Climate Campers take Direct Action on Bog Restoration

offaly | environment | news report

Wednesday August 19, 2009 00:17

by Climate Camper - Climate Camp Ireland

No time to waste - preserving Irish peatlands is essential

Climate campers of all ages at Shannonbridge took a direct action this morning Aug. 18th, on a nearby bog by filling in trenches that are used to drain the bog for cutting. The peaceful demonstrations lasted 2 hours with police curiously onlooking at the hard working activists.

Don't Burn our Bogs! - Climate Camp is the life buoy which can save our bogs and planet

This morning at 11.30am sixty odd Climate Campers of all ages strolled 2km from the camp beside the Shannonbridge Peat Burning Power Plant towards one of the Bord na Móna man-made brown deserts outside of the town. Equipped with some sacks, shovels, pillow cases, wheelbarrows, banners and good cheer, they started filling in the trenches made to drain the bogs with milled peat which was destined for burning at the power plant. The direct action continued for about 2 hours filling in a significant part of the trench. Local police watched as the climate campers, including many children, diligently set about their task and some engaged the police in conversation explaining to them the reasons for their actions.

This is the first step that’s needed to restore our bogs” said Molly Walsh, spokesperson for Climate Camp Ireland. “People don’t realise that when bogs are drained and dried, they release ample amounts of carbon dioxide, even before the peat is burnt. Degraded peatlands release 0.97 million tonnes of C02 annually in Ireland.” she added.

Colourful banners and placards were unveiled on the bog saying “Climate Change Costs Lives” and “The bog is our rainforest”. One banner was mounted on a piece of peat-cutting machinery which said “Don’t Burn our Bogs”. Some of the activists boarded a bog train, while others pushed them along, symbolising that humanity is on the wagon towards climate chaos unless we halt these climate chaos causing activities immediately.

Come join us at the camp for more actions and workshops! Climate Camp Ireland continues at Shannonbridge until August 22nd with the main day of action. We call on everyone to come join us on a day of peaceful civil disobedience to stop peat burning at the Shannonbridge Power Station.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/climatecampireland for more photos

the next generation defending their bogs

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Comments (2 of 2)

beware

by awake

Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:56

research agenda 21 people this is all part of it.

A Brige Too Far

by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch.org

Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:44

edward_horgan at hotmail dot com

Shannon Airport and Shannonbridge peat burning powerstation are two sides of the same coin - helping to destroy the world for the sake of local short-term proffit. At Shannonbridge, local councillors have defended the burning of peat for local economic and jobs reasons - never mind if we are destroying the environment - thats someone else's problem.

At Shannon airport local politicians and trade unions support US military use of Shannon airport because it is claimed to be good for local jobs and the local economy - never mind that the US troops and war materials passing through Shannon airport have led to the deaths of over one million people in Iraq and Afghanistan - sure they are only "foreigners".

There should be no "foreigners" in this interdependent one world of ours that we know as plannet EARTH. We are all in this together, and we will survive and thrive only if we protect and love our living environment, and if we make and promote peace not war.
I urge as many as possible to support the Shannonbridge environmental protests.

Please come to Shannon airport over the weekend of 5/6 September also to attend the International peace conference (details on www.shannonwatch.org and www.pana.ie). We need supporters for a peace camp over this weekend, and for protests at Shannon airport right up to and beyond the Lisbon Treaty referendum.

Killing innocent people with bombs and by destroying our living environment are acts of genocide against the human race.

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Climate Campers take Direct Action on Bog Restoration

Comments (2 of 2)