Dundee student fined over biomass protest — then graduates 24 hours later
A Dundee University student graduated only 24 hours after she was fined for protesting against plans to build biomass generators at four Scottish sites, including Dundee.
- By Stefan Morkis
- Published in the Courier : 24.06.11
- Published online : 24.06.11 @ 08.01am
Renewable energy student Kimberley Ellis, who received her degree on Thursday, was told to pay £200 after pleading guilty to obstructing the public highway when she appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
She was one of seven members of Action Against Agrofuels who were arrested after blocking the two roads into Grangemouth Docks last month.
The demonstrators were protesting against plans by Forth Energy — a partnership between Forth Ports and Scottish and Southern Energy — to build generators at Dundee, Grangemouth, Rosyth and Leith.
They blockaded both port entrances for several hours, stopping trucks entering or leaving Scotland's largest port.
Forth Energy claim each plant would provide energy for around 160,000 homes as well as heat for some nearby properties. However, the plans are highly controversial.
Opponents have raised concerns about emissions from the plants and question whether the wood to be burnt could be sustainably sourced.
Each plant would burn 1.3 million tonnes of wood each year and require a 100-metre chimney stack.
All seven protesters arrested on the May 16 demonstration appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Three were found not guilty but four, including Miss Ellis, admitted the charge of obstructing the public highway and were each fined £200.
'Taking no notice'
However, Miss Ellis remains unrepentant and said the fine would not cast a shadow over her graduation.
She said, "We put our bodies in the way because the government seems to be taking no notice of the problems these power stations would create — the destruction of forests and other ecosystems, climate change impacts and the displacement of communities and indigenous peoples.
"Locally it will lead to health problems associated with air pollution. If it takes me breaking the law to just try to protect people and the planet then that's what I'm going to do.
"I really hope that the public understand why we protested."
Managing director of Forth Energy, Calum Wilson, has said the plant would help Dundee become a renewable energy hub.
Forth Energy say the proposed plant represents a capital investment of £325 million and would have a gross value to the local economy of £26.4 million a year.
The plant would employ an average of 300 people, peaking at 500 over 36 months, and would support around 70 jobs thereafter.
Because of the size of each plant, the Scottish Government will decide whether to grant permission to build them rather than individual councils.
However, The Courier revealed this week that consideration of the Dundee application has been suspended while Forth Energy completes an air quality monitoring programme.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has also said nitrogen dioxide levels in the area, which are already above the legal limit, must be brought under control before they would give the plant a licence to operation.
Mr Wilson said the monitoring could take several months.
09.35am - 24.06.2011 Dundeegonemad - Dundee, UK Report This
Calum Wison says it will 'help Dundee become a renewable energy hub' Not true. It will however spread dioxins over a wide area causing a rise in cancer rates and make a ludicrous counterbalance to the supposedly regenerated waterfront replete with the V and A. Ghastly proposal!
12.48pm - 17.07.2011 K Brown - Dundee, UK Report This
Ok without electricity? Alrite, no heating? Less food on table? Walk (on empty stomach) everywhere? We need to control pollution not kill the goose itself! No going back to the stone age!! Free riders on our economy destroy it with such protests. Hunger strike and suffer yourself to highlight!!!!!
11.57am - 19.07.2011 Rob - Dundee, UK Report This
Yeh, who's going to pay for all the loss caused to common people and businesses? They should have been fined thousands to compensate those who lost because of blockade of port. Disgusting behaviour of shallow people who do any damn thing to be in the news. Sad they get it so cheap.
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