Newbury activists join blockade of Didcot B power station

Activists from Extinction Rebellion's Newbury branch joined a blockade of Didcot B power station on Tuesday, alongside campaigners from Oxford and Hampshire.

The protesters camped along the road outside the power station, laying out banners which accused Didcot B's owners, RWE, of 'greenwashing'.

Greenwashing refers to the exploitation of eco-friendly causes, including the use of advertising which promotes a 'green' image, by firms perceived as polluting.

Among the Newbury residents joining the protest was Lisa Hill.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mrs Hill said: "Greenwashing is when organisations present themselves as green when they are not actually reducing emissions fast enough to make a difference.

"It makes the public feel like things are being done but in reality there is a terrifying gap between what must be done - if we are to avoid climate catastrophe - and what is actually being done.

"Our protest yesterday at Didcot Power Station was to highlight this greenwashing. Don't be fooled."

In recent years, RWE, a German firm, has been named Europe's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in a number of studies.

The company has made public commitments to renewable energy, but activists claim that it has continued to use fossil fuels, which account for around 80 per cent of all electricity generated at its plants.

A green-painted washing machine was mounted by campaigners on the road outside Didcot B, to highlight their accusations against RWE.

The demonstration did not disrupt power generation at Didcot B, although a spokesperson for RWE stated that the firm was aware of the protest.

They reiterated the firm's commitment to going carbon-neutral by 2040.