
All this coal has to come from somewhere and it would ‘seam’ the money men have set their greedy eyes on the north of England again.
U:k coal and the banks group have several planning application to surface mine/open cast across the North East.
*Bradley Co. Durham- 550 000 tonnes
*Park wall north Co. Durham- 1 275 000 tonnes
*potland burn Northumberland- 2 000 000 tonnes
*Shotton Northumberland- 3 000 000 tonnes
*An extension to the exsisting site at widdrington

In addition to these applications there is already one of the largest open cast sites in the U:K at Stobswood near Morpeth. Surface mining sites are also operating in Widdrington, Blagdon estate in Northumberland. Steadburns and stoney heap near to Consett Co. Durham.

In the case of shotton/cramlington planning application, Shotton is in an opencast constraint area which means that there is a presumption against Surface mining. Northumberland county council up held the constraint and re-jected the application. However the communities and local government secretary Hazel Blears M.P Stepped in and overruled the county council allowing the opencast operation to go ahead much to dismay of the local community
(www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/08/ministers-quizzed-on-opencast-policy-61634-20450633/ )
The potland burn site is also in a constraint area yet U:K coal has still lodged an application probably because they feel the political climate is in their favor.

As if the ecological destruction, industrial injuries/deaths and disruption to the community that opencast mining leaves behind Npower have stated that they have an imminent planning application to build a new coal fired power station in Blyth on the site of the existing power station. Construction is due to begin 2014 on the same timeline as Kingsnorth.
Whilst the focus is on the climate camp and Kingsnorth, the North of England and our resources are central to the U:K government and their capitalist bosses plans for a new generation of dirty power stations .
This new generation of coal fired power stations and the unacceptable mining practices that accompany them must be stopped.
One of the key features of the climate camp is direct action.
The Banks group have offices in West Cornforth near Ferryhill, U:K coal head offices are in Doncaster’ leave it in the ground’ have began regular noise demos outside the next is 14th July. All the opencast sites are easily accessible.

People are meeting to discuss and plan for the upcoming climate camp at the star and shadow cinema, Newcastle upon tyne. Next meeting is Thursday July 3rd at 6pm why not come along and join the move against climate change.

Links and info:

www.climatecamp.org.uk
www.earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitintheground
www.greenpeace.com
www.thecoalhole.org
www.indymedia.org.uk
www.pontvalley.net
www.banksdevlopments.com
www.ukcoal.com

A visit to the Opencast Squat

21.06.2008
I decided to take a trip to Shipley today to see how the new residents of Prospect farm were settling in.

Just to recap the story so far. In the early hours of last Wednesday morning a group of caring individuals took possession of a building on the site of UK Coals planned new open cast site in Derbyshire. There aim is to protest/prevent the countryside and wider environment being devastated by the extraction and burning of the dirtiest fossil fuel.

As if we needed any reminding of the climate chaos coal burning contributes to, when I arrived on Saturday (21st June!) it was wet and drizzly and the forecast was for storms.

But the rain had not dampened the spirits of the crew now living at Prospect Farm (now re-christened Bodge farm). While they were still busy with all those jobs that need doing when you move into a new home they had already achieved a great deal and the place was very homely. A well-stocked kitchen was set up and a welcoming open fire means there is always a kettle on the go.

To the sounds of acoustic guitar from one of the tree-houses I watched a couple of people fixing fencing and looked up to admire the suspended cargo netting between the trees.

There have been other visitors coming to show their support including three generations of the family who used to live in the house before UK Coal kicked them out.

I was delayed on leaving as a large van full of provisions had just arrived and needed unloading. This had been spontaneously arranged and paid for by locals and included just about everything you could think of from tinned beans to cotton buds, fresh veg to bottled water.

Please get along there and support them, it’s a lovely location and the squat/camp has a great feel.

But get along there because at some point we have just got to draw a line. For all our futures and for generations to come, leave it in the ground.

http://www.leaveitintheground.org.uk

arrest charges dropped – round-up: Fossil Fools Day & M1 Conspiracy

As with the majority of protest arrests (if you do a NO COMMENT interview), though there’s been a load of people arrested recently, they’ve released without charge, on bail to return to a police station.

This gives the CPS time to decide what to do, but also hinders protest because the police can dictate punative bail restrictions.

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M1 Conspiracy Case Thrown Out

1st May 2008

This gives the CPS time to decide what to do, but also hinders protest because the police can dictate punative bail restrictions.

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M1 Conspiracy Case Thrown Out

1st May 2008
Seven climate camp activists against the widening of the M1(1*) had the case against them dismissed from Sheffield Crown Court yesterday. Charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance Judge Robinson said that: “there was not a jot of evidence” for a jury to infer an endangerment of any member of the public.

Seven climate camp activists against the widening of the M1(1*) had the case against them dismissed from Sheffield Crown Court today. Charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance Judge Robinson said that: “there was not a jot of evidence” for a jury to infer an endangerment of any member of the public.

Arrested over a year ago the protesters had their houses raided with property such as computers and phones taken and held for the duration of the investigation.

This ruling in the midst of a crack down (2*) on green protest sets a precedent for policing of environmental demonstrations. The Judge resoundingly rejected the prosecution’s argument that the hanging of banners over the motorway would constitute a public nuisance. He went on to say: “that all of the available material (presented to
the court) is consistent only with peaceful protest.”

Campaign spokesperson Dr Julie White, a GP from Sheffield, said: “this is victory for the right to protest in the face of government policy of expanding roads, runways and coal-fired power stations in a time of climate crisis.”

The activists say that the experience has not deterred them from taking action against the root causes of climate change and will be attending the Camp for Climate Action(3*) at Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent this August.

Contact Julie White on 0779851073.

NOTES FOR EDITORS
1*) The Department of Transport have decided against widening the M1 any further: http://www.nowideningm1.org.uk/

2*) this month the Sunday Herald reported that protestors in Scotland had been harassed by police after peaceful demonstrations: http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2210574.0.protesters_police_treated_us_like_terrorists.php

3*)The Camp for Climate Action went to Heathrow last summer over the building of a third runway this year it will pitch up at Kingsnorth over the potential building of the UK’s first new coal-fired power station for 30 years:
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/

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Bacton gas terminal 19

On 1st April, EF!ers blockaded the gas terminal at Bacton to celebrate Fossil Fools Day. The police tried to arrest everyone, and got 19 people. For a full report, see http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/20420

Due to return to a rural Norfolk police station, people were keen to phone up the police station to find out what was happening. The police had not taken any decision, and a few days before decided to drop charges against all but 3 people locked-on who got off with cautions.

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Police drop charges against Wunderman protestors

The three activists arrested following the invasion of Wunderman’s offices have had all charges against them dropped.

The environmentalists, from direct action group London Rising Tide, had been charged with “burglary of pens, paper and phone calls”.

They were held after staging a four-hour sit-in over two of parent agency Y&R’s key clients – Land Rover and BAE Systems.

The action was part of a worldwide campaign against climate change, dubbed Fossil Fools Day. In the UK, the group also staged demonstrations outside Porsche dealerships, the head office of E-on, and a coal mine in Wales.

The three activists managed to get into the Y&R building –Greater London House on Hampstead Road, NW1 – by posing as executives from a newly-privatised wing of the MoD called HarrionProjects, a spoof company whose centrepiece is the Harrion, a civilian version of the Harrier Jump-Jet.

Once inside, they barricaded themselves into the conference room, opposite Wunderman EMEA chief executive Marcus Starke’s office.

Nigerian attacks closes oilfields

19 June 2008
Oil company Royal Dutch Shell says it has temporarily stopped production at its main offshore oilfield in Nigeria, following a militant attack.

The raid took place overnight on the Bonga oil platform about 120km (75 miles) off the coast of the Niger Delta, the company said.

It is the first attack on the oilfield, which normally produces about 200,000 barrels a day.

Attacks on the inshore Niger Delta have helped drive up world oil prices.

Nigeria’s valuable offshore oilfields had always been considered difficult for most militants to target, the BBC’s Alex Last reports from Lagos.

But early on Thursday gunmen in boats reached the Bonga installation, Shell’s flagship project, for the first time.

A Nigerian navy spokesman confirmed reports that militants had kidnapped a US oil worker from a separate vessel on their way back from the raid.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) claimed it carried out the attack in an email sent to journalists, and named the American as Captain Jack Stone.

They said he would be released “in the coming hours”.

Sophisticated

The gunmen failed to get inside the platform, but attacked a key vessel used for production storage and offloading, a Shell spokesman said.

Several people were reported to have been injured.

Mend says it is campaigning for a greater share of the region’s oil wealth to be kept by local people, but the government says they are criminals motivated by the ransoms they receive from oil companies.

The shutdown has cut a tenth of Nigeria’s total output in one go.

This comes on top of a reduction of at least 20% in recent years following inland attacks.

Our correspondent says Bonga was new, expensive and working well despite the difficulties and repeated attacks affecting the company’s inshore operations in the Delta.

The militants in the Delta are getting more sophisticated and better equipped and armed, he says.

Now they have proven that in terms of distance at least, all of Nigeria’s facilities are within their reach.

Amnesties promised

Next month, a peace summit organised by the government on the Niger Delta unrest is due to begin in the capital, Abuja.

The government has promised amnesties to any militants who take part.

Mend has refused to attend unless Henry Okah, one of their leaders currently on trial for treason and gun-running, is also granted amnesty.

But the government has refused.

“We want everyone to be there to air their grievances,” vice-presidential aide Akilu Indabawa told the BBC’s Hausa Service.

“But in Henry Okah’s case the issue is in front of a court and the government can’t intervene because it respects the rule of law.”

Other reports to balance this –
Nigerian militants demand government accept mediation by ex-US president Carter
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta Declares War
Nigerian militants: We killed drunken soldiers

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21st June 2008
Nigeria oil pipeline ‘attacked’

US oil giant Chevron has halted onshore oil production at its Escravos oilfield after an attack on a pipeline.

The loss could equate to about 120,000 barrels per day, about 6.6% of Nigeria’s total daily crude production.

The Nigerian military said militants blew up the Niger Delta pipeline, but the region’s main armed group blamed angry youths for the attack.

Earlier this week, Nigeria’s president ordered tighter security in the Delta after an attack at a Shell facility.

According to the BBC’s Alex Last, in Lagos, sources in the western Niger Delta believe the latest attack is the work of illegal oil “bunkerers” – involved in the lucrative trade in stolen oil.

Significant loss

The earlier attack on Shell’s floating oil platform at Bonga, which cut a tenth of Nigerian oil production in one go, was carried out by militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend).

News agencies quoted Mend as saying that it was not responsible for the Escravos incident, which occurred on Thursday night.

Mend said it had been contacted by angry youths who reported having blown up the pipeline, the Associated Press said.

The Escravos incident highlights the vulnerability of the oil infrastructure in Nigeria, our correspondent says.

With the government planning to hold a big summit of Niger Delta leaders and more money expected to flow to the Niger Delta, perhaps the armed groups there feel it is a good time to show how relevant they are to any chance of peace, our correspondent adds.

While the loss to Nigerian crude output is significant, it is a small fraction of the daily global oil output, of about 85 million barrels per day.

News of the Escravos attack comes ahead of a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, of major energy producers and users – where the rising price of oil will be the key topic for discussion.

On Friday the Nigerian government announced how it would spend a $10bn (£5bn) windfall from the rising oil price.

It will spend just over $5bn fixing the country’s power supply and the rest will be shared among the 36 state governments.

Climate change protestors occupy Derbyshire open cast coal site – contact, map, wish list, access & court papers

18th June 2008 – For immediate release
Leave it in the Ground 07852 460871

Today climate campaigners from ‘Leave it in the Ground’ have occupied the UK Coal’s Lodge House site in Derbyshire by barricading themselves in a disused farm building and taken to the trees on the site of the open cast mine.

Under the cover of darkness activists have secured themselves in the Prospect Farm building on the site which is about to be devastated by huge machines. Food and supplies have also been taken in for a long term occupation and barricades’ have been set up preventing police form bringing in specialist equipment down Bell Lane, Smalley Derbyshire into the heart of the site. Similarly, people are locked on by their necks behind the doors preventing force being used to gain entry. The protesters are claiming squatter’s rights.

At Lodge House today, Andy Green said “We are here because the single greatest threat to the climate comes from burning coal. Coal fired generation is historically responsible for most of the CO2 in the air today – about half of all carbon dioxide emissions globally. Coal form open cast mines is dirtier than that from deep mines, so it is even worse!”

Lodge house is owned by UK Coal, Britain’s largest coal company who plan to extract one million tonnes of coal from the 122 hector site. Protestors claim this will devastate the area. Local councils, residents and local environmental groups have all objected to the plans, however, the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn granted planning permission in 2007 and work is set to commence imminently.

New open cast mines are being actively supported by the government and the number of opencast mines going into the planning process and being approved is on the increase.

The Leave it in the Ground, is part of the Network for Climate Action (2) and its allies, has seen over a dozen actions take place around the UK including the occupation of a coal train heading for Drax power station. Protests have focused on the companies responsible for runaway carbon dioxide emissions, as well as those promoting false solutions to climate change.

“We are taking action to prevent the coal industry bent on economic growth from destroying our future,” said Julie Lee from Leave it in the Ground. “If Gordon Brown gives the go ahead to a new generation of coal fired power stations beginning with Kingsnorth in Kent, it will undermine – perhaps fatally – Britain’s chances of meeting its climate change targets. If Britain is to cut its emissions by 80% by 2050, the eight planned new coal power-fired plants alone will wipe out half of our carbon budget.”

A further demonstration is planned for 14th July at UK Coal’s Head quarters in Doncaster.

For interviews and more information about today’s action at Lodge House contact:
Andy PHONE NUMBER 07852 460871
EMAIL derby@earthfirst.org.uk

** Updates will be available throughout the day at
http://leaveitintheground.wordpress.com or from 07852 460871 **

Notes to editors.

1. UK coal’s headquarters is situated at Harworth Park, Blyth Road, Harworth, Doncaster DN11 8DB.

2. To combat open-cast mining, a new action group “Leave it in the Ground” has formed, supported by Earth First! As well as other environmental groups.

3. UK coal has submitted planning applications for 5 new sites:
(Site and Potential Tonnage)
Potland Burn, Northumberland 2,000,000 tonnes
Park Wall North, Co. Durham 1,275,000 tonnes
Bradley, Co. Durham 550,000 tonnes
Huntington Lane, Shropshire 900,000 tonnes
Blair House, Fife 700,000 tonnes

It is proposed that the 122 hectare site will produce one million tonnes of coal over five years, after which the land will be ‘returned back to its natural state’. However, UK Coal will not be able to replace ancient edges and mature trees, and their licence enables the company to expand beyond the 122 hectares without needing further permission

Coal is the dirtiest form of power generation known to man. Top NASA James Hansen recently remarked: “The only practical way to prevent CO2 levels from going far into the dangerous range, with disastrous effects for humanity and other inhabitants of the planet, is to phase out use of coal except at power plants where the CO2 is captured and sequestered.”

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The house and site has been dubbed Bodge House.

We need more people on site to make additional preparations and secure other areas to stop open casting and build long term home.

Supplies are also needed

Site phone 07503 335870

Most of all we need people to come down and stay on the site. It is a beautiful area, with much wildlife, and easy access to public transport. Come down and visit!

See here for directions & map – take public transport to Shipley Country Park or other nearby place, then make for Prospect Farm, marked on the map.

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Wish list:

Water: Please bring lots when you come as there is currently no running water on site.

scaffold, tarpaulin, planks, large nails, polyprop especially 8mm, 10mm and 12mm (but any rope is good)

sand and cement

Climbing tat – ropes, harness’ carabinas, belay plates, d-locks, padlocks and chains, cargo netting,

Blankets, carpets, quilts, sleeping bags, hammocks,

bowsaws, burners, plastic sheets, shovels and other tools, torches, hurricane lamps and head torches.

Axes, batteries (car and torch), bolt croppers, buckets, candles, fishing line, flexiflue and cutting gear,

food (tinned is good, dried food particularly things like fruit and nuts is fantastic, fresh fruit and veg is really appreciated) cooking pans and cutlery, mugs and plates first aid, generators, paraffin, refuse sacks, rope, string, tents, thermos flasks, tin storage (ammo) boxes, water butts.

Nylon crane netting, pulleys, loudhailers, parachutes, rucksacks, steel cable,

Clothes, Boots, warm clothes and socks, waterproof clothing, wellies.

Musicians, climbers, mechanics, carpenters, healers, bakers, solicitors, sponsors, poets, friendly shop keepers, trader exchange, nature-lovers and everyone else too!

Transport

Bicycles and tools.

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access to site

19th June
The chap at the Lodge on Bell Lane is not letting people past and claiming he owns the road (he is an angry farmer with dog).

Alternative access is from shipley – when coming from heanor, turn right off A6007 (Ilkeston rd) as you leave shipley (into ‘the field’), turn right onto tarmac road after the steiner school (one left) and go up this road. Bear left past bridge and lake on right and turn right through gate just before big house. You are now on Bell lane and site is the house next to road works after bridge.

if you go take lots of water

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Papers served and another protest

The farm house on the prospective open cast coal site that was squatted this week has receieved its papers.

It will be taken to court on 30th June at 10 am at Derby Combined Court Centre, Morledge, Derby, DE1 2XE by Harworth Estates Agricultural Land Ltd (part of the UK Coal Conglomerate).

The people on site are putting a call out for people to come and stay on the site and help out. If you have ever fancied your hand at protecting beautiful land against the capitalist machine, nows your chance!

There will be a protest/show of support is planed for the 30th June at Derby combined courts, The Morledge, Derby.

Come and show your support with a fun little protest at 9am.