Peat power worse than coal for CO2 emissions
Climate Camp is up and running at Shannonbridge, Co.Offaly – started Saturday 15th August and goes on till Sunday 23rd August.
It’s about what we can do in the face of changing climate that will affect us all. Peat bogs are a living carbon sink – greater even than forestry. Burning peat releases more CO2 into the atmosphere than burning coal. The peat-fired powerstation beside the camp should have been shut down long ago – since our government and Bord na Mona still fail to see the urgency of reducing emissions, climate camp will be staging a major protest on Saturday 22nd August – this will be a day of action and fun, including street theatre, art, etc, which will hopefully bring media attention to this important issue.
Meanwhile, the camp has lots of great workshops every day this week about sustainable living, peat bogs, forestry, cycling, renewable energy, etc, etc. Come along to my Trees and You workshop on Wednesday ! I will be talking about trees as carbon sinks, as vital elements of biodiversity, as added value to farms and gardens, woodland gardens, agroforestry, CELT native tree nursery, CELT Weekend in the Woods (19 / 20 September) (another event not to be missed !) ………………………
So get yourself along to CLIMATE CAMP and be a part of it !
Newsletter, including next organising gathering
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Climate Campers take Direct Action on Bog Restoration
August 23, 2009
Hundreds participated in Climate Camp at Shannonbridge, which was held under the shadow of the peat burning powerstation.
The Climate Camp organised three events to create better awareness around the industrial use of peat in powerstations.
Fianna Fáil’s Garret Tubridy unknowingly contributed to the eco-conscious Climate Camp at Shannonbridge. Recent local election posters were reused as part of the men’s toilet facilities. Users did not have to look at his face. Gavin Harte gave a talk on communicating the media message with plenty of workshops on drumming, Rossport, permaculture, the endless dreamcatchers and there were more banners being made than you could shake a stick at. It was great for kids and parents alike.
Lentil Disorder provided the veggie food for the hungry masses with an oats crisis on the Saturday morning. Chocolate flapjacks sated the appetites of early risers.
Locals were bemused watching the parade which left the camp shortly after midday. The barmen from both locals – Killeen’s and Luker’s pubs – waved at some of their new customers. Another local said nothing like this had ever happened in Shannonbridge before. Paraders from the camp had dressed up as zombies and the dark forces of dangerous carbon emissions with a symbolic chimney stack. Biffo of course led the zombies through the village! Campers had made banners, placards, dream catchers and an eclectic sound system boomed, ‘Black Betty, Bam Alam’ and Marley.
Kayakers got onto the little island in the middle of the Shannon holding aloft a banner ‘Sponge Bog Stops Floods’, as the parade reached the bridge timed nicely with cyclists returning from another direct action from the bog.
A few different direct actions were planned and no one told me nuthin’.
There are three peat powerstations in Ireland, Lanesboro and Edenderry, where agile activists dropped banners from, and Shannonbridge where there was a parade and some scuffles broke out when the parade couldn’t go up to the powerstation.
Look at ClimateCamp.ie for more information about the issues.
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Climate Campers take Direct Action on Bog Restoration
No time to waste – preserving Irish peatlands is essential
Climate campers of all ages at Shannonbridge took a direct action this morning August 18th, on a nearby bog by filling in trenches that are used to drain the bog for cutting. The peaceful demonstrations lasted 2 hours with police curiously onlooking at the hard working activists.
This morning at 11.30am sixty odd Climate Campers of all ages strolled 2km 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. Local police watched as the climate campers, including many children, diligently set about their task and some engaged the police in conversation explaining to them the reasons for their actions.
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 and workshops! Climate Camp Ireland continues at Shannonbridge until August 22nd with the main day of action. We call on everyone to come join us on a day of peaceful civil disobedience to stop peat burning at the Shannonbridge Power Station.
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Climate Camp shuts down two peat burning power stations
22nd August 2009
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
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Daily peaceful blockade of Shannonbridge power station