Greenpeace's flagship, the Rainbow Warrior in Hong Kong's famous Victoria _Harbor to launch the 'Asia Energy Revolution Tour'.
"Asia is on the climate change front line: the impacts are
already here devastating our environment, agriculture, economies
and destroying lives and sustainable development," 1 said
Greenpeace China Campaign Director Lo Sze Ping on board the Rainbow
Warrior.
"The threat of global warming together with soaring oil and
coal prices make it clear that there is an urgent need for better,
cleaner, long-term energy solutions. Greenpeace calls on Asia's
governments and industry to make real and lasting investments in
renewable technology, like wind power, for all our futures and for
Asia's economy."
The Rainbow Warrior is embarking on a 10-week tour of Asia
including Hong Kong, The Phillippines and Thailand to expose the
impacts of climate change.
The 'Asia Energy Revolution Tour' is an urgent call to make a
break with coal power and nuclear energy and to promote a massive
shift to cleaner, safer, renewable energy. Greenpeace believes that
Asia can avoid the mistakes made by industrialised countries which
are heavily dependent on climate destroying fossil fuels.
China for instance, is one of the world's top ten wind energy
markets having already installed 1300 wind turbines nationwide.
Guangdong province, neighbouring Hong Kong, has 180 turbines to
date with more being planned. 2
"Wind power is already big business in China but while
Greenpeace welcomes the achievements like those in Guangdong, they
are only the tip of the wind potential iceberg," said Lo. "While
Asia didn't cause climate change, it has no choice but to address
the problem. Compared to industrialized countries Asia is less
equipped and prepared to respond to future disasters. This has to
change. Clean energy is a a win-win option," concluded Lo.
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses
non-violent creative confrontation to expose global environmental
problems to force solutions that are essential to a green and
peaceful future.
Other contacts: Lo Sze Ping, Greenpeace China Campaign Director +852 9043 0966Michael Kessler, Greenpeace International Communications +852 9370 4599Athena Ronquillo, Greenpeace International Energy Campaigner +852 9370 4560
Notes: 1 The impacts of climate change in Asia include: high altitude glacial retreat; sea-level rise and flooding in low-lying areas especially coastal megacities; an increase in flooding from heavier rains; severe droughts in arid areas; an increase in cyclone intensity; threats to agriculture and aqua-culture; freshwater at risk; and the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Every year for the past 20 years, an average of over 400 million people has been exposed to floods in Asia. Between 1987 and 1997, 44% of all flood disasters worldwide affected Asia, claiming 228,000 lives (93% of all flood-related deaths worldwide). Economic losses in that decade totalled US $136 billion.2 Wind power is the world's fastest growing energy source with installed capacity growing at an average annual rate of over 20%. The technical potential of global wind could provide more than twice the expected world energy demand in 2020. The report Wind Force 12, by the Global Wind Energy Coalition and Greenpeace, maps out a blueprint for the practical and feasible delivery of 12% of world electricity supply from wind power by 2020. (http://www.ewea.org/03publications/WindForce12.htm)