We continue our look at the campaigns against coal. This week we explore why the Department for Businesses compromise of "carbon capture ready" just isn't good enough. We also look at the impressive rollback of new coal developments in the US. Will there be a moratorium on unabated coal in the US by the end of the year?
THE 300-350 SHOW: AT THE COAL FACE
The tide turns against coal in the US while the UK lags behind...
Despite James Hansen's personal plea to Prime Minister Gordon Brown last December to take a leadership role in initiating a global moratorium against unabated coal, the UK government's Department for Business currently looks likely to grant permission to a new series of coal-fired power stations that are "Carbon Capture Ready". We discuss what this means and why it's not good enough with Dr Keith Allott, Head of WWF-UK's Climate Change Campaign who commissioned a report recently exploring these questions.
We requested an interview with the Department of Business but had to make do with a written statement (this will be posted at www.climateradio.co.uk shortly) which explains that the UK is relying on the highly problematic and inadequate EU Emissions Trading Scheme to solve the problem.
Meanwhile in the US, the tide is turning against coal at the grassroots, state and federal levels - 59 applications for coal-fired power plants were cancelled, abandoned or put on hold in 2007 and there is a Bill going through Congress to put a moratorium on new unabated coal developments. We speak to Mike Ewall of the Energy Justice Network who has played a key role in supporting and connecting up the grassroots campaigners who have been doggedly winning on a case by case basis.
We close the programme with a taster from a landmark speech made by Al Gore last week, where he suggests the US should respond to climate change with the due urgency that the science now implies. He lays down a "Moon landing" style challenge for the US to power itself by renewable energy within just ten years.
Stop Climate Chaos coalition letter to the PM
www.stopclimatechaos.org
WWF-UK's "Evading Capture" report
http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000005101.asp
US moving towards ban on new coal-fired power plants
www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70.htm
Stopping Coal in Its Tracks
www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/506
Energy Justice Network "No New Coal Plants"
www.energyjustice.net/coal
Coal Swarm
http://coalswarm.typepad.com/coalswarm
Coal Moratorium Now!
www.cmnow.org
RAN "Banks, Climate Change & The New Coal Rush"
http://ran.org/fileadmin/materials/comms/mediacontent/reports/gf_briefing.pdf
Sierra Club's Coal Campaign
www.sierraclub.org/coal
Rep Waxman's "Moratorium on Uncontrolled Power Plants Act"
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080311104934.pdf
Al Gore's "Moonlanding Challenge" speech
www.wecansolveit.org
The tide turns against coal in the US while the UK lags behind...
Despite James Hansen's personal plea to Prime Minister Gordon Brown last December to take a leadership role in initiating a global moratorium against unabated coal, the UK government's Department for Business currently looks likely to grant permission to a new series of coal-fired power stations that are "Carbon Capture Ready". We discuss what this means and why it's not good enough with Dr Keith Allott, Head of WWF-UK's Climate Change Campaign who commissioned a report recently exploring these questions.
We requested an interview with the Department of Business but had to make do with a written statement (this will be posted at www.climateradio.co.uk shortly) which explains that the UK is relying on the highly problematic and inadequate EU Emissions Trading Scheme to solve the problem.
Meanwhile in the US, the tide is turning against coal at the grassroots, state and federal levels - 59 applications for coal-fired power plants were cancelled, abandoned or put on hold in 2007 and there is a Bill going through Congress to put a moratorium on new unabated coal developments. We speak to Mike Ewall of the Energy Justice Network who has played a key role in supporting and connecting up the grassroots campaigners who have been doggedly winning on a case by case basis.
We close the programme with a taster from a landmark speech made by Al Gore last week, where he suggests the US should respond to climate change with the due urgency that the science now implies. He lays down a "Moon landing" style challenge for the US to power itself by renewable energy within just ten years.
Stop Climate Chaos coalition letter to the PM
www.stopclimatechaos.org
WWF-UK's "Evading Capture" report
http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000005101.asp US moving towards ban on new coal-fired power plants
www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70.htm
Stopping Coal in Its Tracks
www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/506
Energy Justice Network "No New Coal Plants"
www.energyjustice.net/coal
Coal Swarm
http://coalswarm.typepad.com/coalswarm Coal Moratorium Now!
www.cmnow.org
RAN "Banks, Climate Change & The New Coal Rush"
http://ran.org/fileadmin/materials/comms/mediacontent/reports/gf_briefing.pdf Sierra Club's Coal Campaign
www.sierraclub.org/coal
Rep Waxman's "Moratorium on Uncontrolled Power Plants Act"
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080311104934.pdf Al Gore's "Moonlanding Challenge" speech
www.wecansolveit.org
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