Captain's Log - The Rainbow Warrior is on a war footing
The current captain of the Rainbow Warrior is not only a very skilled sailor but an incredibly talented writer! Here's the latest installment from one of my heroes - Mike Finken
I am back at sea, presently in the Atlantic Ocean heading up the coast of Portugal towards London. They will lift the Tower Bridge to let us through and we will moor opposite the HMS Belfast to talk to the Tories. Then we’ll start taking action. Join me on the most important voyage of my life. I say that because we look to Europe to lead the way and to stop using COAL as a weapon against humanity.
The Rainbow warrior started this year in New Zealand, campaigning for the planet to Quit Coal. She took that single message to Philippines and then on to Thailand, blockading coal-fired power stations, branding the sides of ships carrying coal, rallying people to take the path of warriors against coal. The Esperanza picked up the same call in Australia as did the Arctic Sunrise in Spain and Italy. The history of the environmental activism has been a dress rehearsal for Climate Change. Coal is the greatest threat to the climate and must be stopped.
From South East Asia Rainbow Warrior sailed to the Mediterranean Sea with the same message ‘QUIT COAL’. She protested in Israel, Turkey and Greece. I took her command in Greece, and sailed her out of the Mediterranean in a terrible storm.
In the UK, several new build coal plants have been proposed. But the government officials are split over the issue. The only people left in Britain who think coal a good idea are Business Secretary John Hutton and Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks. It's time Gordon Brown stepped in and showed leadership. E.ON UK (owned by German Power Giant EON) plans to build a new coal fired power plant at Kingsnorth, on the river Thames. But, recently six Greenpeace activists were acquitted by a Crown Court jury in England, after they’d attempted to shut down the Kingsnorth coal-fired power plant. Their defense was 'lawful excuse', that they were protecting property of greater value (the Earth!) from the impact of climate change. (Is that a glimmer of light at the end of the pitch black tunnel?)
There are 4 proposed coal-power projects in Belgium. In the Netherlands there were 5 but 2 have been stopped; Essent announced that they are NOT going to build a new coal plant, but want their portfolio to have more wind and gas. In Germany around 25 new build coal plants are planned. If these go ahead there will be no way Germany (a leader?) will meet its Kyoto targets.
Finally, Rainbow Warrior will reach Poland where the next climate conference takes place in December. She will bring the worlds attention to pressure European leaders to act power smart and to have a good continuation of the Kyoto protocol - that will be agreed on at the following climate conference in Copenhagen in 2009. All the while they talk, coal will continue to be mined in Poland and exported to Denmark.
Rainbow Warrior is on a war footing. I am on a war footing. Quitting coal is essential for stopping climate change.
Love and peace,
mike
You can keep up to date with Mike's personal blog here
Image: © Greenpeace / Vinai Dithajohn
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Comments
Hi Lisa / Mike,
Nice story, thanks for putting it up online. I was actually onboard when that pic was taken on the RW in Thailand :) Very nice campaigning we did in Thailand with the quit coal tour.
Cheers,
Slade
Posted by: Slade | October 21, 2008 11:51 AM