UK Promoted Newswire Archive
Palestine Today 12 13 2010
13-12-2010 16:29
Sheffield Anti-Cuts Alliance: Communiqué No.1
12-12-2010 22:23
Please note that the Sheffield Anti-Cuts Alliance Steering Committee will have its first meeting on Tuesday 14th December at 7pm at the Trades & Labour Club on Talbot Street (downstairs room).
A Day for Shaker Aamer, 11 December 2010, Battersea
12-12-2010 21:04
Reclaim the Night 2010
12-12-2010 17:23
On Saturday 4th December over 150 women and children marched through the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, to fight against rape and sexual violence.
Reclaim the Night, also known as Take Back the Night, began in 1976 in Belgium and then a further 11 took place in the UK in 1977 in response to the "Ripper Murders" in Leeds. It has made a resurrgence in the last few years and there was one in Leeds in 2009 aswell.
Liverpool Cuts Demonstration
12-12-2010 13:22
A large demonstration against government spending cuts has taken place in
the city of Liverpool.
The event, organised by the Public Sector Alliance and Merseyside Trades Union Council, began at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
This Week in Palestine week 49 2010
11-12-2010 08:34
Guerrilla Orchestra - Birmingham musicians protest against cuts
10-12-2010 23:38
Dubstep rebellion - the British banlieue comes to Millbank
10-12-2010 10:22
Paul Mason is BBC Newsnight’s economics editor. His blog entry stands alone from the total mass of shit that the BBC came out with during their live broadcast where the running commentary and the images clearly were out of step. Mason really gets to grips with the composition and anger of yesterdays crowd. As was widely shown on TV yesterday in an interview with some young people, the kids doing most of the fighting back described themselves as 'coming from the slums of London'.A sad day for democracy
10-12-2010 04:59
police/media lies - student protest pics & report
10-12-2010 03:25
the unelected coalition defies public opinion and pushes through the cuts vote, tearing the lib-dem party into power-hungry leaders versus backbench rebels. the media and police spin on today's events has gone into overdrive to misrepresent the causes of violence and property damage. here are a few key alternatives to the mainstream lies, and some pics from the day.
the mainstream media cite a police claim that a route for the march was agreed, but that students broke away from it. as can be seen from the photos, after one of the marches set off from malet street, by the time it joined the thousands of students already filling trafalgar square, they found their route to parliament square blocked by lines of police and police horses. far from allowing the march through, whitehall was turned into an empty wasteland, and students, sensing a trap, ran into st james' park and round a back route to parliament square.
the protesters then arrived at parliament square where it had been agreed they could protest, but they came against boris's ridiculous fences. (these were put there supposedly while essential works repaired damage done by the 'democracy village' during the summer - they have remained for nearly six months, spoiling the public's enjoyment of this heritage square to a much greater extent than the democracy village ever did). also police had cordoned off all of the square at the front of parliament instead of simply putting lines in front of parliament itself. thus, police had made the area available to protest completely inadequate for the numbers expected.
so, tens of thousands of protestors arrived near parliament square, and found their democratic right to protest was again severely hampered by police who had already shown they cannot be trusted when they kettled so many peaceful protestors in whitehall just two weeks ago. most students could hardly even see parliament, as they were only allowed into the two side roads and the back of parliament square, and many couldn't even get in to the square.
the mainstream lie is that police used containment reluctantly as a final measure, but actually police horses were already deployed and cordons set up at the exits to the square before violence erupted at the front. police were allowing people in through the cordon, but warning them they would not be let out. some police at one cordon told people that those wanting to leave were being let out elsewhere. this turned out to be a lie, as each cordon was operating a policy of arbitrary detention of anyone that looked like a protestor.
some police on the victoria street cordon told me they were only letting out 'vulnerable' people, but then let through a well-dressed businessman who certainly didn't appear 'vulnerable'.
i asked whether, if for example they were ordered to only contain black people, they would consider that reasonable? missing the finer points of hypothetical argument one officer then called me a racist. this is why we need free education, so that idiots don't end up in uniform. the cop that said i was racist then excelled himself by telling a young greek girl that she should go home back to greece if she didn't like it here. you couldn't make it up!
as students became angry at once again being kettled in freezing conditions and having their rights trampled, some started to fight back. on victoria street, some protestors used a kettle-busting V formation of reinforced banners to try to force their way through the lines, and many burst through as the police lines gave way with the applied force (nice to see students using their physics to such practical use).
this use of a banner isn't particularly violent at all, generally pushing police out of the way and clearing a path to exit an unlawful imprisonment rather than lashing out or throwing objects. however, police replied by launching a frenzied attack on students wanting to get out of their arbitrary prison, and batons, fists and shields were used violently against students whose only offence was trying to run out of the cordon. i saw some bad injuries, and an arrest where someone was wrestled to the ground and repeatedly batoned, punched and kicked by thuggish cops.
suddenly police lines opened up to allow a charge into the crowd with police horses. this was highly dangerous as the police cordon was already squeezing the crowd so they had nowhwere to run from the galloping horses. protestors retaliated and also defended themselves, and one poor horse lost its rider and splayed around amongst the crowd before being calmed and led out. at the end of the day more than forty protestors have been injured, with nearly thirty taken to hospital by ambulance.
many mainstream news reports totally misrepresented the timeline of this process, claiming that police only cordoned the crowd after the scuffles and after a rider fell from a police horse. this is utterly untrue, but has pervaded the reports.
i did a little recce of the cordons, and at every one i was told people could go in but not be let out. at the top of whitehall, a sergeant told me his instructions were not to let anyone in at all, including accredited press. this is in direct violation of guidelines set by the ipcc investigations into the G20 kettles, which stated that press should always be allowed in and out of cordons unless there is serious immediate impending danger of violence. since the whitehall cordon was nowhere near the protests, it is hard to see this as anything other than a direct defiance of those guidelines.
outside the cordon at westminster bridge, UCU had an authorised campaign-bus across the road at the embankment, and there were speeches and music there. a crowd of several hundred protestors listened as the vote was announced shortly after 5.30, and they erupted angrily when they heard the cuts were intact. one of the speakers, alan whittaker, the president of the UCU, then started telling the crowd that 'we've done all we could, and now we want everyone to go home along the embankment to avoid confrontation'.
the response to this was amazing, a true grassroots awakening, and an anger at the impotence of elected leaders. easily half the crowd started shouting at mr whittaker, and he and sally hunt, gen secretary, looked visibly shaken by the response. a group at the front then pushed through lines of event security stewerds. predictably, these hired thugs (from SFM security) started lashing out, but were soon overpowered and stepped back. i asked their boss on what basis they were attacking and preventing people walking along the street - he replied they'd been told to by police.
confronted by an impenetrable wall of riot police and dozens of closely parked vans on the approach to parliament square, this crowd of hundreds then walked back round the embankment and again tried to break through police lines on whitehall. remember, this was an attempt at solidarity, these students weren't trying to break out of a kettle, they were actually trying to join the protests in parliament square, to go into the kettle in solidarity with others.
given there was a publicised candlelit vigil at 7pm and many people were arriving after work to show support for the students, any claim by the police that they were trying to facilitate lawful protest must evaporate in a puff of media lies. police swept up whitehall and baton charged groups of people to clear the area and scare off any peaceful protestors.
around this time, some people were finally being allowed out of the square, having been held without food, drink or toilet facilities for some six hours. as they left they were all individually photographed for the questionable police database of protestors.
with all the repression of the day, and with palpable anger that the vote had gone through, protestors gathered in trafalgar square, and a small group tried to symbolically set fire to the xmas tree there. as the base of the tree burst into flames, riot police charged across the square to clear it and the fire was extinguished.
others moved up to oxford street and targetted corporations that are known to owe huge amounts (billions of pounds) of tax while their tory friends turn a blind eye. mainstream media coverage of the attacks on phillip green's 'topshop' chain, blamed violence, thuggery, and mob mentality, without once mentioning the issue of taxes owed.
on regent street a group of students chanced upon prince charles and camilla and damaged their car. this will be the main headline in the morning's papers as the mainstream goes into overdrive protecting this archane privileged and nonsensical family who are collectively the biggest welfare benefit scroungers ever known.
perhaps this was a little taster for the royal charade of a wedding next year, when even more people realise just how shafted we're all going to be by ideological and political cuts aimed at the poorest, while the rich and privileged carry on business as normal.
meanwhile, the thousand or more penned in parliament square inevitably turn to property destruction in their frustration at having their voices so repressed and unheard. they attack the two nearest buildings, left unprotected by police, the supreme court, and the treasury.
the square was finally cleared by a brutal push of ranks of riot police, and demonstrators were moved to the freezing middle of westminster bridge, and then finally released late in the evening as FIT teams 'processed' them all, taking photos of everyone as they were allowed to leave to the south of the river.
the breakdown of law and order on the streets of london can hardly be helped by the widespread lawless attitude of officers. when i was told to move away while trying to document a stop and search of some young asian lads, i explained to the police that i was only trying to make sure that they upheld the law. his reply? "we ARE the law".
meanwhile on sky news, reporter 'kay burley' gaffed by calling the students "insurgents". mark thomas made the point eloquently that this wasn't quite as outrageous as calling herself a 'journalist'.
European Calling: It Is Just the Beginning!
10-12-2010 01:22
…You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows: occupation of universities everywhere in Europe, blockage of the cities, manif sauvage, rage. This is the answer of a generation to whom they want to cut the future with debts for studying, cuts of welfare state and increasing of tuition fees.
The determination of thousand of students in London, the rage of who assault the Italian Senate house against the austerity and the education cuts, has opened the present time: this is because the future is something to gain that start when you decide collectively to take risk and to struggle.
The extraordinary struggles that we are living have the capacity to show a present with an intensity that exceed the linearity of the time, that refuse our precarity condition: it is an assault to the future!
We don’t want to get into debt, we don’t want to pay more fees to study in London as well as in Paris, Wien, Rome, Athens, Madrid, Dublin, Lisbon. This European movement is about refusing austerity policies, refusing to get into debt for these miserable politicians. Que se vayan todos!
What is happening nowadays in Rome first spread out in Athens and Paris, then in Dublin and London: it is the irruption of a movement who speaks a common language, the same young generation in revolt, who inhabits different cities but shares the same determination to struggle, «floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee».
We have to meet each other and invent a new political grammar against the weakness of the Nation-state and their strategy to face the crisis: their receipt is just austerity, cuts and debt.
In Italy we have occupied not only universities, but also blocked motorways and the mobility of the country in order to circulate struggles outside the national borders and coming in Europe and beyond. The circulation of struggles is living within the Book Block and the wild demonstration in London, Paris and Rome.
This autumn we are living a real European student movement, that is various and radical, really heterogeneous. Its common reclaim comes from a protest that is born in the middle of the crisis, and that represents the most courageous answer. It is a struggle composed by different struggles, heterogeneous temporalities that reclaim more scholarships for student and a public university for everyone.
Within the book block a new generation recognized and found itself in the protest. Today in lots of cities the Italian student movement is showing something more than just solidarity: this is because your struggle is our struggle and all around Europe students are against the increasing of fees, the privatisation of the university and the education cuts. You are not alone in UK: an European event, a new generation do not want to stop. We have the force whom want to change the world and we have the intelligence to do it. It is just the beginning!
We propose to students, researchers, precarious workers and PhD students to build up together an European meeting at the beginning of the 2011, to continue the struggle, to transform this wind in a tempest!
Uniriot Roma, Anomalia Sapienza
>> more info: www.uniriot.org
Ratcliffe Trial Day 11 Defence Concludes its Case
09-12-2010 22:27
8 December 2010
Mr Rees for the defence says that there will be no more ‘live’ evidence presented.
A number of expert reports, summaries on previous evidence, and written submissions are read to the jury. These are presented in some detail with a view to demonstrate the effects and advance of climate change. Reference being made to the effects on the atmosphere, oceans and the ecosphere at large. The consequences are inferred and reported on human health, on populations and migrations. Reference is further made to many of the climate effect to be expected, here in Nottinghamshire.
Additional witness statements are read to the jury. The Judge directs them that they should be treated with the same weight as if they had been calling in person to court and that they were under oath.
These include more expert evidence on climate change effects. A rather frightening statement from a resident of Boscastle in Cornwall. In 2004 the site of one of the worst [and sudden] floods in recent history. A prime example of a ‘concentrated precipitation events’ previously referred to as becoming more likely by Dr. Geoff Meaden. There were other statement from people who had personal experiences and suffered other extreme weather event in the UK and the effects on their lives at the time and since.
Concluding this section of the evidence, there was a statement from a resident of the Tuvalu Islands in the Pacific, these are loosing land to the ocean rather rapidly, and describing their environmental alarm and the effects on their lives, society’s cohesion and their economy. Then another statement is read from a resident of Tamil Nadu, India. He describes the impact of coastal erosion and influence on his livelihood as fishing declines.
The court rises early. Closing speeches will be started tomorrow
The case continues …. And is now in closing stages ….
Environment Agency Boscastle Flood Findings
http://www.boscastlecornwall.org.uk/Regenminutes/regenfindings.htm
Tuvalu Islands
http://www.tuvaluislands.com
Tuvalu and Global Warming
http://www.tuvaluislands.com/warming.htm
Tamil Nadu : Global warming, climate change pose threat to coral reefs in Gulf of Mannar
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article419957.ece
++
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Conspiracy Trial Begins [Feature]
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/701
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe conspiracy to trespass trial opens today
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/693
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 2 - Prosecution’s Opening
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/702
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 3 - Prosecution case continues
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/710
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial: Prosecution Opens [Feature 2]
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/714
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 4 - Prosecution case concludes
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/716
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 5 – Defence case opens
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/735
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 6 – The Defence Continues
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/744
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 7 ‘Snowed off’
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 8 – Defence Calls MP's
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/765
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 9 – Defence Calls More Experts
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/786
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 10 – Defence Calls more Defendants
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/788
Ratcliffe on Trial Blog http://ratcliffeontrial.org/blog
Onwards ... >
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>
Palestine Today 12 09 2010
09-12-2010 16:38
Book Bloc comes to London
09-12-2010 15:22
Inspired by and in solidarity with the Italian protesters in Rome, and all those fighting austerity cuts
The Book Bloc joins the student and public sector workers' protest to affirm and defend what is under attack: Our universities and public libraries, literacy, thought, culture and jobs. In the past few weeks our attempts to do so peacefully have been met by police with batons, riot shields and horses. These are not isolated incidents of brutality but part of a system of institutional violence. By bringing books into the streets we are drawing attention to the violence at the heart of the neo-liberal ideology of the Con-Dem government.
When the police kettle us, baton us or charge us we will not only see police violence against individuals but the state's violence against free thought, expression and education.
Books are our tools – we teach with them, we learn with them, we play with them, we create with them, we make love with them and, sometimes, we must fight with them.
Book Bloc
Exeter University occupation
09-12-2010 01:53
Ratcliffe Day 10 – Defence calls more Defendants
09-12-2010 01:23
7 December 2010
The defence continued their case. Mr Rees called a further two defendants to the witness box.
LH is a marine biologist. She described how she had observed dying coral reefs in the Middle East and Australia; this is, she says, undoubtedly due to ocean acidification and warmer water as a result of increased carbon emissions. This has a devastating effect on the eco-systems which rely on the coral reefs, as well as the local economy.
She described her energy and climate outreach work with Greenpeace in Australia and other organisations in the UK, educating the ‘ordinary members of the public’ that the prosecution repeatedly had claimed that defendants had not adequately engaged with and ‘abandoned’ in favour of the secret direct action that they had done, to close down the power station.
Her main role in the action was to be one of the lead climbers in the Green team, whose task it was to ascend the chimney of Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station. Her extensive and professionally recognised climbing experience gave her confidence that all safety procedures were in place for that part of the action.
Cross-examined by the prosecution, Miss Gerry, continued to ask why, instead of educating people, LH had supposedly avoided taking steps to educate the general public. She responded that it wasn’t an ‘either/or’ – it was truly possible to continue education at the same time as planning an action, of which the sole purpose was to stop carbon emissions. [Ratcliffe Blog]
++
Mr Rees calls the next defendant Mr BS. He was initially asked by the defence to respond to a number of the prosecution’s queries in her initial opening statement about whether defendants had spoken to civil society groups like the Women’s Institute in order to raise awareness of climate change. BS was able to state that he had in fact worked with the Women’s Institute, along with a number of other charitable organisations and unions, in order to raise awareness of climate change for the UN climate summit in Nairobi 2006.
When asked why he had decided to take part in the Ratcliffe action, BS said that the World Health Organisation report estimating that 150,000 people die per year due to the effects of climate change. For him, this is a human rights issue; cheap fuel is used to cut corners saying “it’s too expensive [for energy companies and governments] not to let these people die.”
He continued to explain using Dr. Jim Hansen’s statistic that a species is made extinct every 6 weeks due to climate change. Looking at the jury, BS asserted that “we don’t have the right to eradicate species our kids will never see.”
After lunch BS is recalled, to continue his evidence. Turning to the press release, he’s asked what it’s primary purpose was? Although the main objective of the action was to cut CO2 emissions, he thinks that it’s likely that there would be a lot of media interest. It would probably be a main story. He had been responsible for earlier drafts of the press release and included much about climate change issues at large.
The content was a ‘work in progress’ and had to be edited further to take all the participant views into account. It needed to be a democratic document. Reference is made to E-on building a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth and peoples opposition to this. E-on had pulled out of the project and carbon capture there due to escalating cost of compliance with government conditions.
He agreed he was a press officer for the enterprise and part of the Green team intending to climb the chimney.
Cross-Examining Miss Gerry says, in climbing the chimney, climbers would go up first with photographer, video cameraman and media liaison [him up next]. Taking him through the list of equipment he had with him including camcorder and the microwave downlink with compass. He agreed that this was all his. She that went on to conclude that the object of the action was thus clearly a media stunt. Nothing to do with emissions and necessity action at all, was it? BS says he wanted to film the progress of the action, to illustrate its non violent nature. He thought this might have been necessary and useful, since at an earlier Climate Camp at Kingsnorth power Startion, Vernon Coaker MP a Home Office Minister at the time had alleged violence against the police by those in attendance in the vicinity of the camp. On a later investigation, it turned out that police injuries had turned out to include a graze shine, when climbing a fence, toothache and bee stings etc. He was interested in gathering evidence in case of other such untruths. The downlink provided a means of transmitting the information ahead of any confiscation by the police.
Minister Vernon Coaker apologises for misleading MPs over police injuries
Home Office minister says sorry to parliament after Guardian reveals most police injuries from climate protest were from insects or heat
John Vidal, environment editor
Monday 15 December 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/dec/15/greenpolitics-police
Moving on to the press release, again, BS agrees he was involved. She takes him through it again, to the passage including reference to the section about Ed Miliband MP the then Energy Secretary. The object was to put pressure on the minister? He say his object was mainly to prevent emissions from this power station.
Miss Gerry continues to suggest that this was part of a campaign against E-on. But he says Ratcliffe is the 2nd most polluting power station in the UK and if it was owned by another company, then that would have been a stated objective. It doesn’t matter who owned it.
Yet again, he has to tell Miss Gerry as she continues to suggest this was a media stunt, that [as all the times before] that the needs for action are immediate and this opportunity was taken to reduce such a large amount of emissions that could not be achieved by any other means. He had been to Copenhagen and was very disillusioned at the complete lack of progress and continues to feel that immediate action is required.
As ever Miss Gerry asserted that instead of the action, BS and other defendants should have considered other action to ‘get the message across’, such as a slogan or illustration of ‘the earth wrapped in a blanket’, to get the attention of the masses. BS refuted this, stating that there was no slogan which would stop 150,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. He pointed out that the easily understandable image of the earth wrapped in a blanket, getting hotter, was used by Hansen in Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, a film that attracted millions of viewers, won Oscars, but has failed to contribute significantly to emissions reduction. Global emissions of CO2 continue to rise, as BS pointed out.
His evidence summed up the experiences he had, as a climate change campaigner, which led him to decide to circumvent the more conventional channels in which he has been involved for over a decade.
The trial continues … progresses and continues a bit more …
++
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Conspiracy Trial Begins [Feature]
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/701
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe conspiracy to trespass trial opens today
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/693
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 2 - Prosecution’s Opening
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/702
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 3 - Prosecution case continues
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/710
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial: Prosecution Opens [Feature 2]
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/714
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 4 - Prosecution case concludes
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/716
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 5 – Defence case opens
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/735
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 6 – The Defence Continues
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/744
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 7 ‘Snowed off’
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 8 – Defence Calls MP's
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/765
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 9 – Defence Calls More Experts
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/786
Ratcliffe on Trial Blog http://ratcliffeontrial.org/blog
Onwards ... >
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>
Tuition Fees Protestors invade Cambridge shopping malls
08-12-2010 21:52
Manchester Airport protesters found guilty but vow to fight on
08-12-2010 20:50
Ratcliffe Trial Day 9 – Defence Calls More Experts
08-12-2010 20:23
6 December 2010
Mr Rees for the defences calls Prof. Ian Roberts. He is Professor of Epidemiology and Public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Widely published and contributed to issues on health issues and debates worldwide. Active research interests in the links between fossil fuel energy use, climate change and human health, contributing work to the World Health Organization WHO.
Accumulating scientific evidence suggests that man made climate change, primarily resulting from the burning of fossil fuels, has had and will continue to have serious adverse effects on the health of human populations.
Asked about his health estimates of what are the consequences of global climate change, he says in 2000 150,000 years of life lost, a measure of premature deaths each year due to such changes. Together with 5.5 million disability adjusted life years because of injury, disability and incapacity. Taken together, these amount to a generic measure of human suffering. These measures are certain to increase, evidenced by the clearly increased incidence of diseases aggravated by climate change.
When trying to understand the evidence, a first step would be to make a classification of diseases that are sensitive to climate change can be divided thus:
• Malnutrition
• Diarrhoea
• Deaths due to flooding
• Drought and its consequences
• Temperature related Cardio-vascular diseases
Dr Roberts mentions the difficulty in predicting extremes. Pointing to the European heatwave of 2003 that directly resulted in 70,000 excess deaths in France.
The second step involves estimating from the science literature how changes in climate factors, influence the occurrence of disease. There is much uncertainty here, taking into account the surprises of extreme events [like 2003] probably resulting in vastly underestimating the consequences.
The third step involves making estimates of the effects of man made greenhouse gases on human health. Again, hardly an exact science, but the links between climate changes and food production, air and water quality and hence human health have all strengthened.
These global changes are resulting in mass migrations of people, the consequences of which are directly leading to lack of food, shelter and water. Land areas are being rendered uninhabitable and such mass migrations are leading to war and conflict, all clearly detrimental to populations’ health.
Dr Roberts continues that climate changes are leading to higher incidents of diarrhea, bacterial and viral infections, food poisonings and malaria. As global temperatures have increased, the spread of cover for malaria gets wider. All accentuated further by extreme weather events. The effects on food yields are already apparent, and that they have a disproportionate effect on those areas that are already suffering food insecurities.
Population migrations due to sea level rises are on the increase . For example, look at the pressures on Bangladesh and Pacific island populations. Migrations and food riots leading to violence, obviously has health implication for personal injuries and death.
Moving onto a short discussion about bio-fuels. Plant crops grown to produce ethanol fuels for both vehicles and power stations. The priorities in land use for these over previous crop growing has a direct effect on food prices and is leading to crop displacements. Problems occur in eco-systems if species can’t adapt to new conditions, leading to life distress. Many species of plants and animals cannot adapt to the unprecedented rapidity of man made climate change. It can be expected to find effects such as species extinction occurring and in a worst case the eco-systems complete collapse on which life and human existence depends.
Many species have areas of presence and timing. For example it matters when plants flower and the availability of insects of the right sorts to enable pollination to be effected. Thus, concern about the interdependence of species and their actions, within the ‘web of life’.
Concluding, Dr Roberts says that there is a public health imperative in reducing and in fact stopping, CO2 emissions. There is in fact a public health emergency and we are sleepwalking into disaster. There is and will be much increase in interpersonal violence: a generation genocide.
Miss Gerry for the prosecution cross-examines. She has no dispute about Dr Roberts evidence. She asks in relation to public health emergencies .. what do you do about it? He says he publishes research, he teaches and continues research on energy use and influences on human health. She seeks to get him to explain how to go about changing public attitudes. He again says research and publishing, explains these concerns to the media, Lancet etc. The dissemination of information to raise the public awareness.
Dr Ian Roberts, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/profiles/roberts.html
Mr Rees calls his second witness today, one of the defendants Mr BD
By way of introduction, says he’s had involvements with various climate issue related charities. Has been a volunteer researcher for Greenpeace. Since 2005 has been doing some research of human impacts on climate changes and their effects. An obvious example being regions like Darfur and its associated water stress.
Mr Rees [in dealing with prosecution continued accusations], what efforts at public engagement has BD had previously made? He replies he has made talks to a variety of groups including,
• Rotary club
• 6th Form groups
• Christian Youth Groups
• Factories
• Parish council within Oxfordshire
• Vale of White Horse District Council organised meeting, inviting his local MP Ed Vaizey and the Manager of the Didcot power Station.
Moving onto the intended action, why did you go? BD replies that he was aware in 2009 of the lack of agreement being achieved at Copenhagen. The collapse of any post-Kyoto agreements. Thus he wanted to take part in some direct action himself to prevent coal-fired emissions because it did not seem to be happening by any other means. He became involved in the action from around January 2009. Initially the group only consisted of 5 people but within weeks has grown to over 100. BD say he was much involved in the planning of these operations. Safety being a prime consideration. He helped to shop for essential equipment. Produced documents already discussed in evidence.
Mr Rees goes to the 'Environment Show Stoppers' leaflet. Agreeing that it was a sham, BD says he designed and printed this. It contained directions and preparations for the action. He also helped with the 'Important notice for those working at the power station' leaflet. Distributed to all involved in the action. Included within this is mention of the required transition to a low carbon future. Reassuring existing staff about job creation in ‘green industries’. Not just about wrecking their prospects for those already employed. BD say he had also dealt with the ‘operational plan’, distributed to the Green team, whose task it was to ascend the chimney and to safely deal with all eventualities.
BD had been involved in briefings at the Iona School to help and ensure a ‘safe and effective’ action. He added that it was a condition of those taking part that no violence would be shown to police in attendance or to power station staff.
Turning to the mobile phones, discovered at the School during the police raid, he agreed he had been involved with their organisation, adding relevant numbers and labels to ensure the right groups got the right phone. To explain which phones were for what purposes.
Miss Gerry rises for cross-examination. BD, if you took the trouble to engage with meeting in Oxfordshire, why didn’t you do this in Nottinghamshire? He replies that in this instance, out purpose was to simply stop CO2 emissions at Ratcliffe. He adds that his efforts in Oxfordshire, had been in a more optimistic time. She continues with the notion that without public meetings in Nottinghamshire, he could have had no idea on what the effects of organising the action could be [thus still suggesting irresponsibility].
BD had made ‘no comment’ during interviews with the police. She says that you knew that police would have to respond, hence publicity for your action was intended for after your arrival. Thus, all was secret before. You could have said to police much of what we have learned during this trial. People of Nottinghamshire should have been informed through public meetings if you wanted to act responsibly. BD says that the object of this exercise was to reduce carbon emissions from the 2nd largest coal-fired power station in the UK, Drax being the biggest. It was owned by E-on, but that was a secondary concern.
Miss Gerry says, but you made no effort to thing of reasonable alternatives? He says but this action was reasonable. I say you made no investigations on what else could have been done in Nottinghamshire. He again disagrees saying much else had been done, but those at this action and many people in this locality for years previously.
Miss Gerry sits down very abruptly, without further acknowledgement. To all, it’s not obvious she’d finished!
Mr Rees re-examines: You’ve just been sneered at! That criticism, was any of that fair? BD says no, it wasn’t. We and others had tried at every stage to stop substantial CO2 emissions and had also taken other alternative actions and public engagements.
Witness is excused and court adjourns
After lunch, Mr Rees calls Dr Geoffrey Meaden now retired, recently been Principle Lecturer in the Department of Geographical and Life Science at Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent. Additionally, he provides consultancy to the United Nations. His specialties are specifically:
• Biogeography – The study of the distribution of plants and animals around the planet.
• Local physically geography of Kent, including coastal geography and water supplies in the region.
• Geographical Information Systems [GIS]. Computer based mapping and analysis. Helpful in siting a variety of service and systems.
He says that there is an increasing body of evidence, backed by the Royal Society, to suggest that the world temperatures are significantly raised compared with the last 10,000 years. More recent rises are unprecedented in history. Mr Rees says it cold outside, more snow and ice for a November in more than 70 years, can you help the jury [and the rest of us] why this is so if the planet is getting hotter? Dr Meaden, I’m glad you asked me that The current difference between sea and land temperatures are quite exaggerated, at the moment there is much evaporation. This results when passing over colder lands, tuning to snow. The point of this current weather forecast is of course to illustrate that climate change and weather are two different things. Throughout seasons and years, we have allsorts of changes up and down a scale, but implied by the average trend, the planet is warming.
The use of coal is growing on a world-wide scale and now contributes about 40% of power generation and about 20% of the total carbon emissions.
There are a number of climate change indicators that help us qualify observations we’re looking at:
1. Greenhouse gas emissions rising exponentially
2. Generally increasing temperatures in 85% of the earth
3. Drought heat waves & forest fires becoming more frequent
4. Rainfall concentrated precipitation events
5. Severe storm events rise in energy within storms
6. Sea temperatures increasing, but far more recently
7. Ocean acidification killing plankton base of marine web
8. Sea level rise increasing & more rapidly recently
9. Polar ice cover 25% reduction of arctic in 30 years
10. Melting of glaciers 30% loss in volume in 40 years
11. Day of snow [or ice] cover Ski resorts season shortened
12. Total length of growing season increase can be both pos & neg
13. Earlier leafing or flowering can affect species feeding patterns
14. Species migrations changes in animal migration habits
15. Increased human mortality cover this in Dr Roberts evidence
During this listing, in noted Dr. Meaden said increasing or exponential rise and increase, lots.
Mr Rees then takes him onto the effects of climate change on sea levels. As far as the UK is concerned, a rise of 1cm per year had been observed but this is increasing exponentially.
More locally, the Ratcliffe power station is located close to the confluence of the River Trent and River Soar. There are several characteristics of the Trent basin making it particularly susceptible to flooding. Area has impervious rock structures. Further, there are large areas of urbanised towns and cities. Again, these provide for larger areas of impervious structures from which vast amounts of ‘run off’ could be expected, rather than ground absorption.
Nottingham and area can expect that flooding will occur more frequently and such events will become more severe and problematic. A 1 in 100 year event, might result in 40% of the city flooded. We might not have to wait for 100 years for such an event, it might be next year or quite soon. It is becoming more likely because of the rise in urbanisation, building on flood plains etc
Climate is moving to warmer summers and very wet winters that may include what I’ve called ‘concentrated precipitation events’. These are likely to lead to severe flooding and more likely in prevalence. Insurance figures are showing these trends. Flood defences are become more vital, but are going to be progressively more expensive to build or maintain as the heights required to deal with become progressively higher. As I said ocean level rises are accelerating.
The coast of Britain has a ‘shoreline management plan’. Drawn up by local authorities and the Environment Agency and reviewed every couple of years. But priorities have to be made in which areas are to be chosen for protection. Urban over rural etc .. But, loosing increasing areas of low lying farmland would thus result in diminishing food production.
Miss Gerry cross-examines. Has anyone of the defendants in the dock asked you to come to Nottingham before. No. She then says what if the UK took measures to ‘go-eco’, what would that do to global changes you’ve described. Not very much!
Dr. Geoff Meaden Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent
http://kentgreenparty.org/geoffmeaden.php
Later in the afternoon, Mr Rees for the defence now calls another of the defendants to the witness box. Mr OB. He has a doctorate in Prehistoric Landscape Archaeology. He say he first became concerted around 86-87 about climate change matters. His concern had been enlarged on reading ‘Heat; How to stop the Planet Burning’ – George Monbiot [2006],
Mr Rees says dealing with the prosecution usual suggestion that no emissions would have been saved by the action, it this true. No he says, the book describes the slack and spare capacity inherent in the grid. Its resilience in fact. When the power stations manager, Mr Raymond Smith said that other stations might have been fired up to replace Ratcliffe loss in generation, these would also produce emissions. But coal-burning stations provides the baseline of supply in the UK, since the fuel is cheaper. Replacements would thus most probably come from gas-fired stations, since the coal-fired ones would already be online and generating.
Mr Rees asks what would your action have achieved? OB says a quantifiable amount of CO2 emissions would have been prevented by stopping the burning of coat at the Ratcliffe power station. The Stern Report says that every ton of CO2 emitted has a knock-on effect. It equates to a measureable cost and effect on lives lost.
With respect to this specific action, OB say he had first been involved from about March 2009 on hearing of the plan to try to shut down the plant. Convinced it would offer him the best chance of reducing emissions personally. Mr Rees reminds the court that the prosecution suggests the whole thing was a bit of a jolly! No, certainly not. This was very serious.
OB says he’s been a climber for about 10 years. He is skilled in ‘single rope’ techniques. Was part of the ‘black team’, the object of which was to shut down the coal conveyor. People would have pressed the emergency stop buttons and locked-on to the plant there through the arm-tubes. These would have prevented their easy removal. As a climber, he would have been suspended in a position to prevent the operation of the coal conveyor and again to make their removal harder.
The climbing harness is displayed to the jury and OB makes quite a lengthy explanation of its operation, components and purpose. Much of which was about the safety features in the equipment to avoid injury during the action.
Miss Gerry for the prosecution cross-examines. She asks about the purpose of being there? OB replies the same as all the other defendants, to do his best to save emissions from the power station. She says the banners you had with you were all about coal. The people of Nottingham are not shown any alternatives are they?
Moving on to a publication, she initially asks if an address in Cherwell Street, Oxford means anything to him. Yes it’s the offices of Corporate Watch. Did you author a report from there called ‘Broken Promises: why the nuclear industry wont deliver’. She is seeking to demonstrate OB media experience, since there previously been much questioning of others about the press release, prepared ahead of the action. Although he replies his was a minor role in the Corporate Watch publication, Mr Rees objects, since this appeared to be a ‘back-door method’ of introducing the document. He had been ambushed. This had not been initially disclosed to the defence. There was then a bit of legal argument, but the prosecution say that nothing is outstanding to be introduced.
Miss Gerry goes back to the events. This action wasn’t about saving carbon was it, It was just a media stunt? OB says no, it wasn’t. That because of the scale and immediacy of the situation, we need to take action on CO2 emission right now. She questions if he had tried canvasing the public on these issues. He said he had, but had seen the limitations of such a process. Next to the scale of the present situation, it could be nowhere near as effective in stopping these emissions.
‘Heat; How to stop the Planet Burning’ – George Monbiot 2006, Penguin Press
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2006/11/07/heat
‘Broken Promises: why the nuclear industry wont deliver’. Corporate Watch 2007
http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=2968
++
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Conspiracy Trial Begins [Feature]
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/701
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe conspiracy to trespass trial opens today
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/693
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 2 - Prosecution’s Opening
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/702
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 3 - Prosecution case continues
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/710
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial: Prosecution Opens [Feature 2]
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/714
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 4 - Prosecution case concludes
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/716
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 5 – Defence case opens
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/735
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 6 – The Defence Continues
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/744
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 7 ‘Snowed off’
2010 Nottingham Ratcliffe Trial Day 8 – Defence Calls MP's
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/765
Ratcliffe on Trial Blog http://ratcliffeontrial.org/blog
Onwards ... >
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>
Day 11 - Defence Case wrapped up
08-12-2010 18:23
Taken from: http://ratcliffeontrial.org/2010/12/day-11-defence-case-wrapped-up/
Today saw the wrapping up of the defence's case. With the last defendant to speak giving their evidence yesterday, today saw the reading of lots of gripping material the prosecution did not seek to challenge.
Many seminal reports were quoted, such as the 2003 World Health Organisation Report that pointed out how climate change was responsible for 2.4% of worldwide diarrhoea in 2000. Also quoted was the 2006 Stern Review, commissioned by then Chancellor Gordon Brown. The report, authored by a former Chief Economist of the World Bank, exposed that each tonne of carbon was responsible for around £50 of social damage.
Written evidence from expert witnesses was also heard, such as Professor of population health Anthony McMichael, who wrote about the multiplicity of health problems climate induced disasters can provoke. He explained how cyclones, such as those seen in Haiti and Myanmar, kill, maim, impoverish, and have a major impact on mental health. Meanwhile biodiversity expert Christopher Vaughan explained how 10% of species are are at high risk of instinction for every 1 degree celcius rise in global mean temperature.
Extensive agreed facts were also delivered to the jury about the impacts on the local population of the East Midlands. DEFRA predictions reveal that if we continue to discharge large amounts of carbon emissions average summer temperatures in the East Midlands will rise by 4.4 degrees celcius. Meanwhile, a report published by Nottinghamshire County Council revealed there had been several severe weather events in the county in the past decade, citing incidents of extreme flooding, snow, and gales. The defence counsel explained the huge impacts the events continue to have on public services, costing the millions of pounds.
The most poignant evidence of the day came in the form of personal testimonies from individuals who had personally been affected by the effects of climate change. Three came from homeowners in the UK, who explained the devastating impacts flooding had on their financial situations, physical and mental health. They testified their belief the situation was getting worse and worse as climate change kicks in. A further testimony came from individuals in the low-lying Tuvula islands, who explained that climate change was not only causes mass flooding, but also that destruction of coral reefs was destroying their fisheries.
It was set out to the jury that Ratcliffe on Soar power station emits almost 10,000,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Tomorrow, the prosecution and defence will give their closing speeches, and the judge is expected to begin summing up.