Utilities and other electricity producers are poised to make major new investments in a dangerous, dirty, outdated energy technology: Coal. But a new UCS report shows that spending millions of dollars to retrofit old coal plants or to build new ones just doesn’t make financial sense. Each major retrofit or new plant represents an enormous long-term financial commitment to coal power—and these commitments are exceedingly risky. The truth is that coal is far from cheap, and we can no longer afford the staggering economic, public health, and environmental costs of continued reliance on this outdated energy source. Now is the time to dramatically reduce our coal use and replace it with clean, affordable, and reliable renewable sources of electricity and increase energy efficiency. —Karla
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prevent the expansion of dirty coal mining on public lands
On May 11, the government will begin leasing more public land for coal mining in an area of Wyoming and Montana called the Powder River Basin. But because of regulatory loopholes, this major expansion will happen without weighing the full cost to our air, water, health, and climate. Please urge the government to close these loopholes and stop taxpayers from having to subsidize outdated, dirty coal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MY Links …
**Wind Power: reliable, clean, and cost-effective. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=GbVIpCJ2egPYPQiLf3qTfQ..\
** Who’s got the power to choose where YOUR electricity comes from? Take the quiz! http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=oErFj0sZcDGFFa-bB6Anxg..
**Meeting the president’s goal of 80 percent clean energy by 2035. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=jnKHcV0Uw6wpwaJZqZLesQ..
**CA’s new renewable energy standard is an opportunity to nudge the federal government to boost clean energy nationally. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=bQtRAoVKBg88H9MsU358NQ..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ask the Scientist
Barbara Freese, J.D.
Senior Policy Analyst,
Climate & Energy Program
If the United States still generates almost 50 percent of its power from coal, can we realistically retire coal plants and still have enough power to meet our needs?
-S. Young, Glastonbury, CT.
Yes, UCS analysis has shown that we could replace almost all our coal plants over the next 20 years, mainly by increasing our use of renewable energy resources like wind and solar and by increasing energy efficiency. And replacing coal plants with cleaner sources of energy is not only critical for slowing global warming and saving lives, but it would also reduce consumers’ total energy bills! http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=TjTXleTXi9tLfP0TVcHtZw..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Just In
California passes landmark clean energy law
Last month, the state of California passed a groundbreaking new law requiring utilities to provide at least a third of their electricity from clean, renewable sources like the wind and sun by 2020. This is the most aggressive renewable energy requirement in the country, positioning California as a national leader in clean energy investments and setting an important precedent for other states and the federal government. The law will reduce global warming emissions, clean up our air, and create new jobs. UCS has been a lead group in California advocating for more aggressive renewable energy standards for over a decade. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=t8W8CtWlYFY2lR3lI1Ed-w..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Green Tips
Upgrading your home air conditioning to a more efficient model could help minimize your contribution to global warming without you having to break a sweat.
http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=1z34IYokUxboHS0TZy-apw..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FEED -Food
**Budget cuts target modern, sustainable agriculture practices. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=SQLkprajtY_y8CA4fVRzEw..
**Half of supermarket meat contains drug-resistant bacteria. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=zOTlpjoULBUAJFo_ZzfnaA..
**Engineered grass escapes again. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=tvZeBfVe3UXBB4cjRcelVw..
**Global warming and other factors push up food prices. http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=GwgTciuLXAoR5v4C3ngicA..
http://action.ucsusa.org/site/R?i=6lrJbA-cXdZVpRJiwsQsBQ..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Driving Change
