NO NEW COAL march from Rochester to Kingsnorth power station

Date: Sun 3rd August
Assemble: Rochester Station Car Park 12pm,
Rally starts at 12.30pm,
Set off at 1pm

Listen to speakers from local groups, as well as national NGOs that are working on the issue of coal, talk about why a new coal fired power station at kingsnorth should never happen....

Dress as a dinosaur, a power station chimney or anything you can think of to draw attention to the growing movement that is forming against a new wave of coal fired power stations

Link up with Climate Camp Caravans from London and Brighton on their last day, and cyclists from London and around the country who will join us en route, and once we get to Kingsnorth, walk together with us to the climate camp.

Logistics:
Trains to Rochester take 40-70 minutes from Victoria/ London Bridge stations.

If you don't want to walk the whole way, you can get a bus which runs from Strood to Hoo every hour and just join us for the first and last parts.

More info
www.campaigncc.org/kingsnorth.shtml

Kent, coal and climate change: a local issue going global

The World Development Movement will be holding a film and discussion night on ‘Kent, coal and climate change – A local issue going global’ on 17 July, from 7.30pm at Fort Amherst, Dock Road, Chatham, ME4 4UB

Speakers include Sean Furey from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England Kent and premieres of films from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Robert Redford and the World Development Movement.

Find out more - book online - facebook event information

Kent facing climate change threat

According to a new map released by the World Development Movement today, Kent will face the brunt of potential sea level rises caused by climate change. The map redraws the Kent coastline, leaving many communities flooded.

Download this map as a pdf - share this map on your website

Golby, listen up! Campaigners say YES all the time

For Paul Golby, EON CEO, to claim that climate campaigners are saying ‘no’ to all energy proposals (Guardian 4th June), shows he is not listening very hard. For years now, campaigners have been saying ‘yes’ to investment in renewables, ‘yes’ to increased energy efficiency, and ‘yes’ to a secure energy future. In fact, we are only saying ‘no’ when it comes to continuing on an out-dated high carbon energy pathway in the face of catastrophic climate change which is already responsible for thousands of deaths each year.

We are saying ‘yes’ to a renewable energy revolution because it would curb price rises, give Britain energy independence from imported fossil fuels and, as other utilities have wisely pointed out, it would protect us from a future of volatile coal, oil and gas prices. To continue on our high carbon path, depending on an archaic form of energy generation which uses scarce fossil fuels, will mean that blackouts like those just last week (the worst since 1987) will become a regular occurrence.

So yes Mr Golby, we are fully behind the government’s announcement of a scheme to deliver 25 GW of electricity through wind. And yes, we agree with EON that it won’t cover our future energy needs. Which is why we are pushing the government to say yes to this being only the beginning of a massive investment in renewables, and to say no to Kingsnorth coal power station, which will undermine any chance of the renewable revolution taking off.

"Leave it in the ground!" demand open cast protestors in Derbyshire

Last Bank Holiday Monday (26th May), around 70 people went for a picnic in a remote part of Derbyshire, which is set to be the site of a new open-cast coal mine. The event was organised by a new campaign group called Leave it in the Ground and Earth First! You can click the picture to read the full report.

May Day, May Day, stop the climate emergency

Warwick Students march on EON HQ

People & Planet are building a coal power station complete with 12ft cooling towers at
EON HQ, Westwood Business Park, Coventry to protest against their plans to build a new
coal-fired power stations at Kingsnorth in Kent.
Kingsnorth in Kent, will ensure the UK's international leadership on climate change goes up
in smoke as a company interested only in its profits and intent on opening up the doors to
run away climate change.

People & Planet is calling for a full Public Inquiry into the Kingsnorth proposal in order that
the negative impacts of such a move are fully exposed. We are also calling for a
moratorium on any new coal-fired power stations until the technology to capture and store
the carbon they release is fully operational and fitted.

The EON claims that it will be possible to fit carbon capture technology to Kingsnorth at a
later date. There is currently not a single coal power station anywhere in the world that
uses this technology. By IPCC estimates, carbon capture and storage (CCS) will only be
realistically deployed around the world in the second half of the century. This leaves at
least forty years of standard dirty coal emissions.

The action is to highlight short-sighted idiocy in continuing to extract and burn fossil fuels.

For more info see http://peopleandplanet.org/stopclimatechaos/

Rob Newman on Kingsnorth

If Kingsnorth is built, the Climate Change Bill will go up in smoke

People and Planet were out on Parliament Square as part of Fossil Fools' Day.

Three cooling towers were put up on Parliament Square, directly opposite the Houses of Parliament, all of which bore the slogan, ‘No to New Coal’. A copy of the Climate Change Bill was set alight and went up in smoke, which is just what will happen to the UK’s carbon emissions targets should the power stations be built. The stunt attracted the attention of some of those inside, as Mark Lazarowicz MP (Edinburgh North & Leith) and Martin Salter MP (Reading West) came to talk to protesters.

Students from several P&P groups then took their message inside Parliament as they took part in a mass lobby of their MPs. They called for a full public inquiry into the Kingsnorth proposal so that the debate over a coal-powered future can be had out in the open. New coal power stations will tie the UK into the dirtiest of energy sources for a generation.

Find out more on the People and Planet website.

Why are we going back to coal?

Great comment piece in yesterday's Times questioning the new coal rush in general and Kingsnorth in particular...

"It is extraordinary that the Government is trying to rush through a new generation of coal-fired power stations. Coal produces almost three times as much carbon dioxide per unit of electricity as gas. The shift from coal to gas in the 1980s accounts for almost all the progress Britain has made on reducing emissions. But John Hutton, the Energy Minister, has been bending over backwards to help the energy company E.ON to build a new plant at Kingsnorth, Kent, which now has planning permission."

Read the full article

PS There's a big verbal punch up going on in the comments section following this story, so feel free to weigh-in!

Top scientists bring much needed common sense to the new coal panto

Yesterday, we at WDM would have been forgiven for thinking we were mid-panto season as we endevoured to clarify what the likely government response would be to E.ON's request for postponement of the planning application for Kingsnorth power station.

On contacting the team that handles planning consents at BERR, I was told unequivocally that oh no there hadn't been no such request made by E.ON for a postponement of the decision and that the application continues as is. Further investigations produced protestations from E.ON that oh yes there had indeed been a request made to the government both on the phone and in writing.

I then took the liberty of sending E.ON's press release to the contact at BERR, in response to his scepticism about the truth of my claims, who in turn reaffirmed that oh no there hadn't been such correspondence to his knowledge. Given it is his job to tackle such requests you would think he'd know, although he did suggest there was a chance it had got stuck "lost in the labyrinth" of the department.

It's enough to make you question what it is all that taxpayers money gets spent on? Its not on communications by all accounts. Which is not something we would say about the Royal Society. Their announcement today shows the organisation to be using its part-government funding to more much constructive ends.

Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society said today: "Allowing any new coal-fired power station, such as Kingsnorth, to go ahead without a clear strategy and incentives for the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology would send the wrong message about the UK's commitment to address climate change, both globally and to the energy sector."

Common sense at last!

Save the world: drink EV-E.ON

Well it seems that someone has finally come up with a solution to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
The marketing geniuses have come up with EV-EON an "unnaturally carbonated water drink", which gets rid of all the pesky CO2, giving John Hutton the green light to go-ahead with his dream of a coal-fired UK.

On their April 1st launch day EV-EON said:

"Whilst we were outside the Houses of Parliament we came across some pesky students who were chanting against our proposed coal fired power station at Kingsnorth, so we interrupted and in front of the world’s media explained that it would all be ok because we now have the solution; carbon capture bottled water. They were so impressed they left happy as larry."
EV-EON

So there you go - a solution to the carbon capture problem we can all drink - provided of course that no-one ever burps.

Find out more about Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Drink EV-EON and help stop climate change*

*remember: no burping!

April 1st: Fossil Fools' Day!

Fossil Fools' Day has really packed a punch already, and its only 11.30 am! Here’s a round up thus far:

WDM calls John Hutton a 'Fossil Fool' at the department for business in Westminster

Westminster awoke to cries of “Roll up! Roll up! Come see the Fossil Fool” at 8am this morning as 15 jesters and 30 protestors arrived at the department for business to laugh at John Hutton, the minister responsible for the government’s push to build a string of new coal-fired power stations in the UK. Carrying banners which read: “New Coal? You must be choking!” the campaigners were juggling coal and planet Earths and wearing John Hutton ‘jester’ masks and hats. They called on Gordon Brown to take charge of John Hutton’s laughable coal plans and launch a coal power strategy review to consider the climate impact of going back to dirty coal.

This protest comes a day after energy giant E.ON asked John Hutton should delay the decision on the plans to build a coal fire power station in Kingsnorth in Kent. E.ON wants the government to postpone the decision until after the consultation into carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been completed.

Benedict Southworth, director of the World Development Movement said:

“John Hutton must not be a fossil fool, and force the UK to become reliant on the dirtiest fuel known to man. He must freeze his support for new coal power. If he irresponsibly pushes his plans forward, he will entrench the deep cabinet divide over reverting to coal energy and the government will be in trouble over coal.

“Gordon Brown must realise that the only sensible course of action now is to completely review his policy on coal in the UK, and call a coal power review that will consider the climate impact of going back to dirty coal.

“And Brown must remember that this is not only a decision that will affect the UK, but will have huge consequences for the world’s poor who will be hit first and worst by climate change.”
Interviews/comment, call Kate Blagojevic on 020 7820 4900/ 07711 875 345.

For more pictures see Flickr.

Read more about Fossil Fools' Day on the WDM website

Watch the fossil fools on the ITV local news

Meanwhile, across the country...

Protesters shut down open-cast coal mine, Wales
Protesters Shut Opencast Coal Mine Direct action exposes ‘black hole’ in climate change policy Tuesday, 1st April, 2008: At 7am this morning, protesters halted work at one of the biggest opencast coal mines in Europe. They intend to remain on the site for several days.

Climate activists blockade E-on in Nottingham, UK
Climate activists from Eastside Climate Action blockaded E-on workers as part of International Fossil Fools Day.
7:30 this morning 30 people blockaded the entrances to E-on’s offices on Mount St, Nottingham City Centre. People covered in green paint to represent E-on’s greenwash, locked onto the front entrance to E-on’s office and stood in front of other entrances preventing E-on workers from getting to work.

Activists Blockade Major Gas Terminal, Norfolk UK
Earth First! UK activists today blockaded the UK’s largest off shore gas terminal at Bacton in Norfolk. 40% of the UK’s domestic gas comes ashore here, is processed and distributed by pipeline. Activists blockaded the main road outside the site at 6.30 am this morning, preventing construction workers and shift workers from arriving.

Fossil Fools Day “kicks off” early in London!
Fossil Fools Day 2008 got an early start today - with London Rising Tide “kicking” things off. In front of the Football Association headquarters in London, Rising Tide protesters issued the FA a Red Card for accepting sponsorship from E.ON - a utility company proposing to build new coal-fired power plants in the UK.

Live from the Coal Hole

Fossil fools aren’t in short supply these days. Today they’re being uncovered all across the country, and we decided to go straight to the source of the problem. Ffos-y-Fran opencast coal mine in south Wales will produce 10 million tonnes of coal over the next 15 years – which when burnt will release over 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Today we decided to make a stand for just leaving coal in the ground.

Over thirty protestors have entered the mine and occupied some of the enormous digging machines that are scraping out the coal hole. Another group have decided to block the front gate, and are stopping anyone getting in and out of the main compound. Yet more energetic activists have scaled the largest building on site – the coal washery – and are wrestling with an ambitious 36 metre long banner which declares: “Coal, the black hole in UK climate policy.”

Ffos-y-Fran (pronounced fors-ur-vran) is a potential monster, which will spread itself over 1000 acres, the area of a thousand football pitches – a 200 metre deep monster, just waiting to belch forth coal across the country, and coal dust across the town of Merthyr. It’s taken us in the climate change movement a long time to catch up with locals who have been opposing the mine, and others like it, for decades. In a short film on the website www.thecoalhole.org, local resident Alison is keen to make the links between local and global:

“I know that a lot of the climate groups are listening to us now – they’ve been shocked to hear about the scale of this scheme. When you think about it, Aberthaw [power station, in Swansea] is the largest polluter in Wales, and we’re feeding the largest polluter in the country. It doesn’t make sense.”

For coal, stopping Kingsnorth is the end of the line - the last chance to stop the carbon getting into the atmosphere. Ffos-y-Fran represents the beginning of the line. We know from the timidity of our government on climate issues that once the coal is out of the ground, it will probably be burnt. Al Gore said that he couldn’t understand why there weren’t rings of young people stopping bulldozers from building new coal fired power stations. Good thought Al, we’ve got to stop Kingsnorth. But today, we decided to take you at your word a few steps up the supply chain.
Pictures, videos, updates and more at www.thecoalhole.org
Flickr pictures of the protest

NEWS FLASH: E.ON feeling the pressure, and making fudge

Even E.ON is getting wobbly about the government’s new coal power plans! The ardent pusher of coal-power has just asked the government to “postpone its decision on the Kingsnorth planning application until completion of its proposed consultation into what will be required to make a coal-fired power station carbon capture and storage-ready” and has announced that it is entering Kingsnorth in the government’s competition to win money to build a carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration site.

This is little more than fudge-making on the part of EON, they still want their unabated coal-fired power station. Nonetheless, it is great news for the campaign, especially alongside the rumours of a cabinet split on the issue of coal power. It leaves the government’s department for business, enterprise and regulatory reform (BERR) isolated in its desire to push forward the plans for new coal-fired power stations. With any luck the government will see sense too and freeze their crazy planet-cooking plans along with their consideration of the Kingsnorth application. We now look to Gordon Brown to reign in the rogue element in all this, Minister John Hutton, and announce a full scale review of UK coal policy.

Why have E.ON made this move? Some might say that this is a clear signal that E.ON recognised its reputation is being jepordised by its connection to these ludicrous new coal power plans. Having employed a very swanky PR company, Edleman, it seems the first thing the spin doctors have pointed out to E.ON is that what with WDM, a huge coalition of other campaign groups and the Climate Camp all targeting Kingsnorth power station, E.ON was set for a huge heap of trouble if it tries to build a new coal-fired power plant without carbon capture.

So what does this mean for the new coal power plans. Well, its not time for the cry of victory for campaigners yet. Firstly, E.ON are only asking that their application be postponed until after the ‘ccs-readinesss’ consultation. On receiving this result of this consultation they could still push ahead with their climate wrecking plans. However, as long as Kingsnorth is an entrant in the carbon capture competition, E.ON probably won't go ahead with any changes to Kingsnorth. The winner of this competition is to be announced in summer 2009.

What is most important to recognise however, is that this does not rule out the government’s pushing ahead with permitting new coal power stations without carbon capture and storage technology. And although its most unlikely that a company will go ahead until the carbon capture readiness consultation is over, it is highly likely some will want to get building once it is. But once the consultation goes ahead and the competition is over, E.ON will still want a power station at Kingsnorth.

The only proper solution to truly stop the building of new coal power plants, is for the government to launch a full review of its coal policy, with particular attention for what it means for climate change, which should lead to new coal power plants being ruled out for good.

Cabinet split on Kingsnorth: Hutton v Benn

It seems that the many thousands of people who are opposed to the new generation of coal power stations, and who are shocked at John Hutton's veiled support for dirty coal are not alone. Support for Kingsnorth is waning within the government as well:

Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is being urged to oppose the scheme by officials unless there are guarantees it would be able to exploit new "carbon capture and storage" (CCS) technology, according to a report in the Independent today.

As we've already seen (thanks to Greenpeace), CCS has been dumped by Hutton. Following a series of emails between power company E.ON and the government, CCS was dropped as a requirement - Hutton's department reversed the government's climate and energy policy in six minutes and four words.

John Sauven, the executive director of Greenpeace, said:

"Gordon Brown needs to get a grip on his cabinet. What we're seeing is ministers jostling for position. If Brown gives the go-ahead for a new fleet of coal-fired power stations, with CCS technology still unproven, it's hard to see how the UK will meet its legal requirement to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2050."

In the meantime, for those who are not in the cabinet, you can put pressure on Hutton to call a public inquiry into the coal power scheme here.

George Monbiot: Carbon capture is turning out to be just another great green scam

From the Guardian website:

Coal is so clean and fresh that the prime minister brushes his teeth with it, Downing Street said last night. Mr Brown said advances in coal technology meant it was now one of the cleanest substances on Earth, and an unrivalled remover of stains and scaling." So says the satirical website the Daily Mash. The real claims are scarcely battier.

Ministers are about to decide whether to approve a new coal-burning power station at Kingsnorth in Kent. This would be the first such plant to be built in Britain since the monster at Drax was finished in 1986. As well as coal, it will burn up the government's targets, policies and promises on climate change.

John Hutton, the secretary of state in charge of energy, has started justifying the decision he says he hasn't made. "For critics," he argued last week, "there's a belief that coal-fired power stations undermine the UK's leadership position on climate change. In fact, the opposite is true." Quite so: if we don't burn this stuff the Chinese might get their hands on it. Or could he be a true believer? Does he really think there's such a thing as clean coal?

Read the full article on the Guardian website.

Local campaign gathers momentum

Two good developments this week from the local perspective: firstly, Bob Marshall-Andrews' complaint at not being granted an interview with the Minister was given prominent coverage in Friday's Medway Messenger, which also printed a letter in support of the Climate Camp.

Secondly, Medway WDM group has obtained permission to run a stall in Rochester High Street on Sat 19 April, 11am-2pm, to hand out WDM "Climate Change Kills" leaflets and to invite signatures on a petition calling for a public inquiry.

Thanks for all the support!

Fossil Fools Day

1st April is set to pack a punch this year. Across the world April Fool’s Day is being marked by climate change activists as Fossil Fool’s Day, a day of action against the climate wrecking fossil fuel industry. Organised by the Rising Tide network, which spans the UK, US and Australia, there’s set to be stunts, protests and direct actions happening at the workplace of climate criminals near you.

To find out more visit www.risingtide.org.uk

Protest circus for a coal Fossil Fool (BERR, 1 Victoria Street, 8 am on 1 April 2008)

The World Development Movement is organising a gathering to protest outside the Department for Business and Regulatory Reform (or BERR) to laugh at the minister for business, John Hutton. John 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.

Everyone’s welcome to join in the collective hilarity and to demand Hutton takes the Kingsnorth decision very seriously. There will be a real circus feel, with jugglers, clowns and acrobats, so don’t hesitate to bring juggling balls or wear your squeaky nose or silly hat.

See the page on Facebook or just turn up.

Protest starts at 8am and will be over in time for you to be at work. Contact Rachel on 0207 8204900 for more information.

Old King Coal is a dirty old soul

The RSPB have now joined the clamour against the new generation of dirty coal power stations.

Responding to John Hutton's speech in which he suggested that the government might give the go ahead to Kingsnorth without a public enquiry, Ruth Davis, Head of Climate Change Policy at the RSPB, said:

“Plans to store carbon dioxide from plants like Kingsnorth are one thing but having the technology to do so is quite another, and still a long way off.

“What is the point of claiming to lead action to tackle climate change, introducing the world’s first climate change legislation, then sanctioning much greater use of the dirtiest energy source there is?

“Even the most efficient coal-fired generation releases twice the carbon dioxide of gas. Failure to delay coal-fired development until carbon storage technology is available is irresponsible and unnecessary. We should be investing far more in energy efficiency and renewables instead.

“Climate change is posing huge threats to people and wildlife. We must face up to this and start to cut our emissions rapidly, especially emissions from the power generation sector.”

The RSPB is one of the largest conservation organisations in the UK, with over a million members.
Read more on the RSPB website.

Kingsnorth coal campaigners plead 'not guilty'

Five Greenpeace volunteers faced their first court hearing today 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.

The five are Huw Williams, Emily Hall, Ben Stewart, Kevin Drake and Tim Hewke. They climbed 1,000 steps to the top of the smokestack as part of a wider move to shut down Kingsnorth. One of the dirtiest coal plants in the country, the facility emits an estimated 20,000 tonnes of CO2 a day. They were also protesting against plans to build Britain's first new coal power station for a generation at the site. A new plant would pump out millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases every year and open the door to at least seven other new coal fired power stations across the country.

Gordon Brown has been repeatedly asked to veto the plans but has so far refused. His government even convened a coal forum to "bring forward ways of strengthening the industry, and work to ensure the UK has the right framework to secure the long term future of coal-fired generation".

Mr Brown's decision on new coal will tell us how serious he is about tackling runaway climate change. Approving Kingsnorth would fly in the face of advice from the UN's top climate scientists, who warn that global emissions must peak and then fall dramatically within the next 100 months to avoid the most dangerous effects of climate change. Nobel Peace prize winner Al Gore said in August last year: "I can't understand why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power stations."

Last October there were, at Kingsnorth at least. And now they are preparing to stand trial for it. The trial date has been set for September.

Take Action

Please help to keep up the pressure against new coal plants by writing to Business Secretary John Hutton and telling him that we want him to put action on climate change before profits for business, and a public inquiry into Kingsnorth.