SEAD (Scottish Education and Action for Development)

This August, the ‘Climate Camp’ pitched its tents outside Kingsnorth coal power station in Kent, to protest proposals to build the UK’s first new coal station in over thirty years on this site. There was a strong Scottish presence at the camp because if a new Kingsnorth is built it will open the door to a whole new generation of dirty coal stations, two of which would be sited in Scotland.

From outside the fence of this industrial dinosaur the 2000 climate campers took part in hundreds of workshops and debates. One debate emerging from the camp revolves around how to plan for a future without fossil fuel industries, whilst guaranteeing these workers a fair deal in the transition process. A dialogue with coal workers was opened, and Arthur Scargill even paid us a visit- hopefully we will find further common ground and deepen the dialogue over the coming months.

Everyone also got their hands dirty learning practical skills for sustainable living: building water filtration systems, small-scale renewables and compost toilets.

Yet this was first and foremost a camp for action against Kingsnorth, and the campers used their wit, skill and ingenuity to disrupt work at the power station in protest against e-on’s plans and their government backers. Hundreds of rebel pirates rafted towards the station’s coal jetty, some climbed on to it refusing to leave. Hundreds of land-lubbers headed through fields to Kingsnorth, using some discarded scrap fencing to breach the perimeter fence. A thousand more protesters carnivalled their way to the gates of Kingsnorth, blocking the main gates of the power station.

Despite heavy handed policing, spirits were high and many people pledged to return and stop Kingsnorth if the bulldozer’s roll in. Keep up to date on Climate Camp news at: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

This entry was posted on 28 August 2008 at 9:52 am and is filed under SEAD News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.