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Don't Build Kingsnorth - adopt a contractor

Don't Build Kingsnorth | 06.09.2009 13:04 | Climate Chaos | Energy Crisis

Six companies are currently bidding for the contract to build a new coal power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, for the giant power company E.ON. This would be the first new UK coal power station for 30 years. Kingsnorth would produce over 8 million tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the entire emissions of a country like Ghana.

Banner at Laing O'Rourke - September 2009
Banner at Laing O'Rourke - September 2009


Kingsnorth is the first in a line of new coal-fired power stations which the government and energy companies are seeking to build in the UK. If built, these power stations will lock us into a future of fossil fuels and unstoppable climate chaos. For example, the new Kingsnorth plant alone would produce 8.1 million tonnes in annual CO2 emissions, exceeding those of the country of Ghana. But it doesn't have to be this way. We can show them that they'll have a battle on their hands. And if we are serious, we can win.

Although the process is still at the bidding stage, we don't have to wait until the construction work has begun. In fact this planet can't afford for us to. It is also likely to be more effective if we act now by focusing on the companies bidding to build the new power station. The companies are:
* BAM Nuttall
* Laing O'Rourke
* Balfour Beatty
* A Costain/Hochtief joint venture
* Kier Group
* Morgan Est.

Find out more about these companies, and the actions already taken on  http://dontbuildkingsnorth.noblogs.org/

These companies need to be told "Don't Build Kingsnorth." But then, sometimes actions speak louder than words ;-)

Don't Build Kingsnorth
- e-mail: dontbuildkingsnorth@riseup.net
- Homepage: http://dontbuildkingsnorth.noblogs.org/

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Title should read "Don't Build Kingsnorth - adopt a contractor" - darn typos!

06.09.2009 13:27

it's all in the title!

DBK

Walking in line with animal liberationists...

07.09.2009 04:35

From the website:

"While not as 'glamorous' as digger-diving or action against E.ON itself, targeting suppliers can be highly effective, as shown by successes in the animal rights movement. These have resulted in the closure of breeding facilities for lab animals, the abandonment of plans to build vivisection labs, and the severing of contracts between HLS and some to the world's largest insurance firms and investment banks." (regarding  http://shac.net campaign)

Nice to see credit where credit is due! Most campaigns move over to hitting secondry targets and pretend they invented the idea (re smash edo, dsei, etc). Good to see earth liberationists showing some solidarity. Animal liberationists show enough in return thats for sure.

solidarity

Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Be careful about that.....

07.09.2009 08:16

The SPEAC campaign conducted extensive secondary trageting to prevent the Oxford lab being built - it was built nevertheless and is up and running.

The SHAC campaign has caused considerable damage to HLS but it is still running.

Compare the effects against the impact of police action on the campaigns and individuals and you have to question if the AR route is the one to follow.

Examine the Facts

Working Together

07.09.2009 21:41

Credit where credit's due, animal libbers using direct action against 'secondary targets' have shown me how effective this tactic can be (see comment from solidarity above - esp. SHAC). One other extra thing I would really hope climate activists (inc. me) can learn from the animal rights movement can learn is how damaging 'movement splitting' can be - let's not spend all our energies on deciding who is more radical than others, who is 'extremist' and who is 'mainstream'. Maybe we could agree that this problem - climate change - is fucking serious and we can all work together, using whatever tactics are available to each of us and target the people causing climate change and not just slag each other off (or end up in endless navel-gazing) about what the right tactics are. Laing O'Rourke will love us if we do the latter.

Camper

Agreed

08.09.2009 01:16

Movement splitting is the age-old statist tactic of divide and conquer. Arguing who is more radical isn't really going to help, the results should be able to speak for themselves. Whilst I don't believe mainstream orgs help, I do believe radical movements should not be split. Constructive criticism and debates are however extremely necessary to strengthen such movements, otherwise we end up playing follow the leader with delusional beliefs.

However, the difference between the animal and earth liberation movements is that while welfarism/reform indefinitely hinders environmentalism, and is therefore commonly criticised, for animal liberation it is also speciesist so more aggressively opposed. Afterall sexism and racism didn't bring about human liberation, so speciesism won't bring about animal liberation.

Animal libber

please

08.09.2009 09:58

Please can you put all the local offices of these companies out via indymedia and maybe the direct action reports (UK Earth First!) websites so local groups can take action more easily?

Also, who are the civil engineers - these are the people who will have done environmental accessments and drawn up the actual plans, but who might not do the construction. These are good ones to target to. Big engineering firms like Mott Macdonald are real scumbags (Motts have been the engineers for the Iceland dams, the trans amazon highway, Newbury bypass and Twyford Down for example).

Send us the info and stuff will happen.

rosie

rosie

@please - more info

08.09.2009 20:00

We'll see what we can do, and there are a couple of updates planned for the website soon - so please keep checking  http://dontbuildkingsnorth.noblogs.org/

But, to be completely honest, we probably don't have the capacity to find all the local offices. These are all large companies with many local offices - we need to balance our time spent research with our time spent planning and taking action. A quick internet search with your location and the name of the company should find offices near you. And if you do come across some, please let us know at  dontbuildkingsnoth@riseup.net and we'll add them to the website.

And, and if things happen (and we hope they will), feel free to let us know and we can add them to the website as well.

Don't Build Kingsnorth
mail e-mail: dontbuildkingsnorth@riseup.net
- Homepage: http://dontbuildkingsnorth.noblogs.org/

Local contact details

10.09.2009 18:07

A lovely pixies has posted local contact details

 https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/437679.html

David Sparkes

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