‘I do’ say no to fossil fuel
MUJA power station was the target of an anti-coal demonstration when a couple had their wedding photos taken outside it.
Adam Shore and Kristin Casper used the Muja power station as the backdrop for their wedding photos in a protest against the use of coal.
Mr Shore, 43, was raised in Perth and now lives in Amsterdam. Ms Casper, 31, is from Colorado in the United States.
The wedding service was held on a bush block belonging to the couple’s friend in Balingup.
During the ceremony, the couple made a commitment to promote a clean energy future.
They said they hoped that by their 10th wedding anniversary coal would be a technology of the past and Australia would have embraced a clean renewable and energy-efficient future.
“We have made a commitment to each other and to a clean energy future,” Mr Shore said.
“Now we are asking the Federal and Western Australian governments to do the same.
“We are here to send a message to Australia that there is no future in coal. We ask the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to commit to phasing out dirty coal and build a clean, safe and prosperous energy future for our family and community.”
Ms Casper agree. “Coal is not only a major contributor to dangerous climate change – it can also impact the health of my family,” she said.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said it was a poor publicity stunt for two people to belittle themselves and their marriage.
“To do that, you’re belittling the act of marriage and it shows poor taste,” he said.
“These people would have used petrol and created their own problem by travelling to Collie to begin with so in their own way they may have created more problems for the environment.”
He also stated that he respected the right for anyone to protest but believed this showed “absolutely poor taste”.
“If they had done their research, it would show the local industry is working very hard to get on top of the emission problems of coal-fired power stations,” Mr Murray added.
CFMEU secretary of Mining and Energy division, Gary Wood, agreed with Mr Murray and also said that the demonstration was a gimmick.
“To use marriage as a platform for such a demonstration undermines the real value of marriage,” Mr Wood said. “It was a gimmick to get publicity.”
Mr Wood also commented on the use of coal in Australia, saying that scientists were trying to tackle climate change through renewable technology such as the carbon capture storage technology which stores greenhouse gases underground rather than releasing them into the atmosphere.
“Coal will still be here in 50 years time,” Mr Wood said. “It is a major part of Western Australia. We openly support Prime Minister Rudd’s decision to make available funding for clean coal.”
“It (the photo session) was a gimmick. The couple added to the climate change by flying and driving here. Australia produces only 0.2 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases, so will they have another wedding in China against all that they produce?”
Mr Wood also said that coal was Australia’s best long-term sustainable energy source.
“Coal will be here for a long, long time,” Mr Wood said. “I hope their marriage can last just as long.”