Greenpeace Southeast Asia
energy campaigners Red Constantino, and Tara
Buakamsri hold up a banner calling for a stop
to the construction of a coal fired power
plant in Rayong province on Thailand's eastern
seaboard.
21/04/2005 — Our activists today disrupted
the construction of an internationally-funded
coal power plant and demanded that the project
be stopped immediately. Activists from Thailand,
Philippines and Germany occupied the main
crane of the coal power plant to demand renewable
energy for Southeast Asia.
"Climate change is the greatest threat
to the planet and to developing countries
like Thailand, yet companies like BLCP continue
building dirty coal plants. This is a scandal
that must be exposed and must be stopped.
The lives of millions are at risk,” said Tara
Buakamsri of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The BLCP power station is currently under
construction in Maptaphut Industrial Estate
in Rayong, Thailandwith operations expected
to start as early as 2006.
The power plant is owned by the Hong Kong-based
China Light and Power Co (CLP) and Banpu Plc,
and is funded mainly by the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) and Japan Bank for International
Cooperation (JBIC).
The coal plant also has backing from Australian
coal firm Rio Tinto, which has secured a long-term
exclusive contract to supply coal for the
power plant.
Once completed the 1,434 megawatt coal plant
will emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases
over its lifespan, contributing significantly
to climate change.
By our calculations, the BLCP coal plant will
emit 229 million tons of carbon dioxide in
20 years.
"Lest they be permanently branded as
climate criminals, the ADB and China Light
and Power must withdraw immediately from this
dirty energy project. It’s time that they
contribute to real solutions to the sustainable
development of Thailand. It’s time they embrace
renewable energy,” said Tara.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC), the foremost global
authority on the issue, the projected distribution
of economic impacts of climate change would
increase the disparity in well-being between
developed countries and developing countries.
The effects of climate change are expected
to be greatest in developing countries in
terms of loss of life and negative effects
on the economy.
Human-induced climate change is projected
to increase the severity and frequency of
extreme weather events such as storms and
drought.
Recently, Thailandwas caught in the grip of
a catastrophic drought which has affected
63 of the country's 76 provinces, affecting
an estimated 9.2 million Thais and destroying
809,000 hectares of farmland.
According to the government, the catastrophe
has cost as much as US$193.2 million in damages.
"What’s at stake is the very future of
our people and environment. No more coal,"
said Tara.
