Category: Unnecessary Developments

Residents protest at Manchester Airport

On Saturday 3rd November around 100 local residents and campaigners took part in a protest walk against the proposed World Logistics Hub at Manchester Airport. The protesters braved the cold to take a route around the 90 acre former greenbelt site, which is threatened by the plans to build 43 cargo sheds and almost 1,500 car parking space

Local residents, wildlife enthusiasts and environmental campaigners spoke at various points along the walk, sharing their experiences of fighting Manchester Airport expansion and highlighting the numerous ways that the plans would affect local people and the environment.

 

The Wildlife Walk came the week after the Wythenshawe Area Committee‘recommended for approval’ the World Logistics Hub plans, on the 25th October.  The application will now be sent to the Planning and Highways Committee at Manchester City Council for a final decision on 22nd November 2012. A number of attendees at the Wildlife Walk, keen for their concerns to be brought to this Committee, pledged to attend this November meeting at Manchester Town Hall.

Several Councillors of the Wythenshawe Area Committee backed the Logistics Hub plans based on the Airport's promises of local job opportunities. However campaigners argue that

job creation figures proposed by the Airport are inflated.

Jane Beetson from 'Stop Expansion at Manchester Airport' campaign  said “When Manchester Airport first announced plans for a second runway, they claimed 50,000 jobs would be created.  No-where near that number of jobs materialised.  Just like then, they are misleading the public now.”

She added, “Local Councillors say they will force the Airport to give jobs to local people but in practice they will have no way of enforcing this on the firms that move into the new office and warehouse spaces.  We need to create green jobs in sustainable industries not dirty aviation.” 

The Wildlife Walk was also an opportunity for wildlife experts to explain that Airport's promises of preserving wildlife are also unrealistic, and that creating a 'mitigation zone' is no substitution for leaving habitats untouched.

Along the route, campaigners encountered the threatened habitats of numerous plant and animal species. Several mature oak trees line Sunbank Lane, providing nesting opportunities for rare birds, and potential roosting spots for endangered bat species. The site is also home to 12 ponds occupied by Great Crested Newts, an endangered species found only in the North West of England. Walkers were also able to spot signs of protected animals for example badger snuffle holes and mole hills in the green space around Sunbank.

Campaigners prevent carbon emissions in longest-ever power station occupation

Government’s dash for gas branded ‘indefensible’ in wake of Hurricane Sandy

Government’s dash for gas branded ‘indefensible’ in wake of Hurricane Sandy

EDF has confirmed that the UK’s newest gas-fired power station will remain shut down after more than thirty No Dash for Gas climate change campaigners evaded security and entered the site on Monday morning. Sixteen of them are spending their third day at the top of two 300 ft smokestacks at the West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire, and last night built new barricades out of scaffolding, ladders and wood. They have abseiled down inside one of the chimneys to set up camp in tents suspended from ropes inside the flues. [1] As long as they hold their position above the furnace the plant is unable to operate.

Because the plant was not yet fully operational and not connected to the grid, the campaigners claim they have prevented 2371 tonnes of CO2 emissions a day by shutting down the one working chimney. This is equivalent to the energy that an average home uses for 182 years, or taking 465 cars off the road for a year. [2] As the human and economic costs of Hurricane Sandy become clearer, the need to take action on climate change and avoid many more instances of such extreme weather-related disasters has never been more pressing.

Anneka Kelly is one of the activists occupying one of the chimneys. Speaking on a mobile phone she said:

"Energy bills are going through the roof, the East Coast of the US has been devastated by Hurricane Sandy, we’re seeing droughts and floods across the world and global temperatures are rising. Yet the government, at the behest of the Big Six energy companies, wants to build 20 new gas power stations. This is indefensible. Gas is expensive, highly polluting and we don’t need it. We should be investing in clean high-tech renewables that slash pollution and in the long run will cost a lot less.”

West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire has been targeted because it’s one of the first in a new generation of highly polluting gas plants planned for the UK. [3] The Coalition Government recently announced it intends to give the green light to as many as 20 new gas plants – a move that would crash Britain’s carbon targets, contribute to the climate crisis and push up bills. This decision is likely to be confirmed when the delayed Energy Bill is published towards the end of November. But the activists echo many scientists and the government’s own advisers in calling for an end to plans for a new dash for gas and investment in a high-tech carbon-free electricity system instead. [4]

Contrary to claims by ministers and the industry, gas is a dirty fuel that poses an unacceptable threat to the environment. It’s also expensive – official figures from Ofgem show that the average UK energy bill rose £150 last year, with £100 of that due to rising wholesale gas prices.[5] Only last week EDF raised their prices, following most of the other major companies and plunging even more people into fuel poverty. Meanwhile high-tech renewable systems are rapidly coming down in price, meaning that soon they will be cheaper, while communities across the country are turning their back on the Big Six energy companies in favour of cooperative community energy schemes.

The activists have not yet decided when they are going to come down, but have pledged to give the police several hours warning, and hand themselves in. Nevertheless, the police have criticised them for wasting taxpayers’ money on an expensive police operation.

Ewa Jasiewicz, one of the activists occupying one of the chimneys, said : ‘It’s EDF who are wasting taxpayers’ money. There is no need for such a heavy police presence on the ground and helicopters in the sky. It’s not like we’re trying to escape! We have communicated with the police from the start and assured them this is a responsible protest, with safety at its heart. We will give them plenty of warning when we intend to come down, and will hand ourselves over.’

Find out more at www.nodashforgas.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @nodashforgas
Like us on Facebook: No Dash for Gas

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  1. The night-time incursion was launched at 2am when the raiders got through the security fence. Under cover of darkness fifteen of them crossed the expanse to the chimneys then split into two groups and began the 300ft climb to the top. They are now building barricades to defend their positions. They have enough supplies with them to last at least a week and say they’re in it for the long haul. The plant was shut down shortly after the campaigners began the ascent. A further team remained on the ground to liaise with the plant’s managers. Before launching the protest they engaged in extensive consultation with an expert engineer and each underwent intensive safety training.
  2. According to the government, Combined Cycle Gas Turbine plants like this emit 353g of CO2 per kilowatt hour: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/policy-legislation/emr/2179-eps-impact-assessment-emr-wp.pdf . This plant had been generating 280 megawatts:
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/30/no-dash-for-gas-occupy . 353g per hour for a day is 8.47 kg a day (353 x 24 = 8470g) and 8.47 x 280,000 is 2371 tonnes a day. That’s the same as energy that an average home uses for 182 years, or taking 465 cars off the road for a year. A driver would have to drive their car non-stop, night and day, for ten and a half years to emit that much…
    http://www.yousustain.com/footprint/howmuchco2?co2=2371+tons
  3. West Burton gas power station is a 1,300MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant, currently under construction in Nottinghamshire. It is comprised of three turbine houses and chimneys, labelled Units 1, 2 and 3. Unit 2 is complete and is operating at almost full capacity. Units 1 and 3 are further behind, with Unit 1 closer to completion than 3. When complete, the new CCGT plant will emit approximately 4.5 million tonnes CO2 per year when operating at full capacity. This is more than the annual emissions of Paraguay. [i]
  4. The Government's independent climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, have called for our electricity system to be almost entirely carbon free by 2030.[ii] They have defined this as meaning that our electricity system should produce no more than 50g of CO2 for every kilowatt hour of electricity generated, by 2030. The Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, John Gummer, recently wrote to the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, to warn that George Osborne's plans for a new generation of gas power could be illegal: “extensive use of unabated gas-fired capacity… in 2030 and beyond would be incompatible with meeting legislated carbon budgets.” [iii]
  5. Figures from Ofgem show that in 2011 the average UK energy bill rose by £150, with £100 of this due to the rising cost of gas. [iv]

Facts and figures on the dash for gas:

· Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, has called for 20GW of gas power stations to be built by 2030, approximately 20 new power stations. [v]

· He has also guaranteed that gas power stations that already have planning consent can, if built, continue emitting CO2 unabated until 2045, i.e. their full life-span, by exempting them from emissions regulations. [vi] There is currently 13GW of gas that has either recently been completed, is in construction, or has been granted planning consent. [vii]

· Lord Turner, in his former role as Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, wrote to the Energy Secretary to warn this would lead to “the risk that there will be too much gas-fired generation instead of low carbon investment” and that the policy could take emissions "beyond the limits implied by carbon budgets."[viii]

· Last week, EDF hiked their energy prices by 10.8%, the highest of any of the big six energy companies so far this winter.

· Recent polling by YouGov found that 55% of people want more windfarms, compared to just 17% who want more gas power stations. [ix]

· An ICM poll found that more than two-thirds of people would rather have a wind turbine than a shale gas well near their home. [x]

· The Offshore Wind Valuation Group found that harnessing just 29% of the practical offshore renewable resource by 2050 would generate the electricity equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil annually, matching North Sea oil and gas production and making Britain a net electricity exporter. [xi]

[xi] http://offshorevaluation.org/downloads/offshore_valuation_full.pdf

No Dash for Gas 40 hours and counting: Update & Photos

Yesterday more than 20 climate change activists evaded security to shut down the UK’s newest gas-fired power station. 16 of them have remained in the power station occupying two of its chimneys to prevent it from being turned on again. They climbed two smokestacks at EDF Energy’s West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire and abseiled down the insides of the chimneys. The plant was shut down shortly after the campaigners began the ascent. They've now been up there for over 40 hours, they intend to stay there until it is no longer possible to remain. They have set up camp with tents suspended from ropes inside the flues. They have also installeted solar panels and are building barricades to defend their positions.

The group have come together under the banner ‘No Dash For Gas’, from across the country to take action against the new wave of investment in gas. Profit-hungry corporations have been successful in lobbying politicians to replace coal with gas as the new backbone to our highly-polluting and insecure energy infrastructure, whilst doing nothing to tackle climate change or rising energy bills.

For as long as we have an economic system driven by profit, our energy system will continue to drive us towards catastrophic climate change. We’re here to fight back against an ecologically irreversible decision to continue with a fossil-fuel powered energy system despite the fact that renewable technologies are capable of powering a sustainable future. The effects of anthropogenic climate change have been more widespread and more severe this year than any so far on record – the arctic melt smashed through all previous records, the drought in the USA has sparked the beginning of a worldwide food crisis and there has been a marked increase in extreme weather events across the globe.

This action is one of many that have taken place this year as part of a renewed effort by activists across the UK to take action against climate change and the economic system driving it. During our time up the chimney we want to connect with groups and organisations who share our belief that the time to take radical action on climate change is now; and radical action stretches from finding ways for communities to adapt and be resilient to climate change, to standing up to the vested economic interests that are preventing the transition to an ecologically viable and more humane society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire is being targeted because it’s one of the first in a new generation of highly polluting gas plants planned for the UK. The Coalition Government recently announced it intends to give the green light to as many as 20 new gas plants—a move that would crash Britain’s carbon targets, contribute to the climate crisis and push up bills.

Keep in touch with latest developments by following us on twitter: @nodashforgas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protest camp on top of chimney

 

 

 

Zombie Roads – Hastings

A Combe Haven Defenders protest against not only the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road, but all the 'zombie road' plans previously believed to be dead and buried but resurrected by the UK coalition government.

A Combe Haven Defenders protest against not only the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road, but all the 'zombie road' plans previously believed to be dead and buried but resurrected by the UK coalition government.

Combe Haven Defenders protested in the streets of Hastings today, culminating in a die-in outside the offices of local MP Amber Rudd, who is fervently in favour of the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road which will destroy the beautiful Combe Haven Valley if it is built next year.

The Zombie Roads, previously believed to be dead and buried but resurrected by the UK coalition government, did meet with some resistance, however….

No Dash For Gas: Campaigners shut down UK’s newest gas plant

Early on Monday 29th October, fifteen people scaled the chimneys of West Burton gas-fired power station, shutting it down and halting further construction. West Burton is one of the first of up to 20 new gas-fired power stations the Government has planned.

Early on Monday 29th October, fifteen people scaled the chimneys of West Burton gas-fired power station, shutting it down and halting further construction. West Burton is one of the first of up to 20 new gas-fired power stations the Government has planned.

The new ‘dash for gas’ will leave us dependent on a highly polluting and increasingly expensive fossil fuel for decades to come. It would make even our modest carbon reduction targets impossible to hit, and cause household energy bills to soar even further. While energy companies profit, our chances of a secure and sustainable future are slipping away.

This action is therefore in defence of the global commons, which are under sustained attack by polluting fossil fuel companies. We are here to challenge corporate power and the rush to further ingrain an energy system that puts short term profits of the few, above the collective needs of the many.

Replacing our outdated energy infrastructure with clean alternatives will generate hundreds of thousands of jobs. The technology is already powering thousands of homes across the UK, and enjoys overwhelming public support.

This is an opportunity to wrest power from a cartel of energy companies, and back into the hands of communities.   The dash for gas makes no sense for anyone except the big energy companies. We need a cleaner, more resilient and economically just energy system – and we’re here to fight for it. This is the new battleground for our energy future.

Climbers abseil down inside of chimneys and halt construction

 

This morning, more than twenty climate change campaigners evaded security to shut down the UK’s newest gas-fired power station. They have climbed two smokestacks at EDF’s West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire and have abseiled down the insides of the chimneys. They are now setting up camp in tents suspended from ropes inside the flues. As long as they hold their position above the furnaces the plant is unable to operate.

The occupation fires the starting gun on a huge nationwide battle over Britain’s energy future, with activists determined to stop government plans for a new dash for gas. They are calling instead for a high-tech carbon-free electricity system.

The night-time incursion was launched at 2am when the raiders got through the security fence. Under cover of darkness fifteen of them crossed the expanse to the chimneys then split into two groups and began the 300ft climb to the top. They are now building barricades to defend their positions. They have enough supplies with them to last at least a week and say they’re in it for the long haul.

The plant was shut down shortly after the campaigners began the ascent. A further team remained on the ground to liaise with the plant’s managers. Before launching the protest they engaged in extensive consultation with an expert engineer and each underwent intensive safety training.

 

West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire is being targeted because it’s one of the first in a new generation of highly polluting gas plants planned for the UK. The Coalition Government recently announced it intends to give the green light to as many as 20 new gas plants – a move that would crash Britain’s carbon targets, contribute to the climate crisis and push up bills.

Anneka Kelly is one of the activists occupying the chimney. Speaking on a mobile phone she said:

“Energy bills are going through the roof, people are getting flooded out of their homes, we’re seeing droughts across the world but the energy companies are making a killing. We’re here because we want an electricity system that doesn’t cause our world to warm and our bills to rise ever higher. Gas is expensive and highly polluting, but if the Government gets its way we’ll be reliant on it for decades. Instead we should be investing in clean high-tech renewables that slash pollution and in the long run will cost a lot less.”

Contrary to claims by ministers and the industry, gas is a dirty fuel that poses an unacceptable threat to the environment. It’s also expensive – official figures from Ofgem show that the average UK energy bill rose £150 last year, with £100 of that due to rising wholesale gas prices. Only last week EDF raised their prices, following most of the other major companies and plunging even more people into fuel poverty. Meanwhile high-tech renewable systems are rapidly coming down in price, meaning that soon they will be cheaper, while communities across the country are turning their back on the Big Six energy companies in favour of cooperative community energy schemes.

Ewa Jasiewicz is on top of one of the chimneys. She said:

“A new dash for gas will leave the UK utterly reliant on this dirty expensive fuel for decades to come. Our energy system is being run by a cartel of corporations that has this government in its pocket. As long as we have an economic system driven by profit, we will have an energy system that ignores the needs of those suffering most from climate change and rising energy bills. With a quarter of the UK’s outdated energy infrastructure needing to be replaced, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in renewables that could generate hundreds of thousands of jobs, radically cut emissions of carbon dioxide and stabilise energy bills. Clean green technology is already powering thousands of homes across the UK, and enjoys overwhelming public support.”

Notes to editors: · West Burton gas power station is a 1,300MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant, currently under construction in Nottinghamshire. · It is comprised of three turbine houses and chimneys, labelled Units 1, 2 and 3. Unit 2 is complete and is operating at almost full capacity. Units 1 and 3 are further behind, with Unit 1 closer to completion than 3. · When complete, the new CCGT plant will emit approximately 4.5 million tonnes CO2 per year when operating at full capacity. This is more than the annual emissions of Paraguay.[i] · The Government's independent climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, have called for our electricity system to be almost entirely carbon free by 2030.[ii] They have defined this as meaning that our electricity system should produce no more than 50g of CO2 for every kilowatt hour of electricity generated, by 2030. · The Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, John Gummer, recently wrote to the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, to warn that George Osborne's plans for a new generation of gas power could be illegal: “extensive use of unabated gas-fired capacity… in 2030 and beyond would be incompatible with meeting legislated carbon budgets.”[iii] · Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, has called for 20GW of gas power stations to be built by 2030, approximately 20 new power stations. [iv] · He has also guaranteed that gas power stations that already have planning consent can, if built, continue emitting CO2 unabated until 2045, i.e. their full life-span, by exempting them from emissions regulations.[v] There is currently 13GW of gas that has either recently been completed, is in construction, or has been granted planning consent.[vi] · Lord Turner, in his former role as Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, wrote to the Energy Secretary to warn this would lead to “the risk that there will be too much gas-fired generation instead of low carbon investment” and that the policy could take emissions "beyond the limits implied by carbon budgets."[vii] · Figures from Ofgem show that in 2011 the average UK energy bill rose by £150, with £100 of this due to the rising cost of gas. [viii] · Last week, EDF hiked their energy prices by 10.8%, the highest of any of the big six energy companies so far this winter. · Recent polling by YouGov found that 55% of people want more windfarms, compared to just 17% who want more gas power stations. [ix] · An ICM poll found that more than two-thirds of people would rather have a wind turbine than a shale gas well near their home. [x] · The Offshore Wind Valuation Group found that harnessing just 29% of the practical offshore renewable resource by 2050 would generate the electricity equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil annually, matching North Sea oil and gas production and making Britain a net electricity exporter. [xi] [i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/2012/jun/21/world-carbon-emissions-league-table-country [ii] http://www.theccc.org.uk/pdf/7980-TSO%20Book%20Chap%205.pdf and http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/cc7ad3ee-fd8d-11e1-8e36-00144feabdc0.html#axzz27O6cJ1io [iii] http://hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/EMR%20letter%20-%20September%2012.pdf [iv] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/28/gas-fired-power-stations-uk?INTCMP=SRCH [v] http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_025/pn12_025.aspx [vi] http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/energy-security/3425-statutory-security-of-supply-report-2011.pdf [vii] http://downloads.theccc.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/Letters/EdwardDaveyMP_Letter270312.pdf [viii] http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/smr/Documents1/SMR%20update%2028-03-12.pdf [ix] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/30/germany-renewable-energy-revolution [x] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/23/wind-shale-gas-icm-poll [xi] http://offshorevaluation.org/downloads/offshore_valuation_full.pdf

(France) La ZAD prepares for another week of eviction NON A LA AEROPORT

In La ZAD, a zone occupied to stop the construction of a new airport for Nantes, the eviction looks set to continue from tomorrow. La Saulce is now evictable and it is possible the police will also target some of the places that require special forces to evict treehouses and such. Callout for solidarity actions against VINCI, the company who will be constructing. Callout for people here to help. All means to increase awareness.

The police have been evicting la ZAD for two weeks now, only stopping for lunchbreak and the weekends. and the nights.
We are still expecting them to return tomorrow to continue. Theyve been passing by with the helicopter today, having a look around. Since Saturday night la saulce has become legally evictable. La secherie won an appeal in court, and is now not evictable till december, and la rosier also is not evictable til the middle of november.
But it seems likely they will come next week for the places they can already evict, and havent already, mostly la saulce, sabot, and the other cabins that dont have a real 'house' on the property.
There is a lot more info on the website  http://www.zad.nadir.org if you dont read french you can change the langue to english.
get in contact if you want to come over, or just arrive
or do something in your place, the company which build the aeroport is called VINCI (  http://stopvinci.noblogs.org/ ) and they have many things everywhere. They are also responsible for the destruction of the khimki forest (  http://www.khimkiforest.org/ ) in russia for the construction of a highway and the eviction of the protest camp there. There has already been a lot of stuff done to humiliate them in the last weeks it is very cheering.
Let everyone know.
The resistance wont end with eviction.
Need people to help with reoccupation.
Peace and love.

EF! Winter Moot 2013: 22-24th February, near Preston

A weekend get-together for people involved in ecological direct action, from fighting opencast coal, fracking, GM, nuclear power to road building. There’ll be discussions and campaign planning – with the emphasis on the tactics and strategies we use, community solidarity and sustainable activism.

A weekend get-together for people involved in ecological direct action, from fighting opencast coal, fracking, GM, nuclear power to road building. There’ll be discussions and campaign planning – with the emphasis on the tactics and strategies we use, community solidarity and sustainable activism. This year we’ll be in Lancashire…

 

Update: full transport details and programme at link below.

Read more

Under the watchful eye of engaged youth, Pangea and the PLA’s “City Concept” plan was halted by tribal council

Sacaton, AZ- At the October 17, 2012 Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) Tribal Council session, Pangea, LLC and the Pecos Landowners Association (PLA) attempted to rush forward their plans pertaining to the construction of a city and freeway within the reservation. Pangea sought the tribal council’s approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which granted Pangea and its investors exclusive rights to develop over 5500 acres of tribal land on the reservation’s western end along the route of the proposed Loop 202 freeway, which GRIC voted against last February. The PLA attempted to pressure tribal council to approve the Pangea corporation’s initiative for yet another community vote on the Loop 202.

But to their surprise, Pangea and the PLA were confronted by young people wearing breathing masks and No Build 202 shirts who sought to hold both Pangea and the PLA accountable to last February’s Loop 202 vote. In that vote, GRIC voters voted in favor of the No Build option for the freeway. The Gila River youth, whose breathing masks symbolized the environmental toxins that freeways bring to the land and air, were at the tribal council meeting to demand that their elected officials uphold the No Build voice of the people.

“I can’t vote yet, but if I could, I would have voted No Build too. The people who want the freeway should think about what my generation will go through if all we have to inherit is freeway pollution”said 14 year old Lily Miles, of Komatke and Vah-ki, who was one of the twelve who wore medical breathing masks and No Build shirts in solidarity with the community’s No Build voice.

Since the historic Loop 202 vote, many GRIC members, especially the youth, have felt their tribal leadership has not fully upheld the community’s No Build stance. This suspicion is heightened since GRIC Governor Mendoza allowed Pangea to consult with GRIC’s Office of General Counsel for their City Concept and freeway plans. In addition, Governor Mendoza presented the PLA initiative that calls for another Loop 202 vote at the September 26th GRIC Legislative Standing Committee (LSC).

If approved by the GRIC Tribal Council, the massive Pangea City Concept, the size of over 5000 football fields, would be the largest construction project in the history of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Gila River Indian Community. The GRIC No Build supporters who attended the Wednesday council session were compelled to raise their voices against Pangea and the PLA in the tribal council chambers without saying one word. Their breathing masks and No Build 202 shirts, stating “Biohazard 202” spoke to the looming desecration of Muhadag Do’ag (South Mountain) and to the negative impacts the proposed freeway would bring to the environment and overall community health.

“Our tribal leaders must be held accountable for where their allegiances lie,” said Renee Jackson of Vah-ki, who was one of the No Build supporters who wore breathing masks and Biohazard 202 shirts during the meeting. “Our representatives must be transparent in where they stand on the issue of the freeway”.

While council went to executive session to decide the merit of Pangea’s MOU and the PLA voting initiative, the twelve youth engaged pro-freeway Gila River landowners in the hallways outside council chambers. The youth shared their concerns regarding the environmental, health and cultural impacts the City Concept would bring to their future while council was in executive session and closed to the public. The mere presence of these twelve helped give a voice to the 720 GRIC members who voted for No Build, and their breathing masks showed the potential danger the freeway would bring.

“Today we showed where the youth stand and we showed that there are youth who care. Pangea and the PLA’s city concept is a danger to our future and both are biohazards to the land and to the mountain,” said Andrew Pedro, 18 years old, from Sacaton, who printed the Biohazard shirts. “People were asking me for more t-shirts, and I believe that this is the first of more visual demonstrations to come.”

“I felt like it was my responsibility to be here and get informed about what is happening around me and in my community because I will be inheriting this land too.” said Karma Miles, 11 years old, from Komatke and Vah-ki.

Despite the differences the youth had with fellow GRIC landowners, the youth presented themselves in a respectful matter, and even helped PLA elders by setting up chairs during executive session.

After nearly an hour in executive session, Tribal Council decided that eleven key points needed to be met before any MOU regarding Pangea’s land use plans could be approved. The eleven points center around public safety, budgeting, jurisdiction, and land management issues that were not addressed within the MOU submitted by Pangea. Council clearly declared that all points must be met before Pangea’s MOU could be brought back before the council. Additionally, the misleading Save the Mountain initiative was held to standard GRIC Community Council Secretary’s Office (CCSO) procedure regarding signatures verification. The PLA submitted their Pangea-backed initiative to the GRIC Community Council Secretary’s Office (CCSO) on September 27 with the backing of 1,527 landowner signatures. Tribal council declared that each signature must be verified first before council would consider the initiative. As with the per capita initiative, a previous people’s initiative in Gila River, the signatures could take the CCSO four to six months to verify, especially with reports of missing tribal enrollment numbers with the signatures submitted, as reported by Community Council Secretary Linda Andrews at the council meeting. The Save the Mountain initiative, which Pangea and PLA deemed” first ever Peoples Initiative through the People’s rights under the GRIC Tribal Constitution”, does not save the mountain because it calls for the rejected freeway to be constructed on tribal lands along the foothills of Muhadag Do’ag (South Mountain).

Despite the steps that are legally required to approve a voter initiative, a Pangea representative pressured council to move forward and approve the pro-freeway initiative. GRIC member Joey Perez of Pangea attempted to have council set a much shorter time frame for approval, by citing the 14th amendment of the GRIC constitution, which declares council has 60 days to make a decision on any initiative bought forth to them. The Pangea corporation’s interpretation, as stated by Perez, was that the 60 days started on September 27, when the signatures were submitted, which would force council to possibly reconsider another Loop 202 vote by the end of the year. But Perez, Pangea and the PLA were soon confronted with standard GRIC procedures regarding initiatives: signatures must be verified before the initiative can be considered by the council.

The reason why the Pangea corporation and pro-build supporters disregard the No Build victory and are attempting to rush the tribal council to schedule another vote on the proposed freeway is because in 2013 federal land leasing regulations for tribal allotted lands become much more restrictive. Changes to Title 25 of the BIA’s Code of Federal Regulations will require 100 percent of landowner consents before the BIA will approve any new leases pertaining to the use of tribal allotted lands for businesses. This would make the Pangea City Concept, which is centered around the construction of the Loop 202, subject to heightened federal regulations.

The decision by Council to hold Pangea and the PLA transparent and accountable to the process was a long overdue first step in reversing its nine months of inaction regarding the No Build vote. Pangea and the PLA were expecting to walk out of the tribal council meeting with another Loop 202 vote scheduled, and their land development plans to be unopposed. But Pangea and the PLA left the October tribal council session in defeat when confronted with the gaping holes of their fraudulent campaign to bulldoze over 5500 acres for a Pangea city, and by the faces of the young people whose future health depends on the preservation and protection of Muhadag Do’ag, and their lands.

“It was a wonderful day, a small victory once again,” said Lori Thomas, of Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment. “The youth who were present were awesome. It was good to see them engage in the issue. A small battle was won but the fight still rages on.”

For the youth who attended this round of the bigger fight to completely stop the Loop 202, it showed that their involvement will be crucial for the future of the community, and that a new form of expression is needed so that their voices can be heard by the Pangea corporation, the PLA, as well as by the GRIC tribal council and Governor Mendoza.

“We made an impact by representing all the No Build supporters who can’t be here, to go to these meetings and be heard,” said Ana Morago, 18 years old, of Stotonic. “We aren’t bused in, like the way Pangea brings in their people. And even though we didn’t speak, our actions and how we presented ourselves spoke louder”.

For more information regarding the struggle against the Loop 202, please contact us at: gricagainst202(at)gmail.com or at our Facebook page: Gila River Against the Loop 202

More clashes with riot police in Greece over gold mine

Hundreds of protesters in Thessaloniki have been in involved another battle with riot police over plans for a gold mine in northern Greece’s Halkidiki peninsula. One policeman and three protesters were hurt, while 21 protesters have been detained. Clashes between protests and local residents on one side and police and mine workers on the other side have become a regular occourance since March when plans for the mine were approved. A multimillion-dollar gold mining project in a nearby area was cancelled a decade ago after similar protests.

Below is a translation of a recent report about the situation from Indymedia Athens:

In the mountains of Halkidiki is a huge disaster at the expense of Mother Nature. The Greek state has sold the rights to exploit the gold beneath the primordial forests of dark in the company Eldorado-Greek Gold. That is why the company has already started the despicable work: intensive deforestation of 4,000 hectares of forest and mineral processing plant construction between villages Olympiad, Stan, Mary and Great Ierissos. The state and the company with the work will take away the life of the forest itself but also by the thousands of animals that live in it, clean groundwater and soil will be contaminated by toxic substances such as cyanide. In simple words, a whole living world would exterminated for the profit of multinational corporations and government leaders, leaving behind contaminated land and death.

Residents not complacent to the disaster, from passages such as the Olympics and the Great Panagia for decades have been struggling against mining. This year saw the final authorization from the government and the project has now started. From March there have been on going conflicts with residents and defenders of the forest on one side and the police and workers of the company on the other.

This dominant behavior of culture over nature is a result of the authoritarian mentality of anthropocentrism, arbitrary belief that man is greater than the natural element surrounds him. This concept is the result of the alienation of man from the natural world. With the mediation of the process of civilization, the building of cities, states and power relations people ignore the earth-animal-nature, which is directly tied to the existence and development of the natural world.

Habitats are threatened today directly from the mines not only in Halkidiki but other parts of northern Greece such as Kilkis and Alexandroupolis. But let's not fool ourselves, the technocracy and capitalism in today's world are expressed through a global system of striking any part of the world over sea or land. But especially in countries of the so-called third world, plunder of nature and poor people is unthinkable. Giant multinational corporations with the help of state and international organizations extorting indigenous populations by any means (war, food crises, financial measures) to accept investments and work with them in exchange for a meager salary and a short and miserable life. With modern engines cut forests, disembowel the earth, pollute the air, water and soil. This hunt for "treasure" whether minerals such as gold or energy (oil, gas, coal) is totally deadlocked and destructive. The so-called progress of civilization and the ideology of development only serve the temporary existence of the world's authoritarian system that dissolves cultures but tens of thousands of years, primeval forests, animal communities and ecosystems that promises dystopia.

The destruction of the natural world not only in Greece but also at the global level does not leave us time tolerances of this situation. Needs as living creatures to deny us the system dominates and fight for its destruction. To redefine our relationship with the natural world and to resist that prevents us from living in harmony with it. The state, the industrial system and mazopoiisi cities need to be destroyed to flourish in the debris an indomitable life for people, animals and nature.

AGAINST THE RAPE OF THE NATURAL WORLD
ANYPOCHORITOS STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION AND FOR TOTAL ANARCHY

Coal Seam Gas Banner Drop in Australia

Protesters from the the Lock the Gate Alliance have taken part in a banner drop on Brisbane’s Kangaroo Point cliffs with seven giant banners with anti-CSG messages were attached to the cliff face.

Lock the Gate spokesman Innes Larkin said the banners were a demonstration of the depth of community opposition to CSG mining in southeast Queensland.

‘‘If the government and miners think rural communities will just take this lying down, they’re wrong,’’ Mr Larkin said. ‘‘People in the bush are angry and they are prepared to make a stand to protect where they live, their soil and their water.’’ Lock the Gate have been running a week of protests across the state, which began with a march and concert at Murwillumbah in northern NSW last Sunday.