[Climate Change Action] Climate Change Protestors Halt Coal Train in UK

[Calvin Jones]

Climate change activists have halted a train laden with coal as it headed towards Drax power plant, the largest coal plant in the UK and second largest carbon source in Europe.




Leave it In The Ground is apparently the group's name. And a nice simple message that is to! It feels a bit more solid than asking for emissions trading, dosent it? Cap and trade looks like the system that will be replicated the world over, but gaming of the system seems to be a very real probability. Leaving fossil fuels in the ground is a somewhat less tricky system when it comes to assesing the success.





James Hansen, NASA's chief climate scientist has stressed the necessity of stopping the exploitation of coal reserves, which if burnt--even over centuries--will release enough carbon to completely destroy the stability of Earth's atmosphere.





I had an interesting email exchange with Donald Brown of the Rock Ethics Institute about the moral case for taking non-violent action against coal power. I think that this argument, for illegal but highly moral action is strong. That being said I'm not going to endorse such action; that wouldn't be smart.





The BBC and Observer have picked up on this story and hopefully we will see more press as the day goes on.

The press association has also just done a story, i perticularly like the following quote:

The activists say they will not leave the train until Drax's chief executive
Dorothy Thompson explains how the company's emissions of 20 million tonnes of
CO2 a year is compatible with tackling climate change.

--
Posted By Calvin Jones to Climate Change Action at 6/13/2008 12:15:00 PM

[Rafa]

Wow, that's interesting. I think you bring a good point about the
moral/ethical dilemma of eco-terrorism/eco-civil disobedience. I'm a
little torn myself on the issue, but I agree that we will not win this
battle with violent action. In fact, I would argue that violence, and
the emotions it comes from, is the very same cause of the mess we're.
I'm with you in not condoning this type of action, though I can't help
but chuckle a bit.

Unfortunately I feel things are getting worse by the minute. Every
summer that comes, you can't help but notice the violence of the
weather, at least where I live. :)

I have blog where I talk more about climate change and the "green"
movement. Feel free to check it out. I'd love some comments too.

http://www.seattlegreenobserver.com

Rafa

On Jun 13, 5:06 am, Calvin Jones <calvin.jo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Climate change activists have halted a train laden with coal as it
> headed towards Drax power plant, the largest coal plant in the UK and

> second largest carbon source in Europe.Leave it In The Ground is

> apparently the group's name. And a nice simple message that is to! It
> feels a bit more solid than asking for emissions trading, dosent it?
> Cap and trade looks like the system that will be replicated the world
> over, but gaming of the system seems to be a very real probability.
> Leaving fossil fuels in the ground is a somewhat less tricky system

> when it comes to assesing the success.James Hansen, NASA's chief

> climate scientist has stressed the necessity of stopping the
> exploitation of coal reserves, which if burnt--even over
> centuries--will release enough carbon to completely destroy the

> stability of Earth's atmosphere.I had an interesting email exchange

> with Donald Brown of the Rock Ethics Institute about the moral case for
> taking non-violent action against coal power. I think that this
> argument, for illegal but highly moral action is strong. That being
> said I'm not going to endorse such action; that wouldn't be smart.The
> BBC and Observer have picked up on this story and hopefully we will see

> more press as the day goes on.The press association has also just done

> a story, i perticularly like the following quote:The activists say they

> will not leave the train until Drax's chief executiveDorothy Thompson
> explains how the company's emissions of 20 million tonnes ofCO2 a year