MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Washington Post ad calls on Mrs Kirchner to cancel coal plant in Patagonia

“Don’t cry for me Patagonia” says the ad with Mrs. Kirchner as Eva Peron.

In an attempt to take advantage of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's visit to the US (CFK is attending the Nuclear Security Summit), Greenpeace has posted a paid announcement on The Washington Post newspaper as a way to protest against the construction of a coal-fuelled power plant in Río Turbio, Santa Cruz province.

The ad is titled “Don't cry for me Patagonia”, and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has been caricatured as Eva Perón.

The announcement, which fills page 11 of the US tabloid, goes: “A woman with a long term political vision would have not endangered the glaciers and water reserves of Argentina”, and continues, “Mrs. President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner: During your visit to the US, Greenpeace Argentina would like to ask you to consider this. Right now, your government is building a coal power plant in the heart of Patagonia, in the south of the Argentina. This is part of a wider plan to make huge investments in this dirty source of power, one of the biggest causes of global warming.”

The ad finishes, “When you go home, why not support the common desire of people all over the world for a greener future. For us, and for all generations.”

Greenpeace Argentina in its site argues that producing electricity from coal – a fossil fuel - is a strong contribution to emissions of the gases that affect our atmosphere and cause global warming. The process of climate change is putting at risk the continued existence of Argentina’s glaciers and one of the country’s main reservoirs of fresh water.

The development of coal as an energy source is a serious error committed by the Argentine government. This is the promotion of a dirty energy source when we have clean energy resources, such as wind power lacking any development. While hundreds of millions of dollars are being allocated annually to dirty energy, renewables have only received promises and announcements that never materialize.

“The poor development of wind power is a clear demonstration of the failure of Argentina's energy policy to put us on the path to sustainability”.

Greenpeace claims that even when energy derived from coal in Argentina is small, the plan is not only to build a coal fuelled plant but reopen the coal mine in Rio Turbio in Patagonia. If the project goes ahead: “the output of Rio Turbio will increase around17 times by 2025” points out Greenpeace.

The environmentalist organization adds that Argentina can start right now a transition to renewable energy such as wind and solar, reducing emissions and pollution, minimizing social impacts and generating sustainable jobs. The potential of existing resources allows that, we also have the technological capacity; we just need the political will to change.