Nottinghamshire Climate Chaos Feature Archive

Update: 03/08/2008 - Although the court has ordered an eviction of the squat, it is still there! Come and support! Read this feature article for more info: Derbyshire Opencast Mine Squatters: Eviction Imminent

On 18th June, climate campaigners from ‘Leave it in the Ground’ occupied the UK Coal’s Lodge House site in Derbyshire by barricading themselves in a disused farm building and taken to the trees on the site of the open cast mine.

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

Callout: Open Cast Coal site request for help

Newswire: Anniversary of the first week at Shipley Bodge | A visit to the Opencast Squat (photos) | Shipley Bodge squatted coal site recieves papers | Lodge House open cast mine site occupied | Climate change protestors occupy Derbyshire open cast site | Noise Demo at UK Coal Head Office Protest

Recent Features: Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted | Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site

Links: Leave It In The Ground | Campaign Blog | Earth First UK | No Opencast! article in Do or Die | UK Coal | Greenpeace on Coal | Notts Indymedia Ecology topic page

Around 70 people had set of to travel on a bank holiday Monday which is no easy task as public transport has a natural tendency not to run or has a limited service on bank holidays, for a picnic in a remote part of Derbyshire. The weather reports had all predicted thundery showers for the day, which seems to be normal for a bank holiday outing, but this did not seem to deter the people who had gathered at the visitors centre at Shipley Country Park, Heanor Derbyshire.

The event had been organised by a new campaign group called Leave it in the Ground and Earth First! to oppose new and existing open cast mining in the UK and solidarity to international groups who are having their lives and land trashed in places like Phulbari, Bangladesh by British company GMC Resources PLC.

Upcoming: Noise demo against imminent open cast coal mine 9th June

Audio: as featured in #5 the June Show ~ Riseup! Radio

Newswire: Leave it in the Ground’s Picnic in the Park trespass report | Trespassers oppose coal mine plan | Leave it in the Ground! - 26th May open-cast coal mass trespass and picnic | New website: Leave it in the Ground

Links: Leave It In The Ground | Campaign Blog | Earth First UK | Phulbari Resistance, Bangladesh | No Opencast! article in Do or Die | UK Coal | GMC Resources PLC | Notts Indymedia Ecology topic page

A coal mining firm is considering reopening a pit in Nottinghamshire which could be the deepest in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. According to the BBC, Doncaster-based UK Coal are looking at reopening the Harnworth pit which closed in 2006. The pit is likely to reopen later this year, and could, they claim, create 400 jobs, although production would not actually be restarted for a further three years. Studies are being carried out at the moment, but the company believes there could be as much as 40 million tons of coal available at the pit.

Related audio: Report from action at another proposed new coal mining site featured in #5 the June Show ~ Riseup! Radio

Previously on the newswire: Power firm's 465 deaths boost | New Coal Power Station for Notts?

Links: Camp for Climate Action | Climate IMC | The Coal Hole | Eastside Climate Action | Network for Climate Action

Activists from Rising Tide called for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st. "They would have us believe that we can escape climate change with techno-fixes, market mechanisms and offset schemes - all technocratic acrobatics that distract us from the truth: the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground."

In Nottingham, over 30 people under the banner of Eastside Climate Action blockaded energy company E.ON's offices on Mount Street. People covered in green paint to represent E.ON's greenwash, locked onto the front entrance to the call centre offices and stood in front of other entrances preventing hundreds of workers from getting to work. Two people who were locked onto the front entrance were arrested and later in the afternoon the police entered and searched their homes in search for 'evidence' in relation to their arrest. Both were charged with public order offences and are to appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court on April 14th.

Audio: Fossil Fools Blockade E.On Offices in Nottingham (an audio piece) | Abuse from E-On Staff

Photos: Pictures 1 | Pictures 2 | Pictures from EOn protest | Surveillance and Specialist Equipment

Also on the newswire: Police Searches Houses After Arrests At E.On Blockade | Eastside Climate Action blockade E-on workers as part of Fossil Fools Day | Fossil Fools Day - April 1st | Direct Action in Nottingham this Spring | Notts Indymedia Climate Chaos Topic Page

UK Indymedia feature: Fossil Fools Take On Fossil Fuels

Previous features: Convictions For Activists - Climate Criminals Walk Free | 'Clean' Coal On Trial | Climate Activists Bring Powerstation Operations To A Halt

Links: Camp for Climate Action | Climate IMC | Eastside Climate Action | E.ON | Fossil Fools Day | Network for Climate Action | Rising Tide

On the 10th April 2007, 11 people walked into the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station and locked on to the coal conveyor and assorted plant there. Their objective was to take direct action to halt operations and thus to diminish the CO2 emissions of the E-on plant, the greenhouse gas thought to be largely responsible for climate change. They were all charged with aggravated trespass and throughout the court case (which lasted for 3 days), the defendants argued that yes, they did take these actions, but employed the defence of "duress of circumstances" or necessity, and pleaded not guilty.

On Monday 25th Feb, 10 defendants (one having had the charges dismissed due to lack of evidence) returned to court to receive the judgement. Judge Cooper had earlier said that he wished to compliment all the defendants on the way they had handled themselves and on the presentation of their case. However all were found guilty.

Audio: Featured in #2 'the March Show' on Riseup Radio

Features: Clean Coal On Trial | Climate Activists Bring Powerstation Operations To A Halt

On The Newswire: Ratcliffe Power station Climate Action, The Judgement | Power station 10 found guilty | Ratcliffe Power station Climate Action, The Verdict | Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 1] | Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 2] | Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 3]

Links: Eastside Climate Action

The trial of the eleven climate change activists who disrupted operations at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station on April 10th 2007 has started today at Nottingham Bridewell Magistrates Court. They have pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated trespass and arguing that it was necessary to take such action in order to prevent the imminent threat that climate change poses to the human population. They are arguing that the threat of climate change on human life is so imminent & serious that it is a proportionate and reasonable response to commit aggravated trespass to try to reduce carbon emissions from England's 2nd largest CO2 emmiter, Ratcliffe on Soar power station.

This is the first time that the defence of necessity in relation to climate change has been used in a court of law. The defendants will call an expert witness; a climate scientist, and Royal Society Research Fellow, to prove to the court the scale and imminence of the threat that climate change poses.

Reports: Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 1] | Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 2] | Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 3] | Climate Change Trial Opens

Previous feature: Climate Activists Bring Powerstation Operations To A Halt

From the newswire: Climate change on Trial! | E.ON irony & hypocrisy in market square | Climate activists in court - report | Climate Change On Trial: Call for support demo | Evening Post depicts Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station as 'cutting edge technology' | E-on climate greenwash in Market Square | Rattcliffe 11 to face courts | Activists needle shareholders over E.ON nuclear power | Climate change activists target power station - photos from inside | Photo reports from the action: [1] | [2] | [3] | [4] | [5]

Audio: Concerned about Climate Change? Spring Into Action Now! - an audio piece

Links: E.On | Eastside Climate Action | Indymedia Climate Chaos page | Wikipedia on Ratcliffe On Soar | Ratcliffe On Soar (photo portrait by Alan Lodge).

This week Europe’s largest Biofuels event took place in Nottinghamshire amid growing concerns about severe impacts on climate, biodiversity and food production. The exhibition, featuring over a hundred trade stands, ran alongside a conference which opened on Wednesday with a key note speech from BP Biofuels’ Europe & Africa Director Oliver Mace, but was quickly thrown into chaos when a number of people dressed in suits marched onto the stage and pied the BP’s CEO for the ‘dangerous and dishonest’ greenwash and protest at the catastrophic effects of replacing climate-stabilising ecosystems with arable crops for biofuel feedstocks.

Throughout the afternoon, people held a very visible protest outside the conference which was held at the Newark Showground, north of Nottingham. To coincide with the national Biofuels Conference, protestors from No Agrofuels UK blockaded the D1 oils refinery and offices in Middlesbrough to raise awareness of the detrimental impact of agrofuels. 18 Protestors chained the 3 gates to the refinery shut and 2 protestors were D-locked to the main gates. No vehicles were able to enter or leave the site and all work appeared to have been stopped. Several banners were tied over the gates including "No Agrofuels, Land 4 People, Food, Biodiversity" and "Climate Change Profiteers".

Listen to audio: Biofuelwatch Talk | Activists crash biofuel party | Interview with Richard Price: Conference Organiser

On the newswire: Activists crash biofuel party 2 [afternoon] | Activists crash biofuel party 1 [morning] | Photos from Bio-Diesel Expo banner demo | Banner Protest outside Biodiesel Expo in Newark | Blockade of D1 Oils - anti-agrofuel demo | BP Executive pied as Europe's largest Biofuels Event disrupted | Biofuelwatch talk at the Sumac Centre, Nottingham

Protestors oppose the Government sham consultation on nuclear power. Gagged protestors handed out briefings to delegates attending one of the Government’s nuclear power consultation events on Wednesday September 12th, at the Hilton Hotel in Nottingham.

Local representatives from Friends of the Earth demonstrated outside the East Midlands consultation event to highlight the fact that the Government’s consultation on nuclear power is a sham. Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, WWF-UK, CND and the Green Alliance have withdrawn from the Government's public consultation on nuclear power because it is seriously flawed.

V3 Power build small wind turbines and run courses teaching people how to make their own turbines. They put a couple up at various events, to inspire folks to get involved with such alternatives. The turbines they build are 'axial flux' turbines with a 2.4 metre blade in diameter and typically sit on top of a 10 metre guyed mast. They are mostly made from recycled materials

By running courses where people can learn how to build, install and maintain their own turbine they offer people and communities the chance to release themselves from reliance on the national grid while making a real difference to the climate change problem. So, get involved.

Pictures: Wind Turbine Workshop [ 1 ] | [ 2 ] |
Wind Turbines: Practical uses in Nottingham Area [ 1 ] | [ 2 ] | [ 3 ] |
Spring into Action :: Build your own wind turbine workshop | Sounds on the Downs - Wind Turbine Set-up

Links: V3 Power | Hugh Piggott - Scoraig Wind | Construction of Permanent magnet generator' (PMG). [pdf] | Wind rotor blade construction [pdf] | Small Wind Systems for Battery Charging [pdf] | Fieldlines: Wind 'Expert'discussion board [lodsa help here] | British Wind Energy Association | Wind power - Wikipedia | Centre for Alternative Technology | Engineers Without Borders [International NGO for engineering students] |

Slide Show Videos:V3 Wind Turbines + others [2:20mins mpg 6.2Mb] | Green's Windmill, Sneinton [3:02mins mpg 10.1Mb]

Undeterred by the very weak and limited injunction BAA has obtained, climate activists are busy making preparations for the Camp For Climate Action. Activists recently met with locals from around Heathrow to find a warm welcome in a community fed up with BAA's lies over an ever expanding airport. BAA have been putting forward their case for an injunction at the High Court in London. The injunction was served to individuals from certain anti-airport groups a couple of weeks ago and aimed at restricting protests happening in and around the airport. Read the reports from court: (1) (2) (3) (4)

And as things currently look, it won't have any effect on the actual camp at all. A spokesperson for the Camp For Climate Action said: 'This injunction is totally irrelevant to us. We won't be intimidated or bullied. The camp is going ahead!'. Meanwhile, in this article, UK Indymedia looks back on an inspiring year packed with climate action goodness...

Links: Camp For Climate Action | Location Of The Camp | British Airport Authority | Plane Stupid | Airportwatch | Climate Camp 2007 topic page | Heathrow Injuction | Heathrow Injuction Map | Heathrow's Injunction - What it means | NETCU Injunctions Page

Over three weeks ago, the government's chief scientist warned that for the UK, flash floods were likely to be the biggest immediate problem caused by global warming. David King told a committee of MPs that the country would have to prepare for extreme weather such as heatwaves and "torrential downpours". Two weeks later, large areas are counting the cost of the worst flooding this country has seen for over 50 years. The floods have left seven people dead and over 40,000 homes damaged. The army was mobilised to help with emergency efforts as two more rivers broke their banks and water continued to rise. Experts agree that the severe storms and flooding will become more frequent as temperatures rise.

Photos: Did Climate Change Cause Floods around Nottinghamshire? Pictures 1 | Pictures 2 | 25th June 2007: Sheffield Floods

Other Articles: Wet and wild, a taste of things to come | Floods hit York | Climate Chaos - read (and weep) all about it | Sheffield: 'Cut the Carbon' Cyclecade | A new weather Front

Links: Sheffield Indymedia | Notts Indymedia | Climate Indymedia | UK Indymedia Climate Chaos page | June 2007 United Kingdom floods on Wikipedia | Notts Indymedia Weather Page | Slideshow of Floods in Nottingham in 2000 | Climate change and flood (Environment Agency) | Cool Kids For a Cool Climate

On the afternoon of Saturday 16th June, climate campaigners glued themselves to the doors of the short-haul East Midlands airport to draw attention to the environmental impacts of flying as part of a European day of action on short-haul flights called by pressure group Airport Watch.

Two men from climate action group, Plane Stupid, have caused disruption by supergluing themselves to the passenger entrances to the airport. Supporters are there handing out leaflets to airport customers encouraging them not to fly next time, and a banner carried by helium-filled balloons was also released in the departure lounge bearing the slogan ‘Let’s fry’.

Photos: Climate activists glued to doors at East Midlands Airport: 1 | 2

Slide Show Video: Hi Band | Lo Band

Links: Plane Stupid | Airport Watch | East Side Climate Action | Climate Camp | Green Economics- Climate and aviation campaign | BBC NEWS UK Politics Living under a sky of sound | Open Skies | Hacan ClearSkies | Climate activist 'super-glued to door' of lastminute.com | The year of Aviation | Nottingham Plane Stupid group formed | Nottingham East Midlands Airport - Watch this Airspace! | Protesters occupy runway at East Midlands Airport | Protestors shut down Nottingham East Midlands airport: Earth First Action report

Climate activists from around the East Midlands managed to stop some operations at Radcliffe on Soar Power Station after climbing onto conveyor belts and dumper trucks inside the plant yesterday. The power station is located just outside Nottingham and is the 3rd biggest emitter of CO2 emissions in the UK. The owner of the plant, E-On, said operations ran as normal and that their environmental record is good with aiming to be a clean coalfired power station. A spokeswoman for the protesters said: "Putting pressure on individuals to reduce emissions when companies like E.ON are profiting from this polluting industry is obscene and irresponsible. We should not be burning coal in the 21st century."

The blockade lasted for 3 hours and 11 people were arrested all of which were later released. The action was part of 'Spring Into Action' - a week of workshops, entertainment and actions around the issue of Climate Change in Nottingham.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | photos from inside

Audio: Concerned about Climate Change? Spring Into Action Now! - an audio piece

Links: Spring Into Action | Notts Indymedia | Wikipedia on the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station

A busy week of workshops, gigs and actions around the issue of climate change has been taking place in Nottingham. Under the banner of 'Spring into Action' events took place in venues across the city. It showcased practical solutions to climate change. From workshops on bike maintenance, local food production, community compost projects and strawbale building to concerts and performances, it has been an action packed week. It will also acted as a showcase for existing projects in Nottingham including Country Parks, allotment projects and the Attenborough Nature Reserve. A lot of the events took place at the recently occupied former lace factory, also known as the J.B. Spray factory, which is located on Russell Street, Radford.

Links: Spring Into Action website | View programme

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |

Audio: Concerned about Climate Change? Spring Into Action Now! - an audio piece

From the newswire: Nottingham Plane Stupid group formed | The Sprouting Activist - an interview | Foraging and Guerilla Gardening at Spring Into Action | Getting your message out there - workshop report back | Magical mystery tour | ‘Spring into Action’ targets Nottingham's climate criminals | Spring Into Action - Printable Programme | Spring Into Action Central Venue Announcement | Spring Into Action! | Spring into Action Workshop venues now online | Spring into Action - Critical Mass | Spring into Action programme now online | Climate Change Bill - they’re havin a laugh! | It's Hotting Up

Background: Indymedia Climate Chaos page | Veggies climate change page | Climate Change Denial (explores the psychology behind it) | How to Talk to a Global Warming Sceptic | RealClimate (climate science from climate scientists)

In a recycling rate league table just released by the Government, Nottingham City Council came an embarrassing 339th out of 393 local authorities, with a combined recycling and composting rate of just 18.6 per cent for 2004-05.

Nottingham's Recycling rate is less that 3 per cent higher than the worst performing authority in the UK, Tower Hamlets. But it doesn't have to be this way, if next door neighbours Rushcliffe can achieved the second highest rate just short of 50 per cent, why can't Nottingham?

On Friday, Loughborough Magistrates Court rejected calls from the Crown Prosecution Service to slap ASBOs on the 24 Plane Stupid activists who they described as “highly organised extremists” that were arrested in connection with the shut down of Nottingham East Midlands short haul airport in September. In an apparent move aimed to avoid having the case heard by a jury, the charge of public nuisance was dropped, as was the charge relating to an alleged breach of the aviation and security act.

Plane Stupid lawyer, Mike Schwarz, described the action to the court as a “classic piece of civil disobedience” and reminded the court that “Tony Blair himself has described climate change as the greatest threat facing mankind.” Campaigner for Plane Stupid, Ellen Rickford, said, “The same day that we learn the government is pushing ahead with its airport expansion proposals, they try to use ASBOs to stamp out peaceful protest. Well, it seems their plans for that were as doomed as the aviation industry.”

Feature articles: Protesters occupy runway at East Midlands Airport | Plane Stupid's Day of Action

On the newswire: Court rejects ASBOS for airport activists | Climate activists shut airport in taxiway occupation

Links: Plane Stupid website | East Midlands Airport (EMA) website | Climate Chaos topic page | Indymedia Climate | Wikipedia on Climate Change

A mass amount of banners were hung from bridges across the M1 today. From Luton to Sheffield an alliance of groups opposing widening of the M1 motorway highlighted the disastrous consequences of widening it. The No Widening M1 Alliance, which includes representatives from communities along the whole route of the M1 due to be widened, are concerned about the environmental damage of widening the motorway, particularly climate change.

The protest happened on the day the Government delivers it's report on Climate Change. Climate activist voice that the 'Stern Report' stresses seriousness of climate change but offers false solutions.

On the newswire: Anti M1 widening banner drop in Nottinghamshire | M1 action from Luton to Sheffield | Banner Protest at Motorway Widening | Rising Tide: UK Stern Report Sells Climate Short, Paves Way to Global Disaster | STERN REPORT - Climate Change activist responds. | HALT CLIMATE CHANGE - END ROADBUILDING

Links: No M1 Widening Alliance | Highways Agency | UK Indymedia Climate Choas page

At 07:55am on 24 September, 2006, a group of protesters 'breached security' at the East Midlands Airport and occupied one of the operational taxi-runways. The 21 activists from Plane Stupid said they "wanted to see airport expansion plans scrapped, a tax on aviation fuel and plane tickets, and an end to short haul flights."

The method of the occupation was chaining themselves to each other, having set up tents saying 'Climate Camp 2'. Baptist minister Malcolm Carroll, who lead a memorial service for the victims of the effects of climate change, also took part in the action. Spokesman of the group, Joss Garman, said: "an estimated 150.000 people die of the effects of climate change each year. That's the equivelant of a 9-11 every week."

At midday, armed police, dog units, firebrigade and helicopter arrived and cleared the runway. 24 people were arrested for 'suspected offences under the Aviation Security Act'. Contrary to what the BBC reported, some flights leaving the airport were delayed.

Various sources have reported that most of the protesters' houses were raided by armed police while in custody. Officers have confiscated clothes, computers, diaries and other personal items, in some cases without giving out receipts for them. Some of the protesters are due in court on Friday 6th October at Loughborough Magistrates Court.

Update: Plane Stupid in court on Friday - solidarity support planned

Other media coverage: Earth First! | This Is London | BBC | Leicestershire police | UK Airport News

Links: Plane Stupid website | East Midlands Airport (EMA) website | Climate Camp 2006 on UK Indymedia

Background Info: Press release of the activists | PLANE STUPID Newsletter #4 | Goverment's Aviation White Paper | 10 Reasons to Ground the Plane… | Airport Environment Federation | Airport Watch | Climate Concern UK | Earth First! (UK) | Rising Tide | Stop Climate Chaos!

Bicycology is a biketour which will be travelling from London to Lancaster (via Nottingham) this August. Form Lancaster it will be heading to the Climate Action Camp. It will visit Nottingham on Saturday 19th August. On their tour, the Bicycologists will be giving free bike maintainence workshops, holding Dr Bike sessions - come and get your bike fine-tuned - organising bike games and playing around with some crazy tall wobbly bikes; there will also be information and examples of alternative forms of energy, including some pedal-powered gadgets.

Watch video of Bicycology leaving London | Photos | Tash Photos of ride, passin' though Sumac Centre

Links: Bicycology website | Bicycology Wiki | Ian Gregory on Bicycology

This summer, the Camp for Climate Action will be held in ‘Megawatt Valley’ near Leeds, one of the most industrialised areas of the UK and home to the Drax, Eggborough and Ferrybridge coal-fired power stations.

From 26th August - 4th September, the camp promises education about climate change and sustainable living, with around 150 workshops scheduled, ranging from practical building and permaculture activities to the advanced science behind climate change. Workshops include analysis of the problems and causes of climate change and strategies on how to confront it - both practically on a grassroots level and politically. Those holding the workshops range from grassroots community activists to internationally-known academics, and from MPs to representatives of environmental NGOs.

During the time of the camp there will also be a Reclaim Power mass direct action against Drax power station (the UK's largest single emitter of CO2 emissions) on August 31st, as well as opportunitites to discuss resistance to nuclear power, the aviation industry, mining and road building schemes and corporate sponsored damage to the environment. The camp will be held on a legally occupied site, and aims to demonstrate practical solutions in action. Power usage will be minimised and the site will be powered by alternative energy sources.

Recently on 18th July climate change activists occupied a lighting tower at Didcot power station in Oxfordshire. Three climbers scaled the tower and unfurled a 50-foot orange and black banner with the words 'Climate Crime' [see pics]. Just prior to that, July 15th was an 'International Day of Direct Action for Climate Justice, against Climate Change and the G8' [see action roundups 1 | 2 | 3 | 4] which coincided with the G8 Summit in Russia. In London, Tulchan Communications, a public relations firm that works for Drax power station, was forced to deny it had been sacked by Drax for failing to make it look good, after a spoof press release was circulated [report]. See also: Climate Action News Sheet: June 06 | July 06 | Social Centers meeting at the climate camp

Mass callout to help build the climate camp

Links: Camp for Climate Action website | IMC Climate | Download programme PDF

Also Upcoming:
- Call for Action against G8 + 5 Climate Summit: Oct 3-4, Mexico [background]
- UK Climate Change Bill - 'Big Ask' Lobby (12 Sept - 11 Oct)
- International Climate Change Demonstrations: 4 Nov, prior to UN Climate Talks (COP 12/ MOP 2) in Nairobi (6-17 Nov). See National Climate March, London (4th Nov) | "I-Count"