Nottinghamshire Ecology Feature Archive

A local campaign group is fighting UK Coal's plans for an opencast mine near Measham in North West Leicestershire. The Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) oppose the company's plans for a mile long mine and the extraction of 1.25m tonnes of coal over 4 1/2 years.

UK Coal are already failing to meet requirements to restore a site in nearby Ashby de la Zouch to agricultural land and MOPG fear that this will happen again.

It is thought that coal mined at Minorca would be used to fuel Ratcliffe on Soar power station in Nottinghamshire. The mined coal would fuel the power station for only 65 days.

Newswire: UK Coal to gain unwelcome publicity at a Leicestershire County Council meeting | 400 have now signed the Minorca Petition | Pensioners to deliver message about Minorca | Leicestershire County Council: Please make a Decision!!

Previous features: Nottingham is not stupid | Protests continue at Shipley open cast site | Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied | New Old Coal for Notts

Links: Minorca Opencast Protest Group | Campaign resources | Notts Against New Coal

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.

Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3

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

"This is a very sad day for the residents of Nottingham, a sad day for democracy and a sad day for our environment".

Jon Beresford, spokesman from Nottingham Against Incineration & Landfill (NAIL) is not impressed. Local residents and NAIL have been fighting plans to expand Nottingham’s Eastcroft incinerator for the last 4 years. Democracy has been given a severe blow when the government recently over ruled Nottingham City Council and given the green light (or not so green) for Waste Recycling Group’s Planning Application to expand the facility and pollute our environment with more toxic substances and global warming gases.

The government has given the go ahead suggesting that the third incinerator will help fight climate change. "This will help fight climate change no more than building a third runway at Heathrow" argues Beresford. "This throws the governments Climate Change Policy into complete nonsense". Waste Recycling Group, owners of Nottingham’s Eastcroft incinerator originally applied to incinerate an additional 150,000 tonnes (250,000 tonnes total) of waste a year by building a third line in Nottingham City Centre.

Latest: Eastcroft, the end of the campaign?

Video: The NAIL film (10 min. various formats) | NAIL Slideshow (avi 9M)

Feature articles: Planning Officer Recommends Rejections of Incinerator Expansion | Council backs off from incinerator expansion decision | Incinerator Public Meeting - Public Bodies pull out! | Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill campaigners hand in petition | Planning Officer insists on wider public consultation for incinerator expansion | Campaigners meet Environment Agency over incinerator | Sneinton's Rubbish Day Out 1 - The Days Events | NAIL campaign 'banner drop' at Sneinton Boulevard | NAIL campaign hammers on... | The air that we breathe...

Links: NAIL Website | Waste Recycling Group | View planning application

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

Protesters from Earth First! have invaded the Derbyshire site of the open cast mine twice in the last fortnight. On Monday a number of people climbed onto diggers and machinery, stopping work for over two hours. This was preceded by a highly policed picnic that took place on the site last weekend. On Saturday, local environmental group Erewash and Amber Valley Environment Network (EAVON) held a demonstration of 40 people at the site entrance.

These protests are the latest in a campaign that saw Shipley Lodge, a house on the site, squatted during the summer. The squatters used tunnels and tree houses and it took bailiffs and police an entire week to evict them, at the cost of £58,000 to Derbyshire police. The first court case arising from the eviction collapsed last Monday due to lack of evidence.

Newswire: Local residents protest at Lodge Farm open cast site | Shipley Bodge court case collapses | Protestors stop work at Shipley open-cast | Picnic in the Park - Photos Shipley Open Cast Site, Derbyshire | Picnic In The Park - The Sequel | Notts Indymedia Climate Chaos topic page

Previous Feature: Derbyshire Opencast Mine Squatters: Eviction Imminent | Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied | Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site

Links: Derby Earth First! | Leave it in the Ground | Lodge House blog

Climate activists marked World Food Day by brining the European Biofuels Expo and Conference taking place at Newark Showground to a standstill. Several campaigners successfully scaled the roof of the building at the Newark Showground, dropping large banners inside the conference hall whilst others set off multiple rape alarms inside the centre in protest at what they see as the rape of the planet that Agrofuels are causing.

Their action against the Expo, dubbed by campaigners as the ‘Newark Exposé’, was staged to protest against the ‘greenwash’ that Biofuels can be sustainable and are good for the environment. John Simmons, from the roof of the Newark building, said "It is unacceptable that the Biofuels industry, which is responsible for large-scale rainforest destruction, evictions of communities, hunger and accelerated climate change hold conferences where they portray themselves as ‘green’."

Newswire: Activists Bring Biofuels Conference to Stand Still on World Food Day | World Food Day | European Biofuels Expo and Conference | Notts Indymedia Climate Chaos topic page

Previous Feature: Biofuels Conference Disrupted At Concerns Over Multi-National 'Greenwash'

Links: Biofuelwatch

Japan has issued an arrest warrant for a Nottingham-based activist, alleging that he damaged the country's whaling fleet. Warrants have been issued for Daniel Bebawi, a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and two American volunteers and the Japanese government has sought to have the three placed on the Interpol wanted list.

The three all participated in the Sea Shepherd Whale Defense Campaign: Operation Leviathan in December 2006 and January and February 2007. The charges apparently stem from an collision between Japanese whaling vessel Keiko Maru and the Sea Shepherd ship Robert Hunter. The incident was investigated by the Australian Federal police at the time, with forensic evidence demonstrating that the Kaiko Maru had rammed the Robert Hunter.

Interviews with Dan: Back in Nottingham (audio) | On board the ship (text)

Reading: Sea Shepherd press release | Evening Post article

Previous feature: Nottingham Activist Returns From Whale Saving Mission In Antartica

Links: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Operation Leviathan website | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling | Indymedia UK Ocean defence page

It is now confirmed that the police have launched a full eviction attempt at the Bodge House squat in Shipley, Derbyshire. The house is located on the site of a proposed open cast coal mine.

Update Thursday 14th August: Two tunnelling protestors have been brought to the surface after spending over a week underground. The eviction is now over.

Update Sunday 10th August: Eviction is still ongoing at Bodge House, in Derbyshire. This is the 4th day of the operation and 4 people were arrested earlier today. The house is very heavily barricaded and 2-3 people are still reported to be inside. 4 vans of police and bailiffs still in attendence.

Update Friday 8th August: (added comment by Jane) - We were there today to give support to those still in the house. We arrived about 11.00am. There were loads of police as would be expected and 3 people were taken out of the house while we were there and taken to Ripley police station. We were not allowed near so could not see who it was. Around 3.00 in the afternoon a chap in a suit and 2 women in inappropriate shoes turned up. We think they were from the bailiff teams. They spoke to the chief inspector in charge and went to the house. All the time the bailiffs on site had been cutting down the trees surrounding the house and trying to get in the front door of the house. They succeeded just before the 'suits' arrived. We left around 4pm to run some film to ITN but I heard later that the bailiffs had started up a generator to get air to the people in the tunnel under the house but left the site around 5.30. they are due back tomorrow (Saturday) to get the 2 people in the tunnel out. Anyone who can get there, please get there to give support.

Update Thursday 7th August: Around 7.45am about 60 police and 50 bailliffs arrived at the house. Throughout the day the police have been trying to get through the barricades and defences. Local people and media have been at the scene. So far 3 people have been removed from lockons and a cargo net outside the house and have been arrested. 7 people are still inside and are heavily barricaded in, included being hidden in tunnels under the house. The bailiffs have put up security fences and although they have managed to enter part of the building, the eviction attempt has been stopped for today. It is estimated the eviction will take at least another couple of days.

Newswire: Bodge House (Shipley) coal tunnellers evicted after week underground | Short audio - Bodge House eviction | Eviction Of Coal Mine Protest Site (Bodge House) - pictures

Go there: Directions to the site (PDF)

See feature articles: Derbyshire Opencast Mine Squatters: Eviction Imminent | Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied | Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site

Mainstream coverage: Bailiffs 'just eight feet' away from underground eco-protesters at Smalley | Arrests at Smalley coal mine protest | Protesters evicted from Smalley site

On Friday July 18 UK Coal were granted a possession order for the Squatted farmhouse on the planned Lodge House open cast coal mine site near Smalley in Derbyshire. It is anticipated that an eviction is imminent, particularly as the climbing team used against road protesters has been seen around the site.

On Tuesday June 18, 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. and claimed squatter’s rights.

Newswire: Police try and enter Bodge House | Pictures from the Bodge House opencast - 13/07/08 | Bodge House - Eviction Alert! | Eviction gets go ahead - Bodge House | Call out for help at Shipley Bodge Site | Ongoing Open Cast Coal Mine Occupation, Derbyshire - update from court | Activists disrupt work at site of opencast coal mine | Leave it in the Ground… in Court and a protest | Shipley Bodge squatted coal site recieves papers

Previous features: Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied | Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site

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

Glebe Mines, owned by INEOS (the multi-billion pound company that owns Runcorn chemical works) have put in an application to the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) to build an open pit quarry on Wensley Hillside. The site, which is 6 miles from Bakewell, is within the Peak Park and is 2 miles away from the scene of the well-known Stanton Moor quarrying disputes.

INEOS/Glebe plan to extract 660,000 tonnes of fluorspar from the 12 hectare site over a 6 year period. In addition, there will be 50 lorry movements per day along the only access route, a narrow country lane.

Newswire: Help Save Wensley Hillside Peak District National Park | Park Authority halts quarrying at Backdale in the Peak District

Links: Friends of the Peak District | Glebe Mines | Peak District National Park Authority | Tearsall - The Proposals | Notts Indymedia Ecology topic page

The old adage holds that there is no such thing as a free meal. Over the last few months, campaigners in Nottingham have been trying to prove this wrong, dishing out free vegan food to shoppers. Several events have been held in the city centre to tie in with Vegetarian Week, the Day of Action on Food and Climate Change and the Viva! Veggie Roadshow, with a further activity planned for UN World Food Day on October 16th.

While everybody loves free stuff, there is also an important point to the exercise with campaigners promoting a vegan-friendly lifestyle. This is beneficial not only for the animals, who would otherwise suffer the horrors of factory farming, but also for the planet. Livestock accounts for something in the order of 18% of greenhouse gas emissions

Newswire: Free Vegan Food For All! 4/07/08* | The Incredible Veggie Roadshow comes to Nottingham | Nottingham: 'Food Not Bombs', Food & Climate Change Meeting | 3rd June Food Climate Change Day of Action in Nottingham | Ready Steady Skip: Trailer and website launched! | Free Foods Invades Nottingham

Links: Nottingham Animal Rights | Food Not Bombs | Veggies Catering Campaign | Viva! | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation topic page

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 Nottingham resident who joined the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as part of their crew on the vessel Steve Irwin has returned home. Dan, who has volunteered with Sea Shepherd previously, rejoined in the middle of this year's anti-whaling mission against the continued Japanese whale hunting activities in the Southern Ocean. Named Operation Migaloo, after the only known albino humpback in the world, this was Sea Shepherd's fourth expedition to the remote southern waters off the coast of Antarctica and has been typically eventful.

In January, two Sea Shepherd volunteers were taken hostage by Japanese whalers. Then in March, several of the crew were injured when the Japanese military threw grenades onto the ship and opened fire on them. The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin covered a total of 20,090 nautical miles (37,205 kilometers) during Opertaion Migaloo and made 3 return trips from Melbourne, Australia to the coast of Antarctica in 3½ months. In total, the ship was at sea for 83 days between December 5, 2007 and March 15, 2008. It is estimated that due to continued harrasment by the Sea Shepherd, the Japanese have not managed to get even half their whale quota this hunting season.

Upcoming: Sea Shepherd Fundraiser, 21 May, at Junktion 7. See Veggies diary entry for more info.

Interviews with Dan: Back in Nottingham (audio) | On board the ship (text)

UK Indymedia features: Sea Shepherd Activists Injured As Japanese Military Open Fire | Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean

Links: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Mission Migaloo website | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling