No Dash for Gas solidarity update!
On Thursday June 6th the 21 No Dash for Gas defendants will be sentenced for their part in the protest at West Burton power station, and some of them face the prospect of custodial sentences. But hundreds of people will be showing they are standing in solidarity with these climate activists, at a powerful and dignified vigil from 6pm at EDF's offices, Cardinal Place, 80 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL. Join them and stand up for climate justice. More details available here.
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On March 6th UCLU Council passed a motion in solidarity with the No Dash for Gas activists, opposing energy company EDF’s plans to sue them for £5 million. UCLU was not alone in condemning EDF’s actions. 64,000 people signed a petition calling on EDF to drop the case, the Green Party passed an emergency motion denouncing EDF’s actions, environmental NGOs Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and People & Planet wrote an open letter criticising EDF and dozens of members of the public challenged EDF’s actions via facebook and twitter and pledged to switch energy supplier. Barely a week later EDF dropped the civil case against the activists (victory!), although some of the group still face the prospect of custodial sentences. But what does all this mean? And how can more students get involved to take this campaign further?
Who are ‘No Dash for Gas’?
No Dash for Gas is a group of twenty-one climate campaigners who shut down energy giant EDF's West Burton gas-fired Power station in Nottinghamshire. 16 activists camped out on two chimneys for seven days, stopping nearly 20,000 tons of Co2 emissions. It was the longest power occupation in UK history. Following the occupation, EDF decided to sue the protestors for £5 million in costs and economic damages.
Yikes, I’m not sure I’d want to spend a week up a chimney. But what is the ‘Dash for Gas’?
The ‘Dash for Gas’ is a name given to attempts to rely more heavily on gas as part of the UK energy mix. For instance, George Osborne has put in place plans to build 40 new gas-fired power stations in the UK. However this dash could be disastrous. The government’s own Committee on Climate Change’s has said this expansion of gas infrastructure could be technically illegal, as it will make it impossible for the UK to meet its carbon reduction targets (of 80% emissions cuts by 2050). Gas is not much cleaner than coal and is still an ever diminishing finite resource.
Also, an increased reliance on gas (as opposed to renewables) in the UK’s energy mix is set to increase ordinary people’s fuel bills, pushing more individuals and families into fuel poverty. For instance, last year EDF increased their gas prices by 10.8%.
That seems like pretty important stuff, but why is this relevant to students?
EDF’s plan to sue protestors for millions of pounds is a real threat to our ability to protest and achieve social change, as there’s a danger students will be too intimidated to stand up for issues they really care about, for fear of massive financial sanctions. Also, it shows even more starkly how much power multinationals can have, compared to ordinary people.
A huge number of households are already affected by fuel poverty, and are struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills, and this includes many students. Moreover, action on climate change has never been more urgently needed. Over the past 23 years, since intergovernmental discussions about climate change begun, emissions have increased by over 50%. As students we are the generation who will live to see the impacts of climate change if we don’t take action now.
Ok so what has UCLU resolved to do?
The motion resolved:
- To circulate the aforementioned change.org petition, demanding EDF drop the civil action against the 21 individualshttp://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/tell-edfenergy-to-drop-legal-acti….
- To mandate the EEOO and ECO to launch a campaign in support of No Dash For Gas, which will include writing a public letter of solidarity to the activists; to organise an event with the No Dash for Gas group for the UCL community to attend; and to lobby UCL to reject future sponsorship or corporate partnership with EDF at least until EDF drop the charges.
- To mandate the EEOO and ECO to launch a campaign for UCL to create an ethical sponsorship and partnership policy with full student participation, including through the presence of the EEOO and/or EEO on all relevant UCL committees or groups.
- To support, promote and offer resources to the May 1st protest against EDF’s victimisation of the 21 activists, ‘Let’s talk People Power’http://www.facebook.com/events/277165562415039/.
- To help Free Zingyhttp://www.facebook.com/FreeZingy.
(Zingy is EDF’s corporate mascot. There’s a mini facebook campaign dedicated to how he objects to EDF suing climate activists)
Has UCLU done anything yet?
Yes! We publicised the petition and we hosted two of the No Dash For Gas activists in an evening discussion on Monday 11th March. We’ve let the No Dash for Gas group know about the policy and this webpage, which hopefully they’ll see as a public statement of solidarity. We haven’t had a chance to lobby the university, as EDF have already dropped the civil case, but hopefully Zingy is now free.
So what can we still do?
If you’re excited about supporting these activists and stopping the Dash for Gas:
- Keep with up with No Dash for Gas on their website, on facebook and on twitter @nodashforgas .
- Show solidarity with the No Dash for Gas defendants when they are sentenced: http://www.facebook.com/events/549817328384415/
- If you’re interested in getting involved in an ethical sponsorship campaign, contact Natasha on eeoo@uclu.org.
- Or if you have any other ideas for environmental campaigning at UCLU get in touch!