Tag: Environment

Why I went to Germany to shut down coal mining operations in the midst of one of the most important general elections of a generation

Comment,

I have consistently gone to every single Ende Gelände action in Germany. In fact I am the only person from the UK who has gone to every one of the seven large mass direct actions against coal in the country. The last one happened on Saturday the 30th of November in the East of Germany

Fracking Moratorium or Electioneering? December 12th and Brexit May Hold The Key

Comment,

Fracking Moratorium or Electioneering? December 12th and Brexit May Hold The Key A month ago, shortly after calling a General Election, the Conservative Government abruptly decided to pass a moratorium on fracking, citing concerns about seismicity. To many, the decision looks like electioneering; a pledge to put fracking on pause while marginal seats in threatened

Travelling to the COP25 summit in Madrid? Make sure you know your rights

Activism and the law,

If you are planning to travel from Britain to protests at the United Nations COP25 climate change conference in Madrid, which begins next week, it is important that you know about the Spanish state’s approach to freedom of assembly and in particular the extremely draconian Basic Law for the Protection of Public Security (Ley Orgánica

Battle for Amulsar: UK mining giant using corporate courts to attack community opposed to massive gold mine

World,

Early last week—despite popular resistance and grave environmental concerns—the Armenian government green-lit a gold mine on Amulsar Mountain in Southern Armenia. The new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who steered the movement that brought about Armenia’s ‘Velvet Revolution,’ appears to have bowed to pressure from mining firm Lydian International, including the threat of a $2 billion

Notes from the US: The mockery of climate crisis

Roundup,

Freedom’s long-running US correspondent Louis Further does his monthly roundup of some of the lesser-known stories that have emerged over the last few weeks. Environment It’s often difficult for thoughtful and well-informed people to understand how and why spokespeople for and activists on the right seem incapable of understanding the threats posed by climate change;

Durham community group to prosecute coal company over habitat destruction

News,

Campaign to Protect Pont Valley has launched a private prosecution against Banks Group for destroying the breeding and resting places of protected Great Crested Newts at Brooms Pond, on Bradley opencast coal site. The activists are currently crowdfunding to raise the money needed to bring Banks Group to justice. The controversial site lies adjacent to

Indonesia: local activists sentenced to prison

World,

The 7 prisoners from Sukorharjo in Central Java province charged for involvement in the riots outside the PT. RUM synthetic textiles factory faced their final hearing last Tuesday. The conflict between RUM and the local residents began in October last year, when RUM opened the factory. Since then, the inhabitants of 16 nearby villages reported putrid

Loughborough Students Risk Disciplinary Action on Fossil Fuel Campaign

Comment,

At the start of the academic year something unusual happened at Loughborough University. Whereas undergraduates normally avoid politics on campus a small group got together to discuss a campaign to encourage the university to take their investments out of fossil fuels. Initially the Loughborough People and Planet campaign had the support of Loughborough Students’ Union