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The activists abseiled off the top of the stack and painted the message "Go Solar" in huge white letters this morning. Now they say their message has been heard.
Greenpeace energy campaigner Julien Vincent, who was in the climbing team, says, "We climbed this stack to send the message that the situation is urgent and we have to act fast on climate change. This means a revolution in the way Australia generates energy."
The activists climbed the stack at dawn on Friday, 11 July and spent a night up the top in near-freezing temperatures.
Read Day 1 story and Day 2 story
Why did we do this?
We are getting the message out that Australia urgently needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenpeace energy campaigner, Julien Vincent, says, "We must start replacing old and dirty coal fired power stations, like this one at Swanbank, with true clean renewable energy, like solar.
"It is tragic that Queensland, with the best solar resources in the world, is not a leader in the booming global renewable energy industry.
Queensland's premier agrees we need action
Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, yesterday told a forum in Brisbane that Queensland has "a lot to do and a lot to lose" with climate change.
She has visited a solar thermal plant in the US and knows what baseload solar thermal power can deliver. It is time that she let the renewable energy industry deliver for the people of Queensland.
In Germany, the renewable energy industry employs a quarter of a million people.
33 hours for a renewable energy future
The activists’ occupation of the 37-year-old Swanbank B coal-fired plant began at 5.30am on Friday 11 July. Of 13 activists who entered the plant yesterday morning, nine were arrested before they started climbing the stack. The remaining four will be arrested later today after 33 hours up top of the major polluter.
Swanbank B is responsible for more than two million tonnes of carbon emissions a year - that's the annual pollution of 300,000 cars.
We want a commitment from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to closing Swanbank by the next election. If every home in Queensland switched to solar hot water, Swanbank B could be switched off.
"Jobs in coal can be replaced by jobs in renewable energy. There is no way to replace the Great Barrier Reef."
Julien Vincent, Greenpeace energy campaigner
The world's best solar resource
Australia is way behind many other countries in developing renewable energy. For example, Spain over the next 18 months will roll out enough solar thermal power to replace Swanbank B power station four times over. Australia could become a powerhouse for renewable energy manufacturing and technological development, creating thousands of new jobs and investment opportunities.
Read the Energy [R]evolution Scenario: Australia report
Garnaut Review analysed
The Government’s climate change advisor, Professor Ross Garnaut, says that if we do not successfully combat climate change, the Great Barrier Reef will die and we will lose 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in tourism dollars each year.
Read our analysis of the Garnaut Review
UPDATE 1pm: The four activists start their descent from Swanbank B.
UPDATE around 9am: The message "Go solar" in massive letters down the 140-metre tower is completed.
UPDATE 7.50am: Activists abseil down the smokestack to begin painting a renewables message on the long side of the smokestack.
DAY 1, 11 JULY:
UPDATE 5:45pm: The four activists brave near-freezing temperatures, pull on their thermals and bunker down for the night, perched on the 140-metre high power station chimney. Temperatures are expected to drop to two degrees Celsius overnight. Read tonight's last blog post
UPDATE 3.15pm: Julien, Greenpeace energy campaigner, is standing on a smokestack gantry, 100 metres above the ground, looking out over a scarred, unnecessary landscape. Read his blog post
UPDATE 11am: Four activists are now on the top of the smokestack. On the way up, they hung a banner on the gantry, reading "Renewables not coal" (see Flickr image). Activists on the roof have been arrested and charged. Sign the Energy [R]evolution petition to Prime Minister Rudd
UPDATE 9.34am: Two of our activists have reached the top of the stack, with two more close behind. As coal is one of the dirtiest energy producing technologies, the activists have been testing air quality to ensure they can stay up there without suffering adverse effects. Nine other activists were arrested earlier and taken to the local police station. Sign the Energy [R]evolution petition to Prime Minister Rudd
Find out more - get onboard the Esperanza in Brisbane this weekend
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