Coal Keeps on Killing…

If you don’t mind, I would like to take a second to say a couple words on coal…

What is there to like about coal as a major source of power in Virginia? That it is cheap? I don’t buy that. I am not about to pull out the spread-sheets, slide-rulers, and protractors — but just a quick (and unscientific) look at the big picture when it comes to coal can give you pretty good insight into the real cost of coal.

Coal is a primary killer of our climate. Coal now accounts for nearly half of Virginia’s energy consumed, a statistic that is disturbing at best considering the impacts that coal is widely acknowledged to be having on our climate. Global warming is impacting our Virginia’s coast lines, ecosystems, and economies today — continuing to use coal is committing ourselves to an uncertain future at best; a global catastrophe at worst.

Coal is killing residents of Virginia. Pollutants emitted from coal fired power generators in the region greatly increase incidences of cancer and asthma among all that are unlucky enough to breath in the toxic air. Coal is a major contributor to those “code red” smog days, particularly in the DC metropolitan area where coal power plants send 180,000 people to the hospital every year. The elderly, children and people with pre-existing health issues are particularly vulnerable and likely to be the affected.

Coal is killing coal miners. 400 coal miners die annually from black lung. 47 Coal miners died from mine related accidents in 2006 alone — an 80% increase from the previous year! The current and tragic plight of the six miners trapped in Utah is unfortunately not unique. CCAN wishes for their safe return and will work tirelessly to help ensure that one day we live a world where coal is no longer needed to sustain energy or employment needs.

So where am I going with all this? Add it up. Coal kills our climate which will impact our coastal economies through increased insurance costs, loss of land, and disaster relief aide. Coal kills regular people and coal miners alike and puts hundreds of thousands in the hospital cost individuals and tax payers a substantial sum. These unaccounted for consequences of coal cost us millions if not billions annually and that is unacceptable.

Solar panels don’t cause cancer. Wind power doesn’t raise our sea levels. Clean energy saves lives and money, both today and tomorrow.

Arctic Sea Ice at All Time Low

Arctic Ice Melt

On August 9th the Northern Hemisphere sea ice area broke the record for the lowest recorded ice area in recorded history. The new record came a full month before the historic summer minimum typically occurs. There is still a month or more of melt likely this year. It is therefore almost certain that the previous 2005 record will be annihilated by the final 2007 annual minimum closer to the end of this summer.

The University of Illinois Ice site, which monitors Arctic sea ice, is reporting:

In previous record sea ice minima years, ice area anomalies were confined to certain sectors (N. Atlantic, Beaufort/Bering Sea, etc). The character of 2007’s sea ice melt is unique in that it is dramatic and covers the entire Arctic sector. Atlantic, Pacific and even the central Arctic sectors are showing large negative sea ice area anomalies.

Read more on Daily Kos.

The Arctic ice cap is melting much faster than expected and is now about 30 years ahead of previous predictions made by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. This means the ocean at the top of the world could be free or nearly free of summer ice by 2020, three decades sooner than the global panel’s gloomiest forecast of 2050.

Quit ruining the rich people's views!

Daily Show’s Jason Jones took on the Cape Wind debate on the Wednesday, 8/8, show. An offshore wind farm is being proposed in Nantucket Sound, which would provide energy for 75% of the region. The project is facing opposition from the Kennedy family and other wealthy coastal homeowners, partly because their houses (including the “Kennedy Compound”) would be in sight of the turbines.

The wind farm is unique not only because it would replace a bunker oil and natural gas power plant, but also because it would be the first wind farm of its size in the US. For more about the controversy, go to Wikipedia’s very good page, here.

To view this great video, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEaOkhWOZ1A

No Time for Activism as Usual

“The Weather Makers,” a book by Tim Flannery, is one of the best sources for those who want to understand the global heating process that is seriously destabilizing the world’s climate. In it, Flannery explains the three main Continue reading

Stepping it Up … second time around …

Global Warming is a massive challenge. It requires serious commitment for change toward a better tomorrow, change from government and from individuals. Government action can help drive (and facilitate) individual action. And, well, individual action — individuals acting in concert — can help drive government action.

That second, individuals combining to drive a government response, is the core to Step-It-Up. And, after a massive set of actions earlier this year (1400 rallies across the nation), Bill McKibben is organizing another day of citizen engagement for 3 November 2007. This is something that everyone (EVERYONE) should engage with …

Continue reading

Global Warming deniers follow tobacco industry tactics

The current issue of Newsweek has an excellent article that follows the myths and motives of the Global Warming deniers. I urge you to read it as it demonstrates how the argument against accepting the reality of Global Warming is created by the people who have the most to gain from ignoring it. Most interesting to me is the following quote:

“They patterned what they did after the tobacco industry,” says former senator Tim Wirth, who spearheaded environmental issues as an under secretary of State in the Clinton administration. “Both figured, sow enough doubt, call the science uncertain and in dispute. That’s had a huge impact on both the public and Congress.”

cross-posted at www.local-warming.blogspot.com

Bush to host climate talks

I learned from the BBC today that President Bush has invited the UN and EU plus 15 of the world’s leading economies to join him September 27-28 to talk about climate change. Bush of course is asking for the big emitters to enter into a gentleman’s agreement about voluntary reductions, which is the same plan he mentioned at the G8 back in June. Bush also claims that “this would then contribute to a global agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by 2009.” This treaty would replace Kyoto. Let’s see- Bush hates the Kyoto Protocol and he doesn’t believe in mandatory limits on emissions.

House passes energy bill, Bush set to veto

The Washington Post published an article yesterday reporting that the House passed an epic energy bill on Saturday that includes a 15% renewable energy standard. The bill passed 241 to 172 and also includes:

  • more energy efficiency in appliances, buildings and power grids, which proponents of the bill say would reduce carbon dioxide emissions and electricity use

  • more energy efficiency measures in the Capitol building

  • grants for studies to promote ethanol pipelines

  • installation of pumps for 85 percent ethanol fuel at gas stations

  • production of cellulosic ethanol.

According to the Post:

The House last night also passed, 221 to 189, a companion tax package, totaling nearly $16 billion, that targets the oil and gas industry. In a letter to Congress, however, the Bush administration said Friday that the two House measures would result in less domestic oil and gas production. The letter said President Bush‘s senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bills.

Here is what did not make it to the bills, which may occur later this year in a reconciliation of House and senate energy bills, or in a global warming bill:

  • other mandates for renewable energy

  • incentives for coal-to-liquid production (thank GOD- that stuff has twice the CO2 emissions of gasoline)

  • tougher vehicle fuel-economy standard (heavily opposed by UAW)

cross-posted at www.local-warming,blogspot.com