[Onthebarricades] Ecological protests, global north and semiperiphery, Dec-Jan 07/08

[Andy]

*  US:  Police attacks, protests, tree-sit continue at Berkeley
*  IRELAND:  Police attack Rossport sit-down protest
*  NEW ZEALAND:  Environmental activists target bank over Papua and Tasmania 
logging
*  AUSTRALIA:  Colourful protest opposes attack on Murray red gum forest
*  UK:  Protesters claim political betrayal over historic station 
preservation
*  AUSTRALIA:  Greenpeace scale coal-fired power station
*  CANADA:  Anti-nuclear protest in Alberta opposes new plant building
*  SCOTLAND:  Golf resort building plans opposed
*  UK:  Sizewell nuclear plant hit by lockon blockade
*  GLOBAL:  Protests mark climate conference in UK, Taiwan, Finland, 
Philippines, globally
*  CZECH REPUBLIC:  Greenpeace scale power plant in emissions protest
*  AUSTRALIA:  Protest halts logging in Tasmanian forest
*  US:  Bicycle activists target city hall in San Francisco over broken 
promises
*  ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA:  Mining on Aboriginal land protested; title deed 
signing opposed
*  US:  Nevada plans for new coal plant protested in Utah
*  US:  Tree clearing at Mount Pleasant cemetary protested
*  IRELAND:  Plan for pylons in northeast opposed by locals
*  WALES:  Port Talbot power station protest group powers forward with 
funding
*  WALES:  Last-ditch protest planned at Ty Du greenfield site, against 
business development
*  UK:  Green protest over Tate gallery links to BP
*  FRANCE:  Farmer Jose Bove on hunger strike over government GM crops 
goahead
*  ISRAEL:  Swimmers protest to save historic pool

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7407937?nclick_check=1

Students protest peacefully day after arrests on USCS campus
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 11/08/2007 03:52:29 PM PST

SANTA CRUZ, Calif.-Students protesting an expansion plan at UC Santa Cruz 
held a peaceful vigil a day after police arrested six protesters and used 
pepper spray and batons to hold back others.
A few dozen protesters on Thursday made chalk drawings, passed out flyers 
and sent supplies to tree sitters who wanted to stop redwoods from being cut 
down to make room for a new building.
A day earlier, about 500 students gathered and pushed over a temporary fence 
around the redwoods. Police said they didn't have enough men to secure the 
area, and that's when pepper spray and batons came out.
Senior Aaron Dankman, a politics major, said Thursday that since the police 
left, everything's been going well.
Campus spokesman Jim Burns said the tree sitters are trespassing, but the 
university is currently just weighing its options.

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7476102

Three arrested in scuffle near UC Berkeley tree-sitting protest
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 11/15/2007 08:01:54 PM PST

BERKELEY, Calif.-Three people have been arrested after a scuffle with campus 
police near the site of a long-running tree-sitting protest at the 
University of California, Berkeley.
The incident began late Wednesday night after about 50 people went to the 
protest site in support of the tree-sitters.
Protesters say one tree-sitter was accused of trying to cut through a fence, 
and two supporters were arrested from the scuffle that ensued. The three 
face vandalism and other charges.
Tree-sitters have been perched in an oak grove since last December to 
protest plans to cut down most of the trees to make way for a new sports 
center.
A judge has ruled that the university can evict the protesters, although 
campus officials have not tried to forcibly remove them.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2844013.ece

November 10, 2007
Police break up gas plant protest
Several hundred police overpowered about 300 protesters who tried to block 
construction of a natural-gas processing plant in western Ireland. Three 
protesters were arrested and another was taken to hospital as officers 
cleared a sit-down protest at the gates of Royal Dutch Shell's planned 
refinery in the unpopulated bogland of Bellanaboy, Co Mayo, police said.
Shell to Sea, a group that has mounted several similar protests since 
construction of the Bellanaboy facility began 13 months ago, said that a 
lorry carrying Shell workers ran over a protester's foot. The protest was 
timed to coincide with the 12th anniversary of the execution in Nigeria of 
nine antiShell campaigners, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, the writer.
The Green Party, which opposed the project while in opposition, has accepted 
it since joining the Government in June. Shell is building a pipeline to 
deliver raw natural gas from the Corrib field, about 80km (50 miles) off 
northwest Mayo, to Bellanaboy. (AP)

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1380363.php/Environmentalists_protest_bank_over_logging

Environmentalists protest bank over logging

Dec 12, 2007, 7:49 GMT
Wellington - Environmentalists in Australia and New Zealand staged protests 
outside branches of the ANZ Bank on Wednesday calling for it to stop funding 
logging operations in the island state of Tasmania and on Papua New Guinea.
The Wilderness Society of Tasmania and New Zealand's Green Party organised 
the protests to coincide with the United Nations climate change conference 
in Bali, Indonesia.
Wilderness Society spokesman Paul Oosting said logging and land-clearing in 
Tasmania already accounted for at least 30 per cent of the state's 
greenhouse gas emissions, and a proposed new pulp mill was conservatively 
estimated to add 2 per cent to Australia's annual emissions.
'Both governments and banks have a global responsibility to help cut 
greenhouse gas emissions,' he said. 'This starts with refusing support for 
destructive logging practices and moving to help protect intact native 
forests.'
In New Zealand, Green Party co-leader Russel Norman called on ANZ customers 
to pressure the ANZ banking group, which is considering investing in the 
proposed new Tasmanian mill, not to 'provide finance for forest destruction' 
in the state.
Oosting said Tasmanian forests were some of the most 'carbon rich' in the 
world and ancient trees 70-80 metres tall were being felled in the state's 
Styx Valley, in a woodchip-driven logging operation.
He said the proposed new pulp mill would consume up to 4.5 million tonnes of 
wood a year, creating greenhouse gasses equivalent to putting an extra 2.3 
million cars on the road annually.
Oosting said that the Malaysian company Rimbunan Hijau, an ANZ client, was 
carrying out logging in Papua New Guinea that had been condemned 
internationally.
Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Greens said, 'ANZ has a fantastic 
opportunity to behave as a good corporate citizen. It must take a strong 
stance against bankrolling the disastrous proposed Tasmanian mill, and 
refuse to support the unsustainable and illegal logging of rainforests in 
Papua New Guinea.'
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/gum-nut-babies-in-murray-protest/2007/12/10/1197135346935.html

Gum nut babies in Murray protest
Paul Bibby
December 10, 2007 - 2:08PM
Office workers on their lunch break in the Sydney CBD have been greeted by a 
gathering of gumnut babies and women dressed as trees at the entrance of 
Governor Macquarie Tower.
The strange assembly is a protest by members of the National Parks 
Association and the Wilderness Society against the logging of old growth red 
gums on the banks of the Murray River in the Riverina region of NSW.
The 30 protesters - who have attracted a crowd of curious lunchers - are 
attempting to get the attention of the NSW Premier, Morris Iemma and his 
Cabinet, the offices for which are located on the upper floors of the Bent 
St building.
While the logging of River Red gums in Victoria is set to be protected 
through the creation of a series of national parks, the NSW Government has 
so far rejected demands to do the same in its jurisdiction.
The association launched legal action against the Government in the Land and 
Environment Court in a bid to stop the logging and - with the aid of a 
blockade in the Moira State Forest - has achieved a temporary halt in the 
highest conservation areas.
"The public forests in the Riverina have been logged for red gums and that 
is having a devastating affect on the local ecosystem," the association's 
biodiversity protection officer, Georgina Wood, said.
"The Riverina is the only major forest district in NSW without a forestry 
agreement. There is not one national park alongside the Murray River in NSW, 
they need to start identifying which areas will be protected."
The protesters say the red gum forests are home to a number of threatened 
species, including the squirrel glider and the grey-crowned babbler.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22845199-2862,00.html

Setback in station protest
Article from:
Mary Bolling
November 30, 2007 12:00am
CAMBERWELL residents say they have been betrayed by Planning Minister Justin 
Madden after his move to swing a legal fight in favour of developers.
The move comes as developers submit ultra-modern plans for the Camberwell 
station redevelopment, devastating residents who have fought for four years 
to maintain its heritage aspect.
Mr Madden has intervened in a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal 
case to back a controversial 14-storey project on the Henley Honda site on 
Riversdale Rd.
A spokesman for Mr Madden said the interference was because of the site's 
strategic significance to the successful implementation of the Melbourne 
2030 strategy.
Boroondara Council, which knocked back developer FKP, and residents have 
criticised the move, which Mayor Phillip Healey said was surprising.
"He has not chosen to involve himself in other key 2030 developments in 
Boroondara, so one has to wonder why he has chosen to in this one.
"The minister should allow his policy to be debated by the parties without 
seeking to influence proceedings himself."
While Mr Madden's spokesman said the move was not about taking sides, 
activist Mary Drost said it was a betrayal, considering the minister this 
week discussed planning issues with her and others.
"We sat there with him this week and he didn't say a thing about stepping in 
at VCAT.
"And to talk about enforcing Melbourne 2030 -- that policy says development 
will respond to its surroundings. On this site, the surrounds have just been 
completely ignored," she said.
Melbourne 2030 promises "bottom-up initiatives, shaped by the community", 
but Ms Drost said the Camberwell station plans were an example of deserting 
that commitment.
Developer Tenterfield, selected as preferred developer for the site in 2002, 
yesterday outlined plans for a public plaza, as well as a six-storey 
apartment block and three buildings of three storeys.
Local celebrities Barry Humphries and Geoffrey Rush have previously joined 
other residents to protest against plans for a large commercial and 
residential development over the station. Ms Drost said the grassroots 
protest movement would rise up again after seeing the plans.
She said Mr Madden's response to the Camberwell Junction site was a blow to 
their confidence.
"We'll fight this until the end, and to the picket line if we have to," she 
said.
"It is just devastating to know that in the end, Madden will be able to step 
in without a care for the residents and shut us down again."
Boroondara Council will consider Tenterfield's application, while a lawyer 
for Mr Madden will go in to bat for FKP against the council at VCAT next 
week.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/NSW-coal-protest-ends-with-15-arrests/2007/11/15/1194766808386.html

NSW coal protest ends with 15 arrests

November 15, 2007 - 7:54AM
Greenpeace activists who chained themselves to a NSW coal-fired power 
station and painted it with "coal kills" slogans say they are satisfied with 
the attention their protest attracted.
Police arrested 15 protesters at the Munmorah power station, on the state's 
Central Coast, early on Thursday.
Some protesters climbed on the roof of a building and used black paint to 
daub "coal kills" slogans, while others chained themselves to conveyer belts 
which feed coal to the plant.
Workers at the plant were evacuated for their safety but operations were not 
disturbed by the protest, said a spokeswoman for Delta Energy, which 
operates the plant.
The Munmorah facility has been ranked number 20 in a list of Australia's top 
carbon dioxide polluters published by Fairfax newspapers, after a survey of 
50,000 power stations worldwide.
"Munmorah is one of the oldest and dirtiest in Australia," protest organiser 
Stephen Campbell said.
"We have taken this action to show that this is exactly the kind of facility 
we need to be closing to move toward a cleaner energy future."
Officers from the public order and riot squad, rescue squad and general 
duties arrived at the power plant just before 6am.
Seven men and eight women were arrested, ending the protest about 10.45am 
(AEDT).
The protesters are expected to be charged with trespass and malicious damage 
offences.
Mr Campbell did not rule out the possibility of protests at other coal-fired 
plants in the lead up to the November 24 federal election.
"We will be looking at various coal facilities ... because really that's the 
message we need to get through," he said.
"We think we've done very well to get the message out to the political 
parties and general community that Australia is not pulling its weight ... 
and we demonstrated what this country needs to do - close these coal-fired 
power stations and use cleaner energy."
No-one was injured during the protest and Mr Campbell described the action 
as non-violent.

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2093074.htm?section=justin

Activists charged over power station protest
Posted Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:04pm AEDT
Fifteen Greenpeace activists have been charged by police after a protest at 
the Munmorah Power station on the New South Wales Central Coast.
The activists entered the site yesterday morning and several chained 
themselves to the conveyor belts used to feed coal into the facility.
Another managed to get on the roof of the station and painted the slogan, 
'Coal Kills'.
They have been charged with trespassing and risking the safety of others by 
climbing a building.
The group will appear in court next month.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jx_SZt9Gf8On0ShxjbEKpbLoDhiw

Anti-nuclear protest at Alberta legislature draws 200 adults, children
Home
National News
By: THE CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON - More than 200 protesters, including several families with 
children, rallied in front of the legislature Monday to protest plans to 
build nuclear power plants in northern Alberta.
The crowd waved placards that read "Keep Alberta Nuclear Free" and "Forever 
Deadly Toxic Waste" as various speakers denounced proposals for Alberta's 
first nuclear reactors.
Several groups were involved in the protest, including Greenpeace and the 
Peace River Environmental Society.
The Peace River group fears a proposed reactor would taint local water 
supplies, posing a health risk to northern Alberta residents.
NDP environment critic David Eggen had the crowd chanting "No Candu" as he 
warned them that nuclear firms have what he called "lots of money to make 
secret deals" to build power plants.
A Calgary-based firm and a French company have been exploring the idea of 
building nuclear plants in several northern communities, but nothing has 
been formally approved.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/7098642.stm

Trump critics hold beach protest

Demonstrators carrying placards took part in the march
A march in protest against Donald Trump's plans for a £1bn golf resort in 
Aberdeenshire has taken place.
Councillors are still to decide whether the complex on the Menie estate at 
Balmedie should go ahead.
Pressure group Sustainable Aberdeenshire organised the demonstration which 
was attended by about 200 people.
US property tycoon Mr Trump has said he has won the backing of a number of 
business, tourist and golf experts.
The march - which left the Ythan Estuary at 1100 GMT on Saturday - was aimed 
at highlighting what objectors say would be the local implications of the 
development.
Mickey Foote, a spokesman for Sustainable Aberdeenshire, said he was 
concerned about the impact the project could have on what is an 
environmentally-sensitive coastal area.
The Trump International Links will feature two championship golf courses 
alongside 950 holiday homes and several golf villas, if it is approved.
The US billionaire wants to build "the world's greatest" golf attraction.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/7122475.stm

Nuclear power protesters moved on

Protesters chained themselves together to block an entrance
Protesters blocking the entrance road to a nuclear power station at Sizewell 
in Suffolk have been moved away.
Police said three women and a man had "locked" themselves into place outside 
the power station using concrete.
Officers said a small group also gathered at the site to offer the 
protesters support, and people arriving for work had found the way in 
blocked.
A spokesman for the protesters said they were reacting to suggestions more 
nuclear power stations could be built.
If Gordon Brown wants to expand the nuclear industry he should realise that 
he will face an awful lot of opposition

Mell Harrison
A police spokesman said: "A group of four people locked themselves down 
using concrete around their arms.
"No-one has been hurt, no arrests were made and after negotiations the 
people unlocked themselves."
A spokesman for the protesters said various groups opposed to nuclear power 
and the development of Sizewell had been involved.
"The protest is being staged because British Energy suggested last week they 
aim to build four nuclear power stations at their sites in the UK," he said.
"We want to show them that it isn't going to be quite as simple as that."
Explore alternatives
A Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament spokeswoman said the group wanted to 
spell out the dangers of nuclear expansion to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
"We were lying across the road for 15 minutes fastened together before the 
security guards came," said campaigner Mell Harrison, 36, of Bungay, 
Suffolk.
"We were 200 metres from the reactor, if that. If we can do it so can 
terrorists. Imagine that. We didn't get inside the fence. But protesters 
have done that before.
"If Gordon Brown wants to expand the nuclear industry he should realise that 
he will face an awful lot of opposition. All the old problems with nuclear 
power have not gone away.
"The Government will discover that an awful lot of people have concerns and 
people will protest. The answer isn't nuclear power. We must explore 
alternatives."
British Energy announced earlier in the week it had earmarked eight of its 
sites as possible locations for "next-generation" nuclear plants, as part of 
a review of work needed to counter the impact of climate change.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iFqzcjLADdO_Mp3yC0SylsPo1vNgD8TDKSG00

World Climate Change Protests Kick Off
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER - Dec 8, 2007
LONDON (AP) - Skiers, fire-eaters and an ice sculptor joined in worldwide 
demonstrations Saturday to draw attention to climate change and push their 
governments to take stronger action to fight global warming.
>From costume parades in the Philippines to a cyclist's protest in London, 
marches were held in more than 50 cities around the world to coincide with 
the two-week U.N. Climate Change Conference, which runs through Friday in 
Bali, Indonesia.
Hundreds of people rallied in the Philippine capital, Manila, wearing 
miniature windmills atop hats, or framing their faces in cardboard cutouts 
of the sun.
"We are trying to send a message that we are going to have to use renewable 
energy sometime, because the environment, we need to really preserve it," 
high school student Samantha Gonzales said. "We have to act now."
In Taipei, Taiwan, about 1,500 people marched through the streets holding 
banners and placards saying "No to carbon dioxide." Hundreds marched outside 
the conference center in Bali. At a Climate Rescue Carnival held in a park 
in Auckland, New Zealand, more than 350 people lay on the grass to spell out 
"Climate SOS."
At the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, ice sculpture artist Christian Funk 
carved a polar bear out of 15 tons of ice as a memorial to climate 
protection.
Christmas markets throughout Germany were switching off the lights for five 
minutes, and British cyclists pedaled into Parliament Square in London. In 
Helsinki, Finland, about 50 demonstrators ground their skis across the 
asphalt along the main shopping street, calling for decision makers to give 
them their snowy winters back.
Fire-eaters blew billowing clouds of flames at a rally in Athens, Greece.
In London, demonstrators braved the cold, rainy December weather to descend 
on Parliament Square, wielding signs marked: "There is no Planet B." Bikers 
circled the square earlier in the morning to protest the city's traffic and 
its effect on global warming, organizers said.
The London protest has singled out one particular target - President Bush - 
calling his administration the biggest obstacle to progress at the Bali 
talks. Organizers plan to underline the point by ending the protest in front 
of the U.S. Embassy.
"Bush has been forced to change his language on climate, but continues to be 
the major obstacle to progress," said Britain's Campaign against Climate 
Change. "We will not just stand by and allow Bush - or anyone else - to 
wreck the global effort to save billions of lives from climate catastrophe."
Washington has found itself increasingly isolated at the climate talks. The 
U.S. position that technology and private investment - not mandatory 
emissions cuts - will save the planet has drawn criticism.
But Americans too protested Saturday. In Massachusetts, about 50 
demonstrators took a quick "polar bear" plunge into the bracingly cold 
waters of Walden Pond.
"We want our elected leaders - the congressmen, senators and the president - 
to realize that global warming is a serious problem that needs their 
leadership," organizer Roger Shamel said.
Three protesters dressed in polar bear costumes carried banners that read: 
"Please save the Earth for our babies."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gK2zeQnblyff--UU1HwciCZYv2EQ

Greenpeace members end Czech power plant protest
Dec 7, 2007
PRAGUE (AFP) - Greenpeace activists Friday ended a two-day protest on top of 
the chimney of the biggest thermal power plant in the Czech Republic, which 
they say is the country's biggest polluter.
"We succeeded in attracting attention about the links between the biggest 
Czech thermal plant which emits the most carbon dioxide, the company CEZ, 
carbon extraction and the Czech position on climate change," spokesman Jan 
Pinos said.
The Prunerov II plant in the north of the country near the German border is 
considered to be the country's biggest polluter, spewing out 8.9 million 
tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Eleven activists from Britain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia 
and the Czech Republic scaled the 150 metre (495-feet) chimney on Thursday 
morning. Five came down on Thursday evening.
The demonstration coincided with the international climate change conference 
in Bali, Indonesia, where world leaders will try to chart out the next steps 
to curb the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
The protesters are due to meet Czech Green party leader and environmental 
leader Martin Bursik on Saturday before he departs for the Bali summit.
Bursik has attacked CEZ for not investing in the latest clean technology and 
spending its profits on an acquisitions spree in other European countries.

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/12/06/afx4412672.html

Greenpeace in protest against Czech CEZ's greenhouse gas emissions
12.06.07, 11:51 AM ET
PRAGUE (Thomson Financial) - Environmental organisation Greenpeace said a 
group of its campaigners have scaled a chimney of a power station owned by 
CEZ in Prunerov, Czech Republic, to protest against greenhouse gas 
emissions.
The campaigners said the Prunerov II power station, owned by CEZ, which is 
majority owned by the State, is the country's main polluter, emitting '8.9 
mln tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, or 6.5 pct of carbon dioxide 
emissions in the Czech Republic'.
Jan Pinos, coordinator of Greenpeace's campaigns in the Czech Republic said 
the protest should send a message that the Czech environment minister could 
convey to the Bali conference on climate change.

http://news.smh.com.au/protest-halts-logging-in-styx-valley/20071210-1g2k.html

Protest halts logging in Styx Valley
December 10, 2007 - 1:27PM
Protesters claim to have stopped logging in the Styx Valley forest in their 
campaign for World Heritage protection for Tasmanian forests.
Up to 10 activists walked into an area known as coupe SX10F of the Styx 
Valley, west of Hobart, automatically stopping logging, Still Wild Still 
Threatened spokeswoman Jess Wright said.
She said the action was a peaceful occupation of the coupe to highlight the 
ongoing devastation of Tasmania's heritage valued forests, and the 
protesters would stay in the area for as long as possible.
"This is a pristine tract of ancient forest, it has outstanding conservation 
value and has been visited by thousands of people - it's an iconic part of 
Tasmania's forest heritage," Ms Wright said.
"Bulldozers are starting to rip it apart - this is an irreplaceable 
ecosystem and we are simply trying to highlight this devastation."
Still Wild Still Threatened is also calling on the new Rudd government to 
stop logging in the state's old growth forests.
"World leaders are meeting in Bali but the Rudd government has so far been 
silent on old growth forests," Ms Wright said.
"We are hoping, after Bali, that Rudd will make a sensible announcement that 
Tasmania's forests will be protected from this senseless devastation.
"It's irresponsible for any person to say they will be a leader on the issue 
of climate change but not act to stop unnecessary logging."
A Forestry Tasmania (FT) spokesman said the company was legally allowed to 
log the coupe, adding the protesters were twisting the facts to suit their 
own goals.
"These anti-forestry individuals create the impression that the Styx Valley 
is an area of untouched old growth," Derwent District Forest Manager Steve 
Whiteley said.
"This perception may suit their agenda, but it is simply not true - the Styx 
has been harvested and regenerated for more than 60 years and contains a 
variety of different forest growth stages."
Police had been called in after the protesters were asked to leave but 
refused, he added.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/11/BAGN1TS1PJ.DTL

Bicyclists to protest delay for bike plan

Rachel Gordon

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Bike activists plan to rally on the steps of City Hall at 1 p.m. today to 
protest what they view as official foot-dragging in completing a 
court-ordered environmental review of the city's bicycle plan.

Until the review is done, the city cannot enact the plan. That means, for 
the time being, there will be no new bike lanes or new bike racks on public 
property. The long-planned pilot project to allow two-wheelers on the Muni 
streetcars also is on hold.

The projects were frozen in 2006, when a Superior Court judge, responding to 
a citizen's lawsuit, granted an injunction against implementation of the San 
Francisco Bicycle Plan until the effects of the proposed projects are more 
thoroughly scrutinized.

The study originally was anticipated to have been wrapped up next year, but 
now may not be done until 2009.

"The delay in action on the bicycle plan is unacceptable for a city that 
calls itself a green leader. ... We urge the mayor and city leaders to 
commit every available resource toward getting this bike plan on track," 
said Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, 
who also serves as an appointee of Mayor Gavin Newsom on the San Francisco 
Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors.

A spokesman for Newsom said the administration also is eager to see the 
environmental review wrapped up, but noted that the court-stipulated 
analysis takes time.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/12/2116599.htm

Protest planned over native title mining deal

Posted Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:40am AEDT

A group excluded from negotiations for a native title deal plans to protest 
when the agreement is signed in Ceduna next week (file photo). (ABC News: 
Lew Chinner)
Map: Ceduna 5690

An Aboriginal group says it is planning to protest when a native title 
agreement is signed at Ceduna in the far west of South Australia next week.

Members of the Kokatha Mula people have been fighting against an agreement 
between mining company Iluka Resources and the West Coast Native Title Group 
which supports mining in the area.

The Kokatha Mula people blockaded Iluka's mining interests earlier in the 
year and have vowed to keep agitating.

Group member Bronwyn Coleman-Sleep says the native title agreement will 
destroy the Aboriginal lands of far west SA.

"There's disturbing the flora and fauna. There's disturbances of the soil," 
she said.

"The other thing is that, while there might be a 200 metre buffer zone 
around special places, it's insufficient.

"I feel very, very sad for the people who are making the decision and 
signing. I feel sad for the environment. I feel sad for the tourists who 
enjoy travelling through the country. I feel sad for our underground water."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/18/2122025.htm

Silent protest at native title signing

Posted Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:46pm AEDT
Updated Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:52pm AEDT


A group has held a silent protest during a native title signing at Ceduna in 
SA (file photo). (ABC News: Lew Chinner)
Map: Ceduna 5690

An Aboriginal group has staged a silent protest during the signing of a 
native title agreement in the far west of South Australia.

The Kokatha Mula Nation is opposed to an agreement between the Far West 
Native Title Group and Iluka Resources which allows the mining company to 
establish a zircon mine in the Eucla basin.

The agreement has been formalised in a ceremony at Ceduna.

Group member Sue Coleman-Haseldine says they oppose any mining on 
traditional lands.

But she says the group is determined to continue its fight.

"We're not giving up. They've just made us stronger, so we'll oppose 
anything that is a threat to our land and our waters and our culture," she 
said.

"There's no respect for our culture, there is none."

The mining company says it has gone through an exhaustive two-year native 
title process with the legitimate claimants, who have unanimously approved 
the agreement.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_7748974

St. George protest decries proposed coal-fired plant just across border in 
Nevada
By Mark Havnes
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 12/18/2007 06:49:54 AM MST

Craig Booth, at top, a physician and former medical... (Mark Havnes/The Salt 
Lake Tribune )
Dec 18:
Letter: Toquop's environmental safeguards mitigate any concerns
ST. GEORGE - Be nice, not naughty.
    That is the plea from a group of St. George residents to Nevada's 
governor this holiday season about plans to build a coal-fired power plant 
40 miles away in the Silver State.
    About 100 residents rallied in a St. George park Monday in front of a 
sign that read, "No Coal for Christmas." There, they signed a large card 
that will be mailed to Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons expressing their opposition 
to the 750 megawatt plant.
    Craig Booth, a doctor and former medical director at Dixie Regional 
Medical Center in this southwestern Utah city, told the gathering that 
pollutants, including sulfur compounds, spewed from the plant would hurt the 
health of the community.
    "If it's so clean, why not build [west] of Mesquite or in Las Vegas?" 
Booth asked to cheers.
    Springdale City Councilwoman Louise Excell also worries about emissions 
threatening the health and welfare of residents.
    "It's nasty stuff," she said.
    Springdale's City Council passed a resolution against the Toquop Energy 
Project.
    Frank Maisano, a Toquop spokesman, said Monday that the company plans to 
tap the latest technology for the $1.3 billion plant, significantly lowering 
pollutants while boosting the region's economic vitality.

    He noted Utah receives 85 percent of its power from coal and ought not 
be telling Nevada how to produce
electricity.
    "The demand for power in the region, including St. George, is 
desperate," Maisano said. "This [Toquop] project will keep the lights on in 
St. George, Mesquite and Las Vegas."
    A call to the Nevada governor's office was not returned Monday.
    Meanwhile, in southern Utah, Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner 
said the commission believes the proposed plant's high-tech upgrades will 
keep it from harming residents. Instead, he said, the facility will help 
meet the area's surging energy demands.
    "Coal has to be part of our energy future," Gardner said.
    A letter in support of the plant by members of the Washington County 
Commission was published earlier this month in the area's daily newspaper, 
The Spectrum.
    mhavnes at sltrib.com

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2007/12/18/residents-protest-tree-clearing-at-mount-pleasant-cemetery.aspx

Residents protest tree clearing at Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Posted: December 18, 2007, 9:56 PM by Barry Hertz
City

Mount Pleasant Cemetery began clearing trees to make room for a new 
visitation centre yesterday, as angry Moore Park residents protested the 
decision to cut down a part of "Toronto's urban forest."

The Post's Natalie Alcoba reports:
About two dozen people watched in horror as "tree after tree after tree" was 
dropped into a wood chipper, said Margot Boyd, a member of the Moore Park 
Residents Association executive.

She said she believed 39 trees were to be knocked down to accommodate a 
2,400-square-metre visitation centre and a parking lot.

A spokesman for the Mount Pleasant Group Cemetery has said 97 trees will be 
planted as part of the project.

Josh Matlow, a public school board trustee who lives in the area, said 
workers yesterday were "dismissive and rude" to protesting residents.  He 
said they were warned to stay off private property, or face arrest by police 
who were on scene. No one trespassed, he said.

"The objection the community has is the cemetery was, in spirit and 
practice, built to provide a greenspace for people in the city," Mr. Matlow 
said.
Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries describes itself on its Web site as a 
"not-for-profit, non-share capital corporation" that exists "to provide a 
service to the community."

In the National Post last year, president and CEO Norris Zucchet said 
government legislation deems MPGC a private corporation, and it has "abided 
by the rules of incorporation."

The city rejected the project, but the Ontario Municipal Board approved it.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1230/pylons.html

Thousands protest over pylons
Sunday, 30 December 2007 22:25

Thousands of people from Meath, Cavan and Monaghan have taken part in a 
protest against proposed electricity pylons in the north east.

The protestors linked arms on the banks of the River Boyne this afternoon.

They are objecting to EirGrid's proposal to place 400 high power electric 
cables on pylons from Woodlands in Co Meath to Kingscourt in Co Cavan.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/port-talbot/2007/12/27/protest-group-powers-forward-with-fundraising-91466-20273867/

Protest group powers forward with fundraising

Dec 27 2007 by Andrew Pugh, Port Talbot Guardian

CAMPAIGNERS against a Port Talbot power station, who are hoping to take 
their case to the High Court, have already raised more than £3,000 to fund 
their legal battle.

Port Talbot Residents Against Power Stations (PTRAPS) vowed to keep up their 
fight, despite Prenergy's power station plans being approved by central 
Government.

The activists have employed the services of Swansea-based solicitors John 
Collins, who specialise in environmental cases.

This is the same legal firm which advised campaigners during their 
unsuccessful fight against the incinerator plant at Crymlyn Burrows.

But taking the case to the High Court will not be cheap.

An initial £3,000 is needed to employ the services of a barrister, with a 
further £4,000 in solicitors' fees.

And if the case makes it as far as the High Court, further funding will be 
needed.

Nevertheless, PTRAPS members are hopeful they can take their fight to the 
top and finally force a public inquiry into the 350MW woodchip-burning power 
station.

They believe their case rests on getting involved in the Integrated 
Pollution, Prevention and Control (IPPC) consultation.

Prenergy must obtain an IPPC permit from the Environment Agency before it is 
allowed to operate.

The application involves a consultation process, during which PTRAPS hope to 
present their concerns to the Agency.

Group member Jeremy Bailey said: "Any money given will be entirely devoted 
to these legal costs.

"We are opening a bank account and will handle all money with absolute 
integrity, keeping careful records and giving receipts whenever donors 
request them."

Mr Bailey added that, despite support from MPs and councillors, ordinary 
Port Talbot residents had been the greatest supporters of the campaign.

"It is the health of residents that has always been, and remains, our main 
concern. We believe that this power station, if built, will seriously affect 
the already polluted air of the town, leading to further health problems.

"We also believe that it is not environmentally friendly or truly green. It 
will be the biggest biomass power station in the world, and it is literally 
on the doorstep of our town, close to the huge tourist attraction of our 
seafront."

For more information, or to make a donation, phone 0785 467 8388 or e-mail 
info at pt-raps.co.uk

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2007/12/29/last-ditch-protest-planned-at-development-site-91466-20294193/

Last ditch protest planned at development site

Dec 29 2007 by Jean Parry, South Wales Echo

POSTERS are going up inviting residents to join a final peaceful protest 
over plans for a huge business development near their village.

The future of the huge Ty Du site at Nelson in Caerphilly county is due to 
be decided in the new year and campaigners are gearing up for a last push to 
save it.

Pat Lapsa, one of the original campaigners, said: "I am in the process of 
printing posters letting everyone know of the latest happenings and inviting 
residents to join a final peaceful protest at the roundabout."

A decision on what will happen to the 47-acre, greenfield Ty Du site has 
been hanging over Nelson for decades but successive political regimes have 
eyed it as one of the most significant development sites in South Wales.

The majority of residents have continually opposed the plans, believing the 
development would turn Nelson from a village into a traffic-choked town.

Mrs Lapsa said: "To date planning officers have been most helpful with as 
many details as they have to hand, but they were unable to tell me how much 
of the 47 acres will be covered.

"They envisage access to the site to be off the roundabout on the A472 which 
is Bowen's haul road to its quarry and only a small area of the proposed 
site."

A site meeting by all planning committee councillors is due to take place on 
Monday, January 7, at 11am.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7172579.stm

Green protest staged at the Tate
By Alex Ritson
BBC News

Protesters faked their own deaths on the gallery's steps

London's Tate Britain gallery has been invaded by a group of green 
campaigners protesting at a sponsorship deal with the oil company, BP.

A dozen campaigners wearing anti-BP slogans protested at a display of Turner 
watercolours.

Security officials failed to stop the protesters from collapsing in a pile 
and pretending to be dead.

The Tate said that the support given by sponsors is essential, because of 
scarce funding.

Campaigners from London Rising Tide handed out leaflets at the exhibition.

'Moral behaviour'

A spokesman, Iggy, said: "It's outrageous that BP should be trying to 
improve its reputation by sponsoring these beautiful landscapes - landscapes 
which these days are being polluted by oil companies.

"BP destroys beautiful places, spilling oil in Alaska and contributes 
massively to global warming.

"The Tate should consider the ethics and moral behaviour of its sponsors."

The Tate said sponsors' money was crucial

BP's former chief executive, Lord Browne, was appointed a trustee of the 
Tate Gallery last year.

BP was fined $373 million in the United States for fraud and environmental 
crimes, relating in part to an oil spill in the Alaskan wilderness. The Tate 
said support given by organisations was 'extremely important', because 
funding is scarce.

A spokesman said: "The Tate Trustees agreed a sponsorship policy in 1991 and 
regularly review it.

"BP, who have worked with Tate for 15 years, fit within these guidelines and 
their support has been instrumental in helping Tate develop access to the 
Tate Collection and to showing work by a wide range of artists."

BP refused to comment on the protest.

http://news.scotsman.com/world/Farmer-on-hunger-strike-in.3640416.jp

Farmer on hunger strike in GM protest

By Tamora Vidaillet
FRENCH farmer José Bové, who became a worldwide celebrity for his fight 
against junk food, went on a hunger strike yesterday with around 15 other 
activists to try and get the government to do more to ban genetically 
modified crops.
Mr Bové said the government had promised to write to the European Commission 
saying the country would suspend the use of GM crops until scientific 
studies proved they could be cultivated safely.

But the government had not sent the letter and had only suspended the 
commercial use of maize seeds reliant on GM technology, he said.

In an interview, Mr Bové said: "What I hope is that the political will (of 
the people] will be respected."

While GM crops are becoming common in the United States, France - Europe's 
biggest grain producer - along with other European nations remains uncertain 
of their merits.

Last Updated: 04 January 2008 12:47 AM

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/02/europe/gmo.php

Hunger strike in France to protest gene-altered crops

By James Kanter
Published: January 2, 2008

PARIS: The militant French sheep farmer José Bové and as many as 15 of his 
supporters began a hunger strike Thursday aimed at raising pressure on the 
French government to impose a long-term ban on growing genetically modified 
crops.

Bové captured worldwide attention for helping to organize the ransacking of 
a McDonald's restaurant nine years ago to protest the influence of 
multinational corporations. Since then he has served time in a French prison 
for damaging gene-altered crops.
"We will hold out for as long as it takes," the Associated Press quoted Bové 
as saying Thursday, after starting the protest.

While his campaigns have struck a sympathetic chord in many parts of France 
and Europe where gene-altered foods are widely mistrusted - and where Bové 
is something of a folk hero - the latest protest against altered crops comes 
as divisions over the potential benefits of the technology appear to be 
deepening across the region.

Some European Union officials remain wary of using products that could 
endanger insects and fish and disturb ecosystems, but others have redoubled 
calls to ease restrictions on altered seeds as a way of keeping farming 
globally competitive at a time of skyrocketing food prices.

The European agriculture commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, warned farm 
ministers in November that Europe's resistance to importing genetically 
modified products like livestock feed was contributing to the rising cost of 
raising pigs and chickens and could pose a threat to the meat industry.

In October, the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, disappointed supporters 
of a long-term ban by announcing a temporary freeze on genetically modified 
seeds pending the outcome of a review of the technology that is expected 
early this year.

Bové has said he is undertaking his hunger strike to push the French 
government into making a much longer-term commitment to end seed 
cultivation.

Genetically modified corn is already imported into several EU countries, 
including France and Germany, where it is used to feed animals like cows and 
chickens. But only one genetically modified crop is currently grown in 
Europe, a form of corn produced by Monsanto and nine other companies called 
Mon 810 that is the main target of Bové's protest.

Austria, Hungary and Poland are among countries that already have banned the 
Monsanto corn.

A long-term ban "is the only thing that will put an end to this hunger 
strike," Bové told the French daily Sud Ouest in an interview published 
Wednesday. "Promises won't be satisfactory."

Bové told Sud Ouest that he would conduct the hunger strike in a well-known 
public location in Paris where he would not cause any security problems. He 
declined to reveal the whereabouts of the location before Thursday.

Bové began reducing his intake of alcohol, meat, eggs and cheese at the end 
of December to start accustoming his body to the fast, during which he said 
he expected to lose half-a-kilogram, or about one pound, of weight each day, 
he told another French newspaper, Midi Libre.

"This hunger-strike is a well-considered commitment, not a suicidal act," 
Bové told Midi Libre.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/941588.html

Last update - 09:53 04/01/2008

Swimmers protest destruction of Tel Aviv's Gordon swimming pool

By Yigal Hai, Haaretz Correspondent

Tags: Gordon swimming pool

Veteran patrons of the Gordon swimming pool slammed the Tel Aviv 
municipality Thursday for razing the 54-year-old building and famous 
landmark on Wednesday without any prior warning.

The municipality said that the pool will be rebuilt, although on a smaller 
scale, and that the new construction will allow contiguity along the 
beachfront promenade.

>From the start the discussions revolved around repairs to the existing pool 
and
not tearing it down," Maira Mor, an architect and chair of the Pool 
Loyalists non-profit organization, said Thursday.

"The Gordon Pool has a history. The forceful manner by which the 
municipality has conducted itself, without any manners or sensitivity, is 
revolting and removed from the democratic pluralism of its citizens."

According to Hillel Partok, the municipality's spokesman, "the municipality 
acted on the basis of a June 2006 decision of the local planning and 
construction committee which was reached without opposition.

"The new Gordon Pool will be opened in the summer to the general public and 
not to a few."