Climate9 press releases
For Immediate Release:
Climate9 appeal Edinburgh Appeal Court June 7th 2011
Defendants Tilly Gifford and Dan Glass are appealing the Climate9 (1) conviction of Breach of Peace at Edinburgh Appeal court tomorrow, June 7th, 10.30am (2), with results to follow.
The Climate9 trial lasted for two weeks in Aberdeen and was the first jury-led climate change trial in Scotland. The appellants were convicted of Breach of Peace in August 2010 at Aberdeen Crown Court for their role in the climate change protest at Aberdeen airport on March 3rd 2009.
The Climate9 occupied the taxiway at Aberdeen airport, shutting the airport down to stop emissions contributing to man-made climate change. The Climate9 played golf in a cage on the taxiway to further challenge industries which promote unsustainable transport plans, such as Donald Trump’s contentious golf course at Balmedie Estate, Aberdeenshire (3).
Appellant Dan Glass said:
“The Scottish legal system defines breach of the peace as activities “causing fear and alarm to the ordinary and reasonable person, and which threatens serious disturbance to the community”. I can’t think of a better way to describe climate change. We are fighting for our beliefs to the end because we believe stopping emissions is justified, proportionate and necessary in the face of catastrophic climate change, and that the negative consequences of our actions are more purposeful than the consequences of continued inaction. Sometimes, we believe, the law must be challenged to protect our fundamental freedom of expression and to disrupt lawful activities that are harming the prospects of future generations. When state forces are being exposed all over the UK for misinformation, from Aberdeen (4) to Nottingham (5) and beyond, we must continue to protect our fundamental rights.”
Michael Mansfield QC, one of Britain’s best-known defence barristers, said:
“One fifth of Pakistan, already blighted by earthquakes, is covered with flood waters threatening the health and safety of over six million people. Without conscientious and principled protest which focuses on the undoubted factors which contribute to this decimation of the environment, the urgency of the problem will not be addressed. I trust these entirely legitimate and selfless objectives will be reflected in the way the Climate 9 are judged by the court.”
Appellant Tilly Gifford said:
“How do we justify the airport occupation? To understand our activities, we have to look at the context in which they took place. Despite recent pronouncements on Heathrow and Stansted, aviation remains the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions in the UK. The courts recently ruled that the government’s aviation white paper was incompatible with the UK’s climate change targets. The judge presented a choice to the jury between ‘breach of peace’ and ‘freedom of expression’ without any context. This is simply not good enough – the context must always be presented.”
Plane Stupid spokesperson Joe Ryle, 20, said:
“The heart of the debate is about our fundamental right to protest. Systems of supposed democracy must ask themselves the question ‘If the UK is tolerant enough to allow a wide range of protests, are we prepared to tolerate greater disruption to business as usual in the face of climate change?’ If the predictions are correct we may face a 4C increase in temperature by 2100 (6), so we will continue taking action to stop emissions The violence this will bring to the next generation makes us take action increasingly harder in 2011.”
Contacts
Plane Stupid: 07584955708
Notes to Editors:
(1) For full information please see www.climate9.com
(2) Edinburgh Appeal Court – Royal Mile – behind St Giles Church and the David Hume Statue to start at 10.30am
(3) For full information – see here www.trippinguptrump.com/
(4) Police: Aberdeen flight did attend ill baby during climate protest – http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/mar/03/activism-travel-and-transport
(5) Lawyer criticises police on undercover Pc Mark Kennedy’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12152484
(6) ‘if all nations were to implement all their current emissions reduction commitments, the world would be 4C warmer than the pre-industrial baseline by 2100.’ (Richard Betts, Mathew Collins et al., “When could global warming reach 4C”, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 369:67-84; New, Liverman et al, “Four degrees and beyond:
the potential for a global temperature increase of four degrees and its implications”, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 369:6- 19; http://climateinteractive.org/scoreboard; http://www. climateactiontracker.org)
Climate9 Appeal Statement
Members of the climate 9 have been granted leave to appeal against conviction and sentence on Breach of the charges. The appeal will be heard at the Court of Appeal on June 7th 2011 in Edinburgh.
The Climate9 continue to reject the claims that any serious disturbance threatened the local community. The airport and the police were notified of the protest the moment we safely entered the airport. No one was hurt, we engaged peacefully with the airport staff and we dismantled the protest as soon as we were told there was a potentially urgent rescue mission to be made only from the space we occupied. Unfortunately for the airport’s honest reputation, this turned out to be false.
We want the government and the aviation industry to be as open, honest and accountable as we are, to stop scare tactics, lies and intimidation and start listening to people concerned about aviation’s social and climate impacts. We know the police allowed the airport operators to influence legitimate protest with scare stories about air ambulance stories. We know the Government allow politically-influenced policing to infiltrate environmental action through the police exposé’s this week. This is political policing in the interest of environmentally-damaging industry and an abuse of power. The Government are standing back while the banks continue to breach the public’s peace by robbing our money. Are the Government also going to stand back while aviation robs our future?
People from all over the world supported the Climate9, from residents by Aberdeen airport to families facing floods in Bangladesh. As the impacts of global climate change intensify by the minute, our protest, which didn’t disturb anyone’s peace, was legitimate. We resolve to keep fighting for climate justice until the British judicial system recognises its role to protect everyone’s right to live in a clean and healthy environment and that the earth has rights itself. It is vital from both a human rights perspective and from an earth rights perspective that the law regulates conduct to ensure that the health and integrity of earth’s ecosystems are maintained, and indeed promoted. We took our action because we believe this is justified, proportionate and necessary in the face of catastrophic climate change, and that the negative consequences of our actions are more purposeful than the consequences of continued inaction.
Press Release: 25/08/2010
Climate 9 Remain Defiant After Court Sentencing
Nine Plane Stupid protesters who shut down Aberdeen airport on the morning of March 3rd 2009 appeared in court today to finally receive their sentences. The judge and court took the protesters’ urgent message on climate change seriously and gave out very modest fines ranging from £300 to £700 each adding up to a total cost of around £4000 – £5000.
Crowds of activists, local supporters and press gathered outside Aberdeen Sheriff Court at 10am for the sentencing hearing of the Climate 9, the group recently found guilty of Breach of the Peace for occupying the city’s airport last year. During the two week trial in June, expert witnesses explained how aviation emissions are fuelling climate change and detailed some of the local effects, including flooding impacts.
In anticipation of the sentencing one of the trial’s expert witnesses Dr Geoff Meaden said
“Society’s problem is that, other than through civil disobedience, there are often no legitimate means of getting governments (at any level) to ‘act correctly’ or to act in the best long term interests of people, environments or indeed the planet. In the absence of such a ‘jury’ or ‘commission’, then we have to be glad that there are groups such as Climate9 who are bold enough to bring to the public’s attention existing injustices.”
Since the trial the group has also received support from communities around the world, suffering from climate change effects, with commitment to keep the 9 active in taking action to stop runaway climate change. The group have vowed to continue their campaign highlighting the danger of aviation carbon emissions.
Dan Glass, one of the Climate9 members said:
“Against the backdrop of the Copenhagen Summit failures and new waves of climate chaos, all over the world people demanding climate justice have complained to the politicians and to the judges. It’s time we did something for ourselves. The Climate9 will not uphold increasing state and police repression and camouflage the struggle that is climate injustice. The Climate9 provide an opportunity to spread the need for urgent action, to halt airport growth and to challenge the authorities with pride and confidence.
Whatever we received today, this climate court trial won’t be the last time. Our future and the health of every species is too important to leave it in the hands of the few.”
One such group is The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland who, in their recent AGM passed a resolution to:
“Affirm that there are times when non violent direct action involving potential and actual civil disobedience in the form of deliberate lawbreaking, may be regarded as a legitimate approach to expressing the Gospel.”
2 days before sentencing one of Britain’s best-known defence barristers also threw his weight behind the Climate9 before they were due to be sentenced in Aberdeen Crown Court.
Michael Mansfield QC said “As I write one fifth of Pakistan, already blighted by earthquakes, is covered with flood waters threatening the health and safety of over six million people. Without conscientious and principled protest which focuses on the undoubted factors which contribute to this decimation of the environment, the urgency of the problem will not be addressed. I trust these entirely legitimate and selfless objectives will be reflected in the way the Climate 9 are judged by the court.”
Jimmy Kerr, one of the Climate9 members said:
“The trial generated public support from many corners keeping up the pressure on the legal system to one day recognise the importance of environmental action. Indeed we need to keep that momentum up. There is so much knowledge to be shared as a result of this case, from and legal issues, to public health to popular education and much much more. We can offer talks, workshops or advice and you can help by arranging an event and inviting us to take part.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
(1) Michael Mansfield QC’s full statement is “There is an environmental clock ticking towards irretrievable global disaster for future generations – it is nothing less than a breach of world peace on a massive scale. Political summits like Kyoto and Copenhagen can’t even agree satisfactory targets let alone effect implementation. As a consequence individual and collective action to curtail our destructive footprints is a categorical and immediate imperative for everyone. Remaining silent or doing nothing are not options. As I write one fifth of Pakistan, already blighted by earthquakes, is covered with flood waters threatening the health and safety of over six million people. Without conscientious and principled protest which focuses on the undoubted factors which contribute to this decimation of the environment, the urgency of the problem will not be addressed. I trust these entirely legitimate and selfless objectives will be reflected in the way the Climate 9 are judged by the court.”
(2) For all the Climate9 statements of support please see (http://www.climate9.com/statements-of-support/)
Interviews with key witnesses and the 9 available throughout this week
Photographs attached: Please credit Rob Logan.
Other relevant links
Climate 9 http://www.climate9.com
Plane Stupid http://www.planestupid.com
Recent coverage: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/23/uk-emission-cuts-airport-protest-trial
Aberdeen Action http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7924952.stm
http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/news/detail.php?art_id=3230
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7924952.stm
For more information and interviews contact
Press team: 07584955708
25/06/10.
Climate 9 celebrate court victory despite guilty verdict
Nine protesters who shut down Aberdeen airport in March last year have been found guilty of breach of the peace. The charges were significantly reduced over the course of the two week trial, with all vandalism charges being dropped.
The jury in Aberdeen- the oil capital of Europe, were the first to hear evidence from climate scientists on the need for action since the failure of the Copenhagen talks1
The nine are celebrating their victory in showing that peaceful protest is a necessary and legitimate way to take the action needed on climate change. Expert witnesses gave evidence on the desperate need for more radical emissions targets and called for the actions of ordinary people to prevent greenhouse gas emissions before its too late. These statements were unchallenged by the procurator fiscal after Judge Colin Harris referred to the overwhelming scientific agreement that climate change is anthropogenic2.
Dr Geoff Meaden, expert in biogeography and coastal hazards, who was also a key witness3 in Greenpeace’s precedent Kingsnorth6 case4, decried government inaction;
“At present I see little evidence that governments at all levels are taking sufficient action on climate change. Therefore, like those who have committed civil disobedience in the past I believe that groups such as Plane Stupid must take every opportunity to bring the urgency of climate change to the public attention.”
The court watched video evidence from the protest in which defendant Dan Glass stated;
“This is not a media stunt, this is about stopping carbon emissions. We want to close the airport for as long as possible; to stop C02 emissions as they are dangerous; to stop airport expansion; to highlight the social disparity between those who cause the problems and those who suffer the impacts.”
In the face of trumped up charges by the state, which barrister Frank Gallagher described as ‘complete and utter overkill’ the nine defendants have received statements of support from all over the world. These included documentary film-maker John Pilger, villagers displaced by climate induced flooding in India, faith leaders, public health experts, grandparents, and most recently from Michael Mansfield QC.
Speaking after the trial, another of defendants Tilly Gifford said:
“We set out to show in court that policies such as the aviation white paper contradict what the science demands. Now that the court has heard expert witnesses testify to the imperative need to cut emissions, they are mandated to prosecute the real criminals, the corporations who are profiting from polluting.”
1And the first ever in Scotland.
2The judge referred to the radio 4 Today programme of 22nd June in which it was stated that 98% of scientists agree that climate change is anthropogenically caused.
3The court also heard from Dr Alice Bows, top climate scientist from University of Manchester.
4The Kingsnorth6 were acquitted in Kent in 2008 when they argued that their occupation of a coal power station had ‘lawful excuse’ as they prevented a higher crime to humanity through carbon emissions. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/11/activists.kingsnorthclimatecamp
23/06/10
First time since Copenhagen that expert witnesses testify to a jury on the need for urgent climate action!
Expert witnesses testified to the urgent need for action to prevent catastrophic climate change in the Climate91 trial at the Sheriff Court in Aberdeen today. This is the first time arguments concerning the urgency for climate action have been heard by a jury in the UK since the failure of the Copenhagen talks, and the first time ever in Scotland.
Dr Alice Bows, a top climate scientist from the University of Manchester, spoke to the court about the contradiction between UK aviation policy and action urgently called for from the scientific community to avoid catastrophic climate change. She said:
“The UK Government’s Committee on Climate Change policy of 80% reduction in emissions by 2050 only gives us a 50:50 chance of avoiding dangerous climate change. You wouldn’t go to sleep in a house that had a 50:50 chance of burning down in the night, so we need even tougher targets. In fact we need a complete de-carbonisation of the economy in the next few decades. Because we need to tackle emissions right now, the actions of both governments and individuals are important.”
Dr Geoff Meaden, expert in biogeography and coastal hazards, who was also a key witness in Greenpeace’s precedent Kingsnorth6 case2, spoke about the local impacts of climate change and sea level rise. Speaking after court he said:
“At present I see little evidence that governments at all levels are taking sufficient action on climate change. Therefore, like those who have committed civil disobedience in the past I believe that groups such as Plane Stupid must take every opportunity to bring the urgency of climate change to the public attention.”
This trial comes just after the recent high court ruling on the third runway at Heathrow which threw the government’s Aviation White Paper into question. The judge Lord Justice Carnwath agreed with campaigners that climate change was not being taken seriously enough3.
The expert witnesses today agreed with the evidence from Heathrow that community campaigns are key to challenging policies that threaten future generations with the effects of climate change.
Climate9 member Bill Boggia, 44, an Aberdeen resident, expressed his delight at the events of the day;
“Our expert witnesses have shown that while politicians and industry are failing to tackle the issue, it is our duty as as concerned individuals to stand up for future generations and those who are already suffering the effects of climate change.”
Another of the 9, Dan Glass, passionately added;
“How much evidence do we need that our use of resources is unsustainable and harmful to ourselves and the planet? The BP oil spill is just one illustration, and news of environmental destruction and human suffering are in the news daily. All of this evidence points the finger at high carbon industries and the government whose quest for profit has made them blind to the suffering they are causing all over the world.’
Judge Harris yesterday added credibility to the defendants case when he referred to the radio 4 ‘Today’ programme of that morning in which he had heard that 98% of scientists believe climate change is caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
He also told the jury this morning that all of the Vandalism charges had been dropped, along with some aspects of the Breach of the Peace charge relating to entering the premises.
Ends.
1The Climate9 are 9 protesters who shut down Aberdeen airport last March in protest of aviation emissions, See www.climate9.com.
2The Kingsnorth6 were acquitted in Kent in 2008 when they argued that their occupation of a coal power station had ‘lawful excuse’ as they prevented a higher crime to humanity through carbon emissions. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/11/activists.kingsnorthclimatecamp
3On the question of whether the government had taken threats to global warming into consideration sufficiently, the judge remarked: “The [objectors'] submissions add up, in my view, to a powerful demonstration of the potential significance of developments in climate change policy since the 2003 white paper. They are clearly matters which will need to be taken into account under the new airports NPS [national policy statement].” The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/26/heathrow-third-runway-travel-and-transport
22/06/10.
“Green Jobs” motivation for climate action at Aberdeen Airport
Just transition a motive for closing down airport
The “Climate 9” trial has heard that commitment to a fair deal for workers in the transition to a sustainable society was part of the motivation for closing down Aberdeen Airport in March last year.
Nine activists are accused of breach of the peace and vandalism and face trial by jury in Aberdeen, where video evidence shown in court has included a police video of climate activist Dan Glass talking to police, citing the lack of investment in “green jobs” as one of his reasons for taking action.
Glass 26, a community worker from Glasgow said
There can be little doubt that capitalism is a cancer that robs people of their autonomy, as well as their labour. It relies on limitless growth, externalises costs, refusing to even count the things that matter and in the end there is simply no way to quantify the value of an ecosystem in terms of money, so this system must end if we are to save our planet.
Yet if climate change activism is to be effective, moreover if we are to achieve a just transition, our community movements and climate change movements must effectively engage with workers movements in a spirit of solidarity.
Speaking of the links between climate change and workers movement’s Jimmy Kerr, 35, from Paisley added,
The middle-class environmental movement has a culture of blaming workers within environmentally destructive industries for the existence of those industries, yet these workers are themselves fiercely exploited. A perfect example is in the airline industry itself, where workers at British Airways are being cruelly demonised for attempting to retain the conditions that they have worked for. It is clear that our common enemy is not workers, but British Airways, who pay shareholders and invest in perpetuating unsustainable air travel instead of using their multi-billion pound profits for green transport.
The fact is that all struggles are deeply woven with the struggle to stop climate change, simply because climate change has disproportionate impacts on the poor, their suffering caused and exacerbated by arbitrary and unnecessary divisions. The Gate Gourmet strike action in 2005 is a good illustration of how these issues are linked, yet it was two years after the industry was almost crippled in that display of togetherness, before climate activists closed Heathrow Airport as part of the camp for climate action. There is no logical reason for this, our enemies are the same and our struggle is essentially the same, albeit couched in a different language. It’s my opinion that with proper planning and genuine open dialogue, solidarity action involving all progressive movements are not only possible and desirable, but necessary if we are to have any future for our planet, but particularly if we are to see a just transition to a carbon-free economy
Support for the actions of the climate9 have come in from experts, civic leaders and individuals from all over the world, including an oil worker and an aircraft engineering lecturer . Ex oil worker and Aberdeen resident Geoff Lamb said:
“I support the climate9 and their airport protest. In spite of warnings for the past 20 years, 90% of us are carrying on life and extravagance, including flying, as though there were no problem ahead for the planet and humanity. These protesters are altruists giving unselfish sacrifice, that costs them at least some luxuries, and maybe career and risk of criminal record, while the climate criminal aviation industry continues with impunity, in the full knowledge of the scientific warnings”.
Robert Kay, lecturer on the BEng Aircraft Engineering course at University of Perth said:
“Tilly and Jonathan [of the climate9] came to my college to speak with our 4th year aircraft engineering students and staff. The discussions were lively, constructive and informative and I personally was very impressed by their force of argument. Their courage and commitment are obvious by their actions, and we all have to hope that Scottish justice will consider not only what happened but how and why it was done.”
The court will hear from expert witnesses from climate scientists, to public health experts later this week.
Airport police ‘unbelievably reckless’ over air ambulance safety claims
Claims that anti-aviation campaigners who brought Aberdeen airport to a standstill last March were delaying an emergency ambulance flight were undermined by multiple witnesses after the protestors’ first week in court.
The protestors occupied the taxiway to challenge the growing emissions from the aviation industry which contribute to climate change and threaten the conditions on which human life depends. The ‘Climate 9′ activists were informed that an emergency ambulance flight was unable to take off until they removed themselves, so they quickly and peacefully ended their protest to facilitate this flight.
affected by the protest. Yet at exactly the same time, police were telling the protestors that their action was endangering the life of a critically ill baby.
“It should be obvious that safely policing protests requires both parties to be able to trust what the other says, particularly with regard to potential emergencies. If protesters think the police will invent fictional emergencies to disrupt their activities it creates a level of mistrust which could be extremely dangerous, and it’s unbelievably reckless of the police to take that risk.”
On Thursday a video of the protest was screened to the Jury, who witnessed defendant Dan Glass informing the police cameraman of their objectives. Dan Glass stated that they were there to “close the airport for as long as possible; stop C02 emissions as they are dangerous; to stop airport expansion; to end short haul flights; to get people in high-emission industry into green jobs; to highlight the social disparity between those who cause the problems and those who suffer the impacts.”
Wright’s statement from 3rd March 2009 goes on to say “Our flight was scheduled to take off at 8.00am this morning, but in fact took off about 8.35am, but this was due to our operational delay by the medics and not the protestors. This incident has had no financial or life threatening or operational impact on our operation. I have no complaint regarding this matter.”
Juliana Napier, from the Climate 9 Defence Committee said “This evidence is incredibly important in establishing what happened during the action. The Climate 9 freely assembled at Aberdeen airport to stop harmful emissions causing runaway climate change and to raise awareness about the issue. They did this to ensure that our own and future generations can enjoy good health in a safe environment, not to endanger the life or health of anyone.”
The court was packed with supporters all week, which is due to continue on Monday 21st June morning at 9am. The Climate 9 trial has received messages of support from individuals and groups worldwide. For a full list of statements of support go to
international agreement to reduce emissions or a meaningful plan of action at a national level. The Climate9 refuse to stand by and ignore climate change so have decided to take on the responsibility that others are shirking. I applaud their campaign and hope others will be inspired to speak out and hold those damaging our environment to account.”
Caroline Lucas, Green party MP for Brighton Pavillion.
Ends.
21st June 2010
As the second week of the UK’s major climate change trial begins, support from advocates for racial equality grows daily including from Linton Kwesi Johnson, Maria Adebowale and Bashir Maan of the Muslim Council of Scotland.
The Climate9 trial is the first major British Climate trial since the failure of the Copenhagen process. The 9 Britons (1) are facing charges of Breach of the Peace and Vandalism after closing down Aberdeen Airport in March 2009 to challenge polluting industries and their impacts for climate change. The defendants are pleading not guilty on the grounds that people must be able to peacefully assemble to raise their concerns in tackling climate change and how it impacts poor and Black communities. The Climate9 have assembled a witness list of world-renowned experts in climate change and its racial implications.
Just as the global implications of climate change hit communities of colour in the global south first and worst (2), in the UK, fresh evidence highlights that ethnic minorities more exposed to low air quality, a social consequence of carbon heavy industries (3).
Most black and Asian people breathe worse air than white Britons, according to environment department (DEFRA) research. DEFRA’s analysis compares 2001 census data, which covered ethnicity, with estimated emissions of coarse particulates (PM10) from motorways and major A-roads. The average urban black or black-British African person was exposed to 27.25 micrograms per cubic metre of PM10. This is over 28% higher than the average urban white person.
Due to the recognition of the implications for British black populations, significant Black musicians, advocates and faith leaders have been coming out in support for the Climate9, and necessary action on climate change before it is too late. Statements include (further statements 4):
“The action taken by this group of individuals against airport expansion in Scotland reminds us of the concerns people share over the environmental and social impacts of such developments both here and abroad. Dan Glass has a keen sense of the social injustices that can play out around environmental issues such as climate change, and has been a welcome and a real activist on environmental inequalities.” Maria Adebowale, Director of Capacity Global
“The terrible gradual danger that humanity and every other creature faces from global warming is as real as life itself on this planet. We all have to play our part in avoiding a looming calamity. An Islamic Sharia court would not punish a person who broke the law by stealing a loaf of bread because his or her children were hungry. Instead, it would condemn the system that created that situation”. Bashir Maan, Convenor of the Muslim Council of Scotland
Juliana Napier from the Climate9 Defence Committee (5) said, “This trial has been attracting huge interest not just from climate change experts but from people across the world struggling for racial, social and environmental justice. Messages of support have been pouring in for the Climate9.”
ENDS
(1) The nine defendants, Dan Glass, 25, Emilia Kawowska, 19, Tilly Gifford, 24, Josie Hanson, 25, and Jonathan Agnew, 22, all from Glasgow, Mark Andrews, 25, from Edinburgh, James Kerr, 34, from Paisley, William Boggia, 43, from Ballater, Aberdeenshire, and Kate Mackay, 20, from Shipley, West Yorkshire.
(3) http://www.endsreport.com/docs/20090820a.pdf
(4) For more statements of support please visit: www.climate9.com/statements-of-support/
“We extend our warm support to dan glass and the other eight activists for climate justice. we congratulate you for your courageous actions in the battle of survival against profit. we are sure that you and your friends will turn this trial against yourselves to a trial of those engaged in global destruction.” Sathyu Sarangi from Bhopal (International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal)
“It is important to support people who are proactive in taking action to prevent climate change. Climate9 are acting selflessly, on behalf of the earth and for future generations; taking it upon themselves to make a statement for people worldwide whose cries have been ignored. They have joined a group of committed selfless people the world over, who are ready to see a change in human behaviour on earth. In taking action to address climate change, they have put themselves on the line completely.” Gathuru Mburu Director of the Institute of Culture and Ecology (ICE) Kenya
‘We support all those who also are fighting in different circumstances/conditions against weather change as it has already felt by us who are facing it. …..I think rising sea levels is quite a serious thing. We should be worry about……’ Sailabala Malla, Okilapala, Odisha (an area flooded by the effects of climate change)
(5) Climate 9 Defence Committee
The “Climate9 Defence Committee” is a group of organisations and individuals formed to support the 9 co-defendants outside of the court room and raise public awareness of the trial.
Relevant links
www.capacity.org.uk Race Equality and Environment Report http://www.capacity.org.uk/downloads/CC-EJ%20in%20EU.pdf
21/06/10 (Featured on front page of The Campaign for Greener Healthcare website)
Leading Public Health Advocates Come Out in Support of the Climate9 Trial
As the second week of the UK’s major climate change trial begins, support from advocates for public health grows daily including from Jenny Griffiths OBE, Geoff Meaden and Cathy McCormack.
The Climate9 trial is the first major British Climate trial since the failure of the Copenhagen process. The 9 Britons are facing charges of Breach of the Peace and Vandalism after closing down Aberdeen Airport in March 2009 to challenge polluting industries and their impacts for climate change. The defendants are pleading not guilty on the grounds that people must be able to peacefully assemble to raise their concerns in tackling climate change and how it impacts the health of communities locally and globally livinh eith increasing pollution, fuel poverty and the social impacts of climate change. The Climate9 have assembled a witness list of world-renowned experts in climate change and its poverty and health implications. The following statements uphold the concern coming from the health profession.
“We … believe that climate change is the public health challenge of the 21st century and that, unless decisive action is taken now, the world will face global public health and environmental catastrophe.” Statement dated 22 January 2008 signed by 21 health leaders, including the Presidents of the Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Physicians of London, and Association of Directors of Public Health, the Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation and 17 others.
Jenny Griffiths OBE, Independent Health Consultant, Climate and Health Council.
“Climate change is an unfolding public health catastrophe which is already killing people and damaging the health of populations around the world. Aviation makes a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Dan Glass and his colleagues are public health advocates who deserve our support.”
Joanna Santa Barbara , physician, member of OraTaiao (Climate and Health) in New Zealand, and on the faculties of both McMater University in Canada and University of Otago in New Zealand.
“I see the threat of Climate Change as unprecedented in human history, and extremely grave.I think aviation is a significant contributor to this threat, and believe there is an urgent need to reduce its use in human and freight transport. The official fora convened by states to address this, such as the December 2009 meeting in Copenhagen, have left those people throughout the world who see the danger and care about averting it in despair. The impotence and timidity of states is appalling. As with almost all important social changes, it is up to non-violent people’s action to stir states to act. Climate 9 are to be congratulated.”
Cathy McCormack long term campaigner on housing, health, poverty and climate change and author of ‘The Wee Yellow Butterfly’’
“I first made these links between our sick houses, our sick children and the sickness of the planet away back in the 198O’s. Our ten year campaign resulted in our solar housing project completed in 1992. It demonstrated a fifteen % reduction in C02 0mmission – evidence that when the people at the grassroots actually get listened too, then the benefits go far beyond our own social and economic environment. I have been working to support this young generation of campaigners because my journey over the world in search of answers to the ‘insanity’ of our lived reality has convinced me; that for the very first time in the history of human ecology that our children could be the first generation to be denied a future. It really scares me that these brave young people could end up in jail because they want to try and save our planet and its people. The trial also has serious implications for other peaceful and non-violent campaigners who seem to now be regarded as terrorist. In my view it is not the Climate9 who should be on trial but all of us. Either through ‘commission’ or ‘omission’ we are all guilty of playing our part in the destruction of our planet and its people.”
Juliana Napier from the Climate9 Defence Committee said,
“This trial has been attracting huge interest not just from climate change experts but from people across the world struggling with the increasingly desparate health impacts brought by runaway climate change. Messages of support have been pouring in for the Climate9.”
The trial is expected to last around two weeks. Daily updates on www.climate9.com
June 17th 2010
Barnet boy Dan Glass in Aberdeen Court for environmental protest
Climate9 Court Case: Aberdeen: 14th June
Dan Glass, 26, born in Barnet, was one of 9 activists who have been taken to court this week after bringing Aberdeen airport to a standstill in March 2009, by occupying the taxiway in a protest against airport expansion. This week the Climate 9 were joined by around 50 friends, family and supporters outside Aberdeen Sheriff Court, including Dan’s dad and sister, residents of Barnet, who fully support Dan’s actions. The Climate 9 illustrate how we can carry the struggle for climate justice from the realm of public opinion to the court of law. Scotland’s first ever major climate change trial commenced this Monday with the Climate 9 answering charges of Breach of the Peace and Vandalism. The support is expected to continue throughout the trial.
Interest has been building around the case since Climate 9 public campaigns were launched in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and London, which have drawn global and local support for the group and helped forge alliances with social justice campaigners and racial justice movements.(2)
The defendants are pleading not guilty on the grounds that their actions were to prevent the larger crime of runaway climate change and have assembled a witness list of world-renowned experts in climate related fields including public health consultant Jenny Griffiths and Geoff Meaden, who contributed to the successful Kingsnorth6 defence as a flooding and mapping expert. (3)
Dan Glass, a defendant from Barnet said,
“Growing up under the flightpath in Barnet made me think loads about how this is happening all over the UK. From Heathrow to Gatwick to Aberdeen people are taking action against airport expansion because of the devastating polluting impacts it has on the communities that live underneath and because its the fastest growing contributor to runaway climate change.”
Concerned families of the accused will also be in attendance throughout the trial
One mother said:
“I am really proud of my daughter Kate and what she is doing. It takes courage to make a stand and to take direct action. It is so important to look after and respect the planet – our stay on this planet is a very brief one but the impact we have is greater than we have the capacity to imagine. I am glad that Kate is passionate about a sustainable future and willing to do something about it.”
Anne Mackay – mother of Kate Mackay
The trial is expected to last around two weeks.
Notes to Editors and Picture Editors:
1 Court Support and trial related supporter activities
Supporters gathered in front of Aberdeen Court at 10am this morning, 14th June, messages of global and local support were prominently displayed near the court. Parents and siblings, as well as the accused, will be available for interviews after court from 5 p.m. onwards.
Another planned gathering will take place on Monday 21st June at 10 am with similar activities
2 Report from Climate9 Campaign Launch, London
On Friday 3th of June supporters of the campaigners who launched their public campaign at london ’s School for Oriental and African Studies. The event featured a wide range of speakers from the Climate9 Defence Committee and brought together an alliance of climate activists, social justice movements and racial justice campaigners to support the climate 9 and challenge the inadequacy of the legal system and the Climate Change policies.
Tilly Gifford, one of the accused, said
“Non violent Direct Action on carbon intensive industry, when all the political routes have been exhausted, are the actions of sensible and responsible individuals in the face of irreversible climate change”.
