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We were expecting to hear evidence from Inuit leader Aqqaluk Lynge today but, because a juror fell ill, that's been postponed until Monday. Instead, the court held a legal discussion, none of which I can write about. 

We're tentatively expecting a verdict early next week but, of course, nobody really knows. At the moment though, we're on the train back to London; the defendants are tired but in good spirits, and looking forward to a short window of normality before the case resumes next week. More on Monday. 

News just in from Carol of the Airportwatch/Stop Stansted Expansion group of skullduggery afoot by airport owners BAA to influence their application to build a second runway there. Apparently BAA has recently resorted to 'encouraging' not only its own staff members, but also those of its many suppliers, to write in to the local Uttlesford District Council in support of its new runway proposal.

Zac Goldsmith outside Maidstone Crown Court © Rezac/Greenpeace

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First, a quick announcement: following Jim Hansen (the world's leading climate scientist) yesterday and Zac Goldsmith (environmental advisor to the Conservatives and former Ecologist editor) today, tomorrow Inuit leader Aqqaluk Lynge will be appearing court by videolink from Greenland, as a witness for the defence in the Kingsnorth Six trial. Having seen him speak before, I'm looking forward to it. 

Back to today though, when Zac Goldsmith took the stand along with the last two defendants: Will and Huw. 

Goldsmith was there to give a political context to the defendants' actions and, almost immediately, he told the court that there was "a staggering mismatch between what we've heard from government and what we've seen from government in terms of policy". The key points of his evidence were: 

James Hansen in conversation outside Maidstone Crown Court © Rezac/Greenpeace

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This is a difficult blog to write - mostly because I'm not sure what to leave out. Today, at the Kingsnorth trial, the world's leading climate scientist told the court that emissions from Kingsnorth led to damage to property worldwide, as well as the extinction of species and the creation of climate change refugees. Gordon Brown, he said, should announce a moratorium on all new coal plants without carbon capture and storage (CCS). 

Another witness - an authority on climate change impacts in the UK - said all citizens and governments needed to "act with urgency". And two of the defendants, Emily and Kevin, gave impressive testimonies about why they took the action they did. And there's nowhere near enough space to write about it all.

Defendent Ben Stewart

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It's hard to say whether there were more or fewer nerves on the way to court today. On the one hand all the defendants now feel - visibly - more comfortable with the court surroundings than they were at the start of the proceedings yesterday.

On the other hand, today was the day some of them were going to take the stand for the first time. Either way, listening to the Star Wars theme tune blaring over the radio as we made our way to Maidstone in the minibus could only be a good thing for morale.

We filed into the court room at around 11am. By 11.30 - after circulating some documents to the jurors - the prosecution had closed; it was the turn of the defence.

The defendant's QC, Michael Wolkind, is a pleasure to watch at work. He started by introducing six "of the nicest people... accused of saving the planet". Read more »

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Just a quick blog to break the news: the world's leading climate scientist, Professor James Hansen - a director of NASA - is going to appear tomorrow afternoon as a defence witness in the Kingsnorth trial.

Professor Hansen is Al Gore's science adviser and a former adviser to the White House on climate change. I'll be reporting on his statement to the court tomorrow.

Greenpeace divers protesting against the planned oil shale mine

Australia has stepped back from the brink of madness and decided to shelve plans to mine oil shales right on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef.

Proposals to extract millions of tonnes of oil shales from the Whitsunday Islands threatened to drain precious water supplies, and to risk toxic leaching and air pollution - as well as increasing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.

Fortunately, following a strong protest campaign led by the local Save Our Foreshore group, common sense has prevailed and last week Queensland premier Anna Bligh announced a 20-year moratorium, effectively ending the threat for the immediate future.

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This morning, the Kingsnorth Six - plus a few hangers on like myself - made their way from a rural Kent retreat to Maidstone Crown Court for the start of the Kingsnorth trial. 

I've spent the day watching the proceedings from the public gallery. (It's my first time in a Crown Court and I'm pleased to report that it's all true: the court really does all rise, there are curly wigs, and barristers really do look up the finer points of law in thick legal compendia.) 

Actually, the whole experience is fascinating; the careful negotiations, the nuances of argument and the hints of theatricality have all left me a little agog. And having a friend's-eye view of the defendants and their motives makes it pretty poignant too. 

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Meet the defendants in the Kingsnorth Six trial:

Kevin Drake
Kevin Drake is 44 and lives in a Wiltshire village with his wife and daughter. He is a freelance industrial rope access safety supervisor. Kev is a proud father and values humour and family life, and enjoys being outdoors and likes interacting with the natural world through activities such as caving, camping, rock climbing and body boarding. He has been volunteering for Greenpeace for ten years.

I am no doomsayer but the American National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has recorded a fall in the Arctic ice to its second lowest level since satellite monitoring began 30 years ago. The consequences of fast melting ice are not just dire for the polar bears but also for coastal regions that will be submerged if sea levels rise. Add to that the displacement of people dependant upon the Arctic for survival and other Arctic fauna like seals who may see their natural habitat gone by as early as 2013.