The Camp for Climate Action was an inspiring six days of workshops and grassroots nonviolent direct action aimed at stopping the expansion of the world's biggest coal port in Newcastle. The Australian climate camp was one of seven held around the world in July and early August 2008.

On Sunday morning 13 July, over a thousand people marched peacefully to the Carrington coal terminal in Newcastle to protest the reckless expansion of the coal industry in an age of climate change.

A contingent of children led the march along the edge of the coal rail line before a 5 minute silent vigil was held in front of the massive coal stockpiles.

Then, one by one, small groups of protestors made their way over or under the fence and onto the tracks. By the end of the day, 57 people had been arrested for nonviolently intervening in the coal export process.

The action successfully halted all coal trains through the port for the  entire day – delaying coal deliveries worth 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

On Monday morning a small group of people from camp chained themselves to equipment at the Kooragang coal loader, effectively halting coal exports for several hours.

Later that afternoon, four students spontaneously decided to shut down the Carrington rail line again, by locking onto the track for another few hours.

One hundred people held a rally outside the office of embattled NSW Treasurer and climate change sceptic, Michael Costa, serving notice that Newcastle wants a sustainable energy future.

Greens NSW MPs Lee Rhiannon and John Kaye and WA Senator Scott Ludlum attended the camp and protests, and a number of Greens members were among those arrested.

The Greens will take this energy and hope to federal, state and local governments, carrying the message that Australia demands real action on climate change.

With the federal Green Paper on Emissions Trading betraying the commitments made by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd before the election, that message is more important than ever.