Kingsnorth stand-off ends

A dramatic stand-off at Kingsnorth power station in Kent has ended after four Greenpeace campaigners, who boarded a coal freighter bound for the power station last night, came down from the foremast after being served with an injunction.

Greenpeace volunteers intercepted the freighter using rigid inflatable speedboats just after midnight this morning. As the ship sped towards Kingsnorth the campaigners attached climbing ladders to the vessel and scaled the 15 metre hull.

Sarah Shoraka, speaking just before leaving the freighter, said: "We climbed onto this ship, and stayed onboard throughout the night and all day, because coal is the most climate-damaging fuel known to man. If we keep burning coal, we can't beat climate change.

"But Ed Miliband's new policies would still allow Eon to build the dirtiest new power station in Britain for thirty years."

Land next to the existing plant at Kingsnorth has been earmarked for the construction of the first new coal-fired power station in Britain for 30 years. The highly controversial plans have sparked a series of protests, but this is the first time a coal shipment to the site has been blocked and boarded. The Government claims a new Kingsnorth plant will be cleaner, but in reality under the new policy, announced in April, it would still pump three-quarters of its emissions into the atmosphere for years to come - six million tonnes of CO2 every year.

The Greenpeace members who were on board the ship say by stopping the coal cargo being burned they were protecting people and property around the world from the devastating effects of climate change.

UK decisions on coal have an international impact. This year's international meetings on climate change, designed to prepare the groundwork for the summit in Copenhagen this December, have been uniformly unproductive, and the success of the Copenhagen talks is now highly uncertain. Brown will need to do everything in his power to give the UK and EU negotiating positions political and scientific credibility, both with his policies and his presence, if there is to be a chance of a meaningful agreement.

The G8 meeting in Italy on the July 8^th provides a key opportunity to go into Copenhagen with some progress having been made. Greenpeace urges the Prime Minister to seize this opportunity to show some leadership and rescue his legacy.

EVENT ALERT: FOSSIL FOOLS DAY is less than a month away!

The international Rising Tide network and its allies are calling for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st 2009. We would like to invite you to get involved in this day of action.

Fossil Fools Day is about taking action in the name of carbon common sense:

• leaving fossil fuels in the ground

• abandoning false solutions

• building real and just alternatives

On April 1st last year, people around the world celebrated Fossil Fools Day. Over 150 actions took place across four continents. Oil, gas, coal and aviation were all targeted. Fossil fuel extraction, production, financing, PR and greenwash all felt the jester's wrath. Actions spanned the full spectrum from the simply subversive to the downright disruptive: office occupations, banner drops, street theatre, Big Carbon blockades, city centre parades, spoof product launches, subvertising, leaflets, lock-ons and even a laugh-in. The tentacles of the carbon web were exposed for all to see, more people saw the empire for what it truly is - a sinking ship awaiting abandonment - and here and there, the carbon machine even ground to a halt.

Check out some of what happened and who was involved here: www.fossilfoolsdayofaction.org/2008

With your help, this year Fossil Fools Day will be bigger, better and bolder.

Here's how you can get involved:

1. Plan an action where you live ... from a bit of street theatre and a stall to an citizen's occupation of a newly nationalised bank; a little local subvertising to a Big Carbon blockade. Read on for loads of resources and support to help you pull your prank.

2. Come along to Climate Camp in the City of London on April 1st - targeting carbon markets on the eve of the G20 leaders' summit in London - because nature doesn't do bailouts. More info: www.climatecamp.org.uk/g20. Later you can head off to spoil BP's Centenary party at the British Museum. Join Rising Tide and Art Not Oil, between 6-7pm, to say 'Your Party's Over!' Bring banners, musical instruments, a sense of climate justice and a nonsense of foolery. Meet at 6pm at the British Museum's Gt. Russell St. gate.

3. Help spread the word - email friends or group members, add a link to Fossil Fools Day to your website or blog (you can grab a graphic for the event here: www.risingtide.org.uk/fossilfoolsday2009), join the Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=76383323792) include the call-out (at the end of this email) in your newsletters/e-bulletins, put posters up where lots of people will see them, hand out leaflets, etc.

Our actions are amplified when we act in unison. This year, in the build-up to the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen in November, let's see if we can reach over 1000 actions worldwide! On Fossil Fools Day, bring the spirit of carnival and mischief to the fight for climate justice.

It would be great to hear of your support and plans! Get in touch if you're planning a public action, so we can list it on our website and help spread the word. And whatever you do, make sure to let us know about your Fossil Fools Day action so we can add it to our end-of-day round up and show the world what grassroots action against the fossil fuel industry can achieve.

See you on the streets on April 1st.

EVENT ALERT: FOSSIL FOOLS DAY is less than a month away!

The international Rising Tide network and its allies are calling for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st 2009. We would like to invite you to get involved in this day of action.

Fossil Fools Day is about taking action in the name of carbon common sense:

• leaving fossil fuels in the ground

• abandoning false solutions

• building real and just alternatives

On April 1st last year, people around the world celebrated Fossil Fools Day. Over 150 actions took place across four continents. Oil, gas, coal and aviation were all targeted. Fossil fuel extraction, production, financing, PR and greenwash all felt the jester's wrath. Actions spanned the full spectrum from the simply subversive to the downright disruptive: office occupations, banner drops, street theatre, Big Carbon blockades, city centre parades, spoof product launches, subvertising, leaflets, lock-ons and even a laugh-in. The tentacles of the carbon web were exposed for all to see, more people saw the empire for what it truly is - a sinking ship awaiting abandonment - and here and there, the carbon machine even ground to a halt.

Check out some of what happened and who was involved here: www.fossilfoolsdayofaction.org/2008

With your help, this year Fossil Fools Day will be bigger, better and bolder.

Here's how you can get involved:

1. Plan an action where you live ... from a bit of street theatre and a stall to an citizen's occupation of a newly nationalised bank; a little local subvertising to a Big Carbon blockade. Read on for loads of resources and support to help you pull your prank.

2. Come along to Climate Camp in the City of London on April 1st - targeting carbon markets on the eve of the G20 leaders' summit in London - because nature doesn't do bailouts. More info: www.climatecamp.org.uk/g20. Later you can head off to spoil BP's Centenary party at the British Museum. Join Rising Tide and Art Not Oil, between 6-7pm, to say 'Your Party's Over!' Bring banners, musical instruments, a sense of climate justice and a nonsense of foolery. Meet at 6pm at the British Museum's Gt. Russell St. gate.

3. Help spread the word - email friends or group members, add a link to Fossil Fools Day to your website or blog (you can grab a graphic for the event here: www.risingtide.org.uk/fossilfoolsday2009), join the Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=76383323792) include the call-out (at the end of this email) in your newsletters/e-bulletins, put posters up where lots of people will see them, hand out leaflets, etc.

Our actions are amplified when we act in unison. This year, in the build-up to the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen in November, let's see if we can reach over 1000 actions worldwide! On Fossil Fools Day, bring the spirit of carnival and mischief to the fight for climate justice.

It would be great to hear of your support and plans! Get in touch if you're planning a public action, so we can list it on our website and help spread the word. And whatever you do, make sure to let us know about your Fossil Fools Day action so we can add it to our end-of-day round up and show the world what grassroots action against the fossil fuel industry can achieve.

See you on the streets on April 1st.