Leading US climate scientist and director of NASA, Dr James Hansen, has made it clear that "preservation of climate requires that most remaining fossil fuel carbon is never emitted to the atmosphere" and that "the only realistic way to sharply curtail CO2 emissions is to phase out coal use except where CO2 is captured and sequestered."

Over the last six months Hansen has taken the unusual step of writing in a personal capacity to various heads of states asking them to bring in a moratorium on new coal. The first letter he wrote was to Prime Minister Gordon Brown last December. He wrote:

"Your leadership is needed on a matter ... with ramifications for life on our planet, including all species ... [A] decision to phase out coal use unless the CO2 is captured is a global imperative, if we are to preserve the wonders of nature, our coastlines, and our social and economic well-being ... If Britain and Germany halted construction of coal-fired power plants that do not capture and sequester the CO2 it could be a tipping point for the world."

Our first guest is Leila Deen from the World Development Movement about the campaign against Gordon Brown's plans to build seven new coal-fired power stations without requiring them to have Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology.

Our second is Georgina Woods who speaks to us by 'phone from Australia on the final day of the country's first Camp for Climate Action - a week long event which culminated in the country's biggest ever direct action against the country's coal exporting industry.

James Hansen letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown
 http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/20071219_DearPrimeMinister.pdf

Stop Kingsnorth
 http://www.stopkingsnorth.org/

Camp for Climate Action
 http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/

Coal is Dirty
 http://www.coal-is-dirty.com/

Emails between govt & E.On
 http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/coal-giant-dictates-government-climate-policy-20080131