Scotland (Central & Southern) – Page 19

Scottish Camp for Climate Action builds support

The Scottish Camp for Climate Action has been building defences supporting the Mainshill open cast protest site this week. The camp is building action affinity groups and through direct action training enabling activists to take action on high carbon producing industries around the country. The camp focuses on alternative solutions to a damaging system where power is in the hands of powerful but damaging industries. Direct action is providing the means for people and groups to readdress that power imbalance and actions will take place during and after the camp. High emission industries across the country are to be targeted in the coming weeks; polluting energy intensive corporations will be brought into the spotlight and brought to a standstill.

Latest EF! Action Update bursts forth

Car tyres deflate in the night, diggers halted in their tracks, buildings and MPs covered in slime…airports plagued by crazy golf, picnics, city gents and hostage-taking…eco-villages and other autonomous spaces sprout, as others are under threat…tree-sits, banks evicted, fake phone-masts and whaling ships sunk….it must be time for another Earth First! Action Update, bringing you a concentrated quarterly blast of inspiration and contacts to get out there and take direct action against the bastards threatening this planet and its inhabitants.

News from the front-lines – permanent protest camps old and new, and temporary gatherings in a field near you, all the dates and info you need for a summer of blistering action and torrential outpourings!

Successes here, across the pond and round the very other side of the world.

Successes here, across the pond and round the very other side of the world.

A report back from the Coal Caravan, plus info about the communities along its route.

Court news – what happened after protesters planned to shut a coal-fired power plant, and climbed atop a train, plus handy Security Tips for Going on Actions.

Leaving it All in the Ground – news of global fights against the mining of gold, copper, bauxite and aluminium – blockading, torching and night-time pixieing.

A View from the Trees – a story from our eco-centric cousins. And indigenous Peruvians fight on against the wholesale onslaught on our world.

And a round-up of your favourite public order situations – G20, SmashEDO and Athenian rubbish dumps!

Read, download and print it here, subscribe so you get it direct to your door, or look out for it at a climate camp near you.

If you want to be listed or get a bunch of them to distribute, please get in touch.

Share your inspirational news at EF! Action Reports, and it’ll find it’s way into your very own printed EF!AU, in good old black and white print.

Climate Camp Scotland Legal Briefing Released

The Legal Guide for Climate Camp Scotland, taking place next week, is available now from our website.

Go to http://climatecampscotland.org.uk/?page_id=291

See you all next week!

The Legal Support Working Group

The Legal Guide for Climate Camp Scotland, taking place next week, is available now from our website.

Go to http://climatecampscotland.org.uk/?page_id=291

See you all next week!

The Legal Support Working Group

Camp for Climate Action Scotland

There is no time to act but now! Come to the Camp for Climate Action in Scotland 3-10 August

For a week of low-impact living and high-impact direct action, keep 3-10 August free and join us in Scotland to take direct action against the root causes of climate change and ecological collapse. This summer the struggle against a capitalist system intent on extinguishing life on the planet will hit the Firth of Forth!

What’s happening:

We’re going to set up camp somewhere around the Firth of Forth, a part of the central belt of Scotland littered with power stations, corporate HQs, gas and oil refineries, open cast coal mines, a nuclear power station and a cement factory. We want you to join us to hold the people and systems responsible for climate change to account.

The camp will focus on supporting groups of people taking action against a whole range of targets. If you’re coming with a group of friends that’s great – we’ll help you choose targets and actions, and if you’re coming alone there will be plenty of opportunity to meet other people to work and take action with.

The camp will have as low an ecological impact as possible so expect compost toilets, grey water systems and micro-renewable energy. There will be kitchens on site where campers will make three meals a day so there’s no need to bring any food or cooking equipment. Organised horizontally, the camp will provide lots of opportunities to get involved, be creative and practical and learn new skills. There will be workshops, discussions and opportunities to link up with other people, groups and campaigns.

We hope to work with and in solidarity with local communities and ongoing campaigns around the camp’s locality to build on what others are already doing and for the camp to have long-lasting positive impacts.

How to get there:

The location of the site will be announced just before the start of the camp – check here or phone the info number which will be available shortly before the 3rd for directions to the camp. If you’re coming by public transport get yourself to Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow Central train stations and be prepared to travel – info-points will tell you the train station to get to and how to get there. There will be shuttle buses from the nearest train station to the camp. If you can’t make all of the camp, just come along for a day, a weekend or whatever you can.

What to bring:

Camping gear – a tent, sleeping bag and mat, practical clothing and footwear. Be prepared for rain and sun. Banners and decorations to make our site beautiful and anything else that you would like to see. But most importantly, bring all of your friends!

We will also be asking for donations to cover costs of food and expenses for the camp. Suggested amounts will be made available closer to the time.

What not to bring:

It is possible that you will be searched by police on entering the site – penknives and anything that may be construed as a weapon is best left behind. You may also want to protect your personal details but remember, if you don’t bring a cash card, bring enough cash to cover your transport, food donations etc.

Know your rights!

Checkout the websites below for some advice on dealing with the police.
http://www.faslane365.org/en/legal
http://www.g8legalsupport.info/guide/

Up to date legal information and advice will be available at the camp.

Children:

Are most welcome and there will be a kids space that people will be able to volunteer for.

Dogs:

If you bring dog(s) please take responsibility for them. We ask that you keep them on a lead as there have been incidents at past camps that we’d prefer to avoid.

If you want more information or to get in touch email us on climatecampscotland@riseup.net

See you there!

Come to our next meeting!

Edinburgh, Wednesday 29th July, 12:00-16:00, Forest Cafe Action Room, 3 Bristo Place

in the meantime, get yourself down to Mainshill Solidarity Camp!
See: http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/

Mainshill Solidarity Camp

Get down to Mainshill Solidarity Camp as soon as you can, eviction is expected soon.
In the meantime watch the film and get inspired.

Film
Youtube “Mainshill solidarity camp”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG43wAy2RTY

Website
www.coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk

Map
Search for “Douglas, Lanarkshire” on Google maps
http://maps.google.co.uk/

Get down to Mainshill Solidarity Camp as soon as you can, eviction is expected soon.
In the meantime watch the film and get inspired.

Film
Youtube “Mainshill solidarity camp”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG43wAy2RTY

Website
www.coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk

Map
Search for “Douglas, Lanarkshire” on Google maps
http://maps.google.co.uk/

Come visit Faslane Peace Camp this summer (stay forever…)

it’s summer, come help stop the war machine!!

Has been a quiet summer so far up ere at peace camp. And we wondering where you all are? Got a few residents off doing other projects for a while, so some solidarity would be much appreciated. Even if you can only visit for a day or so. If you’ve not been before please visit. We can accommodate you, help with actions, protests or even just come to chill.

Weekly vigil every wed at 4pm outside north gate.

Work weekend coming soon.

01436820901

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Faslane Peace Camp is in dire need of people,

At the moment all residents except one are defending land elsewhere in the country the camp is being manned with only one resident who is quickly losing it!!

This is a call out for people to move here or visit as often as they can, we are afraid to say that if the camp stays practically empty for much longer we will have to close.

The main purpose as i can see it of the camp is to be a base for direct action against nuclear weapons and related issues, if the camp is not being used by peace activist for its intended purpose i see little point in lots of time and energy being spent.

The current peace campers are tired and unable to continue with the upkeep of the entire site without new energy. Please make your contribution to the 27 year old site, none of us want to see the end of such a historic place.

More broken promises and lies as the fight to save Mainshill Wood continues.

The threat from Scottish Coal is growing, just as the front line against new coal looks forward to its one month birthday (complete with picnic). So get down here! Its now or never!

The threat from Scottish Coal is growing, just as the front line against new coal looks forward to its one month birthday (complete with picnic). So get down here! Its now or never! The Mainshill Solidarity Camp is extremely grateful for the continuing support from the local community and will be celebrating its one month birthday on Sunday 19th July with a community picnic at 3pm to which everyone is welcome.

Local residents awoke on Monday morning to the news of yet another application for an extension at Poniel [1], a Scottish Coal mine in the Douglas Valley, something that communities had been assured would not happen, and which new planning policy guards against…

Poniel Open Cast Coal site, a few hundred metres away from Mainshill, will be extended by 100,000 tonnes over a six month period. This broken promise is yet another example of the disregard shown to communities and the environment in the pursuit of profit.

Across the valley at Mainshill, environmental devastation and disastrous health impacts will result from the open casting of the 350ha site to extract 1.7million tonnes of coal which will cause 4.98million tonnes [2] of carbon emissions when burnt, excluding the huge emissions released through the extraction process [3].

Rather than responding to the objections made against these plans, Douglas and Angus Estates and its owner Lord Home (currently being investigated for alleged fraud [4]) prefer instead to make unfounded allegations in a recent media statement against the Mainshill Solidarity Camp [5] and continue to deny communities, through sham consultation, of their health, self determination and environmental justice.

At the public hearing attended by several members of the camp who also live in the local community, only two of the 700 people who objected were allowed to speak against the proposal. To prevent the casting aside of these objections and to obstruct the work already begun on site, the occupation of Mainshill Woods through direct action has been undertaken in solidarity with the local community.

Preparatory work for the mine such as the tree felling and bore sample drilling work undertaken by Apex already has been glossed over by the Estate and contravenes 7 conditions of the planning approval regarding studies to ascertain the presence of certain endangered species such as badgers and bats, which the occupiers know to be present on site.

The Estate has misreported the unearthing of an 11KVA underground power cable accusing the Mainshill Solidarity Camp of almost causing a “major disaster”. It was in fact Apex and Scottish Coal who endangered the lives of those on site and the local community by driving heavy machinery over the shallowly buried and unmarked cable. Any heavy machinery could cause death to the occupiers since the site is now comprehensively defended with treehouses and tunnels.

The Estate and Scottish Coal’s persistent profiteering from coal has been defended with reference to carbon capture and storage technology, however even the industry says that CCS is 20 years away. Only a small percentage of emissions can be captured using CCS technology at present [6]. CCS is a smokescreen for mining new coal, and evades the dramatic reduction in consumption integrated with localised renewable solutions and collective community action which is required given current scientific consensus regarding climate change.

The communites which would suffer the environmental injustice and negative health impacts resulting from coal extraction should have control over their local environment. If the planning system continues to side with the coal industry, futher direct action will be the only reasonable response.

ENDS

For more information please see: http://mainshill.noflag.org.uk or phone
the site for interviews on 07806926040

Notes to Editors
[1]
http://www.douglascommunitycouncil.info/news.asp?intent=viewstory&newsid=18504
[2] Carbon combines with oxygen in the atmosphere during combustion,
producing carbon dioxide, with an atomic weight of (12 + 16 x 2 = 44
kg/kmol). The CO2 released to air for each kilogram of incinerated coal is
therefore 2.93kg.
[3] http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826520.100-capturing-carbon.html
[4]
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/coutts-bank-chairman-lord-home-named-carroll-trust-case-0
[5] The Mainshill Solidarity Camp has been occupying Mainshill Woods since
18/6/09 in order to resist Scottish Coal’s plans to develop a new open
cast coal mine.
[6] CorporateWatch Technofixes Report downloadable at
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3126

Mainshill Solidarity Camp latest

11th July 2009
We’ve made it to the weekend without being evicted and we’ve been rebuilding the defences which were dismantled by Scottish Coal and the police. We’ve been inventing new creative fortifications to dupe the cops and stop the destruction of Mainshill. The support from the local community has continued to be fantastic – we’d like to say a big thank you.

Now is the time to come to Mainshill – we need to be prepared for eviction and need more people to come and stay in our treehouses. Here are some pics from the last couple of days – there’s something for everyone!

Also, we’re celebrating our one month birthday on Sunday 19th July with another community picnic – all are welcome.

Scottish Coal break through barricades at Mainshill Solidarity Camp with support

8th July 2009
Scottish Coal break through barricades at Mainshill Solidarity Camp with support from Police

The residents of the Mainshill Solidarity Camp (1) were rudely awoken this morning at around 06.30am by members of Strathclyde police who forced their way on to the site. Local police, accompanied by the V division from Glasgow, representatives from Scottish Coal and Apex workers (2) entered the site using a JCB to demolish barricades that had been built by the occupiers. Flat-bed lorries were then brought on site in order to remove all machinery and property of Apex and Scottish Coal including two drilling rigs, a dump truck and two portacabins. More than 5 vans of police officers waited down the A70 to offer reinforcement.

The site near Douglas in South Lanarkshire is one of 20 new open cast coal mines to have been granted planning permission in Scotland, and the development of the Mainshill site will make South Lanarkshire one of the most heavily mined areas of Europe. Scottish Coal’s plans to mine 1.7 million tons of coal from Mainshill makes a mockery of the local community’s objections to the mine and the Scottish Government’s efforts to tackle climate change (3). Lord Home, the landowner who is set to make a tidy profit from the lease of is land to Scottish Coal, is currently being investigated by the FBI and UK authorities for fraud (4).

Anna Key of the camp said “Apex and Scottish Coal have taken this action because they realise that we’re here to stay. We have prevented Apex from undertaking bore sample drilling work for 3 weeks because this work is essential to the development of the mine which the local community does not want and which will have a devastating environmental impact. Coming onto site with such force demonstrates their desperation and the fact that we have been effective in preventing work from happening. They may have their machines but we’re staying here until we win.”

The use of heavy machinery by police this morning was highly irresponsible since tunnels have been dug which can be occupied to defend the site. Luckily nobody was hurt on this occasion but the Chief Inspector has agreed in principle to a safety meeting with the occupiers who have built up multiple defences including tree houses, walkways and nets in the trees. Nick Fuery one of the occupiers, said the camp was defiant: “We’ll be awaiting the arrival of the National Eviction Team by rebuilding barricades and digging in. The residents of Douglas deserve better than Scottish Coal’s plans for the area and we will continue to resist this environmental and social injustice alongside the community for as long as it takes.”

Update (18:15): Drilling has restarted on the site, with security and fencing around the rig. The Scottish coal technical director is endangering the lives of tunnellers. People still needed to come and stop the illegal work!

For interviews on site please ring: 07806926040
For more information please see www.mainshill.noflag.org.uk and http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/

Notes to Editors:

(1) The Mainshill Solidarity Camp has been occupying Mainshill Woods since 18/6/09 in order to resist Scottish Coal’s plans to develop a new open cast coal mine.
(2) Apex, a Wales-based company, has been contracted by Scottish Coal to carry out bore sample drilling work on the site in order to assess where the coal seams lie.
(3) The plans for Mainshill received over 700 formal objections by local residents from a population of 1000. These objections have been farcically dismissed and disregarded. Recent research suggests that mining coal using the open cast method may in fact produce even more carbon emissions than the burning of coal. See http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/?p=386
(4) See http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/?p=542 for more information about the allegations of fraud committed by Lord Home.

Mainshill Solidarity Camp Update: Final eviction notice issued, Lord Home investigated for fraud & tell Apex to stop drilling

Mainshill Solidarity Camp Updates:

The Camp was visited by a Sheriff Officer today who issued occupiers with a notice declaring that Scottish Coal and Douglas & Angus Estates have incurred substantial financial losses becuase of the occupation, and that if occupiers do not leave by 10:00am tomorrow (Tuesday 7th) morning they will be removed by force.

Mainshill Solidarity Camp Updates:

There is no indication as to when the eviction will begin, but the camp is preparing for it to start tomorrow, so we are calling for as many people as possible to come to the camp to defend it against any attempt by court bailiffs or police to evict the site!

Please join us, see http://mainshill.noflag.org.uk/ for directions.

The site is now well defended and the camp and local communities are as determined as ever that coal will not be mined here! Join us at the camp to build and dig, and support the community struggle against Scottish Coal and Lord Home. For directions, regular updates and more information go to: mainshill.noflag.org.uk

We want democracy, not corrupt aristocracy! Lord Home, the land owner, is being investigated by the FBI and Scotland Yard for fraud (http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/?p=542)

Tell Apex to stop drilling at Mainshill Wood (http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/?p=547)