everal climate activists, including Tamsin Omond wearing her long white 'suffragette' dress, frilly blouse and straw hat and veil, took the short train ride to Hayes for a service in St Anselm's Church at the start of a walk by the London Churches Environmental Network, which called in later at the Climate Rush camp on the Greenpeace Heathrow Airplot at Sipson.

There the other Climate Rushers were preparing for the afternoon's 'Celebration of Community Resistance' in which activists from around the country came to give short presentations on their campaigns. The presentations were interactive, with a volunteer representing the 'climate villains' involved, visual backdrops for each campaign and a song with a verse for each protest written during the morning by the Climate Rushers.

We heard first hand accounts of the battle to save the remaining Radley Lakes from dumping of pulverized ash from Didcot power station, the campaign against the opencast mining only a few yards from housing on Merthyr Common at Merthyr Tydfil (renamed Fos-y-Fran by the mining company, the opposition in County Mayo to the high pressure gas pipeline at Rossport, The IMF/World Bank's forcing the privatisation of water supplies around the world. Two ex-workers from Vestas talked about their fight to preserve green jobs and finally Geraldine from NoTRAG talked about the campaign against the third runway at Heathrow - and Tamsin Omond amused us all in a rather active role as the villain.

What was common to many of these accounts was the evidence of corruption and illegal activities by the companies and governments involved attempting to maximise profit at the expense of the planet. With a few exceptions, the mainstream press has failed to investigate or expose scandals and in some cases is owned or controlled by those who have a financial interest or rely on advertising income from companies that are exploiting the planet.

Among those in the audience, together with local residents were the local MP, John McDonnell and climate activist and transport campaigner John Stewart, Chair of HACAN ClearSkies.

The Climate Rushers tour continues with events at Haddenham and Aylesbury (8-10 Sept), Oxford (12-13th), Stroud (18-19th), Bristol (21st), Taunton (24th), Exeter (26-7th) before ending at Totnes on 30th Sept.

More pictures from the Climate Rush on Saturday on My London Diary:
Climate Rush on the Run
 http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2009/09/sep.htm#climaterush
Celebration of Community Resistance
 http://mylondondiary.co.uk/2009/09/sep.htm#resistance