Climate Change

Going over the edge at Kingsnorth - and the arrests begin

Posted by bex — 8 October 2007 at 6:58pm - Comments

Going over the edge at Kingsnorth

See all Kingsnorth updates.

Anyone with vertigo, look away now. This was taken a couple of hours ago, as climbers at the top of the chimney at Kingsnorth coal fired power plant finally went over the edge of the 200-odd metre high chimney. There's a knee-wobbling video of this moment on Moblog.

As I write, the climbers are still painting the side of the 200-odd metre high chimney. By first light, there'll be a message urging Gordon Brown not to give the green light to the first new coal fired power station to be built in the UK in over 30 years.

So far, two people - from the conveyor belt team - have been arrested, with the rest of the team likely to follow one by one (it's a slow business).

More updates to follow in the morning - in the meantime, here are a few of my favourite images from today:

Article tagged as: climate change, coal, direct actions, energy, kingsnorth

Update from Kingsnorth

Posted by bex — 8 October 2007 at 12:48pm - Comments

The view from Kingsnorth

See all Kingsnorth updates.

I've just spoken to Jamie, our intrepid webbie inside Kingsnorth power plant, which we shut down in the early hours of this morning.

While the team scaling the chimney just keeps on climbing (several hours and counting), the team down at the conveyor belt are coal-covered but comfortable - even finding time to wind down after a pre-dawn start this morning.

The police have arrived, assessed the situation and put up a cordon around the plant, and there's some speculation that they may bring cutting equipment soon. We'll see - it's a waiting game now for the conveyor belt team now.

Article tagged as: climate change, coal, direct actions, energy, kingsnorth

Greenpeace shuts down coal fired power station

Posted by bex — 8 October 2007 at 6:32am - Comments

On the conveyor belt

See all Kingsnorth updates.

We've taken over Kingsnorth coal fired power station in Kent to send a message to Gordon Brown: don't bottle it on climate change by giving the green light to the first new coal plant in the UK for over 30 years.

Just after 5am this morning, 50 Greenpeace volunteers took over the plant. One group immobilised the huge conveyor belts carrying coal into the plant then chained themselves to the machinery. As I write, a second group is climbing a 200 metre ladder up the chimney, with supplies to hold it for several days and force it off the National Grid.

Why are we there?

Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels; it just isn’t fit for purpose in the 21st century. No new coal fired power station has been built in the UK in over 30 years but now Gordon Brown may be giving the green light to a new coal rush.

Article tagged as: climate change, coal, direct actions, energy, kingsnorth

Good energy in Manchester: hope, revelation and 'Grid 2.0'

Posted by bex — 5 October 2007 at 2:24pm - Comments

Update (15/10/2007): Our video interview with Pete Bradshaw of Man City FC is now included:



And there's a podcast from the event on BusinessAssurance.com.

I've been an avid (my friends might say evangelical) fan of decentralised energy ever since I first got my head around it. When I started working for Greenpeace, the organisation was in full swing on a decentralised energy campaign and part of my job was to communicate what it is and why it can do so much more than nuclear to combat climate change.

There have followed 20 months (for me) of virtual shouting from the rooftops. Films have been produced; countless blogs have been written; submissions have been made to energy reviews and audit committees; our campaigners and policy boffins have met with government representatives; dozens of volunteers have visited MPs; many thousands more have written to theirs.

Article tagged as: climate change, decentralised energy, ecotricity, energy 2.0, events, green alliance, manchester, manchester city football club, renewable energy, SDC

China gives inefficient bulbs the boot

Posted by jamie — 4 October 2007 at 3:43pm - Comments

I had one of those meetings this morning where I was doodling on my notebook rather than listening as attentively as perhaps I should have been, but the words 'China', 'light' and 'bulbs' caught my attention. I started paying even more attention when I realised it related to the news that China will be phasing out incandescent bulbs in the next 10 years.

Article tagged as: china, climate change, energy efficiency, light bulbs

The award-winning light bulb that certainly isn't dim

Posted by jamie — 3 October 2007 at 2:50pm - Comments

Louise Molloy, Tony Doyle and Jason Bruges holding the award

Greenpeace campaigner Louise Molloy, light bulb inventor Tony Doyle and designer Jason Bruges, proud owners of an award for innovation (Photo: Philip Vile)

One more (slightly belated) piece of news from the 100% Design exhibition comes in the form of an award. The light bulb used in Jason Bruges' installation has been given the inaugural award for innovative lighting design by the event's organisers, recognising the fact that it is the world's first fully dimmable energy efficient bulb.

Article tagged as: 100% design, awards, climate change, energy efficiency, light bulbs, varilight

Powering the South-West, and the tricky issue of tidal power in the Severn

Posted by bex — 2 October 2007 at 6:18pm - Comments

How to best power the UK: what with the government's endless energy reviews, its current nuclear consultation and the rapidly growing interest in low carbon energy sources, it's the question every greenie worth their salt is talking about at the moment.

Article tagged as: bristol, climate change, events, renewable energy, severn barrage, tidal power
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