Activists shut down UK's Didcot coal-fired power station (updated)
© Greenpeace
It's a chilly morning in Oxfordshire - and it was even colder at 5:30 am, where some of my friends and colleagues shut down one of Britain's dirtiest power stations - in a bid to stop climate chaos.
Thirty volunteers invaded the Didcot coal-fired power station immobilising the huge conveyor belts that carry coal into the plant, by hitting emergency stop buttons and attaching themselves to machinery. A second group climbed a 200 metre high chimney, setting up a climate camp at the top. Keeping reading, see the videos, and keep. It's now 10:24am, and the volunteers are all still in place. Keep reading to see videos and mobile phone images!
© Greenpeace
Didcot Power Station is the second most polluting power station in Britain, after Drax in Yorkshire, and was targeted because - like most of the Britain's power stations - two-thirds of the energy it generates is wasted, making a massive contribution to climate change. we're demanding that the government phases out these kind of coal fired power stations and instead backs localised - or "decentralised" - power generation, which is much more efficient.
- The use of coal for electricity generation has gone up from 47.3 to 52.5 million tonnes a year;- Between the second quarters of 2005 and 2006 coal-burn for electricity rose by 10.5%
- UK Co2 eimissions have risen since 1997, from 549 million tonnes CO2 to 561.5 million tonnes of CO2. C02 emission in 2005 were only 5.5% below 1990 levels, way off the government's target of a 20% cut by 2010
Greenpeace UK's campaigns director Blake Lee-Harward explains why he's at Didcot power station
One of the team explains what's going on at Didcot Power Station this morning.
(Mobile phone image via moblog »)
(Mobile phone image via moblog »)
Full story on Greenpeace UK: Climate campaigners shut down one of UK's biggest power stations
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Keep track of what's happening today at our moblog site »
More photos Greenpeace UK Flickr account »
Discussion on the Didcot shutdown on the Greenpeace forums »
More photos on Greenpeace Flickr account »
Posted by a moblog user: Website campaigning against the two remaining lakes in Radley being polluted by Didcot Power Station »
Comments
I personally find it really sad that there are such things as plastic crates in our oceans! And that's probably not the worst things in the water! I find this water litter very upsetting.
Posted by: Gloria Barrett | November 3, 2006 12:55 AM
These stunts are boringly easy to achieve in soft touch Britain.
Come on, guys, show us what you're really made of and try doing this in China, where a new coal-fired power station opens every few days.
Posted by: Iceman | November 3, 2006 11:32 AM
Hey Iceman - interesting comment. On one hand, you say that what we're doing is "boringly easy" - on the other hand you say we " broken into a coal-fired power station... for a publicity stunt."
If this "publicity stunt" (hint, the whole point is to get publicity!) is so boring, how come you feel the need to brand us "eco-fundamentalists"? Surely, in your eyes, we're more like "eco-pedestrians" or something?
There's no pleasing some people...
Posted by: Dave | November 3, 2006 11:53 AM
blah de blah de blah. You are all moaning about the size of the station, its output and everything else. But when you get home from the police station will you pay the bill when it comes in at 2 to 3 times the amount when they do use the "decentralised" generation you are asking for? No, didn't think you would. And as for being activists.....uh oh, legal notice......run away, run away, run away. Guess the people at greenpeace are more afraid of having their assets seized over the legal costs being recovered from them than digging in.
Shame it wasn't in france, they'd of just thrown you off the top and we could of gone and had breakfast in peace. See you at the next one........coming to get you.......coming to get you........
Posted by: ghost | November 4, 2006 7:37 AM
No need to be so nasty. Tell me ghost, if decentralised energy is so expensive, why are countries like Denmark using it so effeciently?
And how come Woking Borough Council have gone todecentralised energy?
Read more about Decentralised energy
Wikipedia: Distributed generation
Energy in Denmark
Posted by: Dave | November 4, 2006 11:34 AM
I switched to Npower/Juice, when Greenpeace were recommending it, believing that I was subscribing to clean electricity.
It is now clear that localised generation using renewable technology is the cleanest and most efficient way forward.
Didcot seems to epitomise Npower's real credentials (Juice is just a Green smokescreen).
Now that Npower are about to desecrate Radley Lakes, they are shown in their true colours.
These dumping proposals run entirely counter to fundamental principles of recycling and conservation esential to saving the planetary systems for future generations.
Posted by: John Stone | February 7, 2007 4:30 PM