Ecology
Environment / GMOs / Roads.
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Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied
18-06-2008 10:12
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
Links: Leave It In The Ground | Campaign Blog | Earth First UK | No Opencast! article in Do or Die | UK Coal | Greenpeace on Coal | Notts Indymedia Ecology topic page
Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site
28-05-2008 22:52
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
Links: Leave It In The Ground | Campaign Blog | Earth First UK | Phulbari Resistance, Bangladesh | No Opencast! article in Do or Die | UK Coal | GMC Resources PLC | Notts Indymedia Ecology topic page
Orang-utans protest at Unilever's HQ and Factory
21-04-2008 16:28
Murder, Corruption and Illegal Logging in Oaxaca
14-04-2008 17:46
The murder of two radio activists in Oaxaca has brought the repression suffered by indigenous Mexicans into sharp focus. Oaxaca has the biggest percentage of indigenous people who speak many different languages and suffering serious discrimination including the theft of their natural resources.
One such example is the village of San Isidro Aloapam who have been fighting the destruction of their local forest by commercial loggers who are bending the law to justify their activity. Attempts by the villagers to protect the forest have been met with extreme violence leaving many villagers injured and imprisoned. The village is represented politically by indigenous action group CIPO-RFM who have organized a series of media and international solidarity events to highlight the struggle. CIPO-RFM activists Miguel Cruz Moreno and Pedro Bautista Rojas were recently interviewed by IMC UK about the struggle.
There will be a prisoner support benefit gig in London on Wednesday April 16th.
Related links: IMC UK coverage of Oaxaca election 2007: ‘1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | IMC UK coverage of CIPO-RFM 2004/5: Intro | Assemblies | Protest camp | Raid | Repression | CIPO/Zapatistas feature | CIPO Speaking tour
Nottingham Activist Returns From Whale Saving Mission In Antartica
29-03-2008 10:31
A Nottingham resident who joined the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as part of their crew on the vessel Steve Irwin has returned home. Dan, who has volunteered with Sea Shepherd previously, rejoined in the middle of this year's anti-whaling mission against the continued Japanese whale hunting activities in the Southern Ocean. Named Operation Migaloo, after the only known albino humpback in the world, this was Sea Shepherd's fourth expedition to the remote southern waters off the coast of Antarctica and has been typically eventful.
In January, two Sea Shepherd volunteers were taken hostage by Japanese whalers. Then in March, several of the crew were injured when the Japanese military threw grenades onto the ship and opened fire on them. The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin covered a total of 20,090 nautical miles (37,205 kilometers) during Opertaion Migaloo and made 3 return trips from Melbourne, Australia to the coast of Antarctica in 3½ months. In total, the ship was at sea for 83 days between December 5, 2007 and March 15, 2008. It is estimated that due to continued harrasment by the Sea Shepherd, the Japanese have not managed to get even half their whale quota this hunting season.
Upcoming: Sea Shepherd Fundraiser, 21 May, at Junktion 7. See Veggies diary entry for more info.
Interviews with Dan: Back in Nottingham (audio) | On board the ship (text)
UK Indymedia features: Sea Shepherd Activists Injured As Japanese Military Open Fire | Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean
Links: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Mission Migaloo website | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling
Sea Shepherd activists injured as Japanese military open fire
07-03-2008 12:37
A clash between the crew of the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin, who is in the Southern Ocean to fight the ongoing Japanese whaling slaughter near the Antarctic, turned violent when the Japanese Coast Guard began to throw flash grenades at its crew. Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd ship was struck by a bullet in the chest. Fortunately, the bullet was stopped by his Kevlar vest.
Other injuries were sustained by crewmembers Australian Ashley Dunn and Ralph Lowe. Dunn suffered a hip injury as he tried to get out of the way of the exploding grenades. Lowe received bruises to his back when one of the flash grenades exploded behind him. Japan is denying that any bullets have been fired, saying "warning devices" were thrown after their ship was attacked. According to the Japanese foreign ministry their coastguard on board on of the whaling ships had thrown a "baseball-sized device, which exploded near the activists' ship emitting a loud noise". However, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has posted a video on their website, clearly showing devices being thrown from the whaling ship exploding and a bullet being recovered from Paul Watson's jacket. One UK activist (from Nottingham) is also onboard the ship, but it has not been reported he suffered any injuries.
Video: Of the incident, made by the Sea Shepherd
On the newswire: Japanese Officials Caught Lying on Firearm Use against Sea Shepherd | Sea Shepherd: Japanese Scramble to Spin Shooting Story | Japanese Open Fire on Sea Shepherd Crew: Three Injured | Japanese Whaling Fleet Confronted By Sea Shepherd | Sea Shepherd Aussie Crew Prepared to Be Taken as Prisoners to Japan | Interview With Nottingham Activist In Southern Ocean On Board Sea Shepherd Ship | Sea Shepherd Receives Message From the Australian Government | Sea Shepherd Finds Japanese Whaling Fleet: They Are On the Run Again
Previous feature articles: Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean | Japanese Whaling Ship rams Greenpeace vessel
Links: Sea Shepherd Convervation Society | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
13-01-2008 12:30
The beginning of 2008 saw more resistance to the ongoing gentrification of Oxford. On the 4th January a sycamore, reportedly 100 years old, was occupied by a sole protester (with plenty of support from below) to prevent it being felled for the 'redevelopment' of Bonn Square. They have since been served with a court summons and could do with support on Monday 14th January from 10am at Oxford County Court.
Meanwhile, the Westgate Partnership have been merrily chainsawing trees to make way for the Westgate expansion (which is technically different from the Bonn Square project, but linked to the West End 'regeneration'). This is despite the fact that a public inquiry is still going on over the demolition of Abbey Place sheltered housing - a clear indication of what the developers think of the legal process.
On Wednesday 9th January there was an impromptu day of action at the back of the Westgate centre where some trees had already been cut down. This protest led to the arrest of Councillor Glass Woodin and also saw one of the London Plane trees being occupied for over 24 hours. The bad weather on the 10th saw off - no pun intended - any more tree carnage.
There was a protest about the Westgate expansion on Saturday 12th January which saw at least 100 people reclaiming Bonn Square.
Meanwhile, Oxford County Council are meeting soon to decide whether to grant Radley Lakes Town Green status. If successful, this would prevent NPower using the lakes as a dumping ground for their waste ash. Save Radley Lakes need supporters on Monday 14th from 1:30pm at County Hall, Castle St.
[ Early reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | Video ] [ Later actions: 1 (with video) | 2 | 3 ] [ Bonn Sq: demo | mass action ] [ starvation policy: 1 | 2 ] [ Bonn Sq chainsawed: 1 | 2 | photos ] [ Westgate trees spiked ]
Rossport: Another Season of Resistance
22-11-2007 10:09
Since 2000 the small rural community of Rossport, County Mayo, Ireland have been engaged in an epic battle trying to prevent Shell from building a potentially devastating onshore gas refinery and high pressure pipeline in their remote and environmentally sensitive region. Despite Shell’s status as one of the world’s largest multinationals and it’s enjoyment of the full support of the Irish state, the spirited and effective resistance of the local community means that four years after the refinery was intended to be fully operational, the project is still in its infancy.
For many different reasons the struggle is truly inspiring. The Shell to Sea campaign is fought on a multitude of levels, from the international political arena, to on the ground at the daily picket at the proposed refinery site. It has been an eventful seven years and this autumn has been no exception. Over the past few months direct action against the development has included national days of action attended by hundreds of people from around Ireland, community led direct action preventing preparatory pipeline work and regular blockading of trucks entering the refinery site by those attending the daily picket. Also during this period, campaigners were ordered to leave the two year old Rossport Solidarity Camp. Meanwhile the project has met renewed opposition from NGO’s, including the Irish National Trust, who recently spoke out publicly against the project and outlined their intention to challenge its legitimacy in the European courts.
And of course, where there is resistance, repression follows shortly after. The local court sessions have become increasingly dominated by Shell to Sea cases and protesters have been subject to dubious convictions and excessively harsh sentences, including one woman being sentenced to three months in prison for her part in a peaceful lock-on blockade. As winter sets in resistance continues. The rest of the article outlines the significant events of the last few months in more detail…
Recent Indymedia articles: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | IMC UK Rossport Solidarity Topic
Other links: Shell To Sea | Indymedia Irelend Mayo Features
Films: Policing The Pollution: "Don't Mention The Water." | Stopping Shell from drilling the SAC | Rossport Shell site storming | Shell gas refinery blockade at bellanaboy
Starbucks Not Welcome At University
21-11-2007 15:54
Nottingham university students have been campaigning tirelessly over the last few weeks to get their University to get Starbucks off campus, and stop them selling their unethical beverages in the Hallward Library. Students were shocked when, a few weeks ago, their café in the main library on campus suddenly started serving Starbucks coffee. In a move that has upset a large part of the student body the university decided to change coffee supplier without any sort of student consultation and now the students are up in arms.
For the last two weeks students have manned an ‘anti-Starbucks’ stall outside the Hallward Library where the Starbucks coffee is being served (at nearly double its pre-Starbucks price). The movement against the corporatisation of our educational facilities has been swift; nearly 700 people have joined the Facebook group against Starbucks, hundreds of people have signed the petition and loads of cups of tea and coffee have been sold from a makehift stall outside the library to students who don’t want to pay £1.45 for a coffee.
Notts: Telling Starbucks to 'Buck Off' at Nottingham Uni. | Amnesty Protest in Nottingham City Centre - Close Guantanamo Bay [Please] | Starbucks national day of action, 18th August
UK: Whitechapel Knees Up against Starbucks | Sheffield IWW - Starbucks skanked to death | Anti-Starbucks picket in Cardiff | Chiapas Solidarity picket of Starbuck, Edinburgh
Links: IWW Starbucks Workers Union | Boycott Starbucks | Starbucks continues to Greenwash with Weak Environmental Policy | Starbucks Social Responsibility Newsletter
Day of Local Action against 'The Oil and Gas Bank'
16-10-2007 18:47
On 15th October, local groups which formed to mobilise for this year's Camp for Climate Action, took action against the Royal Bank of Scotland, a major backer of the aviation industry and the world's self-described ‘Oil and Gas Bank’. Over 25 protests and actions took place, with Headquaters being targetted, local branches occupied, and many banners displayed letting the public know about the banks role in Climate crimes [Actions round up]
A Sheffield based group wrote; "RBS is helping force open the carbon frontier, financing controversial projects in Nigeria, the Caucasus and Wales. Its involvement in Angolan and Nigerian oil fields encourages corruption and conflict, while gas projects from the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Mexico threaten environmental destruction. The thirty oil and gas finance deals RBS signed between 2001 and 2006 locked us all into 655 million tonnes of emissions over the next 15 years, more than the UK’s entire annual emissions."
London report and photos: 1 | 2 | Manchester report and photos: 1 | 2 | Audio | Sheffield: report | Norwich: report and photos | Cambridge: report and photos | Oxford: report, photos and video | Edinburgh report and photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Bristol report and photos: 1 | 2 | Aberystwyth: report | photos | Cardiff: report | Bath: report | Bradford: report | St. Andrews: report | Birmingham: report and photos.
Report (pdf): 'The Oil and Gas Bank: RBS and the financing of climate change'
Video: Fight the Pipe about the Wales gas pipeline part financed by RBS.
Links: Rising Tide UK | Network For Climate Action | Camp for Climate Action
