Daily Video Reports From Camp For Climate Action

by dunk Tue Oct 13, 2009 15:39

Clean coal dealt second blow as Danish energy giant pulls out of Scottish plans
Dong Energy withdraws from 1.6GW Hunterston power station scheme just days after E.ON shelves Kingsnorth
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/12/dong-...plant

Plans for a new generation of "clean coal" power stations were dealt another severe blow after the Danish energy giant Dong Energy announced it was pulling out of plans for a major new coal-fired plant in Ayrshire.

Dong said it was withdrawing from the 1.6GW Hunterston power station scheme, which would eventually use carbon capture technology, and a further coal-fired plant in Germany, to focus its efforts on green energy and cutting its CO2 emissions.

The news caps a dizzying few days for environmentalists, with an announcement at the weekend from airports operator BAA that put plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport in severe doubt. BAA said that it would not submit a planning application for the development ahead of the general election. If the Conservatives win the next general election that will effectively kill the project because the party has said they will include a manifesto commitment not to expand Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.

by Dunk Sat Oct 10, 2009 17:44

imc-uk : Eon announces delay on Kingsnorth

With just a week to go until climate activists converge on EOn's Ratliffe on Soar coal power station, the company has announced that it is delaying plans to build a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth until at least 2012. Climate Camp promised to return to Kent to stop a new power station being built at Kingsnorth, and this summer launched 'Tipping Point' a social centre in Gillingham to bolster the local campaign. The project has been busy making connections and doing direct action training expecting a long drawn out battle, but on Wednesday 7th of October Eon announced it was dropping any immediate plans to replace the existing power station with another coal-fired power plant.

Too Good To Be True?

Eon has claimed the decision was a result in lower electricity demand during the recession with a company statement saying, “We expect to defer an investment decision on the Kingsnorth proposals for up to two to three years”.

On the surface it sounds a bit like the victory campaigners have been after – no new Kingsnorth, the first of a wave of new coal-fired power station. However their announcement isn’t exactly strong and it turns out that Eon are still seeking a billion pounds from the government for the project so clearly they'd still like to go ahead if the sums add up for them. As for the delay, they’d not have been starting construction until after the government coughed up a billion quid to subsidise the project and that wasn’t expected until 2011.

Nether-the-less there is no denying that this represents some sort of a a victory for climate activism. In addition to the 2008 camp at Kingsnorth, resistance by the Camp For Climate Action to the Kingsnorth plan has been widespread, including an action on E.ON’s PR firm Edelman, starting a campaign against construction firms bidding for the Kingsnorth contract, and setting up 'Tipping Point' in nearby Gillingham High Street to bolster local opposition with direct action training. Climate camp activists have also invaded Eon headquarters, dumped coal at E.ON student recruitment events, given out leaflets at FA Cup football matches sponsored by E.ON, and disrupted a climate change conference sponsored by the energy giant itself. To top it all, a lone activist shut down the power station during a 48 hours of action called for by the camp.

So the news is still sinking in and people trying to figure out what it actually means. Regardless, Kingsnorth isn’t the end of the fight against new coal and runaway climate change. While this particular battle may be over, the war against new coal has yet to be won. The campaign was never simply about stopping a new Kingsnorth. There are other companies eager to return to coal power (including one at Hatfield near Doncaster) and the fight continues.

full feature: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/10/439523.html

the new E-on F-off website.
http://www.e-onf-off.org.uk/

Kingsnorth power station plans shelved by E.ON (guardian online)

• Decision hailed by groups who staged Climate Camp protest
• Lower electricity demands due to recession cited as reason

Environmental campaigners were celebrating tonight after controversial plans for a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent were shelved, as the company behind the scheme postponed the project and blamed the recession.

Energy group E.ON said recent falls in demand for electricity had forced it to rethink, but that the plant could still be built if economic conditions permitted.

However, green campaigners were claiming a major victory over what they viewed as in effect a cancellation of the Kingsnorth station, which has become a focus for protest and concern over carbon dioxide emissions and climate change.

full article - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/07/eon-c...ation
full KINGSNORHT secion on Guardian site - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/kingsnorth

Kingsnorth plant delay hailed (BBC )

Environmentalists are celebrating after plans to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent were put on hold for three years.

Energy firm E.On blamed the recession and a fall in electricity demand saying it would not now be needed until 2016.

Protesters who held a Camp for Climate Change at the site last year said it showed how people could take back the power from corporations and government.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/8296975.stm

SORRY, its "lawful excuse", and not as written above

Watch out Shannonbridge et al...

E-on F-off - and they have

by Dunk Sat Oct 10, 2009 17:18

E.ON shelves plan to build Kingsnorth power plant as activists plan to take control of second power station

Wednesday, 7 October 2009: Climate activists celebrated victory against carbon intensive coal power last night, as energy company E.ON announced they were indefinitely delaying building a new power station in Kent. The Camp for Climate Action targeted the Kingsnorth site in August 2008 1 as coal is one of the most environmentally destructive ways of generating electricity.2

E.ON’s anouncement comes as hundreds of activists prepare for the Great Climate Swoop on 17th October, when they plan to take control of Ratcliffe-on-Soar3, another coal-fired power plant operated by E.ON 4. Activists will be co-ordinating the protests through text messages and twitter, which were also used to plan the G20 protests.

Activist Dennis Stevens said: “This is an amazing victory which shows how ordinary people can take back the power from corporations and government which do not value people and the environment. We need a social movement to develop community control of our energy supply and our society; not our current system which ignores the needs of people and the climate.”..

read all at

Victory for Climate Camp: E.ON Shelves Kingsnorth
http://www.climate-justice-action.org/news/2009/10/08/v...orth/

another factor which surely helped was the direct action by Greenpeace, where 6 climbers entered the chimney, climbed the massive structure, then absailed down and wrote in massive letters GORDON BI, it was to read Gordon Bin It, referring to ending the plan for UK new coal.

The cops eventually got to them, they let themselves be arrested, then in court, argued "lawful intent", whereby a crime is commited to prevent a greater tragedy from happening, ie loss of life or property. In court they got top climate scientists to argue and the judge found them not guilty....

Therefor the floodgates have been opened for direct action.

related articles and films

A Time Comes: The story of the Kingsnorth Six

Acclaimed film-maker Nick Broomfield's documentary about the 'Kingsnorth Six', the environmental activists who scaled a tower at a coal-fired power station in protest against pollution in 2007. The resulting court case drew support for them from leading scientists, and their subsequent acquittal proved historic and changed government policy.

vid - A Time Comes: The story of the Kingsnorth Six
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/may/31...north
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EGCFr2jLpU

article - Why six Britons went to eco war
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/31/kings...-coal

further commentry http://www.politics.ie/environment/106275-another-nail-...24906

No new coal - Victory for Climate Camp: E.ON Shelves Kingsnorth

Caption: Video Id: 0EGCFr2jLpU Type: Youtube Video
A Time Comes: The story of the Kingsnorth Six

by 1 of - BOLD collective Sat Aug 16, 2008 22:15 theboldjourney at gmail dot com

BOLD journey is an island wide journey of discovery, experimentation and celebration, a near 2 week voyage around the island of ireland to meet groups, projects, communities, places that have had BOLD dreams of building a better world and done something about it.

This audio recording was broadcast live on our BOLD internet radio and is a discussion with David Neavyn and Alan Clayton about the idea of transition towns and eco initiaves in the southern Irish town of Kinsale, half hour talk, nice interview, big shout out to Cathie for assisting so much.

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/Island_of_Ireland_Ec...8.ogg

Previous audio show we did related to these themes, was from recent climate camp in UK last week, the show went out on wednesdays camp radio:
http://stream.plentyfact.net/climatecamp-podcasts/wedne...2.mp3

related features:
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/88625

we will be in rossport to broadcast live radio show on tuesday or wednesday

by not 1 of Wed Aug 13, 2008 23:16

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Caption: Video Id: gMSzRHkzVnc Type: Youtube Video
Embedded video Youtube Video

by not 1 of Wed Aug 13, 2008 23:05

http://www.magnificentrevolution.org/2008/08/off-grid-p...ower/

Propaganda of the deed

by dunk Tue Aug 12, 2008 09:17

about 1.05 is sky tv footage of blatant heavy handed police violence
later is interview with dude outlining how law breaking has achieved previous great moves for society as well as reasons for climate camp and direct action

for more videos from and about climate camp, view here: http://www.youtube.com/user/kingqueen3065
kingqueen3065 : "disabled rights campaginer / eco-activist.
I had a stroke at the Camp for Climate Change at Drax power station in 2006. I think it was partly trying to camp whilst very ill and needing support etc. and partly due to police oppression. I don't go to camp any more, but I do archive the mainstream media's coverage, for posterity and to reflect back to Camp how they are being portrayed. "

Caption: Video Id: SkwpQnR3Pxg Type: Youtube Video
Embedded video Youtube Video

by dunk Mon Aug 11, 2008 13:51

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of huge institutions such as energy corporations and governments. But the Climate Camp has shown that we don’t have to feel that way. This weekend, we proved our power.

Today, we learned that - despite E.ON’s bluster that the power station had been running normally all weekend – we most definitely succeeded in disrupting its operations. We learned this from a most unlikely source: the police.

On Saturday, four bold rebel rafters got very close to the power station water intake pipe before being boarded and captured. They were arrested and charged with aggravated trespass and, according to their charge sheets, “they did an act, namely disrupting the running of the power station by causing the water inlet cooling system to be shut down.” That doesn’t sound like E.ON’s claim of “business as usual” to us!

Despite the fact that we had publicly announced what we were going to do months in advance; despite E.ON spending millions on extra security, and the Government spending millions on policing; despite the extra fences, the smear campaigns, the scare stories, and the most repressive and
heavy-handed policing of peaceful protest for many years; despite all of this, we got over the fences, disrupted the power station, and massively embarrassed an international energy giant. We outsmarted 26 police forces to run the biggest climate camp ever. We covered the river in boats,
filled the streets with people, covered the power station gates with banners and hit at least eight other targets with autonomous actions. We flooded the national, local and independent media with our stories and messages. E.ON and the Government threw everything they could at us, and
they still couldn’t hold us back.

We’re just ordinary people with a cause. And we proved our power – not just to the outside world, but to ourselves. Now we know what we can do, and our movement is stronger than ever. If the Government gives Kingsnorth the go-ahead, we will be back to stop it.

Why not join us? The Camp for Climate Action is an open and welcoming network with a group near you. Check out the “Local Groups” page to find out more!

Sunday 10th August 11pm

by dunk Sat Aug 09, 2008 14:12

keep an eye on this YOUTUBER for latest vids etc clipped from tv:
http://www.youtube.com/user/kingqueen3065

see 1.05 into film to see police elbowing non violent protestor to ground, striking while on ground with batton and kicking, before throwing back behind police lines

latest update from camp site, Saturday 12.30pm:

WE'RE IN!

Dozens of Protesters Over the First Two Fences of Kingsnorth Power Station

Electric Fence Switched Off!

Over 1000 Marchers Reach Power Station Gates

As promised, hundreds of climate campers have converged on Kingsnorth by land and by sea and have breached the perimeter fence despite the extraordinary hordes of police surrounding both the camp and the power station. Cheeky protesters dismantled the first fence and used it as a ladder to climb over the second one. Happily, E.ON have decided not to emulate the repressive tactics of the Kent police and have switched off the electric fence – the final fence surrounding the power station - as soon as the protesters got near it.

by dunk - Climate Camp Radio team Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:36 fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk

For audio on how to build a greener world and sustainable communities, listen to Wednesdays climate camp radio show:

Transitioning: From climate camps to sustainable commmunities, to transition towns, to eco cities
http://stream.plentyfact.net/climatecamp-podcasts/wedne...2.mp3

By the way, do we use our communication tools enough to achieve our objectives, most camp media heads i talked to seem to think no.

by lulu Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:58

An excellent video, & shld be effective @ getting the message out. How stupid are those cops? Robbing people won't help them protect dirty money corporations.