Two Massachusetts men anchor lobster boat in Mount Hope Bay, call for immediate coal plant shutdown to avert climate change catastrophe
Boston, MA – Activists have begun a blockade of an incoming coal ship at the Brayton Point Power plant, outside Fall River, Massachusetts.
You can watch a live streaming video, from the boat, at www.coalisstupid.org
At 9 am this morning, Environmental activists Ken Ward, 57 of Jamaica Plain, and Jay O’Hara, 31, of Bourne, anchored their 32’ lobster boat, the Henry David T, in the channel opposite the Brayton Point coal power plant.
They intend to block the “Energy Enterprise,” a coal tanker en route to deliver fuel to the power plant. The boat is carrying mountain top removal coal from Virginia –and is expected to arrive at roughly 11 am.
They are calling for the immediate closure of Brayton Point Power Station in order to avert catastrophic climate change.
“The world is teetering on the brink of climate chaos from which there will be no retreat,” said Jay O’Hara, captain of the Henry David T, a 1965 wooden lobster boat. “We know exactly what must be done to avoid the very worst. And the single most important action is to stop burning coal.”
The Brayton Point plant is the single largest coal polluter in New England.
In a separate announcement, members of 350 New Jersey and 350 Massachusetts today released a letter that was hand delivered to Dominion President and CEO, Thomas F. Farrell II and New Jersey-based Energy Capital Partners founder and Senior Partner Doug Kimmelman, opposing the sale of Brayton Point and calling on Dominion Energy to work with Massachuetts Governor Deval Patrick to close the plan.”
At 9:30 am, Ken Ward called the police to let them know, “We are conducting a peaceful nonviolent protest against the use of coal. We have anchored near the pier at Brayton Point.
The men were inspired to take action by 350.org co-founder Bill Mckibben’s call for summer climate action, and galvanized by the proposed sale of the Brayton Point Power Station by Dominion Energy to Energy Capital Partners.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Website: www.CoalisStupid.org – with livestreaming from the boat