Australian Activists Temporarily Shut Down Power Plant to Stop Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In an attempt to chain themselves to a conveyor-belt and ratchet up pressure on the coal industry, activists disrupted production and forced evacuation at the state-owned Tarong power station in northern Queensland, Australia.
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The incident is the latest in a series of environmental protests against Australia’s coal-fired power stations and coal export industry, which has been blamed for half the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. In July, environmental groups staged a six-day protest aimed at shutting the world’s biggest coal port, Australia’s Newcastle coal terminal.
Australia produces about 1.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions making it one of the world’s highest per-capita emitters due to a reliance on coal for 80 percent of electricity.
Tarong Power produces up to 25 percent of Queensland’s electricity from three power stations. The coal-fired Tarong and Tarong North power stations use up to 7 million tons a coal a year from the company’s nearby coal mine.
“Australia’s greenhouse pollution is rapidly increasing, and our addiction to coal-fired power is the main cause,” protest spokeswoman Clare Towler told Australian Associated Press.
In December, the Australian government plans to announce its target for greenhouse emissions by 2020, and details of its plan for carbon trading, due to start in July 2010.
Photo Credit: Jon’s pics on Flickr under Creative Commons license.
In a country that is devastaed each year by natural desaster (storms, cyclones, floods, fires, drought), it limits the possibilities for use of many alternate sources of power. Just recently the Austrlaian Government had put together grants for solar power installation in domestic homes and this has been taken up by such a large amount that the set funding for the grants has ran out and is being look at for more. But even with funding, do u think it is wise to install a nuclear power station in a country with such unpredictable weather. What if a cyclone or fire or major storm came along and destroyed the plant??? It not just that it is unsafe, it is more unsafe in Australia. Millions of dollars are each year are spent researching into carbon dioxide removal and treatment such as the underground pumping. As for the mirrors and solar, storms and hail travel through Australia each year destroying everything, including solar cells and mirrors. And as for there placement in the ‘desertification’ of Australia, more pollution would be created getting the power back to the consumers whom are all based on the coast line, no in the middle of the desert. Transporting materials and installation of equipment also increases greenhouse gas emitions, further away from everyone, more bad it is. Each country has its own situation and must be treated as their own seperate case, will a country that only produces 1.5% of the world greenhouse make that great a difference if it take 10 more years to change from 1.5% to 1.2%??? For a counntry that has only 0.3% of the world population, you all make such a big deal about it.
just cause we have the highest medal tally per capita at the olympics dosnt mean u have to go all tall poppy on us
http://gas2.org/2007/12/19/air-force-will-be-coal-powered-by-2011/
we are at least trying to lower our usasge