Westside neighbourhood at Kingsnorth climate camp 2008. Picture credit: Jess Hurd.
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Westside neighbourhood at Kingsnorth climate camp 2008. Picture credit: Jess Hurd.
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On 22nd December, two Bristol Rising Tide activists appeared at Lanark Sheriff's Court to be sentenced following an action to stop work at the Mainshill open cast mine back in March 2011. The two were fined £400 each for aggravated trespass by Sheriff Stewart.
They were part of a group who entered Scottish Coal's Mainshill mine in South Lanarkshire to disrupt coaling operations. The two Bristol activists managed to reach and scale a huge 260 tonne 'prime mover' in the bottom of the pit, one of the two biggest machines on the site. Other activists there to support them were brutally attacked by Scottish Coal employees and Trustcare Security. The action lasted over 4 hours before a specialist police team from Glasgow removed the people occupying the excavator, which had been in the process of loading coal from the seam on to dump trucks.
The action in March was part of the on-going campaign by Coal Action Scotland to resist the expansion of the open cast coal mining in the Douglas Valley in South Lanarkshire. In 2009/2010 there was a 7-month occupation of the site by the Mainshill Solidariy Camp; over 70 people were evicted from the site, with 45 being forcibly removed and arrested
Coal Action Scotland are now focusing their efforts on resisting the proposed new mine at Glentaggart East. This would involve the extraction of 4 million tonnes of coal, twice the size of Mainshill. Bristol Rising Tide will be hosting an info tour by Coal Action Scotland in the New Year - watch out for further details on Indymedia.
For a picture of the action see: http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/707082
See also: http://coalactionscotland.org.uk/
Fracking Hell - Bristol Rising Tide shut down the country's only hydraulic fracturing rig!
Fracking is a nightmare! Toxic and radioactive water pollution. Tap water you can set on fire. Earthquakes. Runaway climate change. To produce expensive gas that will soon run out. Yet another false solution to try and maintain fossil fuel use!
The controversial proposed Fracking site in Hesketh Bank, Lancashire was shut down on the morning of 1st December as a group of Bristol activists stormed the drilling rig. Three of the climate justice campaigners from Bristol Rising Tide scaled the Cuadrilla Resources equipment with supplies and stopped work for over 13 hours. PHOTOS - http://www.flickr.com/photos/71113300@N08/.
The drilling rig is the only operation of its kind working in the country, after a similar exploratory site in Blackpool was shut down in the spring because it induced two earthquakes in the area.
The same site was occupied last month by another group- “Frack Off”, and local community resistance across the country is gaining ground.
'Fracking' - film and discussion
We held a Rising Tide Cafe event on Monday, 13th June at Cafe Kino, to
discuss the new lunatic method of extracting fossil fuels called 'Fracking' and to show the Academy Award nominatated documentary film 'Gasland' (about Fracking in the USA see www.gaslandthemovie.com)
There are various plans for fracking projects in the UK including in S.Wales and Somerset.
Update on coal in South Wales
Miller Argent plan to "restore" another bit of land near to Ffos y Fran mine by digging a massive hole in it. Coal would be opencast from the site at Nant Llesg over 15 years.
Exploratory work began in August 2011 and will continue for six months in preparation for a potential planning application in Spring 2012. If successful, work could start in 2014.
Miller Argent already operate Ffos y Fran, one of the largest opencast coal mines in Europe. There has been a long campaign opposing Ffos y Fran by the local community, some of who live within 40 metres of the mine and have to suffer black rain and noisy machinery at antisocial hours.
Resist Nuclear New Build
Image (c) 2010 D. Viesnik
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The day we blocked the railway from Alined Gif on Vimeo.
A puppet show by Otherstory Telling the story of Bristol & Bath Rising Tide's blockade of the railway from the Ffos y Fran opencast coal mine near Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales in April 2010. Recorded at a Rising Tide benefit at the Boneyard Bar in Bristol Restraining Orders Quashed On Wednesday 1st December the Court of Appeal in London lifted restraining orders off 12 people who blockaded the railway at Ffos y Fran coal mine in April 2010. Miller Argent have for years been operating the noisy, polluting mine, described by the Crown Prosecution Service as "a highly controversial project", despite the strong objection of the local community, some of who live within 40 metres of the mine and have to suffer black rain and noisy machinery at antisocial hours. The full court transcripts aren't available yet so we're not sure what this means for those with similar cases. (Read more) Avonmouth Coal Terminal Banner Drop
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Activists blockade Aberthaw power station
Fossil Fools Day 2008
3 April 2008
10 Bristol activists are blockading Aberthaw coal power station, the worst polluter in Wales. This is a joint effort with Bath, Cardiff and Oxford activists to draw attention to a major UK company behind climate change. Numerous actions have been taking place over the week to disrupt major climate change contributors as part of Fossil Fools Day.
Today members of Bristol Rising Tide are participating in an action that has stopped normal work at Wales' biggest polluter, Aberthaw power station in the Vale of Glamorgan. The power station, condemned by workers for its poor safety record, last year pumped out more than 7.4 million tonnes of CO2; 28,000 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide and 31,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide.
This action comes after the successful closure by activists of Ffos-y-Fran open cast mine in Merthyr Tydfil on Tuesday 1st April. Ffos-y-Fran is the biggest mine in Europe and has been forced upon the people of Merthyr Tydfil in-order to fuel the dirtiest of all power stations and big business's greed for profit.
As the world acknowledges the need for a substantial reduction in carbon emissions the government and the Welsh Assembly have given their backing for the mining company Miller-Argent to spend upwards of 17 years extracting 11 million tons of coal from the nearby Ffos-y-Fran open cast mine in Merthyr Tydfil to continue feeding this power station.
As fossil fuels go coal is a serious contender for the dirtiest known. But despite the fact that coal-burning generators produce twice the carbon emissions of gas burners, the government intends to build £20 billion worth of new coal-burning generators by 2020.
Gordon James, director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, described the power station as a “dirty dinosaur” that should not be allowed to stay open in its present form. But RWENPower, the generating company that runs Aberthaw, said, “It is true Aberthaw Power Station is a large emitter of CO2 and that there are other emissions involved in power generation.”
Bristol Rising Tide believes that it is crucial to highlight the concerns and issues surrounding the development of Aberthaw and the proposed new investments into Coal powered generators such as Kingsnorth power station in Kent. The site of the next Camp for Climate Action.
Ciara, a member of Bristol Rising Tide states: “The burning of coal at Aberthaw and the new power stations across the UK such as Kingsnorth will only exacerbate the problems of climate chaos. People need to know that the government is hell bent on returning us to the dark age of fossil fuel.”
Avonmouth docks targeted for international day of climate action
12 October 2010
This morning activists from Bristol and Bath Rising Tide dropped a banner reading 'Import Coal: Export Poverty' from Avonmouth bridge near the docks, as part of a global week of action for climate and environmental justice.
The Royal Portbury Docks contains one of the largest coal import terminals in the UK. There are currently plans to build several new coal power stations in the UK, and 71% of coal used in Britain is imported.
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Tracy Jones from Rising Tide said “Fossil fuel extraction devastates communities, from villages destroyed by floods in Pakistan to land grabs in Colombia, and is being resisted around the world. The failure of the Copenhagen climate summit shows that governments have their hands in the pockets of corporations and cannot be trusted. It's up to ordinary people to take direct action to stop climate chaos.”
October 12 – 16 is the Global Minga in Defence of Mother Earth, an international week of action for climate and environmental justice called by indigenous peoples from the Americas, social movements and allies around the world. Further actions are happening in London this Saturday at the Crude Awakening, which people from Bristol will be attending.
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Bath Climate Camp
19th - 21st April 2007
Although the camp part of the Bath Climate Camp was evicted, demonstrations have still continued...
Friday 20th April, at 8 am, a group of 8 activists approached the Land and Marine office, to leaflet and banner drop, as part of the advertised blockade. As expected, they met a huge police presence: at least 42 coppers, more in reserve, 10 police vans. They quickly imposed their conditions, no more than 6 activists (their maths skills were lacking...), to demonstrate from 8.45 am until 10.45 am, which later extended to 12.30. They tried to move us also, up 30 meters and round the corner, which we refused. Eventually, after frequently checking the site of yesterday's attempted camp opposite, the majority of the police moved on. However, with the combination of the double walls of metal fences encircling the office block, combined with the siege like atmosphere of rows of Avon & Somerset's finest (and the Met...), the vast majority of workers wouldn't have been able to get their work done anyway, so all but about 3 members of staff had been given the day off. The place was empty. Conclusion - Land & Marine were shut down! Not how we planned it, but it worked. Our congratulations to Inspector Adam Jenners.
Also, the activists were all searched under a proposed modification to Section 1 of the PACE 1984 Act, for items to be used in connection with criminal damage. It may well be that this proposed modification to the law hasn't yet came in to power by the time they tried to use it, so there may well be a lawsuit in the works...
Police also confirmed their use of phone tapping to one activist: "According to your phone calls, you only expected 10 people at your meeting, but when we there you had 100." It seems that the police had confused our camp with that of the coming national Climate Camp, this summer - and wasted 100,000s of pounds in the process. The head of this over-zealous policing operation is probably sweating round about now.
Saturday 21st April. The Party Against Petrol crowd gathered in Bath Abbey at midday to begin what would have been a colourful and noisy protest against car culture and fossil fuels, intending to occupy Lower Bristol Road and the Esso station forecourt there. Around 25-30 activists turned up, and the police, themselves numbering 30 or more, with mounted police again, imposed conditions on the procession: march round the Abbey for 30 mins, then disperse.
Well, we did as were told, marched round the Abbey, drumming and dancing and playing football, returned and dispersed... only to form up again and continue the parade, flowing through the police lines easily. Handed out leaflets, spoke to passersby, meanwhile, the highly trained police were overheard arguing with each other, throwing out blame for their lack of control, right in front of the shoppers and tourists. The street party parade came to a close at Victoria Park, amidst picnic and sunbathing, under the police's watchful eye.
Fed Up Polar Bear Disrupts National BBC Wildlife Magazine HQ
11 December 2007
This morning, Tuesday December 11th, at 10am, two members of “Arctic Associates” (aka Bristol Rising Tide), and one grumpy refugee polar bear paid a visit to the national offices of the BBC Wildlife Magazine at the top of Tower House in Broadmead, Bristol. More than a hundred employees looked on aghast (some winking in support) as “J. Smith” from Arctic Associates, flanked by Mr. Pole R. Bear, made a long and passionate speech about the sad and dangerous irony of allowing the world’s second largest oil company- responsible for endangering thousands of species through oil spills, toxic pollution, and climate change- to sponsor their Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award Contest, which is coming to Bristol Museum this Saturday December 15th.
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The visit evidently created quite a stir, as employees of BBC Wildlife gathered around to hear what the commotion was all about, and the press team, directors, and building security simultaneously converged on the protesters, who were finally asked to leave, after circulating through both the 9th and 14th floors of the building, and speaking to the entire national staff of the BBC Wildlife Magazine, who are now more aware than ever of the historic blunder than was made when Shell’s £1,500,000 two year sponsorship deal was accepted.
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Ironically, the poster child of this year’s Photography Award is a polar bear stuck on a melting iceberg, the most visible symbol of the climate-damaging nature of Shell’s core business.
If you’d like to get involved, come to the sHELL Wildlife Photography Exhibit PROTEST this Saturday Dec. 15th starting at Noon, in front of the Bristol Museum at the top of Park St. Please come dressed as any wildlife that sHELL is endangering, and invite all your friends- putting a stop to greenwashing is a key battle in the war against climate change, and we want to stop our public museums being used for this purpose**
The exhibit will remain at the Museum until the 13th of January.
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More information about the campaign:
Despite dozens of people contacting the Bristol City Council and the museum and asking them to reject the exhibition, these requests have been met with excuses, buck passing, or simply silence. It’s clear that our leaders would rather not face up to the fact that our public museum is in fact advertising and greenwashing one of the worst multinational oil companies which is wreaking havoc on people, wildlife, and habitat the world over (all in the name of wildlife protection?)
Apparently the Bristol Museum, Bristol City Council, the Natural History Museum, and BBC Wildlife Magazine see no problem with exhibiting photographs of endangered polar bears on melting ice as part of a photography exhibition sponsored by Shell. Do they think we’re stupid?
Our goal is to put pressure on the latter two organisations to reject Shell as a sponsor, and for Shell to decide that the negative publicity involved with sponsoring the competition simply isn’t worth it anymore.
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More information about Shell:
Shell operates in 145 countries worldwide- one of the worst impacts is in Nigeria, where Shell was complicit in the 1995 murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa, an environmental activist, as well as eight others by the Nigerian military junta.
Shell has been working in the Niger Delta since 1956, causing problems to:
Come to the protest at noon on Saturday, and let ‘em know that Bristolians won’t stand idly by while our planet is ravaged, and our museum is complicit in covering up oil company lies.
The time for blind obedience has passed- it's time to start disobeying.....
Bike the Pipe
2007
I made it, 122 miles of pipe, quite a lot of hills and lots of leaflets distributed. In the next few days I will write something about the trip but for now, I';m safely back, rested and thank you to all those who supported me on this adventure - hope to return the favour one day soon - I have a good pair on paniers going!
Written before i set off....
When two guys turned up at the Brecon tree camp having cycled from Edinburgh I knew that I had to put my vague idea of cycling along the pipeline route in to action.
And so on Sunday 25th March myself and friends will set out from Felindre, near Swansea and peddle on our rusty bikes winding up and down hills, and hopefully turn up in Corse, near Gloucester, a week later.
Along the way, I’ll be stopping at every opportunity to chat with people about the dangers of this pipeline, to share the knowledge that has been built up during this campaign, to share experiences of other communities who are resisting the imposition of a mega fossil fuel infrastructure project (eg Shell in Rossport, Ireland and BP in Casanare, Colombia) and to connect people who want to fight it together
One Brecon woman said to me recently "people just don't realise the implications that this pipe will have on their life". There is a real lack of information about the pipeline amongst the people who are going to have it tearing up their backyards over the coming year. We hope to change that in whatever way we can.
Biking the Pipe at first seemed like a crazy idea. A couple of years ago I discovered the joy of biking as a cheap, fun and quick means to get around the city, but biking as a means to cover long distances on is an all together different scenario. But I am excited about this journey precisely because I want to kick away the barriers I have in my head to cycling long distances. And reaching the top of a big hill after a long hard climb gives me the most amazing feeling of aliveness.
Shifting our perspectives of travel are really important if we are to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and part of this journey for me is about challenging my own mindset of opting for the simplest option of travel. I’ll let you know how I get on...
If you want to get involved in Bike the Pipe, or future Bike the Pipes, there is plenty of different skills and help needed:
please email bristol@risingtide.org.uk or phone the BRT phone
The schedule
Day one – Sunday 25th March
Neath train station to Felindre 10 miles
Felindre to Ammanford 7 miles
Day two – Monday 26th March
Ammanford to Llandeilo 8 miles
Llandeilo to Llangadog 7 miles
Day three – Tuesday 27th March
Llangadog to Brecon 28 miles
Day Four – Wednesday 28th March
Brecon to Hay on Wye 15 miles
Day Five – Thursday 29th March
Hay to Peterstow (Ross on Wye) 30 miles
Day Six – Friday 30th March
Peterstow to Corse 15 mile
Total = 115ish miles
Additional Distances
Corse to Bristol 50 miles
BP Portrait Gallery Vigil
April - May 2007
BP were sponsoring the BP National Portrait Competition. The winning entries were made into an exhibition, which toured the country. When it got to Bristol we decided to throw a spanner in the works of the PR machine.
There are good reasons why companies like BP choose to throw cash at cultural, arty events. Altruism and love of art and 'high' culture don't feature highly on the list. Oil companies have had a bit of an image problem over recent years, as one scandal after another has hit the front pages. Sponsoring events like this is part of their PR counterattack. Its a way of convincing the public that they are caring, responsible companies who support culture and the arts. And its very cheap too.
Bristol Rising Tide activists linked up with Bristol Espacio Colombia, a group dedicated to solidarity with oppressed people in Colombia. We shared information and ideas about the role of BP in creating climate change and attacking communities that got in the way of their lucrative oil prospecting.
On May 5th and May 20th we went to the exhibition with a counter-exhibition of our own.
Silent protest at National Portrait Award Exhibition Opening
15 April 2007, Bristol
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People from Espacio Bristol-Colombia and Bristol Rising Tide picketed the Royal West of England Academy with a visual memorial of some of the people killed by the army and right-wing paramilitaries in the BP-controlled area of Colombia. The gallery is currently exhibiting the National Portrait Award exhibition which is sponsored by BP. The protestors stood silently in front of the gallery for two hours, holding copies of portraits from the exhibition with the faces removed, to signify the fact that the faces of the murdered and disappeared are rarely seen. Public support and understanding was overwhelming, with people being visibly moved or angered to learn of BP’s activities.
A Real Portrait of BP.
Some Background
In Colombia BP have been linked with paramilitaries who have tortured, killed and “disappeared” many people for getting in the way of their oil prospecting.
In Recetor, a rural village with 1171 inhabitants, in early 2002 the army arrived. Disappearances began: 2 or 3 per day (uniformed men called peasants by name and forced them into vehicle). After 63 had been “disappeared”, the community abandoned the village - those with no money had to suffer fear in silence. 6 months later, after 65 disappearances, BP began oil exploration - no luck finding either oil or bodies.
BP spends a few % of its vast budget on renewables. They spend a whole lot more on PR and advertising to convince us that they are a responsible, sustainable company.
Why are they looking for new oil reserves, when just burning the reserves we have would send the global climate berserk?
The answer, as I’m sure you have probably guessed is money. Big money. Lord Browne, the boss, recently had a pay rise to £5.6 million a year.
Ffos y Fran coal train blockade
26 April 2010
Ffos y Fran is one of the largest opencast coal mines in Europe. The local community in Merthyr have led a long-running campaign against it. One day last April we shut down the rail link to nearby Aberthaw power station.
(All cameras were seized by police - instead sketches have been drawn to document the action.)
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On 26th April 2010 in the early afternoon a group of individuals made their presence known to staff and security at Ffos-y-Fran open-cast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil. Having ensured their presence around the tracks was known and no trains would be leaving until they were removed, they proceeded to lock themselves to the train track using chains and super glue. This single track is used to transport train-loads of mined coal to Aberthaw power station, and the first and only train for the day was due to leave soon after. Legal observers and support were present.
It took a long time for police to make the lengthy journey from the nearest police station, however they sent their friendly neighbourhood helicopter on plenty of pointless gas-guzzling jaunts around the area. Once the police properly arrived they immediately arrested the four support people, placed them in handcuffs and made them wait beside the track while a cutting team arrived to remove the group who had locked on to the rails. Despite the handcuffs, the support team continued to provide food and water to the lock-on team. Later the police also arrested the legal observer who was clearly on the other side of the fence and not on the track. After approximately 4 and a half hours of lengthy response times and a paper-chain of police bureaucracy that group was removed and arrested.
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As this group of people were being led off the train tracks they informed the police of some incredibly irritating news. A second group had been hiding just round the corner and were as they spoke emerging and locking onto the tracks with heavy duty lock-on tubes. Clearly too exhausted from their hard work operating bolt croppers to take a quick stroll down the line to check this out, the helicopter took to the skies once more. One quick swoop confirmed what it had failed to notice on its many swoops earlier - four protesters with a legal observer and support, cheerfully waving from the train track before, now finally sure their presence had been noted, calmly taking their places on roll mats and rugs and locking on inside two lock-on tubes placed in convenient gaps under the railway line. By this point it was 5.00pm.
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A network rail engineer ran a couple of hundred metres down the tracks to check upon the new group. The police drove. Again on arrival they immediately arrested the legal observer and support, who were cheerfully reading a novel to those locked. Despite failing to produce on demand a Risk Assessment of the cutting operation (but plenty of whinging about how dangerous it is) it took the cops until 8pm to cut open the tubes - one of which was multi-layered, and the other of which had a very thick metal layer. A special groan was reserved for when they realised the protesters had not just chained but also superglued their hands together inside the tubes and had to send for some industrial glue remover.
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The Malicious Damages Act
All arrested were taken to Ystrad Mynach Police Station. This included four people who were enjoying a nice day out in the beautiful surrounding countryside, who the police arrested out of some kind of belief that they were in some way involved. In total 18 were arrested and spent 24 hours in the cells. It is believed that no coal left Ffos-y-Fran that day.
It appears that legal observers and support roles were originally arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, however they were subsequently charged with the same charge as those who had locked on. All 18 were eventually charged with "Unlawful Act With Intent To Obstruct The Railways" contrary to section 35 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861. This rather quaint law designed to protect the interests of private landowners over 150 years ago carries a rather less quaint maximum sentence of life in prison. However the protesters have stated that they are not anticipating anything approaching that kind of sentence as the law is obviously out of date and ample safety measures were taken to ensure there would be no danger to the train, the train driver, the police or the protesters.
All were bailed to return to Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court at 10am on 10th May 2010. All were bailed "not to be upon or allow yourself to be upon any property owned, leased or rented by British rail network". They were allowed to travel home by train that day however any future train trips had to be cleared by arresting officers. Those who gave fixed addresses were bailed to reside at those addresses. Those who did not give fixed addresses were bailed to reside at contact addresses, despite making it clear they did not have any permission to live there and had no connection with those addresses other than being able to receive post from those addresses. Some were also bailed to sign in regularly at local police stations. One of those arrested was bailed to reside in Cornwall but sign in daily at Bath Police Station without the use of trains!
We finally got our camera back from the police :)
Update: Restraining orders quashed
On Wednesday 1st December the Court of Appeal in London lifted restraining orders off 12 people who blockaded the Ffos y Fran coal mine in April 2010. Miller Argent have for years been operating the noisy, polluting mine, described by the Crown Prosecution Service as "a highly controversial project", despite the strong objection of the local community, some of who live within 40 metres of the mine and have to suffer black rain and noisy machinery at antisocial hours. The full court transcripts aren't available yet so we're not sure what this means for those with similar cases.
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Ffos y Fran Coal Train Blockaders in Court
13 August 2010
13 people who literally put their necks on the line blockading the railway at Ffos y Fran, the largest opencast coal mine in the UK, were sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court today, Friday 13th August. (1) Climate activists from Bristol and Bath Rising Tide chained themselves to the railway on April 26th to stop a train carrying coal from the mine to Aberthaw power station. Extensive safety measures were taken to ensure there would be no danger to anyone. (2)
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After lengthy mitigation dealing with the urgent and immediate threat of climate crisis to the global south and the shambolic trampling of local community rights tied up in the "land reclamation scheme" (reclaimed from the community for profit?), all were given 2-year conditional discharges as well as restraining orders for the Ffos-y-Fran mine and the Aberthaw power station that it supplies coal to.
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A spokesperson for Rising Tide said, “Opencast mining trashes the landscape, contributes massively to climate change and threatens the health of local people. We need to leave coal in the ground, and that's why we put our necks on the line to stop a coal train.”
“With their hands in the pockets of corporations, it's not surprising that governments failed us at the Copenhagen climate summit. We can't rely on their false solutions anymore. It's up to ordinary people taking direct action to stop climate chaos. Fossil fuel extraction devastates communities and is being resisted around the world, from opencast mining in Merthyr to tar sands oil in Alberta, Canada.”
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300,000 people, mostly those living in the global south, are already dying each year from the effects of climate change. (3)
There has been a long campaign opposing Ffos y Fran mine by local residents and climate activists alike. (4) Last August, Climate Camp Cymru set up near the site for a week of sustainable living and direct action training. This year’s action-based camp was set up simultaneously with the sentencing near Nant Helen and Seler opencast mines, elsewhere in south Wales.(5)
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Notes
1. Initial charges of Obstruction of the Railway with Intent, which carries a maximum sentence of life, have been dropped. 13 pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of Obstruction of the Railway, while all charges against 5 others have been dropped.
2. A full report of the action can be found at - Earth First Action Reports
3. Global Humanitarian Forum Report
4. Residents Against Ffos y Fran
5. Climate Camp Cymru
 Mr Miller Argent shortly before throwing a strop |
Bristol CoMutiny: Homeless penguins invade Bristol airport
17 September 2009
Rising Tide was one of many groups taking part in the Bristol Co-Mutiny week of action. While we are group of activists focussing on tackling the root causes of climate chaos we wanted to make the links with other issues and campaigns. In particular we wanted to show that the exploitation of fossil fuels by big corporate interests is resulting in mass migration, resource wars, and widespread social injustice. Like all the groups involved in Co-Mutiny, we want to confront the forces of capitalism. This is the root cause of climate chaos. Key targets in the week of action were Bristol International Airport, BT Pensions who are investing in opencast coal mining in South Wales and the big banks which finance the oil, gas, and coal industries.
On Thursday 17th September, a dozen homeless penguins invaded Bristol International Airport and handed out leaflets highlighting the impact of airport expansion, and therefore increased CO2 emissions, on climate change. Due to the current pace of climate change and resulting melting of the ice sheet some Emperor penguin colonies have halved in numbers.
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The planned increase in commercial flights at Bristol from 6.2m in 2008 to 10m by 2016 will also contribute in the increased suffering for millions of humans. From flood plains in Bangladesh, to islanders in the Maldives being forced to leave due to sea level rises, and Africans faced with drought - large areas of the world are becoming uninhabitable as a result of climate change. The poorest people are the worst affected - people who will never fly anywhere.
Locally the BIA expansion will mean a flight every 210 seconds over 16 hours of normal opening hours and thus more noise pollution for local residents. Increased passenger numbers mean increased road traffic with a projected extra 2 million car journeys per year, and an estimated cost to the local council of £50m in order to extend the Bus Rapid Transport system from central Bristol
The aviation sector currently amounts to 13% of the UK’s total climate impact and this will grow to 30% with BIA and other UK airport expansion plans. This is at a time when the UK Government has committed the UK to an 80% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050. In order to achieve this with the current plans for airport expansion across the country such as that at BIA, we would need to reduce emissions from all other sectors by an additional 10% to 90%. In order to make up this additional 10% ordinary people are expected to work even harder just to compensate for companies like BIA, Easyjet and Ryanair expanding their profits. Once again the government is clearly putting big business’s interests first – this has been a constant theme of the Co-Mutiny week of action.
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Bristol CoMutiny: Debunking BT's Greenwash
18 September 2009
On Friday 18th September during the Co-Mutiny Repossess the Banks protest, Rising Tide took action against BT offices in Bristol to highlight the link between the BT Pensions Scheme and the giant Ffos y Fran opencast coal mine at Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. Fake coal was strewn on the floor of one office and walking lumps of coal attempted to enter another. A number of activists were arrested.
We wanted to show the lie to the claims made by BT Pensions Scheme that their investments are made with any regard to social, ethical, and environmental criteria. BTPS own Hermes, an outfit that administers the pension scheme who in turn own Argent - a partner in Miller Argent the developer of Ffos y Fran, one of Europe’s largest new opencast coal mines. This opencast mine is a massive scheme that will blight the lives of people in Merthyr Tydfil for at least 17 years. It is only 37 Metres from the nearest housing estate and is on the edge of a large community. The coal from Ffos y Fran is going to Aberthaw power station which is the biggest polluter in Wales. In 2006 the power station pumped out more than 7.4million tonnes of CO2 and is in the top 5 largest polluters in Britain.
The first Climate Camp Cymru was held at Merthyr Tydfil in August partly to support the local campaign against Ffos y Fran and to highlight the massive development of new coal projects throughout the UK.
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Fracking is a nightmare! Toxic and radioactive water pollution. Tap water you can set on fire. Earthquakes. Runaway climate change. To produce expensive gas that will soon run out. Yet another false solution to try and maintain fossil fuel use!
The controversial proposed Fracking site in Hesketh Bank, Lancashire was shut down on the morning of 1st December as a group of Bristol activists stormed the drilling rig. Three of the climate justice campaigners from Bristol Rising Tide scaled the Cuadrilla Resources equipment with supplies and stopped work for over 13 hours. PHOTOS - http://www.flickr.com/photos/71113300@N08/.
The drilling rig is the only operation of its kind working in the country, after a similar exploratory site in Blackpool was shut down in the spring because it induced two earthquakes in the area.
Liz Sparks, a spokesperson for Bristol Rising Tide, explained the potential dangers of fracking in the South West: “Large parts of Wales, Devon, Somerset and Dorest are potentially under threat from this desperate new technology, which involves extracting the gas in shale rock through Hydraulic Fracturing, (or fracking). Huge amounts of water mixed with toxic chemicals are forced into the ground at high pressure, a large proportion of which are never recovered. This fluid also leaches arsenic out of rocks, creating a dangerous cocktail that’s difficult to dispose of. In the United states numerous spills of these fluids have contaminated irrigation water, effecting food supplies, and the health of surrounding communities."
The same site was occupied last month by another group- “Frack Off”, and local community resistance across the country is gaining ground.
Paul Williams, who works in a Bristol Library, was among the protestors. He commented:
"People simply aren’t going to stand by and let this crazy extreme sneak into our landscape. We've been inspired by the remarkable work of our neighbours in Wales. Glamorgan county council recently voted unanimously against an application to Frack the area.[5] This decision was influenced by Welsh Water's submission that reserve groundwater sites are at risk of contamination. We can stop this before it starts if we act now. If you want earthquakes, runaway climate change, contaminated water, and a threat to agricultural production then Fracking's the way forward. If you want energy security and more jobs per kilowatt hour, go with renewables. It's a no brainer."
The industry is quick to point to the US experience of fracking, but their safety record there is on increasingly shaky ground. New York State has just instituted a moratorium against fracking, as has Quebec, Canada. France has banned it outright, as has New Jersey in the US.
See also:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/dec/01/fracking-lancashire-hesketh-bank-cuadrilla
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/12/489546.html
www.frack-off.org
Climate refugee polar bears blockade the Oil Bank of Scotland
15 October 2007
A group of ‘climate refugees’ blocked the vehicle entrance to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Corporate Offices at Temple Quay to shine the spotlight on climate criminals RBS, the self-proclaimed ‘Oil and Gas’ Bank. Six people from Bristol Rising Tide for Climate Action in polar bear costumes locked themselves together and prevented all vehicles entering the RBS branch. This was part of a National Day of Local Action against the Royal Bank of Scotland called by those hugely concerned with the devastation to the climate, planet and people.[1]
RBS-NatWest publicly promotes itself as “The Oil & Gas Bank”. They provide the financial fuel that is accelerating climate change. Without these loans to oil and gas corporations the projects would not happen. [2] It is estimate that in 2006, the bank provided over $10 billion to fossil fuels – more than five times that provided to renewable energy.[3]
RBS provide oil corporations with loans to build new massively ecologically detrimental drilling rigs, pipelines and oil tankers. [4] And as RBS’s profits rise so does the carbon in the atmosphere.
Global climate change already forces more people from their homes each year than war. And as the effects worsen, one in seven people on Earth today could be forced to leave their homes over the next 50 years. [5]
A polar bear said, “I am here to let RBS know that their funnelling of cash into fossil fuel projects is making myself and millions of other animals, including humans homeless.”
Another polar bear said “If carbon dioxide molecules had corporate tags of responsibility, the atmosphere would be full of RBS logos mingling with those of BP, Exxon and Shell!”
Notes
[1] The day of action was called by the UK Rising Tide Network at this years Camp for Climate Action which took place next to Heathrow Airport. www.risingtide.org.uk
[2] In 2005 emissions from RBS financed oil and gas projects was about a quarter of the amount produced by all UK homes.
[3] Taken from: The Oil and Gas Bank; RBS and the financing of climate change http://peopleandplanet.org/dl/ddd/rbs_report.pdf
[4] 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.
[5] Figures from "Human Tide: The Real Migration Crisis," by Christian Aid. The report calls for "urgent action by the world community" if the worst effects of this crisis are to be averted.
...and then go with friends to protest again against RBS.
Four homeless polar bears appeared before Bristol Magistrates Court today 14th November. We were arrested after blockading the Royal Bank of Scotland corporate offices on Avon St. as part of the National Day of local action on 15th October called by Rising Tide. The day of action was to highlight the role of the Royal Bank of Scotland in financing the oil and gas industry resulting in climate chaos throughout the world.
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We blockaded the Royal Bank of Scotland's offices by dressing up as polar bears and laying on the ground across the vehicle entrance connected by concrete filled suitcases. (Polar bears and millions of people are being displaced from their homes by climate related degradation of the environment). After six and half hours of blockading we were cut out of suit cases and arrested.
Today we pleaded guilty to charges of 'wilfully obstructing the public highway with a non motor vehicle' (i.e. a suit case) and were given a conditional discharge and each told to pay £15 costs. In court, we wore T-shirts carrying the slogan 'RBS Guilty of Climate Crimes' and did have the opportunity to say why we had taken the action. After the court hearing, we and friends went to picket the RBS branch on Baldwin Street. We took the opportunity to chalk on the pavement 'RBS financing climate chaos', to hand out leaflets to customers and to have a bear's picnic. There is a rumour that there was a police van sitting outside the RBS offices half a mile away - possibly waiting for us to make an appearance. 'Sorry guys you were in the wrong place!'
RBS are the climate criminals and are guilty of:
Merthyr to Mayo Solidarity Bike Ride
Making links between communities resisting fossil fuel extraction
May - June 2010
Across the planet, in the places where fossil fuels are sourced, people are resisting new energy developments.
Communities are standing together to defend their homes, health, land and water, and our shared planet… This is localised resistance with huge global significance….
From the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to the woods of Mainshill, Scotland….
from the rivers and plains of the Niger Delta to the Amazon jungles of Peru….
and
from the valleys of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales to the Northwest coast of Mayo, Ireland…
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The “Merthyr to Mayo” cycle caravan spent two weeks travelling between Merthyr Tydfil, Wales and Rossport, Ireland: two community struggles resisting fossil fuel extraction in their areas. Bristol Rising Tide joined them.
The time we spent in these communities provided an opportunity to learn from one another, to share stories and to explore our areas of commonality; we looked at how we can work in solidarity with each other.
On our journey we held events in different areas we passed through.
We highlighted the stories of the Merthyr and Mayo communities, explored the links between them and examined the global significance of their struggles.
Santa visits BT and exposes coal investment
2 December 2009
This morning a team of Santa's arrived at the BT offices in Bristol Temple Quay to expose the truth behind the companies pension scheme. BT pensions are funding coal mining in South Wales, where Merthyr Tydfil hosts one of Europe's largest opencast coal mines.
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Santa writes: BT Pension Scheme owns a company called Hermes who own Argent, of Miller-Argent fame - the company who operate the mine. Staff pension money is secretly being spent on coal mining.
No wonder it came as a surprise when Santa came to visit... Santa and his helpers descended upon offices after finding out that BT pension schemes are paying for the massive mining operation at Ffos-y-Fran near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales - one of Europe’s largest open cast coal mines. The mystery people in red say they are raising the issue with BT workers, letting them know where their pension money is being invested.
The bemused staff seemed happy to be greeted by the singing santas as they arrived for work, but looked concerned with the news of their employers dirty investments.
A jovial woman clutching a handful of Christmas cards said “with the climate talks in Copenhagen coming up, the world’s eyes will be on politicians struggling to come to terms with the threat of climate change.
We want the employees to know that their money is being invested in coal mining in Wales, worsening the effects of climate change. It is up to them to hold BT accountable for their actions”
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The Ffos-y-Fran mine is less than 40 metres from the nearest homes and residents lives are blighted with noise, dust and pollution. Merthyr Tydfil was the site of the Climate Camp in Wales earlier this year, supporting local residents who have been fighting against the mining operations.
Santa and his helpers handed out Christmas cards and sung carols to people as they arrived for work today, explaining why they have come to visit.
“Coal is the most climate wrecking way to produce energy. Really, if we want to stop the worst effects of climate change we need to stop digging it out of the ground and invest in green technologies instead”
“I’m here because I’m seriously worried about my home back in the Arctic” said Sam, one of the Santa’s. “With predicted temperature rises, we’ll become refugees and the reindeer are notoriously fussy about where they live”.
Email - info@climatecampcymru.org
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Notes:
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Related Link: Climate Camp Cymru
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Rising Tide disrupt Shell in Bristol
Fossil Fools Day 2010
1 April 2010
Activists from Bristol and Bath Rising Tide visited the Shell garage in Muller Road, Eastville at 8.30am this morning to highlight the repression experienced by communities in County Mayo, Ireland who are trying to stop Shell building an onshore high pressure pipeline and gas refinery.
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The community in Erris, County Mayo has seen continued harassment and intimidation by Gardai and Shell security, as well as the unlawful arrest and targeted jailing of key campaigners. In February fisherman Pat O'Donnell was sentenced to 7 months in jail for convictions of “Breach of the Peace” and of "Obstructing a Garda". The community has been fighting this project for over a decade. Construction of the gas refinery has resulted in the pollution of the local drinking water. Untreated waste chemicals from the refinery, including lead, mercury, arsenic and radon would be pumped into Broadhaven Bay despite it being a designated Special Area of Conservation. [1]
Today’s action is part of Fossil Fools Day, a global day of creative action against corporations who contribute to and profit from climate change. [2]
Rachel Keevil from Rising Tide, chasing another activist with a large section of pipe, said “Shell are climate criminals. The gas pipeline in County Mayo will damage the environment and threaten the health and livelihoods of local people; all for the profit of Shell. It’s a pipeline to disaster.”
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Notes:
1 Shell to Sea
2 Fossil Fools Day
Stopping Shell's greenwash at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards
15 December 2007
It hasn’t been an easy week for the organisers of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award and the Bristol Museum, or their sponsor and proud wildlife destroyer— sugardaddy Shell Oil Company. All week, concerned individuals from around Bristol have been exposing the truth about Shell and the public institutions who are helping to greenwash them.
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On Tuesday, activists staged a protest in the national offices of the BBC Wildlife Magazine in Broadmead, bringing work to a halt and reviving controversy within the organization about their relationship with the oil industry.
On Friday evening, Bristol Museum hosted a private, posh wine and cheese reception to kick off their hosting of Shell’s exhibit, with attendees including Dawn Primarola, Labour MP from South Bristol and Helen Holland, leader of the Bristol City Council, who were all patting themselves on the back for caring about wildlife. Bristol Rising Tide activists, dressed up to the nines, were admitted to the event under fake names, with one activist gaining access to the mic, and posing as the Shell public relations director. He then launched into a two minute speech (in the style of the yes men) thanking the city council and museum for helping to allow Shell’s destruction of wildlife to continue and calling the melting of the Arctic ice cap a “tremendous business opportunity” by allowing access to millions of barrels of oil under the ice cap. Amazingly the mic was kept on through the entirety of the speech. (Full text of speech and video below)
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Saturday saw a highly successful and well-attended protest, marking the opening of the SHELL sponsored Wildlife photographer of the year exhibition. Dozens of humans, about a dozen polar bears, a snow leopard, and a tiger gathered, complete with the Wild Lie counter-exhibit. Protesters gathered in front of the museum, handed out leaflets, creating quite a spectacle. Some eventually made their way into the exhibition hall, where Shell’s crimes were recounted, and a die-in took place to symbolize all the wildlife who have been killed because of oil greed, and who continue to suffer the effects of climate change. The protest, organized by Bristol Rising Tide, Friends of the Earth, and People and Planet, showed that Bristolians will not be quiet in the face of corporate greenwash in our public institutions.
Protests are expected to continue at the museum through Jan. 13, in an effort to educate the public about the true nature of Shell’s activities, and to maintain pressure on the BBC Wildlife Magazine and Natural History Museum to drop Shell as a sponsor. People are encouraged to go and see the photographs and let the museum know about their displeasure about allowing a Shell sponsored exhibit space in a city-owned museum.
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The protest today also coincided with a shocking report in this weekend's Financial Times. It highlights Shell's role in the imminent devastation of the Athabasca Tar Sands.
Brian Straub, Shell Canada's vice-president for oil sands makes the companies position very clear: "We're clearly putting all we have across the Shell world toward developing this resource. If we weren't here it would just be woods."
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Read more about Shell’s horrific environmental record and the controversy surrounding oil company sponsorship of cultural events:
"Shell Wildlife Destroyer of the Year", Friends of the Earth, October 2006
Full text of speech read by Derrick Leavussum, “Public Relations Director for Shell”
Good evening my name is Derek Leavussum, public relations director for Shell. I want to welcome you all to the 2007 Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award. As you can imagine- I don’t have an easy job, what with all this fuss about melting glaciers, extreme weather and wildlife extinctions. I’d like to thank the Bristol City Council, BBC Wildlife Magazine and the Natural History Museum for making my job all that much easier by allowing us to sponsor your wild lie- I mean wildlife- exhibition.
We prefer not to see the melting of the Arctic ice cap as a threat to human civilization. We see it as a business opportunity. After all, there are millions of barrels of oil under there just waiting to be extracted. And we’ll need all the energy we can get since we’ve just abandoned our solar program. When you see the Shell logo, we don’t want you to think about the whale habitat we’re destroying in Siberia and Ireland, human rights violations in Nigeria, and especially not climate change. This may all be true but the fact is that the world needs oil and this is simply the price of progress.
Some say it’s ironic that the world’s second largest oil company is sponsoring a wildlife photography exhibition- but Shell is truly committed to preservation of the polar bear and other wildlife- in photographs if not in the real world. Some say it’s the end of the oil age- but we say it’s just the beginning- we’re thrilled about digging into Canada’s oil sands and with your help we can continue to deceive the public into thinking we’re a responsible corporate citizen. Thank you all for coming tonight and we hope you enjoy viewing these amazing photographs of wildlife that Shell is destroying- I mean conserving.
Also a special thanks to Dawn Primarola and the Labour party for supporting a third runway at Heathrow and ensuring that there remains a healthy demand for our products.
The revolution will not be motorised!
Solidarity with Stop Hinkley
12 September 2010
We joined a group of local campaigners in Bridgewater who blocked the Hinkley Point main gates for almost an hour this lunch-time as they demonstrated against the premature destruction of upto 435 acres of open land and wildlife habitats before major consents are approved for the two giant reactors proposed by EdF.
 Image (c) 2010 D. Viesnik |
A large group of campaigners, together with local residents including children, held banners and placards in front of Hinkley Point, preventing any traffic movements. The Hinkley main gates were forced to shut from 11.45 to 12.45pm and no traffic entered or left during that time. Some of the protestors wore face paint images of sunflowers, the Stop Hinkley logo and anti-nuclear signs. Others dressed as nuclear 'boffins' and with a loudhailer led a march through the ear-marked greenfield site.
The 'nuclear boffins' highlighted badger setts which had been cemented over or had been covered with metal grills, beautiful old woodlands and individual trees destined to be bulldozed and they walked down some of the scores of sunken lanes criss-crossing the fields lined by ancient hedgerows brimming with wildlife.
At the coast the tour-guides showed where the so-called 'temporary' jetty will be built over the 200 million year old fossil-filled rocky beach.
At the beach destination of the march, one campaigner read aloud a poem on the need to respect nature and its part in global ecology.
Crispin Aubrey, spokesman for Stop Hinkley who marshalled the demonstration, said: "There is obvious strong feeling against destroying this beautiful area. Despite being close to the existing power stations there are large expanses of beauty and tranquility. It's wrong for EdF to jump the gun by trashing the area such a long time before it receives major consents for the two reactors."
The protest was part of a two day action Weekend by Stop Hinkley. Yesterday a series of talks and workshops took place in Bridgwater for campaigners around the region.
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Image (c) 2010 D. Viesnik |
Planning offices stormed to stop airport expansion
4 December 2006
Climate activists stormed North Somerset Environment and Planning Offices to protest against the planned expansion of Bristol International Airport. The planners were taken aback by the style of delivery when presented with a giant letter, but as the protesters explained, climate change is a giant issue.
They occupied the lobby and some climbed onto the roof, claiming they were trying to escape the rising sea levels that climate change will bring. A nearby soundsystem played recorded sounds of planes taking off in order to bring home to the planners the effects that their decisions could have upon people in the Southwest.
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In the lobby protestors had the full attention of key people involved in making this decision and together they flooded them with the arguments: moral, environmental and economical, for why expansion must not happen.
The planners admitted to the protesters that they might have to rethink the entire approach to the national program of expansions in the light of increasing news about climate change. The recently published Stern Report predicts that climate change will push the world economy into a depression if we do not act now.
Councillor John Crockford-Hawley, North Somerset Council Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, also agreed with our statement that if expansion went ahead it would make a mockery of peoples individual efforts.
Stansted airport was refused planning permission for their expansion last week. The planners said that the Stern report was a major factor in their decision. The government plans to expand almost every airport in the UK, tripling air traffic by 2030. But this would make it impossible to meet the targets for emissions in order to avoid runaway climate change.
The protesters urged people to oppose the expansion. Passerbyers thatt felt moved wrote their comments on postcards which were handed in at the end of the day. The deadline for objections is Dec 22nd, which is the last chance for people to have their say.
Southwest Climate Action are a group of individuals inspired by the climate camp and the global movements for climate justice. They have pledged that, if the expansion goes ahead, they will take direct action in order to stop it.
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The submitted letter:
Dear Planners,
We are a group of individuals who are very alarmed by the proposed master plan to expand Bristol International Airport considering consensus by climate scientists that we need to take action now to avert catastrophic effects on humans and the ecosystems we are part of.
We need to prevent global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels: the point at which dangerous processes caused by climate change could spiral out of control, such as the melting of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, which could raise global sea levels by 7m and Weston being flooded.
Aviation: Bristol Airport already pumps out more emissions than the whole of Bristol's traffic. If the airport expansion go’s ahead it will be impossible for North Somerset to meet their target of 60% cuts by 2050.
Local Economy: Tourists spend £11bn in the UK, while UK tourists spend £26 billion abroad – a loss of £15bn to our economy. Regional tourism is the single largest industry in the South West with 8% of all jobs; with expansion the tourism deficit is likely to double by 2030.
Furthermore, the Stern report reaches the simple conclusion: “the benefits of strong, early action on climate change considerably outweigh the costs.”
In light of this information it is critical that you fully acknowledge this information now.
Demands
Recognise that climate change is a serious global threat, it demands an urgent response.
Recognise the glaring contradiction between the councils stated commitment, through the Nottingham declaration, to tackle climate change and the expansion of the airport.
Recognise that if the airport expansion goes ahead it will be to the detriment of the local and global economy.
Acknowledge that the ‘Master Plan’ contains inaccuracies and fails to deal with the issue of climate change, and thus is irresponsible.
Acknowledge that the people of the South West will stand by the council in the rejection of this insane planning application. North Somerset council will not be alone in rejecting the current wave of ill-conceived airport expansions.
Uttlesford Council Planners have recently turned down the expansion of Stansted saying
“It would be premature to grant planning permission for the increased use of the runway in advance of clarification by the Government as to whether part of its response to the Stern Review and other recent research will be to withdraw or amend its Air Transport White Paper.”
“Given new evidence, such as the Stern report it is uncertain whether the policy of encouraging airport growth is a reasonable basis on which to proceed.
If the expansion is given the go ahead, despite the acknowledgement of the above information, then the council will be complicit in the devastation of lives, communities and habitats around the world, who will be hit by the impacts of climate chaos.
It would be negligent for the council to allow the expansion, but if they do we will take sustained action to stop it, taking responsibility for our lives and our future.
Yours truly,
South West Climate Action
Rossport Solidarity Camp
May - June 2009
At the end of May, Bristol Rising Tiders joined others from around the UK and the Republic of Ireland for a weekend gathering at the Rossport Solidarity Camp at Glengad in County Mayo. The gathering had been called to support the local community in their fight to stop Shell and Statoil from wrecking their environment and destroying their livelihoods of farming and fishing. Shell and Statoil (the Norwegian State oil and gas company) are extracting gas off the coast of Co. Mayo and are now planning to lay a gas pipeline to connect the drilling rig to the gas refinery they are building on seized land at nearby Ballanaboy. The 150 people who came to the gathering took part in direct action workshops led by the Tripod collective from Scotland and learnt from local activists about the massive oil and gas developments planned for the Atlantic seaboard of Ireland. A workshop run by an activist from Platform also showed that the struggle at Rossport was just one of many being waged by small communities around the world against Shell - the multinational oil company. The hallmarks of Shell’s operations are disregard for the environment, destruction of livelihoods, coercion and violence against local activists and gaining favourable terms by giving backhanders to politicians.
On Sunday the whole gathering and a large group of locals went to Shell’s enclosure where they intend to bring the pipeline ashore. Unsuccessful attempts were made to pull down a section of fencing this being thwarted by the large numbers of private security and police. Several people scaled the fence. The confrontation ended in seven activists being arrested – one on trumped up charges of assault. A further small-scale action on Monday afternoon saw activists start to dismantle the causeway that would carry the pipeline up the beach.
The numbers at the camp fell to about 30 on Monday evening as people headed home after the weekend. It was at this point that the ‘fleet’ arrived filling the previously tranquil bay. Two large dredging platforms were towed in by tugs accompanied by freighters to carry away the spoil, survey ships and a flotilla of 9 security vessels (rigid inflatable boats and motor launches) including one police RIB. The dredgers were there to dig a trench in the seabed to take the pipeline. They started work immediately and continued through the night. Tuesday saw the protest camp take to the water. 12 activists went out in an assortment of craft – most in inflatable kayaks. The initial aim was to test out the capabilities of Shell’s security vessels. A game of cat and mouse went on for over an hour as the kayakers danced around the larger security vessels – then the police RIB moved in and by using police divers grabbed one kayaker (from Bristol). Following this arrest the protest fleet retreated only to come out a few hours later. Now intent on disrupting the dredging, the kayakers spread out and successfully drew the security boats off as two of their number made it through to the larger dredger. Meeting no opposition on the dredger they quickly climbed up onto the arm of the giant digger and halted work. They continued their occupation for the next ten hours and only gave themselves up at 4.00 a.m. when hunger and cold prevented them from remaining longer.
Two days later the kayakers of the ‘Irish Flotilla’ struck again and this time succeeded in getting several people onto a dredger. This time they met violent resistance from Shell’s private security guards resulting in several injuries to activists. One protestor again occupied the digger arm and prevented work (see a full account at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92596). Following this direct action, Van Oord, the subcontractor running the dredgers said they were unwilling to work with ongoing protest activity and the excessive use of force by the private security. This resulted in the entire dredging operation being halted and the fleet returning to harbour.
This experience shows that private security in expensive boats cannot stop dedicated activists in flimsy inflatable kayaks - direct action can and has stopped work for now. While this is a great victory, the campaign has already been a long one and the people of Rossport need our active and continuing support. Several local activists are now facing jail terms following repeated arrests and refusal to pay fines. Later this summer the specialist pipe-laying ship ‘Solitaire’ is expected to arrive. If you have got the time get out there – it’s a beautiful place and great people.
See http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com for info on transport and how to support the local campaign.
The day we blocked the railway from Alined Gif on Vimeo.
A puppet show by Otherstory
Telling the story of Bristol & Bath Rising Tide's blockade of the railway from the Ffos y Fran opencast coal mine near Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales in April 2010.
Recorded at a Rising Tide benefit at the Boneyard Bar in Bristol
Solidarity with Vestas workers
4 August 2009
On Tuesday 4th August, protesters (including Bristol Rising Tide) descended on the Bristol Headquarters of the Environment Agency in Aztec West carrying windmills and banners to support the action of Vestas workers who have occupied the St Cross wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight for the last two weeks because of plans to close the site with the immediate loss of 600 jobs. A further two solidarity demos took place on Friday 7th August. A couple of Bristol RT'ers also visted the Isle of Wight.
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National Grid are building a huge new gas pipeline across South Wales. The project is dangerous and undemocratic. Come and join the growing wave of protests against it.
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The gas won’t be coming from the North Sea fields. It is coming all the way from Qatar in massive supertankers to Milford Haven Harbour. Then it will be pumped through the 120-mile long pipeline to Gloucestershire.
National Grid are building it. They used to be a public utility, but have become a private company. This £6 billion project is the single largest energy-project financing ever(1) and the terminal at Milford Haven will be the biggest LNG receiving terminal in the world (2).
In the USA it is illegal to put an LNG harbour within 5 km of a human settlement.
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If there was an accident it is estimated that 20,000 lives could be at risk from "a highly inflammable cloud several miles long" (3).
- Milford Haven’s most experienced shipping pilots have described the risk of a fatal collision at one of the terminals as a ‘real everyday possibility’ (4). Each supertanker contains over 50 Hiroshima’s worth of explosive power (5). The pipeline itself is also huge - 4ft in diameter. It will run at 94bar pressure – that is 96kg per cm2, which is higher than any other pipe in Europe or the US. The Health & Safety Executive said in their risk assessment that there will be a hole during the 30-year lifespan of the pipe.
They wouldn’t put a pipeline like this through Surrey!
Welsh lives and countryside have often been collateral damage in the hunt for power and profit. In Aberfan in 1966, 144 people, mostly children, died in a disaster caused by the National Coal Board’s shocking disregard for safety. The coal board wriggled out of full costs of the clean-up operation. Parents were grudgingly given £500 per child as compensation. No NCB employee was sacked, demoted or even disciplined.
What has changed?
The new corporate manslaughter bill is weak and toothless. No large corporation has ever been found guilty of corporate manslaughter. National Grid are a privatised utility. But even though they have become private, they still have the power of compulsory purchase! How can it be right for them to be able to use this power in the pursuit of profits? Since privatisation, NG have shed thousands of engineering jobs and cut maintenance work. This same corporation, accountable to only its shareholders and board, is now responsible for the safety of thousands of people along the route of this pipe. The area around Trebanos is prone to land-slip, and is so unstable that villagers are not allowed to have mains gas supplied.
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National Grid’s Safety Record
In 1999, a family of four were killed in Scotland when a high-pressure gas pipe exploded by their home. Massive corrosion in the pipeline, and a failure on the part of National Grid/Transco to keep adequate records on what kind of pipes were being used, led to the explosion. Corrosion has already been seen on the welds in the South Wales pipeline.
Climate Chaos:
More than a 2C rise and we risk runaway climate change. Achieving this means rich countries like the UK cutting emissions by around 90% by 2030 - not 60% by 2050, as the Stern report says. A 90% cut in 25 years is going to require not just new technologies, but different cultures, different economies, different expectations - in short, a different way of life.
The terminal and the gas pipe will help open up new markets and some people will make huge amounts of money. It will delay the transition from fossil fuels by decades at a critical moment in human history. It is a bogus solution. Talking about gas as a transition fuel is a distraction from what we urgently need: an end to the fossil fuel growth economy and a switch to clean, decentralised, renewable energy. By the time this gas pipe reaches the end of its life we will be past the year we need to have 90% cuts.
Environmental Destruction:
The Pipeline leaves a swath of destruction as wide as a motorway. It runs through the Brecon Beacon National Park, through Sites of Scientific Special Interest and ancient woodlands.
Protest so far
There has been protest in many places along the length of the pipeline, and there is a whole lot more to come. Protesters have occupied building sites and stopped work at Trebanos, at Milford Haven and at Cilfrew. They have used walking and static blockades, lock-ons and occupied cranes and other machinery. There have been marches, public meetings, info-stalls and a lot of media coverage.
On Tues 13th Feb, activists blocked the road at the Milford Haven terminal for 6 hours by locking themselves together. Meanwhile others were arrested near the fence leading to the jetty.
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Brecon protest camp has been evicted. New camps further East remain a distinct possibility. The Brecon camp was in beautiful woodland next to a stream in the Brecon Beacons National Park on the route of the planned pipe.
There is an A4 leaflet, called "What's in the pipeline?" with all this stuff on, which it would be brilliant to get printed out and distributed around the country. Email us at bristol@risingtide.org.uk and we can send them to you.
24th March 2007: Trebanos Carnival
Music and laughter filled the streets of Trebanos as people who had met though the protests against the pipeline took a day off to enjoy the spring sunshine together. 5 dogs, 1 goat, 1 pony , 31 children and 79 adults took to the streets in a variety of costumes. An eight piece Samba Band led the procession which covered the length of the village and took in back streets to make sure no-one was left out. Those unable to join in cheered from their gardens and passing drivers beeped their horns.
Some footage from the Trebanos anti-pipeline carnival
More information:
Ongoing coverage of the protests on Indymedia
Schnews newsletter #569 and #576.
Footnotes:
1 The agreement was the third-largest project financing of any kind, after the Channel Tunnel and a Taiwanese high-speed rail financing. Banks with major roles in the project financing include HSBC, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and Citigroup.
2 http://education.independent.co.uk/careers_advice/engineering/article1946244.ece
3 http://pembrokeshiretv.com/content/templates/v6-article.asp?articleid=1292
4 http://pembrokeshiretv.com/content/templates/v6-article.asp?articleid=212
5 http://timrileylaw.com/LNG_TANKERS.htm
6 http://www.stabilisation2005.com/Steering_Commitee_Report.pdf
