UK faces criminal charges of 'conspiracy to build coal power plants'

Campaigners from around the world have condemned the UK govornments plan for new coal power plants. Reaching a global deal on climate change, they say, is nearly impossible if developed nations cant move away from the most polluting form of energy know to man.

Campaigners in 40 countries say UK's proposed new coal power plants will undercut emission deals.

A report in The Guardian argues that a global protest against UK plans to build new coal power plants has been launched by campaigners from more than 40 developing countries accusing the government of being a 'climate criminal'. They have written an open letter to Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband that follows repeated warnings from UK groups that the decisions to approve new coal power plants and the expansion of Heathrow airport would damage the nation's position in international negotiations when it tries to persuade other countries to cut global-warming emissions, says the report. The groups oppose the current plans to build coal plants with no equipment for carbon capture and storage, and existing proposals for a 'demonstration' of the technology are inadequate, said the World Development Movement, the UK-based poverty campaigning charity which coordinated the letter.

After giving Heathrow the go ahead (and no i for one have no plans to accept that!) this govornment is desperately low on credibility on climate change. Will they blow it all by allowing eon to build kingsnorth?

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UK Coal Power Protest

If there is one area of emissions growth that worries me more than any others it would have to be the increase in coal power in India and China. It looked like a similar expansion was about to unfold in the US a couple of years back, but as I posted recently this dosen't seem to be materialising due to the threat of regulation and various permit refusals in favour of cleaner energy sources. I would like to see a ban on all coal power plants in the developed world if they don't capture the carbon they produce. This would show the developing world that we are serious and a reduction in new coal plants could be negotiated. It is certainly important from a global climate politics point of view what the developed world are doing. The size of incremental energy growth that we face is minute compared to china, and our resources are vast by comparison we really have to get this under control; if developed nations aren't prepared to stop using the most polluting form of energy then we just aren't serious.



The World Development Movement protest against the proposed Kingsnorth power plant at the offices of E.ON the power company proposing the plant.

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Climate Camp Workshop: WDM Climate Justice

Camp for Climate Action: World Development Movement discussion on climate justice with the use of there climate calander to highlight the comparative responsibility for climate change of the northern and southern nations.

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Climate Pirates Needed! London: Sat 9th June

A horde of pirates needed, as ships crew and boarding parties to loot and pillage Camden lock on Saturday 9th June.

You will need:

Your own pirate outfit

Grog

A sense of fun

To be able to reliably commit to the event.

The climate pirates intend to highlight the injustices of the rich nations plundering the poor. While developed nations (like the UK) emit huge amounts of CO2 the developing nations suffer the consequences (famine, drought, flooding etc).

The climate pirates will be sailing under a WDM flag, but it will be so much fun that everyone should come. See http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/climate/

Camden lock is entirely supportive of the event and so (looting and pillaging) aside the day will be a legal and colourful way to make your voice heard. Please come along.

If you can commit to help out on the day please email Richard:
emptyhand17 at yahoo.com by Sunday 3rd June.

If you can’t commit but would like to find out more, then please email me to say you’re interested and we will email round final details nearer the time.

Tell friends; bring your mum, parrots, pirate songs, people you meet in the street, your own plank, and yourself.

It’s going to be good!

Richard

And yes we do have our own ship

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World Development Movement Climate Change Action in Brighton

The good people at World Development Movement in Brighton. Getting busy spreading the word on the streets at the launch of this years climate campaign...notice the ballons in proportion to emissions in the UK and Bangladesh.



Other news from Brighton:

WDM Climate Change Speaker Tour (dates around the country)

We will be hosting a talk by Ricardo Navarez from El Salvador, former International Chair of Friends of the Earth. The tour is being organised by WDM head office, and it is hoped that he will bring a Southern perspective on how both developing countries & the West can work together to combat climate change. The talk will be on the afternoon of Saturday 24th February at the Brighthelm Centre

* Planning group to meet next Tues (16th Jan) 8pm at the Earth & Stars pub. Anyone who fancies coming pls email me slambrighton[at]yahoo.co.uk
* The room is booked & we have flyers but we need a chair for the meeting. Anyone with any ideas for a good chair email me (above) and I will pass on relevant info.
* Trevor to liaise with FoE re public meeting

Carbon Festival

This is being organised by Brighton Climate Change with the idea of holding climate events and actions during the arts festival in May. Everyone at the meeting was keen to support this, and anyone with any ideas of eye-catching stunts can post them on the forum.

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