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The 'Camp for Climate Action' is the name of a couple of campaign gatherings based on the old peace camps that took place near Heathrow in 2007 and Drax power station in 2006. The 2007 camp began on August 14 and finished on August 21, 2007.
The 2007 Camp was proceeded by a community arts project run by activists for local residents. The 'Our Place' arts weekend see [1] was held on 11 & 12 August at St Mary's Church Hall in Harmondsworth, one of the villages which would be severely affected by the building of a third runway.
There was a similar camp during 2006, whose aim was to take action against the causes of anthropogenic climate change and to develop ways to create a carbon-neutral society. The camp acted as a base for direct action against major carbon emitters such as Drax power station. It ran on broadly anarchist principles - free to attend, supported by donations and with input from everyone in the community for the day-to-day operation of the camp.

Contents

Police Attention

NUJ criticism of 2007 campaign

2006

Trying to demonstrate sustainability

Drax Protest

Continuing Campaign

External links

See also

References

Police Attention

The 2007 camp was heavily attended by a force of 1,800 police, who carried out searches, including of all vehicles, under the Terrorism Act 2006 Section 44 and took photos of everybody entering and leaving the camp.^[1].
On Sunday August 19 there were scuffles between protestors and police officers outside the offices of BAA at Heathrow, which were being targeted in a day of direct action by some of the protestors^[2].

NUJ criticism of 2007 campaign

On the 7 August, 2007 the National Union of Journalists issued a public statement expressing "deep concern" over the Camp's policy toward media access during its 2007 event.^[3]

The camp media team replied to the NUJ criticism by stating. 'The policy is a compromise that attempts to provide reasonable media access whilst respecting participants' right to privacy.^[4]

On 9th August 2007 the media policy was changed removing any possibility of blacklisting some journalists or giving sympathetic journalists longer access ^[5]

2006

Trying to demonstrate sustainability

The 'Camp for Climate Action' sought to give an example of what a sustainable society might be like. Power for lighting, radios, mobile phones, sound equipment and laptop computers was supplied by solar panels and a wind turbine. There was a strong emphasis on the use of bicycles and public transport, including a Bicycology tour ^[6] from London via Lancaster. Biodiesel from recycled cooking oil was available for other vehicles. There was even a pedal-powered laundry and sound system. Much of the material used to created structures for the camp was reclaimed waste from building sites which would otherwise have been sent landfill. Composting, including compost toilets, comprehensive recycling and grey water systems were used to keep the amount waste to a minimum.
Claiming that 'livestock is a major threat to environment' ^[7] all food was vegan, mostly organic and locally sourced to minimise food miles, provided by communal neighbourhood kitchens, many associated with the Social Centres Network, co-ordinated by the Sumac Centre and Veggies Catering Campaign.
Over one hundred and sixty workshops ran throughout the camp, sharing practical skills on living sustainably, on subjects such as the science of climate change, environmental justice and the effects of climate change on people in the global South, corporate 'climate criminals', direct action, childrens' workshops, and many more.
Alcohol was sold on the camp for the first few days until problems caused by drunken fights put a stop to it. Music was turned off after 11pm to allow campaigners to sleep. But on the last Monday of the camp music was allowed much later.

Drax Protest

The camp was on a squatted site, situated close to several large power stations including Drax, a coal-fired power station which is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide in the UK ^[8].
On August 31 2006, up to 600 people attended a protest called ''Reclaim Power'' converging on Drax and attempting to shut it down. There was a 'kids march' to Drax Power Station, with a giant ostrich puppet, made by the The Mischief Makers. Two protesters climbed a lighting pylon at the edge of the Drax site and four others broke through the fence ^[9]. At least 3,000 police officers, from 12 forces from as far afield as Hampshire and London, were reported to have been drafted in for the duration of the protest. Thirty-eight protesters were arrested. The police reported that work at the power plant was not disrupted, though eye witnesses reported having locked-on to various machinery inside the power station, thus stopping work. No coal went into Drax that day, with the railway line in being blocked off. ^[10]
Other protests arising from the camp included a protest against a nuclear power station in Hartlepool, Teesside. ^[11].

Continuing Campaign

The Camp for Climate Action was organized over a period of almost a year though a series of monthly meetings, held in Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Leeds, Bristol, London, and Talamn (near Glasgow). Anyone was welcome to attend planning meeting and to join one of the working groups. There were no 'leaders' and meetings used consensus decision making. The camp was run entirely by volunteers and was funded by private donations.
The Guardian reported that the Camp marked a turning point in grass-roots campaigning against the causes of climate change ^[12]. The network forged at the Camp continues to work on campaigns to highlight and tackle the causes of Climate Change, participating in actions drawing attention to (for example) road building ^[13] and the climate effects of cheap air travel ^[14].

External links

★ Camp for Climate Action web-page

★ Announcements list for Climate Camp information

★ Sustainable Community Action wiki's Camp for Climate Action 2007 page

See also

Environmental direct action in the United Kingdom

References

1. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6944526.stm?dynamic_vote=ON#vote_news_hys_airports_67845
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6953518.stm
3. National Union of Journalists - NUJ warns Climate Camp over restrictions on media August 7, 2007
4. Indymedia - Climate camp response to NUJ Criticisms
5. Camp for climate action - Climate camp amended Press Policy, 2007
6. Bicycology website visited January 24, 2007
7. ''Livestock a major threat to environment''. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization - November 29 2006
8. '' Power station protesters arrested''. BBC News, North Yorkshire - September 1 2006
9. ''In the shadow of Drax, not so much a fight as a festival''. The Guardian - September 1 2006
10. ''The Battle of Drax: 38 held as protest fails to close plant''. The Independent - September 1 2006
11. ''Energy protesters blockade nuclear power station''. The Guardian - August 30 2006
12. ''Green goes mainstream''. The Guardian - September 1 2006
13. No Widening M1 Network
14. Plane Stupid