Thank you Dave,
One thing people out of state can do is to submit comments to the EPA regarding their recent rulings and review of TCEQ (who issues all the coal plant permits). We are commending EPA for taking action against TCEQ's lax regulating policy, but are requesting that they go further and place at least a temporary moratorium on new coal plants until their permits can come under compliance with the Clean Air Act and also start regulating CO2 as a pollutant (which it currently isn't - in fact, no air permits even mention CO2).
To submit comments to the EPA you can go here:
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2937&JServSessionIdr002=zopqxo77t4.app217a
Posted by Ryan Rittenhouse on November 19, 2009 in response to Coal Star State
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I just wish folks would get as righeously angry at the things going on here as Molly did. Right now Clayton Williams is trying to pipe out all of the water that he pumped out of Comanche Springs. Only in Texas would you export water from a desert.....for profit. It's like the astronauts decided to sell their "excess oxygen" from the Space Shuttle.
Posted by Pecos45 on November 19, 2009 in response to South Toward Home
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Ryan, thank you for refuting the caveman-like assertions that CO2 isn't a greenhouse gas, etc. I couldn't have said it as well, and it desperately needed saying.
Anti-coal activists in Texas should start recruiting supporters outside of the state. You have what could be called low-hanging fruit in the climate-change war - it's much easier to not build something than to shut it down or modify it once it's built.
Public pressure kept Mitsubishi Industries from building an industrial salt operation on the Baja peninsula a few years back - we can influence the state of Texas too.
Posted by Dave on November 19, 2009 in response to Coal Star State
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great post, thanks
Posted by Milka Giordano on November 19, 2009 in response to Does Crackdown Cross Line?
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Lord, please be willing!
Posted by Jazz on November 18, 2009 in response to Texas and Gommorah
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Nice review. Like you say, it’s a good anthology. Besides, Rick Demarinis will be delighted he’s a Chicano novelist now. And Chester Seltzer will enjoy the irony. He’s the homeless-looking guy living on that piece of dirt where the River Styx bumps into the void. He’s holding hands with Amado Muro. Odd how we all look like each other when we take the little boat to the other side. --Bobby
Posted by Bobby Byrd on November 18, 2009 in response to Views of the Frontier
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Good work, but be more specific about how her husband has profited from her earmarking. She could go to jail for those personal kickbacks, but nobody seems willing to stand up to her and take her on.
Posted by Conversation Starter on November 17, 2009 in response to Exclusive! Kay Bailey Hutchison's Message to the People of Texas
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In response to Brian Janak's misinformation:
Your baseless claim that CO2 "does not cause global warming, nor will it ever" flies in the face of almost 100 years of climate science and a scientific, global consensus. I don't know of even one Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) skeptic scientists who would dispute that CO2 is a greenhouse gas. Do you deny that CO2 is a greenhouse gas? Do you challenge not only climatology but basic physics as well? Next you will be challenging gravity, or start putting forth assurances that the earth is flat. Are you saying that Texas A&M staff are the latest addition to some fantastic globe-wide conspiracy of scientists bent on duping people into thinking AGW is real when it's just a scam? Amusing...
Your further erroneous statement about the diminishing effect on CO2 to hold heat is well refuted by this video (note that the video maker provides the SOURCE of his information):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoSVoxwYrKI
The truth is, and is widely know, that CO2 is a potent greenhouse gas - and is increasing dramatically in concentration in our atmosphere:
http://www.coalblock.org/images/stories/atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide 1744-2007.bmp
This is due to industrial, man-made releases - and is not disputed by any established scientific theory I've ever seen or heard of. If you can source one please do so, I'd love to take a look.
The only upgrades coal companies have made to their facilities is only because of massive pressure from environmental organizations - and they still release thousands of tons of toxic pollutants like SO2 and NOx, and hundreds of pounds of toxic heavy metals like mercury, etc. - every year.
Coal is not cheap - when all the many externalities are factored in it is the most expensive method of power generation. It is not plentiful - we will likely reach "peak coal" somewhere around 2050 in this country (and besides, what's more "plentiful" than the wind and sun? - this ridiculous argument always makes me laugh in amazement). Finally, coal is not reliable - at least no more so than renewable energy will be. Intermittentcy and unreliability are a myth and any small troubles associated with such issues will easily be compensated for by a scaling up of the industry and through hydro and energy storage facilities. We have a long time to adjust any kinks that develop in renewable energy - but we need to start now. We should have started over thirty years ago.
Posted by Ryan Rittenhouse on November 16, 2009 in response to Coal Star State
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Her ability to say the most scathing truths, wrapped in satire was brilliant. I miss her.
Posted by ninamo on November 16, 2009 in response to South Toward Home
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I lost my best friend last month. She died because she didn't have insurance and her cancer wasn't diagnosed until it was too late. I know so many people who need health care and aren't getting it. There is so much suffering. People must have hope. We can't go on like this.
Posted by Rebecca Swan on November 19, 2009 in response to The Unhealthiest Among Us
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