Climate Camp 2008

Climate camp is an inspiring event and protest, a week long event to show an alternative way of living and organising ourselves. The perception of climate camp for some may be of a load of hippies getting together for an excuse to have a festival. And yes, okay, from certain perspectives I can understand why it may seem like that. I’m not denying that hippies were present or that there was a festival atmosphere, however climate camp is so much more than that.

In an attempt to challenge the current status quo which has allowed runaway climate change to go mostly unchallenged, Climate Camp has emerged as the direct action group which aims to show there is another way. There is no hierarchy at the camp, therefore it’s down to each individual to get involved, whether it’s building a marquee or cooking a vegan meal for 100. It attempts to exist sustainably, so there are many clever innovations at the camp, such as the surprisingly clean compost toilets and the funky pedal powered disco. Whilst all this is being maintained, there are over 250 workshops taking place on subjects varying from alternative energy sources, anarchy and even acrobatics.

This year’s protest subject was the opening of Kingsnorth power station by E-On, the first new coal power station to open in Britain in over 30 years. This is an obvious act of shooting one’s self in one’s foot. The UK government admits we are facing the serious threat of climate change as they are about to pass the first ever green bill this December. Yet Kingsnorth will produce up to 8m tonnes of CO2 a year, making these targets difficult to hit, to put it very mildly. Protesters marched to the front of the gates to tell ‘E-on to f-off’, with a samba band and penguin costumes in tow. Other activists donned pirate outfits and sailed up the river on home made rafts in an attempt to break in and shut the power station down. Some managed to climb onto the security fences that were erected specifically to keep protesters out and hang banners.

I came away from the camp with a sense that things can change, indeed need to change and that this is an exciting opportunity. So why aren’t we doing this already? I saw that by simply changing our habits we can live as part of a caring creative community, where each individual is not only listened to but becomes an important part of the whole. I realised at the camp that we are living in an increasingly policed state when I saw attacks on peaceful protesters and heard stories of crayons and board games that were confiscated. I also realised that the government don’t seem able to make the choices that are needed if we are to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change. So whilst climate camp had that festival vibe and a chance to express my inner hippie, it also offered a unique opportunity to be empowered, to stand up and demand that our voices must be heard.