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Friday, Oct 12, 2007
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Greenpeace message on a 250-feet-long smokestack

Staff Reporter

— Photo: SUSHANTA PATRONOBISH

A TALL MESSAGE: “SMOKING KILLS” message painted by Greenpeace activists on a chimney of the Kolkaghat Thermal Power Station in West Bengal on Thursday.

Kolkata: As part of their campaign for greater awareness on climate change, Greenpeace activists scaled a 250-feet-long smokestack to paint a message at the Kolaghat thermal power station in West Bengal’s Purbo Medinipur district on Thursday.

As the morning mist lifted, viewers from afar could see a slogan, “SMOKING KILLS,” emblazoned along the length of the tower.

Harmful changes

It was a reference to the deleterious effect of thermal power plants that emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide that could trigger harmful changes in the climate, Greenpeace claimed.

West Bengal is extremely sensitive to impacts of climate change, with erratic and intense monsoon patterns likely to affect agriculture and sea level rise, said Saumyabrata Rahut, a Greenpeace climate campaigner.

Will affect people

This would affect millions of people residing in the coastal region and in Kolkata, the Greenpeace campaigner added.

Dirtiest fuel

Coal is considered the dirtiest of conventional fossil fuels. With 67 per cent of the country’s electricity coming from coal-based power plants and additional thermal plants coming up, Greenpeace feels that India must revolutionise its energy policies by introducing energy efficient measures and harnessing renewable energy sources.

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