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In London next week? Join the #AxeDrax protest. Can’t be there? Please sign the petition

On Wed, 20th April, Drax will be holding their next AGM. Biofuelwatch and their London-based allies, Biomassive, are inviting you to a colourful protest from 11am: Come along to The Grocers’ Hall, Princes Street, London EC2R 8AD at 11am, (closest tube is Bank).

Not in London? You can help by signing the #AxeDrax petition.

axedraxLast year, Drax burned pellets made from nearly 12 million tonnes of wood, more than the UK’s entire annual wood production.

98% of their wood was imported, the vast majority from the southern US and Canada. Much of it comes from clearcut coastal wetland forests in the southern US. Those seasonally flooded forests are amongst the world’s most biodiverse temperate aquatic and forest ecosystems, with one of the highest concentration of carnivorous plants and salamanders globally. Destroying forests for electricity is disastrous for the climate, too. Studies show that the climate impacts of a unit of electricity generated that way can be even worse than that of coal for several decades to come.

Drax is on course to converting half of their six units to biomass. Last year, they got more than £1.1 million in subsidies every single day for burning wood. This is expected to soon go up to £1.8 million per day. Those generous subsidies allow them to keep burning coal, too. Drax is set to remain the UK’s biggest coal burner for many years to come. A significant proportion of their coal is imported from Colombia and Russia where it is mined at the expense of indigenous peoples and other local communities. In Colombia, some villages have been violently evicted for coal mining and people have been deprived of their water and ability to grow food.

Please join Biofuelwatchs colourful protest against the “Drax Dinosaur”, with dinosaur costumes, masks, dresses and with banners.

Not in London? You can help by signing the #AxeDrax petition.

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