Extinction Rebellion and The People & Planet society have come together to try to stop the continuing of the University of Sheffield partnering with Drax, a biomass power station.
Drax is the largest source in the UK for carbon emissions. Releasing 12 million tonnes of CO2 every year. The bioenergy process, which Drax uses, emits more carbon than coal.
Torin Menzies, president of the People & Planet society, said: “We are demonstrating today to draw the attention of students and staff to the University’s partnership with dirty power company Drax.”
“The University of Sheffield needs to stop aiding Drax’s efforts to falsely portray itself as ‘green’ – we are calling on University leadership to reassess its role in advancing carbon capture research.”
Drax uses wood pellets for these biomass power stations and burns 6.5 million tonnes of it each year, these wood pellets are being made mainly overseas in America and Canada and have been found in some cases to be sourced from ancient woodland. .
Graham Wroe, a Green activist in Sheffield and writer for the Sheffield Telegraph and Star said: “We want Sheffield University to stop using Drax, they are doing damage.
“I want a future for my grandchild and children.”
Mr Wroe went on to say how Drax was cutting down redwood trees in America and turning them into wood chippings. Drax claims this is a renewable process however Mr Wroe said that it takes 100s of years for these redwood trees to grow back which is far too long for the climate emergency we are in now.
Before Covid-19 Extinction Rebellion had countless protests and demonstrations however due to new laws introduced in 2022 it has been made harder to protest as police are able to prevent protests from taking place in certain areas, only allowing a short duration for a protest to take place and can restrict the number of people who go to these protests.
The People & Planet society and Extinction Rebellion have been holding several demonstrations outside the University of Sheffield’s student union with the XR drummers joining them in front of the student union on March 11.
A petition has been started to hold Sheffield City Council accountable due to them releasing in 2019 that we are in a climate emergency. The petition currently has over 1,000 signatures.
