Britiske Greenpeace-aktivister frikendt

10. september 2008

En gruppe Greenpeace-aktivister, som i oktober 2007 forsøgte at lukke det kulfyrede Kingsnorth-kraftværk, er netop blevet frikendt for med gigantiske bogstaver at have malet “Gordon Bin It” på værkets 200 m høje CO₂-udspyende skorsten. Baggrunden for protesten – som var direkte adresseret den engelske premierminister Gordon Brown – var, at man i Storbritannien for første gang i 30 år havde planer om at opføre nye kulfyrede kraftværker. Frikendelsen ved Maidstone Crown Court kom på baggrund af, at aktivisterne gennem deres handlinger beskyttede ejendom af større værdi (Jorden) overfor klimaforandringer.

Som del af retsproceduren har en af verdens ledende klimaforskere, James Hansen, der er leder af NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, været indkaldt som vidne. I forbindelse med hans vidnesbyrd rejste han på baggrund af, at både regering og energiselskaber er fuldstændig klare over det for klimaet dybt uforsvarlige i fortsat at afbrænde kul, men endda fortsætter med at gøre det, spørgsmålet, om det var de rigtige mennesker, der var stillet for retten?

James E. Hansen James Hansen har et enestående perspektiv på klimaproblemstillingerne, og hvor konsensusdannelsen for FNs klimapanel IPCC er en særdeles langsommelig proces, kan han lynhurtigt inkorporere nye forskningsresultater og iagttagelser. Det er en del af baggrunden for, at IPCC stadig planlægger efter at holde atmosfærens CO₂-koncentration under 450 ppm, hvor Hansen og hans kolleger fra på baggrund af blandt andet de nyeste iskerneboringer og de seneste års hastige afsmeltning af klodens ismasser konkluderer, at vi må helt ned på 350 ppm for at kunne regne med at langtidsstabilisere det globale klima.

Vi må derfor med James Hansen insistere på, at afløseren for den nuværende Kyoto-aftale, som efter planen skal underskrives i København næste år, inkorporerer et moratorium for afbrænding af kul og en langtidsmålsætning om at stabilisere atmosfæres CO₂-koncentration under 350 ppm.

Umiddelbart herunder har jeg inkorporeret Hansens summary, og nederst er der link til hans fulde forsvarsskrift for de seks nu frikendte Greenpeace-aktivister.

Summary Facts

These summary facts were known by the UK government, by the utility EON, by the fossil fuel industry, and by the defendants at the time of their actions in 2007:

1) Tipping Points

the climate system is dangerously close to tipping points that could have disastrous consequences for young people, life and property, and general well-being on the planet that will be inherited from today’s elders.

2) Coal’s Dominant Role

Coal is the fossil fuel most responsible for excess CO₂ in the air today, and coal reserves contain much more potential CO₂ than do oil or gas. Coal is the fossil fuel that is most susceptible to either (a) having the CO₂ captured and sequestered if coal is used in power plants, or (b) leaving the coal in the ground, instead emphasizing use of cleaner fuels and energy efficiency.

3) Recognized Responsibilities

The UK is one of the nations most responsible for human-made CO₂ in the air today, indeed, on a per capita basis it is the most responsible of all nations that are major emitters of CO₂. This fact is recognized by developing countries, making it implausible that they would consider altering their plans for coal use if the UK plans to continue to rely on coal-fired power.

4) Recognized Impacts of Climate Change

The UK government, EON, and the fossil fuel industry were aware of the likely impacts of continuation of coal emissions, specifically impacts on future sea level, extinctions of animal and plant species, and regional climate effects, i.e., they were all aware that their actions would contribute to these adverse impacts, leaving a more impoverished planet for today’s young people and the unborn.

5) Greenwash

Governments, utilities, and the fossil fuel industry have presented public faces acknowledging the importance of climate change and claiming that they are taking appropriate actions. Yet the facts, as shown in this document, contradict their claims. Construction of new coal-fired power plants makes it unrealistic to hope for the prompt phase-out of coal emissions and thus makes it practically impossible to avert climate disasters for today’s young people and future generations.

Recognition of these basic facts by the defendants, realization that the facts were also known by the government, utility, and fossil fuel industry, and realization that the actions needed to protect life and property of the present and future generations were not being taken undoubtedly played a role in the decision of the defendants to act as they did.