The debate was well attended and very well organised.
Dave Douglass(former num & iww ) spoke first about the environment and 'clean' coal place within the environment,As expected Dave spoke clearly and passionately for coal , though at one point he came close to stating that climate change was not being accelerated by human activity!
Next to speak was Arthur Scargill. Mr Scargill gave a robust defence of coal and spoke strongly against other forms of environmental degradation especially nuclear power.His speech was well balanced and factual.It was a pleasure to hear Mr Scargill talk,but he was not the charismatic speaker of the 1980's it felt a bit like an after dinner circuit speaker, not the iconic figure we are used too.(mr Scargill chose to go over his allotted time and not to remain for the debate)
Dr Paul Chatterton from Leeds uni followed mr Scargill,(it should be noted that paul and all the speakers from the green movement stated that they were NOT spokesperson from the climate camp) Dr Chatterton gave his reasons for not using coal as a power source, giving clear and factual evidence on climate change and the social conditions in other countries without health and safety laws or unions to help protect the workers.
The president of the N.U.M Ian lavery followed Paul chatterton. Mr lavery delivered a loud and uncompromising speech in defence of coal mining and the combustion of coal,his presentation was laddish,bhol-shy and at points mildly sexist.The accuracy of his facts were also questioned from the floor(from a parsons engineer that helped build Drax)
The chair of the meeting then opened the floor up for debate,at this point it became clear that there was a diverse mix of people attending the debate. Questions came forward from environmental activists,union officials,anarchists and socialists.After a bit healthy debate there was a break for lunch.
After lunch there was a change to the chairperson of the meeting.
Davie Guy a long respected union official spoke gently about C.C.S technology,he was very clear and factual in his presentation.He also spoke with sadness about the current state of the unions within the U:K. One of many points of agreement was opposition to open cast mining and to dirtier coal burning technologies.
Paul Morrozo followed Mr Guy, Paul spoke in particular about the Proposed new power station at Kingsnorth and it's effect on climate change. During Pauls presentation the 'chair' of the meeting continually cut in and added comments.Mr Morrozo Patience was remarkable.The chair then cut paul 10 mins short stating that we were short on time, The chair then used this opportunity to give his opinion on the supposedly naive arguments of the green movement.The 'chair' David Hopper an N.U.M official was challenged by one of the other invited speakers and asked to chair the meeting properly,many people from the floor also asked Mr Hopper not to abuse his position,one of the people from the floor that challenged Mr Hooper was female Mr Hoopers reply was clearly sexist this lead to a furious response, in particular from the anarchists.Mr Hopper chose to resign the position of chair without apology.
After order had been resumed it was the turn of the R.M.T unfortunately Bob Crowe couldn't make it so a regional official of thr R.M.T spoke about the prospects of moving coal by train(apologies for not knowing the speakers name)
The final speaker Kevin Bland spoke on local issues in particular opencast mining and the urgent need to defend our natural environment, Kevin spoke in depth about ecology being a class issue and gave a strong anti-capitalist analysis of environmental degradation.
The chair then opened the debate to the floor,again there was healthy constructive debate.
Overall it was a good event that brought out many positives,there is common ground between grass roots environmentalists and the energy workers.Hopefully the two groups can continue to engage and work together.
The anarchist film collective filmed the days events they hope to make a short film around the debate.
Thanks to the NUM for organising this event and in particular Dave Douglass for his efforts.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
wake up, freak out - then get a grip
A good, simple yet non patronizing short film explaining climatic feedback systems.
Look for more information on wakeupfreakout.org
lock-on
Biofuels are driving climate change literally,instead of growing food to feed the millions in the world without a meal,large business is growing crops to make diesel!
Class, Climate Change and Clean Coal
1st November 2008, Newcastle, 11.30 -5.30
This all day conference has been organised by supporters of coal in reaction to the climate camp. We have agreed to participate in this important debate with Dave Douglass, Arthur Scargill and others.
http://www.rinf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3129
Dave Douglass report on climate camp with responses is here:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407011.html
Another report on climate camp with responses is here:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407061.html
"Clean Coal; never was there an oxymoron more dangerous"
Join the Camp for Climate Action
“Every striking worker gives up earning a living and puts his family in hardship for the greater good, for the principle, for a better future. We contend that this is the same principle.” Battle for the Trees, Merrick
The class struggle: "Must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the Earth." Preamble to the Constitution of the Industrial Workers of the World
Garment workers in Bangladesh are suffering from severe flooding as a consequence of Climate Change. Under the present system, Corporations and States compete to exploit our labour and our natural resources. Capitalists choose profit over the welfare of the people. The land owning class use our land for industrial agriculture. The Camp for Climate Action is organized without hierarchy, with neighborhoods governing themselves. This model of self government has its history in the workers industrial unions.
The 2008 Camp for Climate Action is to be held near to the proposed site for a new coal fired power station. E-on, the company that wants to build the power station has stated that it will be “Carbon Capture and Storage ready”. C.C.S is still in an early development stage and has not been used on such a large scale.
“The International Energy Agency (IEA) describes a “capture-ready” plant as one “which can be retrofitted with CO2 capture when the necessary regulatory or
economic drivers are in place”. This definition is broad enough to make any station theoretically “capture-ready”, and the term meaningless.” False Hope, Greenpeace
Workers in the Renewable Energy Industry, in the Nuclear Industry and in the Fossil Fuels Industry should organise ourselves together into one powerful, international union. We need to be free to debate our many disagreements and to act together on what we agree on because our strength is in our diversity.
This all day conference has been organised by supporters of coal in reaction to the climate camp. We have agreed to participate in this important debate with Dave Douglass, Arthur Scargill and others.
http://www.rinf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3129
Dave Douglass report on climate camp with responses is here:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407011.html
Another report on climate camp with responses is here:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/407061.html
"Clean Coal; never was there an oxymoron more dangerous"
Join the Camp for Climate Action
“Every striking worker gives up earning a living and puts his family in hardship for the greater good, for the principle, for a better future. We contend that this is the same principle.” Battle for the Trees, Merrick
The class struggle: "Must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the means of production, abolish the wage system, and live in harmony with the Earth." Preamble to the Constitution of the Industrial Workers of the World
Garment workers in Bangladesh are suffering from severe flooding as a consequence of Climate Change. Under the present system, Corporations and States compete to exploit our labour and our natural resources. Capitalists choose profit over the welfare of the people. The land owning class use our land for industrial agriculture. The Camp for Climate Action is organized without hierarchy, with neighborhoods governing themselves. This model of self government has its history in the workers industrial unions.
The 2008 Camp for Climate Action is to be held near to the proposed site for a new coal fired power station. E-on, the company that wants to build the power station has stated that it will be “Carbon Capture and Storage ready”. C.C.S is still in an early development stage and has not been used on such a large scale.
“The International Energy Agency (IEA) describes a “capture-ready” plant as one “which can be retrofitted with CO2 capture when the necessary regulatory or
economic drivers are in place”. This definition is broad enough to make any station theoretically “capture-ready”, and the term meaningless.” False Hope, Greenpeace
Workers in the Renewable Energy Industry, in the Nuclear Industry and in the Fossil Fuels Industry should organise ourselves together into one powerful, international union. We need to be free to debate our many disagreements and to act together on what we agree on because our strength is in our diversity.
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Film and disscusion
On the 9th of October at the Star and shadow cinema,byker, newcastle upon tyne. A film night to watch a few short films around climate change and discuss what action can be taken.
£4/3 or donations, free to asylum seekers.
see you there??
£4/3 or donations, free to asylum seekers.
see you there??
What next??
For a week in August 2008, at a camp near Kingsnorth power station, climate change activists worked together to live sustainably, learn new skills and take direct action against climate change. This camp did not happen in isolation there have been previous mobileisations in 2007 a camp was set up at Heathrow in oppostion to the building of a 3rd runway,in 2006 the first climate camp took place at Drax power station ( the U:ks largest single source of co2 ) In 2005 the G8 summit was staged in Gleneagles a camp was set up to oppose the G8'S(nations) domination of the people and planet.
What can we learn from these camp's? How can we work together locally and effectivley to tackle the huge issue of climate change?
What can we learn from these camp's? How can we work together locally and effectivley to tackle the huge issue of climate change?
The norths second black gold rush
The North East’s second Gold rush
The 2008 camp for climate action is to be held near to the proposed site for a new coal fired power station. E-on the company that wants to build the power station has stated that it will use a system called Carbon Capture and storage. C.C.S is still in an early development stage and has not been used on such a large scale. The power station will have to begin life without any c.c.s meaning mega-tons of unfiltered Co2 emissions’ heading into our atmosphere .
The climate camp(www.climatecamp.org.uk) at Kingsnorth in the Medway valley will highlight and take direct action against the black hole in the governments climate change policy. COAL.
Power stations like Eggbrough, Drax and Kingsnorth produce huge amounts of filthy emissions, drax alone produces approx 21 millions tones of Co2 per year.
All this coal has to come from somewhere and it would ‘seam’ the money men have set their greedy eyes on the north of England again.
U:k coal and the banks group have several planning application to surface mine/open cast across the North East.
*Bradley Co. Durham- 550 000 tonnes
*Park wall north Co. Durham- 1 275 000 tonnes
*potland burn Northumberland- 2 000 000 tonnes
*Shotton Northumberland- 3 000 000 tonnes
*An extension to the exsisting site at widdrington
In addition to these applications there is already one of the largest open cast sites in the U:K at Stobswood near Morpeth. Surface mining sites are also operating in Widdrington, Blagdon estate in Northumberland. Steadburns and stoney heap near to Consett Co. Durham.
In the case of shotton/cramlington planning application, Shotton is in an opencast constraint area which means that there is a presumption against Surface mining. Northumberland county council up held the constraint and re-jected the application. However the communities and local government secretary Hazel Blears M.P Stepped in and overruled the county council allowing the opencast operation to go ahead much to dismay of the local community
(www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/08/ministers-quizzed-on-opencast-policy-61634-20450633/ )
The potland burn site is also in a constraint area yet U:K coal has still lodged an application probably because they feel the political climate is in their favor.
As if the ecological destruction, industrial injuries/deaths and disruption to the community that opencast mining leaves behind Npower have stated that they have an imminent planning application to build a new coal fired power station in Blyth on the site of the existing power station. Construction is due to begin 2014 on the same timeline as Kingsnorth.
Whilst the focus is on the climate camp and Kingsnorth, the North of England and our resources are central to the U:K government and their capitalist bosses plans for a new generation of dirty power stations .
This new generation of coal fired power stations and the unacceptable mining practices that accompany them must be stopped.
One of the key features of the climate camp is direct action.
The Banks group have offices in West Cornforth near Ferryhill, U:K coal headoffices are in Doncaster’ leave it in the ground’ have began regular noise demos outside the offices.All opencastsites are easily accessable
Links and info:
www.climatecamp.org.uk
www.earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitinthrground
www.greenpeace.com
www.thecoalhole.org
www.indymedia.org.uk
www.banksdevlopments.com
www.ukcoal.com
The 2008 camp for climate action is to be held near to the proposed site for a new coal fired power station. E-on the company that wants to build the power station has stated that it will use a system called Carbon Capture and storage. C.C.S is still in an early development stage and has not been used on such a large scale. The power station will have to begin life without any c.c.s meaning mega-tons of unfiltered Co2 emissions’ heading into our atmosphere .
The climate camp(www.climatecamp.org.uk) at Kingsnorth in the Medway valley will highlight and take direct action against the black hole in the governments climate change policy. COAL.
Power stations like Eggbrough, Drax and Kingsnorth produce huge amounts of filthy emissions, drax alone produces approx 21 millions tones of Co2 per year.
All this coal has to come from somewhere and it would ‘seam’ the money men have set their greedy eyes on the north of England again.
U:k coal and the banks group have several planning application to surface mine/open cast across the North East.
*Bradley Co. Durham- 550 000 tonnes
*Park wall north Co. Durham- 1 275 000 tonnes
*potland burn Northumberland- 2 000 000 tonnes
*Shotton Northumberland- 3 000 000 tonnes
*An extension to the exsisting site at widdrington
In addition to these applications there is already one of the largest open cast sites in the U:K at Stobswood near Morpeth. Surface mining sites are also operating in Widdrington, Blagdon estate in Northumberland. Steadburns and stoney heap near to Consett Co. Durham.
In the case of shotton/cramlington planning application, Shotton is in an opencast constraint area which means that there is a presumption against Surface mining. Northumberland county council up held the constraint and re-jected the application. However the communities and local government secretary Hazel Blears M.P Stepped in and overruled the county council allowing the opencast operation to go ahead much to dismay of the local community
(www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/08/ministers-quizzed-on-opencast-policy-61634-20450633/ )
The potland burn site is also in a constraint area yet U:K coal has still lodged an application probably because they feel the political climate is in their favor.
As if the ecological destruction, industrial injuries/deaths and disruption to the community that opencast mining leaves behind Npower have stated that they have an imminent planning application to build a new coal fired power station in Blyth on the site of the existing power station. Construction is due to begin 2014 on the same timeline as Kingsnorth.
Whilst the focus is on the climate camp and Kingsnorth, the North of England and our resources are central to the U:K government and their capitalist bosses plans for a new generation of dirty power stations .
This new generation of coal fired power stations and the unacceptable mining practices that accompany them must be stopped.
One of the key features of the climate camp is direct action.
The Banks group have offices in West Cornforth near Ferryhill, U:K coal headoffices are in Doncaster’ leave it in the ground’ have began regular noise demos outside the offices.All opencastsites are easily accessable
Links and info:
www.climatecamp.org.uk
www.earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitinthrground
www.greenpeace.com
www.thecoalhole.org
www.indymedia.org.uk
www.banksdevlopments.com
www.ukcoal.com
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