It’s Getting Hot In Here

When E.ON submitted its plans for the UK’s first new coal plant in 30 years, it presumably expected some resistance but did it expect a full blown backlash? In terms of breadth of opposition and diversity of tactics being employed, the fight back has been sizable and is growing.

Politically both major opposition parties in England are opposed to new coal without carbon capture and storage. Even the government support is looking shaky now that Ed Milliband is responsible for a new combined department of energy and climate change.

In terms of  British charities over 60 groups are officially opposed to new coal and are working together under the Stop Climate Chaos banner. Combined  these groups have a membership of over 4 million UK adults. Of these groups WDM, OXFAM, Christian Aid, Greenpeace, and others all have online petitions and lobbying efforts. Considering that the UK Climate Bill was initiated and pushed through by these groups it’s fair to say they have significant clout.

Apart from the usually lobbying and petition collecting, some of these groups have also taken to direct action. Notably Greenpeace who where recently found not guilty of criminal damage after climbing Kingsnorths chimney stack and paintng a slogon on the side. The defence claimed that they where preventing more damage via climate change than they caused and the jury agreed! This jury had been presented information from expert witnesses including James Hansen (PDF) and the conservative parties environment adviser Zac Goldsmith.

EON have also been targeted quite directly by the Camp for Climate Action which held a weeklong protest camp attended by over 1200 people for a week during August. Attendees of the Camp for Climate Action where given return tickets to Kingsnorth and an email list created. If planning permission gets the go ahead then we are back to full on direct action with a rolling blockade!

However, never the type to be tied down to one tactic the camp has branded this the EON Face Off and called for a coordinated national capaign against UK coal from mining to processing, burning and financing. Recent maneuvers against E.on have included:

• 48 Hrs of action against eon with numerous protest around the country. This was scuppered slightly when one group decided that two days of protest at EON’s HQ in a week wasnt enough and it became 72hrs of action.  I attended this final protest with at least 30 others dressed as Santa and delivering eon its bags of coal for being a naughty company.
• A national campaign of recruitment fair disruption around the UK. In collaboration; rising tide, people and planet and the climate camp protested eons attempts at graduate recruitment at 17 universities in a row before they gave up for the year.
• EON Google bombing.  So far over 30 websites have linked to anti-coal site www.nonewcoal.org.uk via the text EON which has boosted it up to 5th place in the Google search rankings for EON.

All of this is building up to a blockade of construction at Kingsnorth if planning permission is granted. The only question is, will EON pull its brand through this much dirty coal or will it see the bright renewable energy future?