What's happening on 4th March?
Rally out side the Royal Courts of Justice in support of Andrew Boswell's case against gas power with carbon capture development locking in use of gas.
The lunchtime rally begins at 12.30, with speeches from 1pm.
If people want to go in and watch the hearing they should meet at the courts by 9.30am latest to allow time to get through security and find a seat in the room.
A campaigner will be meeting people who want to go in together, and should be by the railings at 9.30 with a CCS placard with red and black lettering.
Background to the case
Last July, Andrew Boswell took the government to court over the Secretary of State's decision to consent Net Zero Teesside Power (gas power with carbon capture and storage) despite the fact that the total emissions from the development would be totally incompatible with meeting the governments emissions reduction targets (see below, and further details on Andrew's Crowdfunder page)
Andrew lost his case in July, but has been given leave to appeal as he has several clearly legally arguable grounds, and the appeal is scheduled for 4th and 5th March. We are seeking to build a huge rally outside the court on 4th March, to support Andrew and show the government that we reject policies that enable fossil fuel giants and the locking in of fossil fuel depency in our energy system as we race towards climate catastrophe.
What's this about and why is it important?
In a nutshell:
Net Zero Teesside Power is a project by BP and Equinor, involving a new gas power station with carbon capture, with the carbon dioxide planned to be compressed and piped to a store deep under the North Sea (the Northern Endurance aquifer).
Whatever the industry and government tell you, carbon capture and storage is NOT a proven technology. There have been very few power-CCS plants in the world, and none have delivered high capture rates. Plus, there are only two operating undersea storage sites in the world, both tiny in comparison with this one, yet both have run into difficulties. There is no evidence that Equinor will store CO2 safely on the massive scale proposed.
Methane (ie natural gas) is a potent greenhouse gas, and it's vital we get it out of our energy system as soon as we can. Also, North Sea gas is in rapid decline (regardless of whether any new exploration licences are granted) and new gas will increasingly be imported liquified natural gas (LNG) - which has a global warming impact several time even that of piped gas, due to methane leaks at extraction, transportation, liquifaction etc before it reaches the power station. It also come with huge human rights abuses, incuding severe health problems for communities living near LNG plants.
We can't build a green future on gas
Yet several more of these projects are planned, including around the Humber and in Scotland. In addition, the government is subsidising "blue" hydrogen production (ie produced from gas, with carbon capture). It's supposed to be clean, but again because of the upstream methane emissions and the extra energy needed for the process, it is actually even worse than burning coal!
The government should be supporting a 100% renewable power system, and cutting energy needs by supporting mass insulation, heat pumps and cheap public transit - all measures that will help people on lower incomes as well. Instead they are using our money for technologies that will make global heating worse, and demonising those who speak up against it, whether in court or on the streets.
That's why we need to get to the Courts of Justice to support Andrew on 4th Feb
If you are in an organisation with funding, please consider using it to get people down there - a big presence and a good range of climate and social justice groups with banners and speakers will show the government we're all alert to what's happening. There's increasing scepticism about CCS building amongst public and policymakers, so it's a good time to push.
For more information about the technologies and the arguments, read
Intro to carbon capture and storage and hydrogenScientists' letter to Ed Miliband
Campaign Against Climate Change article on CCS, gas and fossil hydrogen
