What we (and others) have been doing about coal fired power generation - so far

 Jim Footner the Greenpeace coal campaigner is taking a well-earned break from campaigning but before he left he wrote a sort of time line of what has happened since E-On put in a planning application to build a coal fired power station in Kingsnorth in Kent.  As you can see a lot has gone on since that fateful day in December 2006.  But the story isn't over.  E-On are still interested in building a coal fired power station at Kingsnorth.  We have put off the evil day - for now.

Thank you Jim and enjoy your break.

Kingsnorth and coal: The story so far...

E.ON applies to Secretary of State for Business and Energy, John Hutton, for permission to build a new coal plant at Kingsnorth. (December 2006)

Medway Council is consulted and considers its response - receives more than 10,000 petitions and eventually votes in favour of the plant but recommends a public inquiry into the plan. Lib Dem councillors say they've been ‘bullied' by E.ON. (January 2007)

Al Gore says "I can't understand why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants." (August 2007)

Greenpeace shuts down existing Kingsnorth plant reducing CO2 output. More than 30 activists arrested. (October 2007)

Professor James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, writes to the Prime Minister saying with the Kingsnorth decision he has the potential to influence "the future of the planet."

Greenpeace investigation hits the headlines when we expose collusion between E.ON and BERR over potential conditions for a Kingsnorth approval. (January 2008)

Greenpeace blockades annual coal industry conference at Lord's Cricket grounds which was to be addressed by Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks. Beatle Paul McCartney offers his support to the protest as he walks past! (February 2008)

Royal Society criticises government coal policy. Says new coal-fired power stations that fail to capture 90% of their carbon emissions by 2020 should be closed down. (April 2008)

Writer George Monbiot and Welsh climate activists invade and occupy the site of Europe's largest open cast coal mine in South Wales. (April 2008)

Liberal Democrat Party expresses its opposition to Kingsnorth plans. (May 2008)

Conservative Party comes out against Kingsnorth plans proposing all coal plants should have some CCS before the go ahead is permitted. (June 2008)

Sir Jonathon Porritt, Head of the government's Sustainable Development Commission, writes to the Secretary of State saying a new generation of coal plants would, "destroy the overall credibility of the government's climate change programme." (June 2008)

29 climate protesters "hijack" coal train headed to Drax power plant shovelling coal onto the train tracks and unfurling a banner, "Leave it in the ground." (June 2008)

Cross Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee slams Kingsnorth plans. (July 2008)

The Greenpeace ‘Give Coal the Boot' campaign is launched through the Active Supporter Network (July 2008)

Grassroots coal campaigns appear in  Scotland,  Northumbria, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Telford, Derbyshire and Kent during the summer 2008

Independent research from energy consultants, Pöyry, shows that no new fossil fuel capacity would be required before 2020 if Britain hits its 2020 renewables and efficiency targets. (August 2008)

Sir David King, the government's former chief science adviser, says it's dangerous to assume we can keep using coal until CCS is proven. (August 2008)

Climate Camp outside Kingsnorth for ten days. Hundreds arrested taking direct action against the plans. (August 2008)

The Kingsnorth 6 go on trial - Professor James Hansen of NASA gives evidence in a courtroom in Kent to spellbound jury - activists acquitted. (September 2008)

Environment Agency chief, Lord Smith, says new coal plants without CCS should be banned. (September 2008)

The Independent and the BBC report cabinet split over Kingsnorth plans saying David Miliband and Hilary Benn privately opposed to Kingsnorth plans. (September 2008)

John Hutton runs consultation into ‘carbon capture readiness.' (Closes September 2008)

John Hutton shuffled out and new decision maker on Kingsnorth will be new Secretary of State for climate and energy, Ed Miliband. (October 2008)

Stop Climate Chaos and its member organisations including the Women's Institute, RSPB, Oxfam and Tearfund join the Rainbow Warrior to deliver pledge against Kingsnorth on behalf of more than four million members. (October 2008)

Greenpeace armada carries out ‘amphibious incursion' of Kingsnorth carrying the flags of the 30 least polluting countries in the world combined, the equivalent combined emissions of which match proposed Kingsnorth plant. (October 2008)

Lord Nicholas Stern tells the Today Programme he believes no new coal plant should be allowed without CCS. (October 2008)

Lord Turner and the Committee on Climate Change, commissioned by the Prime Minister to advise how the government can meet it's legal commitments under the Climate Act, says no coal plant should be allowed to operate without full CCS by the early 2020s. (December 2008)

Climate Camp protesters invade E.ON HQ dressed as Santas with bags of coal. (December 2008)

New York Times describes the Kingsnorth 6 ‘climate change defence' and their acquittal as one of the ideas that changed the world in 2008. (January 2009)

Britain labelled ‘climate criminal' because of Kingsnorth plans by representatives of antipoverty charities in 40 developing countries. (February 2009)

Award winning actor, Pete Postlethwaite says he will hand back his OBE if Kingsnorth is approved. (March 2009)

Ed Miliband says, "I hear what people like Pete Postlethwaite are saying and we can't build any unabated coal-fired power stations. But we can't do it with renewable energy alone." Ed Miliband tells the ECCC Committee, "I think we have got to go beyond what we consulted on last year, which is just carbon capture readiness. I personally do not think that that is adequate as a position in terms of a climate change and the challenge we tackle and in terms of driving CCS towards the market." It is revealed that Ed Miliband will launch a review of coal policy "within weeks." (March 2009)

Energy Minister, Mike O'Brien tells Parliament, "A decision on the application for a replacement coal-fired unit at Kingsnorth will follow the conclusion of both the carbon capture readiness consultation and the planned new consultation on a new framework for coal-fired power stations." (March 2009)

X-Files actress Gillian Anderson, actress and activist Jerry Hall (Mick Jagger's former wife), and model Laura Bailey join with hundreds of mums and kids to protest at Parliament against Kingsnorth with the banner, "Our lives in your hands." (March 2009)

In a Parliamentary answer to Greg Clark MP, Energy Minister Mike O'Brien confirmed, "The timetable for publication of a planned new consultation on a new framework for coal fired power stations has not yet been set." (March 2009)

114 climate activists arrested in ‘pre-emptive strike' by police ahead of alleged plan to take direct action against an E.ON-owned coal plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar near Nottingham. (April 2009)

Ed Miliband announces a review of coal policy that rules out new unabated coal stations and examines CCS options. (April 2009)

Greenpeace joins the Big If coalition inviting the public to tell Ed Miliband what action they will take if he consents new coal power stations. (May 2009)

A Nick Broomfield film, ‘A Time Comes' is launched and Greenpeace campaign networks arrange screenings of the film around the country (May 2009)

4^th July 2009 sees hundreds of supporters from the Big If coalition encircle Kingsnorth power station in ‘The Miliband'

Greenpeace volunteers join a Christian Aid led service at Coventry Cathedral addressed by Professor James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and then march with Stop Climate Chaos coalition to protest at E.ON HQ. (19 March 2009)

Activists ‘doorstep' Ed Miliband at his constituency office in Doncaster and at his DECC offices in London and tell him what they will do if he consents new coal power stations. (12 and 14 September)

Ed Miliband presents his Framework for the Development of Clean Coal (FDCC) to Parliament, in which he announces that the Government will fund four demonstration plants, two of which will capture 90% of their emissions from day one. Of the remaining two, it is likely that only one of them will be a new coal plant and the other would be an experiment on an existing plant. This means only one of the four is likely to threaten additional emissions from new coal. Miliband also announced a new Energy Bill which is intended to enable the Government to collect a levy on consumer bills to pay for the four demonstration projects. (November 2009)