Earth Equity News

Much Depends on the Success of European Anti-Coal Activists. By Juliette Jowit, London Guardian, September 3, 2008. "Four years ago, campaigners in the U.S. raised concerns over plans to build 150 coal-fired power stations nationwide. Today, nearly half those plans have been defeated in the courts or abandoned, while half of the remaining proposals are being actively opposed. Just 14 of the 150 plants are being developed, and environmental lawyers are all still pursuing them. 'The enormity of what they were proposing to do provided a platform to have that whole debate about... global-warming pollution, ' says Bruce Nilles , director of the national coal campaign for the Sierra Club ... In a few years, the backlash against [U.S.] coal power... has become the country's biggest-ever environmental campaign, transforming the nation's awareness... and inspiring political leaders to take firmer action... Plants have been defeated in at least 30 of the 50 states, uniting those with already strong environmental records, such as California, with [the] more conservative... southern and central states. The success of the U.S. campaign is also now inspiring a global wave of protests, many in Europe, against similar schemes... If the European protesters succeed, Nilles believes U.S. legislators will be likely to support... international efforts to cut emissions. By implication, though, if the protesters fail in Europe, the impact on a U.S. or international deal would be disastrous... 'Building new coal makes it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to meet [emissions] targets, so it's critical the European community countries do not fail,' [says Nilles]."