Feature story - 16 October, 2008
Activists from our ship the Arctic Sunrise have been putting coal in the hot seat from both land and sea in Italy. Five of them scaled a 150 metre crane at the new coal-fired power plant Civitavecchia, near Rome to drop a banner highlighting the fact that the Italian government opposes the Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile another five activists painted, “No Carbon” and “Quit Coal” in giant letters on the power plant’s dock from an inflatable boat.
Five activists spent the day suspended 150 metres in the air at a coal-fired power station in Italy
They called on the Italian government to stop undermining
Europe's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and declare an
immediate moratorium on all new coal-fired power plants.
The Civitavecchia power plant will increase Italy's CO2
emissions at a time when they should be reducing them. Plants like
this will derail the Italian effort to meet the Kyoto target.
The good news!
The Italian government was attempting to block important climate
change agreements being discussed by the EU, but the good news is
that they have failed! At the end of two days of heated talks in
Brussels, EU leaders confirmed their commitment to finalise the
climate and energy package before international climate
negotiations take place in December.
Upon hearing this news, the activists came down from the crane
and were taken by the police but so far they have not been
arrested.
Europe must quit coal
Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels. A third of all
CO2 emissions come from coal and, if we don't stop using it, these
will increase to 60 percent by 2030. Coal is the single greatest
threat facing our climate and Europe needs to end its outdated
dependency on it.
The Rainbow Warrior and Arctic Sunrise, are currently spreading
the 'Quit Coal' message across the Mediterranean and Europe. The
expedition, from Israel to Poland, is happening in the run-up to
crucial UN climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland, this December,
where quitting coal will be essential to a meaningful deal to save
the climate.
We need a [r]evolution!
Our Energy [R]evolution scenario shows how renewable energy,
combined with greater energy efficiency, can cut global CO2
emissions by 50 percent, and deliver half the world's energy needs
by 2050. Efforts made to cut emissions and reduce Europe's
dependency on fossil fuel imports will help Europe bounce back from
the financial crisis - creating jobs and a greener economy.
Take Action
We need your help to stop new coal in Israel. Please sign the petition.
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