new wave of protest at wales gas pipeline

gloucs | the environment | press release Tuesday January 09, 2007 16:24 by stern reporter

New camp set up on route of National Grid’s monster gas pipeline in Wales. Strong local support and participation. People will be needed to take part and support the protest. Last time the camp folded because there were not enough fresh people coming through to replace people when they wanted a rest.

PRESS RELEASE - 8TH JANUARY 2007

NO EMBARGO
===========
A coalition of local people and climate action groups, including Safehaven and Rising Tide have returned to the route of National Grid’s monster gas pipeline. The pipe was occupied for 11 days in November (1). They have set up camp on public footpaths leading into the construction site off Glyn Meirch road, Trebanos, and are blocking vehicles from gaining access. They are back to halt work to stop the destruction of countryside, communities and climate.

Milford Haven is supposedly a potential target for terrorists(2). Yet this pipeline will commit us to another thirty years of fuelling a cause of terrorism: Western corporations taking countries gas to expand consumption and their profits.
This pipeline will also contribute to another form of terrorism: climate change. The effects of climate change on people are going to be catastrophic yet the government is continuing to live in the “Carbon Dinosaur” era by refusing to move on from fossil fuels.

The Stern Report said that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions drastically and soon or face runaway climate change. A spokesperson for Bristol Rising Tide said “Building the pipe is a step in exactly the wrong direction. The £700 million it will cost could be spent on renewables and energy efficiency. We will take sustained direct action to stop it, taking responsibility for our lives and our future. ”

Here in South Wales, National Quid have been bulldozing their way through communities and landscapes, showing contempt for both. Safety issues have been ignored and consultation has been a farce.

As a result of the previous protest, a victory was won and the National Grid were forced to stop blasting. However locals are still very concerned about the risk of an avalanche, similar to those of Aberfan and Panteg, as the pipe is being built on old mine workings.

Furthermore, the Health and Safety Executive have said it is guaranteed that a hole will appear within the next thirty years in the pipeline. It has been proven that this pipeline is not required for UK gas needs by Dr Richard Furness, an internationally recognised gas pipeline expert.
We are here to prevent the wanton destruction of our countryside and our basic human
rights, as well as to safeguard those of future generations. We are demanding
that this pipeline project is scrapped.

For further details

Rachel Evans 07790450747


ENDS

Also, here's a link to an article on bbc wales. They must have given this one to the work experience kid - there is no mention of climate change in the text even though several people gave interviews where they stressed over and over again that rising tide is a climate change direct action group and climate change is what brought us here. Also the pipe will supply 20% of UK gas supply, not 20% of the energy supply. Doh.
The video clip is a little bit better.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6243761.stm

* For directions to the campsite near Trebanos from Cardiff check out: www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_results.jsp?displaymap=true#map

1 This is a link to a SchNews article about the protests last November at the pipeline.
http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news569.htm

2 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/07012007/356/army-guard-power-plants.html