Time to #AxeDrax
In a major blow, the energy company Drax received approval from the UK Government on Tuesday to fit carbon capture technology to its wood-burning power plant; a project that could cost the public over £40bn (Ambrose, 2024). The energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, was behind the approval of the project, which is claimed to help the energy sector achieve net zero carbon emissions (Ambrose, 2024). The move is a sure fire sign that the Government sees the controversial Drax power station as here to stay. So what’s the big deal over Drax and why are so many environmentalists against it? Isn’t net zero a good thing? One thing that is agreed on is, yes, carbon emissions need to reach net zero by 2050 as a minimum for any chance of preventing the worst effects of climate breakdown. This means that by 2050, the amount of carbon emitted in the UK must be balanced or outweighed by the amount of carbon absorbed through actions that remove carbon from the atmosphere, such as nature restorati