Sheffield Energy Crisis Newswire Archive

"American Fukushima" finds 3 sources saying the Nuclear Regulatory Commision has weakened and not enforced safety rules for American reactors for years, decades. The exact date and names of interference from Congress, on behalf of the nuclear industry operators, shows when regulation stopped. Plus revelations of dangerous defects in dozens of U.S. reactors.

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New article on Carbon Capture and Storage on the Coal Action Network Website

‘Is Clean Coal an Act of Faith?’ by Anne Harris is a write up of a talk given to The Sheffield Humanist Society 3rd March 2010. A recording the presentation from the opposition, Terry Fox (TUC Clean Coal Task Force), this talk and contributions from the floor are available from  http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/40349 and  http://sheffield.indymedia.org.uk/2010/03/446931.html

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Protecting civilians or western oil companies?

Wikileaks-released State Department cables from November 2007 and afterwards show the real reason for the mounting U.S. hostility to the Libyan government prior to the current civil war.

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The world premier of the direct action doc "Just Do It" A Tale of Modern Day Outlaws, played to a packed cinema at the Sheffield Doc Fest last night 9th June. I blagged a seat and recorded the the Q&A with Jeremy Hardy, Emily James, Lauren Simpson and James Leadbitter.

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Journalist and documentary film maker Nick Rosen has toured Europe and N. America to find off-grid living. His site off-grid.com is a centre for those moving toward a fossil-fuel free life. Why do they do it? We talk motivation and tech in the interview from Radio Ecoshock 110608 29 min.

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Living off grid 14 years with family, Cam Mather publishes how-to books, including The Renewable Energy Handbook. He loads up this interview with lessons-learned, tips for starting out, solar, all seasons solar hot water heater, geothermal, wood & wind.
From Radio Ecoshock Show 110608 29 min

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If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front will be screened twice during the Sheffield Documentary Film Festival:

Thursday 9th Jun at 15:30 - 17:29 Sheffield Central Library Theatre

Saturday 11th Jun at 13:35 - 15:49 Showroom 3, screening with UK Uncut + Extended Q&A (129mins)

There will also a discussion of the film on Saturday 11 June 2011 at 11:45 in The Crucible Studio.

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From the Union of Concerned Scientists, nuclear engineer and whistleblower David Lochbaum explains his testimony to Congress on priority steps to avoid similar melt-downs and radiation in the United States (applies to all nuclear reactors, world-wide). Most U.S. reactors have HALF the battery backup Fukushima had, many more unprotected spent fuel rods, and unknown emergency plans. Interview from Radio Ecoshock Show 110603 24 minutes.

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This post is a response to Charlotte DuCann’s beautiful and heartfelt post over on the Transition Norwich blog arguing that Transition needs to more explicitly embrace activism.  It is wonderful to see, whether through that blog, through Transition Voice, or through the emerging social reporting project, new voices coming through in the Transition blogosphere.  Charlotte speaks powerfully to the split that some of those engaged in Transition feel, that they almost need to keep their activism ‘in the closet’ in order to remain engaged.  She states that she sees her post as a ‘working document’, and invites reflections, so here are a few of mine.

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Shell's Belmullet office was once again shut down by protesters to highlight the ongoing concerns by local residents and supporters about Shell's proposed Corrib gas project. This morning (wed 25th may) the blockade began at 7.30am and for 2 1/2 hours protesters were able to stop Shell workers entering the building. IRMS arrived around10am to end the blockade.

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Public Meeting with Nick Clegg: The Big Climate Connection

27th May 2011 at 6.00 pm for 6:30 prompt start

The location is a secret and ID is needed to get in, can we call this a Police State yet?

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After speaking in place of climate denier Exxon CEO, Richard Heinberg sticks a pin in the fracking natural gas bubble. No it won't save the climate from coal. In fact, fracked gas may be as dirty as coal, counting fugitive methane emissions. Heinberg interview, followed by speech except by David Hughes of Post Carbon Institute on the realities of natural gas production.

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"Climate Capitalism" book by founder of Natural Capitalism, Hunter Lovins. Launch speech by co-author Professor Boyd Cohen. A new business approach to climate change. Pokes some Sacred Cows, loaded with real-world details.

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The Veolia planning application to import waste to Sheffield to burn goes to Planning Committee next Monday - 2pm at the Town Hall. There should be some coverage in the Star tomorrow. The Green Party objection is outlined below for information. Obviously a presence at the meeting to outline objections will help the case against.

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According to the mainstream media, the nuclear accident is all over. Just the opposite is happening. Historic high levels of radioactivity. Reactor 1 totally melted down. Mega radiation released again. Unconfirmed rumors of another reactor fire. What we need to know. Summary of all latest news.

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Just Do It will be premiering at Sheffield Doc Fest on Thursday June the 9th at 6:35pm  http://bit.ly/jJ6ryI

Don't miss out on the World Premier of this groundbreaking doc, book your tickets here  http://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/justdoitqanda

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Account of a visit to the Rossport Solidarity Camp in Ireland by six campaigners from Leeds

Last week, six of us from Leeds sorted out a van, picked up a marquee, and headed to the Rossport Solidarity Camp in western Ireland. And had a great time working and playing hard. Rossport is a campaign supporting a local community based around Broadhaven Bay fight a refinery and pipeline being put in through Shell in an area where outstanding natural beauty is a phrase that does not do the place full justice. The pipeline, being put through a bog and the land of local farmers, will put people's lives at risk and threaten the local ecology.

The camp has moved to a field at Aghoos, opposite the latest bit of ground where Shell are laying the next stage of pipe to bring the gas inland to the Bellinaboy refinery - semi-mothballed because of the huge delays the campaigns by the local and the camp have been imposing. We spent the first half of the week helping set it up the new camp so it would be ready for the mini-festival at the weekend. We built grey-water systems and benders, put up marquees and cooked for the masses, gave massages to the wonderful locals and helped with the bar.

A few of us had been to Rossport before so it was great to catch up with old friends. Given how friendly people were it was very easy to make many new ones as well. There was, refreshingly, a large amount of politics forming part of the general life on camp, both in action and disussion. It would be the first to say that it is far from perfect, but it is a good place to learn from.

At the weekend, 30 people walked over to the Shell compound and lifted up all the bog mats which had been put down to allow heavy machinery to move across and put in boreholes. For over an hour all you could hear was the steady thud of them being systematically lifted and rolled out of the reach of the machines. The police could do nothing, and security was outnumbered. Other actions happened as well. See the account, pictures (of action and camp) and video of action at  http://www.wsm.ie/c/shell-bog-road-rossport-solidarity-camp

While we were there, there was also a ceremony for the new boat of Pat O'Donnells - another bit of local defiance against the power of Shell. His last one having been deliberately sunk by armed, masked men following his determined resistance.

We also send our solidarity and best wishes to those who did the lock-on to the compound -  http://www.indymedia.ie/article/99686

The mixture of action and discussion, of friendship and partying worked really well; we all had a wicked time and were sorry to leave. Some of us will be back. We encourage everyone to go if they get a chance - the camp is open all the time on a beautiful site surrounded by amazing mountains. From 4-6th June it his hosting a Party Against The Pipe - for more details see the website at
 http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org/content/party-against-pipe-festival-june-bank-holiday-4-6th

With luck, there will be a public event in Leeds this month to talk more about the campaign. Keep your eyes posted.

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Can we believe the Japanese on Fukushima dangers? Could another big wave of radiation hit North America, Europe? A reactor by reactor report. What happened to spent fuel pool #3? Will pool #4 collapse? Why is reactor #1 out of control right now? Plus geopolitics and your own preparation. The under-reported stories from Radio Ecoshock - 110429 Show 1 hour.

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Wild Net conspiracy theories about Fukushima. Science abused to frighten people (those "maps" were projections that didn't happen say original scientists in Norway & Cologne). America accused by HAARP believers. Japan may have nuclear weapons. Alex Smith investigates. 24 minutes.

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We look at the past present and future of the US city, against a backdrop of peak oil. We begin with an interview with James Howard Kunstler on the development of urban design in the 20th century. Then Jeff Tomlin speaks on Alive Transportation, Fitness, Safety, Community and Trust. We conclude with Jeff Vail on transitioning away from hierarchies such as nation states towards "scale free self-sufficiency".

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