Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX

Directions: http://www.veggies.org.uk/sumac/map.html

A group in Leicestershire has produced evidence about the current and possible future locations for opencast coal mining.in England. In all it identifies 23 Current sites and 43 potential sites.The evidence is in the form of a two part review and it has been produced to support the arguments for the 500 Metre Buffer Zone Bill which gets its 2nd Reading in the House of Commons on 11/2/11.

Final statement from the Ratcliffe defendants: post sentencing

5th January 2011



The Judge described Ratcliffe power station activists as "honest, sincere, conscientious, intelligent, committed, dedicated, caring". That they acted with "highest possible motives".

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group has just published its 6th set of objections to UK Coal's latest plans to opencast the Minorca site near Measham in Leicestershire. These objections centre on the risk that working the site will threaten the River Mease Special Area of Conservation

This article summarises known information about Opencast / Surface Mining Applicationsin England over the period 2009 / 10 by indication where Applications have been successful, where they have been rejected, where applications are currently 'live' and lastly where applications are likely to be made.

A police officer spent seven years undercover living as a hippie and environmental activist to infiltrate peaceful protest groups

After a 3 week trial and 3 days of deliberation for the jury, 20 climate activists were found guilty of conspiring to commit aggravated trespass today. The defendants were amongst 114 activists arrested at a Nottingham school in April 2009, on the verge of taking action to shut down the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station. Over the course of the trial the jury heard evidence from a raft of expert…

As the UN climate talks finish in Cancun, and fail once again to come up with any legally binding framework to reduce emissions, the British legal system is still upholding business as usual. This can’t continue. Burning coal has no future.

14 December 2010



All 20 defendants are found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Trespass at Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in April 2009.

Twenty climate activists who planned to shut down one of Britain’s most polluting power stations for a week were found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass today.

Check out the 71st edition of Dissident Island Radio...

• London Rising Tide on Buy Nothing Day
• Anja's piece on the current massive student movement protests
• Sali from the ZAD campaign near Nantes, France, to stop an airport in their region
• Radical Childcare Collective in the US Bay Area
• Anarcha-feminist critical analysis from marchers during the Reclaim the Night 2010
• The Santa Belles discu…

9 December 2010



Miss Felicity Gerry for the prosecution begins her speech to the jury.

Taken from: http://ratcliffeontrial.org/2010/12/day-13-no-verdict-this-week/

Sumac Center 245 Gladstone Street in Nottingham

Nottingham's vegan campaigners aim to hold 10 Vegan Free Food Give-Aways on December 11th, each aiming to reach 200 members of the public with the urgency of dietary change for the health of people, other animals and the environment worldwide.

Taken from: http://ratcliffeontrial.org/2010/12/day-11-defence-case-wrapped-up/

MOPG's latest press release, PR 86 'Safeguarding the Community Benefits of the proposed Minorca Surface Mine' explaines why MOPG are asking all those local bodies with an interest in the Minorca Surface Mine Application, whether for the application (Ashby Canal Trust, Ashby Canal Association and Measham and Ashby Canal Trust Enthusiasts) or against the application (Measham, Swepstone and Snareston…

This afternoon saw the final expert witness take the stand. Dr Geoff Meaden is a Geographer from Kent, who currently consults for the UN. His evidence was wide-ranging, but began with an explanation of the difference between local weather events and the global climate.

Taken from: http://ratcliffeontrial.org/2010/12/day-8-%E2%80%93-morning-session-former-mp-alan-simpson-testifies-in-support-of-the-ratcliffe-defendants/

This provides a link to an article which reviews the increasing use of Biomass in UK Electricity Production

Report from the afternoon session of day 5 of the Ratcliffe trial

Trial Day 5 - Cheryl Cole more effective than direct action.

Ratcliffe Trial suspended for three days and The Power Station continues to contribute emissions.

Our latest Press Release contains more good news for the Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG)and more bad news for UK Coal plc as the fight to stop a new opencast application continues is now published as Pr 85 'Campaigners resistance to opencast mine proposals hears encouraging news from MP'. It also contains the results of MOPG's  2010 AGM.

Update following the first week of the month long trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Continuing from yesterday, Barrister for the prosecution, Miss Felicity Gerry continued to hack her way in reading through the significant sized list of papers, maps, equipment and property. Laying out the sophistication of the plans.

NOTTINGHAM TICKETS SOLD OUT - December 1

Join the National Climate March in London

Coach leaves Salutation at 8:00am

Tickets £10 (waged) £6 (student/unwaged)

The prosecution continued its case this morning.

23 November 2010 Nottingham Crown Court



Barrister for the prosecution, Miss Felicity Gerry continued to outline their case.