UKIMC - Sheffield - Climate Chaos

Activist Films at Sheffield Doc/fest

In the past Sheffield Indymedia has hosted its own fringe documentary film festival alongside the international annual event hosted at the Showroom Cinema, this year Access Space are hosting Open Splice: an afternoon of short open source documentaries on Friday 10th. Although we don't have the time and energy for our own screenings this this year the main event has a number of great looking films of interest to activists, including the première of the new British Film about climate change related direct action, Just Do It and the UK première of If a Tree Falls about the Earth Liberation Front.

Links: Sheffield Doc/Fest | Just Do It | If a Tree Falls

No UK Climate Camp in 2011

Sheffield Indymedia | 08-03-2011 15:20 | Climate Chaos | Energy Crisis | Sheffield

After 5 years of Climate Camps, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, a statement has been issued by the The Camp for Climate Action to say that "we will not organise a national Climate Camp in 2011" and that "we will not organise national gatherings as ‘Climate Camp’ or the Camp for Climate Action in 2011". This decision, and the process by which it was made, has been criticised by SchNews, "the act of a minority to shut-down an organisation which is meant to be run autonomously is entirely contradictory... Where Climate Camp goes after this, and whether local groups can effectively use the collective identity which has done so much for environmental activism over the last 5 years remains to be seen."

Newswire: Climate Camp Dissolves Itself | SchNews: Penny for the Guy Ropes

Coverage Elsewhere: Guardian: Climate Camp disbanded | New Internationalist: Where now for direct action on climate change? | Bristling Badger: Climate camp is dead, long live climate action | Political Dynamite: The end for Climate Camp?

Guilty verdict in Ratcliffe trial

After a 3 week trial and 3 days of deliberation for the jury, 20 climate activists were found guilty of conspiring to commit aggravated trespass today. The defendants were amongst 114 activists arrested at a Nottingham school in April 2009, on the verge of taking action to shut down the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station.

Over the course of the trial the jury heard evidence from a raft of experts including James Hansen, one of the world's leading climate scientists. MPs also testified on the inadequacy of conventional political channels to prevent climate change. The 20 are clear that "Taking action on climate change is not an act of moral righteousness, but of self-defence."

Newswire: Opening 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Prosecution 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Defence 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Conclusion 1 | 2 | Verdict 1 | 2 | 3

Previous features: Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid | Ratcliffe Conspiracy Trial Begins | Ratcliffe Trial: Prosecution Opens | Ratcliffe Trial: Week 2

Links: Ratcliffe on Trial

Ratcliffe on Trial

A year and a half after their pre-emptive arrests, 20 climate change activists began their trial at Nottingham Crown Court last week. The defendants were part of a group of 114 people detained by police in Nottingham last April, suspected of organising to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station. The defendants are arguing that their planned action was necessary to reduce the environmental devastation of Ratcliffe's emissions.

Newswire: Opening 1 | 2 | 3 | Prosecution 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Defence 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Previous feature: Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid

Links: Ratcliffe on Trial

Climate activists swoop on Ratcliffe

Notts IMC + Friends | 17-10-2009 11:19 | Climate Chaos | Sheffield

Around one thousand climate activists have been attempting to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power station in Nottinghamshire, taking direct action with repeated breaches of the security fencing. [Pics 1 | 2 ][ Video ]. The action comes only weeks before the UN COP15 Climate Conference in Copenhagen, and follows the arrest of 114 activists allegedly planning to infiltrate the power station in April.

Previous coverage: Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid | No case to answer after Notts E.On protest | Fossil Fools Take On E.On In Nottingham | Convictions For Activists - Climate Criminals Walk Free | 'Clean' Coal On Trial | Climate Activists Bring Powerstation Operations To A Halt | Spring Into Action Now!

Links: The Great Climate Swoop | Climate Camp

Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid

IMC UK Features | 13-04-2009 12:32 | Climate Chaos | Sheffield

114 people were arrested in a 2am police raid on a community centre and school on Sneinton Dale, Nottingham, early on Easter Monday, 13th April 2009. It is believed that a demonstration was planned at the E.On powerstation at Ratcliffe-on-Soar as a spokesperson for the company claimed that it was the "planned target of an organised protest". The Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station is the 3rd largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK and has been previously targeted by activists.

Similar to past police actions, some of the homes of those arrested have been raided while they were held in custody. It has been confirmed that at least 6 homes have been raided in Nottingham and personal paperwork and computers have been seized. A school located next to the community centre where people were arrested was also broken into and smashed up by police. Those arrested have now all been released on bail without charges and to re-appear in court in July.

Legal advice for activists: Police powers to search premises.

Meanwhile, four Dutch activists from Earth First! forced entry into E.On's head office in Rotterdam and occupied a director's office to have a 'serious chat' about the planned construction of a new coal fired power station.

More coverage: on Nottinghamshire Indymedia

Photos: [ 1 | 2 ]

On the newswire: Statement of solidarity with the Nottingham 114 | Climate Action 114 Media Blog | A Conspiracy too far? | Solidarity for the Coal Conspiracy 114 | Bristol Rising Tide and Westside Statement of Solidarity for the Ratcliffe 114 | Climate activist searches (raids?) still happening | Mass arrests for thought crime | Nottingham's Climate Criminals | 100+ people arrested in Notts for conspiracy this morning | Climate Protest Busted!? | Mass arrests in Nottingham on Easter Monday

New Coal Digs In

Climate Rush tackled more climate criminals last week when the UK coal industry got together for their annual 'coal awards'. In a protest timed to coincide with the UK Coal hosted awards, around 15 climate activists paid a visit to their Doncaster headquarters, dressed in Edwardian style complete with red sashes with the words 'No New Coal' written across them. A banner reading 'Leave it in the Ground' was suspended across the entrance.

In London, the dirty coal pushers shied away from confrontation with the modern day climate suffregette movement, abandoning their booking at the plush Landmark Hotel and scuttling off to Lords cricket grounds instead. At the hotel, around a hundred activists rushed inside through a fire exit and began an alternative awards ceremony to highlight the ecological damage that the coal industry is inflicting on the environment. After being ejected from the hotel, a couple more attempts were made to gain entry and one arrest was made before the alternate awards continued outside. The Landmark hotel management were less than happy about the righteous fury brought down on them by the climate criminals promised not to accept bookings from such damaging industries again.

Coal represent 50% of the electricity production in the UK and its greatest contribution to CO2 emissions so the coal industry has seen increasing attention from activists in the UK (and beyond). Last month activists and local resident disrupted work at the Rosewell open-cast coal mine in Midlothian, operated by Scottish Coal , and another protest stopped work at UK Coal owned Shipley open cast coal mine in Derbyshire. In the US capitol on Monday, 2,500 protesters blockaded the gates of a coal fired power plant for almost five hours.

Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied

Notts IMC | 18-06-2008 09:12 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Sheffield

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

Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted

imc-uk-features | 13-06-2008 12:55 | Climate Chaos | Sheffield

On 13th June 2008 protestors halted a coal train carrying fuel for Drax power station in Yorkshire, the single biggest source of CO2 in the UK. Dressed in white overalls and canary outfits, the protestors used safety signals to stop the train on a bridge overlooking the power station, before climbing on board and dumping coal off onto the tracks.

The train was stopped on a branch line used exclusively for delivering coal to Drax. Protestors used a network of climbing ropes to suspend themselves under the bridge from the train to prevent the train from moving. After a number of hours, police began evicting the protestors. 29 arrests were reported.

The protest comes six weeks before the 2008 Camp for Climate Action at Kingsnorth power station - which will also highlight how using coal to supply energy will be a disaster for the planet. Meanwhile the UK Government has "eviscerated" the Climate Change Bill and abandoned 2°C maximum target for global temperature rise as scientists warn that a safe CO² level might be a maximum of 350ppm — we are already at over 380ppm, the Arctic permafrost is melting and "we're seeing events predicted for the end of the 21st century happening already", according to Barry Brook.

Photos: 1 | 2
Reports: 1 | 2
Links: The Coal Hole | Climate Camp

Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site

Notts Indymedia Features | 28-05-2008 21:52 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Sheffield

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