One of the world’s leading climate change experts has called for an immediate halt in the construction of coal-fired power stations.
Dr James Hansen, who heads NASA’s space studies department and acted as science advisor to US presidential candidate Al Gore, said investing in new fossil-fuelled plants would have catastrophic effects on the environment.
Dr Hansen made the grim prediction while giving evidence in the case of six Greenpeace protestors charged with causing £30,000 of damae to Kingsnorth power station last year.
The eco-activists admit scaling the Hoo Peninsula plant’s 200-metre chimney in October and daubing the Prime Minister’s name “Gordon” on the stack in big white letters, but argue they were acting legitimately to prevent climate change.
When asked what his message to Prime Minister Gordon Brown would be, Dr Hansen replied: “I would ask him to make a clear public statement for a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants that do not capture CO2.
“There is enough potential in renewables for our energy requirements.
“The moratorium should be immediate. We do not need new coal-fired power plants. They all need to be phased out during the next 20 years.”
Ben Stewart, 34, from Lyminge, near Folkestone, Tim Hewke, 48, from Ulcombe, near Maidstone, Huw Williams, 41, from Nottingham, Kevin Drake, 44, of Westbury, Wiltshire, Will Rose, 29, of London, and Emily Hall, 44, from New Zealand, all deny causing criminal damage to the power plant.
The trial at Maidstone Crown Court continues.
POSTED: 04/09/2008 15:15:34
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