23rd April 2007

Edward Courtney died earlier this year. Here he is remembered by Cllr Philip Booth and fellow Friends of the Earth campaigner Tony Harding. 

Cllr Philip Booth, Coordinator of Green party councillors on Stroud District Council said: "Edward Courtney was a great source of information and kept me regularly up-to-date with information particularly about Oldbury. We very often spoke on the phone - he was as huge support in raising awareness about the risks of keeping Oldbury open and the absurdities of building new nuclear plants. His loss was a great shock. As Friends of the Earth said, we have indeed lost a good friend as well as a staunch ally."

See more on Philip's blog here.

EDWARD COURTNEY b. 17.07.1945 - d. 17.01. 2007

Edward Courtney, who was a founder member of South Gloucestershire Friends of the Earth, and an indomitable campaigner on many local and national issues, died recently. He had been wracked with depression, especially over this last year, and had been advised to give up campaigning. He also suffered badly from problems with his digestive system. Edward attended his last group meeting before Christmas and was clearly unhappy at the way things were going in the UK, particularly in relation to the government’s plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations. He was certain that nuclear energy made no sense, and that the only way to deal with it was to shut it down; this was certainly his preferred outcome for his local power station at Oldbury.

He was the scourge of anyone in politics or industry who was unwilling to answer a straight question - and Edward had many of those to ask. His command of the subject of nuclear energy was authoritative and his attention to detail was formidable; he was the bane of the local nuclear industry and regulators. He never used a computer, but wrote long detailed letters instead, using his former civil service skills to unpick spin and cover-ups on issues such as nuclear incineration, local cancers and plant safety. He exposed the lack of radioactive filters at Oldbury, and was behind campaigns over the inadequate supply of potassium iodate tablets and emergency safety procedures at the plant. His local MP, Steve Webb, often picked up Edward's concerns and followed through his suggestions. He was also well known and respected in the Green Party, CND, and by many national anti-nuclear campaigners.

Edward preferred a low-profile style of campaigning and spurned opportunities to do TV, radio and newspaper interviews, but he was passionate in the prosecution of his many causes, and turned out frequently for local demonstrations, holding up placards outside Oldbury, and in the nearest town, Thornbury, arguing his point at length with local nuclear supporters. He was a tower of strength in our local group and his authoritative input will be irreplaceable.

We have lost a good friend as well as a staunch ally in the good fight.   

Tony Harding
South Glos FOE