Coal

Fossil Fool's Day round-up

Posted by jossc — 2 April 2008 at 3:41pm - Comments

Ffos-y-Fran: Fossil Fool's Day protest 2008

Greetings from the black hole: protesters at Ffos-y-Fran open cast pit in South Wales

Climate change campaigners marked the third annual "Fossil Fool's Day" on Tuesday with a series of protests around the world highlighting the need for us all to reduce the amount of carbon we burn. Here in the UK the focus was very much on coal, and sending a message to ministers that if new coal plants like Kingsnorth are built, they'll ruin any realistic chance that we have of meeting our commitments to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and represent a devastating failure of the government's resolve to tackle climate change. Key events included:

Article tagged as: climate change, co2 emissions, coal, fossil fuels

Fossil fool's day frolics

Posted by jossc — 31 March 2008 at 5:06pm - Comments

Roll up, roll up! The climate circus is in town. Confronted with melting ice caps, unprecedented species extinction, droughts and extreme weather, climate change threatens our very survival. The fools at the head of the fossil fuel empire continue to plunder the earth, with the governments as willing court jesters at their side.

What are you doing for Fossil Fool's Day? They would have us believe that we can escape climate change with techno-fixes, market mechanisms and offset schemes - all technocratic acrobatics that distract us from the truth: the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Actions will be happening all over the world. Here in the UK there'll be a protest against new coal-fired power stations. From 8am London World Development Movement groups are co-ordinating a protest outside the Department for Enterprise Business and Regulatory Reform (or Dberr) to laugh at the minister for business, John Hutton. Hutton is currently set to make a right fool of the government's climate policy if he signs off on EON's new Kingsnorth power station.

Article tagged as: climate change, co2 emissions, coal, fossil fuels, kingsnorth

Hutton humbled as E.ON calls for Kingsnorth delay

Posted by jossc — 31 March 2008 at 3:55pm - Comments

Say no to dirty coal

Business secretary John Hutton's plans to see a new coal-fired power station under construction this summer suffered a significant setback after E.ON, the company behind the proposed plant at Kingsnorth in Kent, asked him to delay the decision on whether the plant should be built.

Until now Hutton's Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Dberr) and E.ON had both been pushing for a decision to be made by 'end May 2008 at latest'. According to documents obtained by Greenpeace under the FoI Act, E.ON's plans were so advanced that contractors had already been secured to commence building work 'from summer 2008 on current tenders'.

Article tagged as: co2 emissions, coal, DBERR, john hutton, nuclear power, renewable energy

Goal posts shift again as Hutton tries to fudge green energy targets

Posted by jossc — 31 March 2008 at 2:55pm - Comments

Lady Vadera addressing the the EU energy ministers meeting

Energy minister John Hutton has been caught trying to sabotage the EU renewable energy targets again. A minister from Hutton's department has been working in Brussels to try and redefine what constitutes 'renewable energy.' After last year's fiasco when Hutton’s department were seen trying to wreck EU renewable targets altogether, now the business minister Lady Vadera has been filmed trying to water them down at an EU energy council meeting.

Article tagged as: co2 emissions, coal, DBERR, john hutton, john sauven, lady vadera, nuclear power, renewable energy

Rainbow Warrior blocks New Zealand coal shipment

Posted by jossc — 28 March 2008 at 12:15pm - Comments

The Rainbow Warrior blocks the State Owned Enterprise Solid Energy's coal ship the Hellenic Sea from leaving the Port of Lyttelton. The 225-metre bulker carries up to 60 thousand tonnes of export coal.

This week the Rainbow Warrior marked the start of a six week 'Target Climate Change' tour of New Zealand with an action against the Hellenic Sea, a 60,000 tonne bulk carrier owned by coal exporter Solid Energy. While it trades on NZ's clean green credentials the government is making millions of dollars from Solid Energy peddling coal on the world market - quite literally stoking the fires of climate change.

Read more »

Article tagged as: climate change, co2, coal, energy, fossil fuels, new zealand

Kingsnorth: now RSPB are demanding action

Posted by jossc — 14 March 2008 at 6:39pm - Comments

The anti-coal storm gathering around the head of Business Secretary John Hutton, the government minister championing new coal-fired power stations, is growing daily. Latest to weigh-in on the side of reason are the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). As you can see from the following quote, they are less than impressed with Hutton's stance;

If the UK government must use coal, the dirtiest fuel source there is, then it must also wait until CCS facilities are up and running. There is no rationale for using coal again until its climate damage can be contained.

Article tagged as: climate change, co2, coal, kingsnorth, RSPB

Kingsnorth coal campaigners plead 'not guilty'

Posted by jossc — 14 March 2008 at 4:18pm - Comments

The Kingsnorth 5

Five of the 'Kingsnorth Six' at the top of the 200m chimney

Today five six of our volunteers faced their first court hearing over the shutting down of one of Britain's dirtiest power stations, at Kingsnorth in Kent, last October. They pleaded 'not guilty' at Maidstone Crown Court to charges of criminal damage and trespass. The charges relate to climbing a 200m smokestack on the site and painting a message to the prime minister - "GORDON BIN IT" in huge letters down the side. They took action because the government is considering considering proposals for a new generation of coal-fired plants.

Article tagged as: climate change, co2, coal, energy, fossil fuels, kingsnorth

Hutton's coal-fired 'kite' shot down in flames

Posted by jossc — 10 March 2008 at 6:06pm - Comments

Coal: the most polluring of all energy sources

John Hutton, the man responsible for Britain's energy policy, gave his explicit support this morning for a new generation of coal-fired power stations.

Choosing the stormiest day of the year so far to deliver a speech to members of the right-wing think-tank the Adam Smith Institute, the Secretary of State for Business flew a dangerous kite when he insisted that coal has a "key role" to play in energy provision, and accused anyone who disagreed with him (that's us, folks, along with Prince Charles, Al Gore, the head of NASA, opposition parties and thousands of others) of playing "gesture politics".

Article tagged as: climate change, co2, coal, energy, fossil fuels, kingsnorth

Climate camp goes to Kingsnorth

Posted by jossc — 5 March 2008 at 11:50am - Comments

Climate Camp 2008 will target Kingsnorth coal power plant in Kent

Kingsnorth in Kent is to be the main focus of this year's Camp for Climate Action. From 4th to 11th of August climate activists will gather at the site of E.On's proposed new coal-fired power station, the first to be built in the UK for 30 years.

Article tagged as: climate camp, climate change, coal, direct actions, kingsnorth, protests
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