Climate-conscious celebs, grannies, kids, bird and cake lovers to come to Kingsnorth

Date: 11 June 2009

Thousands of people who care about climate change and global poverty, including celebs, bird watchers, cake lovers, grannies and young people from across the UK will form a ‘Mili-band’ – a human chain around Kingsnorth coal power station – on the 4 July to say no to dirty new coal power stations.

The Women’s Institute, Christian Aid, RSPB, the youth organisation – the Woodcraft Folk, Oxfam and the World Development Movement are jointly organising the fun-filled, family and future-friendly event to highlight the human cost of dirty coal and the effect that climate change will have on millions of people in poor countries. After forming the human chain, the celebrity speakers, musicians and games at the Sturdee Social and Sports Centre will provide fun for all the family. 

The name of the event is inspired by Ed Miliband, the minister for climate change, who will make the decision about whether to give the Kingsnorth plant the green light.

Kirsty Wright, from the World Development Movement said:

“This day is about having fun but is also about sending an important message to Ed Miliband. He needs to rule out new coal power in the UK unless all the climate-wrecking carbon emissions are captured from the start. He’s made good progress recently but his current plans for Kingsnorth mean that each year the plant would still release more dangerous carbon emissions into the atmosphere than the whole of Tanzania and could cause more than 20,000 climate refugees.

“People in Kent, across the UK and millions of people in the poorest countries in the world are already suffering from the devastating affects of climate change. We don’t need a new dirty coal power station at Kingsnorth and if we go ahead without capturing all of the carbon emissions from the start, it will contribute to dangerous climate change that will sentence millions of people around the world to losing their homes, jobs and lives.”

Steve Watkins, a member of Kingsnorth Climate Action Medway said:

“It’s great to see that the important issue of Kingsnorth has moved beyond activists and that a huge range of people of all ages and backgrounds will be coming to voice their concerns. We hope that people from across Kent will come and take part in the Mili-band. It promises to be a great day for everyone to find out more about why building a new Kingsnorth is a bad idea, and how people in Medway, which has the 4th worst air quality and 3rd highest rate of childhood asthma in the UK, can get involved in stopping it with us.”