|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Thursday, 08 October 2009 23:06 |
|
Next Climate Camp All-Ireland Gathering 20th-21st February 2010
Location to be announced
11am-5pm Saturday, fun day on Sunday!
It’s now one year since the planning for Climate Camp started. We've been building a movement for
anyone who cares about climate change and social justice. The first Climate Camp in Ireland happened
last August, in Co. Offaly, where we created a space to meet, live, learn and take direct action
together.
At the first post-camp meeting in September in Dublin, existing working groups were freshened up
with new people, and new working groups were formed also.
At the last national meeting in Galway last weekend:
We made plans for a Spring Skill Share weekend, discussed whether we wanted to do another
camp this year or build a movement in other ways, and other ideas for 2010. Many new people
turned up so we are assured of another year of action! Full minutes can be found here.
Last month a contingent travelled over to Copenhagen to participate in Klima Forum, the alternative,
people’s climate forum that brought together the climate justice movements from around the world
to resist false solutions to the climate crisis and implement fair ones.
So come along and invite your friends to this because now is a great time to get involved!
If you want to get in touch with other people who are travelling from your part of the country to
the meeting and you don’t know them already, send an email as usual to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
International update
23 Irish people travelled to Copenhagen in December 2009 to take action for climate justice. This
number of travelling activists was made possible by the activist network Gluaiseacht for Global Justice
who provided travel costs for the overland journey. The Climate Camp Ireland activists who made it to
Copenhagen spent a week or more participating in actions, the people's summit and meeting of
Climate Justice Action.
One of the group who travelled over shared the follwing comments...
"Thousands of people gathered on the streets outside the UN Conference Centre on 16th December
to create a peoples’ assembly right in front of the entrance to the centre. Police used pre-emptive
arrests, kettling and even tear gas against people gathering to demand climate justice from the
politicians inside. Most of the hundreds arrested then have been released, but five activists are still
detained. Extensive updates and information about this situation is available from
www.climate-justice-action.org
While there is a consensus that the UN Conference was an unsurprising failure, the gathering of
civil society NGOs and other justice activsits was an unprecedented success. Our international
solidarity and determination, shown at the Klima Forum, provided a strong contrast to the
bickering and corruption inside the UN Conference."
|
|
Last Updated on Monday, 01 February 2010 18:32 |
|
|
Media coverage of Climate Camp Ireland Aug. 15th - 23rd |
 |
 |
 |
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Tuesday, 25 August 2009 18:22 |
|
Indymedia 'Give Peat a Chance'-
Climate Camp Shannonbridge 2009 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/93749 Climate Camp Roundup: Scotland, Wales, Ireland + http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/08/436738.html Climate Camp Roundup: Scotland, Wales, Ireland + http://london.indymedia.org/articles/1914 Irish Times: Destroying bogs to produce uneconomical energy (Thursday, August 13, 2009)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0813/1....html
Hundreds expected at first climate camp in Offaly (Monday, August 17, 2009)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0817/1....html
Activists to continue protest at ESB power plant (Wednesday, August 19, 2009)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0819/1....html
100 more activists on way to join anti-peat protest at ESB plant
(Thursday, August 20, 2009)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0820/1....html
Security review at ESB plants after weekend protests ( Monday, August 24, 2009)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0824/1....html Irish Examiner: Climate activists gather in Co. Offaly (Saturday, 15 August 2009) http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/climate-activists-gather-in-co-offaly-422674.html Campaign grows to save boglands (Monday, 17 September 2009) http://www.examiner.ie/archives/2009/0907/opinion/campaign-grows-to-save-boglands-100309.html RTE: Shannonbridge protest over bog destruction (Tuesday, 18 August 2009)
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0818/shannonbridge.html
Climate protest at Longford power station (Saturday, 22 August 2009)
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0822/loughrea.html
Video: Ciaran Mullooly, Midlands Correspondent, speaks to activists
who have set up camp at Shannonbridge, Co Offaly
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0818/shannonbridge_av.html?...l,209
Others: Ireland gets first climate camp http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=16868 Climate change protesters arrested at Lanesboro power plant (Longford News, Wednesday, 26 August 2009)http://www.longfordnews.ie/articles/news/9028/climate-change-protesters-arrested-at-lanesboro-power-plant/ Two in court over Lanesboro peat protest (Longford Leader, Friday, 28 August 2009) http://www.longfordleader.ie/news/Two-in-court-over-Lanesboro.5585669.jp Gardaí Keeping Watch Over Peaceful Eco-Activists (Midland Tribune, Wednesday, 19 August 2009) http://www.midlandtribune.ie/articles/news/8903/gardai-keeping-watch-over-peaceful-eco-activists/ Will the Government be caught on the hopper as turf cutting battle heats up? (Roscommon Herald, Wednesday, 26 August 2009) http://www.roscommonherald.com/news/story/?trs=snojojau&cat=farming Climate Camp: saviour of the environmental movement?http://theecologist.co.uk/News/news_analysis/296747/climate_camp_anarchist_or_saviour_of_the_environmental_movement.html |
|
Last Updated on Friday, 02 October 2009 17:55 |
|
Climate Camp shuts down two peat burning power stations |
|
|
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Saturday, 22 August 2009 15:58 |
|
The Climate Camp culminated in Shannonbridge with a day of action. The unsustainability of the peat burning was successfully highlighted with actions at all three peat burning power plants. Activists suceeded in shutting down the two plants at Shannonbridge and Lanesborough. The Shannonbridge plant has been shut all week since the camp started, and the Lanesborough plant was shut down by activists today.
This morning a group of Climate Camp activists carried out a peaceful direct action at Lanesborough peat burning power plant. Some activists locked themselves to the gates while another group entered the plant and carried out a banner drop on one of the buildings which read "Give Peat a Chance." The power plant's chimney stack stopped bellowing its carbon emissions for most of the working day. Two activists were arrested.
Gerald Glynn, a spokesperson for Climate Camp said, "We took this peaceful direct action to highlight the urgency of climate justice issues. Our bogs are our rainforests and we need to protect them. We can't wait for our governments to act. Let's give peat a chance now."
At midday another group of Climate Campers targetted a third power plant in Edenderry, owned by Bord na Mona. Five women dropped a banner from the power station's conveyor belt which read “Climate Justice Now”. The workers at the plant came out and took an interest in the action. “Bord na Mona's sustainability talk is nothing but that, talk, they are still extracting and burning the dirtiest fossil fuel. We are sending out a strong message of solidarity with communities in the Global South suffering from the impacts of climate change.” said Jerrieann Sullivan, a spokesperson for the group.
A lively colourful parade began at 12pm in Shannonbridge and made its way through the town, across the river and back towards the power plant. Many creative banners were carried by Climate Campers of all ages with slogans such as “Climate Change Costs Lives” and “Bogs are our rainforests”. People were dressed up as zombies and bog monsters as they paraded, chanted, danced and sang through the town while locals looked on with amused interest. Another group merged with the parade after taking more direct action filling in trenches which drain the bogs to start restoring our peatlands. A Climate Camp river crew also unveiled a banner saying “Sponge bog stops floods” to many cheers from the main parade.
"300,000 people are dying annually worldwide as a result of climate change, not to mention losses in wildlife and biodiversity." said Nancy Serrano, spokesperson for Climate Camp. "People in the midlands deserve better community-oriented sustainable jobs. We need to think long-term and we need to start now." she added.
ENDS
www.climatecamp.ieFor interview or further information contact the climate camp media phone 085 7851241
or for specific information on the action in Lanesborough - 085 1386675
http://www.flickr.com/photos/climatecampireland
|
|
Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 August 2009 18:39 |
|
Climate Campers take Direct Action on Bog Restoration |
|
|
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Tuesday, 18 August 2009 21:04 |
|
This morning at 11.30am sixty odd Climate Campers of all ages strolled 2 km from the camp beside the Shannonbridge Peat Burning Power Plant towards one of the Bord na Móna man-made brown deserts outside of the town. Equipped with some sacks, shovels, pillow cases, wheelbarrows, banners and good cheer, they started filling in the trenches made to drain the bogs with milled peat which was destined for burning at the power plant. The direct action continued for about 2 hours filling in a significant part of the trench. 
“This is the first step that’s needed to restore our bogs” said Molly Walsh, spokesperson for Climate Camp Ireland. “People don’t realise that when bogs are drained and dried, they release ample amounts of carbon dioxide, even before the peat is burnt. Degraded peatlands release 0.97 million tonnes of C02 annually in Ireland.” she added. Colourful banners and placards were unveiled on the bog saying “Climate Change Costs Lives” and “The bog is our rainforest”. One banner was mounted on a piece of peat-cutting machinery which said “Don’t Burn our Bogs”. Some of the activists boarded a bog train, while others pushed them along, symbolising that humanity is on the wagon towards climate chaos unless we halt these climate chaos causing activities immediately. 
Come join us at the camp for more actions, workshops! http://www.flickr.com/photos/climatecampireland for more photos |
|
Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 August 2009 10:54 |
|
"One chimney down, time to knock the other" |
|
|
|
|
Written by Administrator
|
|
Tuesday, 18 August 2009 09:23 |
|
"One chimney down, time to knock the other"
Irelands first climate camp starts in Shannonbridge tomorrow.
.
Last month the old red and white chimney of the disused power station in Shannonbridge was finally knocked down. The Climate Camp asserts that the other new power station should be out of use as well.
Molly, a spokesperson for the camp, stated "Burning peat for electricity is so polluting that we simply can't afford to be doing it. The peat is only going to last for another 15 years so its not a sensible or sustainable practice, nor a source of secure employment, aside from the climate impacts. But the prospect of catastrophic climate change makes extracting and burning peat a dangerous thing to do."
Climate Camp calls on the people of Ireland to join them in a peaceful shut-down of the world's largest peat-fired powerstation. The climate camp will be camped in the shadow of the power station in Shannonbridge for nine days. This will be nine days of sustainable living, workshops and skill sharing and will culminate in a carnival and day of action on Saturday the 22nd.
Speaking about the jobs aspect another spokesperson, Nancy, Said
Bord na Mona and ESB workers deserve better. We need secure, healthy, green jobs. We we need jobs that will last - and that means jobs that take CO2 out of the atmosphere rather than pumping it in.
Bord na Mona are saying all the right words, but all day, everyday they are still extracting, selling and burning the dirtiest fossil fuel. It's time to restore all of Ireland's bogs to carbon sinks. It's time for us to stand up for justice and human rights - continuing to burn peat costs lives, and it is costing us our children's future.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/climatecampireland/3820610254/
|
|
Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 August 2009 09:49 |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 2 |
