The police said they just happened to be passing by as my colleague and I continued to report on the climate crisis.
The officers were in an unmarked car and spent nearly an hour at the site.
The Mossmorran leg of our climate crisis road trip was heating up.
We were at the Fife site to talk to campaigners about what it’s like living with flaring in their back garden.
Mossmorran security ‘helpfully’ laid out a fence good bit away from the entrance.
They gave us a small square of wet grass to stand on and told us not to cross the fence.
There are loads of large vehicles coming and going in the area, so the safety concerns are understandable.
It wasn’t the warmest of welcomes though.
Requests to talk to management at the gas plant were kindly turned down, with a statement emailed instead.
Hello, hello, hello
To be clear, the police officers were very friendly and didn’t stop us, but it was still a surprise to see them arrive.
I’m not sure I am buying that they just happened to be passing by, however.
They spent more time in the office talking to staff, who to be fair are probably sick of campaigners at the gate when they are trying to do a job.
After speaking about Mossmorran, its environmental impact and flaring, our next stop was Lochore Meadows.
We were there to talk to people about the climate crisis and give away some fudge. Not necessarily in that order.
I didn’t expect to become a fudge salesman (if you can call it sales when you’re giving it away) when I got into journalism. But you have to take what life throws at you.
We got speaking to some passionate people. The general consensus was that world leaders need to pull their socks up and start taking action as opposed to just talking.
There was an awareness that the climate crisis was not just something happening far away, but will have an effect closer to home too.
The smoke from Mossmorran could be seen in the distance as these conversations were taking place.
‘People will solve’ climate crisis
The coal mining industry previously used the land at Lochore Meadows. Now it is a beauty spot popular with dog walkers and families.
It is also home to ducks, swans and more.
Maybe I’ve become delirious from two days on the road, but if a coal mine can be transformed into a place of natural wonder, then maybe there’s hope yet.
“People are ingenious, so someone will come up with a solution,” one walker said by the loch.
“But it all depends on how long it takes.”
The importance of COP26 is definitely clear to the people of Fife.
