Climate activists occupy UK coal train

A freight train delivering 1,500 tonnes of coal to one of the UK’s power stations was hijacked by climate change campaigners yesterday. More than 40 Greenpeace activists blocked the 400-metre […]

A freight train delivering 1,500 tonnes of coal to one of the UK’s power stations was hijacked by climate change campaigners yesterday.

More than 40 Greenpeace activists blocked the 400-metre freight train heading to Cottam power station in Nottinghamshire for 10 hours.

A giant life-size polar bear puppet was used to stop the train from moving and symbolise the global movement to “save the Arctic from the ravages of climate change”.

The protestors climbed on to the wagons and attempted to unload the cargo.

Will McCallum, Greenpeace UK climate campaigner said: “We’re doing exactly what leaders in New York and here in the UK should be doing, which is to stand in the way of the massive damage to our health and climate inflicted by coal.”

The activists were momentarily detained and released pending further enquiries, Greenpeace UK told ELN.

The blockade took place as David Cameron prepared to lay out Britain’s plans to rein in carbon emissions at the UN Climate Summit in New York. He said shale gas is part of the UK’s solution to tackling global climate change and should not be restricted by “green tape”.

Investigations into how a group of climate change protestors managed to stop a freight train is said to begin today.

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