Coal train ambushed by environmental protestors...

I'm not sure if this is the most effective thing to do, but it does sound energetic, and kind of sweetly idealistic, what with the hiding in cow parsley and all...
"Climate change campaigners halted a coal train yesterday outside Drax, Britain's biggest power station, and shovelled its contents on to the only line into the plant.
More than 20 tonnes of coal blocked the tracks as protesters strung ropes between the train and the girders of a river bridge as police watched from a distance. More than 30 protesters swarmed aboard the 21-wagon freight service. Hidden in banks of cow parsley beside the line to Drax, North Yorkshire they struck at 8am after watching two empty trains arrive to collect ash in the previous two hours." LINK

Actual headline: Coal cost soars in supply 'apocalypse'

Eeeeeeeep.

"FLOODING in Queensland's Bowen Basin has resulted in a "supply apocalypse'' for coking coal, with contract prices likely to hit $US300 per tonne - three times the price in 2007 - as steel mills scramble for the key ingredient...
Tight supply has been exacerbated by China withdrawing from coking coal exports, as internal demand soars and coke stockpiles decline to historically low levels,'' Merril Lynch said....
Brokerage Goldman Sachs JBWere said the supply squeeze has prompted one Asian steel mill to acquire coking coal on the spot market at $US400 per tonne..."
LINK

1,000,000 Chinese to move, because extensive mining is causing the ground to sink. Seriously.

Yikes. Just imagine how much freaking coal is coming out to be burned if they Chinese government has to move 1,000,000 people.

"As the country's largest coal rich province, Shanxi faces the danger of expanded sinking areas, due to long-term and intensified coal mining.

One million people in north China's coal-rich Shanxi Province will move out of the coalmine sinking areas and shanty towns before 2008, said an official with the provincial government."
LINK

petition time!

Oooh, great find from the amazing K.

"Tell Citigroup and Merrill Lynch to Stop Financing Climate Change!

Citigroup and Merrill Lynch are currently helping TXU, Texas’ largest utility, finance 11 new coal-fired power plants in Texas. Together, these plants will emit 78 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is:

• Equal to the annual emissions of 14 million passenger cars
• More than two-and-a-half times more CO2 than California will prevent with its groundbreaking emissions reduction program for vehicles
• Larger than the emissions of many entire countries, including Denmark, Portugal, and Sweden.

Both Citigroup and Merrill Lynch describe themselves as environmental leaders. Yet, at a time when a growing number of business leaders are taking action to reduce climate change emissions, these two financial giants are helping to build power plants that will help to accelerate climate change."

LINK goes to petition.