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Why going to climate camp is my ideal holiday

phpD2j2jdCamp for Climate Action 08:
3rd - 11th August, Kingsnorth, Kent

To the uninitiated, climate camp may sound a bit scary. For one thing, it involves camping, and for many people that evokes images of festivals. If you’ve ever seen the bleak post-apocalyptic scenes at the end of Glastonbury you might think the Camp for Climate Action 2008 - or just ‘climate camp’ - will be a waste strewn hole in the ground full of muddy, zoned out climate scientists, crying gently into their supercomputers.

Such were my worries, last year, as I approached the Heathrow camp. And certainly, it’s a slightly intimidating thing to be doing, walking past the massed policemen (it’s usually men…) with their cameras busily snapping your beautiful face. But as soon as I got to the edge of the site my worries started to drift away. “Welcome! Come in!” a friendly chap called as I stepped under the fence. “Have you got a neighbourhood?” I wandered over the the Welcome tent, where a girl called Fiona sorted me out with a tour of the site and some pretty nice food. From then on in it was a week of learning, sharing, building and debating. Everyone was working hard to give workshops, build kitchens, cook food, do the recycling… Having just come from a house where we struggle to do the dishes more than once a month it all felt pretty good.

So I’ve decided - climate camp is kind of like my ideal holiday. Even the preposterous numbers of police surrounding you only serves to create a nice feeling of solidarity with your fellow campers - and I suppose if you equate police levels with community safety, climate camp has to be about the safest place in Britain.

So this year, why not head down to Kent for the climate camp ‘08? Good food, good company and an opportunity to learn and put your learning to good use. It beats Glastonbury. (Well… maybe I’m just jealous ‘cos I haven’t got a ticket.)

Check out www.climatecamp.org.uk

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Posted on 17 June '08 by admin, under Popular.

3 Comments

#1 Greenwash Guerrillas at the Guarde.on | the coal hole 16.07.08 // 13:45

[...] is going to be the site for the climate camp, which we may have mentioned before. Events like this are building momentum, excitement and interest, so why not head down in a couple [...]

#2 J 28.07.08 // 10:59

I’m glad you think it’s going to be a holiday, I can tell you the residents of Hoo dont agree. Ok, most of them, myself included are totally against the idea of Coal power but we also dont want our village inundated with protestors.

[Respond]

Reply: admin July 28th, 2008 // 2:43 pm

Dear J,

I’m very pleased to hear that many Hoo residents are totally against coal. For me, the best thing about last year’s camp was the support and involvement of those living nearby.

Why go on holiday? There are lots of reasons - but how about: to experience a different culture, to learn about things outside of your everyday life, to spend time in a friendly and supportive environment. By comparing climate camp to a holiday I’m really suggesting that it’s a positive thing to do!

I understand that it’s worrying, not knowing what to expect. I think if I hadn’t had any experience of the camp and heard it was coming to my part of the world I might be worried about being ‘inundated’. Amazingly enough, though, most of the people at the camp will be pretty normal, will be very worried about new coal, and would rather not see Kingsnorth being around for another 40 years. In other words - they’re probably a lot like you.

I would guess that it’s a similar situation to last year - residents from Sipson, next to Heathrow where the camp was held, were initially a bit skeptical - but ended up being amazingly supportive of the camp - not surprising when you consider they are facing having their homes flattened to build a new runway.

It would be hard to find a more conscientious bunch when it comes to low-impact camping. Campers go out of their way to leave the site in a better condition than it was found. All rubbish is taken away and recycled, water is cleaned before it’s returned to the ground. (Have a look… http://www.minimouse.me.uk/exhibition/24.html) People spend their time in the camp, so that’s the only place they’ll be inundating.

Campers will be interested in the power station, not your village. There will be plenty of other times to visit Kent as tourists, (I hear it’s pretty nice) but we’re interested in coal - and the Kingsnorth power station is the line in the sand. Come along to the camp and see what it’s about. I hope, like the residents of Sipson, that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Yrs,

The Admin

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