3.03.2008
Today it was announced that E.ON’s Kingsnorth power station in Kent will be the site of this summer’s Camp for Climate Action, running from 4 th to 11th of August 2008.
Coming on the back of last week’s actions against the proposed third runway at Heathrow, with activists occupying the tailfin of a jet and the roof of the houses of parliament, climate activists promise that 2008 will be “the year of direct action on climate change”.
The protest will begin with a one-day event at Heathrow, the site of the previous year’s camp, before marching across London to Kingsnorth. This is one of eight climate camps targeting coal across the world this summer.
Climate change activists will converge on Kingsnorth power station where owners E.ON plan to build the UK’s first coal fired power station in 30 years. Saturday 9th August has been named a ‘day of mass protest and direct action’ against Kingsnorth to highlight its impact on climate change.
Moving from Heathrow to Kingsnorth highlights government and corporate collusion to expand the fossil fuel economy when the scientific consensus demands the opposite. The camp will bring together thousands of activists for several days of workshops and direct action. The camp will also challenge businesses set to profit from false solutions to climate change such as agrofuels. A day of action targeting the agrofuel industry will be an integral part of the week long camp.
Natasha Edleman said: “Building a new coal-fired power station in the middle of a climate crisis is madness. The science shows that we only have a few years to avert catastrophic climate change. If we let this happen then there are seven more power stations coming. This must be stopped.”
Charlie Owens said: “Biofuels have been proposed as a solution to climate change. But new studies confirm that they are just as dangerous as fossil fuels. And they create the illusion we can carry on as usual. In the end we can only stop climate change if we challenge the growth economy and start putting people and planet first.”
For more information see:
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/
http://www.StopKingsnorth.org/
* Like Heathrow, Kingsnorth is awaiting the approval of the government. The decision on whether to hold a public inquiry into the power station will be taken by John Hutton, at BERR, in the next six weeks. As with Heathrow, there are accusations of collusion between EON and the government. For more information see: www.greenpeace.org.uk
* Kingsnorth will produce twice as many climate-harming emissions as a third runway at Heathrow. According to the World Development Movement, flights from a third runway at Heathrow will produce as much greenhouse gas as the whole of Kenya.
* If Kingsnorth is built it is likely to open the way to new build coal. Up to seven other similar projects are planned. Growth in coal-power will undermine investment in renewable energy.
* Last year’s camp was on land which is intended for the building of a third runway at Heathrow. The eight-day camp brought together 2000 people on land next to the village of Sipson and shut down BAA’s headquarters for 24 hours. The camp also organised up to 20 smaller actions on other aviation and climate change related targets. There were 70 arrests over the week.
* E.ON has tried to greenwash their plans to build a new plant at Kingsnorth by claiming that it might one day be upgraded to use carbon capture technology. Even by the most optimistic standards, such technology will not be ready until 2020.
* In the weeks before last year’s camp, BAA applied for an injunction to stop the camp taking place. The injunction covered two million members of environmental groups from the RSPB to Greenpeace. The injunction was successfully defeated in the courts.
* In addition to the camp, days of action on climate change are planned for the 1st April (Fossil Fools Day), 1st May (Mayday), 3rd June (highlighting issues to do with food and climate change)
* “Agrofuels” are liquid fuels produced from agricultural crops. These are also referred to as “Biofuels”.