Leave it in the ground
National Meeting of groups planning to take action against new UK coal developments
Yard Theatre, 41 Old Birley Street, Hulme, Manchester M15 5RF
11th / 12th October
National Meeting of groups planning to take action against new UK coal developments
Yard Theatre, 41 Old Birley Street, Hulme, Manchester M15 5RF
11th / 12th October
Climate change is the biggest threat facing us, and burning coal is the biggest historical cause of climate change. Every day more coal is burned, yet industry and government seem intent on burning even more.
‘Leave it in the ground’ is the slogan of a new network for groups taking action opposing new coal developments in the UK, including the 30+ planned opencast sites and seven new coal-fired power stations. Added to those already operating, and the coal import and transport facilities, these projects represent a massive threat to our ability to cut greenhouse gas emissions to safe levels, and would be a disaster for the climate as well as for local areas.
The first ‘Leave it in the ground’ meeting will be held at the Yard Theatre, 41 Old Birley
Street, Hulme, Manchester M15 5RF, on 11 and 12 October.
The network plans to be a way for groups to share skills and experience in different areas and to encourage collaboration on common goals. It is a loose network of equals, and is not affiliated to any political party or NGO.
The proposed agenda for this meeting includes:
Saturday 11th
§ Introduction to the UK coal industry
§ Updates on opposition to coal developments in the UK, including the campaigns against the Ffos-y-Fran (near Merthyr Tydfil) and Lodge House (Derbyshire) opencast sites, the 2008 Climate Camp and the proposed Kingsnorth coal-fired power station blockade.
§ Discussing climate change solutions, including the importance of a socially just transition to a low-carbon economy.
§ Thinking about how our network will function, its decision-making structure, name and communications
§ Planning initial events and strategy for the network
§ Regional networking between groups
Sunday
§ Media training
§ Introduction to direct action planning
§ Further discussions on climate change, climate justice and international networking
If you can only make one day of the meeting, please try to come on Saturday. We will aim to start at 10:00 and to finish by 18:00 to allow for travel. The meeting will free, lunch and evening meal on Saturday and lunch on Sunday will be available for donations.
If you would like to attend, please register by emailing
info@leaveitintheground.org.uk, with ‘meeting’ in the subject line, stating how many of your group wish to attend, any special dietary or access requirements and whether you want accommodation for Saturday night. Free accommodation will probably be ‘crashpad’ only, but we can provide details of nearby hotels etc. For those travelling from far off, we will operate a ‘pool fare’ system to even out the costs of travel. The venue is about ten minutes walk from Manchester Oxford Road station, and is served by number 54 and 86 buses, with many others serving the nearby Stretford road. More details on the GMPTE website.
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Comments
Hide the following 9 comments
Not more Green hippies
05.09.2008 13:13
There is the possibility of a joint campaign against Open cast, i suggest you try and set this up with the local NUM's around the country before jumping straight into a head on crash of a campaign which only expends the energy of youth.
Real social transformation happens with people other than yourself, other than green hippies, you should try campaigning in former coal mining areas first.
Northumbria
no open cast / no imported coal
05.09.2008 14:41
if the only fossil fuels used in this country were the fossil fuels mined here that would be a dramatic reduction which would be a huge step in the right direction.
if we are right in believing that abandoning all fossil fuels is necessary to save this planet from destruction, let's at least make the decision to target open cast and imported coal first. we'd be in a much stronger position to make the argument to stop all coal if we'd managed to stop open cast and imported coal already - for a start we'd be taken seriously if we had a proven track record!
it seems that some people involved in contemporary environmental political campaigning have no understanding of politics!
no open cast
no understading or different?
05.09.2008 19:42
It's a massive issue and people are all trying to get their heads around how to face up to it. Let's be constructive about it
roo
More networking with social groups who are DIFFERENT to you needed
05.09.2008 20:37
No Open cast was right, rather than see things becoming more possible through practical politics and networking, with the former mining communities for example, you just want to press ahead with an idealistic campaign which involves no real politics of building coalitions on things that unify us, rather than divide us.
I support attempts to build links with mining communities on a No Open Cast , and standards of coal use which are build on sound Health and Safety levels - which in practice means no imported coal (25K - yes 25000, Chinese miners die every year in the mines over there).
Northumbria
Let's hear it for
05.09.2008 21:09
Pete
Stupid boy
05.09.2008 22:09
Pete Moron
roo, I'm with you
06.09.2008 00:59
cold Northener
North East against Coal
06.09.2008 10:26
Where are all the people in the north east who want a return of the coal industry? Most people who worked in the mines tell me it was bloody awful work and wouldn't want their children to work down there. People are still very angry about the loss of jobs but they certainly dont miss a job that was dangerous, dirty, tiring and stopped you seeing sunlight for most of your working life.
Also Northumbria seems to think people in former coal mining areas dont care about climate change. As somebody who belongs to a number of green groups in the north east I can assure you his assumptions are unfounded. People in the north east care about the welfare of their children as much as any area of the country.
keith
North East basket case
08.09.2008 10:06
Pete