Hundreds of Texans Faced off Second Wave of Texas Coal Rush at Halloween events

by: Texas Sierra Club

Tue Nov 03, 2009 at 01:02 PM CST

There were 200 people in Dallas including speakers -- Representatives Carol Kent, Lon Burnam, Robert Mikloss, and Dallas Council Member Linda Koop.

There were 200 also in Austin including MC Ian Davis and speakers Representative Eddie Rodriguez, Austin Council Member and bike advocate Chris Riley (He stood up for the City's Climate Protection Agreement) and Dr. Kimberly Carter of Austin Physicians for Social Responsibility (She really nailed the seriously SCARY part of the Halloween message about Texas coal pollution).  

100 oeople came out in the sparking city by the sea, Corpus Christi where their Clean Economy Coalition is in a contested case hearing this week along with Sierra Club over the proposed and quaintly named Las Brisas, 'the Breezes' coke plant.  Corpus speakers included two physicians -- a family practioner from Aransas Pass, Dr. Lorraine Stehn, pediatrician Dr. Kevin Hopkings, Stacy Barrera, President of the TAMU-CC Young Democrats, former REpresentative Arnold Gonzales and Hal Suter of the Sierra Club.  

There was also 50 people rolling beyond coal in Beaumont and 35 in Alpine, Texas.
Calmly scared half to death about rising coal costs, health and environmental impacts of 12 new Texas coal plants http://www.texas.sierraclub.or... , they are taking action to stop the second wave of the Texas coal rush and promoting instead clean air, clean power, green jobs, and the availability of water in the future.

Coal Plant Pollution means Attainment of Federal Air Quality Standards Shot to Hell

"These 12 new coal plants are a significant jump to the 17 operating coal plants we already have in Texas," said Rita Beving with Dallas Sierra Club.  "Whether it's the nearby plants being built east of Waco or the one proposed as far away as Abilene, the wind carries coal plant pollution north to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and will only exacerbate our ability to reach attainment."

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is currently in non-attainment of required federal clean air standards, as is Houston and the Beaumont-Port Arthur area.   Austin, San Antonio and the north east Texas area have early action compacts and are near non-attainment.  New federal air quality standards coming this Fall (70 ppb)will mean that several additional regions of Texas will go into non-attainment.

Many states around the nation have dropped plans for coal plants, letting Texas run far ahead in a horrible lonely lead in the opposition direction.  With Michigan trailing at only 4 proposed new coal plants, Texas has the largest number still moving in various stages of permitting  - contested case hearings, appeal, and construction.  With the grotesque rate of acceptance of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), a whole army of new coal plants could go online next year emitting their enormous tonnage of pollution as they rev up to a full-throttled, smog-spewing, global warming, lung-clogging, nerve-shattering, mind-numbing, and heart-stopping blast of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, mercury, and carbon dioxide.  See the fact sheet list of the proposed coal plants in Texas and the gory truth on their cumulative emissions numbers.

Human Health Impacts http://www.texas.sierraclub.org/press/newsreleases/HealthImpactsfromTexasCoalPlantPollution.pdf
Corpus Christi cardiologist, Dr. Greg Silverstein said, "In Corpus Christi, we already experience twice as much asthma as the state average. If the Las Brisas petcoke plant is allowed to go forward with the huge annual emissions of smog and smoke in their permit application, we
will see a significant increase of even more asthma in Corpus Christi and the surrounding towns.  I am concerned about my patients and all the people of Corpus Christi."

Coke is regulated similarly to coal and it emits the same nasty pollutants.  See just what effects coal and coke plants have on human physiology in the attached Fact Sheet.

Coastal Bend doctors of the Nueces County Medical Society and the Tri-County San Patricio-Aransas-Refugio Medical Society passed resolutions opposing the permitting of the hilariously-named Las Brisas (the Breezes) coke plant.   Corpus Christi citizens from all walks of life united across class, Hispanic and Anglos, men, women, children, and the elderly crowded into a room that couldn't contain their opposition at last February's preliminary hearing in which a large number of individuals and organizations including the Clean Economy Coalition and the Sierra Club received 'standing' for a contested case hearing which began today, Monday, November 2.  

Clean Energy Solutions and Green Jobs on the brighter side of the Dark Ages

"There are many reasons to oppose coal plants - they cost too much, make people sick, contribute to global warming, and use enormous amounts of water," said Eva Hernandez, Regional Organizer for Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign. "Another reason is that they are a huge dangerous diversion from the clean power and green jobs economy that Texas is so perfectly suited for and already leading."

Roll Beyond Coal is a project of Sierra Club's Climate Recovery Partnership and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.  In Texas, Sierra Club is fighting to stop new coal plants and clean up and phase out old coal plants. Sierra Club's environmental partners include our 14 Regional Sierra Club groups, lawyers on the Texas contested case hearings the Environmental Integrity Project, running buddies Sierra Student Coalition, Public Citizen, and a cast of dozens of awesome Texas organizations.

Slide show with photos from all rallies coming soon!  Stay tuned to Lone Star Chapter of Sierra Club on Burnt Orange Report!

Hutchison Takes Head-in-the-Hot-Sand Approach to Climate Bill

by: Citizen Andy

Thu Sep 10, 2009 at 00:55 PM CDT

Senator Hutchison (who you might have heard is running for governor), published an op-ed last week in a couple of Texas papers about how the ACES Bill would cripple Texas.  We've pushed back, and actually got something printed in one of those old-timey-newspaper thingies in one of the papers that ran her op-ed, the Round Rock Leader.  (I know, quaint-- right? newspapers?  Who reads those anymore?  < end sarcasm>)

Have a read here  for the whole thing, or if you're in North Austin or WillCo, go pick up a Round Rock Leader.  I've posted an except below:

United States Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison takes a head-in-the-hot-sand approach to climate change that will get Texas burned and drive tens of thousands of new jobs elsewhere ("Cap and Trade is No Good For Texas," Aug. 27 Leader). She misses the mark on energy policy, using discredited industry statistics to drum up fear about a Cap and Trade policy that represents just a small portion of the initiatives proposed in the energy bill that passed the House of Representatives in July.

She fails to acknowledge that the bill includes provisions for renewable energy and energy efficiency - the real solutions to climate change. Hutchison's solution is no solution at all: more oil, more coal and more nuclear, with absolutely no coherent policy on how to lower energy costs and find alternatives to dwindling resources.

America is faced with the worst economic crisis in generations, Sen. Hutchison is turning away opportunities to create new jobs while slavishly clinging to the talking points of the oil industry.

Protest Wednesday 10:30 @ Capitol on Corporate Influence in Politics

by: Citizen Andy

Tue Sep 08, 2009 at 10:09 AM CDT

Texas Delegation provides key swing votes on ACESA Climate Bill

by: Citizen Andy

Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 07:24 PM CDT

The US House of Representatives passed HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, sometimes referred to as the Waxman-Markey Bill, or ACES, by a vote of 219-212.  A majority in the House of Representatives in 218 votes.

While I wish I could say this vote went along party lines, it did not.   8 Republicans (none from Texas) voted for the bill, while an amazing 44 Democrats voted against President Obama, the environment, and green jobs (including three from Texas). 

These Dems should be whipped and whipped hard.  The consensus in the enviro community was that this bill was watered down and wouldn't meet the promise of a truly great energy and climate bill. But it would be the best we could get.  The closeness of the vote shows that every compromise literally had to be made to get any climate bill passed.

As for our Texas delegation, we have good news and bad news. (more after bump)

Alert from Texas Climate Emergency Campaign

by: ginntonic

Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 09:22 AM CDT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Texas Climate Emergency Campaign Newsletter
Urgent calls needed!
June 10th, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

Please Forward To Groups & Individuals!

All Texas Congressional telephone numbers are at the end.

We are entering the final weeks of our campaign to provide security for future generations by avoiding the worst of coming climate chaos. House Speaker Pelosi has said that all the committees have to finish their work by Friday, June 19th, and on the week of June 22nd the Waxman-Markey (American Clean Energy and Security Act) (H.R. 2454) bill will go to the House for a vote.

However, the bill has been significantly weakened since it was first introduced in March. You can help make sure that the first climate bill to move through the House of Representatives actually takes meaningful steps to curb climate change. As written, the Waxman-Markey bill  includes compromises that threaten to undermine the primary goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Waxman-Markey helps coal and oil industries instead of protecting consumers and the environment. Lawmakers have conducted closed-door negotiations with polluters, resulting in a bill that accommodates the financial interests of big energy corporations while squandering an opportunity to curb the coming climate chaos and doing little to help working families. Texas Climate Emergency Campaign is working with 1Sky, Friends of the Earth, Move On, Public Citizen, Greenpeace, and other groups in trying to strengthen this bill. Please ask your representative (numbers below) to work to improve the bill in three key ways:

1. Hold Polluters Accountable: By eliminating provisions that allow polluters to continue polluting at current levels for over a decade & by restoring authority to the EPA to mandate cleaner technology for power plants.

2. Ensure More Clean Energy for America: By increasing the renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. Require power companies to produce more clean energy than currently mandated. Wind and solar create more than twice as many jobs as coal and oil.

3. Create More Clean Energy Jobs for America: Limit giveaways to polluting industries, like Big Oil and Dirty Coal, and instead bolster green job development and protection of vulnerable communities.  

                                            LOCAL              Washington D.C.

Henry Cuellar                             956.725.0639          202.225.1640                    
Chet Edwards                             254.752.9600          202.225.6105
Charlie Gonzalez                         210.472.6195          202.225.3236
Al Green                                 713.383.9234          202.225.7508
Gene Green                               281.999.5879          202.225.1688
Ruben Hinojosa                           956.682.5545          202.225.2531
Eddie Bernice Johnson                    214.922.8885          202.225.8885
Sheila Jackson Lee                       713.655.0050          202.225.3816
Solomon Oritz                            361.883.5868          202.225.7742
Silvestre Reyes                          915.434.4400          202.225.4831
Ciro Rodriguez                           210.922.1874          202.225.4511

Thanks!
The Climate Emergency Team

San Antonio Rep. Charlie Gonzalez Wants Utilities to Get Pollution Credits Free

by: citizen.sarah

Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 01:45 PM CDT

a group of Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee (who) want to give utilities free permits for all their existing carbon emissions, according to people familiar with a plan sent to the committee's chairman.

The article continues:
   

Representative Rick Boucher of Virginia sent the four-page list of recommendations to Henry Waxman, the committee's chairman and the author of draft climate-change legislation that some of his fellow Democrats are seeking to temper, said the people, who declined to be identified before the plan is made public. Courtney Lamie, Boucher's spokeswoman, didn't respond to e-mail and phone messages.

   Waxman's measure would establish a cap-and-trade system of pollution credits designed to cut carbon dioxide 20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020. He needs to win the support of Boucher and the other Democrats pushing for changes in his plan because no Republicans are likely to vote for it, Representative Gene Green, a Texas Democrat, said yesterday.

   "It's all about the consumer," said Representative Charles Gonzalez of Texas, whose San Antonio-area district has oil and gas operations. "It's also the economic interests of a member's district or region."

Charlie Gonzalez just doesn't have his facts straight on this one.  If you're really concerned about consumers, giving away pollution credits for free is about the worst way you can write this bill.  Giving away allowances would force customers to pay for industry and utilities' right to pollute without even cutting carbon emissions.  There is a right and a very wrong way to write a good climate change bill, and Charlie is supporting the wrong way.

EPA's most recent analysis say that giving away pollution credits is "highly regressive", meaning it hurts low-income families the most.  At best, this is a bailout and a free ride for the polluters.  At worst it will create windfall profits for huge energy companies at the expense of every lower and middle income family in Texas.  However, an auction fixes these problems.  EPA continues:
   

"Assuming that the bulk of the revenues from the program are returned to households, the cap-and-trade policy has a relatively modest impact on U.S. consumers. . . . Returning the revenues in this fashion could make the median household, and those living at lower ends of the income distribution, better off than they would be without the program"

A good climate change bill will create billions of dollars of revenue by charging large polluters for the dangerous pollutants they've been emitting for decades.  This money could then be returned to taxpayers, particularly low-income households, to protect them from any price increases that energy industries may try to pass through to consumers.  Another portion of the money could also be used to pursue aggressive energy efficiency programs, so that citizens can save even more money by using less electricity.  Every dollar spent on energy efficiency will then also help reinvigorate local economy by putting people back to work doing energy audits and retrofitting inefficient homes.

Congressman Charlie Gonzalez needs to hear that what consumers really need is energy efficiency, renewable energy, lower electric bills and less pollution - not more industry giveaways.  So far, it looks like he's only heard from the lobbyists for the big polluters.  We've heard that  Congressman Gonzalez will cast a deciding vote on whether Texans will be given the tools to forge a new, green economy, or left unprotected from the worst effects of extreme weather and high energy prices.

Congressman Charlie Gonzalez is the swing vote on this issue.  Please pick up the phone and call him.  The phone number for his DC office is (202) 225-3236 and his office in San Antonio is (210) 472-6195.  You can also email his office from his  website.

Original post found at Texas Vox.

***UPDATE*****
Looks like Charlie Gonzalez will actually be in San Antonio bright and early Saturday morning for the King William Parade.  We'll be taking this opportunity to some pressure on the Congressman to support strong cap and trade legislation.  If you'd like to participate, join us between 8 and 9 AM at the San Antonio Peace Center to pick up a sign, banner, or sign-on letter.  For more information, visit Texas Vox.  

If It's Good Enough For Dick It Should Be Good Enough For Mother Earth

by: ProgressiveInTexas

Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 10:53 AM CDT

When I am in a debate
with those on the right
who want to
Deny, Delay and Do Nothing
about Global Climate Change

When they spew
“There is no proof…”
“All scientists don’t  agree..”
“I don’t believe mankind can have any impact on the Climate”
“Climate Change is a Natural Process”
or other misleading talking points

Clean Power, Green Jobs!

by: citizen.sarah

Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 11:22 AM CST

Rodney Ellis opened up the press conference, stating that this year's legislative session looks to be a very green session.  He also mentioned, as he has before, that the legislature is at a crucial moment in terms of climate change action. If the legislature doesn't act this year, the federal government will likely pass and begin implementing comprehensive global warming legislation before the state legislature will have a chance to meet again.  If Texas is not prepared for this kind of drastic policy change, we may not have a chance to address these issues again until 2011.

Senator Ellis then gave the mic over to the group he termed the "Dapper Three" (swoon!).

Congressman Doggett introduces Climate MATTERS Act

by: Citizen Andy

Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 05:18 PM CDT

Most of the bill sounds legitimate, including a strong 80% in CO2 emissions by 2050, science-based review of progress, auctioning of carbon credits and returning the money to the people and investments in efficiency and renewable energy.  It also includes a provision to enact a carbon tariff on any country who does not join the next UN sponsored follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol, due to expire next year.

Full review of Doggett's bill, along with his press release and remarks after the bump.  Please also vote in the poll if you favor action on global warming.

"this post does not reflect the views of anyone or any other organization other than Citizen Andy, and even then not all the time."

The Right Solution to Lower Gas Prices: John Cornyn right on the money

by: allonghorns

Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 06:34 AM CDT

As if we need any more ammunition. I have a few quotes that just sound more ridiculous when you read them the third fourth and fifth times.

1. Cornyn really believes in taking care of our environment:

It is vital that we be the best possible stewards of the environment. Fortunately, improved technology has enabled us to take advantage of America's own abundant natural resources in an environmentally sensitive way. Yet the U.S. remains the only country in the world that refuses to develop many of its natural resources.

Drill, Drill, Drill - ANWR, ANWR, ANWR - What is environmentally sensitive about that? What about wind and solar power? How do you feel about that?

2. Cornyn really cares about lowering gas prices:

Gas prices are now hovering near $4 per gallon. High fuel costs are causing disruption in our society, prompting layoffs in some industries. Yet Congress is doing virtually nothing to address the problem. In fact, it's talking about ways to make the problem worse.

Did you vote for or against the windfall profits tax on oil companies? Do you take contributions from all five of these companies every cycle? Do you know that you are in the U.S. Senate.  

check out his PAC contributions again

3. The Climate Change Bill would have cost 300k jobs :

But earlier this month, the Senate actually considered a massive climate tax bill that headed in the exact opposite direction. This massive $6.7 trillion Rube Goldberg scheme proposed by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., would undermine our economy and likely lead to $10 per gallon gasoline. It could well eliminate some 330,000 Texas jobs, sending them to places with limited regulation like China and India.

What have you done to keep jobs going overseas? Did you ever figure out how this would cost Texas 330k Jobs? Does the figure go up every time you think about it? Do you know there are eventually going to be green jobs created?

I'm not sure I can take any more of this. I know that I am giving a small donation tonight. Can anyone match me? This guy gets more and more ridiculous. Does he know that the windfall profits tax would have also created incentives for development of alternative energy?

My act blue page