US eco-activista imprisoned for two years

Activist Tim DeChristopher marks a hero for environmental colleagues and left-wing activists. Photography: Douglas C. Pizac/AP

An activist who became a hero to activists to stop an auction of the Bush administration for the industry of oil and gas with $1. 8 m (￡ 1. 1 m) in false bids was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday.

Tim DeChristopher was immediately ordered custody and a fine of $10,000. It has been facing a potential sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of $750,000.

Environmental activists and leftists, actress Daryl Hannah to Naomi Klein, author and filmmaker Michael Moore reported immediately as excessive sentence.

At a vigil outside the Salt Lake City Hall, where he carried out the ruling, supporters of the movement of peaceful civil disobedience uprising of the DeChristopher shouted: "Justice is not here."

As a bidder not 70, DeChristopher interrupted what was seen as a final gift to the oil and gas industry by the Bush administration by bidding $1. 8 m (￡ 1. 1 m) did not have the right to drill in remote areas of the State of Utah. He was found guilty of defrauding the Government in March.

In a telephone conversation with The Guardian, a day before the ruling, said he hoped the penalty of imprisonment: "I think that I will serve some time in prison." "That's what I believe to be the next chapter in my life."

DeChristopher lawyers had argued that his actions in December 2008 were single-use, and that the judge must show clemency. They argued that dechristopher had no intent to cause damage.

However, Judge Dee Benson said beliefs the DeChristopher policies does not excuse his actions.

DeChristopher said he had no plan clear when fulfilled at the auction in Salt Lake City, in December 2008.

"" The time I went with a type of direct action of thinking mode of thinking that if I can cause enough delay, stop this action and keep oil in the ground, then that could be worth the effort, he said.

He had come directly from write one of their finals, shaving, and in an old down jacket. "Certainly does not look like someone who was there," said. "Not to be an Executive of oil or anything else".

The federal Bureau of Land Management officials asked if he wanted to bid. DeChristopher said yes, still thinking at that time that he just wanted to shout something or cause a disruption.

But when the auction ended, DeChristopher had driven prices in some plots and winning bids by 14 pieces of land: some of which close to national parks. I knew that he had no money to pay for it.

The administration of Obama later cancelled the majority of sales, due to doubts about the Bush leasing plan.

DeChristopher defense was complicated from the beginning when the judge refused to hear the arguments that had been forced to act, to prevent a greater evil. In this case, the climate change.

But while the argument do not move to the Court, won DeChristopher track on the campus and a greater generation of activists. He also founded a group of civil disobedience, peaceful insurrection.

"Tim is a hero to me," wrote Peter Yarrow, American folk singer and member of Peter, Paul and Mary, in an article in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that DeChristopher compared to the leaders of the civil rights movement.

"American history, acts of civil disobedience have led to change." Thinking on the underground railroad helped slaves to freedom, or on the courageous actions of people like Rosa Parks, who refused to stay at the bottom of the bus simply because of her skin color. "Without this kind of challenge unjust laws our country would probably still denied fundamental freedoms to people of color."

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Use of the plastic bag on the rise after years of decline

Use plastic bag is on the rise after years of decline. Photography: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

British consumers are packing away their green credentials with your weekly shop, like last year an increasing number of us including our purchases in a single-use plastic bags instead of looking for environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Use of the plastic bag sank after 2006, when the Government, retailers, and green activists led an effort to reduce plastic 11bn British carriers used each year, most of which find their way into landfills or - much more damagingly: waterways and the sea, which are a danger to marine life.

In 2009, bag use dropped by about 40% to less than 6.5bn.

But last year reversed that trend downward. Perhaps due to concerns of a recession, people forgot their Hesse and full of new plastic - bags were used more than 6.8bn, 5% above the previous year, according to the Government waste and programme of action of resources (Wrap).

Recycling Minister Lord Henley said: "this is not enough." Retailers must take responsibility and raise their game to reduce the number of bags for single use to deliver. "If the results do not improve we will consider additional measures to make this happen, including of a legislative nature."

The British Retail Consortium said that part of the increase was probably buyers more short trips in stores, rather than a single large store weekly. But the retail trade body, said that the small increase should be put in context progress "massive" since 2006 and these plastic bags were only one of the many ways in which retailers cut their environmental impact.

Bob Gordon, head of environmental protection in the British Retail Consortium, said: "it is encouraging to note that the majority of consumers still reuse your bags and you are taking as few new bags as possible." "We are asking customers maintain that, especially when change of habits, shopping including more trips to the shops, they are a challenge to maintain the progress made in recent years".

He rejected calls for a ban on stock or charges, which could penalize buyers at a time of financial difficulties. "The overall number is still the kind of outcome that can only dream of other environmental campaigns," he said. "But it is time to accept bags are not at all be and quintessence of environmental issues".

Data from the plastic bag are difficult to compare in the past five years, due to changes in the way in which statistics are collected. Between 2008 and 2009, the data are collected on a basis of half of the year, from June to may, but since last year adjusted decided to resubmit in a calendar year basis.

In 2006, almost 11bn use only carrier were used, but after campaigning this fell to donate the following year and was up to little else agreed by 2008-09 before falling to under 6.5bn in 2009-10. But in the year of 2010, stock exchange jumped again to the 6.8bn.

The campaign against disposable plastic bags, green activists have pursued for years, but it gained traction in 2006 when Wrap gained its first complete statistics, enjoyed a high profile for several years. In 2007, received great impetus from the implementation underway of the cotton bag with style of Sainsbury's designer Anya Hindmarch, adorned with the legend "I'm not a plastic bag". The product, which sold for ￡ 5 at the supermarket, went on to have a lucrative carried on eBay, reportedly changing hands for up to 200 lbs a time.

But while traders say that they continue their efforts to reduce the use of the stock market, there is less advertising around the issue.

However, in some parts of the United Kingdom, the legislators are taking an interest. In Wales, buyers will be charged 5 p per bag from the month of October, and a consultation on charging for bags started in Ireland in the North last week. Scotland filed their proposals for a post, but he could not yet be reanimated.

In Wales, the imminent charges helped to reduce the use of bag: total declined by 7% last year, compared with the increase in England and Scotland. John Griffiths, British Environment Minister, said a charge was the best way to reduce the use of carrier, such as voluntary agreements with retailers would not get enough. He said: "these figures show a real difference between use of bag in Wales and in other parts of the United Kingdom, where there is no scheduled charge compulsory." "This demonstrates that the burden of the stock market, which should be introduced in Wales on October 1, is the only way to ensure a real and lasting reduction in the use of bags".

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