Child from Boh Nok in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province of Thailand holding a paper wind toy.
While world leaders at the Johannesburg Earth Summit give
excuses for failing to act on climate change, Thailand is doing
what Earth Summit delegates say is too hard - rejecting dirty
energy in favour of clean renewable energy.
The Thai government delegation is on its way to the Earth Summit
now, and will announce that the cabinet has decided to ratify the
Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to address climate
change. Meanwhile today the small Thai municipality of Bo Nok, in
the province of Prachuab Khiri Khan, began the installation of a
wind turbine to generate clean sustainable energy for their local
temple with the help of Greenpeace Southeast Asia and an
international crew from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise.
The people of Bo Nok and neighbouring Ban Krut have been
campaigning for the past 8 years against two massive coal fired
power stations, totaling 2100 Megawatts proposed by foreign
developers including the US energy giant Edison.
"Bo Nok does not want Edison's coal plant," said Charoen
Wataksorn, leader of the Love Bo Nok group speaking on behalf of
the community. "We want electricity, but not this dirty, polluting
plant Edison wants to build. World leaders at Johannesburg do not
know Bo Nok, but they should come and see that even a small
community like ours can say no to coal. We want clean energy
instead."
"We are not anti-development and we are not anti-Edison. If
Edison came up with a proposal for a renewable power plant, we
would embrace it," said Wataksorn. "Leaders at Johannesburg need to
look at how development affects the whole community, not just at
the financial interests of the multinationals and whether it makes
a profit. After all, energy is being made for people to use."
Greenpeace also hung a banner on a billboard promoting the power
plants, reading "Rejected by the people of Bo Nok".
Two of the "Filthy Three" nations trying to stop international
action on climate change and ruin the talks on sustainable
development at Johannesburg are behind the two coal plants.
Edison's proposed 734-Megawatt plant at Bo Nok would run on coal
from PT Adaron mine in Indonesia, which is owned by Australian
company New Hope. The 1400 Megawatt Ban Krut plant, proposed by
Union Power, Hong Kong Electric, Tomen and other Japanese
corporations, would get 80% of its coal from Australia, with the
remainder coming from Indonesia and South Africa.
"The technology that would be used at the plants in Bo Nok and
Ban Krut would never meet the environmental and social protection
standards in California, home of the Edison Corporation," said
Greenpeace USA climate campaigner Mateo Williford, in Bo Nok. "Yet
the companies involved would gladly spend two billion dollars on
building these plants that would damage the climate, cloud the air,
and choke the children of Thailand. Edison must abandon this dirty
concept now."
"Thailand's cabinet has announced it will ratify the Kyoto
Protocol. The USA, Australia and Canada must follow Thailand's lead
and ratify the protocol instead of trying to obstruct action on
climate change."
Greenpeace is calling on the Thai government to reject the two
plants, which have been delayed a further two years, and instead
adopt a national policy to support sustainable, clean energy.
"Thailand has a growing demand for electricity, but it doesn't
have to come from coal," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia climate
campaigner Penrapee Noparumpa. "Coal is dirty, expensive and it
damages the climate. It makes no sense to build new coal plants
here in Thailand, when we could get 35% of its electricity from
renewable sources by 2020, even if current consumption
doubles."
Greenpeace is calling on governments at the Earth Summit to make
a commitment to provide affordable renewable energy to the two
billion people around the world who live without electricity, to
phase out all subsidies to fossil and nuclear fuels, and to ensure
that 10% of energy is provided by renewable resources by 2010.
Greenpeace is also seeking a commitment that international
financial institutions move 20% of their energy investments to
clean, renewable energy.
"Rapidly developing countries like Thailand are going to be the
first to feel the effects of climate change on agriculture,
livelihoods and major ecosystems, yet the greenhouse pollution
comes mainly from rich northern countries. They have to stop
dumping this dirty technology overseas and instead help growing
nations develop sustainably," said Noparumpa.
Today's wind turbine installation is part of the Greenpeace
Choose Positive Energy tour of South East Asia with the ship MV
Arctic Sunrise. Throughout the tour, the ship's crew, the staff
from the Greenpeace office of Southeast Asia and other Greenpeace
offices have worked with local communities in Thailand and the
Philippines to fight the development of dirty, polluting energy and
promote clean renewable energy.
Media Backgrounders:
Edison
Bo
Nok Power Plant
VVPR info: Pictures will be available on request from John Novis in Amsterdam on +31 20524 9580 or Steve Morgan in Johannesburg on +27 828 58 3449. Visit http://www.greenpeacesoutheastasia.org