Plans for the UK’s first coal power station in a generation are a “terrible idea”, said the world’s most eminent climate scientist this morning.
Speaking on Radio Four’s Today programme, James Hansen, a director at NASA, said that the planned plant, due to be sited next to an existing coal power station at Kingsnorth near Rochester in Kent, “will destroy the efforts of millions of citizens to reduce their carbon emissions”. He also argued that the “biggest source of the problem [global warming] is coal”.
The warning comes on the same day that six Greenpeace volunteers appear in court after shutting down the existing Kingsnorth power station in October last year. They have been charged with aggravated trespass and criminal damage after scaling the 200-metre smokestack – and are the first British climate campaigners to face jail.
Joss Garman of Greenpeace said: “Scientific warnings don’t come stronger than this. But Gordon Brown still seems intent on ignoring the world’s leading climate scientist.
“The prime minister must ditch these disastrous plans for Kingsnorth 2 immediately.”
Gordon Brown is set to give the green light to the plans in the coming weeks. The German company Eon wants to start building the power station this summer.
If constructed, Kingsnorth 2 will pump out over eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year – the same as the 30 least polluting countries in the world combined.
Last week the government’s desire to backtrack on its climate change commitments and build coal power stations was highlighted when an email exchange between Eon and a Whitehall official became public.
Greenpeace press office: 020 7865 8255
