19th November, 2007
Grassroots climate change action group Rising Tide has blockaded a coal train on its way into the world’s biggest coal export port, at Kooragang Island in Newcastle Harbour. No trains are able to enter Kooragang Coal Terminal because of the blockade.
The blockade comes just two days after the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report warning that the effects of climate change will be worse than previously anticipated, and five days before the Federal Election.
Spokesperson for Rising Tide, Georgina Woods, said, “Our Governments have failed us: both major parties are terminally addicted to coal. The situation is dreadful and we have been forced to take this action because the leadership of this country is morally bankrupt.”
The IPCC reports that two degree Celsius warming of the globe will put about one third of species at risk of extinction. Billions of people are predicted to be at risk of water scarcity.
“There is no longer any room for vacillation: we must act, and that is what we are doing today.”
“When faced with an overwhelming problem and a Government unwilling or unable to take action to solve the problem, it is the duty of all citizens to take action on the community’s behalf.
“There is no way Australia can continue passing the buck on climate change. We are the biggest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases and the biggest coal exporter in the world.
“Hundreds of community members have pledged to take direct-action to prevent the expansion of the coal industry.
“We are taking action today on behalf of our children, and for all those species that will be pushed to the extinction by climate change. It is unconscionable for the Government and the coal industry to continue profiting from accelerating greenhouse gas emissions in this way.”
Contact: (02) 4926 1641
http://www.risingtide.org.au/
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Activists shut down NSW coal power plant
November 15, 2007 — Early this morning Greenpeace activists occupied the Munmorah coal-fired power station. A Greenpeace activist pushes a button to stop the conveyor belt. It’s time to push the emergency switch on coal…
Australia — Early this morning 15 Greenpeace activists occupied and took peaceful direct action to shut down a coal-fired power plant on the NSW Central Coast. The occupation was to protest against John Howard and Kevin Rudd’s dismal climate change policies, which will not stop increasing greenhouse emissions.
Greenpeace is demanding that both major parties commit to deep cuts to Australia’s greenhouse gas pollution in the next decade, which means switching from coal fired power to cleaner and smarter energy use.
9.45AM — The power station has been evacuated and is shutting down due to our occupation. Seven activists have been arrested and eight are still inside the plant. The activists have shut down the coal-feed conveyor belt and painted the message “Coal Kills” on the roof of the station. They have also deployed a banner saying “Climate change starts here.” Two activists are also hanging off the roof displaying climate change messages.
The Munmorah coal-fired power station, 110km north-east of Sydney, is the oldest in NSW and one of the most inefficient in the country.
Climate activists took non-violent direct action to shut down the power station by locking onto the conveyor system to prevent coal from feeding the plant. The activists hung a huge banner reading ‘Climate change starts here’.
Another team climbed on the roof of the main building to paint the message “Coal Kills”. All staff were evacuated from the plant around 7am.
Energy campaigner John Hepburn, who was one of the climb team, said that we couldn’t just sit back and watch while scientists measure how quickly humans are killing the planet.
“We need to cut carbon emissions right now. It’s not complicated. If we installed solar hot water heaters in half of NSW’s households we could switch off Munmorah and cut 1.5 million tonnes of CO2,” he said.
“The activists are protesting because just one week away from the federal election, both major parties are backing climate policies that will see greenhouse emissions increase. This at a time when the world’s top scientists are telling us we have no time to lose and must make deep cuts to emissions if we are to avoid dangerous climate change.”
GRRENPEACE:
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/