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Climate Camp to target UK's largest power station

Yesterday it was announced that the Camp for Climate Action will target Drax, the largest power station in Europe and the single largest emiter of carbon dioxide in the UK.

Alison Templeton from the Camp for Climate Action said:
"The only solution to climate change is a drastic cut in our energy
consumption. Drax continues to belch out emissions while we are staring catastrophe in the face. It has to go."

The Camp for Climate Action will be held in ‘Megawatt Valley’, near Leeds, home of Drax, Eggborough and Ferrybridge power stations. The camp promises education about climate change, sustainable living, and direct action targeting those responsible for the worst emissions.

The Camp for Climate Action is inspired by environmental protest camps such as the Newbury Bypass campaign, and the Eco-village in Stirling, which was a base for anti-capitalist protests at the G8 in 2005.

The camp will be held from 26th August - 4th September. Powered by alternative energy, the camp will demonstrate practical solutions in action. The camp will offer information, education and space for debate on the science and politics of tackling climate change. There will be practical skills to learn, from ideas for sustainable living to strategies for taking action.

Activist Zoe Armstrong said: "Climate change casts a huge shadow over our society. Governments and corporations cannot solve this problem for us, it’s up to us to act now. The Camp for Climate Action will be a key moment in kick-starting the radical action that is needed to tackle climate change."

For more information visit:
www.climatecamp.org.uk
Contact:
0794 458 6036
0790 180 2177

info@climatecamp.org.uk

1 – Drax burns more than 13 million tonnes of coal every year (Drax
website

http://www.draxpower.com/about.php?page=fun ) and emits 20.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, making it the largest single emitter in the UK (Guardian, 16 May 06

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1775695,00.html )
Drax is the UK’s 4th most polluting power station per unit of electricity produced (WWF ‘Dirty Thirty’ report, October 2005

http://assets.panda.org/downloads/dirty30rankingfinal260905.pdf )

2 – The Camp for Climate Action is being organised through open public meetings. These meeting have taken place in Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Bristol, Leeds and London. The next meeting will be held in Scotland.

3 - 'Drax the Destroyer' is also a Marvel Comics villain.

Camp for Climate Action
e-mail: info@climatecamp.org.uk
Homepage: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

Additions

Action against 'Drax the Destroyer' is well over due

20.06.2006 17:32

This June DRAX entered the FTSE 100, as share prices went through the roof. Fears in the gas and oil energy markets are boosting the market in coal energy. Coal continues to be the by far the dirtiest way of producing energy, although the UK grid is relying on it more and more. While the rest of us sweat about a future of climate chaos, DRAX shareholders are raking in profits. Action against 'DRAX the destroyer' is well overdue. 'He' is the perfect target for the climate camp.

Drax produced 6.2mil tonnes over its EU carbon allowance last year, and produces more carbon annually than 1/4 of all private motor vehicles or 1/3 of all home in the UK. Resistance against the causes of climate change has to focus on the massive corporate polluters. At last, The Camp of Climate Action is a response to climate chaos that shows that simply changing light bulbs does not address the big picture.

Check out

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2184145.html
and

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1775695,00.html

super heros against climate change!

Mainstream press coverage

20.06.2006 18:13

There's been mainstream press interest in the location of the camp announcement.

There was a short in the Financial Times:

Activists in threat to close Drax
By Fiona Harvey

FT, June 20 2006 03:00

Environmental activists threatened to try and close down Drax power station in
order to protest against the effect of greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired
power plants. The Camp for Climate Action will hold a meeting near the power
station from August 26 to September 4 and said it would use similar tactics to
those used in last year's G8 protests in order to close the power plant. Drax
said it planned to consult the police but was unlikely to have to close. It
said it was the most coal-fired efficient power plant in the UK.

Also coverage in the local and regional press

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/yorknews/display.var.799774.0.drax_target_of_ecoprotest.php

http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1575324

http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=104&ArticleID=1575451

Let's roll!

Camp for Climate Action
mail e-mail: info@climatecamp.org
home Homepage: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk