[IMC-UK-Features] remodified coal rush feature with shorter abstract and the beginnings of a derushed article body

Tue Mar 3 08:33:32 PST 2009

New title - New Coal Digs In

Climate Rush tackled more climate criminals last week when the UK 
coal industry got together for their annual 'coal awards'. In a 
protest timed to coincide with the UK Coal hosted awards, <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/423079.html">around 15 climate activists paid a visit to their 
Doncaster headquarters</a>, dressed in Edwardian style complete with 
red sashes with the words 'No New Coal' written across them. 
A banner reading 'Leave it in the Ground' was suspended 
across the entrance.

In London, the dirty coal pushers shied away from confrontation 
with the modern day climate suffregette movement, abandoning their 
booking at the plush Landmark Hotel and scuttling off to Lords cricket 
grounds instead. At the hotel, <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422948.html">around a hundred activists rushed inside through 
a fire exit</a> and began an alternative awards ceremony to highlight 
the ecological damage that the coal industry is inflicting on the 
environment. After being ejected from the hotel, <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422965.html">a couple more attempts were made to gain entry 
and one arrest was made</a> before the <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/423010.html">alternate awards continued outside</a>. The 
Landmark hotel management were less than happy about the righteous 
fury brought down on them by the climate criminals promised not to 
accept bookings from such damaging industries again.

The coal represent 50% of the electricity production in the UK and its 
greatest contribution to CO2 emissions so the coal industry has seen 
increasing attention from activists in the UK (<a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422583.html">and beyond</a>). Last month activists and local 
resident <a href="/en/2009/02/422702.html">disrupted work at the 
Rosewell open-cast coal mine in Midlothian</a>, operated by Scottish 
Coal , and another protest <a href="/en/2009/02/422890.html">stopped 
work at UK Coal owned Shipley open cast coal mine</a> in Derbyshire.

<p><strong>Related newswire photo reports :</strong> <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422948.html">Coal Rush 1</a> | <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422965.html">2</a> | <a href="/en/2009/02/423010.html">3</a> |  
<a href="/en/2009/02/423079.html">Doncaster 1</a> <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422370.html">2</a> |  <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422702.html">Rosewell</a> | <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422890.html">Shipley</a> | <a href="/en/ 
2009/02/422583.html">USA</a>.
</p>

</p>
<b>Campaign wesbites :</b> <a href="http://climaterush.co.uk">Climate  
Rush</a> | <a href="http://www.coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk">Coal  
Action Edinburgh</a> | <a href="http://www.climatecamp.org.uk">Climate  
Camp</a> | <a href="http://nonewcoal.org.uk">No New Coal</a> </P>

<p><strong>Previous related actions :</strong> <a href="/en/ 
2009/01/418697.html">'climate suffragettes' smash gov windows</a> |
<a href="/en/2009/01/420527.html">chained to parliament</a> | <a  
href="/en/2009/01/418227.html">Climate Rush Heathrow 1</a> <a href="/ 
en/2009/01/418245.html">2</a> | <a href="/en/2009/01/418328.html">Rush  
at Manchester Airport 1</a> <a href="/en/2009/01/418361.html">2</a> |  
<a href="/en/regions/london/2008/10/410761.html">Rush Parliament 1</a>  
<a href="/en/2008/10/410864.html Rush Parliament">2</a></p>

<p><strong>Next Climate Rush :</strong> <a href="en/ 
2009/03/423247.html">RBS Bank Rush - 1pm, Thurs March 5th</a></p>

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As a result of the Climate Rush protests, the Landmark hotel vowed 
that companies and organisations which contribute to climate chaos 
will no longer be welcome to use their facilities for corporate 
promotion and entertainment. The hotel say they will now deny 
companies such as the Royal Bank of Scotland (the biggest single 
investor in coal and oil industries) and oil companies, such as ESSO, 
BP and Shell, as well as the coal industry from using their ballrooms 
and banquet halls to promote their cause. The manager also pledged to 
communicate with the 24 other five star hotels in its’ group to 
suggest they do the same.

A spokeswomen for the Climate Rush explained, "For too long 
profiteering from climate change has been sold to the public as a 
necessity of ‘business as usual’. But with global temperatures rising 
and climate chaos running riot in the form of drought (Africa and 
Australia) and flooding (low lying lands all over), we all need to 
work together. We applaud the Landmark for their good sense and the 
vision to say ‘enough is enough’. They rightly don’t want to be 
associated with the corrupt system that needs overturning. We welcome 
the Landmark to play their role in the new way of doing things so 
needed.”

The Climate Rush suffragettes will next be targeting long term coal 
investor Royal Bank of Scotland with a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb#/ 
event.php?eid=53273225171">flash mob style rush this coming Thursday 
at 1pm</a>. The bank has been in the headlines recently after a 
taxpayer bailout of £33 billion and has controversially been funding 
coal extraction and burning. For more information about the role of 
RBS in funding fossil fuels, see the <a href="http://www.oyalbankofscotland.com/cioc/ 
">'Cashing In On Coal' report published by PLATFORM</a>.


Over in the USA, the Capitol Power Plant is getting attention right 
now because a protest that hasn’t even happened yet appears to have 
spurred politicians to action. Run by the Architect of the Capitol to 
heat nearby government buildings in D.C., the plant is aging and 
inefficient yet back handed deals by congressmen from coal-mining 
states has kept the plant burning coal, rather than switching over gas 
which would be cleaner. A protest was organized to try to force the 
plant to make the switch only to find two senators pre-empting the 
protests by also calling for coal to be dumped which thrust the coal 
issues into the national media agenda. Check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPCFx1fMBeI&eurl=http://industry.bnet.com/energy/1000699/capitol-power-plant-protests-heighten-danger-for-coal/ 
">video by NASA scientist Dr James Hansen</a> made to encourage people 
to attend the Capitol protest.


Other actions have happened in the United States, China and Australia. 
There is a grassroots movement building against coal.