Action: False solutions

"Same Old Not New Not Zero Nuclear" (or, most of what you need to know about Nuclear Power in the UK but weren't nerdy enough to ask):

Submitted by lrt2 on Mon, 12/20/2021 - 18:34

We'll endeavour to keep this updated here:- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KI_2HfexzDUjmn-RiX9e3xLb5mjHN2khSo7…

A Requested Briefing Paper for COP26Coalition from RisingTideUK

With no Nuclear Power campaigners at any major UK NGO there's a danger of the reappearance of Nuclear ambivalence, maybe particularly with 2020’s high profile defection of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) newspaper "Hour Glass" editor to pro-nuclear power propagandist lobbying.

These briefing notes aim to prevent that scenario developing and was requested in response to PM outlines his Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution for 250,000 jobs - GOV.UK and £40 million to kick start next-gen nuclear technology - GOV.UK by the Coalition’s Political Strategy Working Group.

Nuclear (National Grid average as at year ending Mar'21), accounts for 16.1% of the UK electricity supply mix, with Renewables at 40.3%, Natural Gas at 38.2%, Coal 2.7% (& "Other" also 2.7%).

So apart from:-

taking more than a decade to build;

no current safe or adequate waste storage solutions, even after 70 years of operation; 

a major accident every decade - Windscale (UK), 3 Mile Island (USA), Chernobyl (Soviet Union), Fukushima (Japan), Forsmark (Sweden) and in the Netherlands, France etc. etc;

rising sea levels at all coastal sites;

exorbitant guaranteed "strike prices" for electricity generated and prioritised over Renewables;

continued weapons proliferation via requisite grade plutonium created in civil reactors;

radioactive and radiation health threats causing cancers and other fatal diseases;

potential terrorism targets;

huge coolant water usage and warm water discharge;

the mind-blowing monumental cost compared to the Renewables displaced:-
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Nuclear Power is not low carbon.

26 COPs and still climate breakdown not arrested! - COP26 Update#8 : Rising Tide 21 years old

Submitted by lrt2 on Fri, 12/17/2021 - 19:35

So, the mouldy green dust of the "climate Davos" has settled on another COP "negotiation". 27 years on and the story is still: can; kick; road. Rather than consigning coal, oil and gas to the past, the first mention in text ever for "fossil fuels" was in a weak reference to removing ‘inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels’ with a ‘phase down’ of coal that doesn’t even mention gas or oil!  COP26, more impotent than important.

Largest UK anti-airport protest in history - 18 events for 12 UK airports during Stay Grounded Global Days of Action - "Stop Greenwashing – Reduce Air Traffic Now!"

Submitted by lrt2 on Sun, 11/28/2021 - 17:16

On the 5th and 6th of November 2021, aviation protest actions across the globe coordinated by Stay Grounded, called for an end to aviation’s greenwashing and an effective reduction of air traffic. The diverse protests were part of a Global Day of Action called by the https://cop26coalition.org/gda/  a UK-based civil society grouping, mobilising around climate justice during COP26, the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow. In addition to the 18 events for 12 UK expanding airports, protests also took place in Mexico, Nepal, Germany and France.

Aviation is the most climate-damaging form of transport and one of the worst examples of climate injustice, so nobody should be fooled by attempts to greenwash aviation. New technologies and so-called ‘sustainable’ fuels will take decades to be used on commercial, long haul flights – and it is these flights that cause the vast majority of aviation’s climate wrecking emissions. (Check out 5 Greenwashing Factsheets here:- https://stay-grounded.org/greenwashing ). Research shows that relying on techno-fixes will not decarbonise the aviation sector rapidly enough to stay below the globally agreed 1.5 degrees C limit; and the UK government’s advisory body, the Climate Change Committee, recommends NO net expansion of UK airports and has repeatedly warned the government that technological solutions alone will be insufficient to make the aviation sector even net zero by 2050. Yet, every UK airport has plans to expand. 

In this context we took to the fields and streets to counter greenwashing and aviation expansion. In what rapidly became a full Week of Action, Rising Tide UK co-ordinated the Stay Grounded activities in the UK for airports at:  Bristol, Doncaster-Sheffield, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds-Bradford, London-City, Luton, Liverpool, Manchester, Southampton and Stanstead. Our press spokesperson Ray Stewart said:-
  "We warn that trusting yet-to-be-developed technology to reduce climate-wrecking emissions is an extreme risk we cannot afford to take. Instead, we demand immediate action be taken to prevent aviation growth to cut associated emissions, for us to stand any chance of remaining within 1.5C.”

18 events for 12 UK airports showed what happens when we get together and co-ordinate united action around common themes under the Stay Grounded UK Chapter umbrella. So well done to those groups that took part and thanks to those who acted as group spokespeople, took photo's and did techy stuff. Lets have more groups covering more airports next time! We encourage those groups to visit https://stay-grounded.org/how-to-become-a-member/ .

Here's a round-up of what happened and where, with media links of which we're aware.

RisingTideUK COP26 Update #7

Submitted by thebrentc on Tue, 11/16/2021 - 17:09

As you may know traditionally Rising Tide UK has opposed the UN-IPCC COP climate talks process from Kyoto onward as we don't think the solutions we need will come from governments, let alone in the speed we need them - but we decided to join the COP26Coalition (of UK civil society) as this COP is in the UK and to maybe add to the more radical voices within it, organising around COP26 in Glasgow and beyond. Toothless Paris Accord voluntary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) are currently still 24bn tonnes short of preventing 1.5C heating and on course for 3C+. 6 years past the Paris Accord, climate finance reparation $100bn a year promises remain unfullfilled without any clear intention to provide financial support for "Global South" low emitting countries and island states about to be literally submerged.

Below is our latest attempt of summarising the current Coalition & COP status. Feel free to use and spread wildly (that was supposed to be widely but actually we'd prefer wildly).
If you're not travelling to Glasgow then worldwide there are demo's and marches etc happening on the 5th & 6th November linked below that you can get involved with but there is always an option to get together with your friends and pull off an action of your own targetting carbon infrastructure and their greenwash shenanigens. Some help here: http://www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk/

Plenty of false solutions abound especially those inherent in Article 6 discussion at the COP which is pretty nailed-on to see government acceptance and support for carbon business as usual offsetting (particularly within the aviation sector with COP sanctioned CORSIA); in all its guises like the attachment of tradable market mechanisms to "Nature Based" and "Natural Climate" "Solutions"; also the bogus radioactive head of nuclear power elbowing-in for a last gasp attempt.

SEE BELOW FOR DAY BY DAY COP26 CALENDAR & ALL THE DETAILS AND LINKS YOU NEED!

Emergency, what emergency?

Submitted by thebrentc on Fri, 08/09/2019 - 17:59

Last week the Meteorological Office published the State of the UK Climate Report showing that 10 of the hottest years on record have come in the last 16 (since 2002). As you know the UK Parliament passed unanimously a motion declaring a Climate Emergency. The UK government acted upon the Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) headline advice which was:
“The UK should legislate as soon as possible to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The target can be legislated as a 100% reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs) from 1990 and should cover all sectors of the economy, including international aviation and shipping”.

Bristol Rising Tide protest at Environment Agency, Bristol, 15/9/18

Submitted by lrt2 on Mon, 10/01/2018 - 17:46

Climate activists BristolRisingTide hung a nine-metre banner from the atrium of the Environment Agency in Bristol in a protest against fracking. The 50-strong group accused the regulator of facilitating fracking by granting environmental permits to shale gas companies. The Environment Agency’s offices had been open for the Bristol Open Doors Day, an event offering free tours of the city’s landmark buildings. Laurie Underwood, from the group, said:-
“On the one hand, the Environment Agency is preparing the country for adapting to the impacts of climate change but on the other, it is dishing out permits for onshore oil and gas drilling which will exacerbate the climate crisis....we call on the Environment Agency and its workers to take a tougher stance against a reckless fracking industry which threatens our air quality, our water quality and our climate.”.
The group pointed out that the Forestry Commission, another agency which comes under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, decided recently not to renew the lease on an exploratory drilling site near Leith Hill in Surrey. The decision was based on the risk of damage to nearby ancient woodland. Laurie Underwood called on the Environment Agency to be:-
“more pro-active in speaking out against the environmental impacts of new, unwanted fossil fuel extraction.....they should follow the Forestry Commission’s lead and tell the government that licensing fracking isn’t compatible with its environmental mission. Stop the fracking permits. Stop approving climate change.”.

Over 100 freewheel to Tour de Frack, Saturday, June 23rd, 2018

Submitted by lrt2 on Mon, 10/01/2018 - 16:56

Over 70 cyclists completed 3 seperate "tours" of the Acidification Fracking sites at Brockham, Leith Hill, Balcombe and Horse Hill, all starting at Meadowbank Park, Dorking at 10.30am, joined by friends and supporters in a highly organised event with food and speaker stops culminating in an after-party at the Leith Hill Protectors Camp.
A film of the day is now available at https://www.facebook.com/SoapboxEN/videos/1618086074984087/ . As you know RisingTideUK do not advocate the use of Facebook so get off as soon as you've watched it! ;-p. RisingTide's contingent were joined by among others our friends from Biofuelwatch who also took some footage which you can find here:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRxT39Y6aZY - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3A49nhkaQA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV3YG81y4cY . Rumours of a return Tour next year are surfacing.

Semi naked Anti Biomess protesters Occupy Avonmouth Port site

Submitted by brt on Mon, 05/19/2014 - 18:06

This morning 11 people entered the site of the proposed Helius wood fired Biomass Power Plant, spelling out the message ‘no biomess’ in body paint on their naked torsos.  The Pro renewable energy campaigners from Bristol Rising Tide breached Port security at 9.50 am on land next to St Andrews Road Station.

For some great pictures of the action, see:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/123175252@N04/

(If the link doesn't work straight off, try copying and pasting it to your browser)

 Jo Edwards explained: