Being aware of the issues surrounding climate change, many of us locally are concerned at the operations of companies like E.on. There are many others of course, but this is an enormous operator, with plant and offices, locally.

As part of reports on earlier actions, I made an earlier description of plant operations [a 'landscape' post] on this place:
Nottingham Spring into Action :: Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station 3
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2007/04/367757.html

Since protests continues.... I thought I would show you more views I've taken recently of what is one of the biggest contributors of emissions that are leading to climate changes. It is right here, in our back yard.

I expect you know that E.on is also the company that would so much like to build another one of these at Kingsnorth in Kent. One of the reasons for the sitting of this last years Climate Camp of course. Oh, not quite the same they say, it will be using 'clean coal' technologies. Yea right!

A while ago, protestors had locked onto the coal conveyor at the plant, with a view to shut down operations at Ratcliffe. Then, people objected in the Market Square, there is an outside ice rink [also happening again this year] that's been set up to christmasify the city. Sponsored by E.on, this was a further example of a humungous waste of energy to keep the surface frozen. On 1st April last year, more folks blockaded E.on regional offices in Mount Street, Nottingham. A couple of people were chained to the entrance door before staff arrived for work, thus leaving them locked out. Then returning to the Mount Street offices last week, protestors were greeted by a large police operation and together with many Chubb security guards employed by E.on, to form a line in front of, and around, their building. All this to keep them, and a fluffy polar bear toy, at bay.

Taken together with the operations of UK Coal, and them opening more acres of 'open cast' mining to feed them. [Currently we ship most of our 'needs' from Poland and South Africa], and more building of plant like this, it is beyond so many of us, how we expect to meet any of the targets of emission reduction by the times governments have agreed. Such targets are inadequate now of course, but with big business and vested interests pressuring, there has already been a significant watering down, or slippage.

All of these recent actions coincided with the release of the: "Committee on Climate Change report" published earlier this week.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) is an independent body established under the Climate Change Act to advise the Government on setting carbon budgets, and to report to Parliament on the progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The CCC’s report: Building a low-carbon economy – the UK’s contribution to tackling climate change is published today, and can be downloaded from:

 http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports


In the press release, they summarize by saying:

They recommend a minimum 34% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, with a 42% cut if a global deal is achieved.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) today urged the Government to commit unilaterally to reducing emissions of all greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the UK by at least 34% in 2020 relative to 1990 levels (21% relative to 2005). This should be increased to 42% relative to 1990 (31% relative to 2005) once a global deal to reduce emissions is achieved. The CCC says meeting these targets is necessary to contain the threat of climate change. Building a low-carbon economy, the CCC’s first report sets out the analysis underpinning these recommendations and the proposed level of the first three carbon budgets covering the periods 2008-12, 2013-17 and 2018-22. The budgets are a worldwide first, designed under the Climate Change Act, which also establishes the CCC as an independent advisory body to Government. The report sets out how the budgets can be met by using existing technologies, and by putting in place a range of policies to move to a low-carbon economy:

* Moving away from using fossil fuels towards using cleaner forms of generating electricity and heat including greater use of renewables (wind power, biomass heat and heat pumps), nuclear and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS);

* By using energy more efficiently in our homes and office buildings and in industry, through better insulation, use of more energy efficient appliances and through reducing waste by turning lights off, shutting down computers and using air conditioning less;

* By reducing transport emissions, developing electric cars, improving the carbon efficiency of engines, developing use of sustainable bio-fuels, better journey planning and more use of public transport.

* Through purchasing offset credits (e.g. Clean Development Mechanism) to meet the 42% target, but not the 34% target.

These significant reductions can be achieved without harming the UK’s economy and at a cost less than 1% of GDP in 2020. In other words, an economy that might grow by 30% in the period to 2020, would instead grow by 29%. The CCC advises that this is a price worth paying, given the long-term costs of inaction on climate change.

Chair of the CCC Lord Turner said: “Climate change poses a grave threat to human welfare, the environment and the economy. We need to act now, in the UK and as part of a global agreement, to significantly reduce our emissions. It is not too late to tackle climate change, but it will be unless the world takes action soon, and the developed countries need to lead the way with strong commitments and strong delivery against the budgets. The budgets we have proposed are achievable given available and developing technologies, and provided the policies in place are implemented and where necessary reinforced. The reductions required can be achieved at a very low cost to our economy: the cost of not achieving the reductions, at national and global level, will be far greater”.

 http://hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/LaunchPressRelease01.12.08.pdf

Committee on Climate Change (CCC)  http://www.theccc.org.uk

Now, many of us still think that the report still allows for larger temperature changes over the near future period, than is probable healthy. However, companies like E-on are not going to like it one bit, probably they will still label the reports as too draconian.

E-on doesn't appear to have digested the report yet, since just before posting this, I have checked to see if they had made a press release at:  http://www.eon-uk.com

They haven't yet, but think we should hang on their every word, when they do.

Onwards and upwards.

Nottingham's part of 48 hours of nationwide action against E.ON
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413951.html
[with a great pile of links to many other aspects of these issues]

My Climate Issues set, on Flickr
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/tash/sets/72157603453183055/

Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station Operations
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2007/04/367757.html

____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:  tash@indymedia.org
Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
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"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
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