Climate Camp is a coming together of anyone who cares about climate change and the environment and wants to do something real about it.  The camps are places where people who are concerned about climate change gather, live, learn from the workshops and each other, and take action together.  The first Irish Climate Camp took place in Shannonbridge, Co. Offaly in August 2009 and was a fantastic success.  This year it will be held in Tyrone, to support the local community campaign that is in opposition to the building of a new A5 road between Dublin and Derry.

All those involved in Climate Camp are all volunteers, learning how as we go along.  We’re a mixed bunch of all ages, teachers, students, gardeners, media analysts, campaigners and many more.  Climate Camp Ireland began in September 2008 with thoughts of how to jump-start Ireland’s response to climate change with a fun, peaceful, creative camp. Some of us had experienced Ecotopia summer camp in Co. Clare in 2002 and remembered the wave of positive activism that inspired in Ireland back then.  Some of us had been inspired by the energy and impact of the climate camps that have happened in the UK (http://climatecamp.org.uk/about), Australia (http://www.climatecamp.org.au/), the US and other countries over the past few years. We agreed it was time to start tackling climate change in Ireland. We believe it’s time to stop the damaging policies of our government and the climate polluting industries in Ireland - peat cutting and burning, coal burning, transportation dominated by cars, airport expansion plans and unnecessary emissions from agriculture. We believe it’s time to challenge the root causes of climate change.  We want to explore the solutions, and we want to live them.

Last year over 200 people came to the camp, which was located just meters from Europe's largest peat-fired power station. Over the 9 days of the camp participants lived and worked together, enjoyed over 60 workshops incluiding 'cob building', 'Community Powerdown - Powering down our communities and building resilience' and 'Communicating Climate Justice'. The final day was marked with a colourful and lively parade which flowed through the town with banners reading 'Our bogs are our rainforests' and 'Climate Change costs lives'. Actions took place on the same day at all three peat-burning power stations in the midlands, successfully stopping work at two stations for some hours.

The camp aimed to highlight the damage done by industrial peat extraction and burning. Peat is more polluting than coal and least efficient of all fossil fuels. Peat extraction also destroys a valuable carbon sink and unique habitats.

This year's Climate Camp will be shaped by the people who join in and come to Tyrone, as well as community that have invited us there this August. Anyone can get involved, everyone should.

All are welcome to join in the discussions, decisions and organising that make the camps happen.

Email joinclimatecamp@ gmail.com to find out more get involved.