This morning, activists have climbed a coal power station chimney in Oxfordshire and blocked a coal mine in Derbyshire in protests over climate change.
A group bicycled around and forced their way into Didcot Power Station, run by N-Power, a subsidiary of German utility group RWE, at about 5:30am today. Nine climbed the steps of one of the chimneys; they have supplies to stay there for a long time, during which the power plant will be unable to operate. A further 13 were are on the coal conveyor belt.
In Shipley, members of Earth First! entered UK Coal’s opencast coal mine near Shipley at 9.30am, occupying six vehicles there. They say they intend to stay as long as possible in a bid to stop new coal mines and power stations in the UK.
All this comes after more 1,000 people demonstrated at Ratcliffe-on-Soar’s power station for the Great Climate Swoop last weekend. 56 activists were arrested.
Liz Cartmel, a protester at Shipley says: “We recognise the important role coal mining has played in the local economy in the past, but at a time where our future survival hangs in the balance we need to work towards a future without climate destroying coal. Our only way out of the climate crisis is to reduce consumption and to use renewable energies such as wind and solar.”