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No to more coal: Come see the light!
Greenpeace activists welcomed Infrastructure Committee tour of coal plant with solar coffee
December 24, 2007
Greenpeace activists, together with Green-Course, arived this morning at Ashkelon's coal-fired power plant with solar panals in-hand, turned them towards the sky and within minutes were serving solar coffee, tea and toast to Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mahazri and the 150 residents of Ashkelon who joined him in protest. Many of the protesters were youth who, like their mayor, came to fight for their future in the city.
The solar cafe was constructed to welcome the members of the Committee of Infrastructre, who while debating the construction of a second coal power plant in Ashkelon came today to tour the existing one. The Greenpeace activists hoped to meet the members of the committee and show them solar technology in action, but the committee members chose not to stop their bus and to enter the plant though a back door, as not to encounter the worried residents, youth and activists who had hoped to share their feelings with them. Over the past days, hundreds of angry residents have bombarded the committee members' personal e-mails, through a 'cyber-action' led by Greenpeace.
The residents had hoped their protest would register, as the Infrastructue Committee had recently agreed to hold a public debate on the matter of the new coal-fired power plant.
We came here today to demonstrate in a positive way how solar energy can be the solution to all our needs, rather than another coal-burning power plant", said Nili Grossman, Greenpeace Mediterranean Energy Campaigner.
Coal is the most dangerous kind of fuel to man and to the environment. The health of residents of Ashkelon is already compormised by the existing coal plant. Constructing another would be a death-blow for residents of the area and this is a toll the public should not need to endure. The plant will increase the risk of heart and resperatory deseases and is useless: The need for this plant will only arise at peek time, a short number of hours in the summer at which electricity consumption reaches its limit. Solar energy, coupled with more energy efficiency will provide the solution to this problem, without risking human life. A new coal-fired power plant on the other hand, will burn coal uselessly 24 hours a day for a period of 40-50 years."
Among the protesters was the Mayor of Ashkelon, Mr. Roni Mahazri, a devoted opposer to the construction of another coal plant. At the protest, he said that "I will not compromise the health of the residents of Ashkelon. Constructing this plant will pollute the area and harm the residents in its surroundings. I will not allow Ashkelon to become the national infrastructure rubbish bin".
Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mahazri, sipping solar coffe at the protest.
We call today on the members of the Infrastructure Committee who came to this tour on the invitation of the Israel Electric Company, to open their eyes and see the suffering of Ashkelon residents. See the children, the mothers and sick people who are supposed to live heare for many years with this polution. We urge them from here, as public servants, to avoid this unnecesary and dangerous decition, to say no to this coal power plant, and to see the light - that is, the energy from the sun," concluded Grossman.
These are the committee members who are supposed to decide the future of Ashkelon:
Shamai Asif (Chair) • Aryeh Bar • Nava Alinski Radai • Gabby Golan • Amir Weiss • Iman Dar Sayif • Dalit Dror • Moshe Dayan • Aliza Ken • Vladimir Nmirovski • Yardena Plaut • Yishayahu Ronen • Ishai Talor • Maria Cohen • Eldad Dukan • Sofia Eldor • Einat Ganon • Shulamit Gertel • Nahum Zeev Peled • Eilat Kraus • Ilan Teichman • Shai Avital • Valerie Brachia • Efraim Shlain • Yossi Gamlieli • Shahar Soler • Yossi Ishai • Ruthie Prum Arica • Yaakov Efrati • Dan Stav • David Deshen • Rafi Elmaliach • Edna Perdo • Yosef Tgania • Yitzhak Ben Yitzhak •Talel Elkarnawi • Eli Eskuzido • Heib Hassan
The solar cafe was constructed to welcome the members of the Committee of Infrastructre, who while debating the construction of a second coal power plant in Ashkelon came today to tour the existing one. The Greenpeace activists hoped to meet the members of the committee and show them solar technology in action, but the committee members chose not to stop their bus and to enter the plant though a back door, as not to encounter the worried residents, youth and activists who had hoped to share their feelings with them. Over the past days, hundreds of angry residents have bombarded the committee members' personal e-mails, through a 'cyber-action' led by Greenpeace.
The residents had hoped their protest would register, as the Infrastructue Committee had recently agreed to hold a public debate on the matter of the new coal-fired power plant.
We came here today to demonstrate in a positive way how solar energy can be the solution to all our needs, rather than another coal-burning power plant", said Nili Grossman, Greenpeace Mediterranean Energy Campaigner.
Coal is the most dangerous kind of fuel to man and to the environment. The health of residents of Ashkelon is already compormised by the existing coal plant. Constructing another would be a death-blow for residents of the area and this is a toll the public should not need to endure. The plant will increase the risk of heart and resperatory deseases and is useless: The need for this plant will only arise at peek time, a short number of hours in the summer at which electricity consumption reaches its limit. Solar energy, coupled with more energy efficiency will provide the solution to this problem, without risking human life. A new coal-fired power plant on the other hand, will burn coal uselessly 24 hours a day for a period of 40-50 years."
Among the protesters was the Mayor of Ashkelon, Mr. Roni Mahazri, a devoted opposer to the construction of another coal plant. At the protest, he said that "I will not compromise the health of the residents of Ashkelon. Constructing this plant will pollute the area and harm the residents in its surroundings. I will not allow Ashkelon to become the national infrastructure rubbish bin".
Ashkelon Mayor Roni Mahazri, sipping solar coffe at the protest.
We call today on the members of the Infrastructure Committee who came to this tour on the invitation of the Israel Electric Company, to open their eyes and see the suffering of Ashkelon residents. See the children, the mothers and sick people who are supposed to live heare for many years with this polution. We urge them from here, as public servants, to avoid this unnecesary and dangerous decition, to say no to this coal power plant, and to see the light - that is, the energy from the sun," concluded Grossman.
These are the committee members who are supposed to decide the future of Ashkelon:
Shamai Asif (Chair) • Aryeh Bar • Nava Alinski Radai • Gabby Golan • Amir Weiss • Iman Dar Sayif • Dalit Dror • Moshe Dayan • Aliza Ken • Vladimir Nmirovski • Yardena Plaut • Yishayahu Ronen • Ishai Talor • Maria Cohen • Eldad Dukan • Sofia Eldor • Einat Ganon • Shulamit Gertel • Nahum Zeev Peled • Eilat Kraus • Ilan Teichman • Shai Avital • Valerie Brachia • Efraim Shlain • Yossi Gamlieli • Shahar Soler • Yossi Ishai • Ruthie Prum Arica • Yaakov Efrati • Dan Stav • David Deshen • Rafi Elmaliach • Edna Perdo • Yosef Tgania • Yitzhak Ben Yitzhak •Talel Elkarnawi • Eli Eskuzido • Heib Hassan
