MEP Calls for Direct Action Against Coal

A local MEP is calling for mass protests and direct action to stop the building of a new generation of coal-fired power stations that will intensify the problem of global warming.

With a quarter of all Europe's carbon dioxide emissions stemming from the burning of coal, Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies says that governments must be forced to pay a heavy political price if they back construction of plants that are the most heavy emitters of CO2.

A series of protests are expected next week at the site of the proposed new E.ON coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, the first planned in Britain for 20 years, where a 'Climate Camp' will be taking place.

Campaigners say that the 1,600MW plant will emit so much CO2 that it will cancel the savings achieved by every wind turbine in operation now across the country.

Mr Davies is responsible for leading European Parliament negotiations with ministers on a draft EU law intended to promote carbon capture and storage (CCS). The technology involves separating CO2 from coal for permanent storage miles underground in saline aquifers or in rocks previously filled with natural gas or oil. High start-up costs are expected to fall rapidly as its use develops.

The MEP warns that building more conventional coal fired power stations without CCS will undermine all other efforts to combat climate change.

He said: "Climate change threatens catastrophe for billions of people across the world, but if we allow the building of more conventional coal power stations there will no point saving energy, buying more fuel efficient cars or covering our landscape with windfarms. "Why bother?"
people will rightly ask. Other efforts to curb global warming will be fatally undermined.

"EU Governments are offering words of support but little practical action. Unless Europe takes a strong lead we will not persuade major coal users like China and India to accept CCS as part of an international deal to combat climate change.

"No more coal power plants must be built without CCS. If that means politicians joining with other climate change campaigners to take non-violent direct action and sit down in front of bulldozers then so be it."

EU Prime Ministers pledged last year to support construction of 12 commercial CCS demonstration plants by 2015, but none have yet been named. The UK Government is currently seeking bids for a first project but is limiting its promise of financial support to one of 300MW generating capacity, far less than that planned at Kingsnorth.

One third of Britain's electricity currently comes from coal. The International Energy Agency predicts that world-wide use of the fossil fuel will increase by 70% over the next 20 years, contributing hugely to
CO2 emissions.

Chris Davies, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the EU Directive on the Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide, will be speaking at the Kingsnorth Camp for Climate Change next Thursday (August 7).