Success is sweet

By Guest, 12 October 2009

Tim Jones

Funny old week. You stoically campaign on an issue of life and death for a year, and just when you wonder if anyone really takes the injustice of climate change seriously, three campaign successes come along in the space of a few days.

On Wednesday night I was in Medway at a local meeting against Kingsnorth power station. It was only towards the end of the evening we realised we should have spent the evening down the pub when word came through that E.On have put Kingsnorth on hold. After two years of fantastic campaigning, it was amazing to learn the news while standing alongside the inspiring local campaigners who live within sight of the coal megalith. Campaigners 1, carbon polluters 0.

Our WDM friends in Scotland obviously felt a bit grumpy by our cheeriness south of the border. Yes Kingsnorth was the one application for a new coal power station in the UK. But Danish company Dong have been working hard on an application for a typhoon-strengthening, drought-causing coal burner at Hunterston in Ayshire. Not anymore. Today Dong withdrew their investment, probably pulling the plug on the whole project.

With coal power stations falling quicker than a premiership striker, you might have missed the news story on Heathrow. BAA are reportedly not going to submit a planning application for a third runway before the general election. Campaigners 3, carbon polluters 0?

None of this happens by accident. It is the concerted effort of campaigners across the country and around the world. Together we've improved the odds of maintaining a safe and habitable planet. I've got renewed hope that we can improve them even more.

Who would have thought it, groups of committed people changing the world? Why don't you join us - it might be fun. It will be successful.

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World Development Movement welcomes £2000 energy bills?

Posted by Anonymous on 12 Oct 2009 at about 21:51.

Why is the World Development Movement welcoming a reduction in power capacity that will lead to excessive energy bills. Ofgem the energy regulator estimates that, because of the failure to invest in new supply, we are headed to £2000 p.a. energy bills. That is the cost of not building Kingsnorth. This winter, pensioners will die because of the decision not to build the power stations we need to meet the country's energy needs. James Heartfield www.heartfield.org

re. £2000 energy bills

Posted by Anonymous on 14 Oct 2009 at about 13:03.

Will a switch towards renewable sources make our electricity bills more expensive? Until now, because cheap fossil fuels have been plentiful, the UK has failed to invest in renewable energy. However in 2007/2008 the cost of coal trebled in a year leaving onshore wind as the cheapest form of electricity generation in the UK. Whilst the price of coal fell again with the recession, it is likely to increase if and when there is a recovery. As production of renewables increases, production costs will fall. In contrast, costs of gas and coal will only increase due to their limited supply, meaning renewable energy will be cheaper in the longer term. If the UK government played a more active role in the electricity market it could have greater say over how electricity is produced, whilst also ensuring subsidies are used to cover increased costs of electricity in the short term, rather than these costs falling on low income consumers. For more tricky questions (and answers) on coal see: http://www.wdm.org.uk/coal-your-questions-answered