[Onthebarricades] Ecological protests, August-September 2008

[global resistance roundup]

Global South:

* CAMBODIA: Villagers protest tree-felling
* TAIWAN: Environmentalists protest road plan dressed as crabs and shrimp
* CHINA: Beijing - residents protest garbage plant
* CHILE: Coffin protest targets electric plant
* BULGARIA: Residents warn of escalation over dump
* PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Greenpeace occupy timber ship
* INDONESIA: Greenpeace call for renewable energy
* INDIA, Tamil Nadu: Sand quarrying sparks protests

Global North:

* GERMANY: Hamburg - protests, clashes over new coal plant
* TURKEY: International protesters target nuclear scheme
* CANADA: Protesters angry at uranium whitewash
* US: Oregon - Banner drop on Morrison bridge
* AUSTRALIA: PM's office occupied in emissions protest
* US: Hawaii - Protesters blockade Superferry
* CANADA: Vancouver - naked cyclists target police station after arrest
* US: West Chester - local politician targeted over oil links
* UK: Scotland - protest over axing of trees
* AUSTRALIA: Politician egged over water scheme
* AUSTRALIA: Protest at transport summit against road-building
* UK: Manchester - Allotment holders prepare for fight to save land
* US: California, Berkeley - tree-sit protest ends, trees felled
* UK: Wales, Cardiff - direct action against coal authority AGM
* UK: Derbyshire - Protest camp dismantled after 9-year campaign, 
victory at Nine Ladies
* IRELAND: Ten-day hunger strike over Rossport
* IRELAND: Shell bombed in Rossport action
* UK/IRELAND: Rossport protest in London
* IRELAND: Four arrests at Rossport protest
* ISRAEL: Ashkelon - mass arrests at Greenpeace protest against coal plant
* US: Virginia - lock-on at power plant
* IRELAND: Naked protest at Ryanair AGM
* AUSTRALIA: Climate protest in Melbourne
* AUSTRALIA: Farmers protest coal-mining plans
* AUSTRALIA: Dam project sparks protest
* US: Virginia - uranium protesters argue with company at meeting
* AUSTRALIA: Greens protest coastal mining
* US: Arizona - cellphone tower plan protested
* UK: Bournemouth - hundreds protest house-building plan, loss of green land
* US: Florida - store-building protested
* AUSTRALIA: Alice Springs - uranium mining protested
* CANADA: Pipeline bombed four times
* US: Texas - rock-crushing plant meets opposition at new site
* US: Florida - new power plant faces continuing protests
* UK: Scotland, Glasgow - Adventure playground at park faces protests, 
sabotage
* UK: Birmingham - repression against students at protest against 
unsustainable energy
* NEW ZEALAND: Artist sells prints to fund wind farm protest

Preservationism:
* INDIA: Karnataka - protest after bus hits statue
* US: Georgia - protest to save historic building
* GREECE: Pagans protest to save historic site
* UK: Brighton - protests over football stadium redesign




http://khmernz.blogspot.com/2008_08_28_archive.html

Villagers protest the cutting, burning of acacia trees in S'ville
The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Titthara
Wednesday, 27 August 2008

LOCAL villagers and municipal officials in Sihanoukville have illegally 
cleared more than 100 hectares of acacia forest in Lek Muoy commune, 
residents and NGOs in the area said.

The acacia forest was planted as part of a joint effort between the 
Cambodian and Danish governments to protect local wetlands in Kbal Chhai 
that constitute the municipality's largest supply of fresh water.

"Authorities charged with protecting this area are doing nothing," said 
So Song, a Kbal Chhai resident. "They ... don't care that it will affect 
the availability of our water resources in Sihanoukville."

She said logging on protected land concessions is illegal, and she 
regrets there has been no reaction from the Danish International 
Development Agency (DANIDA), which worked jointly with Cambodian 
officials to protect the area in 2003.

"Some residents have not cut trees, but several businessmen have cleared 
the land and sold it for as much as US$2,800 for a 10-metre-by-30-metre 
tract," So Song said.

Bun Narith, a coordinator with the local human rights group Licadho in 
Sihanoukville, said the forest in Kbal Chhai was part of a land 
concession made to DANIDA in 2003 for the protection of local wetlands.

"The acacia trees are government property, and they have been cut down 
and burned," Bun Narith said.

Investigation launched
Doung Socheat, deputy of the provincial Forestry Administration 
Department, said his officers have started to investigate claims of 
illegal logging.

"We are trying to protect the area by replanting lost acacia trees 
during the rainy season, but people continue to harvest them," he said, 
adding that he has asked for assistance from police in Sihanoukville.

"This is concession land, so anyone trying to sell or buy it is breaking 
the law," Doung Socheat said.

Say Hak, governor of Sihanoukville Municipality, said he understands the 
importance of preserving the wetlands.

"If anyone has information that government officials are involved in 
seizing this protected land, they should write down names and send them 
to me directly," the governor said.








http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/08/29/2003421734

Environmentalists protest road plan
A BRIDGE TOO FAR? : Protesters dressed as crabs and shrimp wanted the 
construction of Special Expressway No. 2 to be halted in order to 
protect the Nanzai Stream
By Shelley Shan
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Aug 29, 2008, Page 2

Environmentalists protest in front of the Ministry of Transportation and 
Communications in Taipei yesterday, calling on the ministry to halt 
construction of Special Expressway No.2 to protect the Nanzai Stream in 
Banciao, Taipei County.
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
Hundreds of environmentalists gathered in front of the Ministry of 
Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday morning, demanding 
that it halt construction of Special Expressway No.2 (特二號快速道路) in 
order to protect the Nanzai Stream (湳仔溪) in Banciao (板橋), Taipei 
County.
The 30km expressway, which connects Tucheng (土城) with Wugu (五股) and 
passes through Taishan (泰山) and Sinjhuang (新莊), is scheduled to be 
completed by 2010.

Members of the Banciao Rivers Association dressed up as crabs and shrimp 
and put on a skit in front of the ministry building, before handing a 
petition to a ministry representative.

The association said in a statement that the stream has strong 
connections to the history of Banciao and that it was the only waterway 
in the Taipei Area where large trees grow along the banks.

However, the ministry has chosen not to preserve the stream and has 
insisted on building an overpass above it, the statement said.

The association denounced Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫 
瑋) as a “river terminator” and demanded that MOTC Minister Mao Chi-kuo 
(毛治國) step down over the plan. The association further demanded that 
the ministry halt construction on the section spanning the stream. 
Designs for two other sections of the expressway should also be altered, 
they said.

In response, the ministry’s Directorate General of Highways said that 
construction would continue as planned as it was impossible for the 
ministry to stop the construction.

Lee Chung-yun (李仲昀), a section chief at Taipei County’s Public Works 
Bureau, said the project was evaluated by the Council for Economic 
Planning and Development (CEPD) before being finalized in 2004.

“The stream is nothing but stagnant water now because it has been cut 
off from its source,” he said.

As part of the construction project, Lee said the Taipei County 
Government had budgeted NT$950 million to revitalize the stream. He also 
said that the overpass was not being built right above the stream, but 
over higher land to the west.

Lee said two completed sections of the expressway would soon be opened 
to traffic, which would help divert part of the flow of traffic into the 
city. The consequences of any delay would be unthinkable, he said.






http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3430459.cms

Beijing residents protest pollution
1 Sep 2008, 1022 hrs IST, AP
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BEIJING: Scores of people protested in Beijing against a garbage 
disposal plant they say has been releasing noxious fumes into the air, 
with two
demonstrators hurt in a scuffle with security officials, a rights group 
said on Sunday.

The Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy 
said the protesters Saturday called for the resignation of the top 
environment official in Beijing's Chaoyang district, where the Gao'antun 
garbage incineration plant is located.

The rights group said about 500 people were involved in the protest, but 
the number could not immediately be confirmed. The Beijing Public 
Security Bureau's information office said Sunday that it had no 
information about the incident.

The demonstration was held near the plant, and a tussle between 
protesters and the authorities resulted in two protesters being hurt, 
the group said in a statement.

The rights group also said one of the organizers of the protest went 
missing Saturday night and was presumably taken away by security officials.

An employee of a restaurant near the road junction where the 
demonstration was held said “many people” took part in a protest, with 
some wearing face masks.

The employee, who only gave her surname, Zhang, said she was not clear 
about the reason for the gathering.

The group said the protest was organized by residents of two apartment 
complexes in the district. Telephone numbers of the complexes were not 
immediately available.

A man from a team set up by the Chaoyang district government to look 
into the issue said about 100 people participated in the protest. He 
refused to give his name or provide more details, saying he was not 
authorized to speak to the media.

According to the rights group, thousands of residents living near the 
garbage disposal plant have suffered from rank and poisonous air 
released by the plant.

It said the plant had closed during the Olympic Games, which were held 
in Beijing in August, but resumed operations after the games ended Aug. 24.

The statement said respiratory and other health problems have surfaced 
among some residents near the plant.

Separately, a petitioner from the central Chinese province of Hubei was 
detained and sent to a labor camp for 15 months after accepting a phone 
interview by a foreign journalist during the Olympics, another rights 
group said Sunday.

On Aug. 28, Wang Guilan was sent for re-education through labor for 
“disturbing the public order,'' and was believed to be currently held at 
a detention center in Enshi, a city in Hubei, the overseas-based Chinese 
Human Rights Defenders said in a statement.

A man who answered the phone at the Enshi detention center refused to 
check if Wang was being held there, referring all further queries to the 
Enshi Public Security Bureau, where telephones rang unanswered.

China's re-education system, in place since 1957, allows police to 
sidestep the need for a criminal trial or a formal charge and directly 
send people to prison for up to four years to perform penal labor.

Critics say it is misused to detain political or religious activists, 
and violates suspects' rights.







http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2008/09/01/2003421981

Beijing locals protest dump

THE OBSERVER, BEIJING
Monday, Sep 01, 2008, Page 5
In a sign that the Olympics feel-good factor has already begun to 
evaporate, protesters took to the streets of Beijing on Saturday in an 
escalating campaign against the city’s biggest dump site, which they 
claimed was polluting the air with a foul stench and dangerous dioxins.
Wearing surgical masks and carrying umbrellas, the mostly young, 
middle-class campaigners blocked roads, chanted anti-pollution slogans 
and refused to allow garbage trucks to pass as dozens of police filmed 
them and appealed for calm.

Residents of the affluent Changying District of east Beijing have 
complained for more than three years about the nearby Gaoantun landfill 
and waste incineration facility.

Every day, 3,700 tonnes of household refuse are buried in the 40-hectare 
landfill. In addition, the plant burns 40 tonnes of medical waste, 
raising fears among locals that the air is being polluted by odorless 
carcinogenic dioxins. This is denied by the plant’s owners.

Residents have petitioned the authorities and filed a lawsuit in the 
courts. Dissatisfied with the lack of progress, they are using the 
Internet, text messages and demonstrations to be heard.

Zhen Qianling, a chemist among the crowd, said the stink from the plant 
on hot days made him feel sick and sent his heart racing.

“We want to block the traffic so the government will hear our voice. If 
we just sit back and do nothing, the government will also do nothing,” 
Zhen said.

Like many, this was the first protest he had joined. The demonstrators 
were young urban professionals — designers, Internet workers and 
translators. Other protestors were from the “New Sky Universe” and 
“Berlin Symphony” tower blocks. Property costs about 14,000 yuan 
(US$2,045) a square meter, well above the Beijing average. The residents 
thought they were buying into one of the city’s most salubrious 
neighborhoods, but on hot summer days, when the wind is in the wrong 
direction, their homes are filled with the stench from the dump.

“If I had known, I would never have bought a home here,” says Helen Liu, 
who moved into her 500,000 yuan house in April.

In the run-up to the Olympics, police detained several prominent 
dissidents and put others under close surveillance. Three “protest 
parks” were established, but of the 77 people who applied to use them, 
none succeeded. Human rights groups say several applicants were sent 
back to their home provinces or put in “re-education through labor” 
camps. Foreigners who staged Free Tibet demonstrations were deported.

The residents of Chanying said they did not fear a police backlash 
because China was becoming more open and the authorities’ concerns about 
losing face during the Games have diminished.

During the demonstration and after police warned the protesters they 
were breaking the law, they became almost comically polite. They walked 
slowly back and forth for more than an hour across a pedestrian crossing 
— but only on the green light — chanting, “We don’t want stinking air.”

Managers at the site said emissions met environment bureau standards, 
but officials acknowledged the smell was a problem.

“We pay a lot of attention to the residents’ concerns,” Guo Tuanhui 
said. “On hot days, the buried garbage gives off a bad odor. But we are 
doing what we can.”






http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2008/09/01/172693/Coffin%27-protest.htm

September 1, 2008 0:00 am TWN, Reuters
‘Coffin’ protest seeking to bury Chilean thermoelectric plant
CALETA LOANCO, Chile -- Environmentalists erected a 28-foot-tall coffin 
on Saturday to protest against plans to build a thermoelectric power 
plant they say will pollute Chile’s southern coastline.
The 750 MW plant to be built in Chile’s El Maule region by AES Gener, a 
unit of U.S. power company AES Corp is aimed at helping reverse the 
South American country’s massive power deficit.
But some 400 activists turned out in this fishing village 290 miles (465 
km) south of the capital of Santiago to unveil a coffin they said was 
the world’s largest.
The protesters say the plant, which will be fired by coal shipped from 
Australia, will foul the air, pollute artisan fishing waters and poison 
groundwater in an area of forests. Chile is one of Latin America’s star 
economies, driven by sales of its No. 1 export copper, but the country’s 
growth has been limited by dependence on its neighbors for fuel.
The country is seen becoming self-sufficient soon as new power supplies 
come on line, though opponents say Chile is selling out its environment 
in the name of development. “Madame President: You choose who to kill,” 
activists wrote on the wooden coffin that is so tall organizers have 
sent in a record-breaking claim to the Guinness Book of Records.
AES Gener is revving up to become one of Chile’s top power providers as 
it spends US$3 billion in coming years to bring seven new, mainly 
coal-fired plants, on line.
“A thermoelectric plant would do away with our agriculture, with artisan 
fishing and with our tourism industry,” said Fernando Salinas, from the 
nongovernmental organization born to oppose power projects in the region.






http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=96697

Suhodol Citizens Give up Peaceful Protests over Reopened Dumpsite
4 September 2008, Thursday

Citizens of the Sofia district of Suhodol declared they are giving up 
peaceful protests over the nearby dumpsite reopened in the end of 
2007and are going to do everything possible to protect the environment 
and the health of the local people.

The protesters accuse Sofia Mayor Boyko Borisov over not keeping 
promises to close the dumpsite and build a waste treatment plant that 
would solve the garbage crisis in Sofia, the only solution to which now 
is using the full to the brim dumpsite in Suhodol.

People from the district have been staging numerous protest in the past 
months and years over the continued use of the landfill.







http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2354787.htm

Greenpeace storm 'illegal' logging vessel in PNG
PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY
PM - Wednesday, 3 September , 2008 18:34:00
Reporter: Steve Marshall
MARK COLVIN: In Papua New Guinea, Greenpeace activists have stormed a 
logging vessel to stop it loading logs bound for China.

Greenpeace says the operation is a blatant example of illegal logging in 
PNG. The organisation's calling for action from both the PNG and 
Australian governments.

PNG correspondent Steve Marshall filed this report from on board the 
Greenpeace boat, Esperanza.

STEVE MARSHALL: For the past three days Greenpeace ship Esperanza has 
been waiting off the PNG south coast for the right time to strike. The 
target, the Harbour Gemini, an export ship that often loads logs at the 
remote Paia Port.

PNG Greenpeace activist Sam Moko explains why.

SAM MOKO: Gemini is a target because Rimbunan Hijau is a link to that 
ship. Rimbunan Hijau is the logging giant in Papua new Guinea and 
they're logging almost everywhere in Papua New Guinea and most of their 
operations we suspect their concessions (phonetic) are located illegally 
where the resource owners have not been consulted and they're consent 
are not given.

STEVE MARSHALL: Sam Moko is one of four Greenpeace activists who stormed 
the Harbour Gemini today and shut down log loading operations.

MALE PROTESTOR: Our climbers are in position and we're going to hang a 
banner that's sends a message to the world.

STEVE MARSHALL: Using abseiling equipment, they hoisted themselves onto 
the ships crane and unveiled a banner that read 'protect forests, save 
our climate'.

ACTIVIST: Thank you for coming, we are with you.

ACTIVIST 2: Thank you, thank you.

STEVE MARSHALL: The protest was a co-ordinated effort between Greenpeace 
and local land owners.
The locals allowed logging to start here 20 years ago but Wauro Oumabe 
(phonetic) says the operation is breaking forestry laws and destroying 
his land.

He hopes the Greenpeace action will pressure the government into 
reviewing the logging project.

WAURO OUMABLE: There are land owner benefits that are still outstanding 
that we have not received for the last couple of years. And also we 
observed that the PNG Logging Code of Practice according to our 
understanding, this has not been followed. This is an abuse of laws and 
we want to address those areas in this review that we are pushing for.

STEVE MARSHALL: Greenpeace International says that 90 per cent of 
logging in PNG is illegal because many permits were issued without 
proper consultation with land owners.

ANNIE KAJIR: A lot of these timber permits have been issued, often 
through under the table deals.

STEVE MARSHALL: Environmental lawyer Annie Kajir suspects wide scale 
bribery and corruption in PNG's forestry sector. Recently the Post 
Courier newspaper linked three unnamed PNG politicians to $40-million 
dollars sitting in a Singapore bank account, allegedly money earned 
through secret logging deals.

Environmental Lawyer Annie Kajir.

ANNIE KAJIR: You know, there is evidence that monies have been misused 
or for example, put in private trust accounts overseas and there are no 
investigations to reveal why those money are being kept overseas.

STEVE MARSHALL: With the possibility of an emerging carbon market, PNG 
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is seeking opportunities for PNG to 
receive money in exchange for not cutting down the forest.

PNG Greenpeace spokeswoman Valerie Phillips says the PNG Prime Minister 
should not be taken seriously.

VALERIE PHILLIPS: He's been asking for money to protect forests overseas 
but back home in PNG, the Government has a woeful track record on forest 
management. And this needs to be addressed before they can be taken 
seriously on the global carbon market.

We're asking the PNG Government to implement a moratorium on the 
allocation of any new logging concessions. We're also asking them to 
conduct a review of all existing logging concessions and any that are 
found to be in breach must be revoked and the logging concessions shut down.

STEVE MARSHALL: Greenpeace is also calling for Kevin Rudd to honour a 
pre-election promise and stop the importation of illegal logged timber 
and timber products.

On board the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, this is Steve Marshall for PM.







http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jU3O9UwEqyzZupf0lmr3jDb3IF9w

Armed police end Greenpeace timber export ship protest
(AFP) – Sep 6, 2008
PORT MORESBY (AFP) — Armed police have removed four activists from a 
timber cargo ship on the South Pacific island of Papua New Guinea, 
ending a three-day protest against logging, environmentalists said Saturday.
"Armed police have escorted Greenpeace activists off a logging cargo 
ship on Papua New Guinea's Aiai River at Paia," Greenpeace Australia 
said in a statement. "The activists were harnessed to the ship's crane 
for 55 hours."
The activists had prevented the ship from loading logs bound for China 
at the remote port on Papua New Guinea's south coast.
The environmental group had been invited to the area by local landowners 
who were concerned about logging operations on their land.
Forests across the island of New Guinea and the nearby Solomon Islands 
make up a third of the world's tropical rain forests.
Greenpeace claims that 90 percent of logging in Papua New Guinea is 
illegal because many concession permits have been granted by the PNG 
government without proper consultation with landowners.
"What needs to happen is a moratorium and a review of all existing 
logging concessions," said Greenpeace spokeswoman Valerie Phillips.
Papua New Guinea Forests Minister Belden Namah rejected the Greenpeace 
claims. "As far as I'm concerned all the logging activities in Papua New 
Guinea have been legally sanctioned," he said.
Recently, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare had a 
series of meetings in Europe about potential carbon trading deals that 
would see PNG receive money for not cutting down its forests.






ASAP NEWS
---------------------------------------------------

Greenpeace calls for new energy

Jakarta Post - August 23, 2008

Triwik Kurniasari, Jakarta -- International
environmental activist group Greenpeace has called
on the government to immediately develop renewable
energy sources to end the need for rotating
blackouts resulting from the country's energy
deficit.

"It is important to save energy from fossil fuels
and to use it more wisely, but we can run out of
such energy in the future. It is better if the
government can tap renewable energy sources, like
geothermal, solar, water and wind," said Sonki
Prasetya, a climate and energy campaigner for
Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

"Applying rotating blackouts is not the best
solution. The government should start to plug into
renewable energy now."

He said Indonesia could produce more than 60
percent of its electricity from renewable energy
sources by 2050, which would make the country less
dependent on imported fossil fuels and allow for
cheaper electricity.

"The government actually has a plan to use
renewable energy. It also has set up a regulation
on it, but the implementation is still lacking," he
said after the group had held a peaceful rally in
front of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry
in Central Jakarta.

The rally featured dozens of Greenpeace activists
clad in costumes representing renewable energy
sources, including wind, solar energy, water and
geothermal energy.

Greenpeace's report -- Energy Revolution: A
Sustainable Indonesia Energy Outlook -- describes a
combination of renewable energy technologies and
energy efficiency measures as clean, cost-effective
and climate-friendly.

According to Greenpeace, Indonesia has the world's
largest geothermal energy potential, with an
estimated capacity of up to 27,000 megawatts (MW)
of electricity, or equal to around 40 percent of
the world's geothermal reserves.

The government has said geothermal power can
contribute 30 percent to its 10,000 MW electricity
program.

The government currently implements a rotating
blackout program in some cities around the country
to compensate for the country's power deficit.

According to state electricity company PT, some
parts of Jakarta and Tangerang will continue to
suffer blackouts until the end of the year.

Electricity demand in Jakarta can reach between
4,500 MW and 5,000 MW during peak hours, usually
between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Lobo Balia of the Energy and Mineral Resources
Ministry said the government had started to use
alternative energy, including geothermal energy.

"We really want to develop renewable energy, but it
is hard to do it because the government is still
subsidizing electricity from fossil fuels. If we
erase the subsidy, people might protest the
policy," said Lobo.

Sonki said it would be better if the government
removed the subsidy on fossil fuels and instead
allocated the funds for other sectors, including
education and transportation.

---------------------------------------------------








http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/01/stories/2008090152550400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tirunelveli

Demonstration against “illegal” sand quarrying
Staff Reporter
TIRUNELVELI: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres, led by 
former Chief Minister and party treasurer O. Panneerselvam, staged a 
demonstration at Ambasamudram near here on Sunday against “illegal and 
rampant quarrying of sand at several points on the Tamirabarani riverbed.”
Addressing the protesters, Mr. Panneerselvam said the decision to 
involve a government agency directly in sand quarrying was taken when 
the AIADMK was in power with the objective of supplying the construction 
material at an affordable cost of Rs. 624 per unit and augmenting the 
revenue of government. And sand mining was carried out without affecting 
groundwater and environment.
Moreover, a whopping income of Rs. 16,000 crore was ensured through 
sales tax and the government got another Rs. 1,900 crore through 
Department of Registration when Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister.
“However, illegal and rampant quarrying across the State has now made 
sand a costly commodity and the construction material is available only 
at a premium price. In Tirunelveli alone, Rs. 5 crore-worth sand is 
being plundered every day from the Tamirabarani basin,” Mr. 
Panneerselvam alleged.







http://www.euronews.net/en/article/24/08/2008/coal-power-ignites-protests-in-germany/

Germany Coal power ignites protests in Germany 24/08/08 13:42 CET
world news
There have been clashes between environmental protestors and police in 
northern Germany at the proposed location of a new coal-fired power-station.
Up to 700 demonstrators turned up at the site at Moorburg, a suburb of 
Hamburg.
The campaigners argue that should the plant go ahead, emissions of 
carbon dioxide would increase by 40 per cent in the Hamburg area.
The power giant Vattenfall has promised to install technology at 
Moorburg to capture the greenhouse gas by 2013, but opponents point to 
the fact that there are also 25 other coal-fired power-plants in the 
pipeline in Germany.
Environmentalists say coal-burners produce around twice as much CO2 as 
gas-fired generators. But the country has a plentiful domestic supply of 
the dirtiest type of coal, lignite, reducing the need for energy imports.
Germany and other EU states have agreed to cut CO2 emissions by a fifth 
by the year 2020.






http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/23/europe/EU-Turkey-Nuclear-Protest.php

29 foreign protesters detained in Turkey

The Associated Press
Published: August 23, 2008


ANKARA, Turkey: Turkish police on Saturday detained 29 foreigners and 
three Turks during a peaceful protest against plans to build a nuclear 
power plant near a Black Sea port city.
The police broke up the protest in front of the governor's office and 
"forcibly took" the protesters to a police station, said Niklas Hartmann 
of European Youth for Action, an environmentalist group.
Police officers confirmed the detentions during what they called an 
unauthorized protest.
The detained included at least two American citizens and several German 
and French ones, along with other European nationals, Hartmann said by 
telephone from Sinop. The group has been camping near Sinop since Aug. 9.
The protesters posed as dead bodies on the ground to warn the people 
about what they consider the dangers of nuclear power plants.
"The Turkish state seems to be very afraid of their citizens learning 
how dangerous nuclear power is. That is why authorities do not tolerate 
any protest," Hartmann said in a statement. "We are seriously concerned 
about the denial of freedom of speech in Turkey."
Turkey has announced plans to build a nuclear plant near Sinop after the 
construction of its first nuclear power plant near the Mediterranean 
port city of Mersin.






http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/08/29/ot-uranium-080829.html?ref=rss

Protesters angry uranium excluded from Ontario mining review
Last Updated: Friday, August 29, 2008 | 12:55 PM ET Comments10Recommend12
CBC News
Anti-uranium protesters sang about water contamination at a public 
meeting in Kingston about the Ontario Mining Act review. (Courtesy of 
Sheila MacDonald)
Dozens of anti-uranium protesters turned up Thursday in Kingston at a 
public consultation that is part of an Ontario Mining Act review, even 
though the province insists that uranium mining won't be covered by the 
review.
About 50 placard-waving demonstrators and a live band performed a song 
about water being polluted by uranium mining set to the tune of Leonard 
Cohen's Hallelujah for officials from the Ontario Ministry of Northern 
Development and Mines.
They were attending one of five meetings around the province to discuss 
how to modernize the century-old act that governs mineral exploration 
and mining in the province.
Kevin Costante, deputy minister of northern development and mines, told 
the crowd that mining is a multibillion-dollar industry that helps fuel 
Ontario's economy, and officials are looking for comments and 
suggestions about its regulation.
"It's important to the province that we have a competitive and vibrant 
mining industry, but it's also important that we ensure that this 
potential is developed in a way that is respectful of our communities, 
respectful of the environment and respectful of individuals," he said.
But officials made it clear Ontario has little control when it comes to 
uranium mining.
Federal agency in charge: ministry
The act does cover uranium exploration, which is treated the same as the 
exploration of any other metal, but not uranium mining, which is 
governed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, a federal government 
agency.
But protesters such as Sheila MacDonald scoffed at that explanation.
"It's time to say screw you. We don't deal with morons," she said. "So 
this may be our last grassroots protest and we may go on to another 
level altogether."
Another called for the government to stop what he called its bogus 
jurisdictional charade.
Many of the people attending the meeting had taken part in an occupation 
at a site about 60 kilometres north of Kingston where a local 
exploration company, Frontenac Ventures, had been test drilling for uranium.
Some, such as Tim Sykes, said they were concerned about the waste left 
behind when uranium is used in a power plant.
"Now, before we do any more mining of radioactive materials, we'd better 
look at how we're going to babysit this stuff," he told the crowd. "I 
have no intention of beggaring my children or grandchildren with that 
task. Leave the stuff in the ground."
The Ontario government announced on Aug. 5 that it would be holding 
public and stakeholder meetings in five Ontario communities between Aug. 
11 and Sept. 8 to get input about how to modernize the century-old act 
that regulates mining in the province "to be more respectful" of 
aboriginal communities and private landowners.
In addition to the Kingston meeting, consultations have been held in 
Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay. The last is in Toronto on Sept. 8.
The province said the public meetings are the first step in its public 
consultation process for the Mining Act, which will also include 
"focused discussions" with the minerals industry, municipalities, and 
First Nations and Métis leaders and communities.
Stakeholders and the public are also invited to comment on a discussion 
paper that was posted on the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines 
website on Aug. 11.







http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/08/protesters_climb_onto_morrison.html

Protesters climb onto Morrison bridge, unfurl banner
Posted by Jacques Von Lunen, The Oregonian August 04, 2008 16:18PM
A group of activists assembled this afternoon on the west end of the 
Morrison bridge to protest construction of a new I-5 bridge across the 
Columbia River.
While protesters expressed their discontent with the planned crossing, 
two members scaled the barbed wire below the span, climbed out onto the 
girders and unfolded a banner.
Shortly thereafter, Portland firefighters apprehended the two below the 
bridge and delivered them into the hands of Portland police.
The two, 27-year-old Maya Smeloff and 23-year-old Timothy Swenson, were 
cited for Criminal Trespass in the First Degree and then released.
The two, part of a group called Convergence for Climate Change Action, 
which convened in Eugene this weekend, will most likely have to perform 
community service for the offense, said Sgt. Brian Schmautz of the 
Portland Police.






http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24383789-1248,00.html?from=public_rss

Climate protesters occupy PM's office
By Robyn Ironside
AAP
September 22, 2008 02:07pm

UP to 20 constituents from Kevin Rudd's Griffith electorate have packed 
his electorate office in Brisbane to demand a meeting on climate change.
Led by Bradley Smith, the group plans to occupy Mr Rudd's office until 
staff agree to convey its concerns about the emissions reduction target 
to the Prime Minister and arrange a meeting.

Mr Smith said the emissions reduction target of 5-10 per cent fell well 
short of what was needed to save the Great Barrier Reef.

"We need to set a target that does not jeopardise the Reef and does not 
impact the viability of our farms," Mr Smith said.

"We think that Australia has the opportunity to solve climate change but 
the only way we can do that is to set a strong target.

"We're talking about 30 to 50 per cent."

Mr Rudd is in New York this week to talk up the future of clean coal at 
the United Nations.

Last week, Mr Rudd announced a new $100m institute would be built to 
work on clean coal, also called carbon capture and storage.








http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=6991409

Kauai Protestors Keep Superferry Away

Updated: Aug 28, 2007 11:03 AM

Diana LaBetz

(KHNL) - While Maui protestors went to court to stop the Hawaii 
Superferry, Kauai protestors again take to the water to keep the ship 
from coming in.
Kauai protestors paddle out with their surfboards and canoes, along with 
their desire to stop this inter-island service.
The Superferry was scheduled to pull into Kauai at 5:30 Monday evening, 
but the people in the water kept the ship from docking. And for hours, 
passengers were stuck on the Alakai just offshore. Leaving many on board 
frustrated and angry because they could not reach their destination. But 
protestors celebrated their victory.
Last night, protesters were unable to keep the ship from docking and 
when the demonstration moved from the water to the pier, the vocal crowd 
turned violent.
Police were forced to use pepper spray to clear the crowd and allow cars 
to get off the Superferry.
"We're stopping the Superferry. We're stopping the people from getting 
off. we're creating gridlock." says Diana LaBetz, one of the protestors.
Three protestors were arrested during the Superferry's first trip to 
Kauai. Monday night there were also a few arrests made. And in order to 
handle the crowd in the water, the Coast Guard flew additional personnel 
and sent boats over to Kauai.






http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2008/08/25/2003421362

Nude ride prompts naked protest at police station

AP, VANCOUVER
Monday, Aug 25, 2008, Page 7
Naked cyclists converged on Vancouver’s main police station on Saturday 
to protest the arrest of a fellow cyclist who had taken his 
three-year-old son on a nude ride earlier in the day.
Naked Bike Ride spokesman Conrad Schmidt said it all began when six 
squad cars and a paddy wagon showed up as the group of about 75 naked 
cyclists arrived along the city’s English Bay.

Vancouver Police Constable Jana McGuinness told The Canadian Press that 
several bystanders had called police, concerned about the child’s 
well-being. Police arrived and spoke with the man, who agreed that both 
he and his child would wear underwear during the ride.

But as he left to join the other riders, the man stripped his and his 
son’s clothes off. Officers arrested him on the spot, citing public 
nudity laws.

Schmidt said the boy was in tears as police took him and his father 
away, and the arrest prompted the group to cycle through downtown 
Vancouver to the police station.

McGuinness said it appeared the man afterward regretted his actions.

“When they were leaving [the scene] it was under the understanding that 
perhaps he hadn’t shown the best judgment; there were a number of people 
that took offense to the child being naked in the group and subjected to 
people’s scrutiny,” she said. “It sounds like it’s been a good lesson 
all around.”






http://www.wcpo.com/content/news/neighborhoods/west_chester/story/Local-Group-Protests-Outside-John-Boehners-Office/5NyAACQRA028eJNh9eAvkw.cspx

Local Group Protests Outside John Boehner's Office

Last Update: 8/07/2008 1:02 pm

Reported by: Deb Silverman
Photographed by: Terry Helmer
Web produced by: Ian Preuth
More than a dozen people were outside Congressman John Boehner's office 
in West Chester Thursday holding anti-drilling signs.
The group is part of the organization moveon.org.
Protesters say they collected more than 200 signatures from voters in 
Boehner's district for a petition which calls for our nation's leaders 
to focus on cleaner forms of energy, rather than drilling for oil.
The group took the petition into Boehner's office after their short protest.
A spokesperson from Boehner's office says the congressman appreciates 
when people take the time to express their opinions. The spokesperson 
says the petition will be passed on to Boehner.








http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Residents-bark-their-protests-as.4439928.jp

Residents bark their protests as Grassmarket trees are axed

Published Date: 29 August 2008
By HAZEL MOLLISON
A BID to axe mature trees in the Grassmarket as part of a £6 million 
revamp has sparked protests.
The city council is set to remove five poplar trees from the central 
area and replace them with large oak and lime ones.

Experts have found that there is some decay in the trees and they could 
only last a few more years.

But local residents said they were "horrified" by the plans, as they had 
been promised the trees would be kept. They said there was no good 
reason to remove them now, and they could live another ten or 20 years.

Several of the poplar trees were replaced in April by mature oak and 
lime trees from Germany. The next five will be removed in September.

Janet Dick, who lives and works in the Grassmarket, said: "This takes no 
account of the residents' wishes. There are no good reasons for any 
trees to be removed in the Grassmarket.

"Poplars are not considered the tree of choice by many arboricultural 
experts, but the people who live here like these trees and want to keep 
them. They give the Grassmarket character and should be left alone."

She said more than 40 people had attended a recent residents' meeting, 
with most calling for the trees to be saved. Another meeting for 
residents and traders to discuss the issue is planned for Wednesday.

Councillor Joanna Mowat, who represents the city centre and chairs the 
Grassmarket Forum, said she could understand people's concerns. She 
said: "There is a very vocal minority of people who do not want to see 
the trees replaced. It can be a very emotive issue, and people do get 
very attached to the trees.

"The problem is, no-one can say how much life the trees have in them. 
They could go tomorrow, or they could last another 20 years. The expert 
opinion is they probably don't have a long time left.

"It's a very hard decision. There are potential safety issues. There is 
money in the kitty at the moment to pay for the project, but there may 
not be in a few years' time."

Many traders in the Grassmarket are taking a pragmatic view.

Bill Cowan, who runs Costume HaHa, said he was pleased with the trees 
that had been planted in April and welcomed the move.

He said: "Most of us are quite happy about it. We realise it's better to 
replace the trees now. This way it will cost £6000 a piece, whereas it 
could cost £18,000 if we wait for ten years.

"The trees put in in April have already grown several feet now."

He said the new paving in the Grassmarket meant it was unsuitable for 
poplar trees, as they would not get enough water, and limes would be a 
better option.

A council spokeswoman said it would be removing four or five of the 
poplars in September. These will be replaced by mature trees, imported 
from Germany, as soon as possible afterwards.

She said: "Our biologists and independent tree surgeons have looked at 
the trees and found that, internally, they are in a state of decay. 
They're not going to last more than a few years and will need to be 
replaced anyway.

"The new ones will be mature trees, although they will not be exactly 
the same."








http://www.gawaher.com/index.php?showtopic=407965.html&

Brumby and ministers under fire at water protest
Paul Austin, Shepparton, and Peter Ker
August 27, 2008
Tim Holding bears the marks from the protest in Shepparton.
WATER Minister Tim Holding has been pelted with eggs by angry protesters 
in Shepparton opposed to the Government's plan to pipe water from the 
state's north to Melbourne.
Mr Holding was struck by at least one egg last night as he walked past 
about 70 protesters outside a pro-pipeline dinner in Shepparton.
The protest capped off a day in which country Victorians expressed their 
anger over the State Government's water policy.
Yesterday morning in Mildura, a hostile crowd of 400 protested against 
Mr Holding's decision this month to abolish the 113-year-old First 
Mildura Irrigation Trust over financial management concerns.
Last night in Shepparton, Premier John Brumby, a keynote speaker at the 
pro-pipeline dinner, avoided the protesters by entering the hall by 
another entrance.
"He's a gutless wonder. He doesn't have the courage to face us," 
protester Barbara Hancox said. "He doesn't care for the country people, 
he only cares for Melbourne."
Inside the venue, Mr Brumby urged Victorians to get behind what he 
called "this great nation-building project." He said the $1 billion 
project to upgrade the northern Victorian irrigation system would 
revitalise Victoria's "food bowl".
The pipeline would carry only a small portion of the extra water saved 
by reducing leakage and wastage, Mr Brumby said.
"If we work together to deliver what is, in effect, a food bowl 
renaissance, a transformation of northern Victoria, we will secure this 
region's future, productivity and sustainability," he said.
Protest leader Mike Dalmau said the message for Mr Brumby was simple: 
"It's all right to have a plan to modernise the food bowl, but where is 
the water to be pumped to Melbourne if we haven't got enough water here 
to operate the system?"
Earlier yesterday, Mr Holding defended his decision to abolish the First 
Mildura Irrigation Trust.
The trust had significant losses from investing in subprime-exposed 
companies, and its powers have been overtaken by nearby Lower Murray Water.
But questions are being asked about the conduct of three senior trust 
managers, who were given lucrative termination deals in the dying weeks 
of the organisation, entitling them to 12 months' pay in the event of 
the trust's demise.
The Age also believes $103,000 in tax on those termination agreements 
was not paid, and is now the subject of a recovery action by 
administrators. The trust's deposed chairman, Jim Belbin, said the deals 
were designed to retain good staff at a time when there was uncertainty 
over the trust's future.
Mr Holding said the "secret, last-minute" adjustments to the managers' 
contracts were a "clear breach of Government guidelines" and the money 
taken belonged to local irrigators.






http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/13/2363725.htm

Vic pipeline deal sparks protests
Posted Sat Sep 13, 2008 4:15pm AEST
• Map: Shepparton 3630
• Related Story: Pipeline approval 'environmental vandalism'
A day after the Federal Government approved Victoria's north-south 
pipeline, opponents have held a protest at the proposed pump site.
The Victorian Government will have to prove to the Federal Environment 
Minister that the water it pumps to Melbourne is sourced from water 
savings, not from farmers or environmental allocations.
But Jan Beer from Plug the Pipe says Peter Garrett may have plugged the 
pipeline himself because of the conditions imposed, given the projects 
the Brumby government plans to take water from.
"[In regard to] several projects, central Goulburn 1, 2, 3 channel 
upgrade and Shepparton modernisation project, Mr Garrett's conditions 
were you cannot take water from water allocated to the living Murray 
initiative," she said.
"Now those projects are all on the Living Murray Register."







http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=626386&rss=yes

Protesters rally outside tunnel summit
12:39 AEST Fri Sep 5 2008

Protesters rallied outside a transport summit in Melbourne in opposition 
to a proposed east-west road tunnel.
About 30 people assembled outside the Telstra Dome as Victorian Premier 
John Brumby prepared to host a summit that will help shape the 
government's transport plan to be released later this year.
About 100 stakeholders were expected to attend Friday's summit, which 
will be their last opportunity to have their say on the Eddington report.
Sir Rod Eddington's $18 billion transport blueprint recommends a road 
tunnel be built linking the Eastern Freeway with the western suburbs and 
an east-west rail tunnel.
Protesters are angry they have been locked out of the summit, which Mr 
Brumby says will bring together the best minds in transport, urban 
planning, environment and construction.
Freda Watkin, from the Yarra Campaign Against the Tunnel, said residents 
affected by the Eddington proposal felt disenfranchised.
"It's a culmination of feeling very, very disappointed because this is 
probably the most significant transport forum and discussion in 40-odd 
years in Victoria, and also angry because we feel that the decisions 
made in the forum are going to be, probably, more geared towards the 
corporate sector ... and not in the interests of residents or communities."
Ms Watkin said it was "utterly incredible" that the government would 
consider roads over public transport in today's age of climate change.
Royal Park Protection Group convener Julianne Bell said community groups 
would be represented at the summit by the Protectors of Public Lands 
Victoria coalition.
Ms Bell said the road tunnel was a "dinosaur" policy that was 
unsustainable against rising petrol prices and would destroy communities 
in its path.
"Sustainable public transport, not road tunnels - that's our war cry," 
she said.
"It's extremely important because the road tunnels themselves will 
destroy the inner city and part of the western suburbs, it will rip up 
parkland, it will alienate Royal Park and Holland Park and they will 
become quarry sites for 10 years."






http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1065269_storm_of_protest_on_allotments?rss=yes

Storm of protest on allotments
Don Frame
4/ 9/2008

ANGRY allotment holders are fighting for survival after discovering 
plans to dig up half their plots to make way for a huge storm drain.

The Environment Agency is considering cutting through the Bradley Fold 
site, close to the River Mersey in Didsbury, to ease flooding problems.

Members of Didsbury Garden Society say they have been kept in the dark 
about the scheme, and accuse the agency of not considering alternatives.

They say 40 allotments will be lost for good, with disruption to many 
other plot holders, some have been there for more than 30 years.

Leo Jacobs, vice chairman of the society, said: "We are not taking this 
lying down. We intend to fight. There is already a desperate shortage of 
allotment sites in Manchester.

"Allotments don't just happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work and 
for many people it becomes a way of life. It is valued by the whole 
community.

"There must be alternatives, such as a covered culvert or diverting the 
route, but no doubt that would cost more than laying their drain through 
the middle of our site."

Retired teacher Eleanor Vickerman, who has had an allotment for 24 
years, said: "We have invested so much of our time on our plots and if 
this goes ahead it will be nothing short of a disaster."

John Watson, 71, who has had a plot for 30 years, said the society has 
had two contradictory letters from the Environment Agency - one 
suggesting there will be a public consultation, and another implying the 
decision has already been taken.

He said: "They are treating us very shabbily.

"We stand to lose three acres of this land, which is not just allotments 
but a public amenity."

Chris Stone, from the Environment Agency, said: "Discussions have begun 
with the owners of Bradley Fold allotments to look for solutions to 
manage flood risk, whilst minimising disruption to gardens..''







http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=47370

First of Protested Oak Trees Cut Down in Berkeley
Posted By: C. Johnson 1 year ago
BERKELEY (BCN)University of California, Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof 
said the university Friday began tearing down oak trees next to its 
football stadium as the first step in a project to build a news sports 
training center adjacent to the stadium.
Mogulof said that the university would only be "pruning" trees Friday in 
the wake of a court ruling on Thursday that allowed the university to go 
forward with the project after a 20-month legal battle.
But at a 4 p.m. news briefing next to the football stadium, Mogulof said 
the university actually began tearing down trees Friday and plans to 
tear down a total of 42 trees by the end of the day Monday. He estimated 
that about four to five trees had been removed as of 4 p.m. Friday.
Videographer LA Wood, who has filmed activities at the grove of oak 
trees since a UC Board of Regents committee approved the project 
December 2006, said at least six trees have been taken down so far.
Michael Kelly, the president of the Panoramic Hill Association, which is 
one of three groups that filed suit to try to stop the project, said he 
thinks at least a dozen trees had been removed.
Wood accused UC officials of issuing a "misleading" statement about 
their plans for Friday. "They didn't prune trees, they killed them," 
Wood said.
Four tree-sitters remained in a single tree near the stadium and at 
least 50 supporters had gathered near the site to watch the trees being 
cut down.
Wood said he thinks the university wouldn't have cut down the trees 
Friday if there had been a larger group of protesters.
Mogulof said there are currently 70 oak trees in the grove next to the 
stadium and when the university finishes the work, 20 will remain.
He said the university will plant three new trees at the site for every 
one it removes.
Mogulof said the university expects that it will take two and a half 
years to build the new sports training center.
Shortly after 5 p.m., UC police detained Ayr, the leader of the ground 
support team for the tree-sitters. Kelly, who witnessed the incident, 
said Ayr had been arguing with a small group of university students who 
supported removing the trees and were carrying a sign that said "Free 
Firewood." Kelly said he didn't think Ayr did anything to warrant being 
detained.






http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=8980279

Last tree-sitters end protest over UC Berkeley construction
Associated Press - September 9, 2008 6:04 PM ET
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Environmentalists have ended a 21-month protest 
to stop the construction of a new sports center on the University of 
California, Berkeley campus.
The last four tree-sitters were taken into police custody this afternoon 
after climbing down from a redwood tree they had occupied.
The treesitters ended their protest after UC officials agreed to create 
a committee that will allow community members to have input in the 
school's future development decisions.
Officials had said they were prepared to forcibly remove them and had 
constructed scaffolding around the tree to mount the effort.
The protest began in late 2006 to prevent the university from clearing 
the trees to make room for the new athletic center.
Campus officials have promised to plant three new trees for every one cut.





http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/09/408454.html

Cardiff Coal Protest
Undercurrents | 10.09.2008 18:30 | Climate Chaos | Oxford
Undercurrents filmed a direct action against the Coal authority AGM 
today. Watch the action on http://www.visionon.tv







http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1067589_nineyear_protest_camp_over?rss=yes

Nine-year protest camp over

20/ 9/2008
ECO-WARRIORS are dismantling their tree-houses and tepees and preparing 
to leave Britain's longest-running protest camp.
For almost nine years they refused to budge from the site near the 
ancient Nine Ladies Stone Circle as they battled to prevent an area of 
the Peak District National Park being used for quarrying.
The protest was sparked when quarry company Stancliffe Stone announced 
plans to reopen Endcliffe and Lees quarries, at Stanton Moor, near 
Matlock, Derbyshire, to extract high-quality sandstone.
Fearful of the environmental impact the scheme might have, protestors 
moved in - living in a caravans and in tree-houses where they remained 
despite bids to evict them.
Geoffrey Henson, of Stanton Lees Action Group which opposed the plan, 
said: "We are delighted and all we are waiting for now is the revocation 
notice, which should come back from the government in the next 12 weeks.
"It is a formality and the dismantling of the camp has already started.
"This is what we've been fighting for and now everyone at the camp will 
up sticks and go.
"This was based on principle, it was proposed for a national park and 
this was never right.
"There are no plans for a celebration yet, we shall talk about that when 
it is over."
Last September Hazel Blears, the local government secretary, decided 
Stancliffe Stone's planning permission would be revoked in exchange for 
the right to quarry at Dale View, a quarry in an area which is less 
environmentally sensitive.
But the remaining 20 protestors refused to pack up until they had it in 
writing that there would be no quarrying at the site.
Now, after lengthy negotiations the final legal documents have been 
completed and are expected to be rubber stamped before Christmas.
It will bring to an end years of controversy, court cases and concern 
over risks to the bronze age remains such as the Nine Ladies Stone Circle.
Stancliffe Stone is voluntarily giving up the planning permission 
granted in 1952, ending the possibility the quarries may be re-opened.
In exchange, the company will be allowed to extend Dale View quarry, 
further away from the most-sensitive sites.
Narendra Bajaria, chair of The Peak District National Park Authority, 
said: "This is a great result for the authority, the company, the 
community, and most of all for the nationally-important heritage and 
wildlife of Stanton Moor.
"It brings to an end to years of uncertainty for villagers, parish 
councils, action groups and the company concerned. We are grateful for 
the community's support and patience while the negotiations were taking 
place, but it was necessary to secure the best solution that could have 
been achieved."
The new Dale View quarry permission allows an extension of around three 
hectares and extra extraction of around 950,000 tonnes of gritstone - 
most of which will be used for building, walling and monumental purposes.
The operator will be required to manage nearby biodiversity habitats 
throughout the quarry's 20-year active life, and commit to 20 years' 
aftercare of the restored site as hay meadows.
Ian Pearson, estates manager of Stancliffe Stone, commented: "We've been 
working closely with the national park authority, local community and 
other interested parties to reach an agreement on Dale View. The 
quarried stone will be used for new build, heritage and restoration 
projects.
"We would like to thank all of the stakeholders involved in finalising 
this agreement, which will help protect the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, 
wildlife and surrounding landscape."
Ben Hartley, 29, who is originally from Cheadle Hulme, has lived in a 
tree house on the site 'on-and-off' for the past nine years.
He says the plans to re-start quarrying at the site would have been 
devastating for those living in the nearby village. And he says he is 
delighted that by working together with the residents they have been 
successful in over-turning the plans.
They may not have enjoyed four-star luxury at the site during their 
stay, but the eco-protestors have installed their own creature comforts 
over the years, by rigging up wood burners in the tree houses, as well 
as outdoor baths and showers.
And beneath the ground they have installed an intricate network of 
underground 'defences' - tunnels that could be occupied by protestors 
should anyone have come to try and reclaim the site.
"Our presence prevents them from coming onto the land and quarrying," 
said Ben, who says that at the height of the threat of eviction in 
January 2004 there were more than 100 people on the site.
"There were in excess of 30 tree houses at one time, although a lot of 
them have now been taken down. They are all made from things that have 
been recycled, stuff that people have thrown away. "It's beautiful 
living in trees. I really enjoy it with the birds twittering around you."
The tree houses are built around wooden floor joists, with a domed 
structure of willow or hazel poles that are then covered with blankets 
and plastic tarpaulin. Ben says the structures - which even have oil 
burners - can be toasty, even in winter. There is a bath, which is made 
of cast iron, which is heated from beneath with a fire. And there are 
showers that have been rigged up with water butts, that are then hauled 
into the trees. However despite the touches of 'luxury', Ben admits, 
that everyday chores can be a challenge - even with the support of 
nearby residents, which he says has been crucial.
"It isn't easy and day-to-day chores are a lot harder than when you are 
living in a house," said Ben.
"You have to make a fire whenever you want to cook and go and get water, 
which usually has to be collected with water butts. But it is thoroughly 
enjoyable.
"The local people have been absolutely supportive. The campaign has been 
successful because it has been a combination of local people and us. 
Working together is absolutely the way to go.
"Without local people it simply would not have worked. They have been 
writing and rewriting the same letters. And they have helped us with 
food and resources; letting us charge their batteries in their houses, 
letting us take baths and washing clothes."
Nearby resident Geoffrey Henson, aged 69, and his wife Julie have been 
keen to support the protestors during their stay. Retired veterinary 
manager Geoffrey said: "It has worked very well. We were a bit surprised 
when they turned up, because they turned up out of the blue.
"It's been about having respect for one another. They have respect for 
us as local residents and we have respect for them because they have 
come to protect the area and not to cause any trouble.
"When you see how tough life is on the site, you realise they have to be 
dedicated to what they do. We will be sorry to see them go, but we now 
know we have won the battle. They have become friends."
Before they leave the site the campaigners have vowed to make sure the 
site is returned to its original state - removing the tree houses and 
the underground structures.







http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0920/1221835126751.html

Saturday, September 20, 2008
Shell to Sea protester ends 10-day hunger strike
LORNA SIGGINS, Western Correspondent
SHELL TO Sea campaigner Maura Harrington ended a 10-day hunger strike 
yesterday with a statement rejecting any alternative location for the 
Corrib gas refinery.
"Any attempt to extricate Shell and the Government from the nexus that 
is the Corrib gas project is doomed to failure," Ms Harrington said, in 
her first public criticism of Erris community groups seeking compromise.
The groups, Pobal Chill Chomáin and Pobal Le Chéile, involve former 
Shell to Sea supporters living in the Kilcommon parish area of Erris, 
including members of the Rossport Five. They have proposed an 
alternative location at Glinsk which would avoid installation of a high- 
pressure onshore pipeline.
Ms Harrington, who retired as school principal a week ago on her 55th 
birthday, called off her action some 24 hours after Shell EP Ireland 
confirmed the pipelaying ship, Solitaire, was being sent to Britain for 
"assessment". The ship had been anchored off Killybegs, Co Donegal, for 
the past week, following suspension on September 10th of a planned 
offshore pipelaying programme in Broadhaven Bay.
The company, which faces legal issues relating to fishing rights in the 
bay, said the ship had sustained damage shortly after arrival in the 
bay. Ms Harrington initiated her fast in protest at the ship's presence, 
and said she would not stop until it left Irish territorial waters. In a 
statement, Ms Harrington said "any alternative location for the Corrib 
gas infrastructure will not build new schools, new hospitals or 
contribute to the National Pension Fund . . . Until we the people 
benefit from what is rightfully ours, any attempt to extricate Shell and 
the Government from the mess that is Corrib remains doomed to failure."
Shell had no comment to make on Ms Harrington's action.





http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=2&storyid=13131

Corrib protesters target Dublin in failed bomb attack
Filed from Aberdeen 9/16/2008 2:10:27 PM GMT

DUBLIN: Army bomb experts were called in late yesterday to make safe a 
small explosive device outside the Dublin offices of the Irish unit of 
Royal Dutch Shell, Ireland's Defence Forces said today.

"The team made safe a viable device outside Corrib House," the Defence 
Forces said in a statement to Reuters. "The team carried out a 
controlled explosion on the simple, improvised explosive device," it said.

Shell operates the Corrib Natural Gas Field off the north west coast of 
Ireland, which has drawn protests including a hunger strike carried out 
last week by a local teacher against the laying of a pipeline between 
the gas field and the mainland.






http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/13706382?view=Eircomnet&cat=Breaking%20News

Shell to Sea campaigners protest in London
 From irishtimes.com
11:26
Monday, 15th September, 2008
British supporters of the Shell to Sea campaign are protesting today 
outside the London offices of Allseas, the company that owns the 
pipe-laying ship the Solitaire.


They are demanding that the Solitaireleaves Irish waters so that local 
teacher Maura Harrington (54), who has been on hunger strike for seven 
days, can bring her protest to an end.

Ms Harrington has said she will continue her hunger strike until the 
boat, brought in by Shell to lay the Corrib offshore gas pipeline, 
departs Irish waters.

Shell said last week that pipelaying has been suspended due to 
“technical issues” with the Solitaire.

The 300-metre boat, the largest pipe-laying vessel in the world, has 
returned to Killybegs, Co Donegal, where a full assessment of the damage 
is under way.
The Irish Timesunderstands a section of the Solitaire’spipe-laying 
apparatus, known as “the stinger”, became detached. The 100m section was 
retrieved from the water but will have to be re-attached before the 
vessel can begin the pipe-laying exercise. It is likely the repair work 
will need to be carried out in Rotterdam, which may take a few months.

Sources said “the stinger” was not damaged by protests in the waters 
around the ship. It is believed it broke off due to adverse weather 
conditions, including high winds and heavy swell.






http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0913/mayo.html

Four released after Corrib protests
Saturday, 13 September 2008 22:23
Four people who were arrested this afternoon at the Corrib Gas site at 
Glengad, Co Mayo have been released without charge.
The four were detained for public order offences.
A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.






http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,419002,00.html

14 Greenpeace Activists Arrested at Power Plant Protest in Israel
Monday, September 08, 2008
AP

Sept. 8: In this photo released by Greenpeace, a Greenpeace activist is 
arrested by Israeli police in Ashkelon's harbor.

ASHKELON, Israel — Israeli police have arrested 14 Greenpeace activists 
protesting Israel's plan to build an electricity power plant fueled by coal.
Jo Kooper, a spokeswoman for the group, said police moved in after 
activists on the Greenpeace flagship "Rainbow Warrior" spray-painted the 
slogan "Quit coal" on the side of a ship unloading coal at Ashkelon's 
harbor.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said they were detained upon entering a 
restricted area. Among the 14 arrested Monday were activists from 
Israel, Germany, France and Holland.
Greenpeace activists say they plan to sail to another 10 countries to 
protest coal-fired power plants.
Greenpeace activists lead protests against projects they feel harm the 
environment, including nuclear power and weapons.







http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/18336/Peaceful_Protestors_Lock_their_Bodies_to_Dominion_Power_Plant

Peaceful Protestors Lock their Bodies to Dominion Power Plant
Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:16:18 -0500
Summary:
All bureaucratic channels of resistance have been exhausted for Virginia 
residents who are trying to stop the construction of a coal fired power 
plant in their community. Therefore, to stop the spewing of mercury, 
CO2, sulfur-dioxide, and other “particles” in their backyard, residents 
of Wise County have resorted to non-violent civil disobedience. Joining 
them were citizens throughout Appalachia who are fighting mountain top 
removal coal mining (a method which will intensify with the construction 
of this plant) and supporters from around the country.
[Posted By STOPSTRIPMINING]
By For Immediate Release, Monday September 15
Republished from wiseupdominion.org
Protesters From Across the Country Join Wise County VA Residents to 
Oppose Power Plant’s Impact on Environment and Health, and to Demand a 
Clean Energy Future
Wise County, VA — At 6:00am this morning around 50 peaceful protesters 
entered the construction site of Dominion Virginia’s (NYSE: D) Wise 
County coal-fired power plant. Almost twenty protesters locked their 
bodies to eight large steel drums, two of which have operational solar 
panels affixed to the top that illuminated a banner reading “renewable 
jobs to renew Appalachia.” In addition to those locked to the 
construction site, over 25 protesters from across the country convened 
in front of the plant singing and holding a 10’x30’ banner, which said 
“we demand a clean energy future….
[end excerpt]
http://wiseupdominion.org/







http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0918/ryanair.html

Semi-naked protestor disrupts Ryanair AGM
Thursday, 18 September 2008 20:57
Ryanair's AGM has been interrupted by a shirtless man protesting about 
the airline's environmental record.
The protestor, who referred to himself as 'Rob Mac' from Lahinch, Co 
Clare, said that people with genuine concerns about the environment were 
being laughed at by Ryanair.
The man approached Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary as he was 
addressing shareholders at a hotel in Dublin Airport, saying he 
represented a group of 'eco-loonies' called Plane Mad.
Advertisement
The protestor, dressed only in a pair of black trousers, accused the 
low-fares airline of lying about the damage the industry is doing to the 
environment.
Mr O'Leary said taxing air travel would have no effect on climate change 
or emissions.
Meanwhile, the company's accounts show that Ryanair does not expect to 
make a profit this year.
The annual report shows that because of rising fuel prices the low-fares 
airline will finish the year in either a breakeven position or suffer a 
loss of €60m.
Speaking to shareholders, Mr O'Leary criticised the performance of Aer 
Lingus, the Dublin Airport Authority and the Commission for Aviation 
Regulation.







http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/climate-change-protest-melbourne-australia

Climate Change Protest Melbourne Australia
by wittaman1 | September 19, 2008 at 07:19 am
118 views | 0 Recommendations | add comment

by wittaman1

The Melbourne Climate Criminals Tour, Started outside Exxon Mobil then 
Bhp Billiton ending at the Victorian Parliament. About 100 People took 
part in the Protest.






http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200809/s2365813.htm

Locals protest Gunnedah coal mining
Tuesday, 16/09/2008
Hundreds of farmers in the north west New South Wales have protested at 
a coal conference about mining in the productive Liverpool Plains.
About 200 farmers travelled from throughout the region to meet outside 
the annual conference in Gunnedah.
They're worried about coal inspections in the Caroona basin which could 
lead to mining in one of the state's biggest food producing areas.
They want an independent study into the effect this could have on local 
water supplies.
The rally was peaceful, but it did get heated when local politicians 
said mining companies were too scared to do the study. But farmers vowed 
to take their concerns to Sydney.






http://news.www21.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=626941&rss=yes

Bob Brown leads Traveston Dam protest
15:41 AEST Sat Sep 6 2008
117 days 23 hours 50 minutes ago
By Nadine McGrath
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Greens leader Bob Brown has led a rally calling for the federal 
government to block the controversial proposed Traveston Dam across the 
Mary River in southeast Queensland.
The day after federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett decided to 
block Waratah Coal's $5.3 billion coal loading project in Queensland's 
Shoalwater Bay Senator Brown called on him to also say "No" to the 
Traveston Dam proposal.
Senator Brown said the dam should be opposed because it would flood 
thousands of hectares of prime food producing land near Brisbane, 
Aboriginal heritage sites and the main nursery for the world famous 
Australian Lungfish.
"I've told the minister there is no way he should allow the major 
breeding ground for the Australian Lungfish or the Mary River Turtle, or 
Mary River Cod, to be obliterated," Senator Brown said.
Hundreds of farmers and local residents gathered at the proposed $2.5 
billion dam site near Gympie, about 160km north of Brisbane, to protest 
against the proposal.
The Queensland government believes the dam is a key component of a water 
grid to drought-proof the state's southeast corner.
Senator Brown kayaked on the Mary with kayaker and environmentalist 
Steve Posselt, who earlier this year paddled the river length to raise 
awareness of the environmental dangers associated with the dam.
"By any measure, the decision to construct the Traveston Crossing Dam is 
flawed," Mr Posselt said.
"There are far better means of supplying water for Brisbane and these 
options must be explored."






http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/mining_foes_clash_at_gretna_forum/5787/

Mining foes clash at Gretna forum
By BERNARD BAKER

Published: August 23, 2008
GRETNA – Opponents of uranium mining in Pittsylvania County say the area 
is being used as a “sacrifice zone” for corporate profit.
About 75 people met Friday at Gretna Middle School for an education 
forum sponsored by Chatham-Pittsylvania County Southside Concerned Citizens.
Gregg Vickrey, chairman of the local group, said the area falls into the 
sacrifice zone category because of a small population, low incomes and 
lower educational standards.
“Uranium mining in Pittsylvania County is a bad, bad idea,” Vickrey 
said, adding he lives 6 miles from the possible mine site on Coles Hill.
Shireen Parsons, Virginia community organizer with the Community 
Environmental Legal Defense Fund, said uranium mining in the county is a 
corporate assault. She said uranium mining has never been done safely.
Once mining takes place, the dust particles will contaminate everything 
they touch, Parsons said.
She contends some fortunate people will be bought out and other families 
will have to walk away from their homes, with those left behind forced 
to deal with the health hazards of uranium mining.
“Are you willing to be guinea pigs?” Parsons said.
Supporters of uranium mining said the committee is using half-truths and 
scare tactics.
Henry Hurt, an investor in Virginia Uranium, said opposition claims are 
outrageous.
“Calling us corporate terrorists is so silly when there are honest 
concerns that need to be addressed,” he said. “People around here are 
too intelligent to be fooled by such irrational nonsense.”
Hurt said it would be hard to enforce a broad ordinance banning 
radioactive materials, like that sought by Chatham Mayor George Haley, 
since it could be interpreted to ban trucks or trains that carry these 
materials from passing through the area.
The ordinance passed by the town of Halifax outlawing chemical 
trespassing has a provision to allow succession, he noted.
John Anderson, of Renan, wanted to know what oversight role federal 
agencies, such as the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, would play.
Renan disagreed with Parsons’ view that the federal government would 
“rubber stamp” permits to OK mining operations.
“They just don’t rubber stamp these permits,” Anderson said, adding the 
federal government would probably want a say in what happens with the 
issue.






http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/26/2375488.htm

Greens protest coastal coal mining
Posted Fri Sep 26, 2008 3:28pm AEST
• Map: Bondi 2026
The Greens have held a protest at Sydney's Bondi Beach to call on 
federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett to stop a company exploring 
for coal off the New South Wales coast.
The company Energie Future has applied to the NSW Government to explore 
a 6,000-square-kilometre area of sea bed off the NSW coast for coal.
The company is seeking to use an experimental process to turn 
underground coal into gas and says it will submit an environmental plan.
But NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon says the project will impact on whale 
migration and water quality.
"This type of mining off the New South Wales coast comes under both the 
New South Wales Government and the Federal Government, and the Federal 
Government actually has the final sign-off," she said.
Ms Rhiannon says the experimental process to extract coal from the sea 
bed is too risky.
She is calling on Mr Garrett to rule out final approval of the project.
A spokesman for Mr Garrett says the Minister will give the application 
thorough and rigorous consideration in accordance with national 
environmental legislation.







http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/09/05/20080905cr-notower0906.html

S. Chandler neighbors protest Verizon cell tower plans
19 comments by Edythe Jensen - Sept. 5, 2008 11:49 AM
The Arizona Republic
When some Chandler neighbors learned that Verizon Wireless wanted to 
erect a 55-foot cellphone tower shaped like a palm tree near their 
homes, they protested with e-mails and petitions.
The City Council's willingness to delay a decision on the tower's permit 
request until Sept. 25 is giving them hope.
"When I found out how close it was going to be, I started doing research 
and realized that I'm really not OK with this," said Ginger Trudgen, 33, 
whose home in Arizona Estates northeast of Cooper Road and the Santan 
Freeway is about two blocks from the proposed tower. The "monopalm" 
would be on Arizona Department of Transportation land next to the 
freeway. Verizon would pay rent for the spot, said agency spokesman Tim 
Tait, but
Trudgen launched a petition drive against the tower and submitted 
signatures from 74 of her neighbors to the council last month. The 
"monopalm" would devalue property, and the radio waves it emits could 
pose health risks, she said.
Cities can't legally consider health issues in determining cell tower 
locations, said planner Bill Dermody. However, he urged the delay so 
Verizon could look at other locations or shared use of an existing 
tower. Last year, the council denied T-Mobile permission to erect a cell 
tower on the grounds of San Tan Junior High School.
"They're ugly and they have radio wave emissions; they should move it to 
an industrial park," said Matt Flansburg, 34, who signed the petition 
but said he's a Verizon customer.
Verizon spokeswoman Jenny Weaver said the company investigated options 
and considers the proposed site the best for its customers and planned 
service expansions. Locations away from neighborhoods on the south side 
of the Santan Freeway would be too close to Chandler Municipal 
Airportaccording to city documents.
Weaver said the company refers questions about health concerns to the 
Federal Communications Commission.







http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/7615508.stm

Sunday, 14 September 2008 16:17 UK

Hundreds protest at housing plans

Hundreds of people gathered to protest in Bournemouth on Sunday
Hundreds of people have held a protest over the prospect of thousands of 
new homes being built in Dorset.
The government wants to build 48,100 new homes in south-east Dorset by 
2026, including a new town at Lytchett Minster and 7,250 houses around 
Poole.
But protestors, who gathered in Bournemouth on Sunday, said it would eat 
into greenbelt land in the area and lead to "urban sprawl".
The government has said greenbelt land has grown over the past 10 years.
Brian Lane, of Keep Corfe Mullen Green, said: "This [protest] is to 
protect our green belt, which is there to stop urban sprawl. The 
proposals from the current government will not stop urban sprawl.
"It's wholly immoral."

The [green] belts are being run down until we have an urban sprawl

Sheila Bourton, Keep Wimborne Green
Sheila Bourton, of Keep Wimborne Green, was protesting at plans to build 
800 homes in Wimborne.
She added: "The [green] belts are being run down until we have an urban 
sprawl."
The protest was co-organised by the Dorset branch of the Campaign for 
the Preservation of Rural England (CPRE).
South West England has been named the most unaffordable place to live in 
England in terms of house prices relative to average income.
Last year Poole in Dorset was singled out by the National Housing 
Federation as the most unaffordable town in the UK.
Annette Brooke, MP for Mid-Dorset and Poole North, addressed the rally.
"You cannot build your way out of a crisis, you need local 
decision-making," she said.
"We need the right sort of homes, not executive homes that will draw 
people into the area or more second homes.
"We need appropriate housing provided by housing associations."
Nick King, the prospective Conservative candidate for Mid-Dorset and 
Poole North, said the government was forcing an "enormous" amount of 
housing on the area that local councils did not want.
"Local people should be deciding how many, where and what type [of 
housing]," he added.
"At the moment the government plans are just a charter for developers."







http://www.justnews.com/news/17426930/detail.html?rss=mia&psp=news

Residents Protest Proposed Shopping Plaza
POSTED: Tuesday, September 9, 2008
UPDATED: 7:57 am EDT September 9, 2008
COCONUT CREEK, Fla -- Residents in Coconut Creek are gearing up for a 
fight against the City Commission. Residents don't want a green space to 
be rezoned for stores they said they don't need.
Protesters were screaming into traffic at the corner of Atlantic 
Boulevard and Lyons Road, they want to keep that street corner from 
becoming the new home of another shopping plaza.
Right now the area is marsh land with a walking path, and activists say 
it's home to nearly endangered species. It is currently commercially 
zoned, but must be rezoned to accommodate a plaza as large as the one 
proposed.
The Cocomar Plaza will feature anchor stores like Kohl's and Lowes.
Coconut Creek resident Al Martinez said, "There is a Lowes ten minutes 
away on Sample Road and another Lowes six miles away. We don't need 
another hardware store."
The meeting gets started Thursday at 7 p.m.







http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/anti-uranium-protest-alice-springs-australia-0

Anti Uranium Protest Alice Springs Australia

uploaded by wittaman1 October 4, 2008 at 12:26 am
17 views | add comment | 0 recommendations

Over 100 people Marched through Alice Springs NT Protesting against the 
NT Govermentd decision to allow Uranium Exploration within 25 KM of 
Alice Springs in an Area that ispart of the towns water catchment area






http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/01/05/bc-encana-bombing-pipe.html

4th pipe line bombing in northeastern B.C.
Last Updated: Monday, January 5, 2009
A fourth explosion occurred at an EnCana Corporation natural gas 
facility in northeastern B.C, just east of Dawson Creek.
RCMP said EnCana gas line workers discovered a partially destroyed 
metering shed on Sunday at a wellhead near the community of Tomslake.
Investigators said the damage was the result of what appeared to be a 
deliberate attack similar to three other blasts that occurred at Encana 
operations in October.
The first blast on Oct. 11 was beside a sour gas line about 50 
kilometres east of Dawson Creek, B.C. The second occurred Oct. 16 along 
a pipeline off Highway 2, about half a kilometre from the provincial 
boundary with Alberta.
The third blast occurred on Oct. 31, about 12 kilometres northwest of 
Tomslake, B.C., near the Alberta border.
Many people in the area believe the explosions might be linked to a 
threatening letter sent to a local newspaper demanding that companies 
operating sour gas wells and pipelines in the area stop their operations.
Many critics of sour gas development fear the gas, which can be fatal if 
too much of it is inhaled, poses a danger to nearby residents.
The explosions are being investigated by Canada's anti-terror squad.






http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080907_mo_rockcontro.54b550de.html

Protested plant meets with more opposition at new site
02:10 AM CDT on Monday, September 8, 2008
By DARLA MILES / WFAA-TV
Darla Miles reports
September 7, 2008
FORT WORTH - A concrete controversy continues after residents fought to 
get a rock-crushing plant out of their backyard. While they won that 
fight, families who live near the new location say they don't want it 
near them either.
Dee Jennings has lived in Forest Hill for nearly 30 years, and may be 
getting a new neighbor. The city of Fort Worth just approved a zoning 
permit for a rock-crushing plan operated by Destructors, Inc. The plant 
plans to set up shop a few miles away from his home, which is on the 
Fort Worth-Forest Hill border.
"We're going to catch all of the pollution, all of the dust," said Dee 
Jennings, a Forest Hill resident.
Destructors had a temporary site near Oak Grove and the Interstate 35W 
and Interstate 20 interchange. However, the nearby neighborhood of 
Highland Hills fought the company's application to make it their 
permanent site. They complained about the dust, noise and the traffic 
from heavy trucks. They won, and Destructors was forced to make a plan 
to move on.
The new location is planned at Freeman and Esco drives in the city of 
Fort Worth. But the only way to get there is via a two-lane asphalt 
road, Anglin Drive. Anglin Drive, which is in the city of Forest Hill, 
is also home to soccer, football and cheerleading.
"It is the field in Forest Hill," Jennings said. "So, I just think, you 
come on top of our kids like that, it's wrong. And, I guarantee you 
there is no other community that would want that that period."
Forest Hill's city manager, David Miller, says in order to sustain the 
traffic from rock haulers, the street needs to be a four-lane, cement road.
"We're not bumping heads with the city of Fort Worth," he said. "[The] 
city of Fort Worth understands our concerns."
Miller is now appealing to the state senate to try to get the rock 
crushers to move again. In the meantime, the city plans to ticket every 
truck that drives down Anglin, a no truck zone.
"As it stands right now, the trucks are not legally allowed to operate 
on that road," Miller said.
Meanwhile, the city of Fort Worth says they were the ones that paid to 
repave Anglin Drive in 2004.
The new rock crushing location is in council member Kathleen Hicks' 
district. She said the city worked hard find an industrial area for the 
site and that they have gone above and beyond their duty to negotiate 
the use of Anglin Drive between Forest Hill and Destructors.
As for Destructors, they offered to pay Forest Hill around $100,000 a 
year for the use of Anglin Drive.
E-mail dmiles at wfaa.com






http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/west/epaper/2008/09/20/0920fplprotest.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=73

Protest at FPL plant site more peaceful than Feb. clash
By PAUL QUINLAN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 20, 2008
By comparison, it was a walk in the park.
A second protest staged at the construction site of a new power plant in 
western Palm Beach County went off without incident Saturday, in sharp 
contrast to the February demonstration that provoked a clash with 
sheriff's deputies and ended with 27 arrests.
This time, a phalanx of deputies arrived in advance and kept close watch 
over the two-hour event, in which a klatch of at least 50 environmental 
activists chanted, pounded drums and waved signs at passing traffic on 
Southern Boulevard.
The object of their scorn: Florida Power & Light's West County Energy 
Center.
FPL boasts that the gas power plant will be among the cleanest of its 
kind in the nation, situated to feed growth in nearby communities and 
provide about $273 million in savings to customers.
But the activists Saturday decried the plant as a boondoggle intended to 
catalyze growth on rural, western-county lands while belching pollutants 
and injecting wastewater deep underground at a site just across the 
street from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and stormwater 
treatment areas that feed into the Everglades.
"Power plants like this are basically the beating heart of a system of 
destruction and development," Peter "Panagioti" Tsolkas, a key organizer 
of both protests, told the group before they set off around 11 a.m. on a 
one-mile march along Southern Boulevard to the site, also the entrance 
to the Palm Beach Aggregates quarry.
Florida Power & Light responded in a statement: "We respect everyone's 
right to free speech, but this group's allegations have no more legal 
merit today than at past protest rallies. The West County Energy Center 
will be the cleanest facility its kind in Florida and one of the 
cleanest in the nation."
Deputies - roughly one for each protester present - stood watch along 
the route and at the site, where barricades were set up to keep the 
activists from blocking the quarry's driveway.
"Our goal is to ensure a peaceful demonstration, recognizing the 
constitutional rights of the demonstrators while allowing commerce to 
flow freely," Major Rich Jenkins of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's 
Office said beforehand.
The protesters were under similar orders, as organizers with the 
Everglades Environmental Coalition had billed the event as "peaceful" 
and "family-friendly" with the hope of broadening their support base and 
attracting a larger turnout than ultimately materialized.
Having promoted it as such, "we felt we couldn't put people's well-being 
on the line," said organizer Russell McSpadden, 29, of West Palm Beach.
Fanning out on the north and south shoulders of Southern Boulevard, the 
activists chanted ("Corruption! Rock Mining! Fossil Fuels! Out of the 
Everglades!") and passed the megaphone for impromptu speeches before the 
captive audience of jump-suited deputies.
The groups have also filed a federal lawsuit alleging, among other 
things, that the plant underwent slipshod environmental review in 
violation of federal law. They have asked that construction be halted in 
the meantime.
Each of the West County Energy Center's three units will produce about 
1,250 megawatts of power, enough to serve 250,000 homes and businesses, 
according to FPL. The units will go online one after the other in 2009, 
2010 and 2011.
For the first two years, the plant will draw water from the Floridan 
Aquifer, before switching to reuse water in 2011, said FPL.
Environmentalists are wary of assurances that the process is clean and 
safe. As Marc Silverstein, 22, of Boca Raton said, "I'm not drinking the 
water once this is done."
~'paul_quinlan at pbpost.com






http://www.wpbf.com/news/17521232/detail.html

Activists Protest FP&L Plant To Be Built Near Wildlife Refuge
Palm Beach Co. Police In Full Force To Ensure Crowd's Safety
POSTED: 7:01 pm EDT September 20, 2008
UPDATED: 7:08 pm EDT September 20, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Palm Beach County police were in full force 
along state Road 80 on Saturday as a group of environmentalists 
protested a new Florida Power and Light energy plant.
Protesters came out by the dozens to make their point.
"Anything worth fighting for is always hard to fight for," one protester 
said.
A couple dozen environmentalists rallied in front of wetlands against a 
new power plant set to be built across the street along state Road 80.
"If we watch these developers and commissioners continue to rezone land 
and industrialize wild places, there will be nothing left," a protester 
said.
Members of the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition said they're 
outraged that FP&L wants to put its new site so close to a wildlife 
refuge. The group is fighting permits and the project itself on all 
levels, including in federal court.
"It's horrible, and people are ignoring it because FP&L is so well 
politically connected," said protester Panagioti Tsolkis. "We need to 
stand up and stop it."
"We just need to win once and we can pull the plug on the power plant," 
protester Barry Silver said.
On Saturday morning, the protesters took their battle to Southern 
Boulevard and marched down to Palm Beach Aggregates to make their point.
"Would you want it next to your house?" asked protester Alexandria Larson.
Larson said there are many other protests to come.
Police arrested a couple dozen protesters in February at the same site 
after they caused a traffic nightmare.
"We blockaded the road," Larson said. "It was a peaceful display of 
civil disobedience."
Palm Beach County Regional Major Rick Jenkins said that won't happen 
this time, and he's brought in officers on foot, horseback and 
four-wheelers to make sure of it.
"It's a multi-faceted approach to ensure that we have every base 
covered," Jenkins said.
The protesters said they hope their message packs a big punch.





http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Blow-for-Pollok-adventure-park.4456575.jp

Blow for Pollok adventure park protesters

Published Date: 04 September 2008
By Stephen McGinty
A CONTROVERSIAL tree-top adventure course is set to be built in Pollok 
Park, despite widespread opposition, after the Scottish Government 
yesterday refused to intervene on Glasgow City Council's plans.
Protesters, who enjoyed the support of Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First 
Minister, had hoped the decision to build high-level rope walkways and 
slides in North Wood near the Burrell Collection would be called in and 
over-turned.

However, a spokesman for the Scottish Government said ministers would 
not issue any restrictions or call in the plan.

Glasgow City Council, which previously passed the application, will now 
have the final say, while campaigners are looking at ways to launch a 
legal challenge.

The Go Ape development would be the latest in a chain of 17 adventure 
playgrounds featuring slides and high rope walkways. The scheme, which 
was passed by the city's planning department in March, was then referred 
to Holyrood as the council, which would be paid for leasing the land, 
had a financial interest in the venture.

Prior to the vote, a high-profile campaign, Save Pollok Park, was 
started by residents and attracted 900 written objections, a 
4,000-signature petition and the support of Ms Sturgeon, who is also MSP 
for Glasgow Govan.

Last night, a Scottish Government spokesman said: "It is not ministers' 
intention to intervene in this application … The council has been 
authorised to deal with the application."

Bill Fraser, spokesman for Save Pollok Park, said: "We're extremely 
disappointed. We're going to seriously consider a legal challenge to the 
council's right to grant a lease in Pollok Park."

Mr Fraser said he believed the council did not have the ability to grant 
a lease to the adventure course without the permission of the National 
Trust for Scotland and the Maxwell family, which gifted Pollok Park to 
the city.

Last night, a spokeswoman for Go Ape said: "We welcome the Scottish 
Government's indication that the application will not be called in by 
ministers. We have always felt it is up to elected representatives to 
decide on the best way forward, whether it be at national or local 
level. It would be inappropriate to make any further comment until the 
formal planning process has been fully completed."

She added: "This year has been a tremendous year with about 20,000 
people having enjoyed visiting Go Ape in Aberfoyle. About one-third of 
those come from the Glasgow area and have to make a lengthy drive into 
the Trossachs, so we would like to be able to provide this challenging 
and exciting outdoors activity closer to home."

The council will now send out decision notices to Go Ape and all the 
objectors informing them that the adventure course has been given the 
go-ahead.







http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Protest-group-goes-ape-over.4467216.jp

Protest group goes ape over vandal attack at playpark
Published Date: 08 September 2008
By CLAIRE GARDNER
A TREE-TOP adventure park in Perthshire has been vandalised in an attack 
being linked to protests targeted at a similar centre proposed for 
Glasgow's Pollok Park.
Vandals calling themselves Fight for Pollok Park cut three tree-top zip 
wires and daubed graffiti on trees at the Go Ape park in Aberfoyle last 
Friday.

The attack happened two days after the Scottish Government refused to 
step in to halt the same
ADVERTISEMENT

company building a controversial Go Ape adventure course in Glasgow.

Staff at the Aberfoyle adventure centre found the vandalism on Saturday 
morning while carrying out routine safety checks before the playground 
opened.

They discovered the zip wires had been cut half way down.

Graffiti saying "Go Away Ape" and signed FFPP had been daubed on trees.

According to staff, similar graffiti had been written at Pollok Park 
several months ago.

It is believed the graffiti and initials FFPP, which stand for Fight for 
Pollok Park, were written by a splinter campaign group at Pollok Park at 
the start of the summer and that the attacks are linked.

Last night, Bill Fraser, spokesman for Save Pollok Park, distanced 
himself from the vandals.

He said: "We absolutely condemn vandalism of any sort, particularly if 
it could put lives at risk. We have never campaigned against Go Ape as 
an activity, just its location in Pollok Park which we think is 
unsuitable. Anyone carrying out such acts of vandalism has no place in 
our campaign."

The Glasgow Go Ape development, which would be the latest in a chain of 
17 adventure playgrounds featuring slides and high rope walkways, has 
attracted fierce opposition.

The Save Pollok Park campaign attracted 900 written objections, and 
4,000-signatures on a petition when the planning application was submitted.

The scheme, passed by the city's planning department in March, was 
referred to Holyrood as Glasgow City Council, which would be paid for 
leasing the land, had a financial interest in the venture.

Objectors, backed by Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy First Minister, had 
hoped the decision would be called in.

However, last Wednesday ministers said they would not do so and the 
council, will have the final say.

Tristram Mayhew, chief executive of Go Ape said:

"As a matter of routine, all Go Ape courses are checked thoroughly by 
staff each day before they can be used by any member of the public.

"It was during these checks that the issues at Aberfoyle came to light.

"However I am pleased to say that repairs are under way and the course 
should be back to normal by the early part of this week."

Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, who opposed the plan, said: 
"There is no excuse for any vandalism especially in anything that puts 
visitors at risk.

"Greens remain opposed to the Pollok Park scheme because of its location 
but in the right place Go Ape is an excellent way of getting kids out 
into Scotland's countryside."

A spokesman for Central Scotland Police said "We are currently 
investigating a report of vandalism at these premises."








http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/09/409474.html

Birmingham Guild of Students+RBS+police collude to criminalise protest 
on campus
Birmingham student | 25.09.2008 20:39 | Birmingham
On Tuesday 23rd September the University of Birmingham Guild of Students 
attempted to stop its own student members from holding and distributing 
materials from their own stall criticising the Royal Bank of Scotland, a 
paying exhibitor at a corporate freshers fair held on the same day in 
another part of the building. At an incident later in the day the Guild 
refused to intervene when police threatened to arrest students 
distributing leaflets unless they disclosed their names, addresses and 
other details.

On the morning of Tuesday 23rd September Guild staff and reps attempted 
to confiscate material critical of the Royal Bank of Scotland from a 
stall organised by People & Planet, a Guild society, in the 'Change the 
World Fair' on the request of RBS, a paying exhibitor at a fair in 
another part of the building. Stall holders refused and after a 
protracted and heated argument the Guild rep conceded that she no 
grounds to enforce RBS's request and left. RBS was unhappy that 
literature critical of the banks unsustainable funding of oil and gas 
projects, part of a sustained national campaign by People & Planet 
endorsed by the NUS, had found its way down to the corporate fair in the 
hands of interested students. This encounter was quickly followed by 
another representation by a different pair of staff + rep which now 
informed the stall holders that any body found distributing materials in 
the corporate fair would be removed by security, on further highly 
dubious grounds.

Later in the day, in direct defiance of the Guild's unprecedented 
intervention in the right of students to hold and distribute pre - 
approved material on union premises, one member flyered students 
immediately next to the RBS stall. Instead of allowing the union 
officials to deal with the incident RBS staff summoned two police 
officers who informed the student that his actions - distributing 
material critical of RBS - may constitute a 'breach of the peace' and 
proceeded to take him aside and attempt to obtain his details under 
threat of arrest. After initially refusing he called for some assistance 
from another student at which point the police changed their story and 
claimed they needed to take his details in case he committed some 
offense in the future if he refused to leave the university grounds. 
After it became clear to the police that the details of neither himself 
nor his 'assistance' were going to be disclosed they left , informing 
the student that if he did not leave university premises he would be 
liable for arrest. At no point during this farcical attempt by the 
police to intimidate the student into disclosing his details did any 
member of Guild staff or rep attempt to intervene in the interest of the 
students welfare.

These incidents represent a worrying development in the way the 
Birmingham Guild of Students treats the rights of students to raise 
awareness about pertinent political issues amongst the student body, 
both under the law and its own constitution. The actions of West 
Midlands Police also appear to be an attempt to criminalise lawful 
protest on campus, as well as an attempt to gather intelligence and 
criminalise a much wider network of individuals engaged in criticism of 
the company in collusion with the company. It remains to be seen how 
this strategy will develop as the campaign against RBS is widened to 
other events on campus and elsewhere during the coming academic year.
Birmingham student






http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10532001&ref=rss

Artist sells defaced prints to fund wind farm protest
12:55PM Saturday Sep 13, 2008
Artist Grahame Sydney, a vocal opponent of plans for wind farm 
developments in Central Otago, has defaced prints of one of his most 
famous paintings and is selling them to raise money to fund protest 
group Save Central.
Sydney is president of the Save Central group.
The 760mm by 1520mm defaced prints of Timeless Land had turbines painted 
in blood red, graffiti-style, across the landscape to emphasise the 
viciousness of wind-farm proposals, Sydney told the Otago Daily Times.
The group was looking to carry on its appeal against Project Hayes when 
hearings resumed in January and was looking for financial support.
The 1000 prints cost $35 delivered and for $50 punters could have their 
print inscribed and signed by Sydney.
They are available online at the Save Central website. Sydney painted 
Timeless Land in 1992.
The original is now part of a private collection.
- NZPA







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/12/stories/2008091259880300.htm

Karnataka

Rajkumar fans protest
Some 200 fans of the late actor Rajkumar held a protest against the 
private buses on Bangalore-Mysore Road, after a bus hit the pedestal 
supporting the bust of the thespian at around 5.45 a.m. on Thursday near 
Pantharapalya. The structure was damaged. The angry fans dispersed after 
the bus owner assured them he would get it repaired, the Byatarayanpura 
Traffic police said.







http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/09/09/life_of_georgia_building.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13

Preservationists protest plan to raze Life of Georgia building
By JIM AUCHMUTEY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
A Midtown hospital’s expansion may claim a piece of Atlanta history.
Emory Crawford Long Hospital plans to demolish the 78-year-old Life of 
Georgia building, at West Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue, to make 
way for a medical complex scheduled to open in 2013.
Enlarge this image

Rich Addicks/raddicks at ajc.com
The 1930, white Indiana limestone building, decorated with pilasters, 
rosettes and swags across the top, is slated for demolition to make way 
for expansion of Emory Crawford Long Hospital.
Enlarge this image

Rich Addicks/raddicks at ajc.com
Emory Crawford Long Hospital holds a permit to raze the building to make 
way for the hospital’s expansion. Jeff Clemmons discovered the 
demolition permit as he researched Midtown architecture for a tour he 
leads for the Atlanta Preservation Center.
“We considered rehabilitating the building, but it just wasn’t conducive 
to world-class health care,” said the hospital’s chief operating 
officer, Dane Peterson. “We’d have to gut it. It would be very expensive.”
Crawford Long’s plans have started to draw opposition. The Atlanta 
Preservation Center, a nonprofit advocacy group, launched an online 
petition signed by more than 275 people asking the hospital to reconsider.
But the petitioners are mounting an uphill battle. The building is not 
landmarked under the city’s preservation ordinance, and the owner of 
record, Emory Healthcare, holds a demolition permit.
“That doesn’t mean the building isn’t worth protecting,” said Boyd 
Coons, executive director of the preservation group. “Midtown has never 
been properly surveyed, and many significant properties have fallen 
between the cracks.”
The six-story building was erected in 1930 as the headquarters for the 
Industrial Life and Health Insurance Co. Renamed Life of Georgia, the 
business remained there until it moved up the street to a new high-rise 
in 1968. The company has since been sold.
Clad in white Indiana limestone and decorated with pilasters, rosettes 
and swags across the top, the building was designed in an understated 
style that Georgia Tech architecture professor Robert Craig calls 
“modern classic.” The architects, Charles Frazier and Daniel Bodin, were 
best known for designing posh homes for wealthy Atlantans in the Tuxedo 
Park area of Buckhead. Frazier also did an estate for one of Coca-Cola 
magnate Asa G. Candler’s sons that still stands on Emory’s west campus 
on Briarcliff Road.
After Life of Georgia vacated its building, Doctors Memorial Hospital 
took over the space. When the hospital folded in 1986, Emory purchased 
the property and used it for offices and outpatient surgery until 2002.
Crawford Long has considered razing the structure for several years, but 
preservationists didn’t get wind of it until this summer. Jeff Clemmons, 
who works for a nearby law firm, discovered the demolition permit as he 
was researching Midtown architecture for a walking tour he leads for the 
preservation center.
“I hadn’t noticed the building before,” he said. “You don’t notice how 
beautiful it is unless you stop on the sidewalk and look. You don’t 
really see it if you’re driving by because West Peachtree is such a blur.”
That traffic is one reason Crawford Long wants to remove the building. 
An interstate ramp dumps onto Linden, often creating a bottleneck on the 
narrow street.
“We’d like to widen it to four lanes, if the city would let us,” said 
Crawford Long’s Peterson.
The hospital is still fleshing out its plans and does not intend to tear 
down the building anytime soon. In the meantime, it is conducting an 
audit of the property’s architectural features that might be worth reusing.
“We’d like to incorporate some of them in the new construction,” said 
Peterson, who finds some of the marble detailing “neat.”
The hospital plans to set up a meeting with the preservation center to 
discuss the possibilities. Coons welcomes the opportunity and points out 
that Crawford Long has managed to preserve two landmarks on its campus: 
the 1930 W.W. Orr Doctors’ Building and the 1911 Davis-Fischer Sanatorium.
“I’d like to ask them why they can’t build their expansion on the 
surface parking lot they own across the street,” Coons said. “Maybe we 
can get them to rethink their plans and save the building — or at least 
a part of it.”







http://www.denverpost.com/ci_10329631?source=rss

Followers of Greek gods will stage protest
Denver Post Wire Report
Posted: 08/29/2008 12:30:00 AM MDT


ATHENS, Greece — A small group of pagans pledged Thursday to hold a 
protest prayer among the Acropolis temples, more than 1,500 years after 
Christians stamped out worship of the ancient Greek gods.
Group spokeswoman Doretta Peppa said the worshippers would pray Sunday 
to Athena — goddess of wisdom and patron of ancient Athens — to protect 
the 2,500-year-old site. Peppa said followers of the old religion object 
to the removal of hundreds of sculptural masterpieces from a museum on 
the Acropolis to a large new building.






http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7617902.stm

Monday, 15 September 2008 22:48 UK

Protest over updated Falmer plans

The new design for the stadium has more room for seating
Plans for a football stadium in Brighton have met with further 
opposition from the local community.
Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club are hoping to get planning 
permission from the city council for the 22,000-seater Falmer Stadium's 
latest design.
New health and safety and disability access rules have meant the 
original plans had to be changed.
Protesters said the new design does not fit in with the local area but 
the club said the changes were "minor".
The initial planning application for the 22,000-seater stadium on land 
north of Village Way, in Falmer, was submitted to Brighton and Hove City 
Council in 2001.

The design of the stadium was sold... to the public on the fact it would 
blend in with the area of outstanding natural beauty

Melanie Cutress, Falmer Parish Council
It was were accepted by the government in July 2007 after a High Court 
challenge and two public inquiries - but the new safety and disability 
rules forced the club to resubmit fresh plans.
The new design allows more room for seating, and a landscaped area at 
one end of the planned stadium had been altered to accommodate shops, 
offices and a power plant.
Melanie Cutress, from Falmer Parish Council, said: "Block work walls and 
metal roofs - well, that's not acceptable.
"The design of the stadium was sold to the community, to the council, to 
the public on the fact it would blend in with the area of outstanding 
natural beauty. But this won't blend in."
The South Downs Society has also objected to the new plans.
The club, which has already invested £6m on the stadium, said it is 
determined to start work on the building in December.
Martin Perry, chief executive of the club, said said they were confident 
the would get planning permission.
He said: "All we're doing is making minor changes to it. The principle 
has not changed, the overall concept has not changed."