Yorkshire Against New CoalYANC Points The Way In CCS Debate
YANC installing the CCS sign
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is often touted as the solution to climate change caused by carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations.
The idea is that we dig up coal, burn it at a power station and then ‘capture’ the resultant carbon dioxide emissions and bury the gas in big holes in the ground; like old north-sea oil wells.
Chris Mackins of YANC said: “We at YANC think we’ve found how to make this work. What is currently proposed is to dig up the coal, which is largely solid carbon, burn it, then capture that carbon and then re-bury it. Does that sound sensible to you or does it sound like some kind of perpetual motion machine?
“Why not just leave the carbon in the ground and find other carbon-free ways of making electricity like wind, wave, tidal and solar power. On top of that add decentralised energy and energy efficiency. A recent article in New Scientist (14.3.09 edition) speculates that we could provide all of Europe’s electricity with renewable technology within 30 years.
“CCS is an ‘emperor’s new clothes’ technology – wanting to bury carbon that is already buried! Why make life complicated? The carbon has already been captured and stored, millions of years ago, by natural processes. Let’s leave coal in the ground. This really is a no-brainer.
YANC installed a sign at the proposed Newton Lane open cast site to make the situation plain. The sign reads: “CARBON CAPTURED & STORED – BY ORDER OF YANC”
“Leeds City council will decide on the Newton Lane open cast very soon. Planning permission needs to be turned down on grounds of tackling climate change. To make progress on climate change – leave coal in the ground.
Coal-Fired Power Stations Are Death Factories – Close Them!
The Guardian has published the following story, click the link to read the full article…
The government is expected to give the go-ahead to the coal-burning Kingsnorth power plant. Here, one of the world’s foremost climate experts launches an excoriating attack on Britain’s long love affair with the most polluting fossil fuel of all
A year ago, I wrote to Gordon Brown asking him to place a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants in Britain. I have asked the same of Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd and other leaders. The reason is this – coal is the single greatest threat to civilisation and all life on our planet.
The climate is nearing tipping points. Changes are beginning to appear and there is a potential for explosive changes, effects that would be irreversible, if we do not rapidly slow fossil-fuel emissions over the next few decades. As Arctic sea ice melts, the darker ocean absorbs more sunlight and speeds melting. As the tundra melts, methane, a strong greenhouse gas, is released, causing more warming. As species are exterminated by shifting climate zones, ecosystems can collapse, destroying more species.
Climate Change & Energy: Public Opinion Survey
Climate change clash looms for local MPs as almost three-quarters of residents don’t want new coal power station at Ferrybridge.
A new coal fired power station is planned for Ferrybridge in west Yorkshire despite nearly three-quarters (71%) of nearby people saying that we should develop renewable energy instead of new coal. Several Yorkshire MPs including Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Yvette Cooper,MP for Ferrybridge have so far refused to oppose the increasingly controversial plans.
The figures are revealed today as the results from a number of public opinion surveys that we carried out across the towns of Knottingley, Pontefract, Castleford, Hemsworth, Normanton and Doncaster. The results from our two reports which are available for download.
Half of the Ferrybridge power station is due for closure by 2015. Its owners, Scottish and Southern Energy are currently considering replacing this with a new but dirty coal power station.
The people have spoken – and they don’t want a coal power station at Ferrybridge. Ed Miliband, Yvette Cooper, Jon Trickett, Ed Balls and Caroline Flint are all clearly out of touch with the opinions of their constituents. More than 80% of people in our survey have said that they are concerned about climate change and 94% say we should produce electricity in ways that don’t damage the climate.
You can download and view the full reports as PDFs:
The results from the surveys taken in Pontefract, Knottingley, Castleford, Hemsworth & Normanton can be downloaded here .
The results of the survey taken in Ed Miliband’s constituency of Doncaster can be downloaded from here.
Love Is In The Air
The YANC Valentines card
Join YANC this Saturday from 12pm outside of the Arndale Centre in Headingly Leeds, as we send our love to the Leeds Council Planning Committee that will be presiding over the Newton Lane opencast coal mine. Choose which of the beautiful councilors will be your Valentine and write them a Valentines card which YANC will deliver direct to their door on the 13th February.
Each card has message of love and requests the councilors vote no to the Ledstone Co2al Hole – so come on down and show YANC, Leeds council and the environment some love!
New Site
Welcome to the all new YANC website. As well as a sleek new design, we’ve got some cool new gadgets to play with including our new forums. Get yourself registered up for that now and we’ll see you there.
Protest walk a big success
Posted by YANC in Uncategorized on January 13th, 2009
No Coal Hole
January 10th’s protest walk on the proposed open cast mine at Ledston was a big success! Over 160 people of all ages and backgrounds came out on a very frosty day to add their voice to the opposition to the open cast mine. There were representatives from local opposition group, RAGE, YANC as well as diverse environmental groups across the region, such as Friends of the Earth and Leeds Against Climate Change. Representatives from RAGE and YANC spoke at the march.
Liberal Democrat leader of Leeds City Council, Richard Brett attended and spoke at the rally and lent his support to the campaign. The march was also covered by the local press and the ITV Calender News.
Walking the perimeter of the site – at the moment, green fields, is a stark reminder of the “coal hole” it would become if the open cast mining goes ahead and just how much is at stake. This would be an unsightly blight on a peaceful corner of the English countryside, causing local pollution, noise and disruption for five years. The coal which would be removed from this landscape would also contribute to climate change, burned in inefficient, outmoded coal-fired power stations.
The campaign in Ledston is a small – but still significant part of a world-wide campaign to stop this coal madness. Imagining the destruction of the landscape around Ledston is a good way to picture the environmental disaster which is happening world-wide, as swathes of landscape are destroyed by open-cast mining and many millions of coal are burned inefficiently to produce electricity.
Please get involved in the campaign! The planning decision will be made in March, so there is still plenty of time to submit your objection letters. See the “how to get involved” page. 
It’s time to say NO!
Posted by YANC in Uncategorized on December 9th, 2008
NO CO2AL HOLE
It’s time to say NO!
We don’t want a dirty opencast coal site adding to climate change
Join us on Saturday 10th January 2009 to march around the proposed open cast coal mine site at Newton Lane. Meet at the White Horse in Ledston at 11:30 for a 12:30 start. We will take a route on public rights of way around and through proposed open cast site. The walk should take no more than an hour.
This protest event will be a joint venture between YANC and RAGE (Residents Against Greenbelt Exploitation).
For a map of the area including location of Ledston, see the RAGE website at: www.savefairburnings.org.uk
White Horse pub postcode is WF10 2AB. Add this postcode to multimap for directions.
Multimap link: http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=WF10+2AB&countryCode=GB
We will have some banners and placards but please feel free to make and bring your own.
If we are to tackle climate change, coal must be left in the ground. We need clean, green renewable technology, energy efficiency and decentralised energy.
Your New Years Resolution? To stop climate change! 
YANC says green revolution could create 160,000 jobs
Posted by YANC in Uncategorized on December 2nd, 2008
Today, Friday November 28th, the Cabinet of the UK government are meeting in Leeds to talk with select members of the public from Yorkshire to discuss matters of concern regionally and nationally.
YANC (Yorkshire Against New Coal) campaigner Chris Mackins will be attending the meeting at which he will challenge the Government to put their talk on climate change and energy issues into action.
The Government, recently, made an announcement that it will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 in the newly agreed Climate Change Bill.
Currently, the Government is considering a new generation of coal-fired power stations. If the controversial Kingsnorth power station is granted approval it will pave the way for a succession of further coal-fired power stations across the country including Ferrybridge in Yorkshire.
Guy Mitchell from YANC said; “We’ll never meet our carbon reduction targets by burning more coal.
“In contrast, the Government’s renewable energy strategy consultation identifies the potential for up to 160,000 new Green Collar jobs that will meet the UK 2020 renewable energy targets. Those targets are to produce 15% of the country’s energy requirements from renewable sources [1].
“In a time of economic downturn and significant job losses around the country, kick starting a low carbon economy is good for the environment and for job creation – and Yorkshire is well placed for a new and green industrialisation.
Yorkshire Against New Coal recognises that the government’s scheme to increase coal use and to renew outdated coal-fired power stations is a disaster for climate change, when instead, clean, sustainable and renewable solutions should be supported and developed. YANC is opposed to new coal developments and believes that:
1. New coal exploitation should not play a role in the UKs energy programme.
2. Using coal will prevent the UK from meeting it’s CO2 reduction objectives and will also signal to the world that coal is acceptable
3. That our energy requirements can be met through a range of renewables and decentralisation
[1] Currently less than 6% of the UKs electricity comes from renewable sources.
YANC campaigner onboard the Rainbow Warrior
Posted by YANC in Uncategorized on October 22nd, 2008
Leeds resident Guy Mitchell headed off to board the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in London this Wednesday.
Guy was on the famous vessel for the day to to pick up some campaign tips for the newly launched Yorkshire Against New Coal.
Yorkshire Against New Coal (YANC) hit the headlines recently outside the Civic Hall in Leeds, highlighting the responsibility that the City of Leeds has towards climate change to the full meeting of the city Council.
Leeds City Council is currently considering a planning application to develop an opencast mine to extract 875,000 tons of coal, the dirtiest, most climate changing fuel.
YANC is campaigning against the Newton Lane opencast mine proposal near Ledston, because coal is the most carbon intense of all the fossil fuels, contributing more to climate change than any other fossil fuel.
Last week, Ed Milliband, the government’s new Energy and Climate Change Secretary, committed the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Now is the time that local authorities and government must overturn planning applications that will otherwise result in the burning of more coal – sending the world the completely wrong message about how to tackle climate change.
The 55metre Rainbow Warrior, one of the most famous ships in the world because of her environmental campaigns, arrived in London earlier this week as part of Greenpeace’s ‘Give Coal the Boot’ campaign.
Guy said: “It’s great to get an invitation to board the Rainbow Warrior, especially as it came so soon after we launched our campaign. I’m really hoping to pick up some tips that YANC can use in our campaign to make sure that the proposals for the Newton Lane opencast mine at Ledston, near Leeds, get ditched.”
“We don’t need to be burning more coal for our electricity and energy requirements. Instead, a mix of renewables, decentralisation and energy efficiency can meet our needs. Global warming is the greatest issue we face. And burning coal is the single greatest threat to the climate. It’s astonishing that there are plans for more coal exploitation right here on our doorstep.” 
