Full feedAction begins at coal power station smokestack near Poznan...
I've just received this email from Gavin, who is currently at the top of a smokestack in Konin, Poland demanding government leaders Quit Coal and GET SERIOUS about climate change. We'll keep you updated as the action progresses.
I've stepped away from the UN climate talks and joined up with our climb team here in Poland to get a first-hand view of the biggest driver of climate change - coal. 14 of us climbed a smoke stack this morning at a massive coal power station 1.5 hours from Poznan, near the climate rescue station.
The sheer scale of the place is huge - trains bring coal in from the huge open mine next to the rescue station, and two of the five smoke stacks including the one we are on are burning it, belching a toxic stew of gases including the one posing the greatest threat to the planet - carbon dioxide.
The scale of this place mirrors the sheer scale of tackling climate change, especially in a place like Poland where more than 90% of electricity comes from coal. But if anyone doubts that solutions to climate change are possible, then the 17knot gusts of wind that are gently swaying the platform I am perched on should be enough evidence as to the power of wind. If only Poland would harness it.
At his opening speech at the UNFCCC negotiations yesterday Polish prime minister Donald Tusk played lip service to climate change, and recently committed some financial help for renewable energy. But this is far too little, and not the energy revolution we need to see. And meanwhile Mr. Tusk's government continues to undermine EU efforts to put a strong package of climate measures in place. If he succeeds, then Europe will fail, UN climate talks in Poznan could falter, and catastrophic climate change will loom closer. We will stay up here for the next days until we get some clarity that Poland and the world is serious about climate change.
Regards,
Gavin & the Greenpeace climb team
Comments
Way to go Gavin!
Good to see you continuing what Greenpeace does best!
Posted by: Ananda | December 2, 2008 9:17 PM
Good on you!
This sort of stuff resonated well inside the conference today.
I'd love to connect with you all to find out what else Greenpeace has planned for the two weeks and to help get more people participating.
Enjoy!
Posted by: Anna Keenan | December 2, 2008 11:57 PM