Was it only ten days ago that Greenpeace hijacked EDF’s coal ship bound for Kingsnorth power station? The French power company has plans for a new coal-burning power station, the first in decades to use the dirtiest fuel we have. It supplies the coal for the power station at Drax, the single largest source of CO2 emissions in the country. It is a major player in the world’s coal industry, importing a grand 30 million tonnes of coal a year into Europe from around the world.
So how on earth can EDF be ‘the first sustainability partner’ of the 2012 Olympic Games, and convening the first ‘Green Britain Day‘ on Friday?
According to EDF’s press release, “Green Britain Day is a focal point for people to take action towards a more sustainable lifestyle.”
To support the spirit of the day, and subvert this exercise in corporate greenwash, I’d like to make a suggestion: as a positive action towards a more sustainable lifestyle, why don’t we take the opportunity of Green Britain Day to switch to Ecotricity.
Not least because, as you can see below, EDF’s Green Union Jack is lifted almost directly from Ecotricity’s.
- Don’t miss our guest post from Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, here.
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July 7, 2009 at 12:48 am
We are facing the greatest greenwash the UK has ever witnessed. Electricite de France, the French nuclear energie multinational is masquerading as British and green, and what’s really bl**dy galling is they have nicked the Green Union Jack from British renewable energy company Ecotricity. So arrogant are these greenwashers that while their CEO is threatening to drop a nuclear reactor if the government doesn’t fix the price of carbon, their media director Andrew Brown (Gordon’s brother), is tickling the underbelly of the great and the good to persuade them to get into bed with this monster. Enough of this rubbish. I lived through fairwash and had to sit on the sidelines as fair trade was turned into a fog. Can’t do it this time. Climate Change is too important. We need massive investment in renewables to build a sustainable energy platform in Great Britain – nuclear is short term and, in the longer run, it will require more fuel to build, run and decommission reactors than they will produce. Today Ecotricity threatened legal action. If you would like to join us because you care about an open and honest debate, because you want a sustainable future or just because you feel creative work should not be ripped off… here is where you’ll find us. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106171060780&ref=ts
End the greenwash, put EDF back in their box. Hope to see you about. R
July 7, 2009 at 12:52 pm
[...] What’s all the fuss about? [...]
July 8, 2009 at 12:26 pm
wouldnt it be better still to switch to one of the 100% renewable suppliers like Good Energy rather than the 53.6% Ecotricity supply?
July 8, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Arguably, yes, and Good Energy would normally be my preferred supplier, but Ecotricity are the originators of the green union jack that is currently on EDF billboards everywhere. There would be a poetic justice to it.
July 31, 2009 at 11:13 am
Tim – if you like having 100% green – Ecotricity also do a 100% green tariff, which, apart from being cheaper than Good Energy’s only tariff, also contributes the same level of commitment to new build as the ‘53%’.
You might be interested in reading Ecotricity founder – Dale Vince’s blog posts on the topic of whether Good Energy causes new generation to be built.
Paul
July 8, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Good Energy / Ecotricity have completely different propositions. Worth reading up on both before going with either. We went Ecotricity because it builds wind turbines – in fact all the money we pay for electricity goes into new build. I’m sure Good Energy also has a compelling proposition but do check them out – it’s not a 50/100 thing.