County teenager’s green demo arrest
Wednesday 11th March 2009, 10:51AM GMT.
A teenage Greenpeace activist from Telford was arrested along with more than 300 others for taking part in a protest on climate change in Belgium.
Hana Cogings, 18, of Dawley, was part of a team of 340 Greenpeace volunteers who surrounded and chained themselves to the gates of the European Council building in Brussels yesterday.
The activists, who were all arrested, were trying to prevent European Union finance ministers leaving until they agreed to pledge significant funding so developing countries can tackle climate change.
Hana has been involved with Greenpeace for more than a year.
She said she wanted to make sure the government took steps to help the climate.
A large contingent of police, including anti-riot officers, cut through the chains and put activists into awaiting vehicles.
The officers set up a security perimeter, while EU security services sealed all entrances to the building. The last protesters were removed about two hours after arriving.
Speaking from Brussels yesterday, Hana said: “I’m here to make sure my government takes the steps needed to get us out of the economic and climate crises by building an economy that can give people long term jobs in sustainable industries.
“Some European governments are complaining they can’t afford to take action on climate change, but I say they can’t afford not to – if the planet were a bank they would have saved it by now.
“Leading climate scientists say we have only 93 months to start reducing, rather than increasing emissions.
“Politicians don’t seem to be listening, and certainly don’t represent me, so now is the time for me to take a stand and take action against climate change.
“To be equal to the task, politicians need to set serious emission reduction targets, take action to save rainforests and give cash for developing countries to adapt to the climate change that is already happening.
“These three things need to be at the top of their list of priorities in preparing for the crucial climate talks in Copenhagen in December.”
Greenpeace spokesman Niall Bennett said Hana was later released without charge.
By Andrew Morris
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Did she fly to Belgium? And will she use more CO2 to get back to the UK. Protest is it worth it?
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Hi Ian, in answer to your question no, Hana did not fly to Belgium, that would be more than a little hypocritical after all. Greenpeace have a strict ‘no fly’ policy :) Well done Hana, and everyone else involved.
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idiot !!
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I take it she walked there? We await greenpeace answer!!
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Happy to oblige Don :) All Greenpeace activists from the UK travelled down to HQ in London via public transport. They were then transported via minibus through the channel tunnel – upon arrival at the other side they all journeyed to their destination in Brussels once again by using public transport. There are more ways to travel than just flying and walking :) How would you have got there? Obviously the journey was long and far from the lap of luxury, but some things are important enough that we are willing to experience a little discomfort to achieve them. In fact many of the activists involved were very roughly treated by the authorities in Brussels, with a number being hospitalised for their participation in this peaceful protest – so ‘a little discomfort’ is a massive understatement in some cases!
I hope I answered your question to your satisfaction :)
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I wonder what the co2 immisions were for this journey and can greenpeace tell us if the benefit office were told she was not looking for work during her time away?
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Being as I am, a volunteer for Greenpeace, and no kind of scientist, I’m afraid I can’t calculate the co2 emissions of 30 people travelling to Europe by public transport for you. I’m sure there are a plethora of websites available that could help you with this :)
As far as Hana’s relationship with the benefit office goes I am obviously unable to comment as that would be none of my business; and in my personal opinion it would be completely inappropriate to discuss the subject in a forum such as this.
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Don, What sort of comment is that? What makes you think this girl would need to inform the benefit office anyway? Never mind her looking for work, perhaps you should look for a dictionary to help you to spell emissions.
Well done Hana. The world needs more like you.
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May I just say that I think it is fantastic that someone so young is willing to ‘stand up and be counted’ on such an important issue as climate change, even going so far as to put not only their safety and freedom, but their entire future (employment wise) at risk. If I were a younger man with no commitments I would wholeheartedly be out their helping them!
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nice one hana and greenpeace
nice work
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Well said Dave. Mr Proom is a bit of a fool. Why bother commenting if you can’t spell?
I don’t think the Co2 emissions of the journey are even a blip on the grand scale!
However, I can not see any benefit to such protests. Certainly the crucial climate talk is a better place to actually get something done. But is it really the government that has to do something? They could cut off everyone’s power I suppose and make cars illegal (which they have considered) but I don’t think it would go down too well. What really needs to be done is for everyone to be aware of the issue and to actually contribute in reducing their own carbon ‘footprint’. But how to motivate everyone in the world is quite elusive. People know about the issues, but they do nothing! They expect everyone else will fix it if they continue as normal.
But… I’ve typed too much!
Keep up the good work Hana!
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this reminds me of the rhetoric that was about when i was a young man in the late 80s
“we need to save this planet for our children”
well it looks like the children are growing up, seeing our generation did nothing and have decided to try and save it themselves. good on um i say!
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Well done,Hana!
In an age of self obsession, consumerism and ‘celebrity’ worship – it’s good to see that there are still some people who care passionately about worthwhile causes.
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Steve, you kind of answered your own question there in a round about way. It IS everyone’s responsibility, but as you point out most people are not motivated to do anything. That is where the governments of the world should be taking charge of the issue, leading the way in making these changes (and MAKING people make these changes) instead of saying they will do something, then having meetings about when they are going to meet to discuss the possibility of having a meeting about the concept of possibley trying to tackle climate change.
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we need to bring bakc hanging that would sort the hippies out, we should not allow them to protest
im glad they are anti brussels though
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This week the world’s top climate scientists warned that earlier estimates of climate change have been woefully overoptimistic, and the world is facing the likelihood of much higher sea-level rises and steadily acidifying oceans.
Well done to Hana and to Greenpeace Shropshire for bringing Shropshire Star readers’ attention to this meeting in Brussels, and getting us to focus on the centre of political power in Europe, where so many important decisions are made.
I’m sure people concerned at the political class’ lamentable paucity of vision on the issue of climate change will cheer out loud to see people like you calling on EU governments to put as much into saving civilisation from climate change as saving the banks and their executives.
It’s inspiring to see people like you leading the way on this issue and speaking the truth to power, Hana.
I think what Joseph Hutton says (#9)about ‘putting your entire future (employment wise) at risk’ is totally wrong.
In a few years time we will see people like you who started the revolution in attitudes towards this issue, as the the true leaders, who finally pushed governments into taking the right economic decisions.
People like you who can think outside the box are the sort of strong, morally courageous people our society is going to need as the effects of climate change start to kick in.
Well done to all 340 of you.
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Steve Harris (#11) says ‘People know about the issues, but they do nothing!’.
I completely disagree.
Some families have started at home by reducing, re-using, recycling and composting their waste, all of which saves energy and cuts emissions.
Some families try to ‘drop a tonne’ of carbon by avoiding flying, using public transport, walking to school and/or cycling when practical.
Here in Shropshire the ‘Low Carbon Communities’ project aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5.88% or 3868 tonnes in Ellesmere, Cleobury Mortimer and the “Floodplain Community” – a collection of small villages and farmsteads near Oswestry by April 2009.
Some people join local conservation groups like the Natural Trust, the Woodland Trust or the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, which campaign on climate change.
Some people write letters to their political representatives or join campaign groups like Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth.
2 such campaigning groups, CAFOD and Christian Aid, are bringing people from Kenya and Cambodia affected by climate change together with NASA’s chief scientist, James Hansen, to hear about the impact that the UK’s decision to open coal-fired power stations will have on the poorest people in the world.
This event takes place in Coventry Cathedral on Thursday March 19th at midday.
Some people like Hana and her friends do something positive by demonstrating.
Some people choose to do something by joining political parties with people they feel comfortable with, because they recognise that real change is not going to happen unless individuals are driving it.
I could go on, Steve, if you want me to.
There are lots of people doing a huge amount.
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i calculate the co2 footprint of that journey as 64 kg that would be offset in just over a year if you replaced an incadecent lightbulb with a low energy variety
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Well done Hana for fighting for what you believe in. I hope you were not treated too badly being a visitor. I have had experience of Belgian Police’s heavy handedness having been a resident in Belgium some years ago, not nice……
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Hannah has decided on peaceful action to express her views…she is young, bright, motivated and always been hard working. She is a credit to her generation. I do not agree with all her views but i respect them, they are not held lightly and it has not been “an easy” ride for her. The young have a natural duty to ask why? who? what? and how?…..if they do not challenge the way of things then no one will.
Go for it Kid and do your “thing” before you get old…..
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Peter Cogings, there is no reason why political activism should be restricted to younger people.
Would you not agree that the National Pensioners’ Convention is doing outstanding work in representing the interests of older citizens in the UK?
Hana was arrested for demanding action from EU finance ministers on combating climate change.
On a related matter, the National Pensioners’ Convention has done important work highlighting the urgent need for insulation in Britain’s housing stock.
They point out the number of cold-related deaths in winter and have also shown that almost one in three older people live in homes with inadequate heating or insulation making their homes more difficult to heat and/or keep warm.
They say that massive government investment is needed in campaigns to insulate our housing stock properly, which will also have the globally beneficial effect of cutting carbon emissions.
These politically active citizens, working hard for people of their generation and older, do not seem to share your belief that activism is exclusively for younger people.
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