coal

According to Jim Rogers Duke Energy CEO:

"He said that Duke Energy was the third largest emitter of carbon in the United States and the twelfth in the world -- and if considered an independent nation, Duke Energy would be 41st in the world -- so carbon emissions is a huge issue for him and his firm and wants to turn that around."

Recently Duke Energy received permission from the State of North Carolina to build a new coal fired power plant in Cliffside, North Carolina. Despite the facts that this new plant could be a major polluter of CO2, mercury, and evaporate 21 million gallons of water each day. You can find all the details here on NC Warn's website.

Come hear Dr. James Hansen speak on solving the global climate emergency; his leading recommendation: a moratorium on coal-fired power plants such as the one planned by Duke Energy at Cliffside, North Carolina (RSVP strongly recommended).

Friday, November 16 - 7pm
Queens University of Charlotte
RSVP at www.clean-air-coalition.org

Saturday, November 17 - 3pm
The Friday Center - Chapel Hill
RSVP at www.ncwarn.org

Admission for both forums are FREE but seats are going fast. Be sure to reserve your seat today!

Frontpaged by Anglico.

The issues with coal-fired power plant emissions are well chronicled - increased lung and cardiovascular disease, loss of visibility, and (somewhat importantly) the complete shattering of our global climactic patterns.

Many are also seeing for the first time that extracting coal is as destructive (and socially expensive) as emitting coal. Mountaintop removal and strip mining are decimating the majestic Appalachian Mountains – the oldest mountains on this continent. More than 1 million acres have been blasted away, and shoved recklessly into creek-beds and hollows. 1200+ miles of headwater streams have been buried, poisoning the water for us and those who live down stream.

The ancient hardwood forests of Appalachia (themselves an important carbon sink in our war on CO2) are often shoved aside with the mountain, left to rot and clog our streams without even being commercially harvested. The “rape” of Appalachia, as Senator Webb has called it.

How much coal would be “worth it?”
100 years?
250 years?
500 years?

Hows about a dozen?

We have a lot to thank the Env. Defense folks for persuading Duke Energy that NC is ready to NOT BE COAL DEPENDENT.

The NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) yesterday handed down its decision on Duke's request to build two new 800MW coal-fired power plants at their Cliffside site. The NCUC has granted Duke permission to build one of the two plants, saying they had not met the burden of proof necessary to obtain permission to build both plants, while requiring the older units at Cliffside be shut down when the new unit is operational and that Duke spend 1% of its annual revenue from electricity sales on energy efficience.

What this means for NC and our energy future:

1. The Cliffside plant may not be built. NCWARN, a local environmental watch-dog, issued a press release saying the NCUC's ruling makes it too costly for Duke to proceed.

Exciting news for North Carolinians from the App Voices world! Obidiah also covered it here this morning

A group of North Carolina lawmakers called on the North Carolina Utilities Commission to enact a 90-day suspension of the permitting process for Duke Energy’s proposed 1,600 Megawatt expansion of it’s Cliffside Power Plant near Charlotte. Critics contend that the plant will not only create a significant increase in global warming pollution (the proposed plant will use conventional pulverized coal burning technology), but imposes huge financial risks on ratepayers, who will foot the bill for what may well be a $4 billion investment in new technology.

Larry Gibson welcomes you to Kayford Mountain.

For the people who may hear this...go for a walk in the woods. Be real quiet. And listen. The wilderness will talk to you. And I guarantee you, come to see me and I'll put you on a mountain site and let you go for a walk and NOTHING will talk to you.

Larry Gibson

Welcome to Larry's home in Kayford Mountain, in the heart of the central Appalachians. His ancestors settled here more than 230 years ago. Before there was ever a coal company.