Dear Friends,

I am sat at my desk in Bristol willing on the summer break from my studies, a truly exciting time as I head to Ireland and France on my bicycle soon, taking time out after living in a busy but vibrant city for the past two years.

This summer holds more than just scenic travel; the proposed site for a coal-fired power station in Kent, England would not be on the ideal 'to-do' list of the everyday soul wishing to get away. However, that is where this year's 'Camp for Climate Action' is taking place.

The August 2008 camp is part of a mass movement against the political and economic framework that is driving us towards an increasingly unstable and inhabitable planet. July last year saw thousands of concerned individuals from many walks of life converging on an empty piece of land near Heathrow airport in London to set up camp for a week of sustainable living, workshops, films, talks and peaceful but large scale direct action against the proposals to expand the aviation industry.

This year it's coal.

We are not saying the issues have changed, only that the dots need to be joined in terms of identifiing the people responsible for calling the shots on the development of damaging industries. Despite a growing global awareness of the most pressing of issues, something is going wrong. The government will not halt its drive to expand these industries, even in the face of multiple peer-reviewed and acclaimed scientific reports stating the need to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions. And these are conservative estimates.

If built, Kingsnorth power station will emit between 6 and 8 million tons of CO2 every year. The investment in coal is part of a raft of hypocrisy we are being force fed by our governments- why not renewable, clean energy? We need to break the habit and begin to invest in a cleaner and safer future. Damage wreaked on the natural environment is already manifesting itself in terms of social unrest, food riots, starvation, species loss and pollution. Our quality of life is directly linked to the decisions we make – and those that our governments make. We have a black hole in our climate policy, things need to change.

This means leaving coal in the ground. We can no longer afford to live the dream that fossil fuels are the 'black gold' they were once praised as; indeed the price to be paid is growing larger, the longer we come rely on them.

So how do we affect this change? Well, to me the answer and the hope has come from being an active part of a growing global movement, by taking action at a grass roots level and refusing to blindly accept decisions made by governments which hold huge consequences for all life on this planet. The concern and the movement is growing with every peice of research published, every story of flooding or drought, every penny that petrol rises by and every child that is born into an uncertain world.

So, I invite you to visit the climate camp web space on: www.climatecamp.org.uk and join me in August at the camp for an inspiring and important time this summer.

The camp last year was incredibly welcoming and not at all disorganized. All present, including the police were very impressed. There were many workshops throughout the week, the food was great, company was fantastic and the vision was optimistic. The opportunity to act as part of an organized and peaceful group is rewarding not only in terms of tangible achievements but the hope and strength instilled within us.

The camp is based on 'do it yourself' principles and has no leaders, sharing skills and ideas- requiring all involved to act as a whole. Other camps globally include North America, Australia and Europe. Come along and be part of the change!

Get in touch and feel free to distribute and forward this, and please talk to your friends and family!

Other than that I hope you are all keeping well and have a great summer!

Lewis x