Rising Tide UK - Action:Confronting the fossil fuel economy

The Tar Sands Oil-ympics comes to London

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:22:37 +0100

The Oil-ympics saw activists from London Rising Tide and the London Tar Sands Network divided into three teams: BP, Shell and RBS, all ready to ‘Race to the Tar Sands’. Traditional winter sports were subverted to illustrate the irony of Canada portraying the Vancouver Winter Olympics as an event which celebrates Canadian indigenous culture and environmental sustainability, while in the neighbouring province of Alberta, Canadian First Nations are finding that their lands, communities and health are being devastated by the Tar Sands.

NRT Rat Race

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:18:50 +0100

To mark Buy Nothing Day, activists from Norwich Rising Tide held a Rat Race in the Norwich city centre.

The busiest high street in Norwich was today full of rats. The rats were equipped with placards reading Work Harder, Earn More Money, Buy More Things, Keep Going, and leaflets telling people to join the consumption Rat Race. The reverse of the leaflet, revealed the spoof and informed people that today was buy nothing day and perhaps they should consider the environmental and social consequences of excessive consumption.

Australian power station shut down by six hour protest

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:07:19 +0100

29 people were arrested after a climate change protest by Rising Tide Australia at Bayswater power station in New South Wales on 1 November. Four people locked themselves to machinery (the conveyer belt and its motor), stopping the conveyor belts that carry coal to Bayswater’s furnaces while about 25 others occupied the coal piles.

Barclays' coal investments targeted in Leamington Spa

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:43:18 +0100

Leamington Rising Tide took aim at a town centre Barclays over the weekend in protest at the bank's heavy investment in dirty coal. Banners, leaflets and balloons let people know that 'Barclays are fuelling global warming'. One of the banners used an image of scales to demolish the myth that Barclays cares about climate change: they invest a whopping 3,300 million invested in coal against 15 million inrenewable tech on the other. Over the last two years, Barclays has been involved in 17 separate loans to the coal industry, and together with RBS and HSBC, has loaned $70 billion to E.ON alone. A clown played a special Barclays song he wrote for the event, and several chats were had with interested people. At the end of the demo the helium balloons were let off inside the bank. They were still up there an hour later!

Rising Tiders target Royal Bank of Scotland during Climate Camp

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:52:18 +0200

On the Friday of the Camp for Climate Action, four intrepid Rising Tiders left the site to bring the battle over a new power station at Kingsnorth to the doorstep of the Royal Bank of Scotland, which is one of E.ON's biggest financial backers, and to highlight the links between the financial sector, the fossil fuel industry, and disastrous climate change.

The Carbon Cycle at Ffos-y-Fran

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:37:19 +0200

On Saturday 21st June, twenty cyclists and a toddler in a child-seat from Mid-Wales Climate Action, the Welsh Youth Forum on Sustainable Development and Gwerin Y Coed (Woodcraft Folk) completed the 157 miles from Machynlleth to Cardiff to publicise the need for cycle-lanes and provision for bikes on public transport. At the Senedd, where ‘the Carbon Cycle’ delivered a petition, cyclists were welcomed by Leanne Wood AM and Gordon James of FoE Cymru. The ride was part of Bike Week and raised money for Oxfam’s work with people worst affected by climate change. Although cyclists endured some hostile motorists and dangerous driving along the way, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience. ‘Every day was an achievement’, said Ailish, 'moving slower is so much nicer!'

Fantastic Fossil Foolery! UK Action Round-up

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:28:38 +0200

What a day! UK actions by the numbers:
35 actions
20 cities
44 arrests

Check out the Fossil Fools Day page for all the amazing actions in other countries, including the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Australia; as well as media coverage from around the world. And read on for the scoop on all the UK actions.

Newquay Airport Rooftop Occupation

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:16:54 +0100

The recently formed Kernow and Plymouth Rising Tide groups banded together to occupy Newquay Airport last Saturday. The protest put a spotlight on the airport's focus on climate-wrecking short-haul flights, and drew attention to a recent report on the airport which shows that the economic case for expansion is unsound. (CLICK 'read more' TO SEE VIDEO)

Work on Ffos-y-Fran coal mine prevented for a day by climate activists

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:28:54 +0100

More than thirty climate activists, including members of the Rising Tide network, joined with local residents from Merthyr Tydfil in stopping excavation work for a full day on Britain’s biggest ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales.

On the morning of 5th December, activists evaded police and security before taking over the 1,000 acre site on a hilltop near Cardiff. Dressed as clowns and polar bears, they chained themselves to bulldozers and other heavy machinery to prevent work on the mine and unfurled large banners. (CLICK ON 'read more' TO SEE VIDEO).

First Norwich Rising Tide Action Against the NDR

Sun, 06 May 2007 01:35:17 +0200

NRT Spoof action - Build the NDR: Concrete is freedom!

Posing as members of the fictional Coalition for Roads And Progress (C.R.A.P), and brandishing placards bearing slogans such as ‘Re-tarmac the streets!', ‘Oil is Good for the Planet’, ‘The NDR – an industrial paradise’ and ‘Walking is a Waste of Time!’, we held a series of mock press conferences outside the Forum in Norwich city centre. Click here to see full action report, photos and the spoof C.R.A.P leaflet (along with our own straight leaflet setting out our concerns about the NDR).

Bath Climate Camp to raise pipeline pressure - come on down!

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 19:54:01 +0200

Bath Climate camp will be running from Thursday 19th of April until Sunday the 22nd. The camp will be running by late afternnon, but please get in touch if you want to help set up. There will be two actions plus a load of interactive workshops, a vegan kitchen and a kids activity zone run by experienced childcarers. The demos will be -

'Screw the future: drive this car!'

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:53:41 +0100

...spotted in London, 7.3.07

Activists shut down construction of LNG gas terminal in Milford Haven.

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:09:43 +0100

Protesters against the continued and unrestrained promotion of fossil fuel projects by the UK government have blockaded the main vehicle access route into the new LNG pipeline terminal near Milford Haven, South Wales. Their aim is to highlight the serious environmental and safety issues surrounding this project, and to call for a more sober approach to the impending energy crisis.

DIRECT ACTION CAMPAIGN VS. WELSH GAS PIPELINE

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:56:58 +0100

EARTH FIRST! CONFRONTS DESTRUCTIVE PRACTICES OF KING COAL IN US

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 22:22:27 +0200

In a Daring Challenge To The Power Of The Coal Industry,
Activists Blockade Power Plant

July 10, 2006, Carbo, Virginia - Early this morning,
activists with Earth First! and Rising Tide North America
set up a non-violent blockade of American Electric Power's
(AEP) nearly 50 year old Clinch River coal fired electric
facility. Emitting millions of pounds of pollutants yearly,
the Clinch River coal plant threatens the health and lives
of thousands of downwind residents and the surrounding
environment. Burning coal is not only a primary factor
behind global climate change, but also drives the expansion
of large scale strip mining. Large scale surface mining
destroys forests, streams and communities as it alters the
Appalachian landscape forever.