A forum, news site and archive begun in February, 2007 about politics and the environment in Wisconsin. And elsewhere.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Clean Wisconsin Reminds Us That Coal Is Not Clean
Mark Redsten, Clean Wisconsin's Executive Director, makes a compelling case in Sunday's Journal Sentinel Crossroads that Wisconsin and a healthy environment don't need Alliant Energy's proposed new coal-burning generating plant in Cassville.
Solar and wind don't run 24/7. It isn't an either/or proposition.
You can't replace coal with renewables. You can reduce the need for as more coal or hasten the closing of old coal plants.
Conservation is a better alternative but people - Americans will need to DRASTICALLY change their behavior. Price should not be the trigger though for behavioral change. It dramatically impacts low and middle income people.
It's really really hard to come up with an equitable solution and my concern is that Mr. Redsten and others are willing to through poor people under the bus to achieve their goals.
Without coal many Wisconsinites won't be able to afford electricity.
ReplyDeletehttp://dnr.wi.gov/environmentprotect/gtfgw/documents/MgTF20071019.pdf
if we subsidized clean alternative energy - like solar or wind - at a fraction of what this gov't pays to subsidize oil and coal - we could afford it.
ReplyDeleteSolar and wind don't run 24/7. It isn't an either/or proposition.
ReplyDeleteYou can't replace coal with renewables. You can reduce the need for as more coal or hasten the closing of old coal plants.
Conservation is a better alternative but people - Americans will need to DRASTICALLY change their behavior. Price should not be the trigger though for behavioral change. It dramatically impacts low and middle income people.
It's really really hard to come up with an equitable solution and my concern is that Mr. Redsten and others are willing to through poor people under the bus to achieve their goals.
Biomass.
ReplyDelete