07
November 2008 - Flanders, Belgium — More
than 80 activists occupied the site of E.ON's
proposed coal fired power-plant in Antwerp
Harbour – setting up over four thousand
tiny windmills and painting the message
"Flanders Quit Coal" on the tarmac.
The action illustrates
the choice facing the Flemish authorities.
They can allow the construction of another
climate changing coal power plant or invest
in wind power and greater energy independence.
We’re also meeting with
the Cabinet of Flemish Minister President,
Kris Peeters, to debate how the region can
take concrete steps towards a future free
from dirty coal and dangerous nuclear power.
German electricity provider
E.ON envisages the construction of a huge
coal power plant in Antwerp. The plant would
emit some 6 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
This is equivalent to half of what is already
coming from Belgium’s six other coal power
plants!
Just say NO!
Coal is the most polluting of all fossil
fuels. A third of all CO2 emissions come
from coal and, if business continues as
usual, this could increase to 60 percent
by 2030.
E.ON plans to spend
50 billion euros between 2008-2010 to expand
its power generation across Europe. But
only 12 percent of this will be invested
in renewable sources of energy. E.ON plans
to build eight new coal plants in Germany,
Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands (costing
around1.2 billion euros each) and to construct
another 2000MW of coal-fired capacity in
the rest of the EU.
Plug into the wind
This action comes after
the Rainbow Warrior demonstrated the potential
of a North Sea electricity grid by simulating
the connection of the first Belgian offshore
wind farm to those of neighbouring countries.
The interconnection of North Sea wind farms
would increase the reliability of clean
wind energy and allows it to be combined
with other renewable energy sources, like
hydraulic energy from Norway.
Our ships the Arctic
Sunrise and the Rainbow Warrior have been
bringing the "Quit Coal" message
to the Mediterranean and Europe, during
a four month expedition, in the run-up to
crucial UN climate negotiations in Poznan,
Poland, this December.
In order to kickstart
an energy [r]evolution that will save the
climate - the world needs to give coal the
boot NOW!
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Greenpeace activists
block palm oil shipment in Indonesia
10 November 2008 - Dumai,
Indonesia — In the latest stage of the Esperanza's
Forests for Climate tour around south-east
Asia, activists have arrived in Dumai, Indonesia
to block a palm oil shipment from departing
for Europe.
The shipment was supposed
to leave from Dumai, a large port on the
eastern coast of Sumatra and Indonesia’s
main palm oil export port. Activists from
the Esperanza left to expose three palm
oil tankers anchored in Dumai port. Despite
the crew of one ship blasting the activists
with fire hoses, the team managed to paint
“Forest Crime” and “Climate Crime” on the
hull of all three ships, as well as the
side of a barge loaded with timber from
the rainforest.
Peatland protection
The largest ship to receive a new coat of
paint was the Gran Couva, bound for Rotterdam
in the Netherlands with 27,000 metric tonnes
of palm oil from Wilmar, one of the largest
palm oil companies in Indonesia.
Much of Sumatra's forest
has been destroyed but small pockets remain,
including one critical area of Riau. This
area of forest is similar in size to Switzerland
or Taiwan, but it grows in a thick layer
of peat. When drained and burnt to make
way for oil palm plantations, the peat releases
huge quantities of greenhouse gas, contributing
to climate change. If the remaining forests
and peatland in Riau are destroyed, they
will release the equivalent of an entire
year’s worth of global emissions.
Fixed anchor for Forests
Following the exposure of these forest criminals
with the painting of the ships, an activist
climbed the anchor chain of the Gran Couva,
and has secured himself there. This means
the ship - and the palm oil it is carrying
- have been immobilised and will not be
leaving the port. For updates on the situation,
read the ship tour blog.
During the ongoing tour
of Indonesia, the crew of the Esperanza
has witnessed massive conversion of Papua’s
tropical forests for palm oil plantations
in a concession near Jayapura operated by
Sinar Mas, the largest palm oil company
in Indonesia. They have also exposed ongoing
forest destruction for timber in Papua,
and discovered fresh forest clearances in
concessions in the peatland forests of Riau.
Greenpeace is calling
on the Indonesian government to enforce
an immediate moratorium on deforestation,
as well as on the international governments
to create a funding mechanism to provide
international funds for forest protection
in Indonesia and other forest countries.
Read more about the Esperanza's journey
through Indonesia on the ship tour blog.
Follow the Esperanza in Google Earth by
downloading this KMZ file, and on Twitter.
