Greenwash Guerrillas Targeting Guardian Climate Change Summit
Rising Tide | 14.06.2009 17:56 | Climate Chaos | Other Press
Press Release: the Greenwash Guerrillas will be outside the E.ON-sponsored Guardian Climate Change Summit at Russell Square tomorrow morning, why not come along and support them?
For immediate release: 19:00, 14/06/09
GUARDIAN CLIMATE SUMMIT TARGETED BY CAMPAIGNERS OVER COAL COMPANY SPONSORSHIP
"Greenwash Guerrillas" to highlight hypocrisy of climate conference sponsored by E.ON
Photo and filming opportunity, Monday 15 June, 8am, Hotel Russell, 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1B 5BE
For more information, interviews and photographs, contact Rising Tide on 07708794665, or 07858177178 on the day, or email
info@risingtide.org.uk
The Guardian newspaper's decision to allow coal giant E.ON to sponsor its flagship Climate Change Summit [1] will come under fire on Monday as environmentalists dressed in hazard outfits brandish 'greenwash detectors' and distribute spoof editions of the newspaper outside the Hotel Russell in London.
The Guardian's Climate Change Summit, which aims to “keep climate change on the agenda through the recession and beyond” and "move from awareness to action in tough economic times” [2], has raised eyebrows by accepting sponsorship from E.ON, the company behind controversial plans to build the UK's first new coal-fired power station for decades at Kingsnorth in Kent. Paul Golby, the company’s chief executive, is also scheduled to speak at the event.
Tony Cottee from Rising Tide commented:
“What better way to start the week than by highlighting the hypocrisy of E.ON’s sponsorship of this event? The Guardian’s attempt to position itself as leading the climate change debate is fatally undermined by taking money from E.ON. It’s like accepting sponsorship from a tobacco company for a conference on lung cancer. No new coal, let’s expose this greenwash!”[4]
The spoof miniature edition of the Guardian uses the newspaper's own articles from the last year to expose the destructive role E.ON is playing in the UK's fight against climate change. It has been estimated that there are already 300,000 people dying every year due to climate change.[5] The power station planned for Kingsnorth would emit more CO2 each year than the whole of Ghana.[6]
E.ON’s plans were the target of a protest camp held by the Camp for Climate Action at Kingsnorth last August. [7] Last week five campaigners were arrested during an occupation of the offices of BAM Nuttall, a building firm bidding for the contract of the construction of Kingsnorth. [8]
For further information, please contact:
Rising Tide – 07708794665
For enquiries on the day - 07858177178
info@risingtide.org.uk
www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
[1] The Guardian Climate Summit will be held on Monday 15 June at Hotel Russell, 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1B 5BE
[2]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatesummit
[3] http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatesummit/why-attend
[4] http://risingtide.org.uk/node/320
[5] Global Humanitarian Forum report,
http://www.ghf-geneva.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=157
[6] World Development Movement,
http://www.wdm.org.uk/news/powerplantreleasemoreco2thanghana.htm
[7] http://climatecamp.org.uk/climatecamp2008
[8] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8085368.stm
GUARDIAN CLIMATE SUMMIT TARGETED BY CAMPAIGNERS OVER COAL COMPANY SPONSORSHIP
"Greenwash Guerrillas" to highlight hypocrisy of climate conference sponsored by E.ON
Photo and filming opportunity, Monday 15 June, 8am, Hotel Russell, 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1B 5BE
For more information, interviews and photographs, contact Rising Tide on 07708794665, or 07858177178 on the day, or email
info@risingtide.org.uk The Guardian newspaper's decision to allow coal giant E.ON to sponsor its flagship Climate Change Summit [1] will come under fire on Monday as environmentalists dressed in hazard outfits brandish 'greenwash detectors' and distribute spoof editions of the newspaper outside the Hotel Russell in London.
The Guardian's Climate Change Summit, which aims to “keep climate change on the agenda through the recession and beyond” and "move from awareness to action in tough economic times” [2], has raised eyebrows by accepting sponsorship from E.ON, the company behind controversial plans to build the UK's first new coal-fired power station for decades at Kingsnorth in Kent. Paul Golby, the company’s chief executive, is also scheduled to speak at the event.
Tony Cottee from Rising Tide commented:
“What better way to start the week than by highlighting the hypocrisy of E.ON’s sponsorship of this event? The Guardian’s attempt to position itself as leading the climate change debate is fatally undermined by taking money from E.ON. It’s like accepting sponsorship from a tobacco company for a conference on lung cancer. No new coal, let’s expose this greenwash!”[4]
The spoof miniature edition of the Guardian uses the newspaper's own articles from the last year to expose the destructive role E.ON is playing in the UK's fight against climate change. It has been estimated that there are already 300,000 people dying every year due to climate change.[5] The power station planned for Kingsnorth would emit more CO2 each year than the whole of Ghana.[6]
E.ON’s plans were the target of a protest camp held by the Camp for Climate Action at Kingsnorth last August. [7] Last week five campaigners were arrested during an occupation of the offices of BAM Nuttall, a building firm bidding for the contract of the construction of Kingsnorth. [8]
For further information, please contact:
Rising Tide – 07708794665
For enquiries on the day - 07858177178
info@risingtide.org.uk www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
[1] The Guardian Climate Summit will be held on Monday 15 June at Hotel Russell, 1-8 Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1B 5BE
[2]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatesummit [3]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatesummit/why-attend [4]
http://risingtide.org.uk/node/320 [5] Global Humanitarian Forum report,
http://www.ghf-geneva.org/index.cfm?uNewsID=157 [6] World Development Movement,
http://www.wdm.org.uk/news/powerplantreleasemoreco2thanghana.htm [7]
http://climatecamp.org.uk/climatecamp2008 [8]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8085368.stm
Rising Tide
