NO DASH FOR GAS: Climate campaigners plan four-day protest at gas power station....

Climate campaign group No Dash for Gas has revealed that it is to stage a four-day protest at the Nottinghamshire power station that it successfully shut down for a week last October.

 

Twenty-one activists scaled chimneys at West Burton, forcing it to close for seven days. Energy firm EDF, which owns the plant, tried to sue the group for £5m but then dropped its civil action because of intense public pressure.

It did however impose an injunction on the activists, preventing them from entering its power stations in the future. And while the original 21 might not be in attendance at the planned protest this summer,
The Guardian reports that No Dash for Gas expects the turnout to be “in the high hundreds”.
“The government’s policy of increasing our reliance on gas is pushing millions into fuel poverty. This – coupled with ruthless cuts to essential services – leaves many with an impossible choice between heating and eating”, the No Dash for Gas website says.

“And the same policy guarantees that we’ll miss even our modest carbon reduction targets. Both the financial and the climate crises are related to the pursuit of profit above all else, in the interests of the few and at the expense of the many.”

No Dash for Gas claims West Burton produces 4.5m tonnes of CO2 a year when operating at full capacity. “This is more than the annual emissions of Paraguay”, it adds.

What's It All About?

RECLAIM THE POWER

Join No Dash for Gas for a 4 day camp and
protest at West Burton power station

17th — 20th August 2013

Big decisions are being made now about how we're going to power the UK. The government's policy of increasing our reliance on gas is pushing millions into fuel poverty. This - coupled with ruthless cuts to essential services - leaves many with an impossible choice between heating and eating. And the same policy guarantees that we'll miss even our modest carbon reduction targets. Both the financial and the climate crises are related to the pursuit of profit above all else, in the interests of the few and at the expense of the many.
 We need a win. And one win we need is a secure future for generations to come, where profits don't trump the public interest and where we have safe, clean energy to meet our needs. Be part of creating something BIG this summer, get involved now and Reclaim The Power.
We can fight back, as the student, trade union, women's, disabled rights and anti-cuts movements have shown us. There has never been a more critical time to take action. The solutions are there to be grasped.

21 people went up two chimneys but 64,000 came down
Last October, 21 environmental activists shut down EDF's West Burton power station for a week in protest at the government's Dash for Gas. West Burton is the first of up to 40 new gas fired power stations being planned. With your help, including a solidarity petition signed by 64,000 people - they fought off EDF's attempt to sue them for £5 million.

This summer, inspired by their action, we are building a wide coalition of groups and individuals who will be coming together to Reclaim the Power. We'll plan together. We'll put forward solutions. We'll cross the border from anger to action. It was people power that stopped new coal and stalled plans for a third runway at Heathrow, that made bankers' greed and tax avoidance toxic and that is now fighting austerity attacks on workers, women, pensioners and the disabled. Together, we will stop the dash for gas.

Want to be part of creating Reclaim The Power? Wondering where we'll be, how you can get there or what you need to bring? More info to come soon, keep up to date at:

www.nodashforgas.org.uk
info@nodashforgas.org.uk
@nodashforgas
http://on.fb.me/VDKqoS
join our facebook event

THEIR Five reasons to Reclaim the Power and Stop the Dash for Gas

1. Resistance = Change Most of the big changes that made the world a better place where brought about through mass resistance, and civil disobedience. Worker rights, the ending of slavery, votes for women, stopping new coal in the UK the list goes on and despite all that is wrong with our world remains an inspiration to those of us who think to change it. The billionaires and corporations will not stop climate change. The politicians may act but only if they are forced to. There is real joy in getting together to resist, challenge and celebrate. Reclaim the power isn’t just about taking back the energy system it’s about growing our collective power to make a difference.
2. Climate Change. The arctic is melting, drought shrivels crops, floods destroy entire communities, forests die. Climate change is not a future scenario, a computer model, or tragedy for the unborn it is real, as real as it gets and it’s happening now. To use the dying, the starved and the washed away as a callout to the living shows the extent of the civilizational and human crisis we face. But this is the truth of energy system the corporations guard.
3. Fuel Poverty. Thousands die in their homes because of fuel poverty. It’s a scandal which exposes the elite’s callous disinterest in both the poor and old. The future price of gas is unknown but experts agree that because of growing demand it will be both volatile and higher than it is now. The energy that drives renewables is not impacted by demand, in fact the more you build the cheaper renewables get. So medium to long term moving away from gas and coal will reduce fuel bills and fuel poverty. Of course whatever happens to power generation fuel poverty could be solved by demanding free heating and proper insulated housing for those who need them. Energy should be run for the collective good not for private profit.
4. The grid has to change anyway. There’s a real opportunity to change the way power is generated and controlled. The current grid is old and needs replacing and repair. Something has to be done. If you care about climate change then most of the fossil fuels the big energy corporations plan to burn have to stay in the ground. The Tories want to burn loads of gas and coal to keep their rich buddies happy. We want renewables, efficiency and a reduction in demand. It’s an epochal decision and it’s happening now. Get involved.
5. Austerity needs to be challenged. The plan of wiping out the welfare state through an austerity imposed on the most poor and vulnerable is a threat to the very ideas and ways of organising that make us most human. Changing the way energy is produced and distributed won’t solve all our problems. But building renewables creates work for millions more than building fossil fuel infrastructure does*. Giving communities control of energy supply and distribution helps builds real community and mutual aid. Redistribution of wealth to end fuel poverty builds social solidarity and undermines the power of elites.