UK Climate Chaos Feature Archive
Climate Campers Escalate Action Against Eon
08-09-2009 23:54
On Wednesday 3rd September, as the Camp for Climate Action finished up clearing the site of this years climate camp, a group of activists pitched a tent within the grounds of E-on owed Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. The tent was emblazoned with the words 'Climate Camp is coming' in reference to their plans to shut down the power station in October.
German energy giant Eon (owner of the Kingsnorth power station in Kent which was the focus of last year's climate camp) was the target of a number of protests during the week. On the Monday, naked protesters occupied the roof and lobby of Edelman Public Relations. The firm have been employed by Eon to ease public concern over controversial plans to build the first coal-fired power station in the UK for 30 years, and you can contact Edelman here
On Tuesday, activists invaded the Dartford offices of construction giant Laing O'Rourke which is one of the companies bidding for contracts with Eon to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth. A large group of activists entered the offices, handed out leaflets and talked to staff. Meanwhile, another team scaled the building and hung a banner reading 'Don't Build Kingsnorth'.
Laing O'Rourke is among six companies bidding to build the power station which would, if completed, emit more carbon dioxide than the entire country of Ghana. Other firms bidding for the contracts were targeted earlier in the year by protesters keen to ensure the companies are aware of the opposition they'll face should they attempt to build Kingsnorth.
Links
Climate Camp | Eon Watch | Eon F Off | Don't Build Kingsnorth | No New Coal | The Coalhole | Leave It In The Ground | The Tipping Point
Actions launched against Europes largest Arms Fair
04-09-2009 16:19
Anti-militarist activists have begun taking action against Europe's largest Arms Fair, Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi), which returns to London's Excel Centre from the 8th to 11th of September.
Actions to date include a mass action launched from Climate Camp against Barclays Bank the largest backer of the global arms trade, attacks on branches of HSBC and RBS, a picket of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Trade Fair, a pixie action against Brighton based arms manufacturers EDO MBM/ITT, and pickets of an Armed Forces recruitment centre and DSEi's new organisers Clarion Events.
More actions are expected over the weekend following a call-out for disruption of exhibitors premises in the lead-up to the Arms fair, and for this purpose, a map of exhibitors locations was created.
A local paper has reported that military staff were drafted in to support the 3000 police who secured the last DSEi, which is held every two years. Policing costs are likely to be even higher this year, as Disarm DSEi has called for the mass action on Tuesday 8th September to take place in the City, where investors and backers of the Arms Trade will be targeted. The action will be a test of post G20 policing strategies. Disarm DSEi which campaigns against the Arms Fair has refused to negotiate with the police. Past actions have been the subject of major repression, and searches and kettles have been used frequently. This year was the first time that the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT) were not photographing people attending the public meeting.
Past coverage: 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007Links: Disarm DSEi | Space Hijackers | Smash EDO | CAAT | London CAAT
Climate Camp Roundup: Scotland, Wales, Ireland +
24-08-2009 13:02
The summer of 2009 is seeing an upsurge in campaigning on climate change, with Climate Camp protests taking place throughout Europe and the world [see list] ahead of the COP15 UN Climate talks in Copenhagen in December this year. Climate Camps have recently taken place in Scotland, Wales and Ireland with hundreds of people occupying land, learning about climate change, exchanging skills and taking direct action, as well as supporting local residents already engaged in resisting fossil fuel schemes that damage their health and the environment. Camps have also taken place in France [see imc.nantes] and near Antwerp by the Belgian/Dutch border [see imc.nl|imc.be]. Next up is the UK Camp for Climate Action in London on 26th August, ahead of an autumn of mass action [2] before COP15 [1|2]. Climate Radio Climate Camp 2009 Special. For more details see the Full Article.
Nottingham is not stupid
30-04-2009 14:30
Last Friday saw the convergence of a number of environmental protests in Nottingham. The regular critical mass was joined by riders in town for the start of the Coal Caravan. They rode past the Broadway cinema, where the Nottingham Not Stupid festival was celebrating the opening of environmental film The Age of Stupid. The riders finished at the Sumac Centre, where the Demo Project put on an evening of entertainment.
The Coal Caravan left for the site of Shipley opencast coal mine in Derbyshire on Saturday morning. It is continuing to a number of sites threatened by the industries of coal extraction and power generation in Yorkshire and the North East. Campaigners' aims are to talk to local people, organise bicycle powered films and events, hold public discussions and displays, and link with groups from different areas to help strengthen isolated campaigns.
Newswire: Coal Caravan - Latest | Fri 24th April- Coal Caravan/Demo party at the Sumac | Climate Action is Not Stupid
Previous features: Protests continue at Shipley open cast site | Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied | Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site
Links: Coal Caravan blog | Coal Caravan website | Not Stupid Nottingham | Critical Mass Nottingham | Notts Indymedia climate chaos topic
Scarborough Climate Action Network opens community resource centre.
22-04-2009 16:21
They aim to provide a central point for people in the local area to find out how they can make positive changes to their environment, as well as providing an autonomous space for people to use the internet, meet like-minded people and get directly involved with the newly burgeoning Scarborough activist networks.
A Conspiracy too far?
17-04-2009 15:51
In one of the best reports on the incident so far, Daithai asks some pertinent questions about the police raid involving more than 200 officers from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and British Transport Police which saw 114 people arrested for conspiracy at the Iona School in Sneinton Nottingham shortly after midnight on Monday.
Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid
13-04-2009 12:32
114 people were arrested in a 2am police raid on a community centre and school on Sneinton Dale, Nottingham, early on Easter Monday, 13th April 2009. It is believed that a demonstration was planned at the E.On powerstation at Ratcliffe-on-Soar as a spokesperson for the company claimed that it was the "planned target of an organised protest". The Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station is the 3rd largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK and has been previously targeted by activists.
Similar to past police actions, some of the homes of those arrested have been raided while they were held in custody. It has been confirmed that at least 6 homes have been raided in Nottingham and personal paperwork and computers have been seized. A school located next to the community centre where people were arrested was also broken into and smashed up by police. Those arrested have now all been released on bail without charges and to re-appear in court in July.
Legal advice for activists: Police powers to search premises.
Meanwhile, four Dutch activists from Earth First! forced entry into E.On's head office in Rotterdam and occupied a director's office to have a 'serious chat' about the planned construction of a new coal fired power station.
More coverage: on Nottinghamshire Indymedia
On the newswire: Statement of solidarity with the Nottingham 114 | Climate Action 114 Media Blog | A Conspiracy too far? | Solidarity for the Coal Conspiracy 114 | Bristol Rising Tide and Westside Statement of Solidarity for the Ratcliffe 114 | Climate activist searches (raids?) still happening | Mass arrests for thought crime | Nottingham's Climate Criminals | 100+ people arrested in Notts for conspiracy this morning | Climate Protest Busted!? | Mass arrests in Nottingham on Easter Monday
Related previous coverage: No case to answer after Notts E.On protest | Police Searches Houses After Arrests At E.On Blockade | Fossil Fools Take On E.On In Nottingham | Convictions For Activists - Climate Criminals Walk Free | 'Clean' Coal On Trial | Climate Activists Bring Powerstation Operations To A Halt | Spring Into Action Now!
Indymedia G20 Reporting
01-04-2009 22:16
For G20 feature coverage and reporting timeline of events see:
G20 Direct Action: April 1st
G20 April 2nd: Raids and Remembrance
Days of Action: G20 London Summit
25-03-2009 15:11
The G20 group (or G22) will be meeting at the Excel Center, London, on April 2nd 2009. The main aim of this summit is to discuss how to re-build confidence in the financial markets and “re-stabilise” the world economy given the current financial crisis. The meeting will be composed of finance ministers from the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, and the World Bank.
Callouts: Reclaim The Streets | Climate Camp | Summer Of Rage | Bristol Dissent | Fossil Fools Day | G20 maps (easily printable versions)
Links: G20 Meltdown | Climate Camp G20 | Manchester G20 | Put People First | We Won't Pay For Their Crisis | Stop the War Coalition | Palestine Solidarity Campaign | The British Muslim Initiative | Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament | What is the G20? | Indymedia UK G20 topic page
G20 Melbourne Summit 2006: A first communiqué from two uncitizens of Arterial Bloc (Video) | Payback: 100 Melbourne Police violently attack | V for victory | Photos
Storm the Banks
06-03-2009 12:55
Climate Rush activists gathered outside RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), Thursday 5th March to protest the incredible multi million pound pay out to Fred (the shred) Goodwin, former RBS Chief Executive, and more importantly, the banks continuing role in funding the climate changing industries of coal, gas and oil. Posting the largest losses in British corporate history, RBS lost £24.1 billion in 2008 and has since had billions of pounds of taxpayers' money pumped into it. Already the largest bailout to date, the government has agreed to inject a further £13 billion on top of the £20 billion already given, and to make a further £6 billion available. While the tax payer now owns at least 70% of its shares, the bank continues to operate as a private company,
On the same day as the Climate Rush demo outside RBS, the Bank of England reduced the base interest rate to 0.5% and announced the printing of £100 billion pounds of new cash to inject into the stalled economy. Next month, the G20 leaders (G22 to be more precise) will arrive in London to discuss further ways to get the poor to bail out the rich. Various groups are mobilizing to protest against the summit which the police are co-promoting as part of a 'summer of rage'.
The G20 Meltdown group say they're going to reclaim the City, 'thrusting into the very belly of the beast', with a four pronged assault on the Bank of England at noon on 1st April. That afternoon, as part of a series of actions leading up to the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen, the Camp for Climate Action aim to expose how the discredited market mechanisms are being sold as a solution to climate change and are planning a climate camp in the city close the the Carbon Trading Exchange.
Links : Climate Rush target RBS Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | LCAP occupies RBS | Quantitive Easing | Corporate Undead | Image From The Future | Bristol Dissent g20 Call Out | Climate Camp hits the city | Press Complaint over G20 article | RBS boss pension | Arrogance of Capitalism | Environmental silver lining? | Climate chaos meets economic chaos | Bash a Billionaire | Doubt of global financial crisis? | Origins of the Credit Crunch | Summer of rage? | Demand for energy falling | Climate Crimes Delayed | Dissident Island Economic Special | "Pro-Capitalist" Mobilisation Video
Aviation expansion grounded
04-03-2009 12:07
UPDATE: Lord Peter Mandelson, the unelected Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and key player in the Heathrow expansion plan, attacked with green custard.
Plane Stupid Scotland activists shut down Aberdeen airport by setting up a golf course on the taxiway and surrounding themselves with security fencing whilst another group occupied the roof of the terminal with a banner reading, “Nae Trump Games with Climate Change”. The 3am action prevented the scheduled reopening of the runway at 5am. After almost six hours the protesters voluntarily unlocked themselves when police claimed the taxiway was needed by an emergency helicopter. Eleven people, including local residents, were arrested.
Donald Trump backs Aberdeen airports expansion (where his super-rich pals will arrive to play golf on his controversial golf course). BAA obviously welcome Trump's involvement and need powerful friends right now. They are under presure from the Competition Commision and a down turn in the aviation industry is threatening expansion plans. Plans for a new runway at Stansted (blockaded by Plane Stupid last December) now looks likely to be postponed for at least two years and the airport will be put on the market without planning permission in place.
Despite government rhetoric about cutting CO2 emissions, there are expansion plans for 34 regional airports in the UK. Last month Plane Stupid activists interrupted a public meeting during a speech by Ed Miliband the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, unveiling a banner highlighting the hypocritical actions of the government in relation to aviation and climate change. Back in January Plane Stupid activists chained themselves to the entrance of Southampton airport and erected tents at the main entrance in a bid turn the regional airport into a climate refugee camp (they were in court yesterday and fined between £175 and £600 each).
Links: Greening of Mandelson | Aberdeen action 1 2 | Plane Stupid actions last month Southampton, Brighton | Stansted blockade 2008 | aviation and recession | airport expansion 1 2 | Stansted rumors | previous featureFull article | 1 addition | 2 comments
New Coal Digs In
02-03-2009 12:46
Climate Rush tackled more climate criminals last week when the UK coal industry got together for their annual 'coal awards'. In a protest timed to coincide with the UK Coal hosted awards, around 15 climate activists paid a visit to their Doncaster headquarters, dressed in Edwardian style complete with red sashes with the words 'No New Coal' written across them. A banner reading 'Leave it in the Ground' was suspended across the entrance.
In London, the dirty coal pushers shied away from confrontation with the modern day climate suffregette movement, abandoning their booking at the plush Landmark Hotel and scuttling off to Lords cricket grounds instead. At the hotel, around a hundred activists rushed inside through a fire exit and began an alternative awards ceremony to highlight the ecological damage that the coal industry is inflicting on the environment. After being ejected from the hotel, a couple more attempts were made to gain entry and one arrest was made before the alternate awards continued outside. The Landmark hotel management were less than happy about the righteous fury brought down on them by the climate criminals promised not to accept bookings from such damaging industries again.
Coal represent 50% of the electricity production in the UK and its greatest contribution to CO2 emissions so the coal industry has seen increasing attention from activists in the UK (and beyond). Last month activists and local resident disrupted work at the Rosewell open-cast coal mine in Midlothian, operated by Scottish Coal , and another protest stopped work at UK Coal owned Shipley open cast coal mine in Derbyshire. In the US capitol on Monday, 2,500 protesters blockaded the gates of a coal fired power plant for almost five hours.
Campaigns : Climate Rush | Coal Action Edinburgh | No New Coal | Capitol Climate Action | Coal Caravan
Newswire reports : Coal Rush 1 | 2 | 3 | Doncaster 1 2 | Rosewell | Shipley | USA 1 2
Previous Climate Rush actions : 'climate suffragettes' smash gov windows | chained to parliament | Heathrow 1 2 | Manchester 1 2 | Parliament 1 2
What Does The Economic Crisis Mean For The Climate Change Movement?
19-02-2009 00:51
We are in the middle of two crises, the climate crisis and the economic crisis. Although we we seem to treat them as separate, it can be argued that they are completely entangled. Tackling one without tackling the other is impossible and fruitless, but the connections are complex and shifting. To intervene effectively, we need to look carefully at how we think about time and change, and how we relate to markets and the state. But first, let's look at how the economic crisis arose and draw some link between this history and the problematics of climate politics.
Other aspects of economic crisis: Leeds | Liverpool | Public services cuts | Evictions | Factory OccupationsNo case to answer after Notts E.On protest
18-01-2009 20:35
Two environmentalists, arrested following a blockade of E.On's Nottingham offices, had the case against them dismissed on Wednesday. The case collapsed after it emerged that the prosecution had offered no evidence to support the charge of aggravated trespass. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) were found to have been negligent in their administration of the case and were ordered to pay the defence's costs.
The two joined around 30 protesters from Eastside Climate Action in an action against the energy giant, as part of a 'Fossil Fools' protest on 1st April, 2008. They locked themselves to the doors of the offices. The police made a verbal promise to allow them to leave without charges if they agreed to removed the blockade by 10am. They unlocked and were immediately arrested.
In a statement on the day of the action, Eastside Climate Action said: "We are here to tell E-on that ... the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Coal is the dirtiest Fossil Fool and to build new coal power stations in the face of climate change is collective suicide."
Previous feature: Fossil Fools Take On E.ON In Nottingham
Newswire: E-on Nottingham 'Fossil Fools' protest: prosecution offers no evidence | Police Searches Houses After Arrests At E.On Blockade | Fossil Fools Blockade E.On Offices Surveillance and Specialist Equipment | Fossil Fools Blockade E.On Offices in Nottingham : Pictures 1 | 2
Links: Eastside Climate Action | Fossil Fools Day 2009 | Notts Indymedia Climate Chaos topic page
Full article | 4 additions | 5 comments
Resistance escalates with Airport 'Green' Light
12-01-2009 13:13
Both Heathrow and Manchester airports were targeted Monday with the domestic departure lounges of both airports simultaneously occupied by protesters. In London over 500 people defied airport bylaws by staging a sit-down dinner forcing airport operator BAA to close 18 check-in desks. In Manchester police used powers under Section 14 of the Public Order Act to contain up to 100 protesters on the ground floor of Terminal 3 and there was one arrest.
The Climate Rush actions were timed to coincide with MPs return to the house of commons with the government expected to announce the decision on the Heathrows airport expansion during week. Meanwhile, Greenpeace revealed that a plot of land within the proposed expansion site had been purchased in an attempt to delay the construction.
Despite media speculation that the announcement would be delayed, by Wednesday nght the media were reporting that the expanision plans have been given the green light. After the official announcement on Thursday, 'climate suffragettes' smashed the windows of the Department of Transport and on Saturday 500 flash mobbed at Heathrows terminal 5.
Newswire Reports : Climate Rush Heathrow images, 12.01.09 | Heathrow Terminal One Climate Rush Picnic a success! | Northern Climate Rush at Manchester Airport | Northern Climate Rush Photos (video) | Protests against airport extension in Frankfurt | Why I renounce my vote | Suffra-jets smash windows
Campaign Links: Plane Stupid | Airport Watch | Climate Rush | T5Flashmob"> | HACAN ClearSkies | No Third Runway Action Group | Stop Heathrow Expansion | Campaign for Better Transport | Airport Pledge | Stop Bristol Airport Expansion
Direct action cuts CO2 emissions
08-12-2008 15:26
Plane Stupid claim that aviation is Britain's fastest growing source of emissions, amounting to at least 13% of the UK's climate impact. With plans for new runways across the UK, including at Heathrow and Stansted, experts from the Tyndall Centre for climate research say Labour's aviation policy alone will scupper any chance the UK has of hitting its climate targets.
The protest began at 3.15am Monday morning whilst the runway was temporarily closed for maintenance work. Reopening of the runway, scheduled for 5am, was delayed while police removed the locked on protesters, causing 52 flights to be cancelled which the groups says directly prevented the release of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases.
Links: Why we did it, Video, Plane Stupid Website
Previous Plain Stupid coverage: House of Commons | Downing Street glue action | Scotlish Parliament | infiltration attempt foiled | March of the penguins | An interview | travel agents | Heathrow consultation report | Manchester Airport Blockade | Heathrow Residents | Easyjet HQ | Day of Action
The COP15 Climate Summit 2009 - Global Climate Action Comming Up ...
05-12-2008 21:12
The UN Climate Conference of Parties number 15 is set to take place in Copenhagen on the 30th of November 2009, and it will be the biggest climate summit ever to have taken place. More than 12.000 delegates business leaders, politicians, diplomats and lobbyists are going to be discussing an international treaty to replace the failed Kyoto Protocol. Set to end in 2012 this treaty was supposed to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions by 6%. However according to UN itself the global carbon emmisions have so far risen by 4% instead. There is no indication that the COP15 summit will come up with anything real to fight climate change.
However tens of thousands activists and protesters will be making their way to Copenhagen for this major event. In September 2008 people from more than 23 countries met in Copenhagen and agreed on a Call to Action, calling for people to start mobilizing and to carry out actions locally as well as coming to Copenhagen for mass actions. Planning for this event has already begun.
Another international planning meeting will take place in March 2009 where the concepts and strategy for action will be discussed. A Climate Camp will take place on the 11-19th of July. Additionally a mass action will attempt to shut down a Danish power plant in the months before the Summit takes place. The world leaders may converge upon Copenhagen but they won't leave without having heard the demands of the people who will be hurt by climate change
Mobilization website and how to get involved: Climateaction09.org
Related Indymedia sites: Copenhagen News Service | Climate Indymedia
Related story: Action at the planned COP15 conference center
The E-On 'Face-Off' begins... Kingsnorth Shut Down
05-12-2008 19:30
With the 48 hours over E-on no doubt thought the heat was off, however Monday morning saw their corporate headquarters in Coventry struck for the third time in as many weeks with over twenty protesters dressed in santa suits invading their officers and blockading the entrance for four hours. [photos, spoof account, report, song 1, song 2, interview, BBC TV News, BBC World At One ]
Further summaries of the actions can be found on the climate camp website and on EarthFirst! Action Reports. Don't forget the new E-on F-off website.
Previous success against E-on : protests force recruitment efforts to be dropped
A Good Week Stopping Open-Cast Coal Mining in Derbyshire
20-11-2008 20:43
Local action groups, dispirited after central government overruled the local planning refusal of permission, have started getting active again. This follows Earth First!'s Leave it in the Ground campaign earlier in the summer - a mass trespass followed by two noise demos outside UK Coal's Yorkshire HQ, plus the squatting of the farm house. Bodge House was finally evicted - during the Camp for Climate Action - though it took the forces of darkness 9 days.
More recently there was another Picnic in the Park trespass, a handful of EF!ers stopped work one afternoon, and locals held a demo at the entrance to the site.
Leave it in the Ground EF! campaign | Derby EF! campaign blog | Local action group | Coal Action Network
UK protests against open-cast background | Picnic in the Park | June UK Coal noise demo | July UK Coal noise demo | Bodge House occupied & evicted | Picnic in the Park the sequel | EF! digger-diving protest | Local demo
Full article | 3 additions | 5 comments
E.ON withdraws from careers fairs due to persistent protests
12-11-2008 18:54
E.ON has withdrawn from University Careers Fairs run by AIESEC following a string of protests around the country. E.ON did not show up at Birmingham today (12th Nov). The protesters object to E.ON wanting to develop new coal fired power stations, such as at Kingsnorth - the target of this summers Climate Camp. However E.ON cannot avoid the protests by avoiding careers fairs - expect more fun during 48 hours of action against E.ON and new coal on the 28/29 November.
Students have visited careers fairs to protest about the presence of parts of the arms and fossil fuel industries. Climate chaos related companies targeted include RBS (the oil and gas bank), BP and Shell. The arms industry representatives include the Army, B.Ae, Qinetiq and Rolls Royce. Careers fairs have been targeted in Aston, Birmingham ( 2 ), Bristol, Cambridge ( 2 | 3 ), Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Imperial College London, Kings College London, Leeds, Liverpool, Loughborough, Manchester ( 2 | 3 ), Nottingham ( 2 | 3 ), Oxford ( 2 ), Sheffield, Southampton, Warwick and York. More reports are available from People and Planet.