> 09.00 -More than thirty climate activists and local residents this
> morning took mass direct action to prevent excavation work on Britain’s biggest
> ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales. (1)
> morning took mass direct action to prevent excavation work on Britain’s biggest
> ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales. (1)
resized
> 09.00 -More than thirty climate activists and local residents this
> morning took mass direct action to prevent excavation work on Britain’s biggest
> ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales. (1)
> Climate campaigners from all over Wales(2) joined with local people from
> Merthyr Tydfil to evade police and security before taking over the 1,000
> acre site on a hilltop near Cardiff. They have chained themselves to
> bulldozers and other heavy machinery to prevent work on the mine and have
> unfurled large banners. They’ve pledged to prevent work on the site for as
> long as they can by climbing onto, and chaining themselves to the 1,300
> horsepower yellow diggers. The leading environmentalist and author,
> George Monbiot, is amongst their ranks.
> “Gordon Brown’s officials this week jet off to Balifor UN talks on
> cutting carbon emissions but at home they’re trying to drag us into a new coal
> age.”
>
>
>
> He added:
> “Coal is the filthiest fuel known to man and projects like this mine
> could
> destroy all our chances of tackling global warming. The battle over this
> hilltop in Walesis a fight for the stability of the global climate and it
> epitomises this government’s hypocrisy on climate change.” (3)
>
>
>
> Merthyr resident, Leon Stanfield, explained:
>
>
>
> “We’ve protested this mine in all the conventional ways. Now we’re
> turning
> to direct action as a last resort. This project is wrecking both the
> local
> and the global environment and is putting the health of our community and
> its children at risk.”
>
>
>
> Over 10,000 local people petitioned against the pit.
>
>
>
> MORE INFORMATION/INTERVIEWS:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Local resident spokesman: Terry on 07966 443 728
>
>
>
> Climate activists: 07786 923 083/ 07926 150 320/ 07941 751 929
>
>
>
> Professional pix: Will on 07967 948 145
>
>
>
> Professional footage: Paul on 07973 298 359
> morning took mass direct action to prevent excavation work on Britain’s biggest
> ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales. (1)
> Climate campaigners from all over Wales(2) joined with local people from
> Merthyr Tydfil to evade police and security before taking over the 1,000
> acre site on a hilltop near Cardiff. They have chained themselves to
> bulldozers and other heavy machinery to prevent work on the mine and have
> unfurled large banners. They’ve pledged to prevent work on the site for as
> long as they can by climbing onto, and chaining themselves to the 1,300
> horsepower yellow diggers. The leading environmentalist and author,
> George Monbiot, is amongst their ranks.
> “Gordon Brown’s officials this week jet off to Balifor UN talks on
> cutting carbon emissions but at home they’re trying to drag us into a new coal
> age.”
>
>
>
> He added:
> “Coal is the filthiest fuel known to man and projects like this mine
> could
> destroy all our chances of tackling global warming. The battle over this
> hilltop in Walesis a fight for the stability of the global climate and it
> epitomises this government’s hypocrisy on climate change.” (3)
>
>
>
> Merthyr resident, Leon Stanfield, explained:
>
>
>
> “We’ve protested this mine in all the conventional ways. Now we’re
> turning
> to direct action as a last resort. This project is wrecking both the
> local
> and the global environment and is putting the health of our community and
> its children at risk.”
>
>
>
> Over 10,000 local people petitioned against the pit.
>
>
>
> MORE INFORMATION/INTERVIEWS:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Local resident spokesman: Terry on 07966 443 728
>
>
>
> Climate activists: 07786 923 083/ 07926 150 320/ 07941 751 929
>
>
>
> Professional pix: Will on 07967 948 145
>
>
>
> Professional footage: Paul on 07973 298 359
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Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Well Done!
05.12.2007 16:56
Landale
climate
05.12.2007 19:51
F(A)THER T(E)D
It doesn't matter
05.12.2007 20:44
A brilliant and inspiring action!
Rising Tension
e-mail:
amused_dude@hotmail.com
Hey - That's OUR line!
06.12.2007 13:59
When we got to the steps of the ladder up the side of the second big digger (pictured) it was being guarded by 2 security guards. As my friend approached them, one said "If you touch me, I'll put you in St Charles'". A blank stare from my friend then elicited the further comment "that's the hospital".
Oh riiIIGHT!
After he realised we were not there for a fight, and noticed that the rest of us had walked around the back and were climbing up the bucket onto the digger, he got in his landrover and drove off, leaving us with the departing comment "You people - what will you tell your kids in ten years time?".
We looked at each other and thought "Hey - that's supposed to be OUR line!"
I guess he was, in his inimitable grunting way, referring to future energy security in the UK. I wonder what we could do if we put the £20 billion that the government intend to put into new coal before 2020 into renewables instead? And what about diverting the £multibillion funding for trident while they are at it?
I heard another windfarm got refused planning here in Wales recently... Meanwhile, opencast coal mine schemes such as this one are subject to... no planning guidance at all - the planning note for coal mining in Wales has been "delayed" so that developers can do more or less whatever they want to.
So now our intrepid leader Gordon Brown is off in Bali wagging the finger at China and India, while the CO2 from the coal from this opencast mine will equal the sustainable emissions of 60 000 000 people. Go back to bed citizens, your government is in control.
Paulo Mellett
e-mail:
paulomellettski@gmail.com