Now eon may be unpopular. But this is starting to get ridiculous. If we look just at websites specifically targeting eon and KIngsnorth coal plant then we have:
No New Coal–A website dedicated to Kingsnorth and full of a broad range of content from the likes of James Hansen to Stop Climate Chaos and the Climate Camp. EON F.OFF–A website setup for the 48Hrs of action against EON which launched the Face Off. EON TIP.OFF–A website setup so that any disgruntled members of staff from EON have someone to turn to! EON Watch–A group keeping an eye on what EON and the Government are saying through the media and in official documents.
For the Camp for Climate Action a climate caravan was sent into action brining fun and education with it. Now, modified for broader appeal it is back as the Coal Caravan. Details on the last meeting about this can be found here: meeting16dec08.
The fabulous climate caravan lives on. This time we will be the Coal Caravan, walking and cycling between the sites for proposed open cast mines and new power stations in the Midlands, Yorkshire and North East.
On our route we’ll be talking to local people, organising bicycled power films and events, holding public discussions and displays, and linking groups from different areas to help strengthen isolated campaigns.
Precise details of the route are to be confirmed, but put the dates in your diary now! Meet up Friday 17th April (W. Midlands), to start our journey on Saturday 18th. The Caravan will end two and a half weeks later with a grand finale on Bank Holiday Monday (4th May).
The caravan itself will not involve direct action (although we may offer training, if local groups so request). It will be openly organised by email and if you would like to get involved please contactcaravan (at) climatecamp.org.uk
At 6am on the 15th of December thirty campaigners from Coal Action Scotland together with local residents peacefully blockaded the entrance to the Scottish Coal-operated Ravenstruther coal rail terminal in South Lanarkshire.
Coal Action Scotland
Scotland’s CO2 emissions are increasing significantly. Because of the burning of coal it will be impossible for Scotland to meet its 80% target reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050.
Angus Mcloud said
“The fact is that the government will not meet its own targets. This confirms what climate protestors have believed all along – that the Scottish government is paying lip service to the dangers of climate change.”
This action is being taken to impact the operations of Scottish Coal and Scottish Power in the region, stopping coal being delivered from five local open cast mines . The protestors are acting to oppose the five open cast coal mines that deliver coal to the rail terminal and in resistance to the thirteen new open cast coal mines due to open in Scotland.
Protestors erected and scaled a 15ft scaffolding tripod, blocking trucks from entering the terminal. Others are locked by their necks to a conveyor belt and a bulldozer, preventing coal stockpiles from being loaded onto trains.
Tilly Gifford who is at the site said:
“In the face of dangerous runaway climate change, increasing our dependence on coal – the most polluting of the fossil fuels – is simply unacceptable.We urgently need to make the transition to renewable energy and close existing mines.We shouldn’t even be thinking about new ones.”
Today’s direct action builds on recent demonstrations that have taken place all over the UK in opposition to new coal.
The demonstration today is in support of communities opposing new open cast mines. Rebecca Mackenzie, a local resident said:
“We’re here today to send a clear message that we don’t want parts of Scotland such as South Lanarkshire to become the most heavily mined areas in Europe, as they will be if permission is granted for all the new open cast coal mines currently being proposed. If sites such as Mainshill near Douglas can’t be stopped through legal avenues, then action will have to be taken to make sure these last remaining areas of un-mined countryside aren’t destroyed”.
Beth Whelan, the campaigner perched on the scaffolding tripod, said:
“Local authorities, the Scottish government and companies such as Scottish Coal and Scottish Power are ignoring the scientific evidence on climate change. We have to take responsibility for our climate and our future, and stop the coal industry and its expansion. This is what we doing today: acting responsibly”.
It is estimated that 6,380 tonnes of coal were stopped from being transported from the coal mines to power stations, equivalent to 11,675,400 kg CO2 (11,675.4 tonnes) released into the atmosphere. Coal Action Scotland apologizes to any workers affected by today’s demonstration, but in recognizing the desperate need to stop burning coal sees no other choice but to target the companies responsible for mining it .
Coal is a big part of British history and but with our new understanding of climate change we know it cant play a role in our future. Not only does coal power make achiving the govornments climate change goals an impossiblity, it also badly undermines the UK’s credebility at international negotiations. If the developed world can’t show willing to stop using the most polluting form of power known to man then how exactly are we to convince Asia to jump on board an international agreement.
It is quite clear that for the country and for the world, we must stop coal in the UK. For that reason the Camp for Climate Action has it’s sights on energy giant EON which plans the first new coal plant in over 30 years; boldly leading the UK energy sector back to the stone age… we will not let in happen!
Coventry people and planet visited EON’s HQ and made an extremely musical appearence, with lost of sweet singing and subversive lyrics. Very nicely done.
London, EON Pall Mall offices.
Bristol, EON Street Party.
Nottingham, EON offices.
Nottingham students protest and flyer, letting people know just what there friendly power company get up to when not actively screwing people out of money in this oligopolistic energy market we have.
After all this action was over EON breathed an understandable sigh of relief, took down the fencing outside there HQ and tried to get on with building more coal plants. Unfortunately for them, we extended this 48Hrs thing to 72Hrs and it all got very interesting.
Members of the camp for climate action from around the country turned up dressed as Santa and proceeded to invade the offices, handing out coal to eon members of staff along with reports on how the energy gap can be filled using waste heat and renewables.
The main doors where also scalled and sealed shut with the use of superglue and brave activists! Despite being whistfully dressed as Santa, we did have a messge to deliver, so here is one of our number doing an interview dressed as Santa talking very seriously to the local bbc news station (video).
National wave of student protest forces energy giant to abandon recruitment tour.
Anti-coal protests at graduate careers fairs around the UK have forced E.ON to cancel the remainder of its recruitment tour. The energy company, which is planning to build a new coal power station at Kingsnorth, Kent [1], has seen at least seventeen of its careers events disrupted over the
last few weeks [2].
This has been a co-ordinated national effort from students involved in People & Planet, the Coal Action Network, and the Camp for Climate Action [3]. Leaflets, banners, fancy dress, conversations with attendees and eye-catching stunts were used to embarrass E.ON and dissuade graduates from joining the company [4]. The Royal Bank of Scotland, one of E.ON’s main financial backers, were also targeted at the fairs over their role in providing loans to build the proposed new power station [5].
Imperial College London
These tactics have been a resounding success. On Tuesday morning, student activists arrived at Loughborough University Graduate Fair to find the E.ON stall empty. Yesterday in Birmingham there were similar scenes, with students dressed as elephants (because climate change is the “elephant in
E.ON’s boardroom”) finding no target for their protest. Upon enquiry the organisers [6] informed Loughborough students that E.ON had cancelled their remaining graduate recruitment events this year, due to the level of protest they had received.
While E.ON has thus far failed to comment on their decision to pull out of the graduate recruitment fairs, Jane Benson of the Camp for Climate Action said today:
“This is a great step for the campaign against a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth. E.ON know they can’t defend their plans in the midst of a climate crisis, so rather than be embarrassed in front of potential employees they’ve chosen to run away.”
This victory for campaigners comes just two weeks before a planned 48 hours of action against E.ON and new coal [7]. The two days of action (Friday 28th and Saturday 29th November) are being supported by the Camp for Climate Action, Rising Tide, Plane Stupid and Campaign against Climate Change. The new government Department for Energy and Climate Change is currently deliberating over whether to give the go-ahead for a new coal power station at Kingsnorth, and an announcement is expected soon.
Robert Jenkins from the People & Planet Associated Network for Direct Action (PANDA) said
“E.ON think they are safe, because most people don’t know they are the owners of Kingsnorth power station. These recruitment fairs have helped to out E.ON as the biggest climate criminal in the UK. After all, as they themselves boast, climate change lies at the heart of everything they do [8]. Everyone who cares about our future on this planet should join us for 48 hours of action against E.ON and new coal at the end of November.”
[1] E.ON have applied for Government permission to build the first new UK coal-fired plant in thirty years at Kingsnorth in Kent. If built, this power station would produce the same amount of carbon dioxide as the
world’s 30 least polluting countries combined.
[2] Careers events at the following universities were targeted by student campaigners: Glasgow, Durham, Southampton, King’s College London, Imperial, York, Sheffield, Aston, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, Loughborough, Manchester, Nottingham and Oxford. See http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412804.html for more details. This represents almost all of E.ON’s planned 2008 recruitment events (see http://www.eon-uk.com/Careers/Graduates/807.aspx for the full list).
[3] See www.peopleandplanet.org, www.leaveitintheground.org.uk, and www.climatecamp.org.uk.
[4] Here are some of the tactics used by campaigners at a few of the events: Leeds: Leafleted, talked to students, dropped an “E.ON:F.OFF” banner from a balcony inside the fair Bristol: Attended two fairs with leaflets, stickers and a polar bear, until thrown out by security Liverpool: Leaflets, conversations with graduates and a banner drop Glasgow: A team of Rebel Clowns invaded the fair Nottingham: A gang of grim reapers flyered the fair and congratulated E.ON staff on the death rate from climate change Manchester: A “Flashmob” wearing bright yellow “Leave It In The Ground” T-shirts materialised at the fair, handed out hundreds of flyers and dumped coal all over E.ON’s stall. Kings College London: Flyered the fair and covered the backs of security guards in “No New Coal” stickers Imperial: The fair was invaded and flyered, and E.ON were serenaded with a “soul power not coal power” song. Cambridge: Invaded the fair with T-shirts and leaflets, and dropped “Make a Living - Not a Killing” banners outside. Oxford: Flyered, presented E.ON with a “Best Greenwash” award and dumped coal on their stall. In total, hundreds of activists were involved, and thousands of leaflets were distributed to graduates.
[5] In 2008, the report, ‘Cashing in on Coal’, showed that in the preceding two years, RBS-NatWest had been loaned an estimated $16 billion in 27 different loans to coal-related companies around the world,
including taking part in loans worth $70 billion to E.ON at a time when it was announcing plans to construct 17 new coal and gas-fired power plants across Europe. see http://www.oyalbankofscotland.com/cioc/
[6] The Loughborough fair (and many of the others) were organised by AIESEC http://www.aiesec.co.uk/.
[8] The most prominent slogan on E.ON’s recruitment stall was “Tackling climate change isn’t something that’s tacked onto our agenda. It’s at the heart of our business”. This was widely spoofed by activists at the
events, by the simple removal of the word “tackling”.
The UK Government is calling for an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, we are calling for 48 hours of action against E.ON and new coal NOW.
It’s easy enough to set a target that’s 42 years away, but we don’t stand a rapidly melting snowball’s chance of achieving it if the government give the green light to new coal fired power stations (7 are in the planning stages, with E.ON’s new Kingsnorth being first up) and keep dishing out subsidies to new coal mines. Coal is the dirtiest fuel there is, so while the government continues with business-as-usual through the last 100 months we have to make a difference on climate change, we call for 48 hours of action against new coal – now!
Join us in saying ‘No to New Coal’: get your friends together and plan an action for your area. Go stickering, blockading, serving direct action warning notices at supply chain premises, organise an awareness raising talk, hang a banner, get creative on the streets, the options are endless. Get together, get creative, and plan an action!
On Friday you could visit the Coal Authority, E.ON offices, UK Coal offices or Global Coal Management offices, to name but a few. Or take aim at their investors or parts of their supply chain. On the Saturday you could take action at 2nd round FA Cup matches sponsored by E.ON. Together, we’ll raise awareness about killer coal, and we’ll say loud and clear that we won’t stand for new coal - at Kingsnorth or anywhere else.
For more information visit - http://www.e-onf-off.org.uk/ - where a list of potential targets, action ideas and plenty of resources will follow shortly.
This day of action is supported by The Camp for Climate Action, Rising Tide, Plane Stupid and Campaign against Climate Change.
Climate change is the biggest threat facing us, and burning coal is the biggest historical cause of climate change. Every day more coal is burned, yet industry and government seem intent on burning even more.
The Coal Action Network and this website is a growing network of people & resources resisting coal in the UK.
The eviction team arrived very early on Thursday 7th August. The person sleeping in the tree house on the lane managed to raise the alarm before being arrested, giving those who wanted to time to get up onto the roof of the house. Three people left voluntarily when the bailiffs read out the final demand to go, and another two were removed from the roof and arrested later that day.
The next day saw the eviction team back again bright and early, and another four people were removed from their various lock-ons inside the house that afternoon. That left just two people deep in the tunnel under the house. For the following week the bailiffs worked on enlarging and shoring up the entrance shaft and then the horizontal tunnel leading off it; the two people ahead of them in the tunnel though, were also digging, and extending their tunnel faster than the bailiffs could follow.
There was a bit of variety on the fourth day, Sunday, when some of the people who’d been atClimate Camp tried to get home. Two were arrested on their way to the house at dawn, another two were spotted hiding in a tree and brought down and arrested later that morning. By the end of the day every tree and hedge within sight of the farmhouse had been uprooted, even those supposedly ‘protected’; UK Coal even had the gall to express their sorrow that ‘so called ecologists’ had forced them into it.
Back underground, the digging and shoring continued. Eventually the eviction team realised that if at the end of every shift they retired to their comfy hotel, and allowed the protesters to gain ground overnight, this could go on forever, so on the Thursday night they kept digging instead. They finally caught up with the two in the wee small hours of Friday morning, nearly nine days after the eviction first started. By lunch time the house had been flattened - there’s a really horrible video of it happening on the Derby Evening Telegraph website
All thirteen of the people arrested have been charged under Section 68 (1) and (3) of the Criminal Justice Act, for disrupting/obstructing someone engaged in a lawful act etc etc ie Aggravated Trespass. They are all due to appear in Derby Magistrates’ Court, on various dates right through August- 3 on the 15th, 3 on the 18th, 4 on the 21st, 2 on the 28th and 1 on the 29th. More news on the court proceedings as we have it.
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The Coal Action Network is formed of Groups and Individuals resisting coal mining and infrastructure in the UK. Read more...
Lodge House Blog
Visit the Lodge House Blog for more information about the ongoing campaign against an open cast mine in Derbyshire.
