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Greenpeace activists abseil from Ministry for Infrastructure: "Fuad, you are killing Ashkelon"
May 19, 2008
Greenpeace activists opened a big banner (6x12 meters) today in Jerusalem on the top of the infrastructure ministry building, calling the Infrastructure Minister, Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer to disapprove the foundation of another coal power station in the city of Ashkelon
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The 37 meter high Infrastructure Ministry building was the launching point for 3 Greenpeace activists who jumped from the roof to reveal a large banner (6x12 meters) calling on the Infrastructure Minister Binyamin (Fuad) Ben-Eliezer to disapprove the foundation of another coal power station in the city of Ashkelon.
While the climbers were getting ready to jump from the roof other Greenpeace activists on the ground blocked the entrance to the infrastructure building with ten kilos of coal. Poking from beneath the pile of coal were two dummy legs intended to represent the fact that Fuad’s head is buried deep inside the coal industry.
"A week before the critical decision of the National Infrastructure Committee, we are standing here to say to the minister Fuad Ben-Eliezer: it is not too late to stop the coal", said Nili Grosman, Energy and Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace Mediterranean in Israel.
"As if the Qassam bombs terror is not enough! Now the citizens of Ashkelon have to suffer from an interior terror, made by the Infrastructure Ministry but no less severe.
The air quality in Israel will be affected by this coal plant in Ashkelon, for the next 50 years. Coal power plants are well known as highly polluting and damaging facilities. They are a huge danger to human health and are contributing to accelerating climate change and global warming. All of us should be highly concerned regarding this new coal station in Ashkelon: Regardless of whether you live or work in the South, Center, or North of Israel.
Today the coal is in Ashkelon, tomorrow it's in our living room. I want to ask the Minister: what is the value of human lives for you? Would you sell us to the electricity company for a political interest? Did you forget that we are voters as well?
This Greenpeace action is part of the public struggle against the new coal plan in Ashkelon. In addition to Israel’s environmental NGOs there are a many others opposing the plant including the Mayors of Ashkelon and Kiryat Gat cities and the rest of the local municipalities in the South of Israel. In addition, the Knesset Economy Committee and the Health Ministry (which clearly stressed it objection to the foundation of coal power station next to population centers) are opposing the idea of building another coal plant in Israel.
It is expected that in exactly one week from today, on the 26th May, the National Infrastructure Committee will announce the decision to build another coal plant in Ashkelon.
"The Minister and the National Infrastructure Committee are under daily pressure from the electricity company which is spreading hysteria about the lack of electricity for the coming summer", says Grosman. "It's important to remember that we will be waiting 8 years (until 2016) for this coal plant to provide electricity while solar and wind clean energy, in addition to energy efficiencies, can provide a correct, sustainable and available answer within only a few months", she added.
Even the United States, the most polluting country in world, decided only last year to cancel the foundation of 59 coal plants. Thailand, a 3rd world country that exports coal, decided to cancel the building of a new coal plant and not to build any more coal plants at all.
"Coal is not as cheap as argued by the electricity company. The price of the coal has risen in tens of percent and while the coal price is rising, the price of the solar energy has reduced. To find the true cost of coal one should add the price of its CO2 emissions, which adds about 5 billion US dollars to the cost of the coal plant. The electricity company, unfortunately, didn't show those numbers to the National Committee to help it evaluate its decision", said Grosman.
While the climbers were getting ready to jump from the roof other Greenpeace activists on the ground blocked the entrance to the infrastructure building with ten kilos of coal. Poking from beneath the pile of coal were two dummy legs intended to represent the fact that Fuad’s head is buried deep inside the coal industry.
"A week before the critical decision of the National Infrastructure Committee, we are standing here to say to the minister Fuad Ben-Eliezer: it is not too late to stop the coal", said Nili Grosman, Energy and Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace Mediterranean in Israel.
"As if the Qassam bombs terror is not enough! Now the citizens of Ashkelon have to suffer from an interior terror, made by the Infrastructure Ministry but no less severe.
The air quality in Israel will be affected by this coal plant in Ashkelon, for the next 50 years. Coal power plants are well known as highly polluting and damaging facilities. They are a huge danger to human health and are contributing to accelerating climate change and global warming. All of us should be highly concerned regarding this new coal station in Ashkelon: Regardless of whether you live or work in the South, Center, or North of Israel.
Today the coal is in Ashkelon, tomorrow it's in our living room. I want to ask the Minister: what is the value of human lives for you? Would you sell us to the electricity company for a political interest? Did you forget that we are voters as well?
This Greenpeace action is part of the public struggle against the new coal plan in Ashkelon. In addition to Israel’s environmental NGOs there are a many others opposing the plant including the Mayors of Ashkelon and Kiryat Gat cities and the rest of the local municipalities in the South of Israel. In addition, the Knesset Economy Committee and the Health Ministry (which clearly stressed it objection to the foundation of coal power station next to population centers) are opposing the idea of building another coal plant in Israel.
It is expected that in exactly one week from today, on the 26th May, the National Infrastructure Committee will announce the decision to build another coal plant in Ashkelon.
"The Minister and the National Infrastructure Committee are under daily pressure from the electricity company which is spreading hysteria about the lack of electricity for the coming summer", says Grosman. "It's important to remember that we will be waiting 8 years (until 2016) for this coal plant to provide electricity while solar and wind clean energy, in addition to energy efficiencies, can provide a correct, sustainable and available answer within only a few months", she added.
Even the United States, the most polluting country in world, decided only last year to cancel the foundation of 59 coal plants. Thailand, a 3rd world country that exports coal, decided to cancel the building of a new coal plant and not to build any more coal plants at all.
"Coal is not as cheap as argued by the electricity company. The price of the coal has risen in tens of percent and while the coal price is rising, the price of the solar energy has reduced. To find the true cost of coal one should add the price of its CO2 emissions, which adds about 5 billion US dollars to the cost of the coal plant. The electricity company, unfortunately, didn't show those numbers to the National Committee to help it evaluate its decision", said Grosman.
