immediate release – 8 August 2008
Contact: Andy Green 07852460871
As thousands of climate change activists prepare to shut down Kingsnorth
coal-fired power station in Kent (1), UK Coal is evicting the protest camp
at the proposed opencast coal site at Shipley, Derbyshire (2).
Specialist climbers and tunnel experts, backed-up by dozens of police and
bailiffs, invaded the site at dawn and have estimated the eviction will
take up to five days after which the house will be destroyed. The
protesters have been preparing defences such as tunnels, a scaffold tower,
lock-ons and treehouses since moving into Prospect Farm in June.
UK Coal intend to extract 1 million tonnes of coal from the site over five
years, which would produce over 3.5m tonnes of CO2 if burnt.
Following a long local campaign against the opencast site, permission was
granted by central government after overruling the local council, even
though the site lies within an area where there is a presumption against
opencasting. The protest camp is the last line of defence after the
failure of political processes.
Andy Green from the protest camp said, ‘The greatest single threat to the
climate comes from burning coal. Coal is historically responsible for most
of the CO2 in the air today – about half of all carbon dioxide emissions
globally.’
The Shipley site represents part of the surge in coal use which is set to
destroy the government’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and threatens to push CO2 levels past the point of no return.
Media contact: Andy Green 07852 460871
Photos: Alan Lodge http://www.notts.indymedia.org.uk/
Notes:
1. The Camp for Climate Action 2008 is opposing the construction of new
coal-fired power stations, beginning with E.on’s planned replacement of
the plant at Kingsnorth.
2. Location – Prospect Farm, Bell Lane, north of Derby
