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Greenpeace activists take part in the global day of action on climate change outside the proposed coal burning power station Marsden B at Ruakaka, Northland.
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He was right about the beginning. A three year battle to stop the project followed, including a second occupation of the building, our own pirate radio station, a long drawn out court case, and consumer action using Greenpeace's Clean Energy Guide.
Then on the afternoon of March 7, the phone in our Auckland office rang. It sounded like any other phone ring, but this was to be a call of a very different kind.
Mighty River Power had dropped its plans; we'd won!!!!!!
This was the result Greenpeace, community groups and thousands of New Zealanders had been fighting for, and as victories go, this was a big one.
The decision was significant for several reasons.
Firstly, it set an important precedent. The project's downfall effectively wipes out coal as an option for new electricity generation in New Zealand for many years to come. At the time the Marsden B fight began, there were four coal fired power station proposals in the pipeline. Marsden B was the first cab off the rank in the consent process and other energy companies kept a close eye on it in order to decide whether to go down the same path.
Funnily enough every single other coal fired power station proposal was quietly dropped during the course of the Marsden B battle.
Had it gone ahead, Marsden B would have been New Zealand's first new coal fired power station in 30 years. Why would this have been a bad thing? Because coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels and must be the first to go from our energy system. Pumping out an extra two million tones of carbon dioxide a year from Marsden B would have been madness, particularly at a time when the world's leading scientists are saying it's now or never to tackle climate change, and our Prime Minister's saying she wants New Zealand to be carbon neutral.
In this campaign we also won an important legal precedent in the High Court; regional councils must now take climate change and renewable energy into account when granting resource consents. (that said, Genesis recently announced it's challenging us on this decision in the Court of Appeal).
The Marsden win is also testimony to the power of peaceful protest and environmental activism. It shows that passion, perseverance and people-power CAN win against big business and bottom lines.
Perhaps more importantly, it demonstrates the importance of community activism. Greenpeace certainly wasn't the only group fighting this battle; communities and individuals right around New Zealand played a part, nowhere more so than in the affected communities of Ruakaka and Whangarei. It is a fitting tribute to the activists and groups in these communities - who worked in partnership with Iwi and national groups like Greenpeace and thousands of Greenpeace supporters- that Marsden B is now consigned to the historical dustbin.
We couldn't have stopped Marsden B without you all. So thank you.
Then on the afternoon of March 7, the phone in our Auckland office rang. It sounded like any other phone ring, but this was to be a call of a very different kind.
Mighty River Power had dropped its plans; we'd won!!!!!!
This was the result Greenpeace, community groups and thousands of New Zealanders had been fighting for, and as victories go, this was a big one.
The decision was significant for several reasons.
Firstly, it set an important precedent. The project's downfall effectively wipes out coal as an option for new electricity generation in New Zealand for many years to come. At the time the Marsden B fight began, there were four coal fired power station proposals in the pipeline. Marsden B was the first cab off the rank in the consent process and other energy companies kept a close eye on it in order to decide whether to go down the same path.
Funnily enough every single other coal fired power station proposal was quietly dropped during the course of the Marsden B battle.
Had it gone ahead, Marsden B would have been New Zealand's first new coal fired power station in 30 years. Why would this have been a bad thing? Because coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels and must be the first to go from our energy system. Pumping out an extra two million tones of carbon dioxide a year from Marsden B would have been madness, particularly at a time when the world's leading scientists are saying it's now or never to tackle climate change, and our Prime Minister's saying she wants New Zealand to be carbon neutral.
In this campaign we also won an important legal precedent in the High Court; regional councils must now take climate change and renewable energy into account when granting resource consents. (that said, Genesis recently announced it's challenging us on this decision in the Court of Appeal).
The Marsden win is also testimony to the power of peaceful protest and environmental activism. It shows that passion, perseverance and people-power CAN win against big business and bottom lines.
Perhaps more importantly, it demonstrates the importance of community activism. Greenpeace certainly wasn't the only group fighting this battle; communities and individuals right around New Zealand played a part, nowhere more so than in the affected communities of Ruakaka and Whangarei. It is a fitting tribute to the activists and groups in these communities - who worked in partnership with Iwi and national groups like Greenpeace and thousands of Greenpeace supporters- that Marsden B is now consigned to the historical dustbin.
We couldn't have stopped Marsden B without you all. So thank you.
