The people of the lesser developed countries have suffered so much. But there are those who try to change this sad situation. I give thanks to WDM and its work.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Sign up to E-NewsWDM criticises proposal for new coal fired power station in Scotland
20 November 2008
Friends of the Earth Scotland, the World Development Movement and WWF Scotland Joint Media Release
Campaigners from Friends of the Earth Scotland, the World Development Movement and WWF Scotland reacted to proposals announced today by Peel Energy and DONG Energy to construct a new coal fired power station at Hunterston. The proposal is for a “capture ready” plant, rather than one implementing carbon capture and storage technology to cut climate changing emissions from the outset.
Liz Murray, Head of Campaigns in Scotland for the World Development Movement, said: “Climate change is the greatest crisis facing humanity. It will affect us all, but it is the world’s poorest people who are already being hit first and worst. If the Scottish Government gives the go ahead for this new coal plant at Hunterston, it will totally compromise Scotland's ability to reduce its emissions by the amount needed to avert dangerous climate change. The Scottish Government must take a global view on this issue and not allow new, unabated coal in Scotland.”
Duncan McLaren of Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “Scotland does not need new coal plants for energy security, but we owe it to the wider world to help develop carbon capture and storage technology. No new coal fired power station should be approved by the Scottish Government unless it operates carbon capture from day one, or meets an equivalently tough emissions performance standard by other means.
“The idea of ‘Capture readiness’ is a dangerous smokescreen, which requires little more than that land be set aside for the kit to be added at a later date, without any guarantee that it will ever actually be installed and operated. It's also completely unnecessary: carbon capture is already in operation in Germany, albeit only at a small scale.
Mr McLaren added: “The writing is already on the wall for the aging and unreliable Hunterson nuclear power station, but it is already being replaced by clean renewable power. Scotland doesn’t need a dirty coal station instead of a nuclear dinosaur."
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said:
"Scotland has the best renewable energy resources of any country in Europe. It would be madness to waste time and money building new coal-fired power stations. The creation of new coal fired power stations without carbon capture from the start would seriously undermine our ability to meet the 80% target to reduce carbon emissions proposed in the Scottish Climate Change Bill. It’s vital we don’t lock ourselves into high carbon infrastructures that remove the incentive to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and deliver a low carbon Scotland."
ENDS
Media contact for World Development Movement: Simon Bateson, t 0131 454 3802, m 07515 106 303
Media contact for WWF Scotland: Mandy Carter, t: 01350 728200, m: 07771 818677
NOTES
[1] The World Development Movement campaigns to tackle the root causes of poverty, joining movements around the world, winning justice for the world’s poorest people. www.wdmscotland.org.uk [2] Friends of the Earth Scotland is the leading environmental campaigning charity in Scotland (charity number: SC003442), promoting positive and fair solutions for a sustainable environment. We have thousands of active supporters across Scotland who campaign on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues. www.foe-scotland.org.uk
Article about new coal and WDM campaigns in the Scotsman
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