Greenpeace brands thermal power plants as 'Climate Killers'

Raichur, Karnataka, Mar 27 (UNI) Greenpeace activists today beamed messages on the cooling towers of State-owned Raichur Thermal Power Plant, highlighting the impact of burning coal for electricity generation on the climate.

This action comes close on the heels of a similar activity at the Ennore Thermal Power Plant near Chennai.

Through an ongoing campaign, Greenpeace was drawing attention to the devastating impact of climate change in India and the need to shift to renewable energy to avert disaster.

In a release here today, Greenpeace India Climate Campaigner Srinivas Krishnaswamy asserted that ''Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere was one of the chief causes of climate change. We need revolutionary practices to save our environment and people from the impact of climate change. The solution can be found in energy efficiency measures coupled with an increased uptake of renewable energy sources and this is doable.'' Commenting on the local situation, he said that ''in the last few years, Karnataka has experienced one of the worst droughts which affected the livelihood of millions of people. Districts that were known to have salubrious climate are now drought-prone, this trend is increasing with every passing year.'' Mr Krishnaswamy said Karnataka was among the first States to set a regulatory target for renewable energy to the tune of ten per cent of its total installed capacity.

He urged the Government to stop all subsidies to coal industry and increase the share of renewable energy from the current four per cent to 60 per cent by 2050. A renewable energy law should be passed not later than 2010 that supported an annual growth rate of eight per cent for energy derived from solar, wind, water and biomass.

UNI