No it’s not Spiderman and friends, just green activists trying to call attention to the environmental impact of coal-burning power plants.
Greenpeace went to great heights yesterday to express opposition to plans for a new coal-burning power plant in Israel. Five Greenpeace activists scaled the cables of the Chords Bridge at the entrance to Jerusalem and hung a huge banner (44 square meters) imploring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Stop the coal plant.
Israel currently generates nearly all of its electricity from imported fossil fuels – coal (60-65%), natural gas and crude oil. Efforts to transition from coal to natural gas, a greener solution, received a boost with the recent discovery of substantial off-shore reserves of natural gas. The Israeli government has also set a goal of generating 5% of the country’s electricity needs from renewable energy in 2014 and 10% in 2020. (Today, renewable energy accounts for less than 1%.) The projected mix of renewable energy in 2020 includes: about 49% solar, 30% wind and 21% biofuel.
Greenpeace is not the only opponent of the proposed coal-fired plant. The Ministry of Environment also says: “The construction of a new coal-fired power plant in Israel would present a health and environmental hazard due to the high pollutant emissions and low energy efficiency of such a station compared to stations fired by natural gas.”
Image via Greenpeace
You can read a lot more on this issue on Green Prophet:
Coal-Clad Celebrities Take Part in Greenpeace Israel Exhibition
Greenpeace Israel Boards Coal Ship At Sea To Protest New Coal Plant
Shut Down the New Coal-Fired Power Plants, Says Environment Minister
The Battle Against Coal Power Stations Heats Up in Israel
“The Story of Coal” a Wake-Up Call to Users (and Abusers) of Electricity
Author: Ira Moskowitz
When his kids were small, Ira would point to litter on the ground and tell them: “That makes me angry!” He still gets angry about pollution, waste and abusive treatment of our world, but is encouraged by the growing awareness of environmental issues and has been following the latest developments in cleantech with great interest. Ira grew up in the green hills of western Massachusetts and moved to Israel in the early 1980s after completing an MA in Middle Eastern Studies. He has worked as a software developer and journalist, and translates works of Hebrew fiction and non-fiction to English. Ira is trying to age gracefully, but refuses to surrender his youthful belief in the potential for change, including a collaborative future for the peoples of the Middle East. To contact Ira, email ira (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
