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!

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.

Kingsnorth 2 and carbon capture technology

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has often been touted by supporters of the Kingsnorth 2 power station project as a way of generating electricity from 'clean coal'. There's a nice graphic on the BBC website which shows how in theory the practice would work. E.ON themselves describe Kingsnorth 2 as a 'cleaner' coal plant (see their website here).

However despite the publicity surrounding CCS, and attempts to link it to the new generation of coal plants threatened for the UK, the technology itself has yet to be tested on any large scale.

Joss Garman from Greenpeace writes:

"The theoretical possibility of CCS is being used by government and industry as a wedge to drive through new coal fired power stations in the UK. Kingsnorth 2, and others like Tilbury, Blyth, Ferrybridge, High Marnham, Longannet and Cockenzie, would each emit millions of tons of CO2 and are NOT CCS plants. They are plain old fashioned coal plants."

Read more about CCS and Kingsnorth on Greenpeace's website