Sheffield - Energy Crisis

Peak Oil and the energy crisis caused by the depletion of fossil fuels and renewable alternatives.

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

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.