25 July 2009 - Austria
— Last night Greenpeace was invited by the
Austrian authorities to hang a banner from
a nuclear power station, unlikely but true.
The Zwentendorf nuclear plant was never
operated and has been mothballed since the
70's. Today it is to open as a solar
power station: our banner simply stated:
“Energy Revolution – Climate Solution.”
The plant's operation
was fiercely contested and in 1978 a national
referendum sealed its fate. Nuclear fuel
rods were never inserted into the reactor
and the concrete plant on the edge of the
Danube River in western Austria never produced
electricity. It has stood dormant as a testament
to Austrian concerns over nuclear energy.
Now, a 1.2 million Euro project has turned
the nuclear power plant into the largest
solar power station in Austria.
A testament to the fact
that the only safe nuclear power comes from
the sun.
Save the World Awards
At a ceremony hosted
by the State of Lower Austria, the head
of our climate campaign, Thomas Henningsen,
received an award presented by American
actress Andie MacDowell, for our work to
raise alarm over climate change and the
promotion of climate solutions. The ‘Save
the World Awards’ are the first international
awards that honour exceptional individuals
and organisations working toward a sustainable
future.
"Among all threats
that human societies and cultures are facing,
we believe that climate change is by far
the most serious”, said Thomas. “If we do
not act right now, we will see billions
of people fighting for drinking water and
new land to settle. This alone will put
the whole world into chaos. But we will
also lose half of our species and almost
all of our rainforests and coral reefs.”
Funding an Energy [R]evolution
We are convinced that
we can avert climate chaos and an energy
revolution is essential if we are to radically
reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. When
the banks were saved during the crisis,
billions of Euros were made available overnight
and laws were passed by decision making
bodies at a speed which was never seen before.
This is the kind of political will we need
to see this year as an historic opportunity
to place the world on the path of a low
carbon economy draws closer.
In just 135 days - world
leaders have to agree on a global climate
deal at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen.
This must include crucial mid-term targets
and a commitment to provide developing countries
with 140 billion US$ annually - to help
them tackle climate change and fund forest
protection.
Bail out the planet
If a nuclear power station can go solar,
then why can’t our entire energy system
be diverted to clean and safe renewable
energy sources, backed by energy efficiency
and conservation? If we can bail out the
banks, then why can’t we provide the 140
billion US dollars a year needed to help
the developing world adapt to and mitigate
climate change: that includes 40 billion
US dollars needed to end tropical deforestation
which is responsible for nearly a fifth
of global greenhouse gas emissions.
