Drax power station is the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions in the British Isles. There is overwhelming evidence that C02 emissions are the cause of climate change which is
already causing environmental devastation across the globe [0]. Unless emissions are massively and urgently reduced, climate chaos is likely to lead to an irreversible collapse of the Earth's
ecosystem.

Today, emergency messages about were being broadcast the latest lethal heatwave to hit the UK [1].

The UK government and power industry have dragged their feet throughout efforts to bring emissions down to safe levels, or even to reduce their rate of growth. Despite decades of reassurances from government and industry, the UK is producing more emissions now than ever. In the face of this global emergency, it's a source of great hope (perhaps our only hope) that a small but growing number of people are willing to take matters into their own hands at great personal risk.

The "Drax 29" are twenty-nine ordinary people who took direct action against the fossil fuel madness last summer. As was widely-reported at the time [2] [3] [4] [5], they stopped a train-load of coal on its way to the power station.

The defendants arrived by bicycle for the start of the trial at Leeds Crown Court today. A crowd gathered outside to show their support, with banners saying, "Burning Coal is Killing Us," "Stopping Climate Change is NOT a Crime," and "Drax Power Station Kills 180 People per year."

The defendants have a lot to say about the way they have been treated by the legal system, but they can't say it until the trial concludes.

One of the people who came to show their support said, "Direct action to stop climate change is the only option left - everything else has been tried and failed. And why are there armed police here? Are they trying to pretend that we're dangerous? How ironic is that!"

The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.



[0] United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
 http://www.ipcc.ch/

[1] NHS: Heatwave amber alert
 http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/Heatwaveamberalert.aspx

[2] Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2008/06/401022.html

[3] Pictures from Drax train action
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/leedsbradford/2008/06/401011.html

[4] Guardian: Climate change protesters hijack coal train
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/13/activists.climatechange

[5] BBC: Climate protest halts coal train
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/7452395.stm